金瓶梅第2部

Angel Khalkyd took Rena's hand, leading her towards her ascension.

The young woman waved towards Tycon, a frantic fluttering of her ghostly arm.

"T-take care, Zehr!!" She sobbed. "I'll miss you!!"

Tycondrius... held up his hand to acknowledge her.

Watching Rena leave was... difficult.

He wanted to complain-- to curse himself for his weakness.

Those were concerns he chose not to confide in her. It would be a great disservice to her if he had.

Rena has accepted her fate-- much like Tamaki had, before her.

Her deity accepting her into the afterlife both behooved and befitted her.

The floating Khalkyd slowed his ascent as he looked down.

Meeting Tycon's gaze, he placed his opposite fist against his chest, "Fare thee well, Tyrael."

...Tycon raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Do you... truly mean that, Khalkyd?"

"Yes," The angel responded coolly. "Despite our disagreements, are we not friends?"

Tycon narrowed his eyes to thin squints, "Are we?"

...He was fairly certain the answer to that question was a resounding 'no.'

"Of course. If not, I assume you would have tried to kill me."

...The imbecile didn't even flinch, saying something so outrageous.

That... was grossly incorrect.

Tycon had tried to inflict critical harm upon Khalkyd several times in just the past bell.

However... his meager amount of physical power was not nearly enough to threaten actual harm-- not to a Solarion.

...While the fact was largely insulting on a personal level, Tycon could do nothing to change it.

Not yet.

...Also, it was logical of him to remain peaceable with Rena's chaperone.

Tycon flicked his wrist, summoning Mercy to render a clean military salute, "Go with honor, Khalkydrius."

"Since eternity began," The angel nodded, "and until it ends..."

...He paused for a moment before adding, "You, Elder Brother, are undoubtedly the same."

"Oh, sod off already," Tycon waved dismissively.

With that, the two rapidly ascended skyward until they disappeared in a burst of light and heat.

...Tycon took a deep breath.

It was over.

And he felt horrid.

...and hungry.

The slow, heavy footsteps of his Orcish companion plodded towards him.

That gentle-orc's friendship and loyalty... were most welcome.

Within only the past few bells, Tycon had bid farewell to far too many of his traveling companions.

It was nice that at least the god of death and the dead was... more resilient than the mortals he tended to befriend.

"Hey, uh..." Hades scratched the side of his head, "You okay, man?"

"Physically?" Tycon sighed, "I am well. My right hand is injured, but with magical healing, I expect to convalesce fully in three or so suns."

"And the other ways besides physical?" The orc gently prodded.

"Ah..." Tycon shut his eyes and took a deep breath... "Rena's ascent... was... for the best. My personal thoughts on the matter are unimportant."

"Yeah?" Hades raised his eyebrows, "You sure yer not mad or nothin'? I mean, we can go out murdering and sh*t. Always seems to cheer me up-- gankin' motherf*ckers."

Tycon's gaze drifted back out to the river... the surface extraordinarily calm, despite the hundreds of predators lurking underneath.

"Surprisingly... no. I'm not angry."

...Perhaps it was a sign of growth.

He did not feel anger, but rather... disappointment.

He was disappointed... in a great many things.

...He was inspired to grow stronger-- strong enough to defy the heavens.

Strength would come.

To achieve his goals, he had to amass personal strength as well as strength in the number and quality of allies he made.

It would take both a great deal of time and no small amount of effort... but Tycon was confident in doing so-- bar any world-threatening events or deific intervention.

When he grew strong enough to challenge Khalkyd properly... he would also be able to ignore whatever Laws inconvenienced him.

"So... uh," The Death Orc shifted uneasily, "you an' the uh... Holy Country chick. You two f*ck or what?"

"What?" Tycon twisted his face in disgust, "No! Rena was a close friend."

"She was pretty cute, man!" Hades aggressively waggled his eyebrows, "C'mon, really?"

"A *gentleman* can be friends with an attractive woman in a non-romantic manner," Tycon insisted.

Hades shrugged, "Ah, your loss, bud. From the way I see it, she wanted the D."

...Tycon shut his eyes and took a deep breath-- one tinged with the anger he once thought had been absent.

Regardless of Rena's feelings, it was an inappropriate topic... especially considering that he had an established relationship with a different woman.

Also, as a gentleman, he did not wish to take part in such a crude conversation.

Hades clapped Tycon on the back, "Since you're good-- err... as good enough as you can be... can we go now?"

A distance away, the ferry driver perked her hooded head up, her eyeless skull-face looking almost expectant.

The Death Orc grinned as he raised an upwards thumb towards her.

"Ugh," Tycon groaned... before straightening his back and putting on a neutral expression. "We'll go, but I have a request. I need strength... enough to kill a god."

"The f*ck?" Hades frowned. "What I do?"

"Not you, Brother-Hades," Tycon rolled his eyes. "If you've forgotten, I expect to encounter the sea god and his minions."

"...Oh, right. And to kill him, right?"

"Correct."

Hades chuckled as he rubbed his head... "Yeah... I wish I could help ya, but--"

"--but for the god-seal you were present for but cannot remember," Tycon frowned.

"Oh, I remember it," Hades took in a deep breath, snorting through his nostrils.

...Then he wiped the blood dripping from his nose, down his upper lip. "Just uh... y'know how it is, man."

"...I am well aware of your... habits, old friend." Tycon waved dismissively... "I say again... I need strength, dear brother."

"Well-- uh... okay?" Hades crossed his arms as his gaze drifted away in thought... or inebriation, "You uh... you got something in mind, man?"

"...I do," Tycon pursed his lips, "I'd like you to use a scrying spell. Locate a being reasonably powerful enough to assist me in my endeavors... someone aligned to me or my cause."