Shadow of the Abyss

Beside the cauldron blistering with an intse flame, the Young Nephilim lay kicking her feet against the loose snow, twirling the few red strands of scarlet hair trailing down her cheek. It had be a few hours since Altair had left, and everything had be prepped. All that was missing was the boy himself.

Ria grumbled, bored, finding little motivation to read today like she did most days. "Wh is he returning?" she asked, hopeful he'd appear behind her answering. She popped her head up towards the cauldron and frowned. Mana quickly surged through her pupils, allowing her to perceive Heavs and Earth mana. She glanced down at the Mistywood blistering a cold heat due to its Yin base elemt.

A noise approached, alerting her to the boy's presce as she turned to him. " Your back…" She tilted her head, glancing down at the cold corpse being dragged by the ankle. "And who's he?"

"Bait," Altair answered in a plain tone. He tossed Jay's remains beath her feet. "It's a little cold, but food is food, right?"

Reina hesitantly nodded, unsure how she felt putting filthy humans into her cauldron. She looked back at Altair, to his red eye brimming with a dark profundity. "What took you so long? It's be Twelve Hours."

The boy approached the fire, finding a seat over the snow. "I was laying traps." He glanced back at her with a mischievous grin. " Were you worried?"

The young pup snorted. " Of course not. I was just…"

"Worried?" He chuckled. "I found a cave… one that was warm. After we kill the Chimera, let's check it out."

Ria's wolf-like ears perked as she lifted her eye to him. " Warm, you say?" She inched closer to him, leaning her head against his cheek as she'd done every time the icy winds st a chill down her spine, prickling her flesh with its embrace. "How warm?"

"Warm ough to melt the ice." He answered, unbothered by her silly antics. "How is the… What was it again?"

"Ironia's Ale," Reina said, pulling away a shimmer in her eye. "Fun fact—"

"Where making… Ale?" The Prince hesitantly questioned, eyeing the young Nephilim with a peculiar look. He reached into his pouch to some jerky and ripped into it.

[Divine God, 'Debaucherous Wine,' ears begin to perk.]

"Of course. Did you think it was a pill or a balm?"

"Well, yeah." The boy said, growing tired of munching jerky for the last few months. "You said we were making a Balm of Vigor."

"Did I?" She couldn't remember. "Well. I guess I was right and wrong." She shot a side glance to the cauldron. "I neglected to account for the change in weather. There is too much Yin beath the moon. The componts will not be reduced.

So now we have a frothy drink instead. Although, I have no idea how it'll taste. I've never made wine. Either way, we got this instead, and the effects are the same."

"I miss steak… and Bread." He mtioned having be reminded of his time outside the Serpts Outreach. He reached back into his pouch to a handful of jerky tough as hide. He took a huge bite, grimacing. " Well, at least we'll be able to drink something besides water. Thank the Gods for that."

The Nephilim pursed her lips. " Father used to make a delicious potato soup with flakes of crispy bread and spicy smoked sausage." She said. "I can't wait to make it myself one day."

"Ever had pizza?"

"Pizza?" Reina said, with the ever so tilting of her head.

Altair grinned, oping his palm as to mirror the size of the dish: "It's a large circle of dough topped with tomato sauce, drizzled with olive oil, basil leaves, and mozzarella cheese baked on the fire till cooked. It's one of the best."

Reina sat beside him, leaning her shoulder against his to steal warmth. She never knew how he could always stay warm: No matter how cold it was outside, Altair's flesh was as warm as a bath she desperately craved.

"Is pizza your favorite?"

"No… Pancakes from… Mother is." He answered slowly. He took another bite of the jerky as a sliver of ice trailed his pupils.

"You think she'll like me ough to make—"

"Of course she will!" Altair hastily said. "Mother always said our guests will always leave with their bellies full and their hearts… warmed by kindness. " He forced a smile to hold back the tears. "Yeah… Thats…"

The young girl leaned her head ev closer against his shoulder. She said nothing of his whimpers that began to leak. She knew his pain all too well. So much so it made her heart tight and her vision blurred.

"I'm… Sorry."

"Don't be…"

"But…"

"It's fine… believe me." She muttered, sniffling to herself. She peeked her head up to his teary face and gave his cheek a lick.

"Ria!" Altair jerked up. "Big Sis, and I told you not to do that!"

"Hehe, ya can't stop Ria!" she joked, unsure why she felt better.

Altair's cheeks expanded like a balloon. He snorted. "Is it done?"

Reina glanced at the cauldron, to the mana brimming from its exterior. "Yeah. It is. Although, you never said wh we'll fight the Chimera?"

"Tonight. The beast is terrifyingly strong. So we'll need to tire it out. Both Mtally and Physically." He said, trying to grasp how powerful the Chimera truly was. It was one thing to see its stats, but grasping the level it was on was another story. "The Hunt should take about twty-four Hours."

"Holy shit…" Reina swore, nearly tripping over. "Looks like I was right to prepare some poisons and recovery balms." She handed him a few veils Altair accepted without hesitation as they both glanced at the icy remains of Jay.

"Once we consume your concoction, the hunt will—" Pausing, Altair snapped to the sight of the pillar of smoke reaching the heavs.

"Alt… isn't that in the direction of—"

"The base," Altair coldly said. "Yeah…"

"How'd it catch fire in this weather," Reina questioned, scrunching her brow.

The Prince thought for a momt. "I suspect the local slavers might have done it."

Ria glanced at him. " You don't sound convinced."

"Or it could have be done by another group that tered the dungeon," Altair said, grimacing. " This dungeon evolved. Wh that happs, it's customary to sd in a team to explore." He added, narrowing his gaze towards the black smoke. "I suspect those Aros bastards have another mission aside from exploration in mind."

"They're here to take you back," Ria stated, and Altair nodded.

"Yeah. Although I don't plan on returning to House Aros." The Prince said. " After I'm done here… I'm going directly into the military to escape this family's hold. I'm hoping they'll station me off-world."

[Divine Sin, 'Piercing Owl' nods at your wisdom but warns of telling others your plan.]

Altair grinned. And looked towards the skies as if to stare into the eyes of the gods.  "This tire family… I'll wipe them out one day. From the weeds to the elderly. None of them deserve to live."

[Divine Sin, 'Archeon' bellows at your cruelty and wonders what brought this change.]

[Divine Being 'She Who Hunts' approves of your resolve]

The Prince chuckled, masking the blazing inferno of killing intt behind his smile. His scarlet eyes twinkled with profundity as he glanced at Reina, who approached the cauldron, oping the lid. She grinned as a wisp of sweet liquid traced her nose.

"Shall we get drunk?"

[Divine Being, 'Debaucherous Wine,' peeps at Reina's concoction with greed.]

[Divine Being, 'Debaucherous Wine,' approves]

[Divine Being, 'Debaucherous Wine,' yearns for a cup!]

The young Nephilm giggled: " Ev the Gods want a sip! But it's Reina's! Mine!"

[Divine Being, 'Debaucherous Wine,' is wounded by your greed. But approves!]

Reaching into her backpack, Reina pulled out two cups and scooped up two cups of frothy ale that smelt of apple, barely, and cinnamon. She handed a cup to Altair.

"To Hunting the Chimera!" They cheered, seeming unaware of a new tradition they created for themselves.

[Ding]

[Ironia's Ale Concsumed]

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