Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Trekking through the Godswood following the resonance of my blood, my mind found itself on a particular man: Zantar. It had been a while since I saw his face. I’m sure by now he’d figure that he wasn’t a match for me. And yet, for some reason, his name was one of the many rattlings through my mind’s eye.

Are my instincts wrong? Clouded by the serenity of the Godwoods? This is the first land I’ve ever been to that felt so pure. Even as we ate the poisonous wolf, a sudden sense of wrongfulness wormed its way into my heart. And I was sure Zariel had felt it.

The Godwoods was a strange place. But it was odd for my blood to lead me here. I wonder why there exists such a resonance between me and this forest. Blood was a source of power and attachment. For something to—”

“That tree….” Zariel muttered. And I pulled my eyes towards where his eyes lay and found myself frozen in place. A frown found its way over my lips as my eyes skimmed over the strange engraving over a lone tree.

It was a familiar floral design I hadn’t seen in a long… long… time.

A tension of pain tightened over my chest as we stepped closer, our steps both cautious and hurried with anxiety neither of us suspected in the other.

“This is…” Zariel muttered, tracing his fingers over the bark. “It’s the design mother occasionally wore on her dresses engraved in a tree.” And his frown deepened. “It’s fresh… perhaps a few hundred years old. What’s even stranger is that this tree is feeding on a body.”

Sucking in a deep breath, I glanced around, following the pangs of anxiety within my heart. I stilled as my gaze landed on another tree with a similar floral design. Then another, and another, and another.

Ten, twenty, forty, fifty… hundreds, thousands.

“A graveyard. ” I said, pushing out my senses. I caught sight of the dozens of bodies decomposing beneath the soil, their bodies torn by the roots of the Godwood trees. I smiled. ” Not a bad way to go.”

“You think so?”

“You disagree? At least their bodies will have a purpose in the end.” I told him.

“I prefer nothing of my remains is left behind. That the mere existence of my being is wiped out of the minds of everyone, leaving not even a legacy nor a memory.” Zariel said, his depressing ass making me depressed.

“Still a negative bastard, I see.”

“And you’re a cannibal. What’s your point?”

“Cannibal implies I eat Shadowfell. Which I don’t. Foolish little brother!” My hands flicked my hair as a sense of superiority touched this king. “And I’d rather be a cannibal than eat fish. Disgusting.”

A/N: -_- Facts.

He chuckled and glanced toward Jin. ” I wonder if he’ll inherit my madness?”

“You can’t tell?” I glanced at him, and he shook his head.

“No. Aurelia is part angel. Her very nature is very purifying. Even if she, too, is mad. Merely being by her keeps me sane. And it’s the same for the children.” He smiled and turned to me. “The Spear of Noctem that carries your heart, that holds power to enthrall you is your weakness. Well, Aurelia is mine. Should she die… the Zariel you know… will too die.”

“Jesus… what the hell happened down there?”

“Hell is a place of punishment,” Zariel muttered, a strange sense of fondness in his silvery white eyes at the mention of Hell. “It’s where one is sent to live their endless days in judgment. But what happens when a child is raised in Hell itself? What happens if all he knows is torment? I was the youngest resident to visit the deepest pit of torment. The youngest to feel true despair.”

Zariel is still being tormented… isn’t he? Damn. Mephisto… you’re a goddamn bastard.

Patting his shoulder, I spoke.” Wipe that look off your face… and never show it to your kids.” I told him, unable to look myself at the painful mask of insanity bleeding through.

He looked at me for a startling minute and nodded. ” I understand.”

“Let’s go, Little Brother.” Pushing him along with my arms hooked around his neck, I smiled, sensing a little change in him.

“Dada?” Jin wearily muttered as the first light glimmered over the east. Warmth raced over the ebbing night as he poked his small head out of his father’s embrace. “Jin is hungry.”

Zariel smiled. “There’s beef jerky in your pocket. Munch on that. I’ll have a servant bring us something.”

“I want soup dumplings!” Jin shouted, leaping out of his father’s embrace. He crawled up his back onto his neck like a little squirrel and smiled brightly. ” And—”

“Who goes there!” A harsh bark bellowed through the rising dawn, and with it, a powerful shockwave struck against my flesh.

I stared coldly at the strange old man, built like a bear. He stood like a bolder ready for war. His eyes were sharp like a blade, with a brutal cross shape scar imprinted over his face. He stood tall, with his callused hands gripping a greatsword.

My brow knitted together. “Did you sense him?”

“I sense everything. Unlike you, who feels a thrill dying. I keep my guard up.”

“… it keeps things fun.” I bluntly said. “But my guard was up. But I still couldn’t feel it.” 𝑏𝑒𝑑𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑒𝘭.𝑐𝑜𝑚

“It’s the forest… we are approaching the heart. Its aura is affecting your soul.’ Zariel calmly explained. “It’s not dangerous, so your soul might not adapt unless you wish it to. Although I don’t recommend it.”

“I’ll not ask again! Why have you entered our sacred area?”

Ignoring his words, I opened myself up to my blood, and my eye narrowed into slits at the strange sliver of forsaken qi tangled around his soul.

… Is there another like me here?

“Jin… you wanted Soup Dumplings, Beef, or Chicken? You know what? I’ll get both. I want some too. Yo Arsene, what do you want? It’s a Chinese Restaurant I’m ordering from.” He said, peeping up from his phone. “There orange chicken is fire. You can taste the sweet tang of oranges. Their duck ain’t bad, but I’ve had better.”

… This guy, lol

You know… how do more people like Zariel than they do me? He’s a bigger asshole than me! Thats BS.

I’m way more social.

The silver devil narrowed his eyes. ” You seem angry. Why?”

“Are you ignoring me!!!!” The stranger barked.

No shit, idiot.

“Frustrated. But that’s irrelevant. Get me chicken fried rice, dumplings, orange, and general Tsu chicken. It’s been an eternity since I’ve had Chinese.”

“Fat ass.”

“DIE!!!!!!!”