"Enough. I''m not interested in resorting to such deplorable means," Altair said, his voice hard as stone.


    "But your Shadow Demons might be," Tasha countered, her voice dripping with a mix of disdain and curiosity. "Even if you altered their state of being, it doesn''t change the fact they were once Infernal Creatures. Pretty or Ugly, a hole is a hole, isn''t that right, my dear ck Knight?"


    The words of Tasha ran true. Altair knew all too well. It was why he didn''t particrly mind releasing a shadow demon, even if it did slightly weaken his forces. He valued shadows that were not driven by desires like lust.


    Even bounded by the hands of death, he struggled to reign in their natural desire, choosing to send a few shadow demons that craved violence to worlds he could not afford to outright pull his forces out from. At least there on the battlefield, he didn''t have to defend tragedies his Shadow Demons would create.


    Syris hadn''t been pleased about such an arrangement; she still argued about the morality of it all. Still, her words fell on deaf ears as Altair told her, "If you can find or create better recements, then I will be more than willing to dismiss these demons. Until then, they shall conquer in my name."


    "Please… Anything but that…" The ck Knight pleaded in a shaky voice.


    "You say that, but…" Tasha took a whiff. "I can smell your intention. You''re scheming something. Perhaps we ought to kill you now and send your soul to the Nine for whatever Lord or master you serve to find."


    "I second that decision," Therion said. "Better we kill this snake now, then let her have the chance to bite our master."


    Altair found himself in an odd predicament. He could stop this madness. He could simplymand it, yet Tenebrae''s wisdom told him to allow them toe to a decision on their own. He had set the parameters in which they could move. All he needed to do was observe. Observe not just the ck Knight but Tasha and Therion.


    "As an immortal shadow, any of my brothers and sisters will be better bait than this mortal," Therion added. "Master could simply gift any of us the armor after we tear it off this female''s dead body."


    "Interesting. Very interesting. But you''re missing one thing, newborn." Tasha countered, shooting an intriguing smile at Therion. "High-level armor tends to die with the user. That''s why I rmended her as bait."


    Therion did not seem to express anything as he said," Then we ce a few Shadow Demons in her shadow to ensure the result."


    Tasha spun to Altair, " He''s got a strategic mind. I like him."


    "He''s to be my messenger," Altair said, also finding Therion to be a far different case than Kirr ever was. The innocent phase he expected didn''t seem to ur with Therion as it had with Kirr.


    ''Perhaps it''s due to Kirr being human. They are born innocent, while Demons not so much. How interesting.''


    "Please, can we discuss this!" The ck Knight said. The desperation that wasn''t present before was now very much tangible.


    Therion sneered. "My Master tried to engage in negotiations with you. And you spat in his face. Why should we bother listening to bait? What can you offer His Majesty aside from your life?"


    ''You sure you want to make him a messenger?" Tasha whispered beside her master''s ear. ''He''ll make quite the inquisitor. Cambions have a way with men and women. They can be well-received and hated depending on how they feel."


    "An inquisitor? That''s not a bad idea." Altair nodded. "He certainly has the temperament of an inquisitor. Then who will be my messenger? You?"


    Tasha grinned. "You insult me, your grace. Aside from your Sword Maid, my greatest talent is in my ability to advise. Messengers are meant to be thrown away. Sure, they need to be knowledgeable, but you should always be ready for their heads to be returned when you send them to enemy territory."


    Altair folded his arms, thinking. He nced at the various men, women, and children watching him from Ravel''s group. "Let''s take this discussion somewhere else. Bring the knight along."


    ****


    In a far-off suburban area overrun by nature, Altair decided to set up camp while Tashaid down a formation to keep undead and anything or anyone else away. Altair watched, memorizing the formation in case he ever needed to use it. There were still a few days left until he met up with Raven, but that still left Morrigan, whom he had not heard anything about.


    "Tasha…" Altair started. " That Ravel… did you sense something off about him?"


    "Aside from the fact he''s engaging in cannibalism?" Tasha said, smiling. "We''ll he was quite intelligent. The moment he spotted me. I felt he knew I was a Ninth Circle."


    The cannibalism didn''t surprise the Emperor. He''d already suspected that was the case. That wasn''t what bothered him. All the men present who had engaged in cannibalism were simply too gaunt, while Ravel himself appeared normal.


    "You suspect him?"


    "I don''t know…." Altair mused. "What I do know is that I didn''t feelfortable around him. Perhaps it''s because of my sealed state, but I suspect something is going on."


    "Master, if I may be so forward," Therion suddenly said. "How about we send in a shadow under the disguise as a new arrival? We can confirm our suspicions then."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "And who would you rmend? All of my elites are busy running my empire."


    "They needn''t be smart, my Lord. Any humanoid will do." The shadow demon said.


    Altair gave it some thought and allowed him to do as he pleased, giving him full control over this operation he thought to have. Whether it was useful or not would be up to Therion and his performance. Sending him into his shadow, Altair waited for Therion to find an ideal candidate.


    "For a half-born, he''s not half bad; Master will surely have to reward him," Tasha said, creating a small campfire. She nced at the ck Knight thaty paralyzed beside the me. "Perhaps you can give her to him."


    "Therion would rather die than touch her. Let''s see how he performs before I decide anything." Altair decreed. "unbind her."


    Tasha snapped, and the hex she''d ced on her knight shattered like ss. Mobility returned to her limbs as she slowly pulled herself up.


    "Take off your helm," Altairmanded. "I''ll not ask twice."


    The knight did as she was told, pulling off her helm to reveal the heavy rainfall of golden hair falling to her shoulders. Beneath the campfire, her sapphire blue eyes seemed to take on a ruby pigmentation that seemed marred by sorrow. Tears flowed as she bit her bite, trembling for what was toe.


    "Goodness. She''s more pretty than I imagined." Tasha sped, inching closer to the young maiden. She touched her cheek where a scar-shaped tattoo lined the left side of her cheek. But what truly attracted Tasha''s eye were her ears. They were long, like the average human, but shorter than elves.


    Altair thought her a Half-Elf but threw that thought away as soon as he caught a whiff of her blood pulsing through her body. It was something new. Something he''d nevere across.


    "Rx," Tasha teased her. "My Master has already decreed you are not to be touched in that way. How kind of him. If it were up to me, I''d have had you between two minotaur screaming for death." She touched her beautiful golden hair, the coldness in her eye punctuating the air. "How old are you, darling?"


    "Twelve…" she muttered, shivering. "Please… I…"


    "Shhh," Tasha said gently, brushing her cheek so softly that it was odd how her skin ruptured, staining her lovely face a bright red. "What a lovely young girl you are. What''s your name?"


    "Seina. Seina Xen," she whimpered, unable to keep down her terror. "Are…Are…Are you going to kill me?"


    Altair was a bit taken aback by her young age, but none of that mattered to him. The moment Seina stepped into Babels Tower, she voided any sort of protection her innocence warranted.


    Tasha narrowed her eyes, pulling her fingers away. She nced down at them, noting the way her flesh began to bubble and pop as if Seina''s blood was acid. "Master, I believe we''ve found the perfect catch," she said as her fingers began to regenerate. "We caught ourselves a Mkh or at least the spawn of one."


    Through Reina''s lineage, Altair was aware of the Mkh, the Messengers of the Heavens. They were mortals whose lineage had managed to be gifted the feather of an archangel, granting them the properties of an angel.


    "It exins how she has the armor. Mkhs are rare, your grace. So rare, in fact, that if one should appear, we are to report directly to the Prince and King of Hell," Tasha exined. She turned to Altair with a lewd smile. "Of course, I''ll only do so on your orders."


    "She isn''t a first-generation Mkh."


    Tasha shook her head. "I can''t be sure what generation she is in without the proper tools. However, what I do know is that once she awakens, she''ll be dangerous."