50 Gold Coins

Somewhere in Vinmark;
2 hours away from Baten;

Ramiel; “It's beginning to get darker soon. Are you sure you don’t want a break? We’ve been walking for at least three hours...”

Meliana; “No, I’m good, we can take a break when we reach the town, or is the great Ramiel tired and he does not want to know how to say it?”

Ramiel; “As if!” He responded, walking faster in front of her.

She gives off a gentle smile, watching him picking up his pace.

He stops from his walk/run, she stumbles into him.

Meliana; “What? What? What happened? Why did you stop?” She asked, slightly confused, looking around her.

Ramiel; “Shhhhh, hear that?”

Meliana; “Hear what? I can’t hear anything…. Ohh… wait… I can’t hear anything… that’s probably bad…” she said, grabbing her staff with both hands.

Unknown; “Pin PO!!!!! Good, good for you guys, that’s a first for me you see…. usually my targets die before they even realize what’s going on, but you….. Ughhhh…. You have to ruin all my fun, the gist is up, come out!” A voice from the woods around them could be heard, shouting.

Under the shroud of darkness, ten ominous figures descended like shadows from the twisted limbs of the trees that encircled Ramiel and Meliana. Cloaked in the darkest of night, their faces hidden beneath black hoods adorned with a sinister goat symbol in blood-red, strategically placed to evoke a sense of malevolence, revealing more than mere common assassins lurking in the shadows. These were emissaries of ****, mercenaries veiled in mystery and dread. Unlike the mundane murderers who idly wait for unsuspecting prey, these hired killers exuded an unsettling prowess, a testament to their expertise.

Unknown; “Long black hair up to her knees, red eyes, key shaped staff, that’s her alright,” one of the men spoke.

Unknown; “Idiot! Don’t just give away our target like that!” One of them responded.

Unknown; “Doesn't matter, she dies here anyway, why do we have to care if she finds out we’re here for her?” Another one questioned, throwing his robe down, revealing what seemed, 10-15 knives wrapped around his body.

Meliana; “That’s… That’s…. Grham the butcher.... ” Meliana stated, trembling upon realizing who was she facing… And he wasn’t even their leader.

Unknown; “Was the information wrong? They said her entire guild died, why is she with someone else?” Another one of them asked, removing his robe.

He was an elf with a slash around his left eye, a black sword in his left arm.

Meliana; “That’s…. Melial, former knight of the elven kingdom, he betrayed his people, leading the dwarfs within his own home, killing an entire village for his own benefits, everyone knows of him, he’s a vile and sadistic man wanted by the crown, posters with him and his bounty are in every kingdom....”

Ramiel; “Bounty you say?” Ramiel asked, with a grin on his face.

Unknown; “Who’s that? He looks strong, probably around S rank, this won’t be easy…” Another one said, placing his hand onto the shoulder of the one in the middle, the one that seemed to be their leader.

Unknown; “An S rank? So what? Do you seriously think I'm going to run away scared from just a maybe S rank, in case you forgot Dariel, I’m a former S rank myself,” the one in the middle said, throwing away his robe.

He was a human, Ramiel knew him all too well, Dardoch, an S ranked that applied to join Titan Cliff back in the day, he was refused by Helena due to his background that dealt in human trafficking, smuggling and killing. No guild accepted him after Helena found the evidence needed to prove what he was doing. Unfortunately S ranks are not that common and the kingdom needs them, he was only issued a warning by the crown and a bargain was struck that in case of war, Dardoch will have to join the royal army and fight for them.

Ramiel; “Stay back Meliana, I want to show you, show you how a demon does battle,” Ramiel said as he opened a dark gate, pulling out his katana.

Meliana; “I want to help too!” She shouts in a pleading tone.

Ramiel; “Not this time, not against them, they are not worth your time or staining your hands with their blood, I promise you will have your chance… but… not today,” Ramiel said, while going towards her.

Meliana; “Why not!? I can help! I’ve trained so hard!”

Ramiel started patting her head.

He goes closer to her ear and whisper something to her.

She nods in agreement.

Ramiel looked back at them, he was a little surprised as to why they didn’t attack him while he was turned with his back at them.

Grham; “A demon?”

Melial; “That’s what he fucking said, idiot!”

Unknown; “He does… look like a demon….”

Unknown; “Why is a demon out of the gate? Was the gate not cleared?”

Melial; “Guess we were lied to by him.”

Grham; “Doesn't matter, demon or not, we kill him, we take her and demand a higher pay!”

Unknown; “Why is no one asking why a demon speaks our tongue?”

They were stopped from talking amongst themselves by Ramiel.

Ramiel; “Him? Who is this him you are talking about?”

Grham; “None of your business, demon...”

Ramiel; “It actually is my business as you all seemed to come here in order to kill my woman,” he said, walking slowly towards them.

Meliana's cheeks instantly flushed with a mixture of surprise and bashfulness upon hearing those protective words from Ramiel. She couldn't help but smile, her heart doing a little happy dance at his declaration.

They all jump back as Ramiel was walking towards them, entering a combat state.

Ramiel; “Why are you all backing off? You see… backing off only works when you’re fighting an enemy of equal strength…. see.. how easily my hand can reach your hearts.”

Ramiel stated, using his wind magic to jump near one of them, placing his hand gently on his chest.

Dardoch; “Earth Divider!” Dardoch screams, launching himself at Ramiel.

With a swift and quick movement, Ramiel moved the assassin that he placed his hand on, between him and Dardoch.

Dardoch cleaves his fellow comrade in two with his double hand sword.

Dardoch; “FUUUUCK!”

Dardoch; “DARIEL! NOW!”

Ramiel locked eyes with the one called Dariel.

He was chanting magic, vines started growing from the ground and latched onto Ramiel's body, holding him in place.

Grham teleports behind Ramiel with two daggers in hand, in the air.

Ramiel turned his gaze onto him, he saw the green poison dripping from his knives.

He stops for a second as he is stunned by Ramiel's gaze.

Grham; “Toxin fangs!” He screams as he is falling down from the air onto Ramiel.

Ramiel; “Gale winds,” Ramiel said in a soft voice, making a small gesture with his katana.

The wind that came from him destroyed the vines and pushed Grahm with his back onto a tree.

With light speed, caused by his wind magic, Ramiel moved near Grham as he was attempting to get up.

Ramiel bashed Grham's head in with his right foot, making his brain splat onto his shoe and everywhere around him.

Ramiel locked eyes with Dariel.

Dariel; “Eh?” He stated, as he starts to see his own body, his head falling down on the the ground.

Ramiel stood standing behind him, blood dripping from his katana.

The other assassins understood immediately as they were combat tested veterans that there was no victory to be achieved here, they started running away.

Ramiel noticed them running in different directions.

Ramiel; “Let’s see what this blade can do,” Ramiel said, jumping into the air.

He stood still in the air, taking a deep breath, before locking eyes with every single one of them.

Ramiel; “Serpents of the void, rise from the gloom... Coils of torment in the shadow's loom. Twisted talons, in the blackened tomb.... Emerge from the abyss.... seal their doom.... Umbral Blade...” He spoke in a guttural, and resonant tone as dark hydra heads start growing from ground, each one locking in with every enemy.

Engulfed in the sinister embrace of the stygian flames, their forms twisted into charred husks by the malevolent Hydra's infernal touch. A symphony of agonized screams echoed through the air, a cacophony of torment that reached Ramiel's ears even from the grotesque ballet of destruction 100 meters distant. The acrid scent of burning flesh mingled with the sickly sweet aroma of despair, leaving an indelible mark on the desolate landscape. The dark flaming hydras, relentless in their macabre dance, devoured all traces of vitality, casting a shadow that extended beyond the physical realm into the very fabric of dread itself.

Ramiel drops down to the ground.

Ramiel; "Ughhh...."

Ramiel grabbed his heart, as it was pounding at a ferociously fast pace.

Congratulations! New skill unlocked! Please pick your reward!

Ramiel took his hand away from his heart and with a slow movement of his index finger he slides the window to the right, making it disappear.

Ramiel; "I'll take care of this later..."

Now only Dardoch remains.

Dardoch; “Look, I’ll tell you, I know I can't beat you, just promise you won’t kill me!” Dardoch shouted, raising his hands up while placing his sword on the ground.

Ramiel; “I promise, I won’t kill you, speak,” Ramiel responded, putting his katana back into his dark gate.

Dardoch; “We were sent by Bishop Heahmund, to kill the girl and bring back her staff, that’s all I know, I promise!”

Ramiel; “Who exactly is this bishop and where can we find him?”

Dardoch; “He is in the capital, in Gazim, you can definitely find him there! I swear!”

Ramiel; “That’s everything I guess, I have no more use for you, Meliana….” Ramiel said as he turned his gaze back to her.

Dardoch watched her, lightning all around her.

Dardoch; “WAIT! WAIT! You said you won’t kill me!” He screamed in panic.

Ramiel; “I won’t… I said nothing of her,” Ramiel said as he gently moved to the right.

Meliana; “Call Lightning!”

Lightning started falling down onto Dardoch, it was a gruesome ****, he struggled and screamed for her to stop, she did not, his body started to burn slowly, in two minutes time only his skeleton remained.

Ramiel could notice a tear dropping on her cheeks from her right eye.

She wipes it off, with a determined look on her face.

Meliana; “I knew I shouldn't let you do that.... Taking a life is not something you can come back easily from, Meliana....” He said, going near her.

She hugs him.

Ramiel; “Hey….” He responded, startled by her action.

Meliana; “Don’t move, please…” She says, embracing him tightly.

He hug her back.

After two more minutes she breaks off.

Ramiel; “Bishop Heahmund, do you know him?”

Meliana; “I know of him, he’s my father’s lapdog, if he sent them here, it was probably by the order of my father,” she says with a sad look, almost starting to break into crying again.

Ramiel; “So he wants to kill you now? I thought he wanted you back, not to kill you.”

Meliana; “He wants this, more than me,” she says, looking at her staff.

Ramiel; “The staff, it doesn’t look like much, why does he value it more than you?”

Meliana; “The Key of Solomon, the evolving staff, it grows with his user, it matches it’s attributes and power, for example in the hands of an inexperienced healer, this is nothing more than a wooden stick… but in the hands of a powerful healer it’s said that it can even heal the most fatal of wounds, or even bring people back from the dead, although that never happened, they’re just stories…”

Ramiel; “I’m sorry that I said it doesn’t look like much… in your hands..” he responded to her in a gentle voice.

Meliana; “It’s ok, I was never that much of healer to begin with, I was **** into it, growing up my father wanted me to be the best healer around, to boast his position within the church, so he **** me to train as a healer day in and day out, I wanted to make him proud at the time so…. I didn’t think that much into it, he is my father, I wanted to do right by him, I struggled a lot doing something I didn’t quite was apt to do…. All I wanted was for him to tell me he was proud of me…. He wasn’t…. especially after he found out I had lightning attributes too… He drilled it in my head that I was an unnatural not fit to be his daughter, so I trained…. in secret, my lightning magic….”

Ramiel; “So how did you come to possess the staff?”

Meliana; “My younger brother…. Arnie…. after I left home, he stole the staff from the church and went on looking for me, he found me soon after we formed our guild, he’s a cunning one, don’t let his appearance deceive you, he spend years on the run, never to be found by my father, he gave the staff to me.”

Ramiel; “Where is your brother right now?”

Meliana; “I don’t know, I'm sure he’ll show himself when we need him most, he always does that, it’s a bad habit of his…”

Ramiel; “You want to rest for a bit? While I collect some of their belongings? Most of them probably had bounties, as you said. I need proof, so we can claim our reward...”

Meliana; “Sure, I'll need a minute or two to gather my thoughts...”

Ramiel went to through every body collecting some of their belongings, be that their sword, eye or whatever else remained that described them best.

While going near Dardoch’s body he saw a bunch of golden coins near him, Ramiel made a makeshift bag from some of the clothes of the others and start counting the coins placing them in the bag.

Ramiel; “50 gold coins, what was it Dardoch? 50 now and 50 more upon completion?” He asked, looking at Dardoch's skeleton.

After finally getting everything he could find, he go towards Meliana.

Meliana; “How much?” Meliana asked, her voice trembled with a mixture of resignation and heartbreak.

Ramiel; “How much what?”

Meliana; “Don’t play coy with me... How much was my life worth?” She implored, her eyes pleading for an answer that could dull the pain.

Ramiel; “50 gold coins, probably 50 more upon completion...”

The gravity of his words hung in the air, casting a pall of despair over the conversation.

Ramiel's eyes locked onto hers, discerning the unmistakable sorrow etched across her face. In the quiet communion of glances, an unspoken understanding passed between them—a heavy, shared acknowledgment of the profound despair that enveloped her. The atmosphere, thick with the weight of her pain, seemed to cast a lingering shadow over the fragile fragments of hope clinging to her.

He sits down near her.

Ramiel; “I don’t know if this means anything to you, but I value your life as much as I do my own...”

Meliana; “I don’t want your pity… Ramiel, don’t say that unless you mean it!”

Ramiel; “I do not pity you, me and you are the same, I understand you, I too was casted out by my own family.”

Meliana; “Your father? Mephisto? He doesn't like you? You did tell me you had family problems too…”

Ramiel; “He’s not the problem, it’s my mother, apparently she remarried, and now is some sort of queen, it is with her that my problem lies, I told you before, didn’t I? That the one I used to love, took out my heart literally and figuratively, it is her I was talking about…”

Meliana; “A demon? Marriage? Love?” She asked, confused.

Ramiel; “To me she is a demon, to others not so much…”

Meliana; “I don’t understand, Ramiel.”

Ramiel; “Doesn't matter right now, our goal remains the same, form our guild, free your people and afterwards we focus on becoming at least an S rank guild in a year.”

Meliana; “An S rank guild in a year? I would’ve told you that you were mad a few moments ago if you said that… but after seeing what you just did, that might not be such a far away dream for us.”

Ramiel; “It is actually, once we get to our first town, I won’t be able to do what I just did for a long time, I’m going to rely on you for most of the fighting.”

Meliana; “What? What do you mean you won’t be able to?”

Ramiel started transforming into the form he choose for himself.

Ramiel; “This is what I’m going to look like, I don’t want to draw attention to us too much, with your father and some other people, just your plain average D ranker, in this form Meliana, I am not able to use my katana, or any other magic for that matter, although I still have my physical prowess, fighting an A or higher adventurer will be difficult for me in this form, that’s why I’m going to need you and others that we will be recruiting, only you will know who I truly am and I want to keep it that way… for now, at least.”

Meliana; “What!!!? How are you able to change how you look? Not to mention the clothes too. Can all demons do this?” She asked, as she circles around Ramiel, looking very closely at him.

Ramiel; “It’s one of my skills, look, look, I can even do this!”

Ramiel said, as he changed form, into Meliana, with a slightly bigger chest, and more prominent features, attempting to change the topic of the previews conversation from sorrowful to a more joyous one.

His thoughts swirled with a sense of newfound sensuality, an appreciation for the soft curves and the delicate beauty that now adorned his new form. The enchantment seemed to linger, teasing at the edges of desire and awakening a subtle fascination with the intoxicating dance of femininity.

Ramiel; "Wait! Wait! Wait! What's this!? What is this feeling that! No! No! Why am I blushing!? What the hell!!" Ramiel thought.

Meliana; “Eh!???” Meliana remarked, shocked.

She notices the "small adjustments" Ramiel made to her body.

Meliana;“WHAT!!! You pervert!!!!” She said, as she attempts to slap him.

Ramiel grabbed her hand, stopping her, attempting to change back from her into his original form, losing his footing, being the first time he changed into a different sex, the magic took its toll on him by surprise, not to mention he was already quite drained of mana from the fight earlier, he stumbles on his back as Meliana drops on top of him.

Both of them stood still for a few seconds, gazing into each other's eyes, mouths close to one another.

He noticed how Meliana’s face started turning red by the second.

With a gentle move of his right hand he removed her hair that was covering her forehead, and place a gentle kiss on it.

Ramiel; “I’m going to be counting on you from now on...”

Meliana; “And I on you....”

---

They both start walking again, towards the town, she walked in front of him, in silence, none of them said anything and just walked away, slowly.

2 hours later,
Outskirts of Baten,

Baten, a town cradled within the embrace of towering wooden walls, circular in design, stood as a testament to both craftsmanship and practicality. These formidable structures, standing tall and sturdy, encircled the town, providing a sense of security that echoed the town's commitment to its residents' well-being. Throughout the perimeter, vigilant towers acted as watchful sentinels, serving as outposts that extended the town's gaze beyond its protective confines.

Beyond this threshold, a sprawling mansion loomed in the distance, an architectural marvel that hinted at the influence of the local noble.

In the center of Baten, a colossal statue of Ariel, an emblem of tranquility and serenity, dominated the town square. Its verdant surroundings accentuated by lush green fields and charming houses, each dwelling a testament to the industrious spirit of the town.

Both of them stopped, looking at the town.

Ramiel; “So this is it?”

Meliana; “Yes, I told you, it’s not much, how do you want to do this Ram?”

Ramiel; “Ram, now? Can’t say I don't like it,” he replied with a tender smile on his face.

Meliana; “Ramiel sounds too fancy!”

Ramiel; “Then you won’t be bothered if I call you Mel?”

Meliana; “Meli, my friends call me,” she whispers in a soft voice.

Ramiel; “What was that?”

Meliana; “Nothing…. How are we doing this?”

Ramiel; “Well…. Mel… You go in first, I’ll wait an hour or so before I go in, I don’t want us to be seen together at the start, it will raise too many eyebrows. Proceed as if you did in the circumstance that you were given, don’t give yourself away or me, disband your guild, spend your days as you want, after I create my guild, come find me, then we will meet again.”

Meliana; “I’ll wait for you Ram, don’t forget our promise…. please,” she asked in a tender voice, looking at him.

Ramiel; “Yes, I won’t hurt anyone,” he replied, patting her on the head.

She hugs him.

Ramiel; “Mel, if anything happens, if they come looking for you, forget my plan, come to me immediately, understood?”

Meliana; “Uhum…”

Ramiel; “I want a yes, Mel,” he asked, placing his hand gently on her cheek.

Meliana; “Yes, I promise,” she responded, placing her head on his chest.

Ramiel; “That’s good…. I guess this is goodbye… for now.”

Meliana; “Bye, Ram….”

Ramiel; “Goodbye...” He responded, looking at her as she walked away.

Ramiel waited for her to reach the town, afterwards he started slowly walking towards it as well.

---

Baten;
Guild of Baten;

The Guild of Baten, though modest in size, held a certain charm within its compact confines. Nestled within a small building with two unassuming floors, it served as a hub for adventurers seeking both respite and purpose in their quests. The upper floor, reserved for the guild master, doubled as her personal abode, creating a seamless blend of professional duty and homely warmth.

As Meliana entered the ground floor, the heart of the guild revealed itself. A handful of sturdy tables lined both sides of the room, each bearing the marks of countless maps, trinkets, and tales shared by the adventurers who frequented the guild. On the left side of the room, a blackboard proudly displayed a selection of quests available for eager guild members. The wooden surface, marked by chalked outlines and hastily written details.

Behind the counter, a poignant scene unfolded. A cat girl, her feline features accentuated by a pair of expressive eyes, stood with a sorrowful countenance. Her elbows rested on the worn surface, and both hands cradled her face, her gaze fixed on the entrance. The air around her seemed to carry a weight of anticipation, as if each footfall on the creaky floor might herald the return of someone she was longing for.

The door opens.

As Meliana crossed the threshold into the Guild, a poignant shift in the atmosphere became palpable. The cat girl behind the counter, who had until then worn a sorrowful expression, locked eyes with Meliana. In that instant, a cascade of emotions overwhelmed her feline features.

Tears welled in the cat girl's eyes, glistening like dewdrops on the petals of a delicate flower.

Unknown; “MELIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!” She shouts, jumping from the back of the counter straight into Meliana’s arms.

Meliana; “Ohhhhh! I’m sorry I made you worry, Arrie,” Meliana said, embracing Arrie.

Arrie; “Stupid Meli! Stupid Meli! Stupid Meli!” Arrie shouted at Meliana, hitting her, while bawling her eyes out.

---

Baten;
Town entrance;

Unknown; “Halt! Who are you? I haven’t seen your face before,” one of the two guards says, stopping Ramiel from entering.

Ramiel; “Name’s Ramiel, I’m just looking for shelter for tonight, and probably to take the test of the guild here....”

Unknown; “We don’t know you, you have to be processed if you want to enter the town.”

Ramiel; “Processed?”

Unknown; “Yes, you will have to answer a few questions, unfortunately at this late hour the guild master is not available, you will have to spend your time in holding and be processed in the morning, fret not you are not our prisonnier you will be offered food and a better cell that we use for this kind of things, if you fail the questions we will not hold you either, we will only kick you out from our town.”

Ramiel; “That’s acceptable,” Ramiel responded, lifting both of his hands in front.

The guard cuffs him and walks him toward the jail cells.

As he passed by the cells, he noticed that none of them were actually holding someone, this town, it seemed, had no prisoners.

Unknown; “Here, this is where you’re going to spend the night. For now, we apologize for this kind of treatment, but you have to understand our town, our rules.”

Ramiel noticed that there was in fact someone else there, within the cell in front of him which looked even better than his own, someone was sleeping, snoring, with his eyes slightly opened, while standing with his back on the cold wall.

Ramiel; “Who’s that?”

Unknown; “You will be able to ask questions, and we will answer, after the processing. Now, I will have one of the other guards come by and give you something to eat, rest,” the guard said, locking the door.

Ramiel spend another 20 minutes reading his Lilim book, sitting on the bed, gazing every now and then at the person within the other cell. Soon after a guard came delivering his food and water for the night.

After he ate, seeing as he had nothing better to do, he drifted asleep.