Tenebris Renasci: A World of Magic and Gunpowder

The next day Alexander awoke to the sound of birds chirping along with the smell of lavender filling the air. 

Blinking blankly several times, Alexander took a moment to rise out of bed. 

As he laid in bed, he could hear the sounds of footsteps slowly approaching his room. 

"Alexander, awake?" A soft, monotonous voice called to him l, as the cloth that hide his room was parted. 

Alexander could see Zara stepping into his room, with a bowl of piping hot soup. 

"I made food," Zara said, holding up the bowl as she approached Alexander.

Alexander rose up from his makeshift bed to accept the bowl Zara handed to him. 

Bringing the bowl closer, Alexander bore witness to a bowl filled with a thick brown liquid that had various chunks of mystery meat and vegetables.

His stomach growled as his face scrunched up, the smell of the food was less than pleasant.

"Oh wow…" Alexander said with a nervous chuckle as he reached for the wooden spoon that sat in the bowl, "It looks so good that I don't want to eat it."

Zara smiled as she tilted her head. "Too kind." She said with a giggle, "But… my cooking, is not special."

I can tell.

Alexander forced a smile, as he turned to look up at Zara. "Did you eat?" He asked curiously.

Zara nodded. "Yes, eat a whole rodent, fat one, good." She said with a wide smile, revealing her sharp pearly whites.

Alexander chuckled, "That's good, I'm glad you enjoyed it." Alexander said as he stirred the soup in his bowl, debating on whether he should eat or go hungry.

Zara, noticing Alexander's hesitation, grew slightly concerned. "Are you… not hungry?" She asked, "already full?"

Alexander shook his head as he sighed, "No, I'm just taking on the sight of this beautiful meal before I make it disappear." He joked, scooping a spoonful out. 

Zara giggled as she sat beside Alexander, "Ahh, I like that, make food disappear, because you eat it, right?"

Alexander nodded, "yeah…" he said as he brought the spoon towards his mouth. 

Closing his eyes, Alexander began to think happy thoughts as he placed the spoon into his mouth. 

Big butts, big butts, BIG BUTTS!

Alexander cautiously clamps his mouth down around the spoon, the tough and bland soup tasting just as it had smelled.

Fortunately, it was just bland and not rancid, so he could force it down with little trouble.

Swallowing down the bland soup Alexander turned his attention towards Zara.  "You know," Alexander said as he got another spoonful, "you're a great cook."

He lied, not knowing if he was trying to convince himself or Zara.

Zara smiled, her tail swaying with satisfaction and happiness. "Thank you… Alexander, first one to like it."

Alexander nodded, "oh, that's surprising," he said, eating another spoonful. "Anyway," Alexander began, changing the subject, "are we seeing this chief guy today?"

Zara nodded, her long tail coiling around Alexander's feet. "Yes, the sun has risen, so the chief will see us." She answered before her expression turned slightly concerned.

Alexander didn't notice her expression changing, as he was busy forcing down his soup as he watched Zara's tail wrapping around him.

Is she doing that on purpose?

"Alexander…  I can, honest?" She asked curiously, turning to look him in the eyes.

Alexander shrugged. "Sure."

"Be careful with… chief, he's not… nice, not like Zara." She said, her tone cautious, "he's a strong demon, a wise demon, but not… patient demon."

Alexander closed his eyes hard and kept them closed for a brief moment. 

He then opened them with several blinks as he gulped audibly. "I'm going to need you to elaborate on that." He said worriedly.

Zara raised an eyebrow, "elaborate?" She asked curiously, "What… mean?"

Alexander groaned, realizing he would have to break down his question. "You said the chief isn't patient, I want to know what you mean." Alexander explained, "Like, will he eat me if I say the wrong thing, or… make me one of his… women…" Alexander muttered under his breath, shuddering at the thought.

Zara blinked her six eyes in unison before pausing, her expression turning slightly thought. "Hmm," she began, her tail tightening around Alexander's shin, the gentle pressure sending a shiver up his spine.

"The chief, he is powerful, must be respected by all." Zara explained, "he protects and lead village, makes decisions all… time, so he has no patience for jokes, no patience for games, his time… valuable, must not be wasted."

Alexander's heart began beating just a little faster as Zara began to describe the chief. 

What he assumed would be a normal demon with a fancy cloak, now seemed more like a large demon that radiated an aura that could force even the grandest of men to their knees. 

"Great," Alexander murmured under his breath as he placed his bowl down. "This is just what I needed after everything else that happened."

Zara tilted her head, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Don't worry, you are of importance, Nova blood, important blood, Alexander will be fine, the chief will see… importance." She said reassuringly.

Alexander nodded.

Yeah, except I'm not Nova blood, and my life depends on this guy thinking that I am!

Alexander felt that his entire situation was just crumbling apart at the seams, one bad thing after another.

Zara stood up, her tail unwrapping from Alexander's leg. "It's time to visit the chief, I'm sure he waits for us."

Alexander sighed, "Alright, let's get this over with." He grumbled.

— — —

Running through the halls of the Nova mansion, was a pathfinder carrying urgent news for Béatrice.

He had just received a telegram from the demon continent, it was a report from the pathfinder's béatrice sent, describing how their "mission" with the smugglers went awry.

"Lady Béatrice!" The pathfinder shouted as he reached béatrice's study, pushing through the doors without knocking, the pathfinder was greeted with béatrice talking with Louise.

Looking up to the pathfinder, béatrice narrowed her eyes. "Speak." She said coldly, leaning back in her seat as she and Louise eyed the pathfinder.

The pathfinder, his breath ragged and eyes wide, moved to speak. "Lady Béatrice… the contacts you hired, they've betrayed us and stole lord Alexander, along with killing a pathfinder and gravely wounding another.

Béatrice expression remained unchanged briefly before her eyes slowly widened. "What?!" She said in cold anger, leaning forward as she placed both hands down firmly on her desk.

The pathfinder swallowed hard, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. 

"Well…" the pathfinder paused briefly, searching for the right words. "From the report, our team met with the smugglers yesterday around 0900. Everything went accordingly and Alexander was prepared to be "kidnapped" by the fake smugglers." 

The pathfinder then took a deep breath as he scratched behind his head, "It was unknown at the time, but the fake smugglers turned out to be… actual smugglers, and once they received Alexander, they betrayed, robbed, and killed members of the team, and as of right now, Alexander's whereabouts are unknown."

Béatrice's eyes flashed with an icy fury as she stood up. "How could this have happened?" She asked, her voice bone-chillingly cold, "This was supposed to be a controlled test, not handing him off to legitimate criminals."

The pathfinder took a cautious step back, sensing the building rage within béatrice. "I understand that ma'am, however all I have is the current report on the situation." He answered.

While béatrice stared down the pathfinder, her daughter Louise watched with a tense pasture and worried expression.

"Mother." She said softly, her usually haughty tone shaken, "Did… did you send Alexander to the demon continent, alone?"

Béatrice turned to look at her daughter with an unreadable expression. 

She then sighed. 

"Yes, in an attempt to assess how he'd perform in such a situation, I didn't expect… no it shouldn't have happened, I planned out everything perfectly." She said, gritting her teeth in frustration.

Louise stared at her mother with her eyes wide. "You… you've killed him." She said softly under her breath, "You said he went to the city, but… you killed him."

Béatrice narrowed her eyes as Louise's expression fell, mumbling under her breath how Alexander was dead.

Béatrice let out a slow breath as she studied her daughter. "I did not kill him." She replied emotionlessly, "he's alive, we just have to find him."

Louise shook her head. "I'm next, you're going to kill me next… if I don't do what you say I'll die…"

Béatrice frowned at Louise but didn't respond, instead turning her attention towards the pathfinder from earlier. "Send out word to our best trackers, I want three platoons searching for Alexander, with another squad investigating the smugglers." She then pointed a finger at the pathfinder, "and be sure to remind them of the consequences of failure."

The pathfinder nodded as he quickly moved to exit the room. "Yes, my lady." 

As the pathfinder ran out the room with his new orders, béatrice tightened her fist and she breathed a heavy sigh. "Damnit, how could this have happened, no one should've known."

While Béatrice was lost in her thoughts, her daughter was slowly falling into hysterics. 

"I'll die, I'll die if I'm not excellent, I'll die, I'll die if I'm not excellent." She mumbled under her breath, over and over.