Chapter 9 A Overwhelming Presence Shows Itself

 

 

Frank smirks: "Here is your water."

Sin takes a sip from the glass cup. "Didn't think Elaine could handle her alcohol."

Elaine sat there, quietly peering into her mug, watching the liquid slosh about. The room had an ominous feel to it, something has been at play since arriving here. Each time Sin took a glance around the room, there will always be one person staring. "I can't put my finger on it, it feels so off just sitting here. The hair on my neck is standing up."

Elaine broke the silence: "Another please."

The room resumed, everyone unpaused from their stares and continued their lives almost as if nothing has ever happened. No one cared anymore, Sin and Elaine were just regular customers. The tavern's demeanor became rowdy and lively. Soon enough, a hooded woman walks in, her eyes veiled and her clothes sparkling. 

Frank gives a passing glance: "That's the broker."

Sin looks around the room, trying to get a glimpse: "I can tell."

She approaches Frank: "I'll be in my room."

Frank gestures to Sin and Elaine: "Actually, these two want to have a word with you."

Sin could feel her stare even if it wasn't visible: "Then come to my room in ten minutes." 

Frank: "There you go folks! I'll tell you when she is ready."

Sin: "Thanks, Frank."

He gives a nod, Frank serves two others at the end of the bar. Time flies until Frank gives the green light to head to her room.

Frank: "Her room is at the far end, last door."

Sin takes point with Elaine following suit. Heading down the hall of rooms to the last door. 

Sin knocks: "Hello, Broker lady. You asked us to come when you are ready."

Barely a whisper can be heard: "Come in."

Sin opens the door to a room filled with scrolls on little cube shelves that are lettered in alphabetical order. The Broker sits behind a desk waiting for them to take a seat. The two do.

Broker: "You have questions and I have answers, for a price."

Sin: "Is there a rate to how much a certain type of info costs?"

Broker: "Info on kings and higher class noblemen are a hundred gold pieces. Layouts of buildings are twenty-five gold. And information on a certain person varies depending on this man's or woman's importance."

Elaine: "What if it's a mix of two? We need to know where someone home is who is rich and famous."

Broker: "Again, depends on the person."

Sin: "Alright, we are looking for Zero and Draco's home in this city."

The broker replied instantly: "That will be a hundred gold pieces and body bags."

Elaine: "Why a body bag?"

Broker: "Cause you will not be making it out alive."

Sin: "Is there a reason?"

Broker extends a hand: "Five gold."

Sin pulls five gold coins out of his pouch.

Broker: "Zero and Draco have paid a hefty sum for protection, and the people he paid have eyes everywhere. I can't say any more about them, they might be listening now. Is there anything else you might want to know?"

Elaine: "Please, can you tell us the name of the people they paid? We can get rid of them."

Broker starts to get nervous: "You shouldn't speak like that, just move on."

Sin gets impatient: "We must know!"

The Broker fidgets in her seat: "I'm sorry but I said all I can say today. Please leave."

Elaine: "Wait, please! We need their names!"

The broker got agitated: "Get OUT! Before you get us all killed!"

Sin realized this is going nowhere and moved on: "Okay we are going. Thank you for your time."

The broker reaches for his hand: "Here take it. we never talked."

She gave him his five gold coins back. The two left the room.

Elaine: "What was that?"

Sin: "I don't know, we must be careful."

Coming out of the hallway into the open tavern. The room was empty, Frank was missing from his post along with all his customers. Not a peep. 

The Broker Screams.

Sin and Elaine rush back barging into the room to find the broker with her wrists and throat slashed laying face down on her desk. No one was there, just her corpse.

Sin felt a cold presents: "What is going on?"

The two back out of the doorway into the open tavern. "Sin You Need To Leave."

Sin and Elaine stand before five demonic beings, some human, others demons. They all have a symbol on their left sleeve, it was a skeleton wearing a crown.

Elaine unsheathes her sword: "Who are you?!"

A dart zips by hitting Elaine in the neck putting her to sleep. Sin catches her, laying her down gently. Sin summons a ball of fire burning away his arm and face. The main assassin holds a hand up, giving them the order to stop. He puts his hand to his ear before putting two fingers forward sending another dart toward Sin hitting him. The dart's poison does nothing. Sin pulls the dart from his neck and burns it. The assassins spread out. 

Sin sends a ball of fire toward the main assassin. The assassin catches the ball and crushes it. "This is not looking good Asmodeus."

"Sin, you need to escape, leave Elaine or we are done for."

"No! I'm not doing that to her again!"

Sin rushes the captain, swinging recklessly. The captain slips left. One assassin punches Sin in the face sending him to the ground in one blow. Sin's head was spinning, picking himself up still dazed. The assassins watch him struggle to pick himself up. Waiting for Sin to make a move, to see him prove his worth.

Fear surges into Sin, fatigued and dazed.

Sin remembers, that dark cold feeling of being alone, stuck in that coffin broken and afraid. Sin holds his skeleton hand to his chest and pulls out a ball of black essence. The fire in Sin's features smolder into black smoke, a feral look lingered on his remaining flesh. Sin charged recklessly, picking one assassin to engage. The assassins maneuver around him, Sin catches one in a corner. Swinging his arms at the assailant. The assassin dodges flawlessly, Sin grew more savage with each growing moment. In a sudden flash, Sin lunged forward catching the assassin and tearing its throat out like a wild beast looking for the kill and succeeding.

The captain assassin holds his hand to his ear again. He gives a twirl of his finger and an assassin vanishes to Sin completely obliterating him with a punch, knocking his lights out.

 

 

 

 

#

 

 

 

 

 

"Sin. Sin. SIN!"

Sin dazed and discombobulated: "Huh? Wha-whats going on?"

"Sin, the assassins have taken us."

Sin's arms hang above his head, chained up to the wall by the wrists. Fire leaked out weakly from his right open cheek. Sin's right hand was exposed showing its genuine hand. Wearily looking around the room, Elaine sat in the same position still under the effects of the poison. A feeling of deja vu echoed in his mind, similar to his first awakening. Aching ran rampant all over his body, shoulders started locking under the pressure of gravity. Red marked up Sin's wrist from constant rubbing against metal cuffs. 

Sin barely a whisper: "Elaine. Can you hear me? Are you okay Elaine?"

The lack of a response is deafening. Sin focused on her chest, to see if she is breathing. The dark room made his vision fuzzy, tricking his eyes. "Asmodeus. Is she breathing? Please Asmodeus. Tell me!"

A strained silence hangs in the air. Sin yanked his hand forward jerking the other up. Knowing he won't be able to reach her didn't matter, trying is all he could do. All limbs were pushing their limits in every action. 

Sin snarled, using his hoarse throat: "LET US OUT! WHO ARE YOU!"

Sin tore at the chain, pulling forwards at the same time. Axistey ate at his mind, every bad thought conjured circled his mind. Sin's actions turned animalistic, unhindered by the lack of energy as he feverishly ripped at the chains, banging against the damp, mossy wall. He banged it against the wall turning his hand purple. The links started to give way, scrapping along the wall. Sin halted at the noise of keys raddling and a door swinging open. The bright light stunned his behavior. A figure shaded Sin from the harsh light, a man made of bricks stood in the doorway, each muscle in his body has gotten a workout during this day. The torch looked like a match in his hands, a wall of a man examined the situation. He huffed at Sin. Sin couldn't care less about the scary hulking man standing before him.

Sin pleaded: "Sir I'm begging you! Please check on her. I'll do anything you want!"

He snapped his focus to Elaine. Kneeling, their captor waves a hand over her murmuring under his breath. A breeze of green flows down upon Elaine sending her jolting awake. 

Elaine jumps: "Huh?! Whoa!"

She squirms around finally noticing she is shackled. The jailer huffs at her response to the position and slams the door behind him.

Sin sighs: "Thank the gods you are alive! Are you okay?"

Elaine pulls herself up using the chain's weight to support her. Giving herself enough reach as the chain slack, grooming through her black hair with two braids connecting to the back and twisting. Letting her hair down with a clip.

Elaine: "I'm fine Sin, just a scratch."

She gets down to work, jimmying the lock open. Without any thought, she starts picking the shackles on her ankles. Freeing herself from her restraints, the tall knight came to Sin's rescue. 

Sin kept pestering her: "You shouldn't be here Elaine. I don't know why you came with me. You should've stayed away from me. It was better that I stayed dead."

Sin hung his head low, fire smoldered from his cheekbone. Pain that he felt, felt deserved from putting her in this position. Elaine held her tongue, working on the lock holding him in the air. Unlocking one hand, his hand went limp to the ground.

Sin spoke in a dreary tone: "After we get out, go back home. This is not your fight."

Elaine paused.

Her voice was shaky: "Am I, really that useless to you?"

Sin broke out of his despairing mood, he looked up at this teary-eyed woman trying her best.

Elaine yells: "This is my fight too! I lost everything!"

Her nose got stuffy, sniffing every few seconds: "That day I got the news of your death broke me! There was nothing left that I loved! *Hick* I-I, I wanted to end it all! *Sniff*"

Tears rained down, pelting Sin's face, "I am such an idiot."

Elaine sucked at the air: "Am I r-really useless to you?"

She looked down at him, awaiting his answer. 

Sin hugged her by the waist, his legs were too numb. Using one hand to hug her tightly, clenching his teeth. 

Sin: "Never. You were my everything, just sorry I couldn't see it until now."

The lock popped open freeing his other hand. He hugged her again with more vigor.

Elaine cleared the tears from her eyes: "You are my everything too."

Sin: "Thanks for being with me."

The fire in his cheek rekindled flowing out in soft waves almost like the riches silk, comparable to the golden fleece. The flame was like a forbidden scarf, something that looks so tantalizing. Like a tiger's fur. Elaine dipped her hand hesitantly through it, it didn't hurt. She rubbed the flame between her finger letting it linger around her hand. 

Elaine: 'It feels like sand falling through your fingertips."

Sin lets go of his death grip on Elaine: "Now, let's get you out of there."

The shackles come off after a minute of messing with them. Their newfound bond revigorates them, Sin reaches for the wall to support his weight. Elaine surveys the room, looking for a weakness in the walls or door. Running her hand against the moist wall as Sin gets his feet from under him.

Sin: "Alright Elaine let's do this together."

Elaine: "Okay, let's do this."

Her search comes empty-handed, "Asmodeus, why aren't you answering me? Hello~?"

Sin: "Elaine, Asmo is not speaking to me, there is something here that he was afraid of."

Elaine gulps: "Then let's hurry up and get out of here. Quick Sin, come here."

Elaine feels up the door: "Most of it is rusted metal. The door could give away if we put enough might into it."

Sin feels up his shoulder: "What are we waiting for, let's do this!"

Sin and Elaine ready their shoulders, charging into the door. It gives little ground but still, it gives. Repeating the process knowing full well they will feel that tomorrow.

Elaine: "Okay one last push should do it."

Elaine lines her foot to the back of the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Sin follows along: "This is going to hurt~"

Elaine counts down: "Ready, one...two...THREE!"

Charging at breakneck speed into the door, it crumbles under their force sending Elaine and Sin tumbling over the door onto their back. The two chuckle at their success.

Sin laying on his back with his back flat against the door: "Ha ow."

Elaine moans in pain: "Uh my shoulder~"

Sin is the first to get off his back, agonizingly slow to get up. Eventually, the battered half-lich lends a hand to Elaine who takes it. 

Both are now on their feet: "Huh? Weird. Where is the big guy? Shouldn't there be guards?"

Elaine slugs him on the shoulder: "Don't jinx it!"

Sin rubs his already bruised shoulder: "Sorry."

Elaine rubs Sin's shoulder where the blow landed: "Oops sorry~"

Falling the long hallway cautiously leading to an open throne room lined with columns in rows guiding to two thrones elevated by steps cast in darkness. A window behind the thrones sends rays of moonlight through unable to pierce the black mist around the thrones.

A curious man's voice: "A lich? No~? Something else."

Sin: "Who are you!"

A woman's voice makes itself known: "That sounded more like a demand than a question. How about this, KNEEL!"

Her voice sounded ferocious and low. The man says nothing but something felt uneasy, a feeling of eyes watching every move just like the tavern. Elaine and Sin felt knots in their stomach from just standing there.

Elaine fights back the feeling to hurl: "Was it you who watched us through other peoples' eyes!"

A woman steps from the shadows, the pressure staggers Sin and Elaine. She looks like something that fell from the sky, a dark star, a fallen angel. 

Feathered wings beautifully extended outwards covering the moonlight and blacking out the room before retracting her wings. For someone who hides in the shadows, her skin shows the sun has kissed her skin. As much as her skin resembles the sun, everything else matches the moon. Her hair seems to change the more the moonlight hits it, a radiating white, a godly being should possess and humans could only set their eyes on. Perfect in every way 'cept a scar over her right eye. 

 

The man was still a mystery. The gut-wrenching feeling is so powerful it is visible. A purple aura wafted through the black smokey cloud, reaching for humans to devour. 

Fallen angel: "And why would I answer a dead man's question?"

The sound of tapping made itself prominent in the conversation. 

Sin revaluated his approach: "We mean no harm to your workings in this city, all we are here for is Zero and Draco."

Fallen angel glares: "What is your business with the heroes?"

Elaine bows: "Our business was only lucrative, we've meant no harm by it."

Sin bowed with her, his flames emanated some light in the dim room. 

A smirk creeps onto the angel: "There~ is the respect I was expecting."

She points uninterested and unmoved by their sign of respect: "Kill them."

Shadows crawled out of the abyss under them. Grabbing ahold of their ankles. Minions of darkness. The love birds struggled to escape a black hole of nothing.

Angel of dark returns to the shadows nonchalantly.

The Man cloaked by the dark sat upon the throne, holding a hand up.

The angel commanded: "Stop!"

Minions of darkness pause their assault on the two, freezing in place. 

The angel's tone switched on a dime: "Yes Darling~"

The man held the same tone he had with Sin and Elaine: "Come here, Sam."

In surprising fashion, the cold fallen angel skipped to his voice. A wave of light washed the smoke obscuring the man and angel. She sat on his lap lying against him, resting on his chest. Sam wore a smile of an angel as she contently rested on him. On the other hand, the man stayed level head. His appearance seemed otherworldly or just unknown to the world. Everything he wore gave dark and dreary vibes. A shirt of the finest cloth dipped in its darkest shade of black, the sleeves ran down to his wrists. A leather strap wrapped around his shoulder diagonally holding equipment. He resembled no king or tried to act the part, the real striking trait laid upon his face. A piece of dilapidated cloth wrapped around his eyes, veiling them. Even with the blindfold, it was noticeable that his eyes were special in some way. The only part of him that showed bright, his eyes emanated yellow through the blindfold.

The feeling of being assessed grew the more you stared back at him. Even behind a blindfold, the feeling of his eyes watching you overpowered any action you considered. Nothing you did would succeed. The blindfolded man clenched his right hand repeatedly, slow, tight, grasps. 

He held Sam in his right arm, as her posterior was hanging off the throne's armrest.

The man: "Do you have any idea why you are not fully a lich."

The man asked questions like they were acquainted: "What happened to you?"

Sin and Elaine were dumbfounded, unable to think of an answer or a reason not to answer him.

Sam bared fangs: "Answer HIM!"

The demand snapped the two out of their trance.

Sin: "Oh uh, the only working theory I have going for me is revenge."

The man: "So that's your real objective."

Elaine opposed his statement instantly: "No! We were only tracking them down for a friend. Our real mission is to take down Raven's Point."

The man sighs, letting go of his grasp: "Sorry for my lack of manners. My name is Ash, my darling wife here is Sam."

Sin bows once more: "My name is Sin-"

Ash sucked air through his teeth: "What did you say your name was?"

Sin flinched at the hint of anger he showed: "My n-name is Sin, and this is my dear Elaine."

Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath: "*Sigh* Sorry, you remind me of someone. Pleasantries aside, the two heroes you are looking for are long gone. They packed up quite a while ago, heading to The Trinity Confederation for a conquest under the name of the gods. They will not be back until a year's time."

Sin caresses his chin: "That will be a lot of tracking down on cold trails. Ash, do you know where they are now."

Ash: "No I do not, but, if your friend is honestly thinking of taking them on. He should reconsider. They excel at taking down high-ranking demons."

An anxious feeling rumbled in Sin's gut, "He knows I'm here."

"Asmodeus? Do you mean he can tell your part of me?"

Ash: "I have an idea, Sin, why don't I take you under my wing, and reveal you're true potential? What do you say?"

Sin looks Elaine's way, she gives a warm smile.

Sin turns back to Ash: "I accept."

Ash bursts into a ball of energy: "Fantastic! Here scoot darling!"

Ash slithers out from under Sam, leaping to Sin landing in front of him.

Holding out a hand: "I look forward to being your mentor."

Sin shakes his hand: "Can't wait to learn new things."

Ash hugs him, whispering: "Asmodeus, my father is looking for you."

Ash returns back to his throne, sitting on Sam's vacant throne. Sin tries his best to hide his shock bowing again. "Sin, do not by any means disobey him. He slaughtered people for talking out of turn. A cold man at heart."

Sam hopped up stretching her wings along with her arms.

Ash: "Meet me at the tavern in the morning, don't keep me waiting Sin."

A venomous smile lingered on Ash's lips as Sin and Elaine walk out the front doors of the hideout. 

Stepping out through the double doors blinded them. Taking a few seconds to adjust to the harsh light, they are outside the city's gates along the wall.

Elaine exhales deeply: "Jeez that was terrifying!"

Sin plops his butt on the floor: "I felt like hurling the whole time."

The skin on Sin's arm and face start to regenerate. 

Sin: "Hey Asmodeus, who was that?"

Asmodeus forms from fire: "That is death's son. Death's weapon of mass destruction. Someone you never want as your enemy."

Elaine rests against the wall: "Who was he with, she looked unhinged."

Asmodeus strokes his chin: "An angel in her last life, now a fallen angel with her true love."

Elaine: "How can someone so holy be so, dark."

Asmodeus: "Love."

Elaine: "Hm~"

Sin lays flat on his back: "I can't believe I just said yes to be death's son's pupil. What do I do now!"

Asmodeus looks down at Sin, shading him from the sun: "Learn, under the dark one. He will teach where others can not. His techniques are unrivaled but his temper is short."

Sin: "Let's go home, please. I want to sleep."