In a huge cave, a large group of people seemed to be having an event. Half-naked dancers spun through shallow pools of dark liquid that glistened like blood under the firelight. Laughter, drunken cheers, and animalistic groans echoed through the cavern. At the centre of all this chaos stood seven large tents. A small hooded boy ran through this crowd. He bumped into people making love, drinking and indulging in the most grotesque things. The boy finally made his way into one of the tents. As the boy entered he took off his hood to show his red hair and a small pair of horns on his forehead.
The scene before the boy was a large bed. On the bed about seven beautiful women encompassed a single man. Hearing the boy enter the man sat up. He had long black hair, white pale skin and black soulless eyes, his beauty spoke volumes. He had a pair of ram horns that protruded from the sides of his head.
"What have you come for boy." the man said, clearly hinting the boy was disturbing something. The boy immediately bowed.
"Lord Asmodeus. I just got word from one of our vassals that the stone containing Lady Lilith has been broken and her magic disappeared from the area." the boy reported.
"Is that so?" Asmodeus replied as women draped themselves over him, clinging to his arms and shoulders like ornaments. This scene made the boy uneasy and the boy looked down in response.
"In any manner, good work boy. You are dismissed." Asmodeus said as he got up and left the bed, totally naked. The boy immediately left.
"Come back." one of the women insisted.
"You know I would love to but Lucifer would have my head, if that bastard Satan did not want it first." Asmodeus replied as he got dressed in a silk robe. The man walked towards the door as he stopped and said to his women.
"Keep each other warm and ready till I return." the women giggled and began indulging in each other in response.
Asmodeus left his tent and entered the tent in the centre of the other tents, it was far larger than all others. As he entered he saw two men seated at the middle, well it seemed like one man and a creature of nightmares.
"Look who decided to visit us, Asmodeus, you done with your whoring." the creature remarked.
"Oh please Satan. We both know I would come to see your ugly mug unless I have to. Lilith's stone has been broken and she has escaped." Asmodeus stated. The man rose slowly. When his eyes met Asmodeus's, the entire tent seemed to grow quieter. The man did not raise his voice—but he never needed to.
"How sure are you of this development." the man asked.
"Well Lucifer, I looked after that damned stone for three hundred years, pretty sure I'd know if it is broken or not." Asmodeus replied.
"Very well. We will plan when all seven of us are here call a mee..." Lucifer was interrupted by his door pushed aside as a boy who looked not older than fourteen entered. His hair was jet black and he had a small stature, he carried a large bottle of rum.
"Why are you lot so glum, have a sip of rum. Why the long faces? We're the Seven Princes of Hell. Surely this calls for a drink. Lu? Won't you indulge." the boy spoke, his voice loud and he spoke clearly relaxed.
"Beelzebub. We might have big problems on our horizon. Seems she might be back for blood." Lucifer said in a firm voice.
Elliot's blade cut violently through the empty air. He twisted, ducked, and countered invisible strikes as if surrounded by enemies only he could see. In the boy's mind Lilith was also lost deep in thought.
'From what I remember, my body was sealed as well so it makes no sense I needed to tether my magic to Elliot after being released unless. My body has been fully destroyed. Those bastards… if my body is truly gone, then I will have to rebuild it from nothing.' Lilith thought. As Elliot continued his training, the mouth on his neck sprouted out again.
"Boy, we will need to venture." Lilith spoke, Elliot stopped his training.
"Venture? To where?" Elliot asked, a bit confused.
"We must travel to the Eternal Spring, in Tarth." Lilith answered.
"Tarth? That is along the border of Europe and Asia, isn't that area under The Zarim people." Elliot said with unease.
"Exactly, so Elliot. I am giving you a month to grow drastically in power. Those people have far more exorcists than the Vatican nation and they fully focus on my race's extinction so if you even give off a whiff of demonic energy, we'll be in trouble. A month boy, we will leave in a month." Lilith said as the mouth disappeared.
Elliot held his dagger tighter as he began to swing it faster and faster, his body began using magic enhancement again, subconsciously.
'This boy may be more special than I think.' Lilith thought as she observed Elliot.
"To elevate your training how about I give you an opponent?" Lilith asked Elliot. Elliot stopped as he was intrigued.
"Okay, let's see what you can put me up against." Elliot said excitedly. A dark red aura leaked out of the boy as it began to converge in front of him. The aura formed a red cloud about the size of a person, roughly five feet eight inches. The cloud began to morph and change into a person, into a man holding a sword. He had no features, just a silhouette. In response Elliot took a defensive stance.
"Use magic enhancement to defeat my puppet." Lilith instructed Elliot.
The puppet moved first. It dashed forward and thrust its blade three times—shoulder, abdomen, thigh. Elliot was surprised but managed to dodge every attack except for the one going for his leg which simply grazed his leg, causing a shallow wound. Elliot jumped back three paces to create space between him and the puppet. The puppet simply raised its sword and waited, the boy in response began using more of his magic to enhance himself to roughly three times the speed and strength he had. Elliot dashed towards the puppet, he went in low and went for a slash up, targeting the puppet's chest region. In response the puppet tried to move back but it was too slow and Elliot slashed its torso. As the boy's blade was lodged in the puppet's torso, the puppet switched its grip to a reverse grip and drove and drove its sword into the area just under Elliot's ribs. A quarter of the sword entered Elliot's body as he began vomiting up blood.
The boy then grabbed the sword, stopping its motion. The boy then began screaming as he used all the magic he had to further enhance his strength and durability. The puppet tried to pull away but Elliot let go of his dagger and grabbed it by the back of its head, holding it in place. Demonic energy began seeping into the magic enhancing Elliot, this caused the huge, gaping mouth on his chest to reappear. The mouth opened wide and the boy used the demon energy available to him to charge up a blast. When he fired the blast, it disintegrated the puppet and destroyed the fifteen meters behind the puppet. Elliot stood there breathing heavily as the wound on his abdomen closed and the mouth on his chest began closing.
"What was that?!" Lilith said, clearly unimpressed.
"I don't know. I just used magic enhancement and that last part just felt right. It was instinct." Elliot answered.
"Look I do not disagree with you using power at your disposal fundamentally but you relying on this kind of power will get us killed in Tarth. If you're going to use demonic energy at least convert it into your own. That is enough for today. I will teach you spells, magic enhancement will get you discovered." Lilith said as Elliot sat down.
At the cathedral, silence swept through the halls. The cathedral courtyard was filled with armored carriages bearing the crests of the Pope's Order and the Knights Templar. In the main hall, Father Cranel stood atop on his stage at his podium, his face as gentle and composed as ever. Several figures stood at the first row of chairs. Sir Johnathan, his son and now royal squire Raymond and a few other high ranking Knights of the Templar. Two Priests under the Pope and a nun accompanying them, lastly between the two groups stood Jeremiah, the young lad was dressed in a long white robe.
"Why have we been summoned here." Sir Johnathan, his voice rather hostile.
"Restrain yourself Johnathan, you don't want to embarrass yourself before these two distinguished men." Father Cranel commented rather cheekily.
"It is Sir Bold to you peasant." Johnathan snapped back. Cranel simply chuckled a bit in response.
"You two have restraint. Your in the presence of High Priests, Father Josser and Father Jaqen." the nun interrupted the two bickering. Father Josser was man with a rather large, being six foot nine with muscles. Father Jaqen was small in stature but his distinguishing feature was his pale white eyes as he was blind.
"You've always been an interesting man Cranel." Jaqen said.
"And I've never appreciated your interest Jaqen." Cranel replied playfully.
"You two be serious. We have summon you two parties as demon energy has been discovered in this region. Both parties will search thoroughly and eliminate any unholy forces." Josser said, his voice loud and firm.
"Why do we have to do exorcist work." Johnathan asked.
"Well the government funds you guys for actual good reason, now be good dogs and do as your told." Jaqen replied. Jaqen and Johnathan continued to bicker back and forth until they were interrupted by a voice that broke through, in the middle of their argument.
"I'll handle the investigation. Alone." Jeremiah said as silence befell the room after he spoke. His voice wasn't even raised just calm, paired with the conviction in his eyes and stoic expression on his face. Jeremiah, in this moment, truly resembled his teacher Cranel. Jaqen simply turned and faced Jeremiah's direction, intrigued by this boy. Cranel hearing his student and seeing Jeremiah's expression could not help himself, he was grinning ear to ear. Father Josser also turned to see the boy who spoke, surprised by the child's courage. Johnathan simply stared at Jeremiah with anger and disgust.
"Boy. Are you saying you can handle such a task on your own." Josser replied.
"Father. With all due respect, it is not a question of my ability to perform this task but a question of will I adhere to my sworn duty. If these men are lackluster in that regard, let me do it myself. After all, there is no place for those who do not trust their own might and their God in holy war." Jeremiah said confidently. As the boy spoke, he stared in front of him, not even looking at the high ranking men by his sides.
"Very well. Cranel, this will be your boy's assignment. You all are dismissed." Josser said.
Jeremiah bowed his head in respect to everyone and turned to leave. As the boy walked out everyone was stuck in place. Raymond stared on in rage as Jeremiah opened the door and left.
'Impressive my boy.' Cranel thought.
'That horrid child.' Johnathan thought.
'Intriguing, that child is very impressive. What monster do you shelter Cranel.' Jaqen thought.
'Another one, we have our hands full with one superficial bastard with a God's soldier complex. I truly hope that child will not be like him.' Josser thought as he looked at Cranel who was still grinning.