Shadow of the Abyss

It had been Lord Verrell who welcomed Fat Mike, Amilia, Cedric, and his party of a hundred at the front line some days later. They were settled in behind the wall before a large feast had begun.

It hadn't been larger nor grand, but within the banquet halls of the Silvermane, three large roasted boars sizzled and popped with the rendering of fat, caramelizing into crunchy fat caps. And spritzed with an apple cinnamon blend every half an hour, the scent alone had many in tears.

When the chef carved the Suckling Pig, the outer crust crunched with each pass of his knife. Juices erupted from out of the pig, rolling into the fire.

"..." Altair had been staring at his steaming plate. He had never liked pork. Even now, when he was starving, he felt hesitant. The smell had never been something he liked. It wasn't a foul stench, yet it always upset his stomach.

'Fat rats,' he'd often called them.

He would have gladly handed the dish off to Reina if she hadn't been staring at it as if it were a great enemy or something.

"What are you doing?" He opted to say, grabbing a bit of bread and cutting some cheese from the wedge. He did the same for Ren.

"It smells good," Ren replied, her golden eyes glaring at her slice of pork. Suddenly, she deflated and looked at him mournfully. " I can't… I just feel guilty wanting to eat it. And I don't know why." She accepted his offering with thanks and nibbled on bread and cheese, watching Kuu eat away without issue. "What's wrong with me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe you got rabies."

Reina puffed her cheeks. "Yeah. Some dog I know bit me."

"What a naughty dog."

She was glaring now when the strings of a lute sang, echoing a long, gentle kiss of melancholy. Liana plucked at her string, etching a song lost and war, of love and duty. Weeping Echo, she called it, when she was done, following the wave of cheers of men throwing their hands up in applause.

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"I never knew she could play," Altair said, pushing his plate to Kuu. Curious at how such a creature could eat so much yet remain so small. It had been nearly two months since they arrived, yet the kitsune had not grown.

He later found Cedric, Fat Mike, Amilia, and Hilda conversing with one another with Verrell. They seemed solemn despite the lax atmosphere.

"Big Sis, are you big brother's wife?" Little Aria innocently asked. "Big Brother talked about you almost every day."

Aurora's foxy ears perked up. She was sitting across from her master, nibbling on her slab of pork. "Did he? What did he say?"

"Ummm." Aria thought for a bit. "He said Reina was his—"

Feeding the little lass a slice of cheese enough to fill her tiny mouth, Altair lifted her into his arms, and the girl giggled and squealed at the mischievous fingers tickling her ribs.

"Oh, It's good to see war has not changed you." Archbishop Albert inoned, beside the threshold with Edwin. He had a smile on his lips, though his eyes did not seem to reflect his smile. "It's an honor to meet you again." He turned to Reina, and his gaze softened. "My Lady.' He greeted, "Might I ask about your relationship with this young man?"

Reina was about to answer, but Altair spoke up first. "You needn't answer that. Private matters ought to remain private." He lowered Aria down to her stubby feet and padded forward beside his woman. "Archbishop, to what do we owe the pleasure."

"You do," The Archbishop fashioned a scroll from his robe and handed it to Altair. "Lord Edwin has informed me of your deeds on the battlefield. And you have aided…" He bit at the words that felt harder to sound. "Forwin in its time of need."

"A deal is a deal," Lord Blackwood said, accepting the deed to his new estate. He eyed it, reading through its contents for any mistakes before sending it into Drupnir. " Always nice doing business with the Church of the Sepith. Though…"

"Yes?"

"I'm curious. What caused this Tide?"

The Banquet hall had gone silent, and Fat Mike and Cedric both turned.

The Archbishop seemed puzzled for a moment. "Even the likes of children know this." He frowned, noticing the blank stares of everyone listening. "Before the Church of the Sepith had crowned the land. Yarwin had been known as the domain of the Hells. It was a wretched place. We humans were raised as cattle for demon kind.

Our women were raped to help sire demon spawns, while the men were experimented on to become hideous abhorrent abominations that knew only how to breed and kill, while human children were raised to be Heralds of Astaroth."

'Why the human children? Why not demon-borns?" Fat Mike inquired. "Surely those born of the blood of a demon would be stronger."

"They were also dumber. Slaves to sanguine lust and hunger. They cared little for worship and less for the master they served. So, some of the more intelligent demons… devised a plan to raise mortal children into Heralds of their Hell Lord. And it worked. Humans began to breed with one another more frequently, which not only supplied more material to the demons it brought a sense of unity to the realm.

Suddenly, humans began to offer themselves up to the demons to be tortured and raped as a rite of passage."

"Hells," Many whispered through the banquet halls, shaken to their very cores.

"... So these Heralds… seek to return the land to what it once was?" Cedric Vandel asked, with a quiver in his throat. His family had ruled the underbelly of earth, where thieves, rapers, and murderers festered. But the things he witnessed within these lands had been the stuff of nightmares.

"They seek to return us to slaves once more." The Archbishop declared. "So are the conditioned minds of the Heralds of Astaroth."

***

Through the dark streets of Forwin, Altair had been silent. He had left the party early, finding it more stifling than relaxing. And he was excited to enter his new home. Fat Mike's attack had truly wiped out a great many demons, allowing Forwin's troopers to retake any lost land. Verrell had also begun instructing Trap Masters to begin inscribing explosion traps before the demons could regroup.

At most, they had a week before the onslaught began again. And there were sure to be even stronger demons. Tier four, five, or sixth-level demons that might take to the field. It would soon be no place no one below a particular circle should enter.

How long he walked, sipping his ale with Reina on his arm, he did not know, but by the time his tankard had been emptied, his mind fogged by the drink, he was upon a broken gate and soon behind it.

The Dune Estate had been plundered for most of its jewels and ornaments. Only the rugs and paintings that were too large to carry and the library had been untouched. Shattered glass stood scattered over the ground, alongside vases broken in the raid. Still, the manner was beautifully regal and large, with twenty rooms and three annexes South, East, and West of the main house.

In the Master Bedroom, inside the adjoining bathroom. Altair drew water from the faucet into the large acrylic tub. He was surprised that Forwin was this advanced to create water lines beneath the streets, though the water was cold. But not for long, as Reina heated the water with her finger. While she could not conjure a flame, she had no issue heating various metals and objects.

The water had been scorching hot, boiling into vapers when Altair and Ren entered it. They moaned sweet sighs of relief, drenching their dirtied bodies in until they were red as lobsters and the water brown. They must have changed the waters three times before they finally relaxed.

"I'm glad they didn't take the tub," Reina said as the weight of battle drained itself from her weary bones. For nearly two months, she had dreamt of a bath such as this. She purred. "Ren wants to live in here."

Despite his aversion to sleep, the lids of Lord Blackwood's eyes seemed to drip downwards. "I feel like I'm about to die."

"Let's die together," Reina mewled, closing her eyes tucked beneath her prince's arms. Warm and secured, she yawned, and in seconds, they were asleep. Snoring loudly in each other's arms. It wasn't until the later hours of twilight that Altair woke.

Weary, he moved from out of the water with Ren in his arms and onto the bed beside where they had left Kuu. And once again, he collapsed into a deep slumber he didn't know he craved.

It wasn't until late noon that they woke, wrapped up like a burrito within the fur sheets, that the robber had been too disdainful to take. But with exchanged glances, they fell back asleep to rise the following dawn.

Altair had been the first to wake. Eyes lids drown by the morning glow of molten light seeping through the curtains. He yawned, rising like a new man, and glanced at Ren… For all the years he had known her, she had never had the best sleeping habits. Many times, she slept like a dog on its back.

It was a funny thing to see at times, and it was funny now as he laughed.

Leaning over her, he brushed his lips against hers with a devilish glow. And slowly, he did the same to her breast, stomach, and finally between her legs. The heat of his breath alone sent shudders jolting through the girl as she purred through her dreams.

Her breath caught, and from her lips came a tantalizing moan that had stirred her from slumber at the blatant intrusion from down below. She reeled from within the covers, her back arching as Reina's fingers ran through the black of his hair. Ren had always loved his hair. It was long and thick and felt like a waterfall of the finest silk against her fingers.

When she came, Reina's sweet moans seemed as sweet as her cunt, echoing through the room, filling the halls.

"I could wake up every morning like that," she said, panting weakly through sharp gasps of air, spasming with the ache of her loins.

Altair grinned and brushed his lips down her right ankle, admiring the view of the flushed maiden. "Then, is this considered my breakfast?" He kissed her feet, watching the rosy blush deepen.

Reina covered her face. "Art…" She mewled. "You're such a perv!"