Shadow of the Abyss

They found Laros still within the medical wings south of the Village, with a thick set of lining parchment around his neck, where Olivia drove a dagger through. Apparently, after being mounted and road for months, Olivia finally snapped, and in a blind frenzy, she'd found a dagger and stabbed him eighty-seven times before she came running out into town dressed in the blood of Laros, screaming.

"Yes…" said the witch doctor, looking down at the notes she made. "We managed to save him, but he's lost half functionality in his right leg; he's also lost… his penis and one testicle. The last time he woke up was six months ago when we broke the news to him. Aside from that, he's healthy."

"Lady, my man here only got a testicle. Ain't nothing healthy about that." Altair assured her, blown away by his luck. He figured Olivia would snap one day. He just didn't think it would be so soon.

"He's got his life," said Venise, taking her leave to tend to her other patience. Her medical wing was practically filled with people filling all the bedding and floors. There was. Barely anywhere to walk without tripping, but it was all the people could do until they built another ward.

"You ought to help them," said Ren, looking down at the moaning men, woman, and children. There hadn't been any older people. Those that could fight were used as bait to goat the demons away from the Village.

Altair looked at Ren's suspicion. No way in hell she'd say that out of the kindness of her heart, "This is a perfect opportunity for you." She continued. " If we can have people full of villagers, all you have to do is send them off to the Serpents Outreach. And boom! We can start Kingdom Building. You give them a place to live, and they, in turn, mine for us.

Their reward, well, they get out of this hellhole."

"And we get denizens," Altair felt a bolt shoot across his mind. He began hopping so excited he planted one on Ren and whirled to look at the new denizens with a happy grin. "Mine… You're all be mine." He laughed, hopping about with a skip in his step.

Ren giggled to herself, having never seen him so happy. He was like a child.

For nearly an hour, Altair stood shivering with excitement, running to the center of the Village, ready to finally use [Dimensional Rift] after obtaining it nearly two years ago. He lifted his palm, channeling Mana through meridians. When he suddenly winced in pain, stopping himself.

"What's wrong?"

Altair massaged his wrist, where a numbing sensation slithered up his fingers. "It's still a little much," he said, a little disappointed in himself. "I'll try next week. Maybe then my meridians will fully recover. But right now, casting [Dimensional Rift] is still a little too much for me."

"Oh, cheer up, Art," said Ren, patting his shoulder. "While we wait, we can gather some material. If we do this right, we'll have a safe place to relax away from these demons or even escape if things get too difficult."

"When did you get so smart?" He asked, and Ren gave a triumphant smile, posing as though she were some mythical hero from ages past.

"Art gave Ren his special sauce and—" He covered her mouth, regretting even asking, only to feel her little tongue wiggling through the gaps of his fingers. When he pulled his hands away, webs of saliva followed, exposing her lewd expression.

Altair gulped, unsure who was being teased now. "I—"

"Altair? Reina?" Came the sudden feeble cry of Nia, shaken to her core as she staggered forward, dropping her spear. She lunged towards them, wrapping her arms over their shoulders, and let out a cry that shook the dirt.

The heartless duo looked at each other, starstruck. 'Were we ever this close to Nia?' They wondered. Still, Altair had the grace to pat the little girl's back while Ren slithered out of her grip, instantly regretting as Nia clung to Altair alone.

'How many do I have to kill to keep these bitches away?' thought Ren, brooding, crossing her arms over her ample bosom. She eyed Nia, surveying her slender figure that clung dangerously close to her Prince.

"Did Talia and Aurora survive? What about Kirr and Jorm? They suddenly disappeared a year and a half ago. Zag said, they went to find you, but we thought they died. After all, he said we were going to find you. So it made little sense that they suddenly decided to separate from us," said Nia so quickly that Altair found it increasingly harder to understand what she was saying. "Are you harmed?

Did you just arrive? What happened."

"Easy… Girl." Alyssa said, prying her away like a dangling cat. She'd seen that glow in Reina's eye before. It had been the same one she held when she destroyed her party… that had felt so long ago, now.

"How are you, master?" She asked, lowering her head.

Ren was suddenly smiling, eying the Amazon. "I'm quite alright. Little stiff. How's life in this… Hell?"

Alyssa had found it a bit hard to answer. Hell was a word often thrown around. But after coming to Yarwin, she understood what 'Hell' truly meant. Amazon lived for battle, but even she felt empty from the constant war. There had been no honor in this war, only survival and suffering. All her sisters were dead now.

All those she'd fought beside were dead. There was only Nia and Olivia now.

"Hell," was all she could say.

Reina patted her shoulder. "Hold your chin up, Alyssa." She said, her bold smile gleaming with a particular confidence and charm that wasn't there before. " We're here now. And I don't plan on turning fifteen in this godless land."

"No way this is Ren… that silly girl… is actually a good leader. Holy shit.' Altair thought more taken back than before. He wondered exactly how much Ren inherited from him that day. Surely, it wasn't just his attributes and physique, right?

He studied her for a bit and glanced down at Nia, staring up at him like a lost cat. He was sure they'd seen the system message, but he couldn't sense any killing intent. None whatsoever.

Perhaps their despair isn't so deep yet.'

He glanced around, spying Olivia, watched him blankly, and beckoned her forward.

Talia would have been proud to see how dead her eyes had become. Altair felt that it wasn't a human that was standing in front of him but rather a puppet. One whose will died with the constant battles, the constant death, and the constant abuse.

"You look terrible. I'd have thought after getting revenge on Laros you'd feel better… but the abuse is still there, isn't it."—Olivia just looked at him cold as stone—" Well, at least you're alive. Right? The future is what you make it."

"..."

Inviting the trio to his little secluded cottage, Altair was a bit surprised to learn not many survived the trip from Farwin to this Nameless Village. Demons had attacked practically every day, and Zagreus had been too lazy to care for anyone aside from Nia and Alyssa, who were deemed 'valuable.' The rest were merely collateral. Those who survived were later killed defending the Village.

"And there's still no word from Fat Mike or Amilia."

"... none. Commander Iliana killed the last traveler who came by to help. No one knows why. She just severed his head and kicked it to the demons," said Nia, looking at the clear tankard water. She'd nearly forgotten what clear water looked like.

The Black Rain had tainted the Well within the Village. Killing dozens by the day. Yet… they could not do without water.

Both Alyssa, Nia, and Olivia stared at the water and then Altair curiously. Though, Altair could give no answers.

For the next few days, while Reina and Altair silently recovered, focusing on the meditation of the Eighth and Ninth Form, the Village faced an odd time of peace as, for the first time since the Hell Tide had begun, they'd face no demon. It was as if a guardian angel had descended on their nameless Village, warding them from evil.

All was peaceful until a curious gleam of light splintered off within the center of town, pulling the more curious men and women from out of their homes to a swirling mass of energy hovering off the ground.

Altair grinned. Looking out at the young men and women, battered and beaten from constant war. He sent Reina in first, and when she returned, it had been with 'Ice' and the carcass of a large serpent. She tossed it to the villagers, watching as they tore it to shreds, devouring every ligament, bone, muscle, and scale raw.

They turned, looking at the spiraling portal with hope.

"Swear fealty, and I will allow you into my land, free of these vile demons. Free of their torment. No more will you have to fear for your children's lives. No more will you have to plead with the Heavens. " Altair narrowed his eyes to the blank stares. "You might have to rebuild your homes and work.

But it'll be safe. It'll be secured for the next generation and the generation after that."

"All we ask is that you swear fealty to Lord Altair Blackwood!" Shouted Reina, smiling; she whirled to meet his eyes and bowed eloquently, "The Prince of the Vale."

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