Chapter 6 - Hero Privileges
[Voice]
Why would I try? Why would I try to help them? What is the point of saving this rotten, diseased world? I am the chosen one, why does everyone hate me? I get killed for no reason, I get forced to do things, I have nothing. There is no rest, no breaks. There's always something that is going to happen. There will always be something that is completely out of my control, what can I even do? I want to run. I want to hide. That is my instinct. But my body says otherwise. I don't want to keep dying. I don't want to die. What can I even do? I'm so hopeless. I'm so hopeless. I'm so hopeless.
Caesar: Giving up now Cori? Pathetic. This is not fitting for a strong ruler.
Cori: Huh?
Cori woke up, she was still on her throne, white space expanded in every direction. The only person sitting in front of her was Caesar.
Caesar: Pathetic. But I guess it's my job to cheer you up. I offer you my plan.
Cori: About time. I need some help.
Caesar: I have a suggestion. We must get the hell out of that manor and run away somehow. But for that, we would need money of course. Some of the maids offered you to join them, you can start with that as a job.
Cori: That sounds good, but how would I get out of the manor?
Caesar: For that, we would need to escape on the final day of the month, something happens on the final day of the month that causes Bella to go berserk. I cannot tell you further information. The best option now is to avoid others until you get stronger. Power is everything.
Cori: I got it. I will try to pull it off.
Caesar: Shake my hand, let's execute this plan together.
Cori stands up and reaches out her hand and shakes. But her vision suddenly goes black for a moment. When it cleared up, Caesar was gone. She was shaking hands with thin air. She sits back down on the throne. She was all alone again. There was nothing in this white space. Absolutely nothing. A bright glow starts to blind Cori, pure white light engulfed her, it was slightly painful but it was more stimulating than the whitespace around her. She suddenly wakes up in bed. It was the first day of the month.
[Cori]
I was at the beginning of the month again. I know I have to become a maid, but how? Should I just ask Altair? Should I just ask Bella? I should be cautious, one wrong step will result in me ending up looking like Swiss cheese. Bella was by my bedside again looking at me.
Bella: Finally awake sinner? But what is with that look on your face? Strange of you to be this expressive this soon.
I realized I was making a weird face. It was a mix between fear and surprise. This would obviously warrant attention from Bella.
Cori: S-Sorry.
Bella: You're weird. I'm getting out of here once the master comes in…
I decided to stay silent, there was an extremely awkward atmosphere. But this gave me time to think. I can act like I am thankful for Altair saving me. I would play the role of a princess who just got saved by these people. I will then beg them to work for them. Like this, I will manage to get money and follow through with Caesar's plan.
Bella: Disgusting…
She was talking underneath her breath, she was muttering some sort of "insult" at me, I decided to get angry.
Cori: I can hear you, you know that, right?
Bella: Why would you care?
Cori: Keep your yap inside your mouth, I don't want to hear it.
Bella moves closer to the further side of the room, giving me a killer glance, I could sense death. We waited until Altair came in, then some procedure as before was followed, he blabbered on and on about killing me and not killing me. Whatever. I had heard this speech twice before, why would I want to hear it again? I even have to pretend like I'm listening.
Altair: You seem quiet, are you inquiring anything?
Cori: I- I was wondering, I wanted to help you out since you helped me.
Altair: Huh?
Cori: Can I work for you in some way?
Brigg: The head maid keeps complaining about how she's lonely, but I doubt that adding a demon would help out.
Altair: That might work in our favor, it could be a little learning experience for this demon. Of course, Bella and you will supervise her.
Brigg makes a face, he didn't seem very happy about what Altair just said. Before I knew it, I got employed as a maid. They even gave me a cool outfit that came with the job title. There was no end to that elf's spout about how cute I was. I don't get it. But it was time to start day one of the job.
[Voice]
Time to get to work…
Bella: (I can't believe I'm doing this)
Bella: Alright, your job as a maid is to keep the manor tidy and clean, you signed up for this, now you have to work.
Bella: (Why did they agree to pay her, I don't get paid for this)
Bella: Your first task is to brush every spec of dirt off that statue.
Bella points at a miniature statue of somebody, it was completely nude, Bella says that it was supposed to be "fine art" from another human society. It was on a large pedestal high up, it would be hard to reach.
Cori: How am I supposed to reach it?
Bella: Good question.
Cori: Give me a different job! I'm too short! Why can't you get me to clean the other statues around here? There are four different ones to pick from!
Bella: (Hehehehe, This is hilarious)
Bella: That's the orders from the boss.
Cori: Can I at least get a ladder?
Bella: Nope, climb on top of it somehow, if you scratch it, you'll pay.
Cori: Uhhh…
Cori attempts to climb up the massive pedestal, but keeps sliding down.
Cori: *pant* *pant* Can you give me a boost? We are supposed to… Have… Teamwork, right?
Cori was sweating, she was exhausted from the climbing attempts, her body wasn't physically fit.
Bella: Quit slacking off! Get to work! Now!
Cori: Ughhhh.
Cori channeled all the strength she had, she went for the pillar, she struggled so hard, she closed her eyes, her hands grip the pillar and she slowly but surely climbed up.
Cori: I… Can… Do… This…
Sweat drops flowed down Cori's scalp, veins popped out from her skinny arms, this was the most physical work she had done before. The sweat on her hands was starting to make her slide but she kept pushing.
Cori: I will climb this pillar!!!
Bella: Yeah… Climb the pillar.
Cori's hands reached upward, there was nothing but air. She had reached the top, her hand eventually felt the statue's foot, it was surprisingly smooth, it even had socks on. But wasn't it completely nude? She opened her eyes to find herself at Bella's foot, she seemed more concerned than angry.
Bella: Cori, there's something sticking out your back…
Cori: Bella… Help… I'm dying…
Bella: What the heck is this?
Bella kicks Cori's hand away and looks at the object, it was an upside down heart connected with a thin cord structure, she reached her hand out and grabbed it. A soft groan was heard from Cori when she did.
Bella: Is this our tail? Where did it come from?
Cori: What tail? I never had one.
Bella: It just… Appeared.
Cori: I'm tired… Don't bother me.
A soft snoring sound was heard from Cori, she had dozed off.
Bella: Wake the hell up, I know you know something I don't know!
Bella puts hard on Cori's tail, she did successfully wake Cori up but it caused Cori to puke on the carpet floor.
Bella: Ugh… You're cleaning that up. Go get the mop and water.
Cori: Whhyyyy.
(moments later)
Bella: Done?
Cori: Done.
Bella: Alright, you've wasted enough time, now start cleaning that statue.
Cori: But I'm tired… My legs hurt, my arms are sore.
Bella: Quit complaining, we have more work.
Cori had an idea.
Cori: What if I use my fancy new tail to grab the brush, then I won't need to climb the full length up.
Cori couldn't climb the pillar, but her tail could reach the feet of the statue, she had to adopt a strange position for this, doing a handstand while leaning on the pillar. The statue had extremely shiny feet now.
Cori: I'm tired, can I take a break? I also don't want to brush something that is naked, it makes me uncomfortable.
Bella: No.
Cori: I would like to see you do it. If you want to order me around, then I want to see how you deal with things.
Bella: *sigh* We've wasted a lot of time, I guess I can do this.
Bella pulls a brush out of a long case she was carrying. The case had a strap that went over her shoulder. She jumped up in the air toward the statue, but it seemed like she went directly through it. When she landed on the ground, the statue's dust exploded outwards creating a cloud. She reaches into her case again and pulls out an object, it sucked up all the dust in the air and left the statue in pristine condition. She opens up the dust sucking device and blows the dust in Cori's face.
Cori: *Cough* *Cough* What the heck is wrong with you!
Bella: See? It's that easy.
Cori: How am I supposed to do that? Get me a towel, I got to wash this dust off now!
Cori's face was looking more gray than usual.
Bella: Alright, that was practice, now, you must clean this entire room. You will be timed.
Cori: Wu… What?
Bella: Every statue must be gleaming when you're done.
Cori was speechless. She did not expect that being a maid would be this hard.
(hours later)
Bella: I'm going to fall asleep, are you done yet?
Cori: Ugghhhh.
Bella: Is that a yes or no?
Cori: Yessss.
Cori was slumped over a statue, sweat stains were visible on her body.
Bella: Your time was three hours and two minutes, at least you tried your best?
Cori: Yayyy…
Cori collapses on the floor and instantly falls asleep. She starts to drool on the carpet.
Bella: This was pretty funny to watch, hopefully Altair actually keeps his promise about keeping her alive. Altair said I have to do lessons with her later, maybe this won't be as bad as I thought it would be.
(Hours later)
Cori was done with her lessons for today, she did so well, it impressed Bella to the point where she bragged to Altair when she saw him. They were in a living room when they talked.
Altair: I had a bit of doubt in you, are you sure you didn't need Brigg's help?
Bella: That idiot fell asleep, I managed to get through the lesson so quickly, he hasn't even woken up! This proves that I am better than Brigg in some aspects.
Altair: Glad you have something to boost your confidence, I always felt like you were gloomy.
Bella: It's partly because this demon is hilarious on the job.
Altair: Is she causing trouble?
Bella: Only to herself.
Cori: Oh hi mister Altair, what are you dialoguing about?
Bella: It's called conversing, and for the last time, don't say mister, say master.
Cori: I will keep saying mister, master makes him sound too high up in the hierarchy.
Cori: (I consider myself the esteem demon queen for now, master is a term to refer to a king, not some stupid hero)
Altair: Never mind that. Cori, I have received overwhelmingly positive things about you, is there anything you want?
Cori: Can I go to the hero selection ceremony with you?
Altair: Why is that?
Cori: It sounds cool, am I right?
In reality, Cori had other plans at the hero selection opening ceremony, she would try to steal a couple of things and hopefully get rich, or indulge in the "rich human life". She hoped to see the golden hallways that she "rightfully deserved to live in".
Altair: Yeah um…
Cori: Please, I will do anything mister Altair.
Altair: I will need to place restrictions on you if you go.
Cori: YES!
Altair: You are not allowed into the hall where the heroes will give the speeches, and I will have Brigg supervise you.
Bella: Dang, I thought I would go.
Altair: We need people back here in the manor, I will make sure to bring something back for you, Bella.
Bella: Fine… At least I will have the company of one other person.
A maid suddenly walks up to Altair, she seems a little shaky and nervous.
Maid: Master Altair?
Altair: I told you, you don't need to call me master, you are a high enough rank here.
Maid: Alright. I got the report done, all preparations are complete, and you are to leave tomorrow.
Altair: We will also have to bring this passenger along.
The maid took a look at Cori.
Maid: Is that… A demon? EEK!
Altair: It's harmless, it's probably weaker than you.
Maid: You hired a demon? Why didn't you tell me?
Altair: She was hired very recently, we didn't have time to tell you.
Maid: Dang, I will need to manage a demon from now on?
Altair: It will probably be temporary.
Cori: Who the hell are you?
Maid: I am Tara, head maid of Aquilla, I do a lot of management jobs here, what have you done today?
Cori: I cleaned… A bit too much.
Bella: I only made you clean 3 whole rooms.
Cori: Bella has been torturing me, can you do something about it?
Tara: Underperforming I see. I feel like you will get used to it pretty soon. Maids here are always special, especially one chosen by Altair and approved by the esteemed master himself. To make up for your underperformance, why don't you help prepare dinner?
Bella: I will go also, to control this demon of course.
Cori: Alright, seems easy.
Cori: (Shit! I don't think I have ever cooked before, maybe in a distant memory yes? Hopefully if I had a past life, I would be a great chef. What do I do now?)
(Later in the kitchen)
Tara: Alright, we are going to prepare some seafood. Altair doesn't really like fish but Edda insisted.
Cori: You guys are lucky to be able to eat a variety of food.
Tara: Cori, prepare the fish for me, I will do the side dishes.
Cori: Oh right, uh…
Tara: Tell me if you need anything.
Tara heads to the other section of the kitchen, Cori was obviously nervous, she had never cooked before. She looked at the ingredients and a cookbook. She had a large fish with various sauces and seasonings, and a large pan was available, it seemed heavy. How was she supposed to cook something so specific?
Bella: Need any help?
Cori: I-I'm fine.
Bella: Suck up your pride, we at least have to make a good meal for the masters.
Cori: I can do it myself clearly.
Cori starts to cook, she doesn't know what to do but Bella still gives her instructions.
Bella: Now, you want to cut the ginger into thin slices.
Cori: AHHH! THE KNIFE HURTS!
Blood spewed out of Cori's finger, she had accidentally made a small cut.
Cori: I'm dying waahhhh!
Bella: Come on, it isn't that bad.
Bella goes over to Cori and covers her finger with her hand, miraculously, it heals it completely.
Cori: What was that? How did you do that?
Bella: Magic.
Cori continued cooking, it was about time to add the fish in.
Bella: Cori! What the hell are you adding? I told you not to add anything else!
Cori: I'm just adding some more taste, this powder makes my stomach churn, but it kind of tastes good.
Bella: That's sugar.
Cori: Mhhmmm.
Bella: Stop eating it, you're going to throw up in the kitchen.
Cori: I have a strong stomach, I trust myself.
It was now time to add some other things now.
Bella: Cori, why are you adding lettuce, we shouldn't use ingredients outside of what Tara gave us!
Cori: Why not change things up, add something special!
Bella: Adding a laurel reef made of lettuce… You have to be kidding.
Cori: It shall have all the mashed potatoes ever! I will have them stacked like piles of gold!
Bella: Cori, NO!
The dish was almost done.
Cori: Do we not flip it? It says it here in the "pancake recipe".
Cori goes over to the pan and struggles to lift it, it was too heavy.
Bella: You need help there?
Cori: Not at all! I was just… HRRK! Charging up my muscles for this endeavor. HRRK!
Bella: Let me do it.
Bella pushes Cori aside and with one hand, flips the entire thing over. A terrible smell emanates from the underside causing Bella to immediately retract.
Bella: UGH! WHAT DID YOU PUT IN THIS? THERE ARE FUMES IN THE AIR NOW!
Cori: Huh? What fumes?
Bella: You're probably too short to smell them.
Cori: I am taller than you, what do you mean?
Bella: Just barely taller than a two year old!
Cori suddenly smells the fumes.
Cori: CHRIST! THE END OF THE WORLD IS UPON US!
Bella: Here we go again.
The dish was finally done, it looked interesting to say the least.
Tara: How's it goi-
Before Tara could finish, a putrid smell hit her in the nose, almost knocking her out.
Tara: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?
Cori: I finished the dish, tada!
Cori presents the dish to Tara, Bella was standing behind her looking distraught. The dish was indescribable in its beauty, it looked like an eldritch horror, too disgusting to describe, yet too beautiful to comprehend. The sheer craftsmanship in this dish was so great, the author of this book wasn't able to describe it. Just by looking at it will enthrall you with its intricate patterns of tomatoes and mountains of mashed potatoes. It was truly a work of art that would make someone go insane just by looking at it. Unless you go insane due to the smell first.
Tara: WHAT THE HELL? GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!
Cori: Come on, is it that bad?
Tara: You are literally wearing a gas mask.
Cori had a gash mask on, she received it from Bella to prevent her from passing out.
Cori: How does that change anything?
Tara: How about you go serve whatever this thing is?
Cori: Alright, sure!
Tara: Wait, hold on, you're actually serving that?
Bella: It's your fault, I don't think she knows what sarcasm is.
By the time they tried to stop her, she was already gone, it left a trail of smell leading to the table. She was standing in front of Alshin, presenting the dish to him. He seemed disturbed.
Cori: It's delicious, trust me!
Alshin: Who hired you? What is that? Is that poison?
Cori: (I have to switch strategies to get someone to eat this, I will prove that I'm a good cook.)
Cori switches her voice to a cute high pitch voice, and she tries to seduce Alshin into eating the dish.
Cori: Oh mister ~ I prepared this just for you! Why would I ever try to poison you? I just met you after all ~ I will be delighted if you rated my hard work, can you be so kind as to take a bite?
Alshin's face turned red, he took out a spoon and with shaky hands, poked the head of the fish, a ball of red goop rolled out. He sighs and takes a bite from the body. His face seemed to turn green as he swallowed.
Cori: Mister ~ Do you like it?
Alshin: It has an interesting taste to say the least…
Cori: Hooray! I'll leave it here if you want more. Goodbye Mister!
Cori runs off, leaving Alshin barely alive. I am honestly surprised he survived Cori's cooking.
Tara: This sinner is dangerous! No way she just convinced Alshin to eat that.
Bella: Demons can do wonders when humans trust them. Should we go get medical aid for him?
Tara: He will be fine… We should worry more about what Cori is doing now.
Bella: You don't want to go near that thing do you? I can make another gas mask.
Tara: I don't want your flesh things. Your true form scares me a bit.
Bella: I'm human enough am I not? Please say I am.
Tara: I won't stop being friends with you just because of that. It's kind of hard using things that are produced by you due to that.
Bella: It's alright… I'm going to go get that biohazard away from Alshin.
The day passed, It was almost night time.
Cori: Dammit… How much work do I need to do…
Bella: Cheer up, with your help, you wake my work 1% faster, better than nothing.
Cori: Ugh… Who knew getting a job was this soul crushing.
Bella: It won't be that bad, oh, and by the way take this.
Bella hands Cori a metallic disc, was it a coin?
Bella: This is the currency around this area, they call it crowns or whatever, humans call them dollars or cents. But we stick to the old tradition.
The coin had a miniature crown on it, it was slightly weathered, the crown was detailed, having some text under it. It said "land of heroes".
Cori: Yes! I'm rich!
Bella: Not quite, you will need a lot more of those, that is worth 10, in comparison, the master's worth is more than ten billion.
Cori: What type of pay is this… I heard that jobs are supposed to make you money…
Bella: Maybe Altair will give you a raise if you make him look good at the hero selection, it is full of opportunity, but is also full of misfortune, try to to be too expressive, got it? You might get into trouble.
Cori: So exciting…
Cori could barely sleep that night, she was a little too excited at the prospect of making her name known, they will all know the name: Cori the Demon Queen.
Cori: Dammit… I looked at the clock out of boredom… My head…
(the next day)
It was time for the hero selection ceremony. They would have to leave. Outside waiting for them was a decorated carriage. It was enormous. Pulled by enormous dinosaur creatures. Brigg called them Drogars, they were the horses that would pull carriages carrying many people. The carriage's design was not the gold plated fancy ride that Cori imagined. The inside of the carriage was comfortable, cushioned chairs and tables were in the inside. It even had a VIP room. Which Cori was not allowed in.
Brigg: You are sitting with me.
Cori: Alright, how long will it take for us to get to the capital?
Brigg: 20 minutes
Cori: 20 minutes? But those dragon things are huge, they should get us there in no time.
Brigg: That's right. They do travel fast, but we have to travel carefully, even if our estate is close to the capital, a permafrost crystal has taken control over the region in between. It is caused by the condensation of too much snow in the atmosphere here. The snow would combine with magic into something terrifying. It comes as a replacement to rain or snow occasionally.
Cori: Why not go around it?
Brigg: You said you wanted to get there fast, right?
Cori: Why can't they just remove that crystal? It can't be too hard to break.
Brigg: It costs a lot of money, and people would instantly freeze if they get close to it. They call the northern archipelago the land of frost and magic for a reason.
Cori: Aw…
Brigg: don't worry, it will melt over the course of a month.
Cori: Whatever… When is this thing going to move?
Brigg: Be patient.
The carriage started moving, it was fast, it was smooth sailing up until they reached the permafrost crystal area, an enormous towering crystal as big as a mountain was seen in the distance, ice spikes blocked the path through where they were headed, the area around them dropped in temperature.
Brigg: Stay in the carriage, I will remove the spikes.
Cori: Huh? How?
Brigg heads outside the carriage, moments later, a sharp crack was heard and a crumbling. Moments later, Brigg appears next to Cori, the process was efficient and fast.
Brigg: We're all set!
The carriage started to move again. The view outside the carriage was beautiful, a giant crystal that radiated a misty frost was in the distance with enormous ice spikes that protruded from the impact zone of the permafrost crystal. The carriage moved slowly and steadily, occasionally Brigg had to step outside the carriage to clear the path, Cori could never see what he used to clear it since the windows were all blocked whenever Brigg exited. Cori assumed it was magic and didn't bother asking. The crystal eventually faded into the distance and the snow and frost on the ground receded. In the distance was a massive city spanning as far as the eye could see. It had towering skyscrapers that reached over the massive walls, it seemed extremely Victorian despite the futuristic skyscrapers. One could see an occasional airship flying around. Chapels and more monuments could be seen over the wall. This was just the beginning, what was in the capital? It was a huge leap in technology compared to the first city Cori was in.
Brigg: See? It wasn't that bad. We're here already.
Cori: I think I'm getting sick…
Brigg: Don't barf yet! We're almost there!
They eventually reach the city gates. A guard stops them, he had crusader armor on, this place was obviously religious. Equipped with him was a shield bigger than Cori.
Guard: Reason for entry?
Altair: I have this medallion.
Altair pulls a medallion out of his cloak and shows it to the guard through a window. It had a detailed crown on it and was made of some sort of gold with black material.
Guard: Oh! Sir, you may pass. You know where the palace is, right? It's in the Elder district.
Altair: I know I know.
Guard: We have received reports that one of the candidates got lost, we can't really let that happen again.
Altair: That's not good. We'll let you know if we see them.
Altair's group continued through the gates, carriages and strange machines that had wheels drove to and from the massive road that cut through the city, it was a sight to behold.
Altair: It should be this way…
The carriage made a turn onto another road, before them stood a gate. Guards with fancy uniforms stood before it.
Guard: Sir, your medallion?
Altair shows the guards the medallion and they let him pass.
Guard: Carriage parking is further forward, you will need to walk the rest of the way.
Altair: Understood.
They parked the carriage among other large ones, they seem to belong to the other candidates.
Brigg: Prepare yourself Cori, it's a 20 minute walk at normal speed.
Cori: What? Why? This is bullshit!
Brigg: Come on, follow me.
The group walked down the streets to the castle, you could see the tops of the thing from outside town, who even needs a castle this big? It was massive, almost impossibly massive. Probably 30 miles across? Who knows. The Elder district was much quieter, many rich looking people walked down the streets, many "no pets", "keep out", and "keep quiet" signs were seen. Cori made sure to comment on every single one to annoy Brigg. It was smooth walking to the castle until Cori collapsed.
Cori: Uhghhh… Brigg… Wait up, this has to be torture right? What is even happening… My legs… I can't feel… I'm dyinggg.
Brigg: It has been five minutes Cori, relax.
Cori: Some people are heavier in some places *huff*
Cori points at her chest
Cori: *huff* You got to consider it you dimwit.
Brigg: It looks pretty flat, have you eaten much? I'm sure it's the fact that you aren't athletic at all, you look like a skeleton after all.
Cori: Who are you calling skeleton? You don't even have any muscle! I'm a cute and thin girl after all, the body type all men want!
Brigg: Whore! It's not like you're stronger than me!
Cori: Why you! You…
Their "conversation" eventually devolved into inaudible yapping as both got angrier and angrier.
Maid: What the hell are you two doing, we have to follow master Altair.
Brigg: Yes, right.
Cori: We were just having a friendly conversation, nothing else.
They continued, this time with Cori having a piggyback ride on Brigg.
Brigg: You're quite light.
Cori: Shut up…
A passerby suddenly bumped into Brigg and Cori, knocking them over; they pushed through the two other maids with Altair and ran past, dashing out of sight.
Cori: OW! Can I catch a break? What the hell?
Brigg: Cori, are you ok?
Altair: Dammit, my medallion, I need that!
Looks like the thief took the medallion from Altair, from context clues, one could guess that the medallion was proof of candidacy in the ceremony. Altair bolted off the main path, going after the thief.
Cori: Hehe, looks like we can take a break.
Brigg: *sigh* and I was told to stay close to you, shouldn't we do the right thing and chase that thief?
Cori: Screw that, Altair has got it. In the meantime, I made some money, I will buy myself something nice!
Brigg: Has anyone ever taught you how to save up?
Brigg: (We knew demons are greedy, the coin given was basically a bribe to make her behave better)
Cori reaches into one of her dress pockets where she would have kept the coin. Her face suddenly turns pale.
Cori: Shiiiit… THAT DAMN THIEF TOOK MY COIN!
Brigg: Oh now you're after them?
Cori: FORWARD BRIGG! WE MUST DO THAT PIGGYBACK RIDE TO SAVE MY BELOVED COIN FROM EVIL!
Brigg: Read too many fairytales again… How does she memorize all of that?
They do just that, chasing the thief into the alleyway.
Cori: This feels just like those fairytales, I have a noble steed also… Hurry up Brigg, she might spend that coin to do more evil!
Brigg: What is wrong with you.
They sprint around corners and wind around corners.
Cori: Yeah!
She suddenly hits a clothes line and gets underwear in her face.
Cori: GAHH! WHAT? A TRAP? INCONCEIVABLE.
Brigg: Get that thing off your face, weirdo.
Brigg looks up only to see a pile of clothes around Cori's face, how many clothes lines had they run into? He had gone too fast. Unfortunately, that lapse in attention caused them to bump into someone. The impact sent Cori flying head first off Brigg's shoulders, the clothes on her face fortunately prevented injury, she seemed to be out cold.
Brigg: Dammit… Cori!
Person: What the hell is wrong with you? Look at where you're going! Now if you will…
The person had a cloak on, blonde hair was tied up into a ponytail. She was short, only slightly taller than Cori. She had a mischievous vibe around her, she looked exactly like some sort of pickpocket. Brigg's suspicions were confirmed when he saw what she reached for, a medallion with gold and black markings.
Brigg: That's not your medallion! You must be that thief!
Thief: GAHH! HOW?
Brigg and the Thief engage in battle, the criminal was surprisingly stronger than she looked, her agility and experience outpowered Brigg who was struggling to keep up, eventually, a strong kick knocked Brigg back. The girl bolted for the medallion, picking it up and running. Fortunately, there was someone to stop her.
Cori: Fiend! Stop where you are and give me back my money!
Thief: Huh?
The thief pushes Cori aside causing her to slam against a wall. She was out cold again.
Thief: I win! You'll never catch me!
Brigg: (Should I do it here? It is far enough from anyone… I justify it, it will be to save Altair's medallion… I won't kill her though.)
Suddenly, someone appeared in front of the thief, stopping her in her tracks.
Altair: Got something there?
It was Altair. The girl's face suddenly turned pale, she was completely surrounded in the alleyway, either side was blocked by someone.
Thief: We can talk this out, right?
Altair: Hand back the medallion, you will do a lot of talking with the authorities.
Thief: EEP!
Someone suddenly interrupts the conversation.
Man: Hand back the medallion, girl, and come with me.
A young man stepped into the alleyway, he had a white cloak, underneath, he seemed to be wearing a business suit, one of his eyes was covered with a blindfold displaying symbols that were unrecognizable. Many papers were attached to the sword she carried on his back ranging from sizes of a sticky note, to full notebook papers. They were attached with tape on the sword and displayed weird symbols. You could make out a bell, eyes, and the words "take to the dead".
Altair: Who are you? You're weird.
Man: *sigh* Big words coming from you, If you don't mind, I will need you to hand over that girl.
Altair: I won't hand over people to strangers, are you even one of the knights?
Man: I could be considered one, but I have important business that you shouldn't be involved with.
Altair: A shady person I see… Who do you think you are?
Man: I really don't want violence, please hand over the girl, Mr. Hero.
Altair: No, I'll be taking the girl to the authorities. They handle things much better than weirdos.
Man: *sigh* I shouldn't do this…
He shows Altair a badge, it was of the elite knights of the city.
Altair: What? Why didn't you show this to me earlier?
Man: Reasons, now will you hand her over?
Altair hands over the girl who looked nervous, they drag Cori out of the alleyway and continue to the palace.
Man: You aren't in trouble, my lady.
Thief: What do you mean my lady? I-I don't know you!
Man: You know me now, I choose you as a candidate for the hero selection, this is not a thing you have a choice in.
Thief: What? Actually? Excuse me? Wrong person! I-I will purposefully drop out!
Man: Heh, this will be fun. I sense major potential in you for sure. Consider me your sidekick, knight, assistant, servant, whatever you want.
Thief: You are my servant, now first of all, why don't you tell me your name?
Man: My name is Roland, the drifter.
Thief: Ohhhh, you have a title? I heard people with titles are really powerful, my name is Cassiopeia, just call me Cassie for short.
Roland: Anything else?
Cassie: Never refer to me as lady, I will allow a few slip ups now and then.
Roland: Understood, let's go to the hero selection. But how did you even get in here, I expected to find you in the other district.
Cassie: I have my ways.
A smirk spreads across her face.
Roland: Come now, my lad- I meant Cassie, we must not be late.
We shall look back at Altair and his crew, they were still busy headed to the palace.
Cori: Altair, you're fast and strong, right? Why not just… *huff* go there yourself?
Altair: I am required to have my attendants with me for management. Also, isn't the city view just nice?
Cori: Please… I have gone through enough pain already… This tragedy… The suffering never ends! First I lost my dear coin of 10 crowns…. Then I must walk an extra minute because of that damn street rat? Ugh!
Altair: You're ruining the mood, Brigg, get Cori to shut up.
Brigg: Cori, no, you'll hit your head on a sign again if we piggyback ride.
Cori: It's less painful than walking…
Altair: (This demon is more emotional than I thought. Most I met before were heartless and soulless. This one is much more expressive. I have high hopes that she could actually be a successful case of humanization that doesn't require mind control or torture. She's pretty funny to be around. She doesn't understand most emotions yet.)
Brigg decided in the end to have Cori ride on his back. The previous refusal was to save his dignity of being called a steed from the cheerful demon. They eventually arrive near the gates of the palace. Two royal guards were waiting outside, they had masks on that resembled human faces. Two dark holes drilled into the faces of the masks, did the guards even have eyes? They were motionless until Altair showed them his medallion. They instantly step out of the way and open the gates to the royal palace.
Cori: Woah! Awesome!
Altair: Be quiet, we don't want too much attention.
Cori: ( I don't need to stay in that damn manor for a month anymore! I can be away from all of the bullshit that goes on there. Caesar was right! Getting the hell out is a great idea! I can live among rich people now! This is exactly where I need to be.)
Guard: You're Altair right?
A guard with a fancy uniform and a sword at his side greeted Altair with a weird face.
Guard: The ceremony starts in a day, you may rest around the quarters the emperor has prepared for you. We don't recommend that you roam around,
Altair: Understood.
Altair looks at Cori with a serious expression. The people in the palace would take none of Cori's complaints.
Walking in the entrance to the castle was like stepping into a whole new world, the crystal chandeliers sparkled in Cori's eyes and the many statues and decorations in the main hall. All of this glamour was undeniably pleasant to Cori. But they weren't solid gold as Cori expected. Through all of this excitement, Cori let out a squealing sound similar to that of a teapot releasing steam.
Brigg: Someone seems excited.
They eventually reached the living quarters they were assigned. It was a lavish room with two beds and fancy.
Cori: Wow! We get to live here?
Altair: I get to live here, these are the VIP rooms for the candidates, you must go to the servant quarters.
The two maids that accompanied Altair waved to Brigg and Cori. They head to a much less fashioned holding place with bunk beds.
Cori: Aw… This sucks.
Brigg: Get used to it, you'll be here for a month.
This might be just as bad as living in the manor. But at least Cori won't be killed by Bella.
(That night)
Cori was lying in the bunk bed, this seemed to be the place where all the candidates kept their servants. It was much less fancy than the real VIP rooms but it was still comfortable.
Cori: Shit… Why can't I sleep? Am I really that excited?
In reality, demons are more nocturnal. She learned that sleep is important during the night.
Cori: This is bad… I can't miss a single second of the ceremony.
Voice: Not sleep? How cute.
Cori: What the hell-
Voice: Shhhh, you'll wake everyone up.
Cori: Who the hell are you?
Voice: Your good friend, Mrs. Elf.
Cori: What the hell are you doing up this late. Where were you this whole time.
Edda: I hid my existence from you, you were so oblivious.
Cori: Hide your existence? What?
Edda: To you, I simply didn't exist for today, but I could follow you around to see if you do anything troublesome, you seem to be fine so I will exist for you again tomorrow. I'd rather not explain how it works, your brain will be fried.
Reality Steps (Ability):
To other people, Edda was walking and talking with Altair, she chased after the thief with Altair, and she walked Altair to his room. To Cori, she was never a person, false events occurred to replace her in Cori's eyes. Only an extreme change would break the existence erasure. This was one of Edda's powers she could use on weaker foes. This requires a lot of energy
Cori: Oh, uh… Thanks?
Edda: Have a good night's rest, tomorrow is the main event, but apparently, you aren't allowed in.
Cori: What?!
Edda: Don't be a downer, there's more to do outside. There are complications of a demon getting into the throne room.
Cori: Is there a way to switch my race? I don't like being a demon.
Edda: Nope. This is your life unfortunately. I didn't ask to be born an elf, but I don't think it's as bad of a life as a demon.
Cori: *sigh* Just let me sleep.
Edda: You know, you would be extremely successful, if only you weren't a demon. I know what you are capable of.
Cori: Are you capable of shutting up?
The next day would come soon. Hopefully Cori gets a good night's rest, but she isn't allowed in the throne room anyways. Sleep as much as you want, Cori.