Shadow of the Abyss

The Vale King was not too happy being escorted by anyone, especially Raven, his Guardian. At least she was hot. The girl certainly had an ass on her. Nothing like Alyssa, who was nothing but. Still, he was content, at least for now.

A promise was a promise, even if he hadn't much intention of keeping it. He was not Altair. The fool king. He was better than that. Better than him in every way. He had to be.

To be standing here with Raven.

Brooding, he glanced at Raven. The girl, the woman, he decided, had grown. That nativity still lingered here and there, but a now poised blade had been instilled within her. All it needed was to be tempered and polished.

He could do so for her. It would be a simple thing. A few missions, a few talking. Her mind was easily swayed when it came to him. Yes. Perhaps he would temper her.

"Raven!" She jumped at the stern abruptness of his voice and turned to face him. "You've done right by me. It seems to me you've fully accepted your duty as my Guardian. Tell me. Do you have the resolve to continue? The ruthlessness that is required for my ascension?"

Raven's expression hardened with a nod.

"The Duty of a Guardian is a strong one. Not only must you submit to me, you must be stronger than me to protect me." She seemed startled by that fact, and he could hardly blame her. "I've many enemies. More now than ever. How can you expect to protect me if you are not stronger than me? You'd be useless if you were only as strong as me."

A sudden paleness caught the young maiden. She wobbled, unsure of herself. "Useless…" she muttered almost to herself.

The Vale King's smile was cold. "Quite. What good would guards be if none of them could protect me and I had to do it myself? The answer is simple: Not very good guards. As my Guardian, you must be stronger than me yet still submit to me. Do you submit Raven?"

She fell to her knee over the lawn without the slightest drop of hesitation. " You are my Master. And I shall be your shield and your sword."

Thawing the coldness that caressed his lips, the Vale King's smile warmed. This was how it should be, how it was meant to be.

"I cannot command you like I do the other Forsaken, but that matters not. We are tied together, you and I. Do not forget that."

When she rose, the young woman seemed harder than before. A cool resolution burning in those sweet amethyst eyes. She would be ripe soon, perfect for the taking.

He grinned inwardly, knowing Altair was watching, raging at what he had done. It mattered not. Talent like Raven was wasted on such a man. If he could not see it, then it was his responsibility to cultivate it; Her sense of innocence be damned.
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Only at noon did Altair regain control of what had been lost. He glowered at the water, bashing the reflection of himself away. He hated it. Hated it all.

It wasn't so much the Vale King's actions that bothered him. They certainly had, but the strange feeling that he had given the one to give out those orders. It was an annoying feeling that he could not understand. He was that person, yet he was himself.

"It's all a bloody mind fuck." He growled, grateful for the time limit. Five hours a day, the Vale King could walk through his shoes. Less if he ever won a battle, though notably he had not. And probably would not for a long time.

Trying to rein in his anger, rather unsuccessfully, Altair finished his bath the Vale King had started before throwing on a simple white tunic, coat, and britches. He paused, catching sight of Raven through his window on the bailey training her Glaive arts. That brought a nasty scowl to his face.

He had not wanted to admit it, but the Vale King was right about that one. Still, he did not have to like it.

There would be no training for the next few weeks; with how heavy the soul exhaustion was, it all seemed like a joke, especially when he spoke it aloud. "I am experiencing Soul Exhaustion because my skill has transcended past what my body will allow." He could have understood if he had used the last three sword forms of Grave Night, but no.

It had everything to do with what he experienced wielding a sword. Perfection.

"I must sound like a crybaby." He grimaced, throwing himself on his bed. He hadn't the heart to meet anyone today. Suddenly remembering something, he grinned. Vale Qi abruptly began to suffuse his body, drawing out his body's warmth, turning him pale as a dead man, and rising like a flame around him.

"Arise Sif"

Shadowy flames sprung from the gaping void of absence, swirling to take form. From the flames, golden locks of hair spewed out, caressing the newborn forsaken down to her ankles. Large blue eyes that seemed like a glistening lake glowed with natural innocence perhaps only children held.

Sif was indeed a beauty. Nothing like Reina or Syris, much less Tasha or Raven, but she glowed all the same.

"Master…" She muttered when all the shadow flames danced from off her body. Completely nude, she stood without shame or understanding. "I greet you." she fell to one knee as those innocent eyes slowly began to turn cold until there was nothing of the former girl he saw.

A little taken back, he probed a bit. "Do you remember anything?"

"I do not, your grace," Sif admitted. And with a hand to her breast, she smiled. "Though I feel… relieved for some reason. Glad… I don't know why."

"I see. You may rise. Get up. And put on some clothes. I ought to have some women's clothing lying around." Sif sprung to her feet and quickly began searching the room for something to wear.

Altair was watching her closely. Even now, he could feel that iciness in her chest growing. It was an odd thing to see. Most demons he raised were no different than humans; those he had risen without their memories were all warm, with a natural deposition to violence and chaos. Sif was different. Her emotional deposition was similar to one who had suffered greatly.

But how could that be when her soul was wiped? To be this cold that he felt it spreading across the room left him frowning.

He didn't have much of an answer, even when Sif threw on some male clothing. He sighed, pointing to the thing as it morphed, or as Medusa called it, transfigured her clothing to match her body type.

Her head seemed to bob at a mission well done, lifting to meet Altairs. "I've finished the assignment, Master."

"So you have," he muttered absently. "So you have. Return to the Realm of Shadows for education. You may return when you've learned everything needed.

The young forsaken bowed, condensing into a pool of darkness that merged into his being.

It took a little while for his anger to be regulated, about two hours before he found the strength to leave his chambers with a smile that did not look so crooked. Many of the maids scampered by with terrified bows, hurrying to avert their eyes. He couldn't blame them. Raven terrified them. The girl certainly did come into her own when commanding authority.

From the Vale King's perspective, he could tell that she hated commanding people, yet she was doing so with an iron heart.

Sauntering into the common room, the dutchess rose, but he gestured her to be at ease with a smile that couldn't reach his eyes, no matter how much he tried to force it. "Be at ease, Mother." The scornful emphasis on 'Mother' did not go unnoticed. "You are a transcendent. You needn't rise when greeting your son. Where is Noct? The little brat seemed to be missing."

"I sent to Scara for his studies; the boy is getting to that age," she said but did not return to her seat. "There is a marvelous campus there. And—"

"And he'd be further away from me." The shudder that passed through her was all the proof he needed. "It's a good choice. These days, I don't even trust myself. It matters not. We will always do things for the protection of our true children." Finding a seat beside her, he chuckled when she took a seat down only when he had. "You needn't be so cautious of me, Mother.

I haven't very much interest in the Dutchy.

"You certainly rule over it with an iron fist." she said almost as scornfully as he spoke, 'Mother.'

"I do what I must, just as you did what you did for Noct, though I am a bit disappointed. The boy would have reached his potential by my side."

"Perhaps, but the eyes of any ruler are all fickle to a fault. What you feel today might be different tomorrow? And when one plays the game of thrones, there are only victors and deadmen. I'll not have my boy cross someone who can command a Devil."

Altair looked at her. "As a ruler… you fail, but as a mother. You are probably the best a boy can have. Serve the Dutchy well. What happens to it is up to you and… Father."