7-New Beginnings

  -Chapter Start: August 4th, 11:00am.

  In a strange turn of events, I found myself left to my own devices for quite some time in The Den. Despite the bustling activity around me, I remained largely unnoticed by the denizens of the mansion. It seemed they were hesitant or perhaps not bold enough to approach me. Seizing the opportunity, I elected to vagrantly wander the mansion. It took me two whole days to clear out all the valuables from this place, and barely survived getting back to turn them in. Which, brought me to one of the final rooms on the upper left side of the house as I wandered about. The door creaked open as I pushed it further ajar, revealing a dimly lit room. There was an eerie stillness in the air, and it felt deserted. After a cautious knock or two, I entered, the darkness enveloping me like a shroud. My footsteps echoed faintly as I made my way towards the walk-in closet, guided by the faint glow of my phone's flashlight. Upon reaching the closet, I directed the beam of light towards the exposed ventilation chute. With a determined resolve, I lowered myself onto my back and wriggled into the cramped space, inching forward until I reached my target.

  “Yoink.” I muttered, a smirk forming as I reached for the large sack wedged above me in the ventilation shaft. It took some effort to free it, but the promise of more treasures made the struggle worth it. As I grappled with the sack, I couldn't help but appreciate the cleverness of hiding emergency funds in such a covert spot. It was a contingency plan I never thought I'd need, yet here I was, revisiting the scene of past escapades.

  Once I managed to dislodge the sack, I faced the challenge of maneuvering myself out of the cramped space while burdened with my newfound loot. Nearly out of the vent, I felt… Odd. I decided to -focus- and I could see a pair of legs waiting outside for me. A beautiful, cerulean-green glow showcased the entire body of the individual through the walls despite me not being able to fully see them. The glow seemed to hint at boundless potential, contained within the confines of the figure's form. It was a sight both breathtaking and enigmatic. Unlike Carna’s whose glow seemed to be rather sparky and freely left off her, or Valia’s that was cool and only flowed seemingly towards me… Why am I thinking of these like this? They didn’t feel this way when I originally viewed them…

  “Oh, don’t stop on my behalf.” Luna spoke a bit tiredly; She didn’t feel that amused by my pause and assessment. In fact, it felt as if she knew exactly what I was looking at. I quickly finished extricating myself from the ventilation shaft and found Luna, adorned in ornate attire but bearing a noticeable air of exhaustion, waiting for me. With a flick, I turned off my phone's light, no longer needing it, and retrieved the stash of goodies I had hidden away. Turning back to face her, I felt uncertain about how to engage Luna after my conversation with Zylas; in fact, this was the first time I had seen her since then.

  “I-uh… Hi. You, doing alright?” I awkwardly ventured, attempting to initiate a conversation. Luna responded with a tired yawn, her eyes displaying a weary, mostly lulling green hue.

  “Mmm… Not as good as you’re doing it seems, come over here.” Luna spoke softly, motioning for me to join her as she walked toward a rather peculiar setup in the middle of the room. If I had used her eyes before this, I would have noticed that or the pile of pillows in the corner.

  “Since you’re in my room, why not sit with me.” Luna suggested.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know it was occupied.” I apologized carefully as I followed Luna. She knelt on a pillow before the stand and gestured for me to sit down next to her. The shrine appeared rather humble, with an old-looking fox figure seated at the top. It clicked in my mind almost instantly, and I glanced over at Luna, who was silently engaged in prayer. This shrine was dedicated to her, or perhaps meant for her. Yet, there was a somber atmosphere about it.

  I knelt beside Luna and set the sack in front of me. Monetary concerns were no longer pressing, and Luna's actions had aided me in ways I couldn't fully quantify. Quietly, I began to rummage through the sack, selecting several items I deemed suitable for what I intended to ask.

  “Hey, Luna…” I began tentatively.

  “I cannot accept or decline anything related to your thoughts.” Luna responded plainly. It was an odd remark, but I grasped its meaning. If this shrine represented Luna's essence, then its maintenance likely fell under the responsibility of another. This would explain its somewhat neglected state. I continued to sift through the sack, retrieving a few items: solid metal candlesticks to enhance the shrine's illumination, a sheathed ornamental blade, and a finely crafted pendant. While these items could have fetched a decent sum from the shopkeeper Baku, I found greater satisfaction in using them for this purpose.

  “I don’t quite know how to express what's on my mind…” I confessed, wiping a bead of sweat from my brow as I gathered the remaining items and returned them to the sack. It had taken me nearly an hour to arrange everything in Luna’s room to my satisfaction. Initially, I had set up the items on the altar, but it didn't feel quite right, so I removed them and sought Luna's permission to return. She agreed, and I hurriedly retrieved the additional items from another secret stash.

  After persuading another resident to grant me access for a moment, I retrieved the items and gifted the ornate blade to them in gratitude. On my way back, I encountered the deer-lady once more, who seemed curious about my presence. I paused to respond to her inquiry, despite our language differences and reluctance to use my new eye-ability so freely. Deducing it to be about my purpose here. I explained my intentions and asked if my interpretation was accurate, to which she nodded, albeit somewhat sheepishly.

  Sensing her approachability, I then invited her to assist me with the project. After a brief moment of contemplation, she bashfully agreed. Together, we returned to Luna’s room, where Luna was still engaged in silent prayer before the now tidied shrine. The deer-lady appeared slightly nervous, but relaxed upon hearing Luna confirm her permission to be present. She even brought along a few talismans she had crafted herself to adorn the altar.

  With the addition of her contributions, the room seemed brighter, and the once humble shrine now exuded a sense of dignity. As my vision -refocused- afterward, I noticed a subtle change in the aura surrounding Luna; it seemed to emanate a more tranquil vibe. Luna didn’t offer any verbal thanks for our efforts, but her demeanor hinted at a sense of gratitude. It struck me as peculiar, but both Luna’s and the deer-lady’s colorations were remarkably similar.

  “The Gift of Sight seems to be treating you rather well, Daegon.” Luna remarked, casting a cautious glance toward me and the deer-lady. The deer-lady appeared slightly puzzled as she looked at me.

  “Well, it’s a lot to get used to. Plus I can feel the strain it puts on me.” I replied, leaning back and surveying our work. “Hey, uhm… Miss… Luna will never ask for help, could you maybe stop by here every now and then? I don’t have anything to offer y—”

  “O-oh, n-no that’s fine. I would love to help you, uh, I mean Luna out… You don’t need to give me anything… I-I, well, you… Oh, you can’t understand me I’m so sorry I’m just rambling…” The deer-lady stammered in a flustered state, then turned to Luna. Sitting up to get a view of her mouth, I could still follow the conversation. “I-I always wanted t-to be around you b-but I thought I would impose. A-am I? I’m sorry, also… C-can you thank this human for me please?”

  Luna gave a meaningful look towards me before a small smile, and she nodded to the deer-lady. “You’re welcome anytime.”

  “T-thank you. I-I’ll visit again tomorrow.” the deer-lady said, standing up and giving me a small bow before hastily exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

  “So, your new eyes let you understand others despite the language barrier, even though both I and our gracious guest spoke completely differently.” Luna observed, slowly rising from her kneeling position. It dawned on me that Luna’s original speech wasn’t ordinary. My heart rate increased as she scrutinized me over her shrine. “Don’t worry, neither I nor her will reveal that to anyone. Not that Bwe fully recognized what was happening. Be more careful.”

  I lightly scratched at my neck, unsure how to move forward from that comment. Sensing my hesitation, Luna approached and extended her hand to help me stand. Gratefully, I accepted her offer and rose to my feet with ease. It was a humbling reminder that despite their appearances, many beings possessed strengths far beyond my own. As I looked into Luna's eyes once more, I couldn't help but be struck by her beauty. There was a momentary pause, during which it seemed she was waiting for me to respond or perhaps to do something. Before I could gather my thoughts, a warm sensation emanated from my forearm.

  “Daegon, before you go… I want to deeply apologize.” Luna began, acknowledging the subtle signal from the contract on my arm. “I didn’t ask for Zylas or Carna to come that night, and I didn’t know about your previous run-in with her either. Once I truly looked into your eyes, I knew I was wrong to assume the worst about you. But, I couldn’t prevent what happened. You’re a remarkably intelligent and compassionate human, and I feel that I owe you more than just these words…”

  She removed a reforming obsidian bracelet and extended it toward me, the faint golden lines on its surface catching my eye. It was truly a beautiful piece, reminiscent of the color of her fur.

  “I-I know you’re trying to ask for forgiveness, but I already told you... I don’t blame you… Plus, I was holding off on a gift of my own.” I responded, retrieving a small tarnished trinket from my pocket. It was an average-sized pendant with a brilliant blue gem at its center. Luna's genuine smile and chuckle eased the tension that had lingered between us.

  “You really are weird. Okay then, how about we trade? We hold onto these for each other. Plus, I’ll tell you my real name.” Luna proposed, her tone much lighter now. There was no reason for me to decline.

  “Your… Real name?” I asked, pondering what she meant.

  “Luna is just the human name I used when I arrived here. My true name, and what the others call me, is Ainai Miya.” She said as if lifting a weight from her shoulders. I smiled; I was unsure why but the name felt to truly suit her well. Before I could respond, another warm glow sprung forth from my arm. She gave light laugh and waved me off, ushering me towards a new endeavor.

  “YOU WHAT!?” Zylas roared in the distance, followed by the unmistakable sound of something breaking. My eyes widened as I stopped mid-bite of a rather well-made burger. Carna, in the midst of a similar action, mirrored my shocked expression. We were engaged in small talk, as she was explaining the peculiarities of one being at The Den and their fascination with cooking human foods. Prior to this interruption, I had met up with Carna for a brief chat that concluded with a rather minor agreement and me agreeing to ‘get used to’ her ‘normal’ form. Valia even stopped by to inform me she would be meeting Zylas and informing her of the new arrangement. Now, the sound of heavy footsteps drew closer. I finished my bite, as a half-transformed Zylas turned the corner. The glare she shot over as she paused behind Carna was a jumbled bag of emotions.

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  “Daegon, we need to talk. Now.” Zylas held back her anger as she took another step forward and quickly reached her hand out. She reflexively pulled back slightly after reaching full extension, making a slight fist and waving her own hand off. “Just, come to my room.”

  Zylas angrily walked away as Carna had varying degrees of concern washing over her from that interaction. She whispered, “What in the world was that?”

  “I… Should probably go…” I spoke setting the burger down and standing up. I paused, and decided to pick up and hastily finish my burger. Despite a rather nice breakfast, the burger seemed to really hit the spot. Carna elected to finish the rest of hers in one bite in response to my hastily eaten one, and tugged on my arm before I could make my way past her.

  “Don’t uh… Don’t die.” She spoke, as if trying to give words of encouragement.

  I made my way to Zylas’ room where a memorable hole in the door still lingered. It was ajar, and I opted to do a few light knocks before entering. Valia sat in a very familiar chair, in a bit of a tizzy. Zylas was standing next to her, still in her half-transformation form rolling her fingers on the top of the chair.

  “Alright chucklefuck, explain this to me.” Zylas spoke irately as I closed the door behind me. She held out a black envelope that was opened, with her eyes peering down on me. I opened it, and immediately knew what it was about despite being unable to read it. “I know you can’t read that, but I’m willing to bet you know exactly what it says.”

  “I can take a rather good guess.” I said closing it and handing it back and looking at Valia. She seemed a bit confused, as Zylas chucked it at her bed. “But that’s not why she’s here, right?”

  “I know why you made a deal with Lord. But what the hell are you thinking of this contract with Valia?” Zylas points to Valia’s arm. I was a bit unsure how to respond, and revealed my end of the contract. She glared at me before walking over and grabbing my arm. She carefully ran a claw over the tree as if examining the details. Her rage seemed to slowly subside, as some of her tension was melting away.

  “Can you… Can a lot of beings actually read it as such?” I asked, unsure of what answer Zylas would give me.

  “You can’t?” Valia asked honestly.

  “Humans can’t feel the contract as most others can, unless they’re trained to do so. Think of viewing most Contracts similar to an Infernal, you and I have to agree to share it. It takes an absurd being to force-read one.” Zylas said, continuing to look over the contract.

  “L force-read the Infernal then… I definitely didn’t know or want him to know exactly what happened.” I said quietly looking at Zylas. I felt her squeeze my wrist slightly before letting go of my arm. She let out a low rumble, and walked over to sit on her bed.

  “Sooo, am I free to…” Valia started to ask before getting glared at by Zylas.

  “Daegon, tell me what Lord decided to offer you.” Zylas spoke, with surprisingly little hostility. She seemed to have mostly given up in that regard.

  “Well… L said he’d change your contracts conditions if we made a deal…” I spoke, getting a bit nervous to the proposal to make.

  “Wait, Zylas you’re Restri—” Valia began to ask before being cut off.

  “And you want to offer your blood in return for… What, a bodyguard?” Zylas spoke ignoring Valia. Valia desperately looked between the two of us trying to understand the situation. “… No. You’re smart but also a colossal fucking idiot. You want to reinstate my contract in hopes of minor favors here and there, all while keeping me satiated off yourself so I don’t go off the rails again. But, you don’t know how much I require, and despite recent events you’re still fucking terrified.”

  “Well, glad to know we’re basically on the same page.” I spoke with a bit of a nervous shake in my leg.

  “Hold the fuck up. You’re telling me Zylas could be just snapped out of existence whenever by THE Lord, but Daegon somehow is giving you a second chance at life with a friendly bullshit offer?” Valia practically belted out.

  “Oh that’s not the best part. Lord gives my Contract to Daegon. If Daegon ever dies I get my World Contract back, but I’m bound by whatever Restrictive one he gives me until then. Plus, he can change it whenever he pleases.” Zylas began, crossing her arms before looking back over to Valia. “So cub, what would you do? Think your first plaything would screw me over before you?”

  “I don—” I began to word my defense before Valia erupted.

  “X hjkrt lxb sjkl vkgexmc dwljzd out if Daegon wasn’t trying to do a good thing for you.” Valia snarled at Zylas as she stood up taking a step towards her, with a side I’ve never seen from her before. She was seriously ready to assault Zylas, despite it being a rather obvious one-sided fight.

  “I wasn’t serious, and your answer speaks volumes for how you really feel Valia. More importantly, that’s new.” Zylas growled, pointing at me. Thankfully, I didn’t have to fake concern to the unraveling situation.

  “I don’t give a FUCK about his eyes, you might be the most badass bitch here but I’ll still carv—” Valia violently roared before being dwarfed by a rather quickly transforming Zylas. I fell backwards, as a deep and pure red aura spilled out of Zylas flooding the room. She was not playing around in this very moment as I watched Valia barely able to stand her ground to an enormous Zylas, nearly tearing her current clothes to shreds. I couldn’t bring myself to stand, but I was able to place my hand on the Contract. It glowed on her fur, catching Zylas’ attention. It was an intense minute-long staring contest between the two, before Zylas broke her gaze and looked back at me. Her rage almost immediately turned to… Worry? She immediately began to shrink as she rushed over to me.

  “Daegon, you’re bleeding. Close your eyes.” Zylas spoke seriously as she wiped the blood from below my eye, showing it to me. Valia rushed over as well, I could see she hadn’t fully recovered from Zylas as she had a minor tremor over her entire body. But, that much didn’t matter as the world all of a sudden felt very heavy. I complied, closing my eyes finally….

  I awoke, heavy migraine and bandages wrapped around my eyes laying on my stomach. I was pretty sure with the level of comfort I was laying on; this was Zylas’ bed.

  “Daegon, you alright?” Valia’s voice sprang forth as I heard her walk closer. I slowly sat up, found the edge of the bed, and slid my feet to touch the bottom of the floor. I felt Valia’s hands coddle my head as she slowly inspected me over. I reached my hand up and found where the bandages were tied, slowly beginning to remove it. Getting to the final layer, I opened my eyes slightly as the light pierced through.

  “Can you see alright?” Valia asked stepping away. As the final bandages fell, the world sprung back to life. Zylas was now sitting in the chair back in her half-transformation form, as Valia knelt in front of me looking me over carefully.

  “Y-yeah… How long was I out?” I asked, squinting a bit. It felt almost as bad as my first possession, as if the overflow of information and power had nowhere else to go. Thankfully I was at least used to handling this type of feedback at this point. Glancing down, I noticed the bandages were mostly dyed with my blood.

  “Only ten minutes, want to explain what just happened?” Zylas spoke, in a scarily calm tone. I wanted to explain, but Ainai’s words of advice sprang into my head about my current situation.

  “You want to accept my offer, Zylas?” I asked in return. She glared at me, and mumbled something. Standing up, albeit shakily, I walked over. Valia reached out slightly before retracting, and took up a spot on the bed watching over. Zylas revealed the letter again, opened it, and re-read the details over it.

  “How about you find out how much blood I actually need first?” She asked, looking at me.

  “Well, that’s fair…. Uh, will this do?” I asked, pulling out a knife I kept in my back pocket. Zylas almost chuckled as she stood up. I didn’t notice immediately, but her clothes were basically shreds and scraps of cloth hanging off her. She grabbed my arm and pulled me in slightly, raising it up and holding a finger to my wrist. I slightly squeezed the closed knife in my hand, making sure not to drop it.

  “One, or two?” She asked, without giving reason.

  “T-two?”

  Without hesitation, Zylas sank her teeth into my wrist. A surge of adrenaline coursed through me, but to my surprise, there was no pain. It was an unsettling sensation, and barely lasted a minute. As she released my arm, I withdrew it, examining it closely. There were unmistakable bite marks near my wrist, yet they had already begun to heal. While there was some discomfort, it was far less intense than I had anticipated. Pocketing the knife, I looked back up to Zylas to see her giving me a rather gratified look.

  “You… You good?” I asked, rubbing my wrists a bit.

  “Up to a month, if I do nothing. Probably closer to a week if I stay as active as I am now.” Zylas said as she stretched her arm out, opening and closing her hand. If I didn’t know better, it almost felt like Zylas was fully reinvigorated. “I could stretch it to a month if I mix in human food as well, but I’ll absolutely need more at that point.”

  “Well, that beats my assumption of it being daily.” I thought out loud. Zylas paused and looked me over, there were many things she had on her mind.

  “Willingly giving up something is much more beneficial than ripping it out of someone. Just like that slut of yours and her deal.” Zylas spoke returning her gaze back over to her arm, flexing slightly. Valia began to growl again before being cut off. “Oh not you, Daegon has his own personal Demon.”

  “He has a what?” Valia spoke, standing up. I turned and looked at her. She was both irate, and slightly concerned.

  “His eyes are a gift from her… Mmm, he’s strong enough to use them now it seems, so she’s been recovering quietly in the background watching everything unravel. Seems he can see the value of beings with it… That explains the backlash he received when I raged out… This is the second gift he’s been given… Your regenerative ability is hers as well?” Zylas spoke, as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes. As if, recalling all of this from memory.

  “How do you know any of that?” I asked, turning back to her. I haven’t spoken to anyone about such things; those were all rather well-guarded thoughts or memories…

  “A little ability that ties me to my existence is how… Blood, is your answer. It’s also how I found out about this place, and why it’s in my best interest to accept whatever deal you give me… So long as I have access to your blood.” Zylas said opening her eyes, glaring back down at me.

  “So you’re not like me?” Valia asked a bit harshly, but understandably so.

  “Nobody is like you, Cub. I am a werewolf though, just a bit different than others. You don’t have to believe me; My ability can go both ways.” Zylas said walking past me over to Valia. She made an action I couldn’t see and I saw Valia recoil slightly. A moment past and Zylas turned around showing her finger with a cut on it.

  “Valia isn’t a moron, I know she understands what’s going on here. You’re a clever idiot that attempted to plan all of this, and I’m a raging beast wanting free of her current cage. If you really agree to this, you’ll be stuck with me until you die. And, there’s a chance I plan your death if I really want out. Plus, you’ll have the weight of another contract to deal with.” Zylas spoke calmly, intently watching over me. “It’s the best deal I’ll ever get. Are you willing to take those risks?”

  Zylas’ words seemed to try and drive home a rather dark outcome to the deal I was offering. Maybe it was the being with me influencing my thoughts, or L’s enigmatic presence… But I stand firm that this was almost wholly my own idea. There wasn’t an immediate gain, but there was a lot to learn from this. I cannot deny the obvious pitfalls, but it’s…

  “Wait, I would bear the Contract? Can a human do that?” I blurted out, contemplating that existence.

  “You think Lord would burden himself with someone else out of choice? That’d be the fuckin’ day.” Zylas retorted sharply. “I’m sure it wouldn’t weigh on you anywhere near as much as that whore.”

  “You have a fucked-up way of caring.” Valia spoke standing next to Zylas. It really put into perspective the size difference between them. She began walking towards the door.

  “So Sparkle-Eyes, are we doin’ this?” Zylas asked, holding up the paper from the envelope. It might be a bit early to call, but I think Zylas ran out of insults. The words on the note began to glow, anticipating the outcome of our conversation.

  “Yeah.” I spoke, as Valia opened the door behind me.

  “FUCKING HELL!” Valia screamed as she jumped back from the door. I turned about to see what the commotion was about.

  “Oh good, I don’t have to wait around. You should repair that door; I really don’t like having to walk this much.” Lord spoke indifferently, walking into the room past the flabbergasted Valia, who took up residence with her back to the wall. He paused for a moment, looked at her and shrugged. “Why are you afraid? You’re a Non-Contractor.”

  “She’s a WHAT?” Zylas yelled in astonishment.

  “That’s not even the most impressive thing in the room.” Lord spoke casually, glancing over to me. He walked up to Zylas and was promptly handed the note. “So Daegon, ready to be the first Human I’ve known to hold a Contract?”

  I paused, unsure how to answer. All I could really do was nod in agreement, mentally preparing for whatever endeavor this process entailed.