Chapter 47: 1-45: Names

The seconds drained way like water swirling down the drain. I had lost track of time a while back and the snow I tracked in had melted and dried by now. I was bored. I was lonely. I was worried.

I know, calm down. You have no idea how long this would take if this guy was able to do it, but I raise you the fact that I was pretty sure I was being treated as suspicious and the fact Panju reacted when I said Hayli's name. 

I picked at the buttons on the cushion of my seat, trying to keep my head clear. Okay, let's say this is a trap or something, what could I do? Hope they use magic? Punt Panju? Pretend to die? But Hayli would still be in trouble. 

“H— T—r-.”

I blinked looking around.

“Hello?”

“N-t o——— in you- h—d.”

“Panju? Hayli? Person who owns this house?”

“Ter—, yo— an- Ha—- are in ———-.”

Weird. It stopped after that and everything returned to silence.

I slumped further down after that and was begging to doze off when the door opened, and Panju returned.

"Human. My master commands you be brought to him."

"Is Hayli, okay?"

"Her mind is free of any corruption, human."

"Good. So... does your master have a way to perhaps get back South. Like real south?

"You should ask such things to him." Xer replied.

I followed Panju down the hall, taking note of how sparse the decor really was. Seriously, it was only adding to the creepy factor the place had. I really hoped this master was just too busy to add a painting or a potted plant. Soon we reached a door with a S carved into it in some fancy script. Panju knocked and a richly deep voice answered, "Bring the human in."

Panju pulled open the door with a small handle lower down on it and pushed me inside. A large man was sitting in a room lit by a large chandelier on the ceiling. He was around six feet tall and muscular in the way statues of Heroes from the classical eras often were. A pair of horns went from hair line and went back in a sort of ζ shape turned to its side. Short, cropped blonde hair hid beneath a wool cap. Scales covered his face and body, shining like rainbows in the light. A large and thick tail's tip could just be seen behind him.

Beside him was Hayli who seemed to be talking to him. I nearly started to run to her, but stopped as she turned and looked at me, said, "Father, do you have business with this… human?"

"Yes, my little scaley princess, daddy does."

"Ugh, father, please."

"Oh, come on. I can't praise my daughter?"

"Not when it embarrasses me."

"It’s just a human and myself in here. Now, where was I? Yes. Human- are you crying?"

I wiped my eyes, feeling the tears that had welled up. "N-no."

"I haven't even threatened you yet."

"Threaten me? Why?"

"A human arrives to my home, with my daughter, who had become controlled by Rune Magic, and asks for them to be removed? Either you placed the control on her yourself or you knew that the removal would take away some of her memory and wanted to use that to control her yourself."

I blinked, mouth open, "Are you fucking insane?"

"Which is it human?"

"Ask Hayli. She can vouch for me."

"I just said she- dear, can you vouch for this woman?"

Hayli looked at me, "I don't know her though? She looks like every human to me.”

"Hayli? Come on. It's me."

"I'm sorry, I think you're thinking of someone else. But father says you did bring me here, so thanks for that. As such there will be no suffering."

"Do not thank the human. She was trying to use you, daughter.”

"What did you do to Hayli."

"I removed the runes that was controlling her. I am not that practiced, so I had to reset her mind to about a year ago. So whatever manipulations you used on her are gone, human.”

"What." I felt my heart hurt a twinge. "Give them back to her."

"I cannot. I will not. You will not use whatever you did to her to convince her.”

"Give them back to her."

"Why? For whom? You, or her?"

"What are you- no, I don't care. Move aside and let me have her back."

"No. Not like she would go with you, right princess?"

"What did I say father? And... no. I mean I may be rash as Sairah says, but even I would find it hard to go with a human while the cycle is going on. Even if it would get me away from you.”

I gave an expression that I was sure would be funny if I saw it in response to that absolutely insane statement from Hayli.

"Well, now human. You can tell me what you planned to do with my daughter, or I can get them when I send your head back to that bastard King and bitch Bianca."

"I was trying to get her back to normal!"

"I see you aren't willing to admit the truth. Fine." He stood up, breaking off the arm of the chair he was standing on. I watched as it morphed into a halberd. Like with a metal blade halberd. What the fuck kind of magic was that. Eh. Not like it would matter.

He charged and swung it at me. I sidestepped and brought out the orb, this time when it touched the halberd as he swung again I felt something get absorbed but the hilt remained a hilt as it lay in my hand. I could feel something in it though. 

The man looked down at me, "Impressive, human. I don’t know many who would block me instead of dodging. But, only a fool holds on.” 

The halberd shimmered and I felt a shato pain as it morphed into a large saw like they use for cutting the largest trees. The teeth sunk into my hand and I let go out of instinct. “What the fuck are you attacking me for anyways?”

“You are a human, I am both demon and humon. There is a Cycle on no? And I know that the only people besides me who would have runes would be that bitch Bianca from her accursed partner. So, a human showing up on my doorstep with my daughter hypnotized by runes must be a ruse by her.”

“That doesn’t even make sense. Why would she send someone to remove the runes.”

“Because the memories she had, were keeping her not as obedient as you wanted.”

“I’m telling you that’s not the case.”

“And I only hear the words of a liar. Hayli.”

“Yeah.”  

Suddenly a burst of water shot at me from behind before I had time to react. It engulfed everything below my neck. As I was about to try and use DS on it, the apparent father of my now amnesiac girlfriend moved forward and touched the water with the halberd. Both shimmered and I found myself slammed to the floor, iron shackles on my feet and hands and my neck bent so I had to look at him.

“One last chance. Tell me. What is your purpose?”

“I just wanted Hayli back.”

“And I gave her back. It was stupid to have let her go be a Hero in the first place.”

“Give her memories back.”

“Oh, my deities, are your still on that? Well, I need to fix the hole. So, when I help her free the others, I felt connected to the same central Rune, I will. But it will be one without you in it.”

“Why?

“I can only imagine what lies a Shield would tell the Princess of Demons.”

I blinked. “How did you know that?”

“I am not stupid. I can see the blood pact she made with her. So, I can assume you were there with her. Controlling her. And besides, they’d not risk a Hero for this.”

“You can give her memories back?”

“I can use a spell to force her memories back in place, but I need something to be gone to do it. So why not you. Why not use it so they and anyone connected to you forget you.”

“Will you fucking listen to me! I am not her enemy, I’m her g-“

Hayli kicked me in the side causing me to writhe in pain. “Human, I’d rather you shut up, so my father doesn’t lose his cool and kill you and break his pact.”

“Ah, yes. Apologies my dear princess wrincess. Now. Shall we get going.” He pulled out a stone covered in strange symbols. “I think I need to be more active now, if the humans are this brave. And Honi will be glad to have her daughter back and safe. Now, farewell, A-.”

Hayli grabbed his arm before he could finish, and the stone flowed then in a flash, both were gone before I could even get another word out.

What the fuck.

What the fucking fuck.

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I felt a mix between confusion, despair, sadness and rage well up inside me. I struggled against the shackles, still unable to move.

“I tried to warn you.”

“Dione?”

“Oh, now you recognize my voice?”

My eyes lit up, “Is- is this just a dream, because it feels like a nightmare.”

“Sadly, no. Thankfully you didn’t die, which would have been way worse but… well, that idiots still going to cause issues.”

“That idiot?”

“Swyr.”

I blinked, “That was a Demon Lord?”

“Yes.”

“Wait, hold on how do you know this?”

“I am unsure. The words come to me. But, I feel as if we- us- have walked a path like this before. Or I have at least.”

“You? Do you know what you are now.”

“I believe so. But my apologies, I wish to keep that to myself for now. Now, my ability to stay here will your conscious is not much. So please hurry any other questions.”

“That’s fine. Would you any advice on how to get out of these?”

“What about that magic you took from the halberd?”

Right. I opened DS up again and let whatever it was out and let it hit the floor. The wood shimmered and in that flux I jumped up the shackles having nothing solid to hold on to. Then the wood returned to what seemed like normal until I noticed each one had the same pattern on them. Odd. I tried to thank Dione, but she wasn’t responding. Now what to do? No seriously what to do. I should reasonably try and chase Swyr before he did whatever the fuck he was planing but that clearly wasn’t a possibility. But just getting out of the mountains by myself seemed like a lot as well.

I really kind of sort of possibly wished Azrael was using me as a footstool or something right now instead of this mess. (Dione is saying things about this in my head but I refuse to write them down.) But for now… eh, I could take advantage of this mansion and use it to rest up until I could think of something.

I stood up and stumbled to the door, legs very much asleep. I struggled to get the door open and nearly stumbled walking out of the room. Panju was dusting as I exited turning to me with an inquisitive look.

“Well, you aren’t dead.”

“I am very pissed though.”

“And my master?”

“Left with my girlfriend.”

“I see. Well. I should probably not let you stay but it would be easier to keep care of the place with human height hands. So, would you care to eat the dinner I had prepared for the master with me?”

“Of course. You don’t mind if your payment is tales of every embarrassing mistake which I saw Pinja make when I was younger?”

Panju laughed, a shrill sound that shook their body, “Sure, Human.”

“It’s Terra.” I said following her to eat. I would eat that bastard out of food.

I feasted like a starving animal upon the meal, ravenously devouring the meat down to the bone. After telling about the time Pinja got xerself stuck down a well because someone had placed an address on it, I decided to ask about Swyr.

“So… weird place for a house.”

“Yes. Master had it moved here himself.”

“Why?”

“This place, it had runes that described something that interested him.”

“So, how does the Demon Lord end up in a cave house?”

“Oh, that. Well, he’s not one for talking about himself, but I think his rise to Lord was something that he didn’t want- that his Cycle had something that went wrong.”

“What, that he lost?”

“No, no. Something more personal. Something that involved things beyond that. Something that he believes is related to the Prophecy of the Heroes this Cycle.”

I thanked xer for the meal and stood up to look for a bedroom. After ten doors that lead to rooms without a bed, and often bare of furniture in general I came upon one with a single twin bed and a sheet on top of it. Good enough. I disrobed and slipped under the sheets, closing my eyes and praying that this was still a dream after all.

(Ourana moved her fingers up and down my bare body as we laid in bed together. “Gaia. The choir has been murmuring about the Queen’s meetings with those beings.”

“So?”

“They involve you.”

“I work for her, why would they not.”

Ourana shook her head, her blonde-white hair rustling into her eyes as she did so. “Gaia, you do more than work for her. And besides, if it was just you, I wouldn’t be concerned but those two as well.”

“It’s nothing to worry about, Oura.”

“I always worry when it comes to that woman and you.”

“Yes. Now are you done talking or do you not want to go for another round?”

Ourana nodded and crawled on top of me, “Fine, but in the morning, we will continue this conversation.”

“Of course, dear.” I smiled at her as she bent down and started to bite my neck.)

(Fredericka pulled me aside into one of the many unused rooms, "Terra, come here."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I can't talk to my friend?"

"Friend?"

"Sure, whatever. Now, tell me, do the sisters give off vibes to you? Like bad vibes?"

"Is this because Vern has a crush on Layla."

"No! Just tell me, don't they give you weird vibes or not?"

I shrugged, "I don't know what normal vibes are."

"Just, do they seem off?"

"I mean Ophelia is a bit creepy, and I don't care much for church types like Layla. But nothing worth dragging me into a room over."

"First, you're dating a church type- like a literal priestess. Second, yeah. That's a baseline. I meant mostly Ophelia. Last night I heard her chanting in Demon Tongue in the woods."

"How do you know it was Demon Tongue?"

"It sounded like this:" Fredericka thus began to produce unintelligible sounds that are both unwritable and offensive.

"Wow. I am going to leave."

"Wait, Terra, come back!" Fredericka said as I left her alone.)

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling odd. I stumbled around the halls, not really sure where I was trying to get to. Eventually, I reached a library with a desk covered in open tomes and loose paper. I walked over to it and looked at it. It was mostly about some myths and stuff. That didn’t matter to me. What did matter to me was the copy of the prophecy letter he had opened on it.

I picked it up and read and re-read it. Again. Again. Everything else was the same save for the one thing most important to me, my name. There was no last name anymore, and in place was just my deadname, sad and alone.

I blinked. Was this an older copy? I rustled around my pockets, pulling out my own copy. I read it. It was the same.

Okay, what the fuck. “What the hell!” I yelled.

The door slammed open and Panju came in holding a knife, “Who are you?” Xe said swinging it wildly at me.

“It’s me, Terra? The human Swyr decided to leave here?”

“I don’t know any Terra. But… I do recall a human… odd.”

“I told you my name last night?”

“No, no. That I do not recall. I also don’t recall the human being male. Odd.”

“Yeah, a lot odd is going on.” I said standing up. Okay. Whatever he did, I needed to fix. I could vaguely remember his ranting. “Say, Panju where does your Master teleport away?”

“Oh, the Rune Transport Stones? Down the hall second door to the left.”

“Thanks!” I said rushing out the library.

I ran to the door she said and opened it, finding shelves upon shelves of those stones. I picked one up and looked at it trying to figure how to activate it. As I was rubbing it a glow started to emit from it and then in a flash I was engulfed and vanished.

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