Chapter 42 - The Infernal Prince

 

Name: Jason Foreti

Level 6

Class: Alchemist

 

Name: Izumi Yoshida

Level 1

Class: None

 

Name: Ashe Landry

Level 9

Class: Rogue

 

Name: Trey Bon

Level 8

Class: Infernal Summoner

 

Jason sat quietly and watched as the first snowflake drifted to the ground. The early morning breeze caused it to sway course, catching Jason by the cheek and melting against his skin. The two earthborn girls who had joined their company last night were asleep and huddled up next to one another nearby the ifrit, who sat meditating a few feet in the air and casting a warm glow from his body as flames danced to engulf him.

A few feet from where Jason sat Trey was just beginning to wake up. He rubbed his eyes, pushed Rivia and Willow off of him, and yawned. Getting himself up from the soft dirt and looking around slowly, he found it eerily silent aside from the flames flickering off of Atharost’s body. Not far off from where they had made camp, a dirt road could be seen winding its way through the woods and out into a vast plains area.

More snowflakes soon began to trickle down, and the gray sky above him seemed to mock Jason as he waited impatiently for the others to arise from slumber. He saw Izumi shiver and snuggle closer in with Ashe, and realized it was getting even colder.

[English Dialect] “Thank god we have a walking, talking campfire!” exclaimed Trey with another yawn. Jason and Atharost both smirked slightly, but the ifrit just shook his head.

Jason’s features soon returned to a cold grimace. He rubbed his shoulders and scooted closer to the flaming meditating demon for warmth, and he was getting more anxious by the minute to find out if his hopes about Elise were founded. He for one was NOT sure he’d seen Elise’s body there in the dirt, despite Trey’s claims… It could have been a look-alike, and they were going to find out who was right.

 

***

 

“Rise and shine y’all!” exclaimed Trey joyfully as he shook the still-sleeping women. Eventually they were woken up, but neither of them showed any excitement about it at first.

“NOOOOOO!” yelled Ashe as she held onto Izumi more tightly. Trey just shook them even harder as a response.

“Ugh…” Izumi groaned. “Go away! I want to sleep more!”

“Nope we gotta go. Nap time is over!” Jason cut in, bending down and swiftly threw each of them over one of his shoulders. Rivia was getting up with yawns of her own amidst the commotion, and the other demons were already waiting as Jason carried the struggling women towards them.

Trey grinned. “LEGGO!”

An hour later, Ashe clutched her forehead and winced - realizing how much of a difference there was between them despite similar levels and both having been given classes. “Where did you learn all this magic!?”

Trey kept his pace up down the wide dirt road as they cleared the edge of the forest and began their way into the plains. Trees and shrubs littered the area with occasional rolling hills, but mostly it was very flat.

“I’ll tell you the entire story tonight, just remind me before we go to sleep.” He yawned loudly and covered his mouth. Far above him, Atharost could barely be seen flying amongst the clouds. From their perspective and if they hadn’t known any better, it could have just been a very large bird - as long as his flames weren’t lit up.

A surge of aggression and hunger spontaneously erupted through Trey’s consciousness and he clutched at his chest with wide eyes, trying to contain his composure before returning to normal ten seconds later.

Ashe and Izumi both looked concerned.

“Are you ok?” asked Ashe.

“You suddenly look pale…” mentioned Izumi who felt Trey’s forehead, brushing her hands against his horns as she took her hand away. “Are you sick?”

Her black hair trailed down to her shoulders and she pushed it out of her eyes as she awaited his response with concern.

Trey shook his head no. “I’m not sick, I’ll be fine. Sorry. I get weird… urges…. sometimes. Nothing to worry about.”

Ashe and Izumi didn’t look convinced, but Jason wasn’t bothered by it in the least.

“He’s fine.” interrupted Jason. “But how long do you think it will be before we find someone to point us in the right direction? We’ve been wandering for a while now.”

Trey just shrugged, and they kept walking for another twenty or so steps before he felt Talsh’Noc’Un come out of shadowform to hover in front of him.

“I do not… like… being put away…” the sword stated to Trey’s surprise. “Allow me to travel with you…”

Trey’s eyebrows raised and the two girls stepped back, even more surprised to hear the sword talk. “Uh, yeah. That’s fine. I’m sorry bud, I didn’t mean to irritate you.”

The sword continued to hover. “There is nothing to apologize over… master… I merely enjoy… the experience more… this way...” Gradually the sword changed its angle and swooped over to land against Trey’s back, attaching itself there without any constraints.

Trey glanced back at the enormous blade latched to his back, shrugged, and continued walking. It seemed weightless. He hadn’t honestly considered the sword to be truly alive up until that moment in time, but it was a moment he would remember from then on out. He had obviously conversed with the sword before, but it had felt like an item previous to this. Talsh’Noc’Un wanting to be drawn out of shadowform to travel with him though… Trey didn’t know what to make of it. He would have to be more aware of the sword as a living thing from now on, and would make an effort to treat it as such.

 

***

 

It was mid day now, and the four Earthborn party members were shivering as they hurried along the road. Snow was beginning to pile up again and the sky was growing darker. A sudden thud to their left sounded as Atharost landed nearby - curved horns, pitch black skin and wicked looking tail giving him quite an intimidating presence.

[Ancient Demon Dialect] “There are others up ahead, across the next two hills. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed as if there was some sort of conflict.”

[English Dialect] “Two hills over there’s another group...” Trey relayed the information to the rest of them. “Atharost thinks they may be having a fight of some sort, let’s go check it out.”

Trey sent Napoleon ahead, the little imp would not likely be spotted due to his size and would be an easygoing scout compared to any of the others, including Atharost who would have certainly been spotted if he’d gotten too close while not skybound. The others just followed unquestioningly as Trey sped up the pace.

‘Perhaps… we will feed soon… Perhaps… we will kill...’ Sithis purred in the back of Trey’s mind. The symbiote’s hunger was growing, and it spurred Trey on to be even faster than he was already going.

A gust of strong wind collided with the group as they climbed the first hill. Izumi was nearly blown down but Ashe grabbed onto her arm and pulled her back up. Large rocks and boulders littered the opposite side of the hill as they came down, before soon making their way up the next one and coming to a slow stop at the top - where a group of large bushes were perched. Napoleon was already there and waved at them to come closer, signaling it was safe to move ahead.

Peaking their heads out and over to take a look at the scene beneath them, they carefully tried to remain hidden.

The sound of metal ringing against metal and shouts of men reached their ears. The scene beneath them was one of a small battle, and a couple bodies already lay about the bottom of the hill. Three men stood with their backs to one another, wearing plain leather and traveling gear, and short swords were drawn out at the ready. A horse and carriage with various crates stood nearby, the horse’s reins were being held by a man wearing a red tunic over an iron chainmail vest. Seven other men with swords, axes, and maces drawn wore red over their chainmail vests and had encircled the leather-clad men. It seemed to Trey as if the men in red were taunting their opponents, but Trey couldn’t necessarily hear them well enough to tell. And even if they had been closer, Trey only understood some of the language that Amaia had taught him…

He’d have to continue those lessons in the other realm.

A flare of lust flooded his consciousness as he thought about the peasant women who he’d recently enslaved, and looking at Willow or Rivia beside him - he kinda wished he was able to take these two over to Eleknar’s realm as well.  Wouldn’t that be fun.  Willow caught him staring and gave him a curious raise of the eyebrow, but he ignored her unspoken question and turned back around. 

Trey tried to identify the people below, but didn’t have much luck. He was terrible at it after all. “Any luck getting a read on their levels?”

Ashe nodded. “The bandits are the ones in red, they’re all around level 6. The other three are level 1, 2 and 4.”

She brushed back her long golden locks and smiled widely at Trey’s thumbs up.

“How do you know the ones in red are bandits?” whispered Jason as one of the so-called bandits struck out and cut deep into the thigh of one of the leather clad men.

“I know these people.” stated Ashe cooley. “The Undying have worked with them before while hunting down caravans and looting small settlements. They’re a small guild by the name of Egormark.”

Jason watched as Trey almost lurched forward from their hiding spot, his face contorting into a devious grin as Sithis spurred Trey on. Jason just turned and snickered back at the girl, and Ashe looked confused at his body language. “Do you not believe me Jason? Did I say something funny?”

Jason shook his head. “They’re not going to be galavanting like that for very much longer.”

A scream shrieked out to pierce the air as he pointed down the hill, and Ashe followed his gaze to cup her hands to her mouth in horror.

Trey had somehow cleared the 30 yard gap between them and the bottom of the hill, and was tearing into one of the bandits with large black claws and teeth. The possessed man ripped through an exposed throat like a knife through butter, and tore out one of the man’s lungs to sink his teeth into the flesh ravenously as he screamed. Blood spewed everywhere and the other bandits fell back with shouts of surprise.

“You have gained 1 strength from consuming a fresh kill.”

One unleashed an arrow, but before it could reach its intended target - the arrow burst into flames and dissolved into dust. The flames engulfing the area around Atharost settled as the demon towered above the remaining men in red.

[Human Dialect] “WHAT IN THE HELLS IS THAT!” a terrified bandit croaked out, tripping backwards and falling onto his butt just before he was incinerated.

One grew brave and charged the demon who stood protecting its master as Trey ate, but all of a sudden he became incredibly heavy… and the man to his right who’d been following him to support the charge began to clutch his face and hyperventilate. Napoleon’s curse spells - Burden and Fear - set in quickly, and the tiny imp dashed headlong to sink its rows of teeth into the burdened man’s neck. The imp dug its claws into soft flesh over and over again while the man stood helpless, with his muscles not responding beyond even half of their normal function.

Meanwhile the other bandits weren’t faring well either, while Rivia and Willow just simply watched with their hands clasped in front of them.

An inferno spell engulfed the remaining men, save the one holding the horse by the reins nearby. Their screams quickly died down as they - along with any vegetation about them - turned to ash. The remaining man, upon seeing his compatriots die so easily, turned to flee. He tried mounting the horse and cut the reins loose, but no sooner had he done so when a long, simmering chaos chain whipped out to impale him - dragging him back screaming in agony until Trey had set upon him to rip out his intestines.

“Gotchya bitch!” Trey laughed like a madman and began to gorge himself on this new victim as well. The bandit beneath him made pitiful gurgling noises, coughing up bile, as he futilely pushed bloodied and slippery hands against Trey’s chest. The bandit became weaker with every second as pieces of his body were ripped off and torn apart to be eaten in front of him, until his last breath escaped his lips and he shuddered into death.

Both Izumi and Ashe stayed in place, horror stricken, as Rivia nodded approvingly.

Jason just laughed, and Willow smirked.

“Welcome to the group...” Jason muttered.

“He’s a cannibal?” asked Izumi hesitantly, fear visible upon her features.

Jason just stared down the hill. “It isn’t exactly his fault. Whenever he tells you two his story tonight, be sure to ask him about the eating people thing. He’ll give you all the details.”

 

***

 

“We do not deal with demons or the warlocks and summoners that wield them!” one of the traveling merchants said while eyeing Trey in a shrewd attempt to ward off the newcomers.

Trey had a liver in one hand and a heart in the other, taking small bites out of each while maintaining eye contact. Napoleon was nearby, sharing in the feast with his own set of bloodied body parts, and occasionally laughing in delight whenever he found a particularly juicy piece.

“I will not damn my soul to the hells, no matter what you say!” The old man spit in Trey’s direction with repulsion in his eyes. He was a gruff fellow and bore a religious trinket that he was holding closely to his chest. “You damned summoners should all be executed on the spot along with the necromancers! You are even worse than they! Delving into the infernal arts is a sin! May Iseliaz, Fairborn forgive you of your transgressions if you repent and return to his light!”

“We just saved your life!” exclaimed Ashe who was becoming frustrated. “All we want to know is how to get to Vork you stupid, pompous prick!”

“This is growing tiresome, and I am beginning to become angry.” said Jason snidely. “If you do not speak soon, I will have my friend here eat you next.”

The old merchant jerked back in fear as Trey smiled widely at him through black razor fangs.

One of the two scrawnier and younger leather-bound men stepped forward and shoved the would-be leader back.

“I am not religious and there is no reason I would not tell you. I am grateful for… what you have done…” The younger merchant said while having a concerned expression and staring down the feasting demons behind Jason, taking an extra long look at Rivia as the demoness knelt down to eat as well. “And I would rather this encounter be fast. So-”

“YOU WILL NOT TELL THEM AKRA! I WILL NOT LET YOU DAMN YOUR SOUL!” the original man put his hands over the second’s mouth, only to reel back as the second man bit down hard.

[English Dialect] “Trey, come over here.” said Jason, and pointed at the first man. “Kill him if he tries to interfere again. I’m not going to put Elise’s future at stake because this idiot wants to appease his gods.”

Trey paused at Elise’s name, shrugged, and stood up.  He doubted he’d ever tell Jason where Elise really was now, but it was a better place than the belly of a void beast.  He dropped his organs to the ground and walked to stand over the first man - blood covering the front of his bare chest now that he had thrown away the ruined tunic.

The man before him squealed at his approach.

[Human Dialect] “WE GET IT! Forgive my friend for being such a fool!” said the third man. “Akra, tell them what they want to know!”

It didn’t take long to get the information they needed, and flipping them off as they left Trey was glad to be rid of the blubbering idiot who’d been so adamant against helping him.

“So we keep going west, and then turn south when we hit a crossroads…” muttered Jason as he recited the information over and over again. There were seven steps the men had given them in order to reach Vork, and he could only hope that they hadn’t been lied to.

“Who was that guy talking about? The one he called Iseliaz, Fairborn?” Izumi curiously asked, cocking her head and looking back the way they’d come. “I’ve never heard that name before.”

“A god.” Trey muttered, kicking the small pile of snow to the right as he walked by. “The one that champions the mortal races with the exception of the elves. Right Rivia? Did I get that right?”

Rivia just looked at him blankly and Trey facepalmed when he realized he’d been speaking in English. He translated for her, and in turn she nodded with another blank expression.

[English Dialect] “Yeah that’s right. Rivia confirms it.” Trey quickly motioned for Atharost to come over.

[Ancient Demon Dialect] “Yes?” Atharost asked, curious about Trey’s intent given the way Trey had a frownplastered across his features while looking back over the way they’d come.

Trey let out a grunt, and slowed his walk so that the others took the lead. Putting a hand on Atharost’s shoulder, he sighed. [Ancient Demon Dialect] “I need you to go back. Kill the men we just left, and make sure they’re definitely dead before you return. Don’t tell the others.”

Atharost’s grin grew, and he nodded, but he was rather confused. “Didn’t you just let them go? Why didn’t we kill them back there when we had the chance?”

“We should have killed them, master.” Willow agreed with a nod, white hair whipping about her in a cold gust of wind while looking out over the snow-laden landscape.

Trey’s snort said it all as he glanced towards the other Earthborn. “They wouldn’t understand. No, those men can’t be left alive. They’ll tell someone what they saw for sure, and even if they don’t it’s not a chance I want to take. If I was taught anything while working in the mafia back on Earth… it’s that you never leave loose ends. I was born into a crime lord’s family, it’s time I start fucking acting like it. Leave nothing of them behind, burn them to ash along with all of their belongings. And I mean everything.”

Again, Atharost was taken aback with surprise. “Are you sure? This is not characteristic of you.”

Trey’s eyes flashed angrily, the crimson blazing to life briefly as the mana coursed through his body. “You have no idea what's characteristic of me and what isn't. Do it, and make sure that religious fucker suffers. The one that gave us shit and wouldn’t tell us what we wanted to know? Make sure he feels it before he dies. Kill the others fast.”

The ifrit’s grin grew even wider, and a new spark in his eyes showed immense amounts of approval.  The ifrit and fallen angel shared an approving look, and Atharost nodded.  “I like this new you. Very well, I will return.”

With that, the ifrit launched skywards. Blooming into flames, Atharost rocketed towards the east from where they’d just come and disappeared into the clouds above.

“Where’s Atharost going?” Jason asked curiously, calling out from the front.

Trey put on a smile and shrugged his shoulders, picking up the pace again to walk alongside the others.  “Oh, he’s just running some scouting missions. He’ll be back soon. Let’s stop to check the supplies one last time and make sure we have what we need. If we don’t we can procure it somehow along the way.”

“Procure it?” Ashe repeated, eyebrows raising while snapping a quick glance to check out Rivia and Willow to her left. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

He gave her a smile and nodded. “You’re a rogue, aren’t you? Have any experience with thieving?”

Ashe gave a small laugh and smiled, catching the way Trey pulled in Rivia by the waist with a little bit of jealousy. She wanted to hold Rivia like that.  Or Willow.  Or both.  God she was jealous. “Yeah, I’m pretty damn good at it too.”

Blankets, new clothes, and various foods had been taken from the belongings of the fallen back at the site of the small battle - and the distribution had already been partially done. Jason and Ashe had equipped themselves with bows, arrows, and short swords while Izumi had taken a dagger. All of them now had a good set of warm clothes to wear, even Napoleon was covered up - though the children’s clothes obviously were too big for his small figure. As they trudged through the falling snow, leaving footprints behind them for many miles: Willow, Izumi and Ashe had taken it upon themselves to teach Trey as much of the Human language as they could.

 

***

 

Izumi pulled her cloak and blanket closer about her as she shivered violently against the storm. They were all beginning to truly hate this world. Having grown up in relatively better places - they’d never had to worry about freezing to death before, and their ifrit friend was one of the few things that kept them alive throughout it all.

The group had kept going west for the most-part, but had needed to take a slight detour south when they noticed a large group of cavalry coming from behind them on a distant hill. Fearing that they were the king’s men come to hunt them down, Trey had made the decision that they were to leave the main path - but not stray too far so they may find it again later. After venturing south for a few hours, they had come upon a snowstorm that berated them with bitter winds and snow that eventually turned into a sharp hail. The temperature had plummeted along with their spirits as they battled the weather, and in time they’d decided to huddle together around Atharost’s burning flames to try and keep from freezing to death.  At the same time, Willow was able to construct a makeshift hut of ice that saved them from the brunt of the storm - almost like an igloo, and the wait became much more bearable.  Atharost and Willow were the only ones of the lot that seemed unperturbed by their current situation through the night.  The ifrit hovered calmly cross-legged in the middle of the semicircle about him to brightly burn, while Willow snuggled up next to Trey while whispering things into his ear.  The fallen angel was borderline attached to the hip with Trey wherever he went, and was often seen laughing or talking with him whenever others looked her way. 

The weather continued to berate them along their journey, and it would take the party two additional days to reach their destination. By the time they reached Vork, they were up to their knees in snow.

When they eventually saw the outskirts of the village in the distance, Trey was not certain that they would receive a warm welcome. Jason however had dismissed Trey’s negative thoughts and told him there was nothing to worry about. It turned out that Jason was right.

Upon seeing their party enter the town center, many of the villagers came to greet them and to ask about how they’d come back after being taken by the king. Many questions were answered and introductions were made. Worried and awed expressions met Jason’s tale, and it was not until he saw Elandry that Jason stopped to ask his own question.

“Elandry!” yelled Jason as he made his way through the small crowd of heavily clothed people to greet the alchemist. Elandry and Jason met to shake one another’s hands, but Elandry’s face was filled with sorrow.

“I overheard what you were telling the others Jason, and though I am happy you are free… I am saddened that you had to experience what you did.” The freckled alchemist shook his head and brushed off snow from his fur-covered shoulders. “To think that my good friend and his family were to be murdered for such a trivial thing as kindness.”

Jason froze, and he slowly placed one hand in the other - trying not to cry as sorrow bore down on him like a tidal wave. His eyes fell to the ground in shame. “It is my fault.”

“It absolutely is not!” snorted Elandry with a look of defiance burning in his eyes. “The king is an evil man. We of Vork have known that for quite some time. It is nothing that you did, boy.” Elandry reached into one of his pockets and pulled out the small alchemy book that he had given to Jason a while back. “You forgot this.”

Jason stared at the book for a couple seconds before extending his hand to accept the gift. “Thank you, Elandry.”

Jason stuffed it into one of his own pockets and looked back to the other, smaller man. “I’m sure you know that we can’t stay here any longer… but I do have a few favors to ask.”

Elandry’s eyebrows raised expectantly, but he didn’t reply.

“... I was wondering if we could be fitted with clothes, specifically for the two Earthborn women in our group. What we’re wearing right now isn’t necessarily optimal for winter weather… And supplies would be nice too if anyone here in the village has any to spare.” Jason shamefully fixated his gaze to the ground as Elandry nodded. Jason continued: “One last thing. Are Elise and her family - their bodies I mean - still where they were when the king killed them? Back at their burned down house? Or… I wasn’t sure if Elise was still alive… Trey thought… please, have you seen her?”

There was a pause.

“I’m sure I can ask around and come up with the supplies and clothes you all need, our village owes you and your friend everything that we have. As for Elise and her family…” Elandry turned around and pointed into the woods. “They’ve been buried. We didn’t want to leave them like that, so you’ll find their graves marked with names cut into the trees they were buried next to. That direction, not far. I’m sorry boy, but Elise is gone.”

 

***

 

It didn’t take long to find the graves. Large stones had been placed as the markers with each of their names chiseled into the rock, being buried next to where they’d laid Mattis down to rest on the hill. They passed by the ruined cabin that had been their shared home for the past while… it’d been burned to the ground by the king’s soldiers. Scattered remnants of the quilts Estela and her daughters had been working on for weeks lay in ruins underneath the white blanket of winter, pieces sticking up from where they’d been thrown before trying to get away in vain. One of Nommen’s wooden toy horses was still sitting on a log around the old fire-pit, and the bow that Elise had bought Jason as a gift was broken... leaning against the dead family’s wood pile to stick out of the snow.

Coming up to the first of the stones, Jason shook as he wiped off the flat, forward facing surface... the one that had the name ‘Elise’ written into the front of it.

Silence prevailed, and soon tears were streaming down Jason’s face. His hand began to shake even harder until it formed a fist, his head bowing in a reverent prayer.

Trey came to stand beside him, while his nearby minions stayed back at a distance to give them space.  “You gonna be alright?”

“No, Trey, I don’t think I will be.” Jason abruptly retorted with a harsh rasping sound.  His eyes didn’t leave the grave. “Thank you for trying. I’m going to go and see what Elandry has gathered up… We need to leave again sometime soon just in case more people come looking for us.”

Eventually Jason was able to pry his eyes off the burial site. He adjusted his coat, coughed once, and thought about what could have been. The tall blonde man then turned and left sullenly, disappearing from sight back through the way they had come.

He didn’t look back.

Soon Izumi followed. Ashe touched a hand on Trey’s arm briefly before leaving herself, and then it was just Trey, his minions, and Sithis to dwell on what had happened there.

‘Did you happen to know that Elise and her family have just purchased a room similar to the cabin they lived in here?’ inquired Sithis.  “In Eleknar’s afterlife.  They pooled the points they had and bought it together.”

Trey smiled and shrugged. “‘Good for them I guess.  I’m surprised they made enough for that, considering they each make half of what Joseline or Meril do.  But it is three of them…”

“You still haven’t visited your own afterlife store to see if you can get anything for yourself.”

“That’ll come soon, don’t worry.”

Sithis purred.  “... Very well.  Though I must say, I don’t see why you spend so much time on these mortals here on Nagochus.  It’s a waste of time and resources, they’re nothing but a burden to us.”

Trey’s eyebrows raised, and he chuckled while shrugging his shoulders.  “I’m not that much different from them, honestly.  That’s probably why.”

The ifrit had been keeping silent, listening into the conversation from nearby.  He, Willow, Napoleon and Rivia all knew of Trey’s afterlife now - they’d been informed of it just days ago on the trip from the capital, so it didn’t take him long to catch onto what they were talking about.

But he felt it prudent to insert himself into the conversation now.  Atharost’s flaming body hovered to a standstill next to the man he’d come to like, and he looked down. “You may keep saying that master, but the rest of us know that not to be true.  You are not like them. Regardless, it is not our place to question your motives Trey. You would do best to remember your place, Sithis.”

Sithis let out a deep hiss in response to Atharost’s jab. ‘I am one with the master, and I was first here, do not think that your prowess places you on a higher pedestal than I - demon. And as I recall, it was you who had stated something similar when you torched Rorington with your flames. Hypocrites are naught but fools.’

Atharost’s flames burst and surged in anger, baring his teeth - which quickly morphed into fangs of his own - towards the ethereal mask Sithis was talking through.

“Quiet…” commanded Talsh’Noc’Un as Trey sat unmoving in the snow. “The master… does not wish you... to argue with one another…”

The booming ghostly voice echoed throughout the tall trees and quieted every living thing about them.

The soft touch of snowflakes melting against his skin continued in the dead quiet of the woods. The summoner looked skywards as his companions, who were soon joined by the three other Earthborn, waited by in solemn reverence.

“Master ok ok?” Napoleon tugged on Trey’s pant leg with a frown of concern. Rivia on the other hand seemed unphased, looking at the rocks with a bored expression and being groped enthusiastically by Willow as she awaited further orders.

Not much was said, but Trey nodded.  They didn’t need to wait much longer after that, and the other Earthborn eventually came back to the hill.

“So… what do we do now?” whispered Izumi with uncertainty lining her features. “The king will come for us again, won’t he?”

Jason came around and handed out each of them a pair of new traveler’s clothes, courtesy of the locals who had been kind enough to pitch in.

No one responded immediately, but Trey eventually pulled himself back from the well of despair and looked around.

He realized that they were all waiting on his decision.

“We leave today.” Trey motioned to the south. “I don’t know where we’re going, or what we’re going to do when we get there… but we need to get as far away from this place as possible. We will leave Yosemar far behind us.”

Trey took turns making eye contact with each one of the group, settling on Napoleon. “We will grow stronger, and if anyone ever tries anything like this again - we will certainly be ready for them. Next time… next time things will end much differently.”

 

***

 

Eleknar was pleased with the progress Trey’d made over the short course of time they’d been together. Pulling his host out of that ridiculous depression and distancing Trey’s mind from that insignificant ex girlfriend he’d originally been obsessed with had been the majority of Eleknar’s work over the last while…

Of course, Eleknar couldn’t take all the credit. Essence and host worked in conjunction with one another and influenced one another’s actions equally, even if they weren’t completely bonded, so the very fact that Eleknar was so focused on those things likely had a lot to do with Trey wanting to overcome them as well. However, Eleknar had certainly expedited that process.

Trey’d also acquired a couple minions, which normally Eleknar would have laughed at due to how relatively weak they were… but also considering how weak his host had been initially, Trey was on the rise. Eleknar knew it would take a very long time to achieve the kind of power he’d once had in past lives, but he was sure that he’d attain it again. Not only that, but he was confident that he’d not only attain it - but surpass it.

His host was one of a kind. He could have not asked for something like this and realistically expected it to come to pass.

Not ever.

Not only was Trey’s soul pristine, with an enormous potential for growth unlike anything Eleknar had come across before, but… oh… was Trey so much more.

Eleknar literally had the Vatosis Inferna within his grasp, a concept that Eleknar was still trying to wrap his mind around. How would other essence of the infernal powers react if they knew? Jealousy beyond reason would be the reaction, without a doubt. But… who else was worthy enough to bond with one such as he? Eleknar and his host… they were meant for one another.

Eleknar would watch him grow into unimaginable heights… He would cultivate this man… this diamond in this rough… and together, they would become a bastion to all that was unholy.

Long live the Infernal Prince...

 

This marks the end of:

Demons, Harems, and Isekai - Book 1: Oblivion

 

Thanks for reading!!! (Book 2 starts with the next chapter!)