Snackofthefuture
A lil Woozy right now
OROBO, KHAOUL AND Hecate
Orobo looked at Hecate with a mix of pity, disgust and trepidation. She was definitely a strange one, that he could tell. He motioned for his guards to tighten their formation slightly and then looked at Hecate. "Hecate yes? I think I saw you at the first summoning." Orobo moved a little away from Khaoul as Hecate wrung her arms about the demon lord. He circled the two a little bit looking at them with a puzzled expression. Interesting the two of them knew each other, Hecate did not seem the sort to associate with Khaoul, and vice versa.
Khaoul, upon being bombarded by the smaller demoness, did not return her cutsey affirmations of affection and instead chose to gaze about the scene laid out before him.
Hecate had been busy, enough so that she had already secured new candidates for dollification. During the invasion days of the mortal realms, Khaoul had often spared the mortals of interest for Hecate's whims. Occasionally she produced demonspawn of reputable note, adding to the Onslaught's unique ranks. Khaoul rarely felt any other semblance of emotion save for wrath, but now a flicker of satisfaction passed through his mind. At least this world held something familiar to him. Hecate was still Hecate.
"An unknown divine power has bound me by contract to this mortal. I am cursed to this fate until it releases me or dies." Khaoul turned now to look at Orobo with steely eyes, remembering the ire this whole situation roused in him.
Hecate stared at Orobo as he mentioned the first summon, tilting her head. It's been a long time since then. The only clear figures she recalled were Ivan and Felicia. And this person; for someone like Khaoul to bring him under his command, he was definitely strong. But not as strong as Khaoul, of that she was certain. Moreover, he remembered her name and mentioned seeing her. Hecate politely smiled at her summon buddy and asked, "Do I know you?"
She looked back at her old "sibling" when he spoke, mouth frozen agape. There was something about a contract and being cursed to fate and death. Hecate blinked. "Huh?" Kale's talking hogwash again.
Orobo spoke now, careful not to inspire wrath in the demon lord, Orobo chose his words carefully. "Yes, we might have seen each other during the first summoning back 3 weeks. Me and Khaoul however, are contracted for the time being. Well learn to work together eventually. Were going to be headed further up north if you would like to come, you gotta stop killing people from around here though." Orobo knew from heartell and what was currently before him that Hecate was one of the more murderous summoned.
It would be better if she stopped. Stopped killing people, or at least stopped doing it so blatantly and out in the open. She was terrible for PR, that much Orobo could tell.
"Killing?" Hecate scratched her head. One of the Maidens crawled over, sputtering unintelligible cries and nonsense as she latched onto Orobo's leg. "But... they're so happy! They're not dead at all, you liar!" She pointed at the screeching Maiden as an example, believing the cacophany to be screams of joy. Hecate puffed her cheeks and looked away from the summoner, crossing her arms. The Maiden then fell limp as another leaped out, dragging her back to the tea table by the legs. "Hey! No fighting!" Hecate yelled to them.
She chuckled to the others. "They're usually like this," she said with a warm smile. Hecate thought about what Khaoul's "minion" had said, figuring that the contract was some slave thing that made the little human obey the demon. The question of her wanting to come with them was a no brainer, though. "Of course I'm coming! Wherever Kale goes, I go!"
Khaoul continued to survey Hecate's handiwork with mild disinterest, apparently passing the time as the smaller demon conversed with the mortal. Khaoul was not one for small talk and so decided to keep silent, waiting for something to happen.
There were no mortals nearby that he could punish, and he wouldn't dare tamper with another demon's quarry. Demons from his world were not an unruly rabble of disorganised murderers, they knew respect and etiquette. Hecate had laid claim to the lives of these mortals and Khaoul had no right to infringe upon that. Even so, the wealth of sin emanating from these mewling humans wafted past the demon lord like a foul rolling stench. Khaoul may have pitied their unfortunate toiling existences, if pity was something he was capable of.
However the talk of travelling North was something of interest to Khaoul.
"What lies to the North, mortal?" He growled in question of Orobo's plan.
"Answers, or so I've heard, clues as to why this country is so overrun with demons, why the demons are this way and what made them like this." Orobo responded to Khaoul curtly. He had already figured out how to tame the demons, now he just needed to get started on the hordes. Perhaps if he could reactivate his older abilities he'd be able to increase his control over the masses. That would be step one to conquering accomplished.
Then hopefully he could bring Czarsnikei over to his side. Or at least enough of it that he could take the remaining parts. The Solomon Fortress had seemed partial to the idea so Orobo figured he could rely on others to support his takeover of Czarsnikei. If he could end the demon threat he would have a good front for taking over the country. Sort of like a mutiny to save the ship if this were on pirate terms. Then he would turn his sights on Nortestra and Mollug. Mollug and Xact would most likely fight each other into submission after Nortestra had fallen.
So Nortestra and Mollug would be easy prey. Xact and Belldan would be wildcards depending on how the coming wars were fought. Then there were the other nations. Across the sea were others to conquer. Hopefully at some point SIN would contact him again and Orobo would find out why he was to conquer. Some answers to the question of the Summoned would probably be helpful. Enlightenment on their situation could go a long way.
But until then, he was going to head north, figure out the demon problem and hopefully get Khaoul to stop trying to kill him. It would be no small feat, but Orobo figured it wasnt impossible.
"Well, its settled then, Hecate, you may accompany us on our journey north. Now if there is anything more youd like to discuss, Im sure you can do it on our way back to the fortress. We need to work on getting some guides and assistance from the Fortress for our journey."
Saying nothing, a puff of smoke exhaled from Khaoul's nose. Orobo's short answer did not fill the towering demon with any modicum of motivation for the task ahead. Indeed Khaoul actually didn't want to head North to uncover the undoubtedly insidious plot that had encapsulated the country, but he had little other options available to him. Grunting with slighted indifference, Khaoul followed the summoner back towards the fortress. There was not much point in simply trying to run away and leave, Orobo would call him back and the contract was inviolable.
He didn't look back to see if Hecate was following. Either she would come out of the sheer boredom Khaoul assumed she shared with him, or she'd realise that there were much better things to be doing such as punishing the sins of mortals. Royal demons such as they had a much higher calling than that of the silly little stories Orobo was hellbent on exploring.
What had interested him, however, was the strange yet all so familiar feeling Khaoul could sense throughout his body now. After the stabilisation of the contract prior to his awakening from the brink of death not so long ago, Khaoul' soul had since acclimitised somewhat to the world he now found himself in. With it, his magic felt less entangled and tainted. It would take some testing, but the demon lord was certain that more of his Seven Deadly Sins had become available to him, yearning to exact fateful vengeance on any mortal that dare sin before him. Khaoul clenched his fist, wisps of flames billowing faintly from his eyes in cold Czarsnikeian snow gales.
His next battle would take things to a whole new level.
Kloudy StaidFoal