The mercury-ethereal green light dimmed as Lee Seng laid on the floor. Cain rolled his head around, slowly standing as Lee Seng laid on the floor. The God of Limbo slowly descended down the steps as Lee Seng twitched. Cain made his way over to Lee Seng, lifting his boot to push Lee Seng's face up. Lee Seng had definitely passed out from the hours of pain inducing torture.
"Well, well, well…" Lady Esme's voice pierced through the silence. A flutter of bats flew out of nowhere, revealing Lady Esme. The woman smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth. "Do you know what I heard, Lord Cain? That you have yourself a Debt Collect, an interesting one at that." Cain turned around, smiling at her.
"Lady Esme, you've returned. I honestly thought you'd all flock in here to see if the rumors were true." Cain replied. "I'm shocked nobody did other than Lady Beth did so."
"You scared her off." Esme folded her arms. "That's why nobody wants to bother you. They're all scared of you, Lord Cain."
"And you?" Cain asked. Lady Esme walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up at him.
"I would never be scared of you, Lord Cain." Lady Esme replied. Cain nodded as Lady Esme hugged him. "Lord Cain… Don't tell me you're going to replace me with that Fox Spirit… You made him into a Debt Collector even though you're perfectly fine to do that job yourself. You've never needed anyone and you always satisfied yourself with whomever you wanted… You even took me in. Made me a Lady and gave me my own portion to rule over. Why did you take him in? He's just some Fox Spirit who will eventually die to his fate anyways."
"I'm not doing anything, Esme." Cain looked down at her. Her red eyes stared up to him as Cain moved closer. "It's too boring to follow directions from the other gods. If he is just going to be a stone for some time, why not work the Fox Spirit?"
"Such a brilliant man you are, Lord Cain." Esme giggled. Cain gently pushed Esme away, allowing the revealing woman to take a couple steps back. She brushed her hair to the side as the silent noises came.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I must attend to some things. I'll let you and the other three deal with the Realm," said Cain. "I must attend to some business with the gods."
"The gods are calling you, again? That's the third time this week. What do they want to discuss now?" Lady Esme asked. She was a bit perturbed about the whole matter. Cain shrugged.
"Who knows? They always call for me." Cain spun around. A mercury portal opened up as Cain turned his head to look at Esme one last time. "Keep the fort down while I'm away."
Somewhere in the Stars…
"Where is he? He's usually never this late." A grumpy old woman asked. She sat in her jewel embroidered chair with a large round table in front of her. The woman wore many jewels on her hands, neck and even in her hair. The cosmos filled the space as men and women of different races sat around the table. Many empty chairs were sprawled around the "few" that did attend.
"Do not worry, Lady of Jewels. He will come." A quiet voice answered. The loud noise of a portal opening drew their attention. The mercury portal opened as Cain stepped out of it.
"There he is." A gruff man spoke. He stood up and motioned at Cain. "The man of the hour, God of the Limbo Realm."
"Another summons so quickly after the last one?" Cain smiled, taking a seat.
"Cain, why have you done this to us?" Lady of Jewels asked, frustrated. "You have gone and twisted your orders! Why do we even keep someone who's descended to Hell?!? He deserves to stay there for what he's done!"
"Enough, Lady of Jewels." God King Dathro spoke. The God King lifted his mask, revealing his face to all. The other few gods who had came looked at Dathro. Cain looked to Dathro, who sat on the other side of the table, a couple seats away from the largest chair. "I only wish to hear Lord Cain's reasoning."
"His reasons? You know he won't give you the truth! Use Truthseeker if you wish to really know what the deceptive Limbo God is up to!"
"My reasoning?" Cain asked, giving a cocky smile. "Fate merely stated he must be turned into a mercury stone by the end of Earth's February month. I am still abiding by the orders I was given."
"You manipulate it whatever way benefits you." Truthseeker spoke up. He was a gruff and burly man with large muscles. He sat on the right side of the large, endless table. Truthseeker looked over to Dathro. "We all know this and yet you agreed like it wasn't something to think about." Dathro sighed as the gods began to bicker about Cain.
"He should be punished!" One god shouted.
"Someone else should take his place in Limbo! He's not fit to rule the Realm!" Another shouted. They continued to shot the same things Cain was used to hearing. A human who descended into Hell and came back to serve as Limbo's master would surely upset many people. His eyes glanced over at Dathro who was quietly thinking.
That was a reason why Cain liked Dathro. He was slow to anger. His shouts were godly. He had an energy about him that was fitting for one of the Older Gods… And most of the Older Gods were conservative and cranky like Lady of Jewels.
"Cain." God King Dathro spoke. The noise of the other gods died down, turning to look at the God King and the Limbo God. "You haven't ever broken your word before. I know this as I work closest to you than the other Gods… So I need you to explain to everyone and myself why you decided to meddle in the affairs of Lee Seng's destiny."
The Gods' eyes all looked at Cain as he sat there with a smile on his face. The God of Limbo had a reputation. It was recorded across all Realms. That's how big his own sin was. Everyone used him as an example of what not to be, but here he was, a god. Cain hooked his cane to the chair and looked at Dathro.
"We all heard what Fate had to say about Lee Seng Chang." Cain stood up, addressing the crowd of gods. "'Lee Seng Chang's fate will take a turn when the month of February comes to an end on Earth. The fate of two could become three. Three demons feasting in the trees. Call upon him, God of Limbo, and seal him in mercury stone. For it will protect his fate from growing cold. Demons run amok, don't be afraid. The Second will come and all will be okay.'
"That's what Fate had to say about Lee Seng Chang. It doesn't say I can't do anything to him that will break their Fate. I've simply… Taken a curious liking to him." Cain glanced at the crowd. "Is it selfish to take interest in God King Dathro's children? I see many come through Limbo. More than the rest of the Realms see them."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"You always use our words against us! Always snaking your way through the Realms Maker will!" Lady of Jewels shouted.
"But he hasn't really done anything wrong, ever. It is within Lord Cain's power." A young woman with her feet on the table spoke up. Lady of Jewels looked towards her, anger growing as she realized who defended him.
"If you commited such an atrocity like him, you'd be just like him, Wysteria!" Lady of Jewels shouted. "Death follows you two and you rule them differently!"
"How we go about things is totally different, yes." Wysteria nodded. "But you can't make such untruthful accusations in front of the gods. How your image would be tainted, Lady of Jewels!"
"You little—"
"You will not kill him?" God King Dathro asked. Wysteria and the others turned their attention to Dathro as Lady of Jewels kept her mouth shut.
"I will not. I swear by my godhood I won't kill him." Cain lifted his right hand. His aura shimmered the gray mercury color. "I only punished him for not doing his job. Punishment will not involve death. If his soul dies, he shall go where he needs to go. I cannot allow that to happen before Death as degreed so. I will swear, God King Dathro, I will not do anything too horrible."
"Why are you so interested in him?" Dathro asked.
"Like I said—"
"The real reason." Dathro interrupted.
"Well…" Cain smirked. "Let's just say… He's the most spiritually powered human I've come across in millennia."