Shadow of the Abyss

"More reason for us to wake Altair." Fat Mike said, swallowing an entire strip of steak. He looked nearly human now. Handsome even, with over three hundred pounds shredded from his face. A price he no doubt paid for casting a tier six spell. It had been no easy feat conjuring such magic. The toll it had taken had been massive.

"I figure he's already figured out our mission."

"And you'd be right."

"Master!" Shyla, Lord Blackwood's maid, cried. "You're awake."

Altair pulled a chair out for Ren and pushed her in before taking a seat beside her. Shyla hurried to him and fashioned a plate for him, then Ren.

"What do you mean?" Cedric asked.

"It's as I said… though I've no interest in explaining it to anyone," Altair explained, to everyone's shock. Gasps followed by curses were quick to come and quick to end as he continued. "Someone tried to kill me by implanting a bomb in Vadi's chest. I can only assume that's how we all got here." he lifted the brew of coffee Shyla had poured for him and elegantly sipped it before offering thanks.

"My guess is the explosion that went off interfered with the hidden dungeon, expanding it until—"

"Everyone was sucked in. Hells," said Fat Mike. "I remember a golden light… I was watching… protecting everyone, but… Then I lost consciousness."

Altair gave a stern nod. "Indeed." He turned to Alyssa at the far end of the table with suspicion. "My guess was that a God intervened. The Goddess Athena. That I now owe dearly."

He could still recall the medallion Alyssa had given him. And even without proof, he felt that… He knew it was her doing. For him to awake without any clothing was proof that he was caught in the blast.

Altair shifted his gaze back to everyone at the table. "I don't like owing people. Especially God's."

Laros banged, his palm over the table, sending silverware flying across the room. "That is treason!"

"Is it?" Mused Reina, twirling her fingers around the rim of her cup. "There is a traitor amongst us. Hey, they could be in this room, or they could be lost in this unexplored realm." She lifted her lips into two sharp arcs. "I'll side with Altair as well and not speak on this matter either."

"Then what do you suppose?" Cedric asked grimly. He hadn't planned for this.

"First, we get Telecommunications back online." Fat Mike became the first to say. "We've got a few engineers. It might take a while. Two-three months. But—

"In that time, I'd like you all to follow my lead." Lord Blackwood remarked, buttering his bread.

"Bastard," Laros, alongside a few others Altair didn't recognize, said. There had been a great many people he didn't recognize at his table.

"This is ridiculous!" A tall blue-haired man with a windburnt face from his travels barked. "You are just a recruit. You've barely been with the military for two months!"

"He's right!" Another shouted, this one with a metal visor that he had implanted in-lue of his eyes.

"Then leave." Altair gestured." Right now, you sit at my table, eat my food, and sleep on the bed I offer. Try your hands on the battlefield. Go out and kill demons. The deed is in my name. Not Fat Mikes, Amelia's, or Cedrics. Mine.

Altair Blackwood. Mine."

"You only got this place because of Fat Mike," the blue-haired boy declared. Vance, they called him.

Altair only shrugged."True. But his actions fell in line with my schemes. Sue me. I used you, and I'll continue to do so. Do you find fault with me, Fat Mike?"

"Not at all," The lean man said, laughing. "I've got a few more questions, but… we'll have to speak in private. You've my full support. Although, if you're out of line—"

"I know." The Prince said. There was a limit to everything. "Then my first command is simple. Stay away from the Church of the Sepith."

***

After they had returned to their quarters to change, it was Reina who spoke first. "You know they'll go to the church, right? Especially that idiot Laros. Why would you tell them that?"

Fishing out a tankard of Blood from Draupnir Altair gave it a whiff, savoring the scent and swirled it around. "That's the whole point. The church will be looking for information on me. Perhaps even you." His mind flashed to the Archbishop's stare that banquet night. " Those fools will flock to the church believing I'm hiding something."

"To what end?"

"To know who my enemies are," Altair responded. "Amilia, I think I can trust her. It's maybe for Fat Mike. The rest… well, he smiled. I'll compel a few to spy for me to get a full grasp on who I need to dispose of and don't… seems Laros will finally be able to show his worth. A high noble like him.

I'm sure they'll flock to him like nats to shit. I'll kill them all then." He said and swallowed the gnoll's blood.

[Ding]

[Lesser Demon, Gnoll Blood Consumed.]

[Your Strength has increased by 5]

[Your Dexterity has increased by 5]

Savoring the blood like fine-age wine, Altair finished the tankard.

'I get it now. The woman I ate back on base didn't have higher stats than me. So, it took a while to build up. Small bites also don't work. I need to Devour at least a pint.' He smiled and peeped up at Ren, changing into her battle attire. "If she had my physique… "

"Hey… art… Ren knows what her favor is." Steam was practically rising from her face as Reina stammered to speak.

"Oh? And what's that?"

Batting her golden eyes, Reina looked away. "... that… that thing you y-y-y-you did this m-m-m-morning."

"So the tables have turned!" Lord Blackwood laughed. "Look who's the pervert now!!!! Bad Ren! Bad!"

The young lass practically hid beneath all the sheets and pillows, dying of embarrassment.

"ART~"

Crackling up at his lovely mate made pure by the Eight forms, Altair snickered, somewhat content. "Alright, though, you'll have to tell me for how long. Two days, three, a week, a year, ten? My oh my, you have to be a real pervert to want—

"A WEEK!!!!!" Ren squealed, having never been so ashamed in her life. She whimpered.

"A week!" Altair joked in a loud, obnoxious tone, trying his all not to guffaw. "How many times a day? Two? Three? Four? I'm a hungry man, Ren."

"Art~" She mewled in a blaming tone.

"Looks like I'll be having Ren for moon, noon, and night."

When, at last, the young lass peeped her head out, red as her hair, she was glaring like a wronged cat. "You are mean… A big bully!"

"Only when your eyes are gold." He mused. Ren was like prey when she held those eyes. Easy to tease and trick.

Reina grimaced and unrolled from her sheets. "You know I can't control it. I—" she frowned, coming short as her gaze grew sharp and her mind like still water. " Shhh," She hissed with a gesture.

Altair did, frowning. When he saw Ren gesture to her nose. She bolted off with Broken Moon swift as a shadow. She seamlessly opened the window and lept nearly twenty meters into the air in a single bound, conjuring her Greatsword that howled, cutting through thin air. Blood fell from an empty space in a great stream, following a great shriek, alerting everyone.

From nothingness came a cloaked figure crashing down into the earth, with a large gash from his shoulder to his groan, falling head first into his courtyard. When he landed, the gut-wrenching sound of bone shattering resounded.

'His neck broke,' Lord Blackwood determined before he shouted, "Don't approach! Remember Vadi!" he cautioned.

Reina leaped back, but from her shadow, a small Black Mamba hissed, wiggling towards the stranger.

"What's going on," came Fat Mike, rushing out with Amilia by his side. "Reina? And…" he frowned, looking down at the stranger.

"Stay back," Altair commanded, leaping down from his quarters. The black Mamba tossed over the corpse and formed the wreckage to reveal a distorted face, bashed in by the impact of his fall.

"He was invisible," Altair told him, allowing the black Mamba to do its job.

Suddenly, his brow creased when he saw the red flesh of the humanoid begin to bleed strange arcs of bloody light. His eyes narrowed, and his intuition whispered a cry of warning.

"Away," He hastily said, leaping back. The others did the same as the stranger's fingers grew thick like sausages. His arms and legs seemed to bloat, increasing to nearly thrice their original size. The body exploded into a fine mist, smearing the earth red.

"What the…" Fat Mike began, falling short as the red transitioned to violet and then black, sizzling as if to scorch the earth. The grass began to wilt, and the soil began to liquefy into a puddy mass of bile that smelt of dung. "Corpse Explosion?! An evolved one. Shit."

Covering her nose, Reina growled. "How are we supposed to clean this up?"

"We've got worse things to worry about." Altair grimaced. "Invisibility is not an easy spell to learn. Had Ren not smelled him, I might have missed him."

"What's all the commotion," shouted Cedric charging out. He was wielding a golden spear that carried an edge of obsidian black. Ordemented with the crest of the silver dragon of House Vandel, over the spear's face and down the shaft, ordained with runes.

It was a stunning blade and exquisitely crafted. Yet Altair could not help but wonder where such a spear came from. Cedric did not seem to have to possess a Drupnir Ring, nor did his spear give off the sensation his hunting bow carried. So it wasn't from the gods.

So, where did the spear come from?

"A spy," said Fat Mike calmly. "A Herald of Astaroth, perhaps?"

'Must be due to Fat Mike,' Lord Blackwood determined. "I've got to visit Edwin's estate. But I'll leave this matter to you guys." He said. "Hilda, let's go."

"Ummm." Amilia raised her hand. " can I come along as well?"

"And me!" Nia said.

Reina seemed to narrow her eyes. "Art seems to always be surrounded by beautiful women." She whispered.

"Lady Reina, might I have a word?"

Before Ren could reply to Alyssa, Altair spoke first. "You see what she wants. I'll be back in an hour, maybe less."