The stench of the Slog is nothing compared to the constant smell of burning corpses in Lucifer’s afterlife realm. So, it goes unnoticed as Mateo and Stitches return to Gottes.

  “It seems that the term ‘hell’ is becoming more widespread in this realm,” Stitches says leaning Tony against a tree.

  “Why do you say that?” Mateo replies.

  “My bestiary identified that Voidephant as a Hellephant, it might just be a translation because I’m in your party and Natalia translated it that way, but I think the Hellbent are making a big impression on this world, which makes sense because they are being led by a realmwalker.”

  “Be that as it may, I need a moment to check something so let’s get away from this swirling dark portal,” Mateo states.

  They trudge through the Slog meeting little resistance. A few overgrown blood flies that Stitches drains the life out of cross their path but don’t hinder their progress. After a couple of hours, they stop in an open field setting up a small camp. The mid-afternoon day star gives off a pleasant warmth as Mateo opens his user interface. Stitches being a neko beast man offers Tony some clean water, which he accepts graciously.

  “Natalia, open the journal to Anastasia Adelaide.”

  Anastasia Adelaide, third daughter of emperor Tyrantar. Being of a human race Anastasia was cast out of the kingdom of Garmund at her father’s behest, and her mother executed for her supposed betrayal. Alone she wondered dirty and unloved through the Isles of Solitude until she was discovered by a group of adventurers seeking refuge from a storm in her cave.

  Opening her heart and home to them she was betrayed. Her body defiled and slain, and her soul captured by the ruthless Umbral Knight, she resides in the Shivering soul crystal waiting for the day she will find a companion.

  “Anything interesting?” Natalia asks.

  “Ana had a hard life,” Mateo replies.

  Natalia rubs her shoulder nervously.

  “What is it, Natalia?”

  “She’s good with maps and stuff, even though I’m supposed to be your guide, is she going to, you know, replace me?”

  Mateo snatches Natalia out of the air placing her on his shoulder. She pats Rayo’s scales, and he purrs gently.

  “No Natalia, you’re more than just a guide to me, you’re my worst friend,” Mateo says staring up at the sky.

  “Your worst friend! You scoundrel! You bastard!” Natalia yells summoning a sugary snack to throw at him.

  The tasty treat slaps against his cheek and slides slowly down his face into the open maw of Rayo, whom swallows the snack hastily. Mateo turns his gaze back to Natalia who is readying another pastry to launch at him.

  “You’re so cute when you’re angry Natalia, so innocent when you’re flustered.”

  Natalia returns the snack to her inventory and Rayo gives off a pitiful wine.

  “Mateo, what’s wrong?” Natalia asks.

  “When we where in the afterlife, I waited for you to leave first because I felt like I belonged there, when we first arrived, I expected to meet death because I felt welcome there, desired her embrace, I think that’s why she wasn’t there, because she knew her presence would sway me to stay longer than I should, and that I might seek her embrace.”

  Tony slaps him on the back of the head.

  “The fuck you talkin’ about chum, you can’t stay dead, I need you to take me back to Fufu, I trusted her to you for a reason,” Tony sighs. “It takes a lot for that little mouse hussy to trust someone, and she just shows up at my shop with some random realm walker, if it ain’t destiny than it’s fate, and if it ain’t fate than it’s a fucking miracle,” he holds up a small vial that gives off a shimmering golden glow.

  “What is that?” Mateo asks.

  “Dragon tears, not the tears of a dragon, there’s a flower on the top of mount Osiris north of the Twilight Everglades that excretes a sweet nectar that regulates blood sugar for up to three months.”

  “Fufu has diabetes, can’t magic cure that?” Mateo asks.

  Tony stows the glowing vial in his inventory and sighs.

  “You know I thought magic could cure everything once too, fucking grow back an arm, treat the blind, it was all, fucking magical, then I grew up and learned how much those treatments cost, a high level mage curing diabetes is expensive, and they’re hesitant to do it because of the toll it takes on their bodies, many a mage have gone blind curing cancer, or suddenly died of cardiac arrest curing leukemia, only the best mages can achieve it without harming themselves, and they ain’t free chum.”

  “I understand,” Mateo replies.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Who’s the beast girl to you?”

  “Stitches, she’s a friend,” Mateo replies.

  “A dame that will go to hell and back with you is more than a friend, you remember that chum, having the death essence doesn’t make you immortal, death comes for us all eventually, and when she does, there’s no coming back.”

  “Yeah, you should remember that next time you think I’m your worst friend,” Natalia says displaying herself.

  “I was just teasing you Nat, Tony, you should rest, we’ll be back in the Twilight Everglades by mid afternoon tomorrow.”

  Mateo sits by the fire as Tony crawls into a small tent to rest. Twinkling stars light the night sky as the fire dances to a cool breeze.

  “You should fuck the cat girl,” Ana says appearing in his peripheral.

  “Christ resurrected, can’t you like knock or something,” Mateo says startled.

  “Knock knock,” Ana says.

  “I am not doing this.”

  “Knock knock,” Ana says again.

  “Stitches is asleep in her tent, and I am not feeding into your madness Ana,” Mateo replies.

  “Knock knock mother fucker.”

  “Fine, who’s there?”

  “Stitches goblin.”

  “I swear to something holy-,” she cuts him off.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Stitches goblin your nuts.”

  “Natalia, big Natalia now!”

  “What did I do?” Natalia questions with a mouth full of pastry.

  Mateo bends Natalia over his knee and spanks her. Ana peers down from his mini map enviously. Natalia gives off a fake cry of pain that seems more like pleasure.

  “Me next,” Ana says.

  “Oh, I see what this is, you two are teaming up on me,” he shoves Natalia off his knee and crawls into a tent by the fire.

  “He sure caught on quick,” Ana says.

  “I’m too excited to sleep now, you wanna talk shit about your ex-boyfriend or something?” Natalia asks.

  “I don’t really have any of those,” Ana replies nervously.

  “Don’t worry, I have plenty, and some of them are gods,” Natalia says with a sinister grin.

  Mateo closes his eyes drifting off as Natalia gossips about shit no one cares about with Ana long into the night. It seems as if she has found a friend in the soul construct.

  The day star lights the streets of the Twilight Everglades with a pleasant glow as Mateo returns. Stitches leads Tony to his shop so he can give Fufu her medicine and Mateo goes to meet Serenity in her chambers. King Calladen greets him outside, his eyes now a glowing red after his vampiric corruption.

  Quest complete: Study the book of Sanguine to unlock the secrets of curing the sanguine curse.

  Quest reward: See the dazzling elf princess to receive your reward.

  “Do you stare into space often?”

  “King Calladen,” Mateo says with a smile.

  “Still not bowing I see, she’s just inside, do be,” he pauses diverting his gaze from Mateo’s, “gentle.”

  Mateo steps past him confused about what he means. The door creeks as it opens and Mateo enters a candlelit room. Several Nezumi females scurry out of the room as Serenity stands, her form covered in simple clothes. Just an open chest blouse and short denim shorts. Her pink eyes meet his as she brushes her long midnight hair behind her pointy ear.

  “Hey, Mateo,” she says nervously.

  The door slams shut as the Nezumi females exit. In her casual clothes she seems to be in a most vulnerable form. Mateo steps closer to her grabbing her hands in his. She looks down at their hands joined trying to keep her composure.

  “We’re heading out to return to Vitas after moon fall, I’m sure Okami will be happy to see us.”

  A cold tear runs down her soft violet cheek.

  “What’s wrong Serenity?”

  There is a long pause, like an eternity of silence. Another tear runs over Serenity’s soft violet cheeks, and then another, and her hands begin to shake.

  “I’m not going with you,” Serenity replies her voice shaking.

  Mateo pulls her in close, and their lips meet. His hands slide from hers wrapping around her waist and she wraps hers around his shoulders. They stay lip locked and tongue tied for a few long sensual moments.

  Crimson moonlight shines through the stained-glass windows of Serenity’s chambers giving a luminous glow to their intimacy. When they separate, Mateo returns to holding her hands rubbing her left ring finger gently as if to tease her with his unproposed intentions.

  “So, this is it then?” He asks.

  “You should know, I never intended to be an adventurer, that was my little brother’s journey, and I set out with him to protect him, but now he’s gone and I have the chance to fulfill my dream, to settle down, to be a mother, in my father’s absence the kingdom will need a queen, a symbol of hope, and I need to start my journey and be that symbol,” Serenity replies.

  “I guess this is all Natalia’s fault,” Mateo says.

  Natalia appears above his shoulder folding her arms with a scornful glare, but Serenity waves her away.

  “I’m sorry Mateo, this is all my fault, I should have told you what would happen if you cured me, I was so selfish, and,” she stutters tears now streaming from her bright pink eyes freely. “I just love you so much and, I-I didn’t want to hurt you, I don’t want to hurt you, this all happened so suddenly I thought we had time, and now, we don’t, and I won’t string you along anymore.”

  Mateo embraces her as she leans into his chest weeping uncontrollably. He rubs her back trying to comfort her for a few moments as the crimson glow of the moon fills the room.

  They stand in silence except for Serenity’s whimpering for a long time before words break that silence like a spear piercing armor.

  “Is this what makes you happy?” Mateo says his own voice now shaking.

  “Mateo, I,” she responds looking up with tear filled eyes.

  Though they are near the same height he peers down into her sorrow filled eyes brushing her long midnight hair behind her pointed ear.

  “I love you Serenity, I would die for you, I would kill for you, but above all, I would see you happy, I would see you smile, we all have a journey we are meant to travel, whether it is destiny, or fate, or some other philosophical bullshit, I’m just glad I met you along the way.”

  Serenity forces Mateo backward into the nearest wall kissing him vigorously. She continues her sexually charged assault as her nails rake across his skin. Her lips recoil from his long enough for him to utter a few words.

  “Breakup sex?”

  “I wouldn’t send you away without a proper goodbye,” she replies with a broken smile.

  “Are we doing it here or?”

  “I was thinking something a little more exciting.”

  Calladen meditates in his room. As he has been newly corrupted by the Sanguine Curse the moon does not affect him yet. A guard barges in suddenly breaking his concentration.

  “King Calladen sir, the door to the throne room is locked, there are strange noises coming from inside, we think the princess may be in distress.”

  “Hah, kids these days, don’t worry about it Randall, but do have a maid clean up after they leave.”

  Calladen peers up at the heavens his hands still formed into a meditative state.

  “You gods make love so cruel sometimes,” he lowers his eyes, and a single tear runs down his cheek, “what a shame it is to lose such a good candidate for king,” his eyes give off a faint red glow. “But I suppose that life is not fair no matter how you live it.”

  The realm of gods is filled with luxurious abodes inhabited by the powerful beings that dwell within. Garren, the god of foresight, resides in his obsidian palace overlooking the canyon of stars. A large floating castle above a galactic rift filled with twinkling stars that flow like a river. He peers down from one of the many balconies watching the flowing of space and time as it passes through the realm like a river passing through a canyon.

  “You requested my presence,” a raspy voice says cutting through the silence.

  A pale skinned lich with glowing purple eyes adorned in ceremonial robes appears at Garren’s side.

  “Mitternact, it has been too long my godfriend,” Garren replies.

  Heroldin’s brother, and ascended watch guard of the night. Mitternact often appears as a lich with a royal purple aura. Many mistake him for a reaper as he wields not one, but four Harvester of Gore staffs, three for his fallen brother’s and one for himself. As his sister held the power of Eternal Dawn, he holds the power of Eternal Midnight.

  His mother is Yin, and his father is Yang. Yin, or lady Moon, is sister to Nocta, lady Midnight who led the dark elves to freedom from the Underdwelling. Yang, or Father Day Star, is brother to Solis, who feeds energy to the realm.

  Once a Garren, Mitternact has four ghostly arms. After ascending he chose to exist in a more mana induced form than a physical one. Being more magical energy than flesh.

  “Godfriend Garren, it has been too long, but I must inquire, why have you summoned me?”

  “I wish to speak with Drako, I have heard you are in direct contact with him,” Garren replies.

  Mitternact lets off a low and rumbling grumble. He appears still for several long moments before replying.

  “I would ask something of you in return.”

  “Anything you desire,” Garren replies.

  “I desire to be in the presence of my sister once more, I feel she is no longer existent in the realm of the living, make a bargain with death on my behalf so that I may feel the gentle touch of the dawn one last time.”

  “I cannot promise you that lady death, or the gods of the afterlife will allow this,” Garren replies.

  Mitternact raises his voice a booming and violent thunder shaking even the vacuum of space.

  “You will make them allow this, or I will unleash the unbridled rage of darkness upon anyone and anything that lies between me and her, the adolescent goddess of death Rachel will be easy to sway as she still feels compassion, the other gods may resist, but you are a persuasive and formidable foe, you will stress to them how much this means to you and if need be, that you are no longer bound by the laws of the Table of Celestial Decree, do you understand, puny god.”

  “I will see to your demands, but do not question my power, I could crush you here and now,” Garren replies angrily.

  “Foolish immortal, if you had such power than you would not have fallen aslaved to the Table of Celestial Decree, you would have bent the other gods to your knee,” Mitternact scolds.

  “I’m not a tyrant Mitternact, just send the fucking celestial dragon lord my way and I’ll make an arrangement with death for you to see Heroldin.”

  “Good, good, and Garren,” Mitternact says in a grumbled voice with an unseen smile.

  “What,” Garren replies angrily.

  “I always knew you were a pussy, don’t know what my sister saw in you.”

  Mitternact fades into the ethereal leaving Garren alone and frustrated in his room. Well, not really alone. Mercedes creeps out from under his bed sheets crawling toward the edge of the bed.

  “Godsire Garren, are you ok?” She asks.

  “Fuck, godsdamn fuck,” he stomps on the floor and the room shakes.

  “Yonshi, you’re scaring me,” Mercedes says.

  Garren returns to his bed comforting Mercedes. He pets her gently, trying to calm her.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, how is the realmwalker investigation going?”

  “He’s not a bad kid, I can vouch for him,” Mercedes replies.

  “Some good news.”

  “Is the brood-mother coming to bed?” Mercedes asks folding her ears down.

  “No, you can rest with me tonight,” Garren replies.

  Mercedes rests with Garren for a time until the realm orb in his room glows. She climbs out of bed peering down at it as moons and planets aline. She turns her eyes back to Garren who is resting peacefully.

  “Goodnight, Garren,” she stops, checking that no one can hear her, “goodnight Yonshi.”