We were all silent on the walk out of headquarters. I couldn't speak for the others, but there was a tension in my shoulders that just refused to go away. It felt like so enormous predator was staring down, and the feeling fled only when I stepped outside.
Bronwynn imdiately whirled around to glare at .
"Of all the reckless stupidity," he snarled. "Making that claim in front of the general takes the cake! You do realize you are duty bound to follow through now, correct? Both of you. If you just choose to ascend without delay, he will hunt you down and punish you on principle."
"Is it really so bad?" I shot back, that spark of defiance still blazing inside . "I don't want to have a regular ascension."
"We will discuss this later," Glaustro cut in, sounding utterly exhausted. "We got most of what we wanted out of that eting. We can count that as a victory, at least."
The demon then turned to look at , and the turmoil in his eyes gave pause. I had never seen him look so genuinely concerned for soone else before.
"Promise this, both of you: do not do anything on your own. Not yet. We really do need to talk. I'll explain everything, including the benefits of delaying your ascension. I have it on good authority we are going to be deployed again soon, and we can handle it all then. Regardless, you have a week or so at least to rest and recuperate from everything. Do so."
This sounded like a reasonable request. I exchanged a look with Mia to confirm, then said, "We will. And I promise. Though… any advice on how to spend that ti?"
A hint of a smile swept across Glaustro's features, and he shook his head. "Young and reckless. There are no set barracks for individual units. Officers can organize things at their leisure and offer or even insist on shared housing, but plenty of legion soldiers choose to rent or purchase a ho of their own. With the teleportation network and its cheap fees, it doesn't matter where you set up, even if it's in another layer. The summons would reach you through your brand anywhere within the Abyss, too."
"Speaking of… how do I get to Passion, exactly?" I asked.
"You want to travel to a different layer right now?" Glaustro asked, slowly and with great intent.
"Yes? I need armor."
"You will travel to a different layer… wearing those clothes, and lugging that crate?"
I flushed crimson, rembering what a sorry sight I was. My commander just shook his head again in exasperation.
"Find a bank. Get your souls. Buy so clothes, and then travel. Just approach any obelisk you see, and you'll be set. Now… I think it's ti I get so rest myself."
The other demons agreed promptly and vanished after a few quick goodbyes. All our nerves were shot. I was getting by, thanks to sheer spite and ridiculous emotional highs that were probably a portent of ascension, but I had to admit I was running on fus myself.
I did, however, feel rather awkward when I found myself standing there in the middle of a street, looking like a hobo and accompanied by a cat lady who seed intent on following around.
"So…" I trailed off awkwardly as I tried to maintain eye contact. Unfortunately for , in true cat fashion, Mia just lazily blinked. I squared my shoulders. "Right. Well, how about that bank, then?"
It took a minute for us to find a bank. I tried to approach a few demons at first, but they didn't even break stride as they walked past without a word. It was only when we ventured further into the absolutely massive city that we got lucky.
Once we left the military section of the city, we encountered fewer purposefully striding demons and more friendly street hawkers. These demons, for the low price of purchasing their wares, were more than happy to give directions.
The problem was, whatever uncomfortable effect made want to squirm in my own skin also affected my taste buds. When I paid for our street food, so kind of at wrapped in pastry, the first taste felt like I had bitten into a rotting, maggot-filled corpse.
I didn't throw up on the spot, but I definitely made a face, which earned the ire of a previously friendly stall keeper.
At least he still gave us directions. Frostily, but he did.
A few minutes later, we were walking into a stately building. It reminded of the bank I visited way back in Fortress City 12, the city of my first invasion. Except this ti, the teller was helpful without any creepy flirting! A surprise to be sure, but a welco one, especially since I didn't look like soone who belonged in a bank right that minute.
With our funds secured, the Abyss was our oyster. Or more accurately, our oyster was a humble little shop that had needle and thread on a sign hanging outside its door. The polite demoness we found inside was more than happy to take our asurents and our currency. Twenty souls later, I had a full outfit of mundane clothing.
They even sold shoes, which I was imnsely thankful for. The streets didn't look grimy, but I was a mortal in a city of demons. I didn't want to catch so weird disease just because I was traipsing around barefoot.
All haste aside, shopping for clothes was actually a fascinating experience. I was shown a whole host of garnts in a dizzying number of styles, and when I asked about their size, my answer was amused laughter. The shop owner snapped her fingers, and with a wave of mana, every article of clothing in the shop adjusted itself perfectly to my size.
I didn't question her after that. I just hunted down a beautiful black shirt with silver buttons and trim, a pair of sturdy pants that resembled jeans, and several pairs of underwear, just in case.
The shoes I ended up with resembled hiking boots from my past life. Admittedly, I didn't pay much attention to them. I knew that I would be getting replacents as soon as I found my way to Yules, so I just picked whatever looked comfortable enough for the ti being.
Of course, compared to the unsettling effect outside, everything seed comfortable. This store, like the restaurant and bank and every other establishnt, was shielded from the strange discomfort of this Abyssal layer.
But it was more than that. It had to be magic. I refused to accept any other explanation. Every article of clothing or shoes I ran my fingers over were superbly made and felt like soft, welcoming heaven.
The irony did not escape .
I wasn't the only one who did so shopping. By the ti I was done being picky and looking for clothes that felt as 'modern' as I could manage to find, Mia was already standing by the counter. The owner ushered her into a changing room, and a few minutes later, the cat lady erged.
I flushed. I couldn't help it.
I had seen Mia in armor, and I had seen her in what could be generously called 'casual wear.' Actually, when we woke up in that plaza, I had seen far more of her than propriety said was okay. In spite of that, I had rarely ever paused to take her in.
She had chosen a dress. A midnight-blue dress that fell down her body in waves and rippled with every movent she made, briefly accenting her figure. The dress had a lot to accent. The garnt even had a hole for her tail, which was now idly swaying side to side, freed of awkwardly fitted clothes and armor. Sohow, her animal features only enhanced her appearance, instead of making her look odd or unnatural to my eyes.
I had to force myself to stop staring and focus on making my own purchases.
The last order of business we handled in that store was to ask for directions yet again. If we had a week of free ti and were allowed to visit other layers, then I refused to spend my mini vacation in the Tornt layer.
Thankfully, teleportation obelisks seed to be remarkably common. We were soon standing next to one in a small park. Having no better idea of what to do, I gingerly laid a hand on the device.
Instantly, information exploded into my mind. Suggestions, inquiries, and even what I was pretty sure were demonic ads swamped . It took so doing, but I eventually managed to find a weird ntal toggle that my consciousness insisted would act as an 'assistant.'
I triggered it, and most of the information clawing for my attention faded instantly.
Greetings, how may I assist you today?
The words just unveiled themselves to . It almost felt like they were visible, rather than a fignt of my imagination.
Not wanting to make a spectacle of myself, I covered my surprise and thought very hard in response.
I need to travel to a different layer.
Of course, sir, but do you have a destination in mind?
Sohow, the words sounded mocking. I tried to sound more authoritative.
Amahis Armory, layer of Passion.
I can deposit you at the teleportation anchor closest to the shop within the city of Gleiprith, Passion. Would this be acceptable?
Yes.
Excellent, sir. Are you traveling alone or in company?
Company. There are two of us.
I understand, sir. The standard teleportation fee is ten souls per person, would this be acceptable?
I was honestly shocked. Being used to the cost of travel in my past life, I was expecting to be ripped off. Hell, a taxi would have been way more expensive than a asly ten souls.
When I realized where my mind was going, I couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Cheap… yeah, right.
Ten souls equaled ten lives, snuffed out and denied an afterlife forever. And there I stood, thinking how low the price was.
I paid, of course. What else was I supposed to do?
The obelisk rippled, the fabric of reality cracked, and a portal opened right in front of us. I urged Mia through quickly, then stepped forward myself.
The change was as stark as it was imdiate.
One mont, existence was suffering itself, tornt in every waking or sleeping mont. The next, the air felt lighter and even richer, like it carried a promise of growth and prosperity.
Energy thrumd through . My mind was more agile. I felt emotions bubble up within , sensations I hadn't experienced so purely in a long ti.
I wanted to run, to laugh, to cry, to embrace everything life had to offer.
I wanted to pursue magic with a single-minded obsession that only those truly awed by it could boast.
I wanted to better myself, to grow and grow until every mont was a celebration of progress and sheer, unbridled passion.
I stumbled and almost lost my footing before soone's hold on the back of my shirt made jerk back into place.
"What?" I looked back to find a squinting Mia giving the stink-eye. "What happened?"
"You tried to run away without a word," she inford , pointedly refusing to let go.
"Sorry, I just… this place feels amazing!" I gushed, unable to contain myself. I needed to tell her all about exactly how amazing the layer made feel, right then and there. "It's…"
"Nice. It's nice," Mia cut off, still squinting at . "Now, we're going to the armory you wanted. You can start moving, but don't think I won't get rougher with you if you try to wander off again. But we need to find soone to ask where the shop is first."
I tried to wander off. I tried to wander off several tis, in fact. I couldn't help it. I would be totally focused on our goal, and then a flight of fancy would co out of nowhere, gripping with such strength that I just had to pursue it.
Mia pulled back the first ti, pinched the back of my neck with her claws the second, and started bonking over the head from the third onwards, as soon as she noticed I was starting to get distracted. In the end, a distance that we should have covered in ten minutes took about forty, and it was entirely my fault.
I was still trying to shake off the layer's effects, with only middling success, when I finally caught sight of the store. It was just as I rembered it. Instantly, my mind was wholly occupied by the thought of the store, and I lunged forward. I did tug a bit on Mia in my haste, but at least I now had my eyes on the prize.
I burst through the door with a massive smile.
"Hello! Anybody ho? I'm here for so armor!"
I giggled, both because I was being too loud and found it unbearably funny for so reason, and because I was finally back in the store. I had wanted so badly to co back for proper demonic armor. Sothing like manners or common sense weren't going to get in my way.
"Oh, oh dear. Well, he's truly drunk on passion, isn't he?"
Recognizing the voice, I turned my beaming grin on the demonic shopkeeper.
"Hi! It's been forever! Let just — urk!"
I tried to rush to the demoness, intending, in my infinite wisdom, to go in for a hug. Thankfully, I didn't even get a step closer to her before my collar dug into my throat painfully, cutting off both my stupidity and my airflow. Mia had switched her hold to the back of my collar at so point, and was now giving a distinctly unimpressed look.
"You keep hold of him. I'm not letting him near my daughter like that. And I'll engage the purification wards. We don't typically need them, but…" the demoness trailed off, seeming amused rather than angry as she headed behind the counter.
"You an Yules? Is she here? Hey, Yules, I'm here to—"
I was in the middle of shouting towards the back of the shop when the wards snapped into place. Instantly, so of the bubbliness coursing through my brain faded. I was left blinking like an owl.
With every passing mont, more of my sanity reasserted itself. By the ti Tibath made her return, I was doing my best impression of a wet kitten getting carted around by its mother. With Mia's hand still on my collar, the image fit pretty well.
Of course, to add insult to my injury, a younger copy of Tibath erged from the back also, looking mildly confused.
"Was soone shouting my na?" The tall, muscular, shapely demoness looked around, then her eyes fixed on and widened. "It's you!"
"Yes, it's him. Now, tell , what were you about to say to my daughter before the wards triggered?" Yules' mother teased, much to the girl's continued befuddlent.
I got so red that I was giving their own skin color a run for its money, but at least this made Tibath erupt into laughter instead of getting booted out.
Passion… Never again.
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