Rebirth of the Nephilim

“Sovereign of Succubi, is it?”

“Sovereign of the Succubi Alex, actually. A Demon’s name is incorporated into their class, at least if they reach Greater Demon or beyond, from what we’ve been able to tell.”

“Huh,” Tegwyn scratched under his chin as he watched Alex interact with several of the army mages. “A bit of a mouthful. Well, I can understand why you would seek out divine council, then. A never-before-seen form of Demon would certainly give me pause, even when applied to a friend so true as Alex. Were the other options just as strange?”

“Pretty much,” Syd nodded as she tore a hunk from the loaf of bread she had in her hand and offered it to the Dryad. “Consort of the Progenitor looked really interesting to me, but I’m probably biased. Anyway, this class’s description was sort of vague but also implied that Alex would be able to potentially be a direct counter to the Demon Lord in some capacity. D didn’t give us much clarity when I asked him about it, which is why Jocelyn helped us out with talking to Valtar.”

“A counter to the Demon Lord?” Teg paused before the hunk of bread could reach his mouth. “How would she be a counter? What does that mean, exactly?”

“I don’t know,” Syd shrugged expressively while sighing dramatically. “Really, none of us are sure yet. Valtar pointed us in the direction of this class, but none of his answers really told us any details about how all this is going to work out. I swear, the Gods like to be vague on purpose.”

“Ah, that I believe may be true,” Tegwyn chuckled before stuffing the bread into his mouth. “You know, my father always spoke of oracles as those who bring more questions than answers. I imagine this scenario is what he meant.”

“Yorath is a wise man,” Syd nodded sagely. “But I don’t blame the oracles. It’s not their fault. Not that I’m trying to badmouth any of the Gods, either. Except maybe D. Pretty sure he’s having a laugh at all of this.”

“I do not doubt that for a moment.”

As Syd took another bite of crusty bread from the loaf that was rapidly disappearing thanks to her and Tegwyn’s efforts, she surreptitiously glanced at a few of the soldiers who were standing within earshot of their conversation. The five men and two women were on General Salvius’ personal staff, and Jadis knew for a fact that one of them was one of the men who had been trained to use Sabina’s buzzer network for communication. All seven were ostensibly working on breaking down the general’s tent and securing important resources like maps and such, but they weren’t moving particularly fast despite the speed at which the camp was being taken down. None of them were talking, either, despite light chatter being the norm among soldiers making and breaking camps, from what Jadis had seen. Of course, why would the seven soldiers be talking about anything when such juicy gossip was being dangled on a string right in front of them?

The bait was custom designed for their consumption, after all.

The knowledge that Alex had become a Demon Lord was a fact that had to remain secret for the foreseeable future for a multitude of reasons, the least of which being that it could literally derail the entire campaign to retake Kastoria and defeat the Demons who had invaded Volto if the soldiers found out. As such, a suitable cover story for Alex’s new appearance had to be fabricated. No one who had seen her before becoming a Demon Lord would fail to see the massive changes the Demon had undergone, regardless of which form she appeared in. So, with the help of the magical pantaloons that Sholto had given them, Jadis and her companions had come up with a new class that would give a reason for her change but would also be strange and unknown enough that no one would be able to call it out as a falsehood.

Sovereign of the Succubi worked on a few levels for their purposes. The first being, so far as Aila and the others of their group with extensive knowledge of class information knew, Sovereign was not a class that anyone had ever had before. Kings, Emperors, Lords, Princes, Dukes, and any other number of nobility-related classes did exist and had examples that could be pointed to throughout history. Sovereign, however, wasn’t a class title that had been used by the system before. Of course, it was always possible that there was someone leader of a nation somewhere in history that had been offered a class with Sovereign in the name, but if they ever had, it wasn’t well known. The relative novelty of a class title that was unknown and that had tangential relation to other classes that barely anyone in the world were offered due to their difficult-to-achieve prerequisites made Sovereign an excellent choice for Alex’s false class. Who was realistically going to be able to call out any unusual or powerful skills that Alex might get when no one knew what a Sovereign class was supposed to do?

The second part of the class choice was its relationship to Succubi. Hardly anyone on Oros knew about Succubi yet, and those who did had no idea what to expect from the hybrid avatar species since its only member was a several month old infant. Strange and wondrous powers that came from Demon Lord skills in the future that would otherwise be hard to explain could instead be covered under the blanket of being from Succubi. In fact, that was why Consort of the Progenitor had been so high on the list. Alex was, in fact, just as much a progenitor of a new species as Jadis was. Aila was convinced that Alex would have received the same class as Jadis, in all likelihood, if Samleos had not made certain that the only class on offer for her was Demon Lord. That complaint aside, crafting a class that was based off of a species that most people didn’t even know existed was a big help in keeping any powers that Alex gained obscured.

 The third and possibly largest part behind the reason for the false class being called Sovereign was the hope that it could be used to set up Alex’s potential ownership of the Demon Lord class in the future. Jadis and the others had no illusions about the sustainability of keeping Alex’s true class a secret in the long term. Maybe they could keep the knowledge under wraps for a while. Potentially years, maybe. But eventually, someone was probably going to slip up and reveal something they shouldn’t have, or someone with the right knowledge and power would ask enough questions and would figure out the truth on their own. Either way, they all wanted to be prepared for that inevitability, which meant giving Alex a way to use any abilities that her Demon Lord class might give her in an open and direct way. The hope was that if she was able to use any powers that only a Demon Lord typically was capable of for the betterment of people everywhere, then not only would she have a positive reputation, then a future reveal of her true class wouldn’t necessarily matter as much. The public would know that she had been a Demon Lord on their side the whole time and therefore was an ally and not a threat.

There were some major flaws in the logic, Jadis freely admitted. Any competent propagandizer could turn everything they were doing by hiding Alex’s true class against them. Still, they were making due with the best options they had available to them under the circumstances. Which was why Jadis was talking about Alex’s class with Tegwyn in an area where she knew their conversation would be overheard.

Spreading the information that Alex had some sort of new, never before seen class was a vital part of the plan to normalize the Demon and any strange new skills she gained. Ideally, everyone in the general populace as well as all of the people in leadership would know that Alex had a class called Sovereign by the time she reached level twenty-one in the class. At that point, they planned on revealing Alex’s halo as part of the new skill she would get at that stage, thus hopefully giving her a good reason to have an ability that only Demon Lords typically displayed. If everyone knew that Alex had a class that was meant to counter the existing Demon Lord, then having her own Sovereign Mark would be more likely to be accepted. They would have gone with her having the Mark right away, but it was decided by group consensus that easing people into the concept would be better in the long run than dropping such a massive ability onto everyone’s heads right from the start.

Jadis felt a little bad for lying about so much to her friend, though only a little. Tegwyn didn’t know that Alex had a Demon Lord class, as all who had met the previous night had agreed that the secret would go no further than their group from that point on. However, Jadis had informed Tegwyn that they were purposefully trying to spread information on Alex’s new class to help normalize what was a potentially controversial and even frightening class, which was the truth. Just not the whole truth.

That was honestly what bothered Jadis more than anything, once she thought about it. She was lying to her friend, both directly and by omission. In fact, ever since she had first met people on Oros, she had been lying in various ways, hiding who she was, her origins, her class, everything about herself, really. In that sense, how hypocritical was it of her to be angry with D for possibly hiding some truths about his actions and motivations from her?

Maybe her patron being the God of Lies wasn’t as much of a mismatch as she had once thought.

“What was the third option Alex was offered?” Tegwyn asked curiously as he finished off the last of his breakfast. “If that’s not too personal a question?”

“No, it’s fine,” Syd replied lightly. “It was called Mother of Hope. Also a unique class option that probably would have been really powerful, but the description indicated that it might not have suited someone as ‘in the field’ as Alex tends to be. I still wonder what might have been different if she had taken that class, though.”

“Well, I have confidence that Alex will put her new class to good use,” Tegwyn smiled as he reached up and clapped Syd on her shoulder. “Especially in the coming battle. Just imagine if we had a hundred Alex’s on our side! What force would be able to stop us?”

“Yeah,” Syd smiled at the thought. “That would be something to see. Especially if they were all wearing that dress, huh?”

“Ah, well,” Tegwyn cleared his throat. “She does have a unique sense of fashion, does she not?”

The dress in question was actually one of Aila’s blouse and skirt combos that had been hastily altered using some of Maeve’s store of costumes. The height difference between the two women meant that the skirt was tight around the waist and that the hem rode high, revealing long, slender legs and sandals with straps that went unnecessarily high up the calf. The adjustments made to the blouse that were required thanks to her having two sets of arms meant that not only were Alex’s shoulders and back bare, but side boob was constantly being flashed at everyone who cared to look. Which was a lot of people, since most everyone around the Demon couldn’t seem to keep their eyes of her newly humanoid form.

A small, jealous part of Jadis wanted to throw a cloak over her lover to keep all those eyes away, but she waved the errant thought aside. It wasn’t as though she didn’t have eyes on her all the time, too, and none of her lovers ever complained about it. In any case, Alex’s usual armor couldn’t be used anymore since it was far too small for her increased frame, so normal clothing would have to do until new armor could be forged. In all likelihood, the forging wouldn’t happen until after Kastoria considering the unique requirements the armor would need to accommodate.

As Tegwyn bid Syd a good morning before leaving to check on his team, her eyes kept focused on Alex. Not because of her lover’s alluring style of clothes or the sultry smile the Demon sent her way, but because a different pair of eyes were focused on Alex. And that focus was not because of love or lust or any other similar emotion. The person behind that other pair of eyes was, charitably, cautious of Alex. Suspicious may have been the better word. Uncharitably, hostile may have been in the running.

When Wilhelm and Jocelyn had brought the rest of their team to the Leviathan, they had asked all of them to swear an oath of secrecy. Under no circumstances would they reveal the content of what they were going to be told to anyone, unless explicitly given permission to by the concerned party. All were given the option to walk away as well, with only the non-binding promise that they would keep the fact that secrets were being discussed between the Hero and Jadis to themselves. Wilhelm trusted his companions to do the right thing and thus would not put any further requirements upon them. None had turned away from the request, so the oath had been sworn first to Wilhelm, and then later to Alex directly.

When the oaths had been given and the discussion had finally begun, the reactions to the revelation of Alex’s new status as a Demon Lord were… mixed.

“Are you planning on drilling a hole through the back of her head?” Syd asked quietly, this time not intending for her voice to carry.

Lucia did not flinch. Not exactly. But the therion did shift from side to side slightly, showing a small amount of discomfort.

“If not, you might want to try blinking.”

“I am blinking,” she replied with an impressively neutral tone of voice.

“No, you really aren’t,” Syd murmured as she moved so that she was blocking the Paladin’s view of Alex. “You’re staring so hard your eyeballs are in danger of falling out of your head.”

Lucia had the courtesy to look slightly abashed, though only for a moment. The woman’s resolve was like a steel sword; sharp and unbending. It was just unfortunate that she seemed to be resolved to not trust Alex.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Syd leaned down so that her face was closer to Lucia’s before speaking in a whisper.

“You understand that Valtar gave Alex his express approval, right?”

“So long as she does not prove to be a false friend,” the Paladin repeated her argument from the night before.

“She’s never given you any reason to doubt her. Not once.”

“Until now.”

“She wasn’t given the class she has because she’s in any way a threat to anyone, Lucia,” Syd stated with a little more force. “Her choices were limited.”

“How can I be expected to blindly trust someone who has earned such a class?” the therion asked, her tone still soft but her eyes alight with accusations. “I do not believe a true innocent could obtain what she has chosen.”

Lucia’s wording was treading on dangerous grounds. They had all sworn an oath not to reveal Alex’s secret, and Jadis did not believe that the Paladin would break her word intentionally. She was too honorable a person to do so. However, anger could rob even the wisest of their good sense. Jadis knew that she needed to deescalate the situation, for Alex’s sake if nothing else.

“No, she definitely earned the class,” Syd spoke in a sickly-sweet voice. “Most likely by impregnating me with one of her big, throbbing, tentacle penises.”

Perhaps, Jadis reconsidered a second later, not the best choice of words to avoid antagonizing the prudish therion.

Lucia visibly flinched back from Syd, her expression showing a mix of embarrassment and outraged pride. For a moment, Syd was worried that the woman was about to either start throwing insults or throwing hands. However, after taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, Lucia answered Syd in a level tone.

“That is Aila’s theory, I understand.”

Clearing her throat, Syd had the decency to look slightly ashamed. A little.

“Look, I’m not trying to get under your skin, okay? But again, Valtar literally gave Alex his approval, every avatar who knows the full story has received no warning signs from their respective gods about her, and you even used your own spell to confirm that she does not follow Samleos. What more can you realistically ask to prove that Alex is on the same side as you?”

“I can think of nothing. No test. No oath. No argument. Alex has met, and exceeded, them all.”

Pausing in her response, Syd watched as the conflict warred on the Paladin’s face. When she looked up to meet her gaze, it was with an expression of apology, rather than defiance.

“I simply cannot convince myself to trust so quickly.”

“Alight,” Syd nodded after a moment of silent. “I get it. I really do. If you want to talk more later, you’re always welcome. If you feel you need to keep an eye on Alex, I know she doesn’t mind. But if you are going to be watching over her, do me the favor of as least making it seem like you are guarding her from others, rather than the other way around, okay?”

“Yes,” Lucia replied simply.

“Okay,” she nodded. “I’ve got to go get ready to take Sabina for an excursion. Let Aila know if you need me.”

With Lucia’s nod of agreement, Syd left the woman to watch over Alex. All in all, while it was frustrating that the Paladin wasn’t yet willing to trust the nascent Demon Lord, her stance was at least understandable. She was working through an emotional response, one that didn’t even necessarily mesh with her own beliefs. Overcoming those emotions would take time. Jadis could only hope that the pale therion would reach out to her friends if she found that she couldn’t resolve her internal issues herself.

The rest of Wilhelm’s companions had handled the news better than Lucia, Jadis reflected as she prepared to depart the camp. Not perfectly or without strong responses, but better. In fact, reaching out to Valtar first had definitely been the right call. If they hadn’t, it certainly would have been harder to convince Ludger, Halvor, and Rein that there was no inherit danger in Alex becoming a Demon Lord. Ludger and Halvor had handle the explanation pretty well once Jocelyn’s ritual had been highlighted. Jadis was fairly confident that Ludger would have trusted in them regardless, just because of his faith in his longtime friend Wilhelm, and Halvor would have also been won over quickly enough even with Valtar’s word thanks to the man’s simple and pragmatic nature. Rein had been more of a challenge, as the quiet elf had shown strong reservations similar to Lucia, though Wilhelm’s recounting of the interaction with Valtar had settled his concerns far more firmly, if not completely.

Tiernan had been the one to surprise Jadis the most. Not because of any sort of anger or repulsion at the reveal of Alex’s class. In fact, his reaction had been quite the opposite. The gnome had practically brushed aside and concerns of Alex being a potential danger and had instead focused on the possibilities that having an ally who had the Demon Lord class presented. The mage had already started talking about writing a paper in partnership with Aila, to be published sometime in the future when Alex gave her permission. When Rein had questioned Tiernan about why he was so unconcerned about Alex becoming a Demon Lord, the man’s response had truly touched Jadis.

“I have spent all day, every day, for the past two weeks with Alex. I can assure you, having heard her words and seen her actions in the face of all kinds of people and their behavior towards her, that she is a good person. A new class isn’t going to change that.”

The Arch Mage had then called his less-accepting cohorts various flowery insults for being so appallingly untrusting of a friend before turning his attention back to asking Alex for details on her new tertiary starter skill.

“What are you thinking about?”

Syd blinked her thoughts away at the question. Smiling at the grinning half-elf, she focused on Sabina and the device she loaded onto a cart and was pushing in front of her.

“Just all the recent changes in our lives. Is your new invention ready for the field?”

“No idea!” Sabina chirped. “I hope so! I think it’ll work! Probably! But if it doesn’t, that will be valuable data for me to work with so I can make adjustments!”

“Definitely,” Syd grinned as she hoisted the heavy cart over her shoulder in a display of strength that would make a superhero green with envy. “Then if you’re ready, the rest of me are showing up now.”

“Definitely!” Sabina echoed with a fist raised in the air. “Let’s go get me my third class!”