Shadow of the Abyss

"You're staring, you know," Aurora said in a teasing wisp, watching the way Ren focused on her Master talking and smiling, drinking and laughing. In minutes, he had a faint flush of a drunken man. Probably his first time drinking, Aurora thought, noticing the way in which he gulped down the drink as though it were water.

"I'm not worried," Ren said, with a cramp in her stomach, similarly gulping her martini to Aurora's awe.

"I didn't ask if you were worried," She then said, giggling. "I said your staring. And you are."

For a second, Ren looked confused before a rosy flush came. "I'm… I'm just making sure he's ok."

A fool could tell she was lying, much less Aurora or Talia, who covered their mouths as they laughed, giggling to themselves. Again, Ren turned a shade redder. So much so Talia named her 'Red.'

"You know it's common for men to have multiple wives." Talia reminded her, poking and prodding at the seared salmon drizzled with a spicy cajon honey sauce. "My father married and bedded over fifty women. It's quite a normal thing."

"Though I hear the queen has a reverse harem of her own in court. " Aurora whispered, grinning as the girls leaned into the gossip. "Rumors of the Cucked King are spreading like wildfire these days."

"I..I…I heard that, too." Olivia joined, shaking a bit with the reeling of her stomach, feeling so exposed to everyone. She couldn't help but wonder if they knew how she had been raped and beaten, tossed into the ocean, and tortured until her lungs burned with salty waters. Yet she spoke up, bearing the shame.

"One of the serving boys saw her riding one of her knights while handling two others with her arms."

Ren could all but imagine it. "Three men?" she yelped.

"Quite the trooper she is. And now rumors are on about the Princess and Prince being fathered by another." Talia said, grinning. "Though they're just rumors. The Palace has yet to make a statement. But–"

"The damage to the King's image is large," Aurora cut in.

"Still…" Ren began. "I can't even imagine how terrifying three Altairs would be."

"Ohhh~" The girl's ears perked up. "Does that mean…" Talia gestured. "You know. Have you two done it? How was it? You know… sex." she whispered.

Ren nibbled at her lips, regretting her earlier words. But she felt a little proud. "Not sex… but just hands and mouth," she whispered in a hush. Talia and Aurora felt their breaths catch. "Art… Art was so intense I felt I would drown. No matter how much I gasped for air, it was never enough."

The girls leaned in closer, eyes glistening, but Riena couldn't continue. It was too embarrassing and private.

"How big?" Aurora asked, feeling a heat build between her thighs.

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Slowly, Ren lifted her arm hesitantly. She pointed to her forearm. "Bigger than this," she said, and the girls squealed loudly. Even Olivia joined, giggling. Bitterly, recalling her time with Laros, she was thankful he was at least average. If he was larger, she feared she would not have even had the strength to walk afterward.

"How does one take such a thing?" Talia exclaimed loudly. "You'd die for sure. I—"

"Where's the Lamb Sauce!!! Fine dining, my ass! Look at it! It's raw!" A shout from the far side of the room thundered, echoing with the shattering of glass and the clanking of silverware striking against the ground.

"Guess it's a good thing we didn't get the Lamb," Aurora said, lifting her head to the commotion.

There, Ser Eddis Mormont stood, fitted in a black surcoat bearing the Crest of the Silver Dragon of House Vandel. He stood tall as a mountain, with arms and legs as thick as a small tree.

'That's Barron Egar's second son.' Aurora told herself, wondering what a knight who'd taken the vow to serve House Vandel was doing within the Great Plateau. The Vandals were responsible for controlling the lower sectors of the Earth that had been hollowed out for the commoners to live and mine. Making them one of Earth's richest dukedoms, second only to the royal family.

From breeders to rapers, slaves to offworlders, thieves, and murderers, the Vandels oversaw the worst of humanity within the depths. They were the Warrdens of the Undergrounds.

"Twelve Sols! " Ser Eddis barked, dwarfing the Young Waiter with golden-colored skin and leaf-colored eyes, and pointed ears. " fucken wood elves. Are you deaf? Answer me when I talk, boy! Or does your kind only know how to eat bark and leaves?"

"I will return it, my Lord." The Wood Elf hastily said, lowering his head.

'Will you now." Eddis said with scorn in his voice. "When you brought it out to me, did you not see the FUCKING LAMB SAUCE WAS MISSING?!"

"What a dick," Ren said.

"He brings shame to the aristocracy," Aurora added, unamused. Were noblemen and women not supposed to be better than those they govern? She scowled at his unbecoming attitude that made her wine sour. She signaled for a nearby waiter. " Shots. Ten shots, something sweet if you can.

Top shelf."

When the waiter returned, Aurora handed everyone two shots and gave three to Olivia. Cheering to the coming battle tomorrow, they cheered, banged the shot glass over the table, and swallowed it down.

And soon, the party continued. Unwilling to let Eddis dampen the atmosphere, the girls drank and sang without a care in the world.

"Goodness." Amilia grinned, glancing at them. "Looks like they're having fun." she looked at Altair. "You know bad decisions happen when one is drunk, right?"

Silently, Altair watched, lowering his drink over the countertop, and glanced at Eddis berating the wood elf with indifference. " That elf… Wood Elves, is he a slave?"

"Elvish slaves are expensive. And are rarely shown to the public. I doubt that elf is a slave." Amilia replied.

"How expensive?"

"If he was bought young, probably fifty thousand Sols. Elves are born attuned to mana and live lives well over a thousand years. We humans can live to about three hundred at most."

"And if it was a woman wood elf?"

Amilia narrowed her gaze. "A hundred thousand."

Suddenly, the sound of shattering wood exploded into the ears of everyone as they turned to watch the elf burrel through the room, through tables and chairs, until he landed on Ren's table.

"Bloody Hell!" Ren cried, lifting her plate of Peking duck in time.

The others, however, weren't so lucky as their faces stood stained with wine, blood, grease, pesto, and more.

The room fell to silence as Eddis reached to his waist and lifted a flagon of wine, downing it in a single breath. He belched. " Get up, boy, and fetch me—"

The burst of scarlet-colored lightning had come so quickly that Eddis could only look down, watching its cruel arc tearing through armor and flesh, searing everything it touched until it bubbled and popped like cheese, leaving behind a bright ring through his gut, existing on the other side.

"Eh?" He staggered forward and touched the hole in his abdomen.

"Bastard!" Talia spat, but it was Aurora who struck, stepping out from underneath the table with a furious expression.

Blinded by rage made worse by the plentiful drinks. Aurora, joined by Talia, staggered towards the knight, clutching his stomach, as he fell to a knee.

"How do you want to die?" Talia spat. " Eh?!"

"I say we cut off his balls and have the chef prepare it!" Aurora said drunkenly. "I bet they won't forget the lamb sauce this time!"

The silence of the restaurant became all the more deafening, with only Altair's laughter ringing out. Still smiling, he stood up.

"Easy now, girls." He said, brushing bits of salmon and shrimp off their shoulders. "You can't kill a man over such a thing."

Coming up from behind, munching away at her duck, Ren tilted her head. " Why not?"

"Morals… I guess." Altair said, cleaning a sliver of red sauce off her cheek, and the Young Nephilim snickered. "But mainly because murder is illegal." he poked at her loveable nose and turned to Eddis.

"Ser Eddis, are you alright?" Altair inquired, drawing on his memories of Aurora. He looked around before shouting. "Can we get a medic? We've got a man down!"

'I…I…I can't feel my legs." Eddis weakly cried as blood began to pool from his lips, bubbling over his mouth in a foam. "I… Can't feel my legs." He said, gripping the smoldering red ring, ignorant that his spine had been burnt away.

In a few more breaths, Altair saw a dozen soldiers rushing in, charging towards Ser Mormont as they desperately began to deliver first aid. The Prince watched with a heart of stone, unbothered by the faint cries sounding from his mouth over and over.

'I can't feel my legs,' Eddis moaned before the medics carted him off.

No one seemed to show much concern towards Ser Eddis. Much to Altair's surprise, the soldiers hadn't even bothered to ask what happened. Rather, they began to help clean up with the staff, ensuring no one was hurt.

Everyone present had been either a noble, rich, or a diplomat from a foreign world, and Altair knew the consequences would come the following morning. Not that he cared. Aurora was a noblewoman, one with a name that carried weight.

"Alright. Shall we call it a night?" Altair inquired, a bit light-headed himself. The girls all looked a little down as they looked at the time. Not even a half past ten. Altair signaled to Talia and pulled her to a nearby corner.

"How long are you going to play with Olivia?" The Prince quickly asked.

"Until she breaks." The Fallen Shadow revealed with a coldness that even surprised Altair. "Until she takes that rifle of hers and plants a bullet right here." She touched her head. "I'll stop then."

Altair gave a faint nod of approval but felt compelled to advise, "Olivia is mentally unstable and has barely just recovered. If you strike hard enough and break down the walls, she managed to put up these past few days. You'll own her. But there can't be any room for hesitation or forgiveness. Break her… No matter what it takes."

With a lovely smile over her pale grey skin, Talia bowed. " Why, of course, my Master." She said, dismissing herself. She looked at Olivia, smiling at her with bright, doe-like eyes, and her lips curled up."Shall we head to my room, girls? No need for the party to end, right?"

Silently, Altair watched before deciding to turn in for the night. Saying his goodbyes to Maya and Amilia, Altair headed to the sixteenth floor, to his hotel room.

"There it is… room number 1611," He said, keying his keyboard over the lock. Altair entered, gazing drunkenly into the luxurious room fitted with Art, molded glass, rugs, vases, and more. And yet he felt bored… and lonely.

"Perhaps it was a bad idea to let Ren play by herself," Altair moaned, falling onto the king-size mattress. "It's hella dull now."

"Oh, come on, boss!" Kirr said, stepping out of his shadow with Jorm by his side. "It ain't so bad. You got us!"

"... you know there's a casino, right?" Altair told them, handing them his key card. "Why don't you go gamble? You each have foresight. Go have fun. Make me rich.

I—"

Kirr was practically out the door by the time Altair had finished. He laughed, turning to Jorm.

"Earn some money. You got my account info, right?"

"I do, my Lord," Jorm said calmly.

"I'm giving you fifty Sols. So make it last. And have fun for me." He said, finally dismissing his loyal knight. When Jorm had left, Altair sighed and closed his eyes, allowing the sweet darkness to—

"ART!!!!!!!!"