Reborn: 6-10

by D. W. Jackson

  [Light shield. Cost ***Sun mana. Blocks attacks using the power of light energies.]

  [Sun mana. For every one hour spent under the sun gain 1 sun mana.]

  These were the favorite of all the ones Ash had gained and he had gotten them from a small floating ball of light that they had fought on the eighth floor. Ash wasn’t sure how much it could block or the real cost but anything that might save his life was welcomed. The other skills were not as useful but he was still glad to add more to his repertoire.

  [Light strike: cost 15SP- coat your weapon in light when attacking. Level 1-0%.]

  [Light ball: cost 20MP- create a ball light. Level max.]

  [Hemostat: cost 20MP- stop bleeding. Level 1-0%.]

  [Light arrow: cost 10SP- attack using 1 arrow made of light. Level 1-0%.]

  [Flare: cost 25MP- create a flash of light to blind your enemies.1-0%.]

  [Burst: cost 20SP- infuse your body with energy allowing increasing damage by 5% for 5 minutes. 1-0%.]

  After they were finished fighting the small group starting quickly left the labyrinth. Normally at the end of the day the group would spilt up with only one or two of them following Ash to act as guards since there was little threat as long as he was within the boundaries of the demon kingdom.

  “Hold for a moment,” Ash said when they reached the manor of the clan head.

  When the four women turned they each looked at him. Though all the women were demons they were all different. Li looked at his with a pure look on her face. Celina looked at him with a warm smile. Seia looked had a devious look on her face and lightly leaned forward to show off her ample chest. Tolarea though looked the most dangerous of all of them as she looked as if she was ready to hit him over the head and drag him off like a caveman.

  “I know you ladies a little and while I know we are all married none of us have really sat down to talk,” Ash said after collecting his thoughts. “I think it would not only help us personally but also during battles if we understood each other better. That is why today I would like for just us five to have a small dinner together.”

  “I will take care of it my lord,” Li said her voice dainty and Ash had to question himself if she had truly spoke. The other women were just as surprised as they all looked toward Li as if she had sprouted a second head.

  Blushing LI excused herself and quickly disappeared into the manor. Less than fifteen minutes later Li returned and told Ash that a small room had been prepared in the center of the manor for their use. Ash had thought that would be it but Li had a bright expression as she declared that the meal would be prepared by his wives.

  Ash’s eyes darted over the other three women and he noticed that Celina still sported her warm smile but Seia’s face looked slightly worried but that couldn’t be compared to Tolarea’s face. She looked as if someone had dumped a bottle of ice water down her back. “I can’t wait,” Ash said teasingly his eyes never leaving Tolarea who looked even worse by the moment.

  Still wearing a confident and innocent smile Li took charge of the other three women and pulled them inside the manor while Ash was left to himself. After a little bit the clan head found him and led him to the small room that they would be using for their dinner party.

  The room was located right next to the small kitchen that the women were using and Tegan wearing a very odd smile showed Ash a small hole in the wall where he could see his wives while they worked without being seen.

  “Why is there a hole in the wall?” Ash asked before looking through it.

  “All the rooms connected to kitchens have holes in the walls to allow some of the heat to dissipate. It also allows the smell of the food to fill the dining room to help increase hunger or that is what the first clan head said as the person who designed the building. Truthfully I think he just enjoyed spying on people,” Tegan said with a light laugh.

  Shaking his head Ash looked through the peephole. He had a very narrow view of the next room but he could clearly see most of what was going on. Li was happily standing over a large pot while her large wings were slightly twitching. Celina was off to the far side of the kitchen and Ash could only slightly see what she was doing. From his viewpoint it looked as if she was cooking something on top of the large stove. Seia was in the middle of the room along with Tolarea. Seia was mixing a number of items together in a large bowl while Tolarea was cutting up a large red vegetable.

  Even though Ash knew that he shouldn’t be spying on them he couldn’t pull himself away from the peephole. The cooking itself wasn’t very interesting but just watching the way the four women acted without him present intrigued Ash.

  When Ash was present LI hardly spoke. Ash had tried to talk with her but nothing really seemed to pique her interest. Now though Ash could clearly hear her voice as she ordered the others in the kitchen like a general on a battlefield. Celina seemed the same as always calm and happy. Seia on the other hand who was always very forward seemed unsure of herself and would often ask Li a number of questions before she did anything. The biggest change though was Tolarea. When Ash thought of the giantess he always figured she would do everything with the same energy that she fought with. She was bold and unafraid but now Ash couldn’t help but feel bad for her. Tolarea looked like a lost sheep in the kitchen and more than once the other women had to show her what to do or help her. Tolarea didn’t get mad but she did look ashamed whenever she messed up.

  It took the better part of an hour for the women to finish the meal. Each time something was finished one of them would bring the food to the small room and place it on the long table. Whenever this happened Ash would quickly leave the peephole and sit down at the head of the table. The best time for Ash was the short time between when the food was finished but before it was brought out as the women each argued about who was to bring it out to place it on the table. Ash couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh whenever he watched the scene unfold.

  Once all the food was finished the four women joined Ash in the main room. They each talked about the meal and who had made what dish. There was a number to choose from and Ash could tell the women’s own preference and skill from what was laid out before him.

  Li had made three dishes and most of them were made from fish. There was a broiled cod soup, backed salmon, and a fresh loaf of herb seasoned bread. Celina had made two dishes one was steamed vegetables over rice while the other was a very fragrant meat pie. Tolarea had only one dish to her name though Ash knew that she had helped the others. She had made fried steak that looked a little charred but Ash still smiled as he ate it. Seia had made one dish as well. It was a mix of meat and vegetables in a thick broth. Looking at the assorted meal Ash knew that his stomach would be hurting later but he knew it was worth the pain. If he left out one of the women’s meals then he knew it would be far worse than a little stomach now.

  While they ate Ash asked the women about themselves. What their likes and dislikes were and what they thought of him. At the same time he offered to answer any question they had about him as well.

  The time passed quickly and Ash was enjoying the meal even if it was slightly unusual. He had learned a number of surprising things as well about his new wives. For one thing none of them had been forced to become his wife. Ash had thought that they were just told by each of their clan heads but it seemed that each of them fought in their own way for the privilege. Ash couldn’t really understand the demon’s way of thinking about marriage but he wasn’t unhappy with his new brides.

  Li was quiet through most of the meal but she did talk whenever she was asked a question. She enjoyed cooking which after what he had seen it didn’t surprise Ash. She didn’t like fighting and she loved the feel of the sun on her wings. She could fly but didn’t like heights very much so she preferred to use her feet or use the large birds if traveling for any period of time.

  Celina liked to cook but her real hobby was fishing. She said she just enjoyed nature and enjoyed the sound of the water as it rushed past. Ash promised her
that he would go fishing with her as soon as he could though he himself had never tried it before.

  Seia didn’t have anything she called a hobby. She said that she spent most of her time training and hadn’t really had a chance to find something that she considered fun. The only thing she really had to say was that she enjoyed fighting in the labyrinth alongside Ash and the others.

  Tolarea was the one Ash thought he understood the best through he quickly found out that he was wrong. Tolarea enjoyed fighting and training but her real hobby was carving. It seemed that she had spent years learning how to carve as the clan head said that only fighting would ruin the soul and forced all trainees to pick one thing to do for relaxation. After meeting her clan Ash couldn’t help but agree. If Tolarea didn’t have something other than fighting then he was sure that their clan would have started a war just to keep themselves entertained.

  Once the meal was finished Ash and the four women each went their own way. Since it was already late one of them followed him back to his room. Ash smiled as he lay down to sleep. It had been an enjoyable day. He enjoyed fighting but that alone would leave his soul barren and after the talk he had today he decided it was time for him to find a hobby outside of all the fighting.

  Demon's Legacy #9-12

  The next morning Ash readied himself for another day in the labyrinth but everything changed when he found the sage and Tegan waiting on him outside his room.

  “My lord we have some news,” the sage said with a serious expression. Ash nodded his head not having to ask what the news was about and followed the two into the large meeting room where his wives and a number of others awaited him.

  Ash sat done at his appointed seat at the head of the table and looked around the room. “What is the news?” Ash asked once he noticed that no one was willing to speak first.

  “The king has started to move his troops,” The sage said with a concerned look on his face. “It seems that our interfering with the last large battle has caused a bit of trouble and many of the nobles in your land have used it as a means to push the king into adding his own army into the conflict. So far he has only pulled about forty percent of his men from the border but that is still a much larger number than we had anticipated.”

  “Can we win?”” Ash asked as his stomach knotted from the news. He was still unsure of the total number of demon soldiers available to him and even though they were part of his army it didn’t feel right to make them die for people that didn’t know them. In fact many of the people that would be saved outright hated demons and used them as the scapegoats for anything that happened that couldn’t be explained.

  “Winning isn’t a problem but it won’t be as easy as we had expected,” the sage replied without a pause. “We need to move more troops into position and ready a secondary battalion that can make it in place within a few days after the initial engagement. The king’s army is well trained from all reports but they are expecting to fight against a much smaller and weaker force so they when we flank them they will most likely fall into disarray. If their leaders are smart they will retreat and regroup. We can’t let them run too far so we should set up a secondary line in the direction that they will most likely escape to so that we can heard them in place. Once they calm down and reevaluate the situation they will do one or two things. They will either attack the town at full force or try to break through our lines and escape. I won’t lie and say that there will not be any casualties but I believe we can still limit the damage to our side.”

  “What should I do?”

  “There is not much for you to do my lord,” the sage replied. “We just thought it would be best to let you know what was happening, though you will need you to start moving around the troops in two weeks and in three weeks we will all need to head to the front lines so that we can get a full understanding of what is happening and we can respond accordingly.”

  Ash thought over the sage’s words carefully. “That means only two weeks left to train,” Ash said more to himself than the others.

  “Well a little more than two weeks but that is the main point. At most you will be able to visit two more clans before you need to start thinking about the coming war.”

  “Understood.”

  The rest of the meeting was mainly talking about which clans would be best used in what situations. Not having a very good understanding of the many different clans and their abilities Ash was left in the dark and could only listen while the others discussed the issue.

  While they talked Ash started to fall into his own mind and lamented the fact that his training time was almost over. He wanted to see Emelia and the others again soon but at the same time he was also enjoying his new life.

  When that thought crossed his mind Ash felt as if he had done something wrong as he was instantly wracked with guilt. Here he was enjoying himself while the people he loved were worried about him and facing a threat that they know there is no way to survive from.

  Leaning back in his hard chair Ash looked through the glass ceiling and stared into the blue sky. The sun was out today and it hadn’t snowed in over a week. The sky was so blue if Ash let his eyes unforces he could imagine that it was the sea and the few clouds in the sky were foam from the waves.

  Ash was jolted from his thoughts by Li who gently shook his arm when the meeting was coming to an end. “My lord do you wish to train today or are other things on your mind?”

  Ash looked at her kindly and tried to smile though he knew that it didn’t reach his eyes. Li didn’t speak often but when she did her voice was soothing and it always seemed concerned about him. “I think a few hours in the labyrinth would be good for me,” Ash said limply.

  “Understood my lord,” Li said bowing her head slightly. “I will gather the others so that we will be ready when you call for us.”

  “Wait,” Ash called not wanting to be left alone at the present. “Why don’t I go with you?”

  As they walked down the hall Ash’s mind started to wander once again. He found it so hard to believe that in just a few short weeks he would once again be standing on a battlefield. Ash clenched his fist when he thought about everything that was at stake. “We will win,” he mumbled to himself as his eyes darkened slightly.

  Stats

  Notes

  Name: Ash

  Level: 36

  Experience needed for next level: 332,824

  Race: Human/Demon 70/30

  Occupation: intermediate gambler

  Title: First Knight

  Blessings: Blessing of the reaper

  HP: 1400/1400

  MP 1320/1320

  SP 267/267

  Strength: 74 (+10) (+2) (+1) (+10) (+10) (+194)

  Vitality: 77 (+3) (+202)

  Agility: 51 (+10) (+5) (+132)

  Stamina 73 (+5) (+191)

  Spirit 38 (+10) (+97)

  Intelligence: 67 (+175)

  Endurance: 40 (+10) (+1) (+2) (+10) (+102)

  Luck: 231 (+999) (+1)

  (Special stats)

  Hardness: 1

  Soul MP: 260

  Sun Mana: 13

  Abilities

  Passive:

  Devil’s Luck: 500% bonus to luck.

  Fleet Foot: +10 to agility. Max

  Wolf Eyes: See in the dark. Level Max

  Mining: Ability to use a pick to extract ore from hidden locations. Able to tell where mining locations are located. Level 2: 23%

  Poison Resistance: level 2-81%: 10% poison resistance.

  Grave Domain: Damage resistance to whole body with the exception of the head increased by 10%.

  Spider Senses: able to detect prey that is up to three levels higher within a 200 foot radius. Able to sense hostile intent within a 100 foot radius. Level max%.

  [Fire Resistance: 15% fire resistance. Level 3-32%.]

  [Natural Armor (small). When fighting your skin acts as a natural armor blocking 10% of physical damage. Level: max.]

  [Frost Resistance: 10% resistance to frost damage
. Level 2-47%.]

  [Yeti Strength: +10 to strength. Level Max%.]

  [Electric Resistance. 5% resistance to energy attacks. Level 1-87%.]

  [Water Glide. When moving in water it flows naturally around you decreasing water resistance by 25%. Level max.]

  [Cloak of Shadows: When in a dark area cloak of shadows wraps you in shadows making it harder for you to be detected.]

  Dragon Sight: You can see the magical flow of items and creatures

  [Reaper’s Sight: people who have received the ire of the goddess will now appear with a small sickle above their head.]

  [Reaper’s Soul: after killing a person who has been marked by the goddess you will absorb a portion of their soul and receive any abilities they possess.]

  [Earth Affinity- cost of using earth related skills will be reduced by 14% and power of earth related skills will be boosted 7%. Level 3-54%.]

  [Mental Resist- 5% bonus when attacked by a mental attack. Level 1-36%]

  [Iron Stomach: for each ounce of iron you eat your strength will raise by 1 but at the same time your intelligence will be reduced by 1.]

  [Fire Affinity - cost of using fire related skills and abilities will be reduced by 10% and power of fire related skills and abilities will be boosted 5%. Level 1-13%.]

  [Blood Drain- ability to absorb 1% of a person’s experience by drinking their blood after their death.]

  [Heart of Stone: slowly absorbs the essence of the earth into your blood strengthening the body over time. Level max.]