Altair had been unable to quantify the number of years he had spent in the darkness. It could have been countless years, cycles, or seconds, for time itself seemed to lose its meaning in the all-epassing darkness.


    Words and thoughts failed him, for they seemed beyond his reach, vanishing off the tip of his tongue like a wisp. And yet he knew where he was. Surrounded by a shadowscape of vast nothingness.


    The Vale.


    For a while, nothing but the lone cry of a raven carried forth the souls of creation; it filled the night like stars in the skies. Vast clusters of Soul mes gathered to form nebs spanning further than the eye could take them.


    The Vale was as endless as the souls filling its depths.


    Thoughtless in his actions, Altair lifted his hand, grasping at the Vale and a soul had appeared in his hand. Perhaps it had simply been his authority over the Vale, or perhaps he was simply lucky, but a voice reached out from the Silvery Soul me.


    "Aldrich of Lothel greets the Vale King." The voice came naturally to the soul, for it knew who held it in its grasp. All the one before him needed to do was sp his hand together, and his right to exist would cease.


    "Vale… King?" Altair found thenguage that had been escaping him. His words were choppy like a newborn learning to speak, yet they carried an ancient authority that held the Night within its reins.


    "I am… Altair… Snow…"


    Aldrich went silent. "Child of Zariel or Arsene Snow?"


    "Arsene…" Altair said, a little unsure. He stared at the soul in his hand, a hint of a smile ying at his lips. He seemed almost amused, as if aware of something. "Story… What is your story?"


    Respectfully, Aldrich spoke. "I was born a ve to the burning world of Lothel that dared to challenge the will of the First Soul King, Davos."


    The name rang true across the Vale King''s mind, stirring a memory within his subconscious. He shuddered, recalling a distant battle. One of defeat and acknowledgment.


    "I… know Davos."


    The Soul of Aldrich burned brightly. "My Master found me on my fifth term and epted me as his disciple, ridding me of my life of a ve." he paused before his words carried on in a favorable light. "He quelled the mes of Lothel and proimed it mine… if I had the power to im it. In five years, I made Lothel officially mine.


    In thirty, I dragged it from the lower Realms of Elysium to stand alone…."


    "Davos…" Altair interrupted. "Is from the Lower Realms?"


    "I am not sure of the true origins of Davos, but he was the second Chaos Lord to exist within the Twelve Realms and the first to fell the First Chaos Lord."


    Curious, Altair blinked hisrge, twinkling eyes, holding up the small soul me. "Tell me more."


    ***


    "Master…." Tasha muttered, looking at the young man drenched in sweat. ck tendrils of veins lined his pale face as she rested by his bedside. asionally, he muttered, ''Shal''al—'' wanting to continue, but the words simply failed to escape him. Tasha had tried to memorize the word, but each time they were spoken, the words somehow eluded her.


    She could think the word, but if she wished to speak it, she always found herself nking, sometimes forgetting where she was at times.


    After the second time, when she lost nearly an hour of memories, she stopped in fear of the authority that bound her.


    It had been a day and a half, and yet, despite their best efforts, Nia and the Medarc had yet to find their way to this secluded vige.


    Just then, the door to her Master''s room opened. Alyssa had a dark frown entering. She looked as if someone had pped her by how dark her expression was.


    "More bad news?" Tasha asked calmly.


    "Nia will be here within the hour, or so she ims," Alyssa said, though she hadn''t exined why her expression was so dark.


    Tasha grew worried. "That seems like good news. So what aren''t you telling me?"


    "Apparently, this vige has a temple to the Seven Pirs of Sepith. One of the vigers requested that onee to check on Altair."


    Tasha almostughed, sighing in relief. "Is that it? Hells! You had me for a second. Unless they are from the Pir of Cael, they''ll not be able to sense me. Those who''ve taken the Oath of Temperance have within them the ability to Sense Sin.


    The stronger ones can see it."


    A/N: Oath of Temperance = Oathkeepers


    "Can''t you hide from it?"


    "It''s an authority from a Seraph, of course not." Tasha shook her head. "To my knowledge, there are no devils that can hide from the presence of a Seraph."


    "Then what do we do? I tried sending the Priestess away, but she seemed adamant."


    "She is probably from the Pir of Ariandel. So long as you keep Mark hidden, it shouldn''t be an issue…. What''s with that look? What is it?"


    "Elena doesn''t seem to understand what you did to Mark… and has asked that he be looked at. She is currently tending to him."


    Tasha stared nkly, her jaw tightening. "I swear I''m going to cut out her fucking tongue and feed it back to her. Watch him." Flying out of the room without the slightest hint of sound, Tasha rounded the corner where she left Mark, holding his cock in a death grip, peering hard at the skies. The deranged smile he held was still stered across his face.


    Beside him stood the Priestess, shrouded in the Golden White robes of Ariandel, the Sigil of the Winged Crown ordained on her back.


    "What a foul magic!" Sister Audry shrieked, desperately hurling herself to Mark; she nearly tumbled over, her eyes reaching into his meridians to the sprawling ck tar spreading across his internal organs, up his spine, and onto his brain. It was a sickening poison that left her shaking in her boots.


    She spun when Tasha entered, sensing such evil; her eyes went so wide, they popped from her socket when her head went st across the wall. Blood smeared the Lilm''s face, sshing across Elena''s nk expression.


    It had happened so quickly that Elena had only sensed Tasha reinforce the walls with her mana before a red ruin weed her. In the briefest instance before death registered across her mind, Tasha had already spun her cold palm,shing out like a whip; they cracked across her body with such shattering force Elena saw her entire body explode into a fine mist.


    She blinked, realizing it was only an illusion, and coughed up a mouth full of blood, realizing she was on the floor when Tasha''s boot came crashing across her head, nearly shattering the bone.


    "You''ve be a liability, Lady Elena," The Lilm said, her voice cold as the Eight Layer of Hell, Sylvorlum" —Her eyes a burning inferno of hellish might— "So why don''t I just kill you now, and rid myself of a worthless cur like yourself?"


    "Because Master needs her!'' Alyssa hurried in. "You can''t just kill—"


    Tasha wasn''t having it, "Master is unconscious and cannot make decisions. It is well within our right to have her killed for such a transgression." The force beneath her boot deepened, channeling dozens of webs across her skull. "I''ve never met a drummer! I should drag you to Levatus myself to watch you burn for all eternity!"


    A/N: Levatus = Ninth Layer of Hell


    "Everything you said is right!" Alyssa shouted. "But it''s masters decision. Nia will be here in an hour with the Medarc. But—"


    A bell toll rang across the vige, catching the attention of the twodies.


    Tasha made a tsking noise and touched her face. Suddenly, her expression changed as her face, height, and weight all began to morph, mirroring the image of the Priestess.


    "You leave this room, and I''ll kill you myself," Tasha said to Elena, stomping out. "Stay with Master, Alyssa. I''ll handle whatever the hell that is."


    As the doors were mmed shut, Alyssa released a breath of cold air, feeling strength leave her body. She toppled to her knees, unable to imagine how powerful Tasha truly was. It seemed nearly inconsble that someone could be that strong. She hadn''t even realized how much Tasha was surprising her presence.


    "What the hell were you thinking?" The Shadow asked, finally catching her breath. She stared at Elena. She hadn''t moved, petrified where she stood.


    "W-W-W-What is she? She isn''t human. No human can move like that. Ninth Circle or not!" She was shaking, blood racing from her forehead, as tears blended with the red. "What is she? What is she!"


    Fearnced up her spine, bounding her to the Earth. She dared not move, dared not even think of refuting themand of the Royal Devil.


    Alyssa breathed. "Elena… You better learn how to beg. I can''t… no, I will not beg for her mercy on your behalf again. If you endanger my Master again, not even the Light of Sepith can save you from us." she stood up, peering at the blood-stained woman. "If you don''t want to end up in a state worse than Mark, you had best learn to be silent."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om