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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 14:38:13 GMT -8
He folded his arms and stared out the wide window that looked out into a small courtyard. A small fountain spewed a stream of crystal clear water into a coy pond beneath, the bright orange fish darting about as they played together amidst the lily pads and moss that covered its surface. The paths were all lined with unlit oriental lanterns that would caste a dull yet inviting orange glow over the garden in the evenings. There was even a winding path for casual walking, perhaps even with one's hand clasped in that of a lover's.
Not that he knew anything about that. But every aspect of this palace exuded elegance and nobility. Melody's touch and influence was prevalent throughout; he could feel it permeate the very air around them, and it sought to put his wild heart at ease. But Cress could not let it; he could not lose his edge. For he had a destiny, and a duty. This woman could not get in the way of that progress.
"Fine," he said, conceding the point. "I'll forego my armor for now. You seem convinced there will be no underhanded tactics or ambushes, so perhaps I won't need it at all." Only then did he turn to face her, lowering his arms to his sides. "It is not insecurity that drives my desire not to part with that armor. It holds... a great deal of significance for me." He met her eyes for but a moment, their violet hue sought to draw him in and lower his guard, but he could not let it drop—could not allow himself to be disarmed around her. Just because he now found himself in her employ did not mean she would not scheme against him if it meant the benefit of her own people.
He would not fault her for that. In fact, should he awaken during the night to find her standing over him with her blade pressed to his throat, he would feel a sense of pride about it. Pride would swell, among other things... He cleared his throat, shaking such an image from his mind as he turned his attention to the servants that entered the room and lined up against the wall. Cress passed in front of each of them to take note of what each held. The soft fabrics snagged on his calloused fingers as he touched them each in turn, turning his nose up at all of them.
He reached the final servant standing with hands stretched out before him, folded clothing held aloft. It was stark black, the color of midnight and encroaching shadows. The fabric seemed to catch and ripple within the light, as if repelling it. Cress was intrigued as he took it and held it up, letting it unravel into its full shape—a haori. The other portion was probably a kosode. It was... barely acceptable. Melody's urgency reached his ears, and Cress scowled at her for a moment before accepting the clothing.
"This is hardly befitting of a warrior like me, but it will do." He did not wait for the servants to vacate the room before he slipped off his hakama and thrust it into the chest of one of the women. Her eyes widened, whether in shock at his nearly nude form or the rough handling of the expensive fabric one could only guess. Cress paid little heed to any of them, except for Melody. He held her gaze for a moment before he turned away from her, the thick, scarred surface of his muscular back and shoulders flexing as he slid into the robe. A much better fit.
"It would appear these servants of yours got something right," he said. He reached up and pulled the cord from his hair, letting it fall in thick damp tendrils that framed his wild, scarred face. The half-demon stood there, adorned in his new attire as he awaited further instructions. "So... when do we leave?"
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Melody
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Post by Melody on Nov 21, 2019 14:49:14 GMT -8
The armor in question had significance beyond protection, the Duchess was surprised at his confession since he had been quite guarded this entire time, and she could sense that he was cautious around her up until this point. A knowing smile crossed her face in response, she never had time to listen to stories, but she was intrigued to learn why Cress was attached to his armor. The man was out of his element by changing his attire and dressing into a different role he was tasked to fill. The female servants and other people outside gasped almost in sync as Cress shed the improperly fitting hakama in exchange for a haori clothing set. A brow was raised on her face as she remained staring back at him in the brief moment he locked his gaze at her while he changed. His entire physique was appealing, even with the scars, but she was not going to allow her human inhibitions take over. Apart from her lands, virtue meant everything to her, and she was going to promise herself to a suitable spouse in the near future in order to accomplish her dreams to rule with the power of zeni.
“Everything has been prepared, now that you are dressed we can attend. We are already late.” She narrowed her eyes and turned to leave, she followed the wooden deck, crossed the koi pond walkway, and stepped back on to a wooden deck that led through the throne room. Servants opened the sliding doors along the way, Portobello remained closely behind her to open any doors where servants were not around, and eventually they arrived at the dining hall.
The dining hall had red wooden beams across the ceiling, a tall black lacquer table with red cushioned chairs, and everyone seated had been waiting on the Duchess to join them.
“Apologies for the delay my lords. There was a wardrobe malfunction and I appreciate your patience.” Melody motioned towards an ornate wooden chair at the head of the long dining table, she gracefully kept her long lashes against her cheeks with her sight cast down until she took a seat, then looked at everyone present with her violet colored eyes.
Duke Glacier was on the opposite side of the table, to high right sat a young man with a scowl on his face, and to his left was a golden squirrel beastman from Tundra Village. Duke Lancelot sat between Count Marigold, the golden squirrel, and Countess Iris, a half beastwoman who appeared human with the exception of her aardvark ears sticking at the top of her head. There were two empty seats on Melody’s left which Cress would be able to choose from to sit closer to her or Icecap who did not remove his death stare at the Duchess.
“I would like to introduce you all to my newly appointed vassal Lord Belial, he is native to the Western Lands, and quite formidable in strength. Almost took out a valuable servant with his vice.” Melody mused as she glanced over to Portobello’s use of magic to open the massive maple wood cask filled with sake, on a small side table against the wall, applying telekinesis to serve everyone a small porcelain cup of the liquid.
“You chose to appoint a vassal rather than an heir? Where are your priorities?” Duke Glacier chuckled rather proud of himself to have succeeded in many ways throughout his life. Melody was his pride and through training his prodigy, Icecap, the swordsman would soon replace him at the end of his life, leaving behind a memorable legacy.
“I would prefer a biological heir, I predict a suitor with a satisfactory dowry will not present himself anytime soon. I understand your concern but I am not at the age where I am running out of time, old man.”
“...” Duke Lancelot flushed keeping his eyes cast down on the polished wooden lacquer table, his white fur barely hid the fact that he was interested in the Duchess, but he had not made any attempts to convey his feelings. It was taboo for a human and a beastman to marry and it would only disgrace her after so many achievements known across the Duchies. Even he was guilty in his desire for a biological heir rather than an appointed one if he met the right suitor. Tundra village had ice fishing, maple tree farming, ice block sculptures sold to Oolong City casinos, and fermenting foods due to the climate but it did not generate enough zeni for a proper dowry and merger with Truffle Village. The idea was up in the air between his trusted vassals who were working diligently to discover more zeni ventures.
“This sake, from Tundra Village, has been fermenting since Winter and we expect the taste to properly welcome the spring. We look forward to next year’s spring season when Truffle Village presents their sake. Many thanks and well wishes of prosperity.” Iris announced to everyone present. It was apparent that her Duke did not speak, if ever. It was her responsibility to be the voice of Tundra Village on everyone’s behalf.
It was a relaxed setting apart from Icecap who confirmed Cress’ suspicions about their seemingly peaceful alliance, Duke Glacier was the only reason keeping this fool in line, and Melody did not mind their childhood rivalry to go on forever.
“It must be difficult, Icecap, we did not get to spar today but I hope you put yourself through training so we can fight each other tomorrow.” The Duchess responded to his death stare with a smile. “How many loses is it now? Seven thousand two hundred and twenty?”
“I will rejoice on the day I defeat you!” Icecap stood up and Duke Glacier pulled the young man back into his seat.
“Now, now, this rivalry has gone on long enough. Your ambitions and emotions are clouding your judgement. The more you let it fester the more likely you will fail, I keep telling you this, but you care too much. You need to let go of these obstacles so that you can best her someday.” The Duke smiled wearily, he was doing his best to raise his heir, the most formidable swordsman of Orchestra Village, and childhood rival of Melody.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2019 15:11:02 GMT -8
He was sure changing his clothing in the presence of Melody and her servants would finally get the rise he wanted to see out of her, yet there wasn't even the slightest hint of her ki changing in nature or potency. Her gaze remained cool and assertive. It brought a smirk to his face. She was one tough nut to crack. It wasn't about trying to seduce her—it was a flagrant and deliberate casting off of social norms. Even if he was now her Vassal—even if he had already succumbed to some of their customs—he would always say and do things to remind her that he was his own man, and belonged to himself, first and foremost.
At her insistence that they were late to their meeting, Cress gave a casual shrug. "Lead the way, Mel." An informal use of her name—icing on the cake. Cress followed along, just behind her left shoulder as Portobello took her right. He glanced at the panther beastman who seemed to be trying very hard to pretend Cress wasn't there. Not that it mattered to the half-demon; it was one less person with a set of expectations toward him, and though it wasn't his initial purpose, a showing of undeniable strength that would garner the respect, if not fear, of the other palace servants.
They entered another lavish room, this one made entirely of lacquered wood from the red support beams that held up the ceiling high above them to the plush chairs and long table at which sat several people—the Dukes of neighboring territories and their vassals he surmised. Cress plopped down heavily in his chair and folded his arms, his face a mask of stony silence. A proper vassal would have stood until their master sat, but he wasn't yet versed in his new courtly duties. Yet not even Cress was immune to the demure nature with which Melody took her own seat.
Every eye in the room seemed to reside on her. Full of such grace and manner, he was positive he looked like a bumbling fool beside her. His jaw tensed as he exhaled through his nose in an irritated huff. Did she have to make him look like an idiot at every turn? Worse yet, did she have to look so flawless while she did it? Cress's mood had already turned sour and the meeting had only just begun. "Hmph." He turned his gaze away from his mistress, refusing to be charmed by her genteel manner. That changed the moment she introduced him: not as count or earl, but as Lord Belial. It caught him unawares, his eyes widening as he glanced at her.
"What the—?" Was this some sort of ploy to keep him off balance? It didn't look that way. Why did he assume she was always out to embarrass him at every turn? It was his own natural distrust of people. Guess it came with spending decades in dank, dark caverns infested with vermin. "Yeah, yeah... whatever," he said, a slight wave in response to the many pairs of eyes that landed on him then. "Don't bother trying to figure it out. I'm not one of you rich and snooty types, and I sure as hell wouldn't wanna be." The point was moot—Duke Glacier had beaten him to it, stating what should have seemed obvious to all of them.
A discussion ensued soon after. It sounded like boring political maneuvering and posturing, and the moment he realized that the big Saiyan propped an elbow on the table and rested his head in his hands, eyes cast elsewhere in the room. It appeared he was bored and uncaring, yet his sharp hearing picked up every word and, more importantly, everything that wasn't said aloud. Duke Glacier regarded both Melody and Icecap as his own children; pride fell off the wizened old swordmaster in droves. Cress spared him a single glance and wondered how strong the old man was. He'd probably give him a decent fight, and Cress wouldn't mind learning a bit of swordplay. Pummeling everything to death got boring after a while.
It was then Melody brought the sake. His head snapped up, a grin overtaking his scarred face. He watched as alcohol was poured into the cup and it floated down to sit onto the table in front of him. A neat trick, and well worth enduring the torture of this dumb meeting. A black flame lit at the tip of his finger as Cress flicked it into his sake and set the drink boiling for a few short seconds. Steam curled from the cup. Hot sake—one of his favorite post-battle drinks. "Now this is more like it. Enough foolish posturing! This is how you keep peace between nations." He was almost giddy as he tossed back his head and downed his drink, all pretense of regality cast aside.
"Hit me with another!" he said, hoisting his cup in the air. Portobello glanced warily at Melody yet reluctantly obliged. As he enjoyed his second drink of hot sake, Melody began her goading of Icecap. This was new. Before now the duchess had retained her graceful composure, yet it seemed the woman couldn't resist rubbing the fact of her own superiority in the fiery youth's face. He liked seeing this side of her. "Guess there's some fire in you as well," he said, more to himself than anyone else present. He raised his cup for yet a third drink of sake. Portobello looked as if he were going to blow a gasket.
Duke Glacier put an end to all of it with a sharp tongue lashing of Icecap's boyish behavior. It was clear the duke was like a father to him. Cress idly wondered of his own father. He'd never gotten to meet the man, and any time he asked his mother about him, she only said he was a fool and a weakling. Still... "Listen to your old man, kid." Everyone turned to look at Cress. Some color had reached his cheeks, the effects of the sake now beginning to loosen his tongue. "Some of us never got the chance to meet ours. Duke Popsicle here seems decent enough."
He felt his skin bristle at the compliment. It was as if his own demonic aura was reprimanding him for doing such a thing. They shouldn't have been little more than cannon fodder to him—obstacles to crush and destroy. When he rose to claim his empire, they along with everyone else would be forced to bend their knee. Why bother with these shenanigans? "Can we get to the real issue here? I trekked several hundred miles on foot from the coastal lands at the eastern edge of this continent to reach your territories. I can't tell ya how many demons I slaughtered along the way. Bandits too. What do you all plan to do about it?" No posturing or political maneuvering necessary on his part—he didn't give a damn about such things.
Nor was it that he cared about their safety or the safety of the villages. For Cress, he brought it up for the simple fact that it had been more than a little irritating to deal with. He'd heard somewhere that some martial artists and warriors had mastered the technique of flight. He hadn't yet learned to utilize that ability, nor did he own any personal vehicles for safe travel. "Won't be long before those demons are at your village gates in massive numbers, and trust me, they don't give a damn about how strong or weak you are." He held up a terribly scarred hand, some of the wounds looked barely healed. "I should know—one of the bastards tried to bite my arm off. Don't worry though—I ripped its head off."
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Melody
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Post by Melody on Nov 21, 2019 15:17:17 GMT -8
Duke Glacier was the first to respond to Cress’ opinions, laughing like the lunatic old man he was, and Melody chuckled softly in between a few times. “How wonderfully entertaining, you found yourself a progressive Vassal, Duchess.” He smiled along with his weary eyes as he stroked his white beard, “While I find Icecap too obedient. It seems Lord Belial is quite endearing and ready to fight without hesitation. Reminds me of your younger days, my lady. Now look how grown you have become.”
While it was a festival day, the fact that sake was being consumed meant it was a casual setting, only made formal by the clothing that was worn which was part of the usual fashion among the Western Lands. “A quick brief history of how to survive the demonic opposition will tell you that long ago the Grand Dukes, Pig demon Oolong and Yajirobe, established the Pig Demon Duchies as a combined effort to support one another during troubling times. Through our combined efforts Oolong City has thrived over time. After a while, villages became independent, and eventually only the best fighters were allowed to rule. The former Duke Trumpet burdened his villagers with the task of protecting Truffle Village for years before I petitioned for Melody to duel for his position. You see, those who are unfit to rule are removed, and it’s been systematic to protect the lands by placing the strongest responsible to rule over their own territories. It has been a while but someday you too would have the opportunity to rise up to the occasion when it is deemed necessary although it seems like Melody would rather keep you satisfied under her wing at the rate you are drinking your sake… haha.”
It would dawn on Cress that while Melody had been nothing but willing to support him this entire time, it was within reason to keep him under her control, and Duke Glacier had noticed it almost immediately without knowing anything about him. The remainder of the late afternoon was spent with casual conversation, Marigold and Iris discussed their business ventures to increase Tundra village’s economy despite a decrease in population, and Melody explained that the fastest way to attain more villagers was to simply invite free people and their families by personally building their homes to cut costs, and effectively collecting the land tax to make up for the losses until the gains increased the following year. Duke Glacier contributed to the use of a company called ZipDeliveries, to ship products globally via drone, and has found success in selling musical instruments at every minute of the day that his stocks had run out a few times having to order more materials to meet the demand. Apparently when some of the supplies ran low, he resorted to making handicrafts using scrap materials to sell, since every day was an opportunity to generate zeni mattered.
As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, everyone stood up at once, including Melody as they all bowed slightly to acknowledge each other before making their departure. “Everyone, it has been an absolute pleasure, you know where to find me if the need arises, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening as we must return to our villages and I pray that the local councils managed to avoid burning down the walls in an accident. That is another story for another time. Until next time.”
Melody followed everyone out of the room and outside of the abode turning around as her servants escorted the guests further down the road up to the shinto shrine entrance of the village. The Duchess returned to the dining room and drank her second cup of Sake. “Glad you have refined tastes when it comes to a excellent drink. You must have a bottomless well for it. There are even finer grades of alcohol if you invest enough zeni. In order to support a luxurious lifestyle you have to make up for it by generating profits. While you remain living here, I will lavish you with my shared refinements, but once your new home is built I expect you to become independent. We will discuss what your hidden talents are tomorrow and go over the land you will be responsible for cultivating.” She smiled expectantly at him it was clear he needed to shape himself up if he truly desired to be Lord one day, which she kept calling him out of respect for his beliefs. However, he was nowhere near being as regal as her and the Dukes, even though they were exhibiting a sense of kindness during their meeting, the idea that they were ruthless fighters against demons that plagued the lands meant they were worthy adversaries.
“Well, you can keep the rest of the cask, sake does not hold its strength after it has been opened, and it would be a shame to see it go to waste. I hope your body can handle it and still be able to begin preparations tomorrow.”
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2019 6:00:04 GMT -8
His brow raised at the old man's words, Glacier's jovial laughter filling the spacious room. It wasn't the reaction Cress expected to get with his little outburst. Something akin to warmth spread through his chest as Cress listened to Duke Glacier. He thought at first it was merely the effects of the sake in his bloodstream, and while he had started to get a good buzz going, this was... different. Unnatural. Indescribable. Was Duke Glacier... admiring him? That couldn't be it. Admiration wasn't something people reserved for a man like him.
Yet there was no denying it. Cress glanced at Melody briefly when the duke compared them to each other, then back at the old man. He truly thought some demon monkey runt like himself was comparable to Melody's beauty and elegance? It was nothing Cress had ever experienced before—the warm adulation of others. Not even his own mother provided that for him; everything she said and did came only on the basis of merit, and when you're a frightened child in a dark infested cave, you tended to fail in measuring up to a demon's standards. How many beatings had he taken on account of his "utter hopelessness?"
But here was someone acknowledging his worth. "Tch... whatever, old man." Cress raised his cup to his lips yet again, less to drink and more to hide the smirk that threatened to overtake his lips. Duke Glacier then responded to his question about the safety of the villages with a bit of the land's history. Oolong and Yajirobe... these weren't names he recognized, but from the way Glacier spoke of them it was clear they were beings to be highly revered.
The half demon only chuckled and gave a dismissive wave of his hand at Glacier's assumption that some day Cress would become a ruler of one of their villages and be tasked with protecting them. It was the furthest thing from Cress's mind—in fact, the exact opposite was true. Some day they would all bend the knee toward him as he became their ruling emperor. He wouldn't steal the old geezer's hope though. He nearly choked mid-sip on his drink as Glacier implied that, rather, Melody sought to keep him under wraps by appeasing him with such things as... well, sake.
"H-Hey, wait just a goddamn minute." He glanced at the small cup clutched in his large hand, then over at Melody who was doing a great job of snickering without shattering her facade of regal elegance. He was being played the entire time? His face began to flush with heat, his gaze quickly cutting away from the others. Was he the only one who didn't grasp that was going on this entire time? He wanted to get angry; he wanted to rage and tear the room apart. He... didn't care all that much frankly. "Hmph. I'm nobody's puppet," he said, more to himself than anyone else. Still, he sat his cup down and didn't touch it again.
Soon they began discussing trivial things and once more, Cress's mind slid to other things. The talk was quiet and rather informal compared to what he had expected. This quiet room of fools were the great dukes and vassals of the Pig Demon Duchies? He had expected something else entirely. And there sat Melody, the strongest of them all, stronger even than himself though he had yet to test it in battle. There was much to admire about this woman, but he couldn't allow himself to become distracted by her. He wanted her village, her power, and nothing more.
That lie was starting to become more difficult to believe each time he thought it. Finally the meeting ended as everyone stood around the table. Cress rose as well and stretched, working the stiffness out of his shoulders. It wasn't until the others left that Melody enjoyed a second drink for herself. She remarked on his refined tastes, and the fact that once his own place was built a certain autonomy would be granted and it came with certain duties. He huffed and rolled his eyes, snatching the cask of sake from Portobello.
"What's the matter with you, woman? Do you ever think of anything other than work? Sheesh." How could someone be so consumed with their duties? Did she expect him to be the same way? Not a chance. "You should learn to loosen up a bit. Let your hair down... figuratively speaking. You're young, and pretty, and you're wasting your youth when you should be out there partying it up with your people." It was the closest thing to any sort of advice he would offer Melody as her vassal. Not that he gave a damn what she did.
"Anyway... I'm gonna hit the hay. Finish this cask of sake alone." He started to walk away from Melody only for his steps to be brought to a quick halt. His dark gaze rested on the polished floorboards beneath his feet. Cress realized he didn't know where he was supposed to go, but the matter went deeper than that. He didn't know what to do. He was in an unfamiliar setting, wearing clothing that wasn't his, with expectations being thrust upon his shoulders before he could truly grasp what all of this meant. What the hell was he doing here?
It felt... overwhelming. He preferred being gravely injured in combat to this sensation. He also realized he didn't want to sleep alone. Melody was the one person he actually knew in this entire goddamn palace, hell, the entirety of the Western Lands themselves. "So, uh... where are you sleeping tonight, my lady?" His own words surprised him as for the first time he acknowledged her in a formal manner. "Mind if I crash in your room? I... I'm not used to..." His words trailed off. He hoped she understood his meaning. Cress couldn't bring himself to speak or admit such weakness; he was afraid to sleep alone in a place like this.
Melody
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Post by Melody on Nov 23, 2019 2:18:29 GMT -8
Cress’ ambitions filled his thoughts while he drank his fill on sake, the biggest obstacle in the room was the Duchess who was catching up to him in the number of cups he had been consuming, and she kept looking at him as he described what she should be doing with her time instead of busying herself with the duties of protecting a village.
“Is that what you were doing? How well did that go for you, I wonder? I have suffered far too much to allow myself to waste any minute squandering about to such low standards. If I don’t fight to survive this wretched world on my own, no one else will.”
Even now she doubted his abilities to protect her, should the need arise, she clearly indicated surviving on her own accord, and not rely on anyone. As Cress turned to leave she dismissed Portobello to retire and got up herself taking the half empty cask in her arms along with a cup. At this point she followed behind him, almost crashing into him as he stopped in front of a solid wall, the entire estate was a maze of shifting paneled sliding doors and she sighed. A long stretch of hallway led straight to her own master chambers. At some point it did take Melody a week to learn where every room had been located in the abode which was quite old before she moved in. She understood that he was lost and simply motioned for him to follow her. The hallway was relatively dark at this hour, with every step they took, paper lanterns lit up by a sensor, and illuminated their path. From his time spent in the hot spring located at the end of the master chambers, he would recall the garden once they reached the end of the hallway that led outdoors, and the doors to the guest room were left open if he actually wanted to sleep. However, his strange question about where she would sleep meant he never lived in a house before and now she was certain this man must have been raised by wolves or spent too many times at parties crashing anywhere he deemed fit. Was he that drunk? Rather than answer she pointed at a large wooden bed with bed posts reaching the ceiling and sheer ivory silk draped around loosely to keep insects at bay from the pond outside. The room was dark, the only light source was a desk lamp shaped like a mushroom with several multifaceted glass tiles over the surface of the dome in various colors, the ceiling looked a multicolored glowing sky as a result.
“I don’t plan to sleep, I am not tired, but if you are, then I will watch over you.” Melody admitted nonchalantly as she sat on a large ornate desk placing the cask on the surface to task herself with drinking the remaining half of the contents. It didn't phase her to spend the night with him in the same room, she was a fearless woman, and she settled into the desk chair as she watched fireflies hover over the pond, the shoji screen panels were left wide open for her to enjoy the tranquil view. The truth of the matter was, she offered Cress to drink what remained of the sake because he seemed to enjoy it, she was otherwise going to spend the whole night finishing it slowly even if she did not bother to heat it up as the night became colder; warming it up would clear her senses as it did have a distinct difference in taste but once she started it became difficult to stop.
The rest of the evening remained quiet apart from the sounds of crickets and the fountain in the garden. By the time Melody finished the cask it was dawn and she began dozing off for a minute until she felt a warm feeling on her left cheek, as she touched her face with her fingers, her violet eyes focused on her finger tips covered in blood. Melody immediately leaped out of her chair and unsheathed her sword, the sleeves of her kimono fluttered in the air, as she held a guard stance. The presence of a demon had suppressed its energy and cut her face, the pressure from the dark energy surrounding the creature felt like a gravitational pull. The sun began to illuminate the room, a dark haired, lavender skinned woman with stitches over the creases of her mouth was licking her fingers of blood that was more than likely from her cheek.
“How dare you touch my face.” Melody gritted her teeth, wary of this mysterious intruder with an aura she had never felt before, rather than search the room for Cress with her violet eyes she kept them entirely focused.
The demoness moved her body like a marionette as she circled around the room until she laid her eyes on her real target, and her smile twisted painfully wide with a sinister expression on her face to look over at Cress who was staring back at her. “After all my efforts, I find that you have failed me and my teachings to ravage and pillage an entire village overseen by a mere human female. The passage of time has given you the edge necessary to surpass her, she was not even born into the world the day you reached the pinnacle of your strength, so do as I say and kill her, the others will soon beg for their lives without her protection.” Zeranna had broken into Melody’s armory and presented her son with a sword.
It was exactly the same as the blade in the Duchess’ hand which she used to slice the gap between them, Cress was instantly given a haircut as the blade cut his locks starting at the nape of his neck, it was unintentional as the Demoness moved seconds before the first attempt to slice through her. Zeranna moved tactfully to use her son as a shield every time Melody honed in to sweep her sword at her, which was frustrating because she was starting to slow down with each swing, and she leaped back to stand outside.
“Is this treason? Who is she? Answer me before I cut down the both of you!”
The kimono limited Melody’s movements and without hesitation she sliced up the luxurious fabric, starting with the sleeves, followed by shortening the hem mid thigh through several layers, and she was able to free herself from being constricted. The wound on her cheek began to naturally clot as the chill in the air dried it up, her breathing was staggering from being hungover, and that was the opening Zeranna had been hoping for as she had been watching them since they arrived into the room eight hours ago. All this time, Melody watched over Cress as he slept peacefully either by the sounds, sake, or the fact that he truly believed he was safe.
“Now is the perfect chance to strike!” Zeranna chuckled manically.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2019 10:15:15 GMT -8
The beast stirred within him. No... not a beast. For so long she had stayed away, and it became easier with each passing day to think of the power that welled inside of him as some unconquerable beast he forced to slumber. So long as it slept, things would be fine. But it was no beast—it was his inner demon and it stirred from its slumber with a roar that filled every hollow crevice of his soul. For the demon's master had returned, and it sought to do naught else but please her.
He shot up in bed as the small bamboo cask rolled off of his slumbering chest, spilling its contents all over the blankets. His heart hammered against his ribcage, so hard and so loud he was sure it would wake the entirety of the palace. If not his own flailing heart, then surely the untenable malice that filled the room around them.
"Mel, look out—!" His words were cut short as his eyes widened at the sight of the duchess. She stood with her sword drawn and aimed at the chest of his mother, Zeranna. There was a scratch on her face, and a single rivulet of dark blood spilled down her cheek. Too late. His eyes swept to land on the grotesque woman that had given birth to him all those years ago. He could say nothing, do nothing, but lower his head and cower before her.
It was the same way every time, wasn't it? No matter where he went or what he did; no matter how long she was gone, Mother always came back. And when Mother came back and saw that he still had not fulfilled his assigned purpose, Mother killed. A demon never needed an incentive to slaughter senselessly, but the fact he had failed in his appointed mission only made the killing worse. Sometimes, she even tried to kill him. But long had passed the days when his mother's power frightened him.
He was stronger than she was now, yet Zeranna's vice grip on his soul tightened even more. The noose of her influence slipped around his neck, and he would be hung upon his own foolish ideals. And worse than that, he was going to drag the first person who had ever shown him genuine kindness down into the depths of despair with him. What could he do? He could not fight Zeranna. It was her own power that resided in his soul and gave him his strength. What had his father ever given him? Nothing but disappointment. It was pointless to resist her. He might as well obey.
His gaze slid to Melody's blade, held mere inches from his face as he stood in between the two fighting women. His mother's voice in his ear was a harsh rasp of a command. Zeranna ordered him to kill Melody. His gaze slid from the blade back to Melody who had diced up her own fancy kimono for what she had discerned would be a coming fight. "...what'd I tell you about that sword of yours, huh?" Cress knelt down and retrieved the bamboo cask. He ignored both women for a brief moment as he tipped the open cask to his lips, throat bobbing as he polished off the rest of the sake.
It was cold by this point, not as good as the hot stuff, but it would do the trick. It was probably the last fine drink he would have for a very long time. He swiped a hand across his mouth and tossed the cask aside. A torrent of black energy erupted from him, shaking the entire room from the pressure of his aura. It swirled and ebbed like a monstrous thing, curling and coalescing around his form. Cress held Melody's gaze. Something else stirred in him—an emotion he had been trying to deny all this time.
This was it—his chance to free himself of this second, unnecessary burden. If he killed Melody... then he didn't have to consider the possibility that... in that moment, he realized he couldn't do it. He couldn't harm Melody. "Sorry, Mel. This is just the way it is, I guess." He sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing a hand along the back of his head. "This whole situation is annoying. I can't have any fun without this old hag breathing down my neck. But it's like I told ya before—it's my destiny to rule this world, and everyone in it..."
He opened his eyes and let them settle on Melody. "It's a damn shame, too... I kinda like you. But I'm going to have to kill you." Though Cress spoke the words he knew Zeranna desired to hear, his gaze told a different story. He hoped beyond hope Melody picked up on the subtle clue of his words. He felt helpless and hopeless; he could never kill his mother and be free of her grasp. But maybe... maybe he didn't have to be the one to do it. "So... get rid of that dumb sword of yours, kid. You have a new weapon now."
He could feel his mother's eyes bore a hole in the back of his head at those words. Cress knew it wouldn't take but a few seconds for her to pick up on the nuance of his words. Perhaps a few seconds, a brief window, was all the time Melody needed to strike!
Melody
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Post by Melody on Nov 23, 2019 11:51:02 GMT -8
Melody staggered back, her sloppy movements were a direct result of all the alcohol in her blood, and the chill morning air made her breathing heavy as she focused on Cress. While he spoke, she only caught some of the things he said, she had been pushing herself too much to utilize her sword mastery properly by going around him, and every time the demoness kept getting behind him by predicting her movements. Rather than rely on her sight she closed her eyes, she had lived in this room for over a year, and she knew they layout from memory. If every time she swung her was predictable then her only advantage was to adapt to her drunken state. With the affirmation that Cress wanted to kill her with just his words alone without acting on it immediately meant that he was hesitating. The Duchess had been in countless battles against demons who tried to kill her and they were always the first to strike. Did this mean the demonic signature she was reading between them was connected somehow? There had been demons who tied themselves to people with an unbreakable pact in exchange for power and it was possible that Cress was forced into to one with this vile entity. Being outnumbered, exhausted from lack of sleep, there was only one option: to take them out one at a time.
While Zerrana offered her son a sword he took a drink instead, she hissed at him, seconds before she could retaliate Melody unarmed her with the tip of her blade. A green streak from her hair closed the distance with immeasurable speed, strands of her hair fluttered into the air as the Duchess brought down the demoness to the floor breaking the floorboards from the pressure to the cement foundation below it. At the same time the sheath of the second sword fell down, hitting what remained of the floor by Cress’ feet, as Melody had grabbed the grip in a fraction of a second to wield two capsule Corp steel swords, shattering one that gutted Zerrana when it hit the surface of the concrete ground. Shards of metal exploded inside the demoness’ abdomen and the second sword immediately followed to slice her jugular spraying black blood all over her white kimono. There was no hesitation to take out this monster, it was her duty to protect the village, and she was breathing heavily covered in blood when she finally opened her eyes to look at her vassal with a cold stare.
Zerrana writhed about unable to scream, using her demonic magic in an attempt to heal her own neck by wrapping her claws around her neck, until she could make a sound.
The demon blood on Melody’s face was wiped with a torn piece of fabric from her tarnished kimono. A regenerative demon usually took all day to kill, unless Zerrana’s demonic power was absorbed, she would continue to regenerate until she expend it all, and finally allow an opening for total obliteration. Melody being human, did not allow her to absorb demonic energy, and she was not going to let up until she fought to the death with everything in her power. There was a small window for the swordswoman to catch her breath so that she could tangle with the demoness again.
“If you have a problem, how are you going to handle it? Is this what you were running away from? I can show you how to become stronger. I want to be a fire that ignites your very soul. I believe that someday you will be able to catch up to me.” Melody smiled even half chuckled at the idea that Cress was still leagues behind in power level from her and she was not going to slow down in order for him to surpass her because her life depended on it. “Are you done playing games yet? When are you going to take responsibility for shaping your own destiny? How many times do I have to kill this bitch to send her back to hell? Are you really going to avoid taking me on when I am not at my best? Coward.”
She casually stabbed the demoness through her skull with the tip of her sword, rendering Zerrana lifeless for a minute, buying herself even more time to recover, and she stood by idling for the full power of this demonic creature to be unleashed to the maximum so that she no longer had any energy left to heal while attempting to fight back from the humiliation.
[764] [9,150]
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2019 7:12:18 GMT -8
She moved faster than his eyes could follow, but the huge spike in her ki emblazoned itself upon his very soul. It was a staggering power, and it was all he could do to dive out of the way as the duchess bore down upon Zeranna and drove her blade right through her. The wooden bed splintered and shattered, sending flying chips of wood flying in all directions.
The entire room shook from the power of her assault. The cement floor fractured and ruptured beneath the force of Melody's blow and his mother's anguished cries filled the air, like nails raking against a chalkboard. His eyes squeezed shut tight and pressed his palms over his ears to block the horrendous noise out. Every cell in his body wanted to attack Melody to stop her from hurting his mother.
His mother... who had kept him locked in a natural cage for decades. His mother... who had beaten and brutalized him, covered his body in deadly scars, and taught him to survive. His mother... who had thrust the mantle of destiny upon his shoulders—a destiny he would never have been able to accomplish. There were so many strong foes that existed in this world. Melody, a plain human girl, was stronger than him. She had done what he thought was impossible—she had silenced the witch.
His eyes shot open as his mother's cries became a garbled noise. Dragging himself to his feet he stared as the blood seeped through his mother's trembling fingers where she clutched them against her severed throat. Her glowing crimson eyes flickered to his own as her lips moved, yet only strangled noises escaped her bloodied lips. Melody clutched the sword his mother had attempted to give him in her hand, the demoness's blood dripping off the sharp point of the sword. There was a fire that burned in Melody's eyes, and for the first time in his entire one hundred and sixty years of tortured existence, Cress felt fear toward someone that wasn't his mother.
Zeranna's body fell limp as the blade pierced her skull. She wasn't dead—her energy was weak but present, and once it recovered the entirety of Truffle Village was doomed. She would release the full brunt of her power—something Cress was certain he had never seen himself. And then all of it would be for naught. Was this his only chance at freedom? Melody's fierce countenance caused him to take a step backwards. She challenged him up front about running away from his problems. She promised to help him grow stronger.
But he had to learn to take responsibility. Zeranna was not Truffle Village's problem—it was his own. He had never cared if other people died before—only about his own survival. But he cared if Melody lived so maybe he could start along a different path. It was the last word Melody spoke that struck a chord deep within him. It snapped Cress out of his indecision. "Coward?" He blinked at her, then glanced down at Zeranna's body. Her crooked, bloodstained talons began to twitch. Any moment now.
He met Melody's gaze. "You think... I'm a coward?" He stalked forward, his eyes hardening with each step. It appeared he was going to attack Melody, but he paused just before her. A flickering black flame formed around the fingers of his right hand as he held it up before her. "Screw destiny. Lemme show ya what I want." Cress flattened his fingers like a knife edge and plunged them deep into his Mother's chest. Her body writhed and flopped around on the ground as if she were in great agony.
Ribs cracked with a nauseating snap as he forced his hand through her sternum and gripped her heart, ripping it clear from her chest. It surged with demonic power and energy, beating of its own accord. "You're right." He didn't look at her. He stared at his bloodstained fingers as they clutched the beating heart in his grasp. "I am a coward. I've let this old hag control me for a long, long time. It's time for me to take my life back and forge my own destiny." He lowered his head to his palm... and consumed his destiny.
Once he was done, a great surge of power flowed through him. It caused his limbs to quake, every sense elevated to proportions he never could have dreamed of or imagined. It was raw demonic power. It was... too much! He frantically grabbed for the blade in Melody's grasp and pointed it out through the open sliding doors as a beam of surging energy erupted from the sword in a powerful blast that knocked him backwards. It surged in a deep violet arch and sailed over the entirety of Truffle Village only to dissipate on the horizon.
"Whew! That was a close one," he said. He held the blade aloft, free hand stroking his chin as he observed its craftsman ship. "Yeah... this is the sword of a demon, alright. I bet I know the fella who makes this, too. It's good quality stuff." He retrieved its scabbard from the ground and slid it back into its sheath with a satisfying click. Now he stood with confidence and assurance, shoulders squared and eyes determined as he stared down at the broken, dying form of his mother. "So... you wanna put her out of her misery, or should I?"
A flash of purple to his right drew their attention. What appeared to be a large book hovered in mid air beside Cress. Its cover was decorated in strange, ornate symbols and patterns with gilded, solid gold edges. It was large as well with demonic energy pouring off of it. "The hell?" He quirked a brow and stared at it. What was this? It felt familiar and seemed to call to him—as if he had rediscovered a long-lost friend. He reached out to touch it and the book flipped open of its own accord. Pages fluttered as they rapidly flipped until stopping mid way through the arcane tome. He blinked and stared at the unfamiliar language. He couldn't read what it said, but somehow he knew what to do.
Cress bit his thumb, the sharp pain drawing a bit of blood. It was abnormally black as opposed to the typical red hue of a normal human being. He pressed his bloodied thumb against the open page and sealed the unspoken contract. The book slammed shut, and all at once both the demon sword and the demon's tome disappeared. An eerie silence remained, save for the garbled gasps of his impossibly alive mother. He brought a heavy boot down on top of her skull, crushing bone and cartilage with a wet, sickening sound. Only then did all movement cease for good.
Melody
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Post by Melody on Nov 24, 2019 13:47:05 GMT -8
The demonic energy Melody kept feeling since Zeranna appeared was set to explode, Cress was first to react shortly after consuming the power he needed to overcome his biggest flaw, and he took the sword from her hand to point the sharp end up towards the sky. The surge in that fraction of a second was like lightning, she felt a chill crawl all over the surface of her skin, the energy cackled and snapped as the demonic flow was redirected, she could feel her green hair stand up then fall down after a sonic boom erupted like a canon. If she was feeling drowsy before she was was now wide awake after breaking the sound barrier, the Duchess stood there covered in demon blood, and was still trying to make a bit of sense of what kind of pact Cress was in with his demoness. Of course he involved himself with another seemingly made pact using his blood when a demonic book appeared beaconing for a new master in Cress; sealing away the sword for safe keeping. However, when they first met she promised that she was not interested in his past, that part of his life was not going to define who he is today, and at present he seemed to have changed overnight, she was still going to accept him for who he was.
“Hmph. After a while, I was not even sure if you were listening to anything I was saying, but you more than proved your point. I suppose I needed to remodel the master bedroom, it has remained unchanged since I removed the previous Duke from his seat, and now its a graveyard. I think I overheard the kids call it-- metal.”
Zeranna was rendered lifeless after her demon powers were absorbed by the man who called himself a saiyan and she did not know enough about them to know if it was possible. The truth that this demon was actually Cress’ mother was still a secret as he failed to mention anything of the sort for her to know that. It was just a typical day in Truffle Village when a demon tries to invade Melody’s territory and is tasked with killing them. In silence they both watched demon turn to a pile of ash once the last drop life was removed.
The remodel of the master bedroom took a couple of days since that fateful dawn, the pair shared the spare guest room getting to know each other personally, and the Duchess demanded that Cress replace her ruined spring season kimono the next time he was in Oolong City as it was very finely made and one of a kind. This request was immediately denied but she was not going to argue with him since she was absolutely positive that the events that unfolded was deeply ingrained in his mind enough that he would remember to comply, eventually. Melody would have nothing to wear for the next spring season unless he made it up to her personally and she half made up her mind to shamelessly attend in the nude and become famous among the Duchies; she told Cress these exact words.
A decision on what to grow on the newly appointed Vassal’s estate was a simple visit to the green house in the village, it was managed by the town council as the research team occupied themselves to genetically modify crops and mushrooms for profit. While it might have bored Cress to tears being in this humid glass house, he would discover a distinct smell of watercress. The second he took to observe the plant, Duke Glacier presented himself during a random visit out of nowhere, he kept his power level suppressed; the old man explained that the plant was not as popular as it had been one hundred and sixty years ago, revealing himself to be a half demon as well. The old man was aware that Cress was half demon since they met for the first time, he curiously asked him if Melody was made aware or not, but he also knew her well enough to know that something that trivial did not matter to her since the Duchess was abandoned as an infant. Heritage did not define a person for their worth. He went into explaining that the tobacco plant was well sought after and the land being enriched to grow mushrooms would make for a distinct variety for people to indulge in. Without another word he left as quickly as he arrived to oversee Icecap challenge Melody for his daily attempt to subdue her.
At the end of the month, Melody was tasked with recovering Portebello from the Ox-Co mines in the South Lands, apparently the teenager found himself financially unstable after his rice fields were infested by a failed magic spell gone awry, and he took it upon himself to recover the financial loss without informing the Duchess. Morel was greatly concerned for her brother after watching the news of a grave illness, the town council had recently developed a healing mushroom variety that would help the miners, and she was quick to leave to retrieve her most loyal assistant personally leaving Cress behind. However, he did not have to remain in the village for long, she noted that he had been training himself to master his new talents, and she had no knowledge of the power he harnessed to assist him further so she tasked him with rediscovering himself by traveling at the village’s expense in exchange for keeping the territory safe for a month.
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