OLD Chapter 199 (UPDATE AS OF 11/23/23 - These original chapters 195-210 will be pushed out to another future part of the book or recycled. New chapters starting at 195 are being posted after the original 210, and these original chapters will soon be removed. For now, skip ahead to the NEW Chapter 195 past old 210) (Patreon)

Chapter 199

Riven’s eyes shifted around the rather dark and unholy temple display, taking in the statues of spiders, driders, and other various creatures of arachnid origin.  Numerous sets of red eyes peaked out from the dark corners that even Riven’s sight could not penetrate, and shifting figures in the shadows adjusted their positions on the outskirts.

“You’ve brought a lot of the family!” Athela said enthusiastically, letting go of Riven’s arm and running across the room - past Fimrindle - to throw her arms around her mother.  “I thought it was only going to be you!”

Riven glanced between this new woman, the figures in the dark, and the archdemon scarecrow who continued to remain on its cross unmoving.  Apologetically holding up one hand Fimrindle’s way, Riven began to walk over to where Athela and her mom were standing side by side - Athela having a giddy wide grin on her face while bobbing up and down on her toes.

Athela’s mother was strangely beautiful in a very sinister way, very close to how Athela looked - only slightly more menacing in her humanoid form.  She had three pairs of mandibles coming out of the sides of her throat along slit that likely opened up into an additional mouth, had smaller red markings across her otherwise pitch black and patchy white skin, and had four red eyes instead of two.  Otherwise the athletic outline and the six blade-like arachnoid legs sticking out of her back were the same.

Sensing Riven’s nervousness, Athela’s mother grinned - and she stepped forward with an extended hand.  “No need to be wary.  After seeing the lengths to which you’d go in order to save my daughter, I am most pleased to make your acquaintance.  It meant a lot to me, and the entire clan, that you seem to continually put her above everything else - and we fully support the relationship you two have cultivated together.  My name is Ytrikel’Vorindi, although you can just call me Vorindi.”

Riven reached out and took her hand, and to his surprise he was actually able to feel it.  The tangible nature of this nether realm was somewhat different than others had been, but he wasn’t sure why.  “It’s incredibly nice to meet you, Vorindi.  I just was somewhat blindsided!  Athela would occasionally talk about you before, and I guess I wanted to make a good impression in case I ever met you.”

Athela giggled, and her mother Vorindi smiled widely.

“No need to worry about that.  As I said, you have done more than enough to make a good impression with the clan.”  Vorindi let go and put her hands behind her back, inspecting Riven and then turning her gaze to the others that’d accompanied them into the realm.  Her eyes settled on Azmoth, then Allie, and then finally Riven’s soul clone.  “Fascinating.  Your path has truly been fascinating.  I must ask, Riven, when it is you intend to marry my daughter?  I assume her first time performance in bed was adequate?”

“MOTHER!” Athela barked, clapping a hand over her face and blushing furiously that turned her skin a different shade of black.  “You CANNOT ask such questions!  Riven DON’T YOU DARE answer that question!”

Meanwhile Riven’s own face had gushed a bright red, but he promptly nodded with an embarrassed grin.  “More than adequate.  Just how much did you see?”

“Most of it.” Vorindi replied, unperturbed by the loud groan escaping Athela’s lips.  “It isn’t as if we can just look wherever we want to, but I can see Athela’s experiences through her bond and I pay an information broker who utilizes scrying abilities to monitor you.”

He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.  “I see.  As for the marriage question…”

He trailed off, settling his gaze on Athela who continued to hide her face behind her hands.  But she did peak out at him a moment later to watch.  “Telling that kind of information would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?  As long as she wants to, that is.  Not any time soon, but perhaps after everything on Panu settles.”

He let on a gentle smile and Athela’s body went rigid - eyes wide.

The response was more than enough for Vorindi, and she slowly clapped while nodding in approval.  “I’m incredibly happy to hear it and look forward to such a surprise.  I will refrain from asking more questions on the matter before my child dies of embarrassment, but I approve.  Hopefully when things have settled down as you say, you and I will have more opportunities to become acquainted.  I am sorry for interrupting your contractual obligations, but I and the rest of the family now here couldn’t help but set eyes on you in a more personal fashion.  Regardless it would likely be wise to go ahead with the contract, as to not waste anymore time in the Abyss.  You need to get out and leave as soon as possible, lest all of you die.”

From out of the shadows, a spider leg waved his way - and Riven chuckled with his hands being shoved into pockets.  Athela slowly walked over to him and pushed her head into his chest, wrapping her arms around him and avoiding eye contact while he stroked her hair.  “Yes, that’s likely wise.”

Vorindi smiled gave Athela’s shoulder a kind squeeze, and then gestured towards the scarecrow. “I believe you have an archdemon to speak to.”

He nodded.  “That was very brief, but it’s been a pleasure.  Let’s talk sometime soon when things aren’t so dangerous.”

Vorindi only widened her smile, but did not reply and took a few steps back to watch.

“Athela…” Clone Riven said while sneaking up on the two, whispering into their ears.  “I can tell where you get your looks!  Your mom is a real hottie!”

Athela’s fist jabbed into Riven’s gut, causing him to wheeze.  “Shut it, twirp.”

“I wasn’t even the one to say it!” Riven gasped, still confused as to how he was taking physical damage in a nether realm but chuckling to himself when the other half of his soul smirked his way.

“It’s still you.  You were thinking it.” Athela replied, head still buried in Riven’s chest.  She looked up, red eyes wide, lips quivering, and she planted a firm kiss mouth to mouth while getting up on her toes before letting go.  “Let’s go talk to the scarecrow.”

During this entire exchange, Fimrindle hadn’t moved even a single millimeter.  The large, carved X’s for eyes in its metal face did not blink, did not twitch, did not shift.  The metal jaw and teeth remained slightly unhinged, and a black void remained at the back of its throat.  The lantern and scythe on either side of the creature were utterly still too, and the rail thin body of the metal creature was completely undecorated.

It kind of looked like a child’s stick drawing taken real form with a twist of evil to it.

• Fimrindle, Archdemon, Unique: The Iron Scarecrow, Unholy / Blood / Death / Machine / Sin (Sloth), Level 130 - This truly odd and misunderstood demon created from metal was actually spawned as part of an experiment done by black magic users who tried merging a machine, an undead, and a demon.  The experiment was a success, but the creators didn’t survive the ordeal.  After destroying multiple cities, the creature was banished and sequestered into a soul stone laid in a crypt at the bottom of an ocean trench.  There he remains, waiting for the right summoner to take him from his wretched prison, so that he can once again experience life.  He doesn’t talk much, and he’s a bit creepy even by Elysium’s standards, but he certainly knows how to wield a scythe.  [159 Willpower Required]

Both Rivens came to stand on either side of the creature, taking in the entire body from both angles through two sets of eyes.  It didn’t necessarily look all that impressive just at a first glance, but the description of the demon was promising.

“Tell me, Fimrindle, why choose me as a prospective master?” Riven eventually asked with a frown.  “You don’t even have your own nether realm, which begs the question as to why that is.  Don’t most demons choose a summoner because they want to explore the mortal realms without danger to themselves?  Yet, you’re already there.  It doesn’t make sense to me.”

An odd tugging sensation caused both of Riven’s bodies to glance Allie’s way, but it seemed that she had the same instinct and whirled around to look behind her.  When Riven’s eyes came back to where the scarecrow had been a moment before, he nearly jumped out of his boots and took an involuntary step back - seeing Fimrindle’s metal face only an inch away from his own with a wide smile.

“JESUS!” Riven muttered under his breath, heartbeat pounding in his chest while glaring back at the demon. “Don’t do that!”

The scarecrow remained stock-still, continuing not to move a single inch while the X’s for eyes stared blankly at the spot Riven had stood seconds beforehand.

Catching his breath and straightening, Riven blankly stared and then sputtered a laugh.  “Are you just going to stand there?  Or can you not talk?

Riven blinked, and during that blink the scarecrow shifted its position - inspecting Athela with crossed arms and the scythe-lantern combo settled on its back.

Riven’s brows furrowed. How the hell as this creature moving so… jerkily?  It was like watching a horror film where the ghost or monster made such abrupt movements that it couldn’t be tracked between movements.

Eventually Riven blinked again, and found Fimrindle looking his way again.  And when the creature finally spoke, the mouth didn’t move.  Only a raspy, whispering voice was heard - as if someone from far away was yelling through a tunnel to talk to him.  “I am looking for one to teach me… one that understands what it is like to be shunned.”

Riven waited for the scarecrow to continue, but Fimrindle didn’t utter another word.  Riven clicked his tongue in thought, shot the others a glance - only getting shrugs, and sighed.  “That isn’t much of an explanation.”

Again the scarecrow did not reply.

“Mind expanding on that a bit?” Riven asked with a raised eyebrow.

“You are interesting.” Fimrindle replied with that whispery voice.  The jaw of the creature didn’t move, but the words came out anyways.  “I do not fear death like so many others.  I do not need contracts to live on, nor do I need a nether realm to hide behind like so many other weaklings choose to do.  Should I ever die, my soul will enter nirvana and be reborn.  I am already dead, but I somehow remain alive.  I am here standing before you, and yet I am also not.  I am an abomination in the eyes of the system, a machine by body and a demon by nature.  I try to find my path where there is none.  I want you to help me find that path, and in return I can offer you help along the one you choose for yourself.  That is all.”

Riven’s eyes narrowed, and he contemplated the words the archdemon spoke.  Dead but still alive probably meant he was undead.  He didn’t know anything about this ‘nirvana’ the creature talked about.  Finding a path could mean a large number of things, but in the end it didn’t matter too much as long as Fimrindle obeyed commands and got along with everyone else.  “I see.  While that’s a rather cryptic answer, I’ll take it for now.  What’s your fighting style?”

“Assassin.  I follow the sin of Sloth.  Every movement I make must have meaning.”

“Curious.  What does the sin of Sloth have to do with needing every action to have meaning?”

“By nature, Sloth is apathy.  It is a lack of needing to do the things that must be done.  The less I do to accomplish my goals, the more I achieve one-ness with great sin.  Every action I do takes me further away from its unholy grace, thus if I ever take action it must be precise.  It must have meaning.  It must be influential.  Otherwise, I spiral.  It is the path I seek, the path I need to find where there is none.  For what path can be walked when the sin at the core of my being is that of Sloth?  How can one take oneself further when my sin is that of inaction?  It is a conundrum I wish to find an answer to.  I do suggest that you begin to follow your own path more fervently, vampire, should you lose favor with Gluttony due to your lack of proper choice.”

Riven’s eyes widened, and he crossed his arms.  “Well this got a lot more interesting.  What do you mean by my lack of proper choice?  What have I done to lose favor with Gluttony?”

The scarecrow paused, then its whispering voice proceeded to echo back at him after a low and ominous chuckle.  “You have pleased it thus far.  But you hold on to your humanity.  I see your soul, Riven Thane, and I find it lacking.  I see potential being squandered.  I wish to correct you, for both our sakes.  Do not confuse violence and gluttonous wants with evil.  You may still cultivate sin and the evil inside you without bowing to the notion of evil itself, though this is a harder path than that of embracing the essence of evil.  I tell you now that the more you kill, the more Gluttony is appeased.  The more you devour, the more you crave power, the more you grow, and the farther you will tread.  Gluttony’s aspect is similar to and almost a combination of Wrath and Greed.  You must eat, you must kill, you must grow, in a never ending cycle of self indulgence.  You must learn to love these aspects of yourself, give in to your wants, for these are the fundamentals of Gluttony.  Bathe in the blood of your enemies and drink them dry.  When you do this enough, you will one day find your hunger insatiable - but only then will you find the true power your soul now wields.  The true power your soul now remains buried under flawed personal beliefs on the nature of good versus evil.”

A shudder ran down Riven’s soul aperture, and he felt his soul clone’s body vibrate and resonate with the archdemon’s words.

The five shards of Gluttony surfaced in that moment, acknowledging the scarecrow’s words as true with a tidal wave of overwhelming hunger, before fading again into the background once more.

“Are you ok?” Athela asked worriedly, wiping sweat from across Riven’s brow as he involuntarily shuddered.  She glared back at the scarecrow, not sure what was going on, but calmed down when Riven nodded his head.

“It seems you know a lot more about my sin than I do.” Riven stated after some time, the maw along his chest-plate rumbling in agreement.  Jackal came up to his leg in canine form and rubbed against him, and he bent down to pet the weapon-turned-pet before straightening again to stare long and hard Fimrindle’s way.  “What do you know of the abyss?”

The scarecrow remained silent.

Clicking his tongue, Riven continued with another question.  “Why should I choose you over the others?”

The scarecrow yet again did not reply.

Riven’s eyelids dropped slightly, then he called the demon’s bluff and turned around while putting his helmet on.  “I guess he doesn’t want it as bad as I thought he did.  Let’s go.”

“The devil is a fool.”

Riven paused at the scarecrow’s words, smiling victoriously underneath the metal of Messenger’s protective shell.  “Go on.”

“He is impulsive and violent without forethought to any action.  He will get you killed the moment he antagonizes an opponent greater than himself, and it will not be him that dies the true death because of it.  The devil Chazi will not care if you die, as he will find another master so he can pursue the glory of battle at little risk to himself.”

Riven turned around to stare at the scarecrow, folding his arms and nodding along.  “Ok.  What about the others?”

“Rheufa Chak Tal is a deceiver.  You have not met him yet, but when you do - ask him about what he did to his last master.  And if you do choose him, be sure to triple check his contract.  It will no doubt be very long, and carefully worded in his favor in ways that you may not see.  The snake, Yattazi, may be a monster but she is also pure in soul.  She above all else follows her path of Sin with true fervor, and I have nothing negative to say about her aside from the fact that I would beat her in one on one combat.”

A small chuckle escaped Riven’s lips.  “Is that so?  I would be interested in seeing such a battle.  What about the Abyss-Lord?”

Fimrindle paused.  “What Abyss-Lord?”

Riven raised an eyebrow again and pulled up his list of potential demonic contracts, the list of 5 that Athela had narrowed it down to, only to see that list had dropped down to 4.

“That’s weird.” Riven muttered under his breath.  “I guess he didn’t want the contract after all.  Who knows, but it makes my decision easier.”

***

The conversation lasted a little longer, but not too long.  Fimrindle had an obvious aversion to speaking, and it almost seemed like it pained him to do it.  However Riven did get a lot of valuable information out of the scarecrow concerning his cultivation path revolving around the sin of Gluttony, and thinking about it a bit more he could certainly use another stealth-type companion considering he was in the Abyss.

The next and last demon he approached was Rheufa Chak Tal, the Thousand-Eyes Beholder, and the demon’s realm was far more vast than any of the others had been.

Standing on the edge of a cliff, Riven looked into the distance where the cliff dropped thousands of feet below.  A desolate, burning hellscape roared and erupted with volcanic plumes of magma, and overhead the sky thundered with black clouds crashing into one another in spurts of lightning.

The sight reminded him very much of Negrada, though it lacked the giant flaming eyeball in the sky or any kind of ruins.  Otherwise the environment was the same though, and Riven  casually waved to the right where a large beholder demon very unlike the other two he’d seen thus far now remained hovering over the cliff.

The previous two beholders were slightly smaller than him - one being in his demonic assortment before he’d chosen Fay as a succubus, and the other being the one who’d ambushed and helped kill Athela.  They’d each had dozens of eyeballs on stalks with a singular central eyeball far larger than the others, and rows of teeth in mouths underneath.

This beholder was far larger, somewhat similar to the size of Athela in her Drider form, and its features were slightly different.  The largest feature change was that this monster’s body was made of shadows very similar to how the Abyss-Lord had been.

The same central eyeball in the center of its mass was present, the pupil was cat-like and glowing neon green, and it had a large mouth full of sharp teeth just like the others had.  It also had numerous flickering stalks of similar but smaller eyeballs just like its weaker beholder counterparts, but  extending beyond these and off its back were dozens more of these stalks that split, and split, and split again until they began to lose substance - black fading into ghostly white before disappearing entirely into the air.  They almost looked like snakes, or thick branches of vines that attached the demon to the air about its body, and then those same stalks reappeared through rips in space - eyeballs attached at the ends of them in different places all around the area Riven now stood in.

More and more eyeballs began tearing out of the void to glare down on Riven’s group, until hundreds, and then multiples of hundreds of eyes stared down at him as one.

• Rheufa Chak Tal, Archdemon, Unique: Thousand-Eyes Beholder, Unholy / Shadow / Sin (Greed), Level 130 - One of the most calculating and cunning demons of his generation across the multiverse, Rheufa Chak Tal started his rise to power by burning away entire cities in the hellscapes when a certain incubus tricked him into giving up an item of power.  Since then, Rheufa Chak Tal has waged wars against entire clans of enemy demons - laying traps and springing ambushes to blindside his enemies with long range bombardments from numerous angles.  Since his recent evolution into becoming an archdemon, his power has seen drastic upgrades and he has become an overwhelming force to deal with as he plunders enemy holds for wealth.  He is known as an ambush predator, and a loner.  [136 Willpower Required]

“Quite impressive.” Riven stated aloud, turning around and around - up and down until settling back on the beholder’s main body while the stalks moved and shifted in non-existent winds.  “Makes me wonder what else you can do.”

“Rheufa Chak Tal, at your service.  You may call me Rheufa.” A gentlemanly voice replied with an amused hum to his voice.  His green eyes landed on Athela, and he began to laugh.  “Never did I think to see the day where a summoner of your caliber would consider marrying one of his demons.  The prospect is hilarious to me.”

Athela hissed threateningly, while the others in the party watched on in silence.  “It is rude to spy on other people’s realms.”

“It is in my nature to spy.  To collect information.  To evaluate my prospects of success when undertaking such a task as this.”  Rheufa replied with a silky voice - hovering closer and pushing his enormous eyeball up to the other archdemon.  “It would be stupid of me not to do so, but do not think that I am making fun of your situation.  I am actually quite impressed that he’d value you so highly, most summoners just look at us as tools - similarly to how most of us look at them.  It is a symbiotic relationship, they acquire our power and in turn we are able to level with diminished amounts of danger.  Eventually the summoners usually die, and we are left in an ascended state when compared to our prior selves.  Or at least that’s what generally happens.”

The floating eyeball demon retracted its shifting black form and focused again on Riven’s figure, then glanced to the soul clone.  “Interesting that Gluttony chooses such a baseline for its initial class.  Do you know why it does such a thing - splitting your soul like that?”

Riven’s two bodies looked at one another, and they both shrugged.  “No idea.”

“Come now.  Put some thought into it.”

Riven pooched his lips, then played along.  Thinking about it, and considering just what Gluttony’s goals were, he gave an answer.  “The only reasonable thing I can think of is that Gluttony wants us to pursue the path of duality so that we are able to grow, feed, and kill twice as fast.”

Rheufa Chak Tal hummed contentedly.  “That is what I theorize as well, though I am no follower of Gluttony myself and could not tell you in certainty.  Unlike that scarecrow, I have little insight into other sins aside from my own - that of Greed.”

The large eyeball shifted around Riven at high speed, examining each party member in full with the vibrant green eye until settling back on him again.  It smiled, sharp white teeth glistening under the body made of void-black, shifting shadows.  “Now let’s play at another question.  Why would I, as a follower of Green, submit myself to you?  A summoner?  When I am by my own admission here and now - able to grow easily enough by myself?”

Riven shrugged.  “No idea.  You tell me, that’s what we’re here for right?”

Rheufa sighed, and its eyeballs all rolled simultaneously.  “That was somewhat of a rhetorical question.”

“Didn’t seem like it.”

“Just stay quiet for a moment.”  Rheufa cleared his throat in his gentlemanly voice, far too sophisticated for the demonic body it possessed, and narrowed its sight one more time on the vampire.  “What would you say, if perhaps I was able to show you a way to acquire not only myself as a contract - but up to 10 in total?  What would you say if I could guarantee that you become not only stronger and survive the trials of the Abyss and Gluttony, but that I could guarantee you become the first E-grade creature on your planet before even arriving in Chalgathi’s next quest?  What would you say if this meant your power ranking on Panu’s power ladder would shoot you up to the number 1 spot, that I could guarantee your ability to conquer your world by the end of integration?  That I could bring your demon Azmoth into line with the rest of us archdemons?  That all you had to do to achieve this was pick me and accept my terms?”

Riven remembered the words Fimrindle had spoken concerning Rheufa Chak Tal’s previous master, and he folded his arms while considering the beholder’s words.  “That’s a lot of promises, and you’re giving off used-cars-salesman vibes.  No matter how good your promises are - I can in turn promise you that I won’t be picking you if the contract is shit.  But if it is good… then yes, I’d be very interested in hearing your proposal.  Just how would you follow through on all these promises?  I’m quite curious.”

The beholder once again laughed, and the green eye in the center of its body lit up.  “Your answer is a simple one, but achieving it will not be.  You may die trying to acquire it, and the risk is extreme, but should you succeed - I and any other demon you are contracted to will benefit immensely.  I am greedy by nature, and wish for power, and in you I see the potential to finally enact my plan.  I have seen your mediocre progress on Panu, and you will not be able to save your world from desolation at the rate you or any of the other natives are going.  If you wish to unite your world and complete all the world quests Elysium has given you within 5 years, you will need to expedite your domination of the planet.  Riven Thane, I wish for you to acquire the class of demon lord - and you are in the only place in existence that can provide such a class.”