New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Sitting down on a delicate piece of cloth that the servants had packed, Astaroth looked at everything that was out and salivated.

Roasted meat, pot pies, a delicious smelling vegetable puree, crudities, fruits, and appetizing desserts.

Although he hadn't been hungry originally, he was starving now.

Astaroth didn't wait for the others to all be seated before diving into the food, and Phoenix gave him a blank stare, followed by Alena doing the same.

Astaroth took a moment to notice, before he stopped shoving food in his mouth, and asked, "Wha'? I wa' hun'ry…"

Phoenix shook her head, and Alena sighed in disbelief.

"How is he the one you are paired to, Queen Phoenix?" the commander asked.

Phoenix giggled before turning her head toward the woman.

"Don't ask me, I don't know. Sometimes, he's the most lovable idiot and a romantic lover. And other times, I feel like I fell in love with a caveman."

Alena nodded her head, understanding the feeling. Although she could only believe Phoenix's words, for the first part, she could speak at length about how the king appeared as a caveman in her eyes almost every time they interacted.

Of course, she wouldn't say this out loud since he was still the king. But if the queen ever asked her in private, many words would flow out of her mouth.

As everyone else joined the king in eating, the guards stuck back, keeping their eyes open, as was their job, until Astaroth lost patience.

"Hey, get over here. Seriously, I already dislike that I'll have you following me around. Don't make this unnecessarily boring by standing aside. Get your asses over here and eat."

Gabe looked at the queen since he was technically under her orders, not the king, and she nodded at him. A wide smile bloomed on his lips, and he practically ran forward to sit down.

Selena, on the other hand, shook her head.

"I'm sorry, King Astaroth, but I'm already quite full. The fruit filled me, and I presume it'll be like that for the days to come."

Astaroth looked at her, sighing, and nodded in response.

Selena was at her spot, the food not tempting her at all, as the smell alone made her feel full, and she observed in the distance.

Her senses were already spread throughout the entire palace, which didn't escape Astaroth's senses, and she was on high alert even though there were no threats present.

She was still getting used to her new, extensive senses, and she was a bit overwhelmed by the feedback she was receiving. But this was the best time to practice it.

She could feel every being inside the palace and beyond, hear their footsteps if she focused hard enough, and their heartbeats if she focused on a single person.

It was like she was right before them, and it amazed her.

'Is this how Leon sees everything all the time? How far does his senses reach with his Mythical grade?' she wondered.

In the meantime, the lion in question had returned to his room, where he was lounging on his enormous bed, looking at the ceiling.

*Sigh*

"What is he trying to do? If he starts amassing powerful beings under his banner, they won't stand by and do nothing… I doubt the world hasn't warned him already of the path he's put himself on… I just hope he realizes what it means to tread that path."

On the ceiling of his room, Leon had asked artists to paint the constellation of the lion, both as a reminder of his position but also as a way to communicate with his second master.

He had infused a large amount of his Aether into the paint they used and could now channel the painting as a way to commune with Lady Anulo, goddess of the stars.

And that was what he was trying to do, at this moment, for the umpteenth time in the last year.

But, as every other time, the connection didn't happen, and he was left alone in the room, his thoughts wandering to where she had gone.

He knew the painting wasn't at fault, as it had worked many times before. But, for a little over a year, he had had no response from the goddess.

The last time he had contacted her was almost six months before the Abnormals returned.

And she had been troubled about something. But she had refused to share what, insisting it wasn't his issue to worry about.

But now, with her missing, it was all he worried about.

Very few things in the world could act against the gods, even the lesser ones. At least, that was the case before.

However, with her being awol, he feared something might have tipped that scale. And if there was, then the world was in greater peril than they thought.

But, without proof, he couldn't go and warn anyone.

'Wait… There is one person I could ask… But will he even want to see me?' Leon mused.

He took a moment to focus his mind and expanded his senses in a flash, covering the entire kingdom in a breath before calling them back.

Every magic-capable being in the kingdom felt a slight tingle as the Aetheric presence washed over them before disappearing almost instantly.

And only the ones with enough power were able to feel who had done it.

Aberon, Selena, Astaroth, and Phoenix all felt the wave, their heads spinning toward the source before the presence that had done this disappeared.

And it was nowhere to be seen or felt anymore.

This put Selena on even higher alert, her face becoming dour as the king and queen looked at her.

They both nodded, signalling they had felt it, too, and Alena looked at them with a serious gaze.

"What was that?" she asked, having felt the tingle but unable to identify it.

"That was Leon. He was looking for something. And I think he found it."

"Then we'll have to ask him when we get down," Alena said dismissively. Novel Fire - novelfire.net

"I'm afraid we won't be able to do that…" Selena said, her face still gloomy.

"Huh?" Alena asked, a frown forming on her face.

"I'm afraid it'll have to wait until he's back. And I have no idea how long that'll take."

"Back from where? Leon went straight to his room when he got back…" Gabe said.

"Leon's been taken by the palace's uninvited guest," Astaroth said, his tone grave.

'There is no way this is a coincidence. What does Aravelle want with him?'

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