Private Tales An Honorable New Friend

[Mathalla]

The Spine - Town of Odellia
Nacht

Mathalla didn't like the cold.

She hated snow even more. The stuff was the comfort, annoying, and entirely obnoxious. All it ever did was get in the way of walking, and worse, it never stayed as clean as at claimed to be. The notion that such a cold, frosty, and uncomfortable thing could ever be ‘beautiful’ was entirely misplaced and a construct of mortals.

That much, at least, she was entirely convinced of.

Many of things in this material were interesting and fascinating, but snow was most certainly not one of them.

That was why she had positioned herself in the ‘Broken Yeti’. After being summoned at a crossroads filled with snow and ice, the Little tavern was something of a reprieve. Her father likely would have thought it an utter hole, but he was neither here, nor in control of her.

Despite the cold, Mathalla still sought her opportunities here in Odellia. Most of the mortals were simple, utterly boring folk, but they had souls just like any other. Two had already given them away, and she was sure that by the time she left more would follow suit.

The weight of those pieces would keep her father at bay, at least she was fairly sure, and would let her keep to her own fun for a time.

She just had to find someone interesting enough to follow. ”Ah, I'm sorry Jerome, but it seems you've lost.”

The devil said with a loud sigh, growing extremely tired of this game. Dice were all well and good, but half the time she played it was as though it were against someone with less intelligence than a monitored lizard. An unfortunate state events that she was almost desperate to change.

”Anyone else?” The Devil pleaded, slowly leaning forward on the table and threatening to bury her face in her hands. ”I'm at my wits end for a challenge.”

She complained loudly, her hand still a winning one.

 

[Nacht]

Nacht sure did love the cold. He marveled at the snow, especially. It blanketed the area around the small town and painted the small town a beautifully bright white, making for quite a sight as the boy knight witnessed those far younger than he tramp around in it. Yes, walking was a tad slow and wet in the deeper sections, but that didn't matter too much. Yes, the knights were nearby the Spine, but they still got green most of the time, meaning snow was almost exclusively present in the winter and rarely seen during the late fall. The notion that such an elegant and diverse sort of environment could ever be ‘annoying’ was, in his opinion, entirely misplaced. That much, at least, he was entirely convinced of.

They were this deep in the Spine investigating a possible problem some miners were facing with snow wolves, but today was to be a celebration as they had already helped better magically protect the crew as they did their work with wards around the mine entrance used to block out those bearing malice. Syr Voska was his partner in the task, and he had gone off and left Nacht to wander around himself while he got a few essentials for the trip back. Souvenirs from such a trip were already taken care of, Nacht thought with a grin, glancing down at his new necklace. It wasn't quite ornate, just a leather thing with a freshly harvested wolf fang sitting at its center, but it was pretty damn cool to him.

Looking up, he noticed he was nearing a tavern and went inside upon approach, eager to warm up a little before continuing along. A sign identified the establishment as the Broken Yeti, made slightly more clear by a illustration of a hulking shape in fragments (some missing, in fact). Upon entry, he couldn't help but smile at all the people inside having a great time, mind flashing back to the Festival. He had met Syr Aarno and had tea that was good and overall felt a greater sense of peace that day. It was a feeling he was rather eager to relive, in all honesty. Just then, a bright red lady caught his eye, sitting at a gambling table with a man who appeared to have just lost whatever they had wagered.

As opposed to someone happy to gain money, they just seemed kind of...tired. ”Anyone else?” she asked, looking rather bored. ”I'm at my wits end for a challenge.” Was she playing a card game or something involving cards? He rustled in his pocket and found two pieces of silver, which wasn't much. That was precisely why he stepped up to the table and sat down, a bit eager to try gambling himself. There were of course the horror stories of people getting addicted to such things, but he had a game at most to spend, so that wouldn't be an issue.

"I'll play with you, ma'am. I have some time to kill." he explained, happiness distorting into slight embarrassment as a thought came over him. "Uh, I should mention I have no idea about the rules. Could you teach me the basics?" he managed, silently scolding himself for sounding so confident.

Mathalla

 

[Mathalla]

Mathalla nearly slammed her head against the table out of a mixture of boredom and frustration.

Amateurs were even easier to trick than drunken fools! She could probably take this poor boy's soul and send him out into the cold without ever so much as a true try. Just once she wished that someone could appear and grant her greatest desire. At least it would make finding her fun that much more simple.

But alas, the devil wasn't always going to get her due. As the old saying went.

”No.” She declared, finally sick of playing dice. Her hand sweeping sideways, and each of the little ivory pips suddenly disappearing in small bursts of flames. One of the waitresses who had been walking by letting out a startled yelp. The tray in her hand nearly tumbling to the side as an ale went tumbling to the ground.

A small chaos Mathalla seemed to entirely ignore.

”I said a challenge.” She reminded him, leaning back in her chair. ”So let's find a challenge.”

The devil said, regaining some of her composure as she leaned back in her chair. ”What are you good at? Art? Swordfighting? Coin flipping? Come on.”

Mortals were usually good at something, if only one thing.

 

[Nacht]

Nacht looked slightly surprised at the lady's intense reaction to what he had thought was a simple query. It was only an offer to play a game of cards, but she just seemed more bored and pissed off than before because of it. What could possibly be the issue here? He yawned a bit to recover from the day's activities and set his elbows to rest on the table, looking a bit thoughtful. The words that came next were harsh but predictable, a sharp "no" cutting through the air.

So, it wouldn't be using dice then, was that it? It was fascinating to watch as the little ivory pieces burst out of existence before him, a sweeping motion causing the whole spectacle. What was less nice was when it startled a waitress who dropped one of their many beverages. The boy, not exactly sure but guessing she would get in trouble for such a thing due to no fault of her own, brandished a piece of silver outward and let it clink on the tray, giving an apologetic look.

Turning back to the red lady, he barely managed to catch what she said next. "I'm good at everything I can reasonably do, in time and with instruction." he said reasonably, looking a bit confused. The idea of being good at some things but not other things was familiar to him, but not being good at something wasn't bad in his eyes, It just meant there was more to learn about whatever you struggled at. "What do you like to do, ma'am? You seem bored so...you choose," he offered. What would we wager, anyway? I have a single coin to my name. Indeed, quite a conundrum, but such a word as wager was almost as though a summoning ritual.

The shadows in the small corners of the room seemed to expand and creep closer in that moment, the air becoming off in some strange way. At that moment the bell chimed once, a signal of a new patron. There was nobody at the door, though. Instead, a shadow shaped much like himself had joined them at the table, though Nacht and everyone else seemed unaware. It reached out to touch him and something changed, the mood growing slightly more serious. The glint in the boy's eyes had shifted a little, an exasperated look crossing his face. "Right, I'm fucking done with this. He's shut me in for far too long hanging around with those stupid knights."

See, the soul of the boy was controlled by not only himself, but another. This one, however, knew exactly what wagering might mean, and thus it became both parties business.

 

[Mathalla]

Briefly, Mathalla considered incinerating the little human.

The Devil was sure that he was a perfectly nice boy, he seemed pleasant even, but she was at her wits end! She'd traveled half the world on foot!

FOOT!

Not to mention the fact that she's trudged through snow, rain, and even stepped foot in a lake once! Didn't he realize that she thrived off interest and experience? That teaching someone to play a game and winning at it was like fighting a child? There was no challenge in that, there was nothing fun about i-

As she raged within her mind, Mathalla suddenly noticed something change. A twist of magic within the room, a shift within the air, and a buckle within the boys soul as it was suddenly foisted aside.

Not replaced, not entirely, but pushed away from his conscious mind. Almost instantly the Devil tilted her head, like a curious pup. She watched the shift within the boy, and then heard the echo of his voice as he spoke of Knights. ”Oh my.”

The devil cooed.

”Now this is something.” She chirped happily, finally having found something interesting in this shanty little town. ”Who might you be?”

Mathalla asked, never bothering to hide the excitement in her voice.

 

[Nacht]

“YES! That’s the reaction I want right there!” The boy grinned, chuckling at the Devil’s excitement. “I’m truly a pleasant guy, you see! If only people would stop sobbing while I force them to…watch their families get executed and over, for example, perhaps they would know that too. It’s a shame.” He explained with an eye roll. Really, humanoids and their sensitive little brains malfunctioned far too quickly to be any fun.

“Anyway, you did ask me a question, so let me answer that. I’m L. Not really, but that’s all you get for now. Tell me yours then, lass. I’ll likely forget it, but…who knows?” He shrugged, smirking smugly. After a few seconds pause to allow any response, his face would almost seem to brighten. “Right, shall we get to the good part?” He said, turning a bit more serious and businesslike, hoping Red Lady would catch his intentions. Well, even if not, he began explaining anyway:

"You're a devil, miss. The red skin and horns and soul essence in this room gave it away." He said excitedly, looking at her as though looking at a particularly fascinating bug. "This whole challenge thing is so stupid, really. It's how you've decided to take souls, I'm willing to bet, but why be that subtle?" A happiness came over him at the ideas he had then dreamed up as an alternative. "Just take them somewhere and almost kill them and then say you'll save them if they give you their soul and then after they do just kill them anyway for fun. Repeat with any witnesses, obviously." he chuckled, rotating the single piece of silver he had left among his fingers.

"Still, I'm up for a game even knowing that. His soul's off-limits, so is there something else you'd want instead?" Liege cackled, a manic grin on his visage. The rest of the patrons around them seemed unbothered by some of his more choice usages of imagery, everyone nearby hearing a more tame and conspicuous version of their chat. After all, there was quite a lot you could think was real when in the dark.

Mathalla

 

[Mathalla]

”Murder is boring.” The Devil retorted almost immediately, keeping back the biting retort that her new companion had the mindset of a demon. Chaotic little wretches who wanted nothing more than to go around killing and causing all sorts of mischief through disruption and death.

Not her style.

Some of her sisters reveled in that sort of thing in their own way, but Mathalla had never quite seen the interest in it. Too much faff, too messy, and she often found the Mortals who fell for such things to be weak of character. She preferred those with more strength. ”And, you're missing the point, really.”

She contended, plucking a coin from seemingly nowhere. The small slip of metal rolling between her fingers as she explained.

”It’s not about the games.” Though, at one point it had been. Her father demanded the souls of mortals, and for centuries she had gladly plucked them. But after eons of tricks, traps, and challenges…it all became rather droll. ”I just need something interesting.”

Mathalla explained. ”A way to break free of the monotony.”

The coin rolled over the back of her knuckles as she peered at him. [COLOR=rgb(176, 53, 172)”I think you can do that for me.”[/color]

She mused, a smile plucking at her lips.

 

[Nacht]

"Eh, I suppose it does get a bit unoriginal sometimes, you're right on that front." he sighed. There was only so many ways one could kill before repeats started showing up. However, there was fun in seeing others powerless, there was no better way to know you were in fact powerful. That was the true draw for him, after all. He frowned, the Devil's words making him wonder if he had been getting stuck in his ways. "Hmm, I actually cared about your opinion for a second there. That's new for me." he noted, stretching his arms upward and yawning.

"I see. It's about the thrill of the hunt more than the kill itself for you. Dice can only be so entertaining, eh?" The boy joked, chuckling a little bit. Being immortal or undead had it's definite perks, particularly for those with sentience, but without frequent experiences and such it could get a little tiring. In fact, he had been feeling just the way his new friend appeared to be before that first one came along, his first kill. The rush had been wild and slightly freeing, the way the little "ant" struggled and then cried and then died.

Unfortunately for the many others up until now who had been sentenced to the Dark World, his boredom from then on was expressed in cruelty. "Your position is truly unenviable. I feel bad, even," He responded, looking as though he was thinking a moment. "HAHA! Let's get ironic here for a second. I have a feeling the following events will be rather fun for the both of us." he laughed, excited and looking almost as childish with glee as the person he was inhabiting was naive.

"How about YOU make a deal with me? Be the other party for once. For example, what would entertain you? If it's in my power, I'll do it." he said, eyes glinting conspiratorially. "I've always wanted to say something like that!" he explained, grinning.

 

[Mathalla]

A picture was beginning to form in her mind. The answer to a question that had flickered through her mind when the switch had flicked inside the boy. Demon? Maybe. There were many spirits within this world, but whatever lingered within the mortal was most certainly not of the usual sort she dealt with here.

Interesting, and more importantly; Fun!

"Oh." The devil mused, leaning back in her throne like chair as the creature within made his offer. "Now that'll be a jaunt."

She mused. "What do I want?"

The devil asked herself, reaching up to gently tap at her chin. Lips pressing to a thin line as she tilted her head back and forth. A few of the patrons stumbled around them, some slurring their words, and an idea almost immediately popped into his mind.

"I want to be drunk!" Mathalla declared. "These mortal spirits never work on me, and it's been difficult to find a concoction that could alter my mind."

She mused. "Can you do that?"

Her sisters had never wanted to.

 

[Nacht]

"I can maybe do that for you." he said, waving over the bartender and asking for three of the strongest alcohol they had. A concerned look and warning later, he managed to figure out that bartenders took it upon themselves to limit consumption. Thusly, he lowered his order to one drink and there appeared to be no more problems. "I dunno why they do that, really. Mortals are more funny when inebriated." he said, sighing. Well, whatever, this effort was only to gain information.

As it turned out, the one was enough. He drank it in a couple seconds and knew then that his vessel was a major lightweight. Despite the boy he was inhabiting disliking alcohol, its effects on him were still rather nice. At first came an undeniable, peaceful calm that gave one the sense time had slowed. “Aah, that’s nice…” Nacht sighed, resting “his” head on the table. Some onlookers peered over concerned and then laughed it off as childhood overconfidence, but to the true being everything was going to plan.

Mind getting a tad bit hazy, he would stick out his hand and motion for Mathalla to grab it. “Not weird…Emotion…..Sharing.” He mumbled, looking as seemingly discombobulated as humanly possible.

 

[Mathalla]

Mathalla watched the entire process like a curious child.

She'd seen mortals drinking before, of course, she'd even had a hand in it for a while. More than a few of her bargains were settled in taverns, and mortals enjoyed their alcohol. It was easy enough to push the stuff, she'd even granted a wish or two for a flaggon that would never run out.

That had been amusing the first time, though her victim had quickly drank himself to death and she'd been one soul richer. Her lips pressed to a thin line as the boy, or rather, the vessel sitting before her half-seemed to collapse in his chair. Head coming to rest upon the table before him.

Lips pressed to a thin line as the entity within reached out to her. "Oh."

She said, clearly not enjoying the thought of touching a mortal.

Needs must, Mathalla. The Devil reminded herself. You wanted a new experience.

A sigh escaped her, and gently she reached out and grabbed the boys wrist. Her hand tightening around his skin almost immediately, the feeling of drunken lethargy slowly beginning to drift over her form. A hazy cloud drawing over her mind like a summer storm. "Ohhh."

The Devil intoned, leaning back in her throne like chair. "Now this is something..."

She mused, as the feeling washed over her.

 

[Nacht]

See, the entity had figured out the problem. It was that Mathalla had a hard time getting drunk as she had explained, so the answer was to skip the steps involved in getting there and instead just send her the feelings associated with drunkenness. This was the first time he had ever felt thankful for this vessel's overwhelming weaknesses, for though impromptu, breaking a deal with a devil was never quite a good idea. He had killed those suffering before from powers beyond their comprehension and it was never pretty, so he took that small mercy.

After a few more seconds of hazy bliss, he roughly broke out of the Lady Devil's grasp and then hit the back of his hand on the edge of the table, grabbing onto the pain that pierced his foggy mind and focusing that to return to normal. The task had been completed. He quickly held his hand up in apology, deciding that the entertainment he could derive from further conversation with "whatever-her-name-was" was worth at least minutely more than a good verbal altercation.

"Physical touch is odd. Haven't felt that in a good couple of centuries, so pardon my rather brutish escape." he explained with a shrug, piloted body shamelessly yawning and stretching upwards. "I'd like to know your name. If you don't feel comfortable sharing out of the goodness, think about it as your part of this deal." he said with a smug grin, tone as though talking to a friend. "Gods knows people have given up more to you for far less, Devil." he finished with a shrug, making a show of his spoken words.

Mathalla