" Hmmm... She didn't even eat breakfast. What's up with her?"
Joey muttered to himself as he watched Darzirak flattened himself into a pathway to lead Philomel back to the catacombs.
Philomel carrying the basket, packet with her untouched breakfast and lunch. She turned to look back at Joey and Little One, waving goodbye to them. Joey adjusted Little One in his arms before the two of them waved goodbye to Philomel. The mist was much denser than the day before, making Philomel look like she had disappeared into a cloud.
" Sque?"
Little One asked. Joey stare at Little One, extremely confused.
" Did you just squeaked?"
Joey wondered out loud as he moved Little One's hand away from the toddler's mouth.
" Squ."
Little One answered as he poked Joey's cheek.
" Ok that's just... confusing... does that count as your first word or just a sound you can make?"
Joey imitating Little One, poked Little One's cheek.
" Ai!"
Little One squealed in delight as he clap his little hands. Joey chuckled, shook his head and headed back towards the inn. The minute Joey entered the inn, he was instantly greeted by a flabbergasted Amon who nearly bumped into Joey as he was leaving the inn.
" Oh! Good morning, Amon. Philomel told me to pass him to you when you wake."
Joey greeted and passed Little One to Amon. Amon's expression instantly changed to relieve.
" So there you are! Gave me a shock, I thought Philomel had forgotten Little One had a play date and brought him along with her."
Amon let out a breath he was holding as he held Little One against his shoulder.
" Ha ha... Nope she didn't forget, in fact she even told me about it when she left him with me."
Joey informed with a smile. Amon nodded and finally turned to Joey.
" I'm glad you're here, I been wanting to talk to you ever since I saw you. Did you have breakfast yet?"
Amon asked as he turned toward the inn.
" Yeah, I had breakfast earlier with Philomel."
Joey nodded as Amon gestured for him to follow.
" That was some trick you pulled, last night. Trying to embarrass me to death?"
Amon joked and Joey laughed as he patted Amon's shoulder.
" Sorry to tell you this but I wasn't. I was trying to embarrass you to the point of complete destruction of reputation and let you live with that. "
" You scoundrel!"
Amon laughed as he shoulder bumps Joey.
" To be completely honest though, I only came up with the wine and bread one."
" No... You're telling me Darzirak came up with that cake one? That one probably was the nail in the coffin for me."
Amon gasped.
" Oh that one was Scarlett, my shadow. Darzirak came up with the starry eyes one and the rose one."
Joey placed his hands behind his head as he corrected Amon.
" Seriously? Didn't expect Darzirak's pick up lines to be so tamed and romantic. Still out of all 5, I say the cake one really did it's job well. I definitely felt like dying after it was said."
" I know right! I had second hand embarrassment from just hearing it!"
" Makes you wonder, how can anyone come across such a line."
Amon wondered out loud.
" Scarlett is a beautiful shadow woman. Probably has tons of guys at her feet, saying everything and anything to get her attention."
Joey whimsically smiled as he gaze up at the cloudy sky. Amon gave Joey a weird look.
" Isn't... Scarlett like... a shadow? All black and just a silhouette? How do you know she is beautiful?"
" Somethings you just know with all your heart... Maybe she's beautiful because I love her. In the end it doesn't matter, it won't change the fact that I want to be with her. No matter the cost or the repercussions."
Joey answered with a dreamy look upon his face. Amon fell silent as he thought about what was beautiful to him and questioned why it was beautiful to him.
Amon brought Joey along to the barn, the children greeted them before turning their attention to Little One, extremely eager to play with him. As Little One played with the other children, Amon and Joey watched them from the sidelines as they lean against the wall.
" How long Darzirak has been your tenant?"
Joey questioned as he turned to look at Amon.
" Since I was 5. So like... 16 years. Darzirak been with my family since before the God War."
Amon did the math with a nod.
" 5?! How did you survive his training at 5 years old?!"
Joey exclaimed and stood up straight, leaning over to look him in the eyes, ready to comfort Amon.
" Oh, I never received training. It was part of the deal Darzirak had with my grandfather. "
Amon laughed as he waved off Joey's serious expression.
" Oh... Have your family always made that deal?"
Joey relaxed and returned to leaning against the wall but had inched closer to Amon's side.
"No... I was the first since I was the youngest to ever enter a contract with Darzirak. Back then Darzirak wanted to terminate their contract and move to a new host since my grandfather was on his death bed. Darzirak wanted to join with my father but my father liked his demon and didn't want to change. Leaving me as the last option... I was obviously too young which put Darzirak in a coma for 3 years since I didn't have enough mana to sustain him. "
Amon chuckle at the memory.
" You got it lucky. That demon is putting me through hell to master all his powers and I mean that literally! But can't deny, it's worth it since now I can travel between the physical and shadow world. Scarlett can too but how long we can stay in each others realm is limited to my ability. *Sighs* If only all the shadows abilities Darzirak has could allow me to see and hear her. "
Joey stare at the palm of his hand before fisting it and crossing his arms.
" Darzirak doesn't have they way? He's been a shadow demon for centuries. Surely he has one but withholding it from you."
Amon instigated.
" No. He left me in the demon realm for months, time moves differently down there. Using Darzirak's reputation, I managed to get a meeting with an archive devil. Not even the gods can undo the curse the earth has put on the citizens of Zakheaven. A price that shall be paid by each and every generation that comes from them."
Joey shook his head before resting it against the wall and looking up at the barn ceiling.
" For all their wonders of their empire to be forever broke, along with their people, forever forced to reflect, imitate and be stepped on by all that they once deemed lesser than them."
Amon recalled and quoted his mother's words when she told him the story.
" Makes you wonder what horrific crime they committed to deserve such a punishment."
Joey's grip on his crossed arms tightened to the point his fingernails almost drew blood.
" Wonder all you want. You'll never find the answer for the Guardians of the Earth (World Wide Watch) has erased it's existence. It's impossible to remember, impossible to ever commit, impossible to even dream/think about. It no longer exists in any plane of existence. "
" Except the shadow realm."
Joey corrected.
" You sure? Cause I'm pretty sure they would wipe out their memories too before cursing them as shadow beings."
Amon turned to Joey to clarify.
" Why else are shadow beings unable to speak to us? Why else we can't hear what they say?"
Joey waved his hands in a questioning gesture.
" True... Wait isn't Darzirak able to hear them speak?"
Amon questioned which ---------
Joey waved his hands in a questioning gesture.
" True."
Amon agreed as reality warped over. While all world guardians felt the alteration like a soft poke on the arm.
" Sucks to be you, huh? Being in love with a shadow you can never speak to."
Amon patted Joey's shoulder.
"At least I can summon her momentarily."
Joey sighed.
" I wish I had the power to unsummon Darzirak, maybe then that cake line would cease to exist just like the crime of Zakheaven. We could call it the crime of Darzirak and wipe him out of existence as well."
Amon held his hands in prayer making Joey burst out laughing as he patted Amon on the back.
" Still extremely strange how a he could come up with such a line when the rest of his line were so... as you commented earlier, tamed and romantic."
Joey titled his head and thought for a moment before shaking his head.
" Power of the master at being annoying?"
Amon offered for an answer as he shrugged while looking at Joey with an unsure expression.
" Power of the master at being annoying."
Joey agreed with a nodding head since only Joey was capable of giving input to Darzirak and that line definitely didn't come from Joey.
" Makes you wonder, if Scarlett wasn't a shadow and could communicate with physical beings. What line do you think she would have shared?"
Joey wondered out loud.
" Probably something that wouldn't be the nail in the coffin for me!"
Amon said with a chuckle causing Joey to shake his head and laugh along with him.
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