Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 340 Rage

"Morr? You good?" Altair asked, noticing the way she stood there for a blank second or two. He sauntered over to her and frowned at the way her face seemed to pale and then at the letter that magically appeared in her hand the instant her eyes came back into focus.

"What happened?"

"I..." She stopped biting her lip. Unsure what to say, she stared deep into his crimson eyes, which seemed to glow beneath the darkness of this realm. Perhaps it was the lighting, but they seemed as cold as a steel edge.

After a moment, Altair said, "Is it for me?" he looked at the letter, snatching it away before Morrigan could stop him. She flushed but held her tongue, figuring it was better he found out now than later. He tore it open and fell into a deeper silence. Altair might have read the letter seven times before it ignited into black flames.

"So this is the way you want to play it," Altair lightly mentioned. He turned without another word and sauntered away without another sound. He walked until he was alone before the tremors began to jolt across his shoulders, and the rage that came from his blood lit the world aflame. A roar that could be perceived as a dragon's roar opened the earth beneath his feet.

He could see it all. The look of scorn Azura held as she pushed the letter to Morrigan.

'A tool that doesn't know its place isn't useful. Don't you think?' echoed Azura's cold words across his mind.

He laughed, cupping his face with his callus palm, trying to smolder the sin of wrath held by his father's blood, resonating with his lineage.

[Shadowfell Lineage Detected]

Altair did not seem to notice the message as he stared blankly into space. He was cold. Growing colder by the second until any sort of warmth seemed to escape his being.

"Luvar Al'Gore," He said, shattering space with Dimensional Rift, reemerging within the Palace of Stygian. He smiled when he felt his Omniscience explain that not even Azura could pierce the veil Zero had set up to block the eyes of gods.

He said nothing, walking into the office to make a single call.

"Altair! My man, what can I do for you?" came Zelos' smooth voice on the other end. "How've you been?"

"I need information," Altair tried to say with a calm voice, but his efforts were for not.

Zelos saw right through him. "Give me a name."

"Is this line secure?"

"In the Archeons Name, I assure you it's secured," Zelos comforted. "Tell me the name."

"Luvar Al'Gore"

"Al'Gore?" Zelos was smiling. "I don't know Luvar, but I know Al'Gore. His family belongs to the Archoeon of the First Tower, Advent. They act as advisors. For each generation, however long the first tower has been around, the Al'Gores have been around. House Dawn has quite a few business contracts with them."

"Anything of substance?" Altair asked.

"Nothing that would make me turn down the contract. Do you want him dead?"

"No." Altair shook his head. "I want him brought to me, caged like a rat."

Zelos laughed. "It'll not be cheap."

"I'm not a poor man."

"No. Unfortunately for me. Your first one is free."

Altair might have felt grateful were the situation not so grave. "How long will it take?"

"Syris..."

"It really does sound nice."

"Syris," Altair said, unable to hold back his frustrations, and glared at her.

"Fine." Syris relented. "I'm not worried about it because you're taking care of it. And because I'm your Saintess, now."

"Your fate in me will get you killed," Altair muttered, returning to childishly blowing bubbles in the hot springs.

"I beg to differ. If my man cannot protect me, then perhaps you don't deserve to be my man."

Altair glared even harder. He wanted to snap back but found that there wasn't anything he could retort. She was right.

With a mournful sigh. "You really are a handful."

"Ah, the price of getting to fuck me," Syris teased, swaying into her lover's arms. "It's alright, Art. I'm sure you'll figure it out. And if it helps, I'll be by your side the entire time."

"What other side is there to be on?"

She laughed, kissing his cheek, whispering something in his ear that brought a smile to his lips.

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****

"Damn that Mephisto!" Lord Arsene Snow snapped, glaring at the foreign weaponry aimed at him.

Beside him, Zariel Snow and his wife Aurelia Morningstar both carried strange expressions, lifting their arms at the squad of Fell Gods moving to surround them. They hadn't recognized the race but felt an incredible amount of pure energy radiating from their being.

Lilith, who stood with her arms wrapped around Arsene, spoke first, "Does anyone here have a pregnancy test?"

"That's what you want to ask?" Aurelia blurted.

"Why not? You should get one yourself. The Silver Devil there has been putting it down."

Aurelia blushed. "I'm not pregnant, silly!"

"Enough!" said a cold voice as an aged man sauntered forward. Tall, with tendrils of azure light trailing up his arms, stopping at his cheek, he was handsome—or at least he once was, given his current appearance filled with wrinkles.

"Who are you? And how did you escape Pandora's Box?" the man damned.

The four exchanged glances before Zariel curiously asked, "You recognize the box?"

"Of course, we recognize it. We were sealed in it for nearly an Eternity!"

Arsene's expression shifted as he said, " You're... you're the Ilvarian's. The ancient race that predated the High Humans. The Almighty One's a little mistake."

"The Almighty doesn't make mistakes. Do not believe what you hear from that damnd Serpent Mephisto!"