Darkness, Flames and Hopes Ch. 06

"It's your room, my lady. Um... I'll be downstairs if you need anything... Or in the basement. You'll see me straight away. My wife, too. If you want to take a bath—"

"We will come to you, thank you." Minerva completed his words. Dimana was still looking at the sorceress' face. Lust became unbearable but still she couldn't feel happy. She couldn't understand why she wasn't happy either and her complex emotions started to melt her brain. Something was piercing her heart and she could even prefer the fat man in front of the woman who she had been dreaming of for days.

After Hender bowed his head and quickly moved away, Minerva turned to the succubus, and for a long time, didn't take her blue eyes from her brunette face. There was absolutely no lust in her sapphire eyes, but no anger either. Dimana couldn't take it any longer and shook her head at her.

"What?"

"Can you meet your needs without seduction?"

Dimana nodded without hesitation. She remembered the black aura very well, and as long as the sorceress willingly presented her body, whatever the protection spell was, Dimana didn't want to taste it again.

The sorceress' breasts rose and fell with a deep breath.

"Never undress. Where is he?"

Dimana frowned, but immediately realized who she was talking about. The temperature behind the door a few steps away was constant. She pointed at the door to Minerva with her finger. Dimana was completely confused when Minerva started walking towards the door without waiting. What was she trying to do? As the sorceress gently knocked on the door, Dimana came up to behind her quickly. The form approached, but stood right in front of the door. When Minerva knocked it for the second time, the door opened slightly, a young pale face turned his green eyes to the visitors. His crimson curly hair made Dimana smile. Minerva grinned beautifully at his curiously spaced thin lips.

"Hello, young sir."

The young man waffled senselessly for a moment, turned his curious eyes to Dimana, but she bowed her head immediately.

"Ah... Hi? How can I help?"

"I want to have a little chat... If you are available."

He kept his door steady and showed his intent. Dimana clenched her teeth. The damned woman didn't mean herself when she said she would help. There was no other alternative for her, but the disappointment even trembled the lust, which had dissolved her mind a moment ago.

"Little chat?"

"Yes! I like to."

"Ah... N-not me."

Minerva tried not to disturb her smile, but her anger that started to rise was become apparent from her blue eyes. She slowly pointed Dimana with her hand, trying to keep her voice cheerful.

"Come on... Do you really want to keep two beautiful women at the door?"

When green eyes turned back on her, Dimana responded this time. There was no point in hiding the eyes he would see much earlier than her breasts and wet lower lips. Although the sorceress didn't want it, she took a step closer and turned her fresh red aura onto the human behind the door, kept smiling at the pale face. The young man's pupils thrilled first, then his lips, he quickly pulled his red head behind the door.

"I- I want you to go! I... I'm tired- Busy!"

Minerva wrapped one arm over her breasts, buried her face in her palm. Dimana felt the same boredom. The damn humans are very interesting. They were lining up to fuck her while she was in the temple, but they all fled fearfully when she wanted them.

As the sorceress pulled her skirt up and raised her pale leg, Dimana's thoughts dissolved. When her hard kick ended in the middle of the door, the door hit something behind it, the young man groaned and fell to the floor. As Minerva opened the door all the way, Dimana put her head around the door, watching the young man holding his head and writhing in pain. His fearful green eyes turned to Minerva, who stared at the room calmly, he quickly got up from the floor.

"Wh-what are you doing! Hender!"

Dimana then closed and locked the door to prevent his shouts. The redhead jumped over the bed, put his back against the wall, pulled a short dagger from his waist, pointed it towards Minerva. The sorceress just smiled and walked over the books on the little coffee table at the head of the bed.

"Hush hush, sweety. I'm tired too, you know."

She embraced a large, worn book and opened the green cover. Dimana smirked at him, leaned her back against the door and crossed her arms. His simple green shirt and gray trousers with worn knees were reflecting his poverty. The fearful eyes and broken breaths made his cute face ugly.

"Wh-what do you want!"

Minerva smiled and gestured at the open book with her finger.

"Hm... The Legacy of The Sky and The Earth..."

She muttered a melody and left the book on the table again and took another one.

"The Hymns of Father Byzanus. You must be a really religious person?"

She winked at the traveler, still waving the short dagger with both hands towards her, then turned her back and sat on a chair in front of him.

"You know, the god of Light no longer wants the old gods. You can get into trouble with these scriptures."

Dimana twisted her lip to the words she couldn't make sense of. She wasn't sure exactly what humans believed, but she knew very well that she had a lord in the hell. She had never saw the Dark Lord, but all the hell was acting under his commands. Unlike the humans, demons wasn't require any guards or books. The limited level of consciousness was sufficient for the Dark Lord to fully retain authority. The enemies were angels of heaven more than religious people, but Dimana could not remember seeing an angel.

"I- I'm not... I'm just reading!"

Minerva waved her hand gently and smiled at him.

"Oh don't worry. Don't judge. You can believe whatever you want. Actually, I'm even glad you're not a luminousist. What's your name? I'm Serra and she is... Ophelia."

Dimana felt happy, at least not having to use Emelie's name. She smiled at curious green eyes, slowly came over to Minerva and folded her hands in front of her.

"Nice to meet you... Um... Your name?"

The young man turned his gaze back to Minerva and finally responded with a shaky voice.

"M-Mahier. Are you...a Vower?"

Minerva laughed and threw the book on the coffee table, crossed her arms.

"No, no. I am not so blessed. Actually I am not a Luminous neither, I'm too busy to watch the wars of the damn gods. I think they are all... Supremely...full of shit."

Dimana wasn't surprised. She had never thought that the bloody woman was religious. In her emotionally charged speech in the tunnel, she had made it clear that she was at odds with the gods too. When Mahier pressed his lips with anger, Minerva shook her hand to him again.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to disrespect. So... Where are you from, Mahier? Any job to do?"

"I... I'm from here. I... Well, actually I'm just a-"

"Can you sit, Mahier? And hide that dagger... It's make me pretty nervous."

The hands of the young man holding the dagger relaxed. His eyes were still looking for a threat. He stuck his dagger into the sheath and sat on the bed, keeping his eyes on the intruders. Minerva bestowed another nice smile on him, pointed at the brunette woman next to her with her head.

"Her eyes, yes. A disease. Eye poppies. Have you ever heard?"

Mahier checked the burgundy eyes with a few quick looks, shook his head.

"Yes. Very rare. Usually occurs in one eye. The other eye remains blind. But both eyes... Very rare. Do you want to know how?"

Minerva grinned as the young man nodded curiously. Dimana sighed and rolled her eyes. Does she really need so many lies?

"Nobody knows the cause. But the process... It's quite hurtful. High fever starts first. Days later, nose, ear and mouth bleeds. So much blood flows, the only smell they know is the smell of blood. The only taste they know is the taste of blood. Then blood rushes into the eyes, the whole eye becomes a red globe. The patient thinks that she is blind. She becomes even unable to lift her arm from blood loss. For a long time, she remains in bed tightly blindfolded. She thinks that she will die. Weak ones die immediately. But... People with strong perseverance like Ophelia survive. After all, all the blood begins to collect in the iris and the disease ends. And... She was only twelve years old while experiencing all this."

She raised an eyebrow, smiling, and pointed to Dimana with her blue eyes.

"Fantastic, huh?"

Mahier wasn't the only one with open mouth. Dimana wondered all the truth of all that the damn sorceress said. Even if she was lying, the young man was sufficiently impressed. He couldn't take his green eyes from Dimana. The succubus immediately wiped her curious gaze, reshaping her face with a sad expression. She twisted her lips, slowly nodded at him.

"I... I'm sorry, my lady."

Dimana bit her inner lip hard so as not to laugh.

"It's okay, Mahier. I'm used to these looks. So... What's your story then?"

Mahier bowed his head again, clasping his hands in his bosom.

"I... Really- I'm just a shepherd. I don't have an interesting story."

Minerva leaned forward.

"Where is your herd, then?"

"It's... in my village. I just have a little matter."

Whatever the matter was, the shepherd looked uncomfortable. Dimana wondered why, but didn't want to bother him more by asking. Inconvenience would kill a possible pleasure and there was absolutely no lust in the green eyes already. Unfortunately, Minerva had no intention of leaving the man in peace.

"Well, that's exactly what we ask, Mahier. What exactly is the matter? May be useful for all of us?"

Mahier grimaced with a terrible expression, but for the first time, his voice was strong in front of them.

"Enough to provide justice?"

The sorceress' smile broke, her curious eyes turned to Dimana, and faced the same expression. When she returned to the young man again, her smile came back.

"Justice? No. But nemesis? Why not. Who and why."

The young man frowned at words he could not make sense, sighed. He took his hand into his inner pocket, pulled out a piece of paper, looked at it with a sad expression, and slowly handed it to the sorceress. Minerva pulled the paper from his hand, opened it quickly, quietly reading the characters Dimana still could not recognize. Mahier continued without waiting for her.

"Letter of complaint. Rais. Second army captain. Rais Yosingen. That's who."

Minerva frowned, folded the paper again, but waved it to the shepherd without giving it back.

"Inappropriate behavior?"

Mahier shook his head, his hateful expression returned.

"The demarch's letter. He said the court...would not tolerate other statements."

"But, in fact?"

The young man turned his face to the dark window without answering, and remained silent for a long time.

"Rape. Murder. Two people."

Minerva took a deep breath, shook her shoulders while Dimana listening to them quietly and curiously.

"Yes, very heavy statements. I don't think the court will allow this kind of trial... for a shepherd... without proof."

Mahier turned his angry green eyes to the sorceress, but didn't say anything. His quest for revenge was proof that Minerva was right. The sorceress gave the paper back to him.

"But I believe in you. How about telling the whole story? Damn it, Di- Ophelia! Stop standing up on my head, sit next to him."

Dimana rolled her eyes, but she smiled at the shepherd's anxious glance and slowly stepped towards him. She held out her hand to his shoulder, but Mahier quickly made a distance, looking at Minerva as if he was asking for help. Dimana got angry, but when she opened her mouth to ask him to keep calm, Mahier spoke again, making Dimana sit quietly.

"I- I don't want to. Who are you, anyway? How can you help?"

Minerva laughed cheerfully, crossed her arms and legs, leaning her back on the chair.

"You won't believe anything what I say, Mahier. All I can say... I can get you to take revenge you desire. A bad man raped your mother and killed her and your father? Oh it's so sad... I think you're lying. And I also think Rais is a murderer... Do you understand, shepherd? Nobody knows nothing. Nobody can prove anything. Everybody is shouting at each other and nobody understands what they're saying. Do you really deserve revenge? All you need is some faith and a listening ear. And I'm offering you both. Don't you think I'm more divine than your damn court?"

While the shepherd looked confused at her, Dimana had to grin. Sometimes the discomfort in the mind of the damned woman ended in her tongue, and nobody other than herself understood the words that came out of her mouth. While Mahier bowed his head in thought, Dimana slowly stretched out her brunette hand and put it on his knee. Dimana spoke quietly when the young man didn't react, except for a small spur.

"She says... Hope. That's what keeps you- Us alive... Isn't it? Maybe the hope is sitting right in front of you, Mahier."

Mahier nodded slowly as Minerva raised an eyebrow and smiled at her widely. Dimana wanted to smile, but she couldn't, instead she creaked her teeth hard. Hope... Us... Like a goddamn human. She also had a hope. Hope was sitting in front of her too, and the belief that she had grown more in her heart every day was like a disease. It was a deep wound that only one human could have.

"My sister. My mom died a long time ago. He raped my sister and I... I just watched. Last fall. They were passing by our farm. I told my sister not to look at them! But she just wondered. The horses stopped and that bastard entered the farm with a couple of soldiers next to him and he came directly to us and... My sister lowered her head but... She was so beautiful... A soldier grabbed me by the shoulder and put me on my knees, I... I did not even object. Even when my sister was screaming with fear... Even when she was raped... I didn't say anything. The whole village heard the shouts, but my father was the only one who came."

He took a deep breath, wiped his nose with back of his hand.

"He only begged. He was just a coward, too. Like me. Even more coward than me. And that bastard said to my sister... She was still crying on the ground... He told her... I'm sorry, child. My name is R-Rais. Find me when you grow up. Just like that. Like a cow he marked! "

He pointed the books on the coffee table with the finger of his shaking hand.

"I am not religious. I was once. But now... I just try to understand. Then they went. I went to the demarch. I explained everything. You know... It didn't help anything. I was going out in the winter but... It was very cold. And I had no coins. Two months later, I sold a few sheep secret from my father and... Here I am. "

When he stopped to breathe, Minerva leaned forward with curiosity.

"So... He didn't kill anyone."

Mahier shook his head slowly.

"I didn't lie. My sister couldn't bear the pain. In winter... She committed suicide while we were sleeping. At dawn I saw her frozen body hanging from a tree. Few foxes had gnawed her toes. When she died, she was pregnant. So... two people. Do I deserve revenge?"

It wasn't a question. The young man didn't speak more, and Minerva didn't ask any more questions. There was a awful silence in the room. Dimana pressed her lips, softly squeezed his leg, watched his face looking down with an anticipation. The tears that didn't flow of the shepherd whispered that he buried his sadness into his heart long time ago. Now he had only a cold desire for revenge in his young body. Lust, on the other hand, was the last thing that felt in the room. There was no emotion on Minerva's face, but Dimana knew the meaning of the glowing blue eyes.

"I'm sorry for you, Mahier. But you are on the wrong track. The second army is deployed on the Longhold border. Not on the Uhemer border. Also, you think you can pass an army of six hundred soldiers alone and kill a high ranking officer? With that toy?"

Mahier stared at the sorceress and nodded, ignoring his leg tightening.

"Not anymore. The second army is here now. I have investigated. They are very close, but... I know it's impossible. I am not sure I can kill him even if he comes into the room right now, but... I just want to talk. I want to say something."

Minerva sneered.

"Or you should go back home, Mahier. Your sister won't come back. Rais... Maybe he doesn't even remember her anymore. Maybe he's dead? Your desire for revenge will only bring you a new suffering. Be realistic. You're a clever boy, you know that."

Mahier responded, surprisingly, to the sorceress' bitter words.

"You said it yourself. Nobody knows anything. Maybe I can take my revenge despite everything. But what's the purpose of crying for justice without trying anything?"

Dimana leaned over his ear and started the young man with a voice she tried to keep cheerful.

"Or you have already taken revenge by telling us your story, Mahier. You return to the herd, and we find and kill the rapist dishonest."

Mahier took a look at Dimana, but when he returned to the sorceress without a reply again, she made the brunette woman angry. The damn woman attracted all the charm of the shepherd.

"You're just two women. Even if you are a witch or something else, you will be helpless like me."

Minerva squeezed her facial muscles in order not to spoil her smile.

"Like she said, Mahier. Hope. Maybe when you wake up at dawn, you will see the head of that soldier in front of your door this time."

As the young man's grin broke with this dream, Minerva turned her blue eyes to Dimana.

"What do you think, Ophelia. Does this shepherd deserve revenge?"

Mahier raised an eyebrow and turned his one eye towards Dimana as she smiled widely.

"Revenge? Yes."

The brunette lifted her hand on his leg, slowly put it on his cheek, while the shepherd was blushing, her fingers ran across his young beard, cheek and ear lobe. Even though Mahier lowered his eyes, Dimana continued.

"But death? No. Death will be very easy. Before we kill him, let's put hooks on his ribs and hang him on the ceiling. Cut his scalp. Rip his teeth one by one. Let's light a fire at his feet, dance around him as he shouts in pain. Until all his blood dry, with hot daggers around-"

When Mahier moaned and turned his disgusting face to Dimana, she had to shut up. Did she go too far? Minerva rolled her eyes as the young man clenched his teeth.

"I- I don't want to torture! Just let him die..."

Minerva coughed and cleared her throat, participated in the discussion.

"I admire your dream world, but it would be too extreme, Ophelia."

As Mahier nodded sharply to the sorceress, Dimana smirked and moved her fingers again on his soft skin.

"Yes. It's disgusting.But it has its own elegance... A unique sense of satisfaction, right Mahier?"

As the redhead's lips extended wide to smile, Dimana grinned. Even the damned gods would smile at the suffering of the enemies. The disgusting scenario she summarized was exactly part of the memories of her homeland, and Rais would experience so much more, one way or another. When Minerva laughed and stood up, Mahier turned his head up curiously.

"Great! Let's have a deal, then?"

"Deal?"

The sorceress folded her hands, with a kinky smile on her face, she looked at the young man from head to toe.

"About something... We also need help. Something only a strong, brave man like you can help."

When she slowly sat on the other side of the shepherd, Mahier wasn't the only one who stops breathing. We... She was really planning to join them? As his eyes glanced at the two women around him quickly, Dimana held his chin and turned his cute face slightly to herself. The lust that filled her body caused the red aura to spread, but she managed to regain control of herself as Minerva put her long fingers on the young man's leg. No seducing. Mahier's face trembled with many feelings. As Dimana smiled and brought her lips closer to his, he turned his head firmly to the other side, saving his chin from her.