Chapter 142 – Anticlimactic

Chapter 142 – Anticlimactic

Yastiel’s clenched fist shot forward. “FIRE!”

The trebuchets both launched in conjunction with one another, arcane power blooming within the orbs that appeared in the strange stones they auto-populated in a side-cart next to the siege weapons. The missiles rocketed overhead in a long arc, easily making the length of the gap between their encampment and the fortress to shatter in an explosion of mana against the enchanted stone walls.

Debris erupted upwards and was seen even at this distance, but the damage was minimal. They’d already fired twenty times, and although the stone was being chipped away – they would be at it for quite some time with just two of the siege weapons on hand.

Meanwhile, as Yastiel and a number of vetteresie warriors locked and loaded the next round and tried to whittle away at the defenses, the rest of the camp was left to do whatever they wanted to do. They did have a number or days left before they needed to finish this, so there was no rush at the moment – and the keep’s defenses were not long-range enough to hit them here. So unless the vampires came out of their bunker it’d be unlikely anyone would see any real action soon.

“A little anticlimactic.” Trey grudgingly stated as he sipped on some wine while sitting on Carol’s armored back to use her as a chair. “But no need to rush things to get people needlessly killed. I’d prefer to have that wall down if we can do it, so we don’t have to use the ladders and can use both arial attacks and a ground assault simultaneously. Yastiel and I talked about it in detail, and she seems to agree.”

Carol’s face was covered in bruises, and her arms quivered under his weight after being forced into this position in the grass for so long due to her transgressions. One eye was swollen shut, and she managed to glance up at Silvara who was tied to a pole not far off for a public whipping as she screamed with every strike. Piggy had been more than happy to volunteer to deal out the punishment, and it was a reminder to them on where they stood – even if Silvara was supposed to be Trey’s future bride in the deal to secure the elvish kingdom of Lumenorei for his own.

She had attacked him first after all, so he didn’t feel too bad about it and even smiled over at Piggy when she tried to catch his eye to see if he was pleased with her. The wounds on Silvara’s bare back were very raw and bled profusely, and her milky-white legs quivered as she was barely able to stand, but he’d let her have some more time to think on it before she tried anything like drawing a sword on him again. “Continue, Piggy.”

“Yes master! I will do as you say!” The demented woman called out again, her maniacal grin setting into itself as she brought the whip back up and lashed the princess for the hundredth time that morning.

Atharost was chewing noiselessly on a piece of buttered bread and passed it over to Rivia before swallowing and leaning over the wooden table. “This is an interesting twist of fate, don’t you think?”

Trey smirked and nodded, accepting Edzeath’s shoulder massage as she came up from behind and began to rub. “Yes, it isn’t quite what I expected. That’s a certainty. Have you ever heard of something like this happening before?”

Atharost shook his head adamantly and swatted at his familiar Boxamoth as the fire elemental tried to catch an insect buzzing by. “I’ve never heard of anything even remotely close to this.”

The ifrit glanced over to Rivia, and then to Sithis. “I doubt either of you two know either, as Sithis is basically a newborn babe and Rivia is not far behind.”

Both of the other demons scowled at him, but Ezdeath’s laugh brought them back around. “You’re all very young… I actually think I’m the oldest one here.”

“Really?” Nothel asked curiously, leaning in against Trey’s shoulder and jostling for position with Ezdeath in a very obvious way. “How old ARE you, succubus?”

Ezdeath frowned briefly at the vampire, then turned her gaze back up to the naked elf princess being brutally whipped in the yard between tents. “Well over a thousand years old. I’ve lost track of the exact number after being held in Xil’s tomb for so long, but it’s been a long time.”

Jason, who’d spoken little to Trey since they’d met up again, fidgeted with his potion making set and added another ingredient to a blue concoction. He gave Silvara a sad frown, but shook his head hopelessly and didn’t mention it even once while continuing to work in silence.

A vast improvement on Jason’s attitude, if Trey and Eleknar had anything to say about it.

From behind, Trey felt a small claw tap him on the thigh – and he turned around curiously to see Napoleon sitting on his haunches while looking up at him with his big imp eyes. He held a chess set in his hands, and hesitantly looked down at it before pushing it up onto Trey’s lap and clasping his claws in front of him hopefully.

“Trey want to play play?” Napoleon asked with his ears flat against his head.

The sight made nearly made Trey gag because of how cute it was, and Ezdeath bent down to whisper in his ear.

“Napoleon has really missed you while you were gone… probably more than anyone else. He’s been asking Sithis to play chess with him, but Sithis is rather bad at it and doesn’t understand all the rules…”

A knot grew in Trey’s throat. He’d been away from Napoleon so long that he’d frankly neglected the imp. On top of that, he’d rather neglected all of his friendships due to the quest Alkir had given him… and he silently cursed himself for not having finished it sooner.

He gestured to the top of the table and smiled down at Napoleon before setting the chess box on top, unfolding it into a proper board, and letting the wooden pieces spill out. “I get to be white this time.”

Atharost chuckled and folded his arms as he watched Napoleon’s demeanor change from hesitant to rather excited, and the little imp bounded up Trey’s side to plop himself on the other side of the board.

“I miss miss you Trey. I’m glad you back back.” Napoleon innocently patted Trey’s hand and then continued putting his pieces in proper order, and he never noticed the way Trey began to tear up with water under his eyes after the statement had been made – but Rivia, Sithis and Atharost certainly did, and they all exchanged smiles with one another as the game got underway.

Further down the table and picking grapes off a tray to add to her plate of cheese and crackers, Izumi was explaining her plans on expansion of the mech to Ashe, Taen, Maltetious and Telipe.

“See this cog here?” Izumi asked as she organized the papers and adjusted her goggles. “This cog needs to go. We can replace it with three struts instead and add on a rotating wheel here – then have enough room for another mana tank for the thrusters.

Her gaze focused in on the huge mech not far off and slightly down the hill. It had two mechanical legs similar to that of a T-rex by the way they bent back, two cockpits. One was for her in the front to drive it and use the primary gatling mana weapons; and one for Telipe in the back so the demihuman could focus in on its sniper canon.

“Wouldn’t that cause problems with the mana shield we installed?” Telipe asked curiously, pointing to the underside of the hull and tapping her slender finger. “It took a lot to get that engraved and I don’t think replacing it or moving it will do us any favors.”

Izumi threw up her hands. “Bah! We have another mana shield installed right underneath the cockpits. We’ll be fine! What we need is more maneuverability, and a mana tank with the thrusters would definitely do that.”

“What about increasing the size and adding on two more legs in the back?”

“Can’t do that without needing a second core, and we won’t be able to make one until we get the abyssal materials Alkir was talking about. Remind me to talk to Trey and maybe I can work something out.

Telipe nodded vigorously, excited about the project more than she’d ever been about anything – and happy to have something to do other than pleasure Trey in her time off. Izumi was quickly becoming a close friend, and really the only friend Telipe had, and she was finally finding that she was happy again. “Sounds good. Ask Trey sooner rather than later though, those materials would be a godsend.”

Izumi smirked and folded her hands together. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Telipe immediately froze. “Well… because I’d rather you do it. You’re his friend… I’m just a sex slave.”

Izumi raised an eyebrow. “Maybe if you asked him nicely and told him why, it’d spike his interest. Better to get to know him now instead of waiting ten years down the road. You’re a thrall, you can’t live without a contract anymore, so might as well make the most of the relationship you have. Even if it is a little…”

“Degrading.” Telipe said softly to finish Izumi’s sentence as her golden wolf ears laid against her head. “Yes, I know.”

Maltetious finished sipping on a goblet and hiked a thumb over at the elf princess. “It could be much worse.”

Telipe retorted with a snort and then gestured over to Rivia, Ezdeath and Nothel. “But it could be oh so much better. What is it that they have and I don’t? I’m pretty. I know I am. Why does he favor them over me?”

Maltetious arched an eyebrow, steepling her fingers as Taen silently listened next to her. “Their attitude towards him is drastically different than yours. I’m new here, and even I can see that.”

Telipe rolled her eyes. “I’m just afraid of him. You can’t blame me for that, look at who and what he is.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Maltetious said flatly. The numen promptly gripped Taen by the back of his neck and forced him to look at her. Then, leaning in and licking the side of his face as the necromancer grunted, she put him back in his spot and snorted in amusement. “You know why I like Taen so much more than Chris and Michael? They’re all equally attractive, all of them are also in a situation similar to your own. I have them under soul binding contracts, I created them, and Taen has become my favorite of the three because he actively engages me in conversation. He treats me as a person, rather than a god-like figure, and even though I hold his life in my hands – he ignores that and acts like it isn’t even a thing. He tells me when I’m wrong, when I’m right, and deals with the consequences afterwards. Basically, he speaks his mind but still has an honest liking for me even after the fact that he’s a slave to me just like you’re a slave to Trey.”

Telipe’s brow furrowed and she glanced between Taen – who was flushing and folding his arms in embarrassment, and his two friends who were chatting near a campfire not far off and drinking ale. “You’ve enslaved your champions?”

“Yes.” Maltetious said flatly.

Telipe began to turn a bright red. “And… you said Taen is your favorite? Favorite for what, exactly?”

Maltetious smoothed out her white Sunday dress and crossed her legs, then raised her right hand and slammed it down to violently grasp his crotch. The man winced painfully, but didn’t move as she continued to give Telipe a flat look. “It’s almost exactly the same thing that Trey’s doing. He has his harem of women, some of whom fight for him too… just as I have my smaller harem of three men.”

Telipe blushed even further, avoiding eye contact with Taen at all costs. “I… I didn’t know.”

Maltetious shrugged, then squeezed harder and gave an amused giggle as Taen scrunched up his face and gripped the wooden table with a pained moan. “Taen here thinks he has another girlfriend that he’s going to leave me for. But that’s not going to happen… now is it Taen? What was her name again? That fisherman’s daughter you found? Yeah… I’d seriously reconsider talking to her again if you want her to keep living. I’d just hate to have to send a lightning bolt through her house.”

He quickly nodded, trying hard not to cry as tears welled up under his eyes. “Got it. Yes Maltetious.”

The numen’s attention was diverted as an ear-piercing shriek erupted from Silvara not far off when Piggy whipped her particularly hard, and flinched as she saw the state of the princess’ raw back. “Ugh… how unsightly. Wait, where did Ashe go? I was going to ask her some questions about her minotaurs.”

Izumi looked up from the schematics she was going over, swallowed another grape, and burped. “Ashe went to find Juila. I think they’re kinda dating.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm.”

“What about you? Anyone you’re interested in, Izumi?”

Izumi tapped a finger to her lips, glanced Atharost’s way, and then shifted her gaze to Bann – Taen’s bald and muscular ghoul. “Perhaps. Perhaps not.”

Taen gave Izumi a knowing look and a smirk as Maltetious let go of him. “Bann talks about you a lot you know.”

Immediately Izumi’s face flushed and she hid behind her hands as the others laughed. “Does he really?”

Taen gave her a thumbs up. “Indeed he does.”

***

“FIRE!”

Yastiel’s signal had the trebuchets launching again, and the general took a step back to bow slightly upon Trey’s arrival. “My liege.”

He gave her a pleasant smile and a nod, folding his arms and looking out over the grasslands to watch as the two spinning projectiles exploded with purple magic. “How long do you think it’ll take until we knock one of those walls down?”

“Two days at most.” Yastiel said with a confirmatory nod, and she motioned to the spires of pulsing electricity over each of the towers in turn. “The problem will be the defensive towers when we approach. We’ll need your fliers to knock them out before we get close, otherwise our soldiers could be in for some real trouble.”

The elf glanced back over her shoulder to where Silvara and Carol had been hung by their wrists from a large stake. “I apologize for my fellows not respecting the wishes of Agnude. If he were here, he would no doubt reprimand them in an even harsher way. Thank you for showing grace in not killing them outright.”

Trey chuckled and folded his arms, studying the general for a minute before replying. “I honestly though I was being a bit harsh. Silvara is your princess after all, and Carol holds the same position you do.”

“In name only, for both of them.” Yastiel stated with a sour frown while clasping her hands behind her back and turning to the trebuchets as they were loaded up again by her warriors. “Lumenorei is the birthplace of Agnude, but his religion stretches across many lands. I am indebted to him, not the royal family of Lumenorei. As for Carol… she rose in power rather fast, I must admit. But after this, I have no doubt I’ll supersede her in rank. She was childish, rash, and thoughtless in her actions simply because you shared a bloodline with her. If she had talked like that to any other leader of your station and power, I have no doubt she’d have been flayed alive. You say you are being harsh… but how many demon lords out there would permit those who attacked and insulted them publicly to live?”

Trey hadn’t thought about that.

“Not only did you let them live,” Yastiel continued with a slight smile, “But your punishments are rather lacking for one I would have known to be Eleknar’s Heir, or Vatosis Inferna. Not that I mean anything poorly by that, I just expected you to be crueler. Both of those titles ring throughout existence and legend as pinnacles of demonic power. You are not what I expected, and I’m doubly surprised you told everyone that you were going to let them off the hook after today’s sun sets. If it had been me, I would have flogged them both for a week for the disrespect shown to you and the attempt on your life – however pathetic it may have been.”

“Yes…” Trey muttered under his breath as he stared down Silvara at a distance. “It would have been a thing for the poets to write about… elvish princes kills demon lord to save the honor of her stuck up friend.”

Yastiel snickered, and her green eyes flashed with amusement underneath the winged helmet she wore. “Truly. I must ask though… what are your goals after all this is done?”

“What are you implying by ‘All This’?”

“The conquering of Zekul. Integration of Lumenorei and the dwarven kingdo of Kag’Dul. What comes after that?”

Trey smiled and waved at Riva as she and Ezdeath walked by, chatting in hushed whispers before both of them smiled back widely his way; and a moment later – Atharost landed next to him in a fiery ball of power that dissipated into thin air.

“Don’t mind me.” Atharost stated firmly, crossing his arms and leaning on Trey’s shoulder with an elbow and a grin. “I’m just here to kick it.”

Trey snorted. “Kick it? You’ve been hanging out with Izumi too much. Anyways Yastiel, back to your question… I’m not entirely sure. Alkir and Eleknar want me to use it as a starting point to rebuild the empire Eleknar once had… Eleknar once even talked to Ezdeath about the potential of reclaiming Necranoc – but I think that Eleknar is getting way, way ahead of himself there. He’s just excited to be back in the limelight.”

Yastiel furrowed her brows in confusion, and her gauntlets chinked as they came together across her chest. “What is Necranoc?”

“The previous capital of Eleknar’s empire.” Atharost stated coolly. “The previous capital of the largest force to ever rule within the Void. It was destroyed by the angels tens of thousands of years ago… or at least part of it was. What remains of those vast ruins are still kept by Gabriel, a powerful archangel and a warlord in his own right. He nearly committed genocide against Eleknar’s order and wiped out hundreds of billions of faithful followers, or so the lore goes.”

Yastiel’s eyes widened. “Hundreds of billions? Were there really that many?”

To this, Atharost just laughed – and loudly. He stopped his leaning on Trey’s shoulder and clutched his sides as a huge smile spread across his lips. “Elf, you have no idea what the cosmos are like. Of course there were that many, and there are still many more even today. Your numen Agnude and the country you come from… Lumenorei was it? They are but a spec, a pebble in the grand scheme of things or when related to the greater powers of this universe. The greater lords of the fiery hell, the elder lich kings that live upon planets that radiate death mana, the angelic courts of the high heavens, and the fae conglomerates of the eternal garden are all just some of the ones that hold similar power to what Eleknar once had. One day though, I have no doubt that Trey will be up there with them. It may take time, but his ascension is almost guaranteed as long as he progresses at the current rate. Sithis and I were speaking of this earlier, but usually it takes many centuries at a minimum to acquire the kind of power Trey already possesses. Not only that, but he is raising us up with him… The empire will come, and one day we will take Necranoc back to reclaim the lost capital if it is what Eleknar wishes of us.”

Trey felt a tug on his pant leg, diverting his attention from his good friend and making him turn. He looked down, seeing Piggy had crawled on all fours to grovel at his feet. The demon-elf hybrid’s red eyes slowly and hesitantly lifted upwards to meet him with a crazed smile, and heavily tattooed body was remarkably devoid of any markings even despite her daily torture that Napoleon administered under Trey’s order to keep her unholy script empowered.

“Yes Piggy?” Trey asked with a polite smile. “What can I do for you?”

The groveling woman immediately got to her knees and giggled uncontrollably, manic hysteria evident as she slapped her hands onto her bare thighs and threw her brunette hair out to one side with a twist of her head. “I merely wished to spend time with you, master! I have been… lonely, and I feel like I’ve been neglected in your absence!”

Atharost rolled his eyes and shook his head while Yastiel gave the kneeling woman a confused stare.

Meanwhile, Trey just suppressed a laugh and smirked. “Oh? Sorry about that. I intended to come back earlier but things got out of hand.”

Piggy held up both hands, riddled with black ink, and shook her head rapidly. “No! No it is not your fault! I merely wish to express my desire to spend some alone time with you… in private would be preferable, but public shaming of this humble vessel also has its merits…”

Yastiel lifted an eyebrow. “What is she talking about?”

Trey scratched his head, then placed his hand along Piggy’s scalp and began to pet her as she purred and grabbed his arm – rubbing her face along his skin as her breathing picked up. “Piggy has an unholy script, combined with an evolution she got, that makes her somewhat of a masochist… she was one before she got them but now she actually becomes stronger whenever I make her feel pain or humiliation.”

Yastiel’s face went blank, staring at the purring woman as Piggy began licking Trey’s fingers. “She’s a masochist that derives power from pain and humiliation? You can’t be serious.”

“He’s very serious.” Atharost confirmed with a nod and a sadistic grin. “Makes it fun for the rest of us minions though.”

Trey sighed as he watched his broken demoness slather his hand with her tongue, then glanced up to Yastiel who was obviously judging the girl. “I bought her off a cult who’d turned her into a thrall. She was actually a lot older than she looks to be now, but a lot of things have changed since then. Believe it or not, she’s gone from being a cook to being a rather valuable fighter.”

“I still cook!” Piggy squealed as she abruptly stopped licking his hand. “I almost forgot! I was able to get some new recipes from Alkir as a gift for my servitude and have a couple batches of different stuff for you to try! There’s ‘Mortal Sin Pudding’, which I created from ripping apart the souls of your enemies and mixing it in with fat from their abdomens and garlic – it can improve your infernal arts for a short time. There’s also ‘The Essence of the Virgin’, which is a type of wine made after killing a virgin and utilizing pieces of him to mix with the alcohol. It’s like a euphoric drug actually… but it can also improve your luck stat by over 100 depending on how much you drink!”

Piggy leapt up off the ground, pressing her breasts against his shoulder, smiling and giggling like a maniac. “Come on! We can try that second one together in your tent…”

Trey caught Nothel staring at him from where she was grouped up with Osi and Rusoe. The three vampires looked out of place amidst the rest of the group, and Nothel gave him a forced smile before glancing back down to the ground as she listened to Rusoe’s chatter about trying to fly with her new wings.

Piggy pointed over at Nothel after catching his glance, and she began tugging him over to the other girls. “Don’t worry! Let’s go talk to her and bring her along!”

Trey nodded again. “Yeah, probably a good idea. I think Nothel is a little uncomfortable with everything going on here, so maybe if you two got to know one another better she’d feel happier about having made another friend.”

From behind where Yastiel and Atharost watched the two of them go, Atharost called out with hands cupped around his mouth to emphasize the yelling: “By the way! Ikt requested that he try to infiltrate the enemy castle. Is that alright!?”

“Who’s that again!?”

“The shadow fiend Alkir sent to help us out!”

Trey just gave a thumbs up, not bothering to look back. “Sounds good! Let me know what he finds!”