Agnes twirls around wearing dancer robes, the cloth beautifully swaying in the air as music plays. Elias cheers as he eats a steak Katelyn sitting next to him looking at him with slight discomfort a plate full of fruits and vegetables in front of her. Celina and Tasha stand to the side of the stage Agnes dances while talking to one another. Agnes gracefully dances over to Celina leaning down offering her a hand.
"Oh I'm not a dancer at all," Celina attempts to shake her hand to get Agnes away.
"That's not a good enough reason darling," Agnes grabs Celina's hand pulling her on to the stage causing Tasha to snicker. "Just let yourself be free on the stage," Agnes says to Celina as she gracefully moves, her robes swaying just as gracefully. Celina looks at the crowd, her eyes shaking before Agnes takes her hands and has her dance with her. Celina stumbles as Agnes leads her way, yet with every stumble Agnes smiles and is unfazed. "You're worrying about what the people see too much. Ignore them and just dance darling."
Godwine walks through a library searching through different books until he finds one that peaks his interest. As he reaches for it a man walks up behind him. "You are the first one to come back here in a while sir. What makes you interested in these books of demon study?"
Godwine spins around his armor clattering. "Oh um just curious about the folktales I've heard around lately," Godwine comes up with a lie on the spot. "I doubt any of it is real, just got curious about it."
The man is older with wrinkles, his hair gray. He smiles looking at the section of the library dedicated to demon studies. The man easily figures out that Godwine is lying as he walks to the end of the bookshelf grabbing a cane. As he walks back the silence is filled with the tapping of the cane. "Grab that one and follow me youngin," he points his cane at a book at the top of the shelf simply labeled demons.
"See you're getting the hang of it," the town is filled with music and cheers as Agnes and Celina continue to dance. Celina grows more confident as Agnes stops guiding her, letting her go. The two begin to dance similar moves just slightly out of sync Celina stumbling every now and then. "Like I said, don't worry about the eyes that look at you."
Elias bites down on part of his steak not bothering to cut it. Katelyn uses her fork poking the fruits before bringing them to her mouth, eating slowly and elegantly. Tasha slowly sifts through the crowd getting closer to the two of them.
"You have a deal with a demon don't you?" The man sits down at a table a chair on the other side of the table that he offers to Godwine. Godwine keeps his mouth shut as he sits down setting the book down on the table. "Ah so you have eh," the man smiles, taking the silence as a yes. He sets his cane down on the table. "So how long has it been since this deal began?"
As Godwine realizes he has been caught his eyes dash around the room looking for any way he could out. "Well I haven't been keen on keeping track of time since the deal was made but if I were to guess I'd say anything more than ten years."
"To go that long without succumbing to the demon is something we've never seen thus far," the man watches Godwine search the room. "Please do not worry about everyone knowing. The study of demons or devils as some call them is a more underground thing. Agnes was the one who told me about you and Celina, she wished for us to talk so we can learn and so I can give you the knowledge we have on them." Godwine's eyes continue to search the room as the man continues to talk. "We have learned of a place referred to by demons and people who have made deals with demons called the abyss. Is this somewhere that truly exists?"
Godwine eventually stops searching simply looking at the man now. "Yes the abyss is real. I don't know where it is but I was there and then a demon approached me making a deal with me so that I could return to the land of the living as it said."
The man nods his head as Godwine speaks intrigued by his words. "Interesting. If you wouldn't mind, can you open that book and read chapter five I believe it is and when I return tell me what is true," the man stands up as he looks at Godwine who nods. The man smiles as he exits the room. "Wonderful," as the man leaves the room Godwine opens the book. As he reaches chapter five his eyes go wide as he reads the title. "How Death Leads to Deals."
Tasha stands behind Elias and Katelyn as Elias tears a chunk of meat off his steak with his mouth chewing loudly. Tasha looks at his giggling slightly. "Don't tell me you're laughing at this pig Tasha," Katelyn says as a joke for once looking over her shoulder at Tasha.
"Someone feels like talking for once," Tasha bumps Katelyn's elbow as she lets out a small laugh.
Elias speaks as he chews, leaning back looking up at the sky. "I can't enjoy this damn food? It is better than what any of us can make."
Tasha punches Elias in the nose knocking him onto the ground. Tasha crosses her arms looking away with anger in her face. "Well none of you ever try to help me so I don't think you get to complain," Katelyn looks like she wants to say something but keeps her mouth shut eating some fruits.
Agnes and Celina continue to dance, Agnes speeding up laughing as Celina stumbles some trying to keep up. "Just cause I speed up doesn't mean you have to, darling," Agnes gracefully catches Celina as she stumbles to the ground.
"What I can't try to keep up?" Celina laughs as she slowly stands up. The two of them continue their dance, the people cheering, some sounding drunk.
Godwine reads the pages out loud to himself as his eyes grow wider. "We believe most deals happen in a place known as the abyss. One reaches the abyss when they die and are greeted by beings who have certain body parts or features that stand out from each other. We have designated these as differing demon types. Cases of people coming back from death have been few and far between but when they happen we believe that they are revived due to making a deal. Such cases are the former king of Rer Arnet who died in a hunting incident. When he came back he seemed hyper fixated on tearing down the statue of himself in the capital. He was killed due to belief that he used dark magic which he made highly illegal within the borders of Rer," Godwine's hands shake as he reads more. People dying of natural causes and being brought back gaining a fixation on something. "We have reason to believe that many who make deals do not remember their own death as when asked many didn't even know they died."
The sound of the door creaking fills the room as the man comes back. "My name is Damien by the way," Damien sits across from Godwine noticing him shaking. "I take it that most of what we have learned is correct?"
Godwine looks at Damien, his pupils shaking. "I don't remember ever dying but I do remember coming close to death when I was doing work for a dangerous contract. Seconds later it was as if nothing had happened and I felt so much stronger," Godwine breathes heavy as he looks down at the book.
"I see," Damien brings his fingers to his chin as he looks at Godwine. "May I know what the deal you made is?"
Godwine looks at Damien as he speaks. "No, I refuse to let anyone know the deal I made," Godwine closes the book as he finishes speaking.
Damien stands up looking down at Godwine. "Well I don't want to push you any further. It seems you have lots to think about now," Damien walks towards the door opening it. "And don't worry no one reads these demon books, not many believe in this."