Erebus looked down at his hands for a moment and ched them into fists, he gnced back at Ishtar a her eyes, “A cruel mercy,” He admitted, “Part of me almost wishes you had taken his ability. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about him so much. I could hide him away, fet about him, pretend that he wasn’t worth my time,” He said before l his hands aing out a sigh. “He is my young Prihough, he will i the family over his brothers. Of that I have little doubt.”
Ishtar stepped away from the pilr and turo face him, “You wao make a deal ing the boy? His future I imagine? Do you wao look out for him or something?”
Erebus shook his head, “Your alliah the family is enough in that respect,” He said, “No, I have higher s,” He looked her in the eyes, “I am not a fool, Ishtar, youth es at a prid it belies immortality. I am fully capable of death, it will e for me one of these days. Just like any person. I suspect even yourself.”
Ishtar huffed out a small ugh, “We’ll see.”
He snorted and shook his head, “I wish I had your fidence,” He crossed his arms behind his back. It was good to see him let his guard down a little now that there wasn’t an audience. Only the two of them. He turned away and walked towards his throne, resting his hand on the rail leading up to it for a moment. He gnced back at her, “If you strip powers, I wonder,” He said after a long pause, “ you trahem upon a dition?”
She put her hands on her hips, “I’ve ried it, if I’m being genuine,” She admitted, “Would you like to be my case study, Erebus?” She asked with a touch of humor ione. She had an odd feeling about the dire of the versation. She knew what he was getting at and her instincts had mixed reas. The little ‘voice’ belonging to Broker seemed almost jubint while her own vilinous instincts recoiled. It was a mixed feeling that she didn’t quite uand. Her lips formed a thin line and she pushed the instincts down forcefully.
“Yes,” He said ftly.
She narrowed her eyes behind the mask, “Be specific.”
He walked towards her, “My wish is that when my time is up, my ability and that of Augusts, should we acquire it, be transferred to the boy as part of his iance.”
“Are you askio officiate a will for you?” She asked.
“Yes,” He firmed.
“I don’t do anything for free, Erebus,” She said coldly, tilting her head to the right. “What is this worth to you? s this time. I must extract a payment in exge for my services. It is how it works.”
He chuckled, “I’d sell my soul for my son.”
It was Ishtar’s turn to be blunt, “That be arranged.”
He looked up at her, his eyes going wide for a moment. He searched her mask for a moment, her stahe way her fingers flexed and the way she leaowards him just a little. She watched his eyes as the wheels turned in his head and he closed them for a moment. “Will payment upon delivery suffice?” He asked, “I didn’t realize I was truly dealing with the devil herself. I figured you for a very powerful vilin but…”
“Give me your hand,” Ishtar said, extending her own. He looked at her for a moment before nodding, he took her hand. “Let me see…”
Ishtar’s hand twitched a little, Fasating. It responded so readily. I knew I could take souls as payment but this… why was it so natural? It even suggested a way to ehat the abilities weren’t lost if something happeo Saleh. Why? Is it trying to preserve them for some reason? She wondered for a split sed, sidering the possible reasons but not settling on anything crete, only that it felt eerily right to do this for Erebus. Have I been uimating the capabilities of Broker?
She looked up at him, “I make it happen,” She said after a pause.
“Then please,” He said with a nod, “Let us not waste time. I have a dinner party pnned.”
Yes, ihe iand proceed.
There wasn’t a charge betweehis time, no spark up her arm, ion of tingling. Rather it felt like a warmth passed between her and the man. It caught her momentarily off guard and she pulled her hand away, cealing the momentary frazzling with pyful steps and a wave of her hand, “It’s done.”
He looked at his hand for a moment then back at the door, “I felt it. A e with him, for a moment, it was se,” He let out a relieved sigh, “With this my legacy is secure,” He took a moment to bow to Ishtar, “Thank you, Queen of the Vilins.”
“I’m just doing my job.”
–
When the Spice King had said that he had a dinner party pnned, she didn’t know that she’d be invited. It was a little annoying seeing as she normally wore a helmet that didn’t allow her to eat anything. There were options she could pursue, of course, and she took advantage of one of them while she stood in the bedroom that had bee aside for her. Mephisto paced quietly off to the side, rubbing his as he thought over what she’d told him about her sed deal with Erebus.
“You said the ability reacted differently? No charge?” He murmured, walking past the television as the news rambled on about local updates.
Ishtar took off her helmet. It still felt strao feel the air on her skin. For so long she had been barely more than a state of mind for Sonya, but now she was fully realized, ay of her own. Not that I want to be, stupid girl, She thought as she gred down at her refle in the helmet. The small smile that the tiny refle sent her way set her heart at ease, she was doing this for her. She could carry the burden a little longer until she was ready. She sighed, “No, no charge, warmth instead,” She said and he gnced her way, “What?”
“It’s strange seeing you without your mask,” He said, “Not Sonya I mean but, you.”
She narrowed her eyes, “We are one and the same,” She said warningly, “Don’t separate us in your mind. It’s not good for her.”
He paused and cleared his throat, “R-right,” He chuckled a little, “You know, you act like a big sister.”
Ishtar bli him for a moment and raised an eyebrow. She felt something on her face that was unusual, a sense of warmth. She chuckled ond then cleared her throat and looked away, “Don’t be stupid,” She said before raising her hand to her face to hide the small smile that bloomed there. She used her illusory ability to create a false helmet around her head and experimentally reached through it to touch her own face. It was easy enough to maintain and would ceal her identity while she ate.
When she looked back at him he was grinning at her. “Big Sis Ishtar?” He said cutely, blinking long shes at her.
She snorted, “And you kiss Amos with that mouth?” She said with mock disgust.
“Every ce I get!” He ughed.
She snickered before tilting her head thoughtfully as she walked for the door, “When was the st time I gave you a vacation?”
“You gave me a week for the nobel prize ceremony,” He pointed out, walking alongside her.
“Oh yes,” She said with a nod, “Take another oer we’re done here. Drag that man of yours off somewhere nice. He needs a break too, I think,” She said as he moved to open the door for her, “How about the Alps? They’re quite beautiful.”
“Not a fan of the cold,” He said with a pyful bow. She smirked at him and lifted herself a few inches off the ground, drifting forward instead of walking. This new flight power was delightful.
“Oh? How about a tropical isaway?” She asked, drifting backwards before reing in the air as they moved down the hall.
“I’m not staying at your pce,” He teased, “I know what you do there.”
“The guest bedroom is fine!” She shot back.
“I was thinking New Zeand actually,” He said with a dark smile.
She narrowed her eyes, “It’s not a vacation if you’re w, Mephisto.”
“If I happen to run into anyone worth making a deal with during my vacation, it’d just be a happy act!” He said with a ugh and dramatic shrug, “Not my fault!”
Ishtar rolled her eyes, “Very well, New Zeand is your ravel destination, you have two weeks with your darling to do whatever your bck little heart desires,” She said as they reached the elevator.
He stopped o it and hit the button to call it before sweeping down into a dramatic bow, “Your wish is my and, oh Queen.”
They stood there for a long while as the elevator came up, both in utter sileil her could hold it any lohey burst into raucous ughter as the elevator opened. Ishtar hanging upside down in the air and Mephisto leaning against the wall as young Saleh stared at the two of them in fusion. “Oh that was the giest thing I’ve ever heard you say!” She cackled, “Damn it Mephisto!”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! The opening was right there!” He wheezed befng up and clearing his throat. “Oh! Saleh! e up to get us?”
Ishtar turo look at the boy for a moment and he looked back at her with some hesitan his eyes. He’s scared of me. Of course he is. She remained silent as she shifted back tht-side-up stan the air and drifted towards him a bit, nding in the elevator as Mephisto joihem.
“Yes,” Saleh said after a breath, “Master Mephisto, Mistress Ishtar. My father is expeg you,” He said before pausing and looking at Ishtar, “We are having dinner.”
Ishtar reached up and slid her hand through the illusion of her helmet, “Not a problem, dear,” She said before crossing her arms behind her bad tilting her head, “You have a good father, did you know that?”
“He raised me well,” Saleh said hesitantly, “Mistress Ishtar.”
She cracked a grin, “We’ll go with that,” She said as the elevator doors shut.
–
Ba the room, the television tio py. The reporter shifted in his seat aured to the right as an image of a young man with brown hair in a floral shirt posed o a Pandora ittee prisoransportation vehicle. “In iional news, the Hero First Wind has made anrand showing for himself, seg six dungeons for his guild and assisting in the arrest of over twenty unon-to-epic tier vilins in the past month. While there has been some question about the colteral damage resulting in his activities, a spokesperson for First Wind stated that the results have far outweighed the alleged costs.”
A number of ses pyed out on the s with the young man standio several portals oer another and shaking hands with another man in a bck suit wearing a Pandora ittee pin. More images came of First Wind posing with fans, taking selfies and waving as he got out of a limousine. A clip then pyed from a liquor ercial with First Wind sitting on a beach with a brand-tle in his hand and a mysterious smile on his face. He took a sip and pulled down his suhe logo appeared joined by his smooth voice, “Smithford, for the Good Days.”
“First Wind has already signed with the Langrey Corporation based out of Sidney and through them has nded several advertising roles as his reputation tio grow,” The reporter tinued, “Langrey has put out a statement in regards to their support for First Wind, quote: ‘First Wind has the potential to be one of the most powerful and iial heroes in the world and it is our privilege to support him as he grows. His ongoing battle against the Supervilin Blight is just one of the many arenas that we will back him in and we are looking forward to seeing his rise to iional status.’ end quote.”
The reporter cleared his throat and tinued, “First Wind is rumored to be on the short list of heroes expected to get an invitation to the Iional Team soon, and it is likely that he is already being given probationary assigs,” The reporter went on befesturing to the right again as another face appeared. This time a young ese woman with dark hair in a green gsam. She was standing stoically on a wall overlooking a horde of monsters. The caption at the bottom read, ‘Qilin in Dharan’.
There ause and then the womaured, almost zily. A ripple ripped out from her and the creatures began stumbling into one aripping, falling and crashing into the ground. She gestured again and several men and women leaped off the wall wielding ons and abilities, their bodies glowing faintly. The woman herself didn’t move, but instead watched from afar with a bored look on her face. They crashed into the stumbling and fused tide of monsters before the s cut out and the reporter reappeared.
“Across the o from First Wind’s activities, the Hero Qilin has bee from a to the front lines in Dharan to assist in the growing effort to suppress the fallout from the dungeon break.”