The night was cold and the whole Harrington mansion was dead silent. Avy felt the chilly breeze as it hit her face before she finally shut the door to the balcony close. The cold wasn't as upsetting as it should be to a normal person. It became that way ever since the night she got her powers to summon flames using her blood. It was as if she became a living source of heat, and that meant she was prone to night breeze.
Unfortunately, that did not go the same with everyone. She glanced at the trembling ball of fur on her bed, and agreed that she made the right decision of blocking the wind from entering her chambers.
She helped herself from sighing out loud, watching the poor creature draw its last breath. She felt sick to her stomach as if she wanted to vomit everything that she ingested during dinner. The silence of the room that only made her hear the soft and weak purrs of the animal didn't help. Sitting on the side of the bed and her eyes not leaving sa ball of gray, she mumbled names to herself.
Literally.
“Apple... Kiwi... Cookie...??”
Avy almost laughed at herself. Who would've though she really would name a dying cat to make herself feel at peace? Slowly, she reach out to touch the feline and chortled.
“Brulee... Cupcake–”
“How dare you name a being such as myself, useless human?”
~~~
(A few hours before)
“Are you sure this is the right place, Carl? Why kind of sick bitch would meet clients here?”
“Shut the fuck up if you still want us to leave this place alive.”
Two men clad in commoner clothing quietly entered the darkest part of the ally they were ordered to visit. Gripping their daggers on the side of their hips in case of scenarios that would have to defend, they slowly continued on walking.
A sudden movement on a nearby trash can made both of them jolt in surprise. Couple of metal scraps created a sound that resonated throughout the whole alley before a squeak of a mouse was heard. The two men were able to breathe in relief.
“Let go of my clothes, Kelton, It was just a fucking rodent,” the other whispered in an irritated tone. He was already on his heel and was prepared to run away if it was some kind of entity or worse, the person they were asked to meet decided they did not want to spare their lives and let them go back to their boss breathing.
“If it isn't for boss, I wouldn't even think of coming in this place.”
Sure enough, the alley was too dark and eerie to their liking. The said place was not like other dark spots in the district, and even them, who were considered to be the illness of the back streets did not feel right stepping foot in there. Blackwell is known for being the most dangerous district in the capital and it was not a surprise to also be a home for underground businesses that even the knights of the Kingdom could not control. After all, many nobles were behind those businesses.
But no matter how scared they were, they did not have any choice but to obey the order of their superior or else they would end up floating in a river somewhere. Their boss instructed them to meet up with an underground figure to help them with the dilemma that they were facing. It's either get killed by some kind of evil creature or by that person themselves or get killed by the Lord who they promised slaves.
“I'm definitely gonna punch the one who suggested we ask Mercy for help once we get back.” Kelton was a bit calmer than he was before and was able to stand properly. Him and Carl stood back to back, waiting for the person they were told to meet and it has already been almost half a hour past the time the said person was supposed to arrive.
“Carl? You there?” he nudged his companion on the back when he noticed an absence of his response, but Carl still didn't budge causing Kelton to frown. Was he ignoring him?
He was about to turn around and give the man a piece of his mind when the wind blew, the cold breeze that sounded like it whispered on his ear rooted him on the spot as he was not able to move. The presence of a certain person announced itself with an atmosphere that inabled them to breathe with ease.
But then... He remembered the last statement he heard from his colleagues before they left for the job.
“It was an unspoken rule and the people I know who were able to meet Mercy face to face confirmed this too.”
“When there passes a breeze that feels like the coldest wind that has ever touched your body... You have to kneel as if you're begging for your life. Your forehead has to touch the ground...”
“...like you're begging for Mercy.”
With that, Kelton mustered all the strength he had and quickly pulled Carl down. He grabbed the back of his head and forcefully made him bow to the ground just like how their comrade said.
It worked.
Breathing didn't come as easily as it used to but at least, the air wasn't as suffocating as before.
“I–... I a-ask for Mercy,” Carl stuttered, he was doing his best to not wet his pants that same moment and follow the instructions that they were told before. Thanks to Kelton almost smashing his face to the concrete, he was able to wake up.
A couple of seconds that he held his breath, a voice finally responded.
“Hmm...” a man hummed as if judging the words he had said. “Granted,” he then added, abling Carl and Kelton to breathe again.
“It seems like you were taught to greet properly.” it was a different voice of a man and no other sign that a woman was nearby. Carl frowned at this. So Mercy didn't consider them important enough for her to meet them herself.
“Let's hear you out in our place, you're lucky Mercy granted your request. If you didn't send that much money, I doubt you even are worthy as a client,” the man who spoke last stated and instructed them to stand up that they did without any complaints. The moonlight shone on two hooded figures, both of them tall enough to tower Carl and his companion.
“Th-thank you Sir–"
“Let go! Let go of me!”
Their attention were called by the sound of a child yelling. Carl and Kelton dared to look in the direction where it came from and saw another hooded man in the entrance of the alley, holding a child that looked familiar to them. He was struggling to break free from the man's grip but was failing miserably because of their difference in strength.
Kelton, realizing the identity of the child, almost had his jaw touching the ground in shock before looking at his comrade.
“Isn't that the birds' Captain's nephew? What the fuck is that twerp doing here?!” he whisper-yelled at Carl's ear.
“The fuck would I know?! But it's not our problem, we're in the same fucked up situation,” he answered in a low tone. Carl also did not like how things were turning out. It was bad. They did not want to be involved with the kid given the fact that he's family with such a powerful person that every gangster in Blackwell district is afraid of. Heck, even those underground brokers around the capital knows what kind of monster Clerivan Warde was. If his nephew died with them on the scene, whether they are the perpetrators or not, they would not be able to get away with just a simple wound.
“What do we do about this child, brother? Should I finish him off?”
“No. Bring him along,” the man who spoke to them first replied.
“Let go–!” before the child could even mutter another sentence, the man who was holding him hit his neck, causing him to lose consciousness.
~~~
Avy could not muster the strength to scream.
The dying cat that was barely breathing a couple of seconds ago stood before her as if he did not fight for his life. He was also glaring at her as if she did the most horrible thing in the world.
And lastly, he talked.
THE CAT TALKED!
“What the...” Avy should not even get surprised with this, after all, she had a talking cat of her own, spouting bullshit all the time, but she was still shocked, and she has every rights to be.
“Finally deciding to come out eh??”
Avy was finally able to snap out of her stunned state when she heard the familiar voice of her curse servant. Ares appeared out of thin air again in his fluffbal form. She looked at him with a raised brow as the said cat turned to her and smiled.
“Surprise!” he cackled and Avy remembered his statement a couple of days before.
‘I found something while roaming around the estate.‹
‘It is more than useful if I may say.’
“Why don't you greet one another?” Ares stated, standing in between Avy and the unknown creature in guise of a cat. Avy was standing next to her vanity mirror as she somehow made her way to it in attempt to get away from the former dying ball of fur who suddenly spoke a language she understood.
“Quit making a fool of yourself, insufferable child.” the gray feline spoke once again. Glaring at the other in pure annoyance as it stands up from being laid on the soft comfort of Avy's bed.
“Isn't he feisty? But nothing more than you can handle, right?” Ares walked gracefully towards the cat and was about to snuggle close to it when it's eyes glowed dangerously. Within a single second, black ball of fur was thrown across the room.
“You still have not learned your manners, I see,” said the other feline, his furry face indicating somewhat unamused and dissatisfied of Ares' behavior.
Avy watched the scene before her with her expression turning from astonished to confusion as her curse servant started laughing. He was not hurt by the previous attack towards him as he was able to land safely on his paws.
“I would've asked for explanation but I don't want to know more, honestly.” Avy looked at the two cats sporting an unamused expression on her face. She then glanced back at the other cat which also did not look like he was enjoying the situation.
“Also, if you're going to turn into a human, I suggest you do it somewhere else,” she said, shivering at the thought of her curse servant emerging from the smokes as a naked guy. She surely would not want to see another lest she get traumatized by the sight of it.
“I do not have the desire to humiliate myself,” stated the cat before looking at Ares, “Unlike some fool.”
“I actually have something to show, must be the reason why.” Ares scoffed and turned into his humanoid form clad in his unbuttoned white long sleeve and black slacks paired with new looking shoes that he probably stole from Ashton back from the Arkwright estate.
“I guess it's time to properly introduce you to tour new master, old man." the curse smiled with malice as he was glared at by the other with loathing.
“I serve no one–”
Before the cat could even finish his sentence, his body fell down on the soft mattress of Avy's bed, seemingly getting weaker and weaker by the second.
Ares laughed out loud, if he did not cast a spell to protect the room, his voice would have probably penetrated the walls and had reached everyone outside.
“You've lived too long without a contract with any human, forcing yourself to host a dead cat's body is just an indication that your mana is diminishing. You have every rights to decline, but surprise!” the curse leaned at the other and grinned mockingly. “You no longer have the time.”
Hearing this, Avy moved from where she was. “Wait. Wait. Wait. I have the grasp of the situation and hell I'm pretty sure I'm involved. Now, why is no one asking for my permission?” frowning, she made her way near the two.
“Oh. I have told you about him a couple of days before, didn't I? Something interesting.”
Avy eyed her servant as if she was studying every single twitch of muscle on his face, the way his gaze settled on the currently suffering cat. She was observant of course, every bits of information leads to curiosity and it was the way she had lived until now. She knew one thing, and it was that Ares was acting strange.
It was almost like he was eager to take the new creature in. He did not look excited, his eyes, contrary to his actions, mirrored that akin to a person who was watching a person dear to him drawing their last breath.
Painful. Not accepting.
“I will search the empire for the cure. It will only take a short while.”
“Darling... I have no time left... Won't you stay by me just till I pass, hm?”
“I must...! I must keep you alive Sabrina, I–”
“It is a curse, dear. If I stay breathing for long, our Avy will slowly... she will slowly die in pain, my love. Do you understand me?”
Avy closed her eyes by the memory that flashed before her, a scene in a perspective of a girl behind the gap of a door, watching it unfold. The same pain on Ares' eyes displayed like the duke's as he watched his duchess squeeze out the remaining life out of her.
She opened her eyes and was met by the same sight before she had closed them. She sighed. It is not like she could refuse her servant's request anyway.
~~~
“So... Andras, right? You are a curse like Ares?”
“I would like to not be put in the same group as this embarrassment.”
It has only been an hour or two that Avy decided to accept her fate and an hour or two after the creature inside the gray fluffball introduced himself as a curse. In that span of time, she found out how sharp the said curse's tongue was. Much sharper than Ares' that is.
Unlike Ares who dropped his dignified way of speaking after signing a contract with her, Andras, on the other hand, kept his elegance even though he did not change into a humanoid form. He spoke in such a graceful manner that he could be mistaken as a noble or someone of a higher status. He came out as more matured than Ares was. Like someone the same age of her father hence she couldn't help but feel like she was talking to an old person.
“Rude.” Ares, like a child being bad mouthed by a parent, looked dirty at Andras as if judging him.
Avy was amused by this, although she was not amused by the fact that she had to now be responsible of two curses. She was even wondering if it was shortening her life by half, still, does not matter when it was another point for her if she ever needed to battle the main characters– something that is possible given her position (and her personality).
She was holding one of the books she stole from her father's library, using it to pass the time as she was fairly sure that Andras was not a talker just like her even though Ares kept pestering him.
“I'm going to sleep. I'm tired.” she closed her book and put it in front of the vanity mirror where she left the communication stone she uses to reach Emerald and Kill.
She was about to walk to her bed when the stone suddenly started emitting light, indicating that someone was trying to get a hold of her. Her brows met in confusion as the only person who ever contacts her was Emerald, and it was usually for her and Kill to talk. But it was past the beast child's bed time. Nevertheless, she picked ut up.
“Is there–”
“M-my lady...! I–I... I could not find the child anywhere and h-he– he– the last time I saw him was four hours ago–”
***
Too ashamed to even say anything tbh, bye.