ADAD Chapter 31: Testing the rune
"This is insane," Anastasios said, at the edge of his seat.
"Look, Nastia, we needed to test the new rune. Dari agreed that this is the only way," Harvey didn't like the growing sounds that came from the arena. What if one of them came from Darius? Was the rune even working?
"Putting him against wild beasts is not the answer," Anastasios repeated himself for the fifth time. Harvey just shook his head.
"Look, this is the only way," the Fey said, and the door opened. Out came Darius, with a bright smile on his face.
"Dari?" Anastasios asked, fearing the worst.
"I got angry for just a second, and then the calm took me over," Darius said, and then looked down on himself. "Does blood get out of leather easily?"
Anastasios rushed to his soulmate, and embraced him. The vampire prince held the demon tightly, afraid that, if he were to let go, then he would see the same scene as in Kilkreath's castle.
"I am fine, my love," Darius murmured, as he kissed Anastasios's neck. In the same spot, that the vampire usually bit him in. "And I will always be fine. With this rune, people can get over their fears."
"I wish that you didn't have to be the one to test it," Anastasios said. Darius patted him on the back, and the prince reluctantly let go of him.
"Granted, we will need another volunteer for the test. It might have worked for me because I provided the blood for the rune. The two of us, Harvey and me, will have to go and speak with professor Asmen," Darius then gave the thumbs up to Harvey, who chuckled.
"I bet the professor will want to be the one to have the tests done on himself," Harvey then got out of his seat, and walked towards the door. "You will need to clean up, first."
"I will. Nastia, do you want to help me with the washing?" Darius was looking forward to a steamy shower together with his soulmate. The prince swatted him on the shoulders.
"You are no longer a teenager, but you sure as hell act like one," Anastasios said with a chuckle. Darius wiggled his eyebrows at the vampire, until the man gave up, and allowed himself to be enveloped in a one-armed hug.
Darius's arm was around Anastasios's middle. The demon didn't know why, but he felt horny and possessive all of a sudden. It could be because of the rune. It was worth looking into.
The three separated, with Anastasios and Darius going to wash up, and Harvey going to the library. There were a couple of things he wanted to check. To make certain that there wouldn't be any side effects. In an hour, they came back together, and walked towards the office of professor Asmen.
When Darius knocked, he heard an "enter" and then he pushed open the door.
"We did it," Darius said, and then remembered himself. "Good day, professor."
"Good day to you as well, Mister Loreth. So, you managed to get the rune up and running?" The aged demon asked, and then looked at Darius. He seemed to be sizing the younger demon up and down. Searching for clues about a rune on his person.
"We have footage of me going into a bloodlust, and then regaining my control," Darius said, and then he took out a memory crystal. Placing it on the desk, he waited until the professor looked through it.
"All my life, people have been promising that something like this is possible, yet none delivered. But this... this is a true calming rune," there was a reverie in the professor's voice. Darius took that as a good sign.
"We can mass produce them," Darius said, and the professor's eyebrow rose.
"Unless you intend to bleed out for the runes, I don't see how you can," he said, but Darius smiled at him.
"There is this slug at Gorgon, that can replicate any liquid. Mustafa, the current ruler, summoned it from a rainforest realm. It is gigantic. If I feed it some of my blood, and isolate it and give it only water, then it will begin to replicate my blood in spades," Darius said, and the professor looked amazed.
"Have you used these types of slugs before, during your rune making?" The aged demon asked, and Darius nodded.
"I tend to run out of blood, both beast blood and my own. So, I had to get the slugs to produce more. They are easy to be farmed, and I intend to buy at least one hundred of them, and populate an entire pocket dimension with them," Darius began to explain his plan in detail.
How the slugs were Mustafa's property, but he sold them for ten silver coins per one. How there were many pocket dimensions already made in Gorgon. But most importantly, how the climate was now mild enough for the slugs to be harvested every day. At the end of his explanation, the professor rummaged in his desk drawer.
He took out a diploma with Darius's name on it, and handed it over.
"Now that you have the rune, you don't really need the classes. Get another mastery under your belt, next year. Or go back to bounty hunting. Anyway, just get these runes to those who need them," with that, the professor waved them off.
Darius took his diploma, and saw that he got the pass for the anger management classes. He hadn't realized it was a mastery class, but he was glad that he got another diploma under his belt. As the two walked out of the office, Darius couldn't help but think that there was a slight problem.
"You started your charisma mastery," Darius said, and Anastasios tilted his head to look at him.
"I did. I guess we can't go bounty hunting in the next one hundred years," Anastasios murmured, but then he smiled. "Not that we are in any rush. You will need to get as many runes as you can up and ready for the masses."
"I suppose," Darius agreed.
It didn't sit well with him that he had to wait to make a name for himself, yet, now he had a job to do. A trip to Gorgon would be most helpful. The slugs needed to be bought, and he had 99 years' worth of time to make runes, and take the other classes, that all groups took, regardless of house placement.
He allowed himself a small smile. Gorgon had grown on him. Now, if he managed to get Anastasios to take his mastery remotely, then they could have some alone time.
