Chapter Text
Abolish stood, poised and calm, watching Scott carefully out the corner of his eye. These days spent hearing the grievances and requests of the people from the village usually went one of two ways. Either Scott would calmly listen and carefully dismiss or resolve as he saw fit, or a much more dramatic example would be made. Abolish had already assumed how the day would be going, given Scott had decided that Avid had been well behaved enough to join him.
Scott was lounging in his high backed chair, legs crossed delicately at the ankles, chin tilted up slightly as the man stood before him kept talking. Avid was sat in a smaller chair next to him, shawl wrapped around his head and shoulders, hands tucked demurely in his lap. He'd been sitting perfectly still, watching silently for the entire morning. On his best behaviour, as he had assured Scott he would be. Abolish stood to Scott's other shoulder, also still and silent, as he always was.
The longer the blustering cleric in the middle of the room spoke, the more Abolish had seen Scott's expression drift from condescending amusement to genuine boredom, and so he began running calculations. The cleric was accompanied by two holy knights, but their weapons were steel, not silver, and they had spent the entire time casting glances at the glowing red beacon sat on the platform behind Scott. If they wielded any genuine holy powers, they would be of no use to them. Other than a small crossbow hung at one's hip, there was no sign of them having any ranged capabilities. Abolish let his posture shift subtly, balancing his weight on the balls of his feet, so Scott knew he was ready whenever he was.
Out the corner of his eye, he saw a smile curl the corner of Scott's lip. His hand raised slowly, silencing the preachings of the foolish holy man.
"I've heard enough," Scott said. "You may go."
The man blustered, and went red in the face.
"My Lord, I—" he started.
"You may go," Scott repeated darkly. "I will not offer a third time."
The cleric made a sour expression, and turned to go.
"Filthy heretics," he hissed under his breath. The room went silent as Scott rose to his feet.
"You believe in God, Brother Harrison?" he asked, and the cleric shakily turned to face Scott once more. The knights had not yet drawn their weapons, so Abolish stayed in place.
"I do, my Lord," the cleric replied. Scott smiled.
"Then you believe in his counterpart, as well?"
"The Devil, my Lord, yes."
"Would you like to meet him?"
Abolish saw Avid twitch in interest, and resisted smiling.
"M— my Lord?"
Scott lowered himself back into his chair, leaned back, and glanced over his shoulder towards Avid.
"You've been so well behaved, darling," he said sweetly. "Why don't you show Brother Harrison the true face of Darkness?"
Avid didn't need to be asked twice.
He leapt from the chair with supernatural speed, landing on all fours, directly on the cleric's chest. His shawl had been blown free by the movement, giving all a clear view of the dark streaks across his face that curled up into a sharp horn jutting from his forehead. His midnight black claws dug deep into the meaty flesh of the cleric's torso, as he hit the ground with a sickening thump.
Abolish took a step forward, one of his throwing knives already buried in the throat of the knight with the crossbow. His next slipped between the joins in the other's armour at his knee, sending him sprawling to the ground. Abolish drew his sword slowly but didn't bother advancing.
The cleric was trying to scream, but Avid's jaws had latched onto his throat, and the sound came out wet and strangled. He only struggled for another moment, until there was a sickly rip of flesh coming free, as Avid sat up on his haunches, blood streaming down his chin and chest. They looked over their shoulder back towards Scott, a wild grin on their face.
"Bring me his heart, darling," Scott cooed, and Avid slashed the chest open, yanking the heart free and scrambling to kneel at Scott's feet. Abolish took that time to walk slowly over to the incapacitated knight, stepping carefully around the growing pool of blood on the stone floor around the cleric's ruined body. He grabbed the man by the back of his armour and hauled him to his feet, then dragged him towards Scott.
"Do you understand what you have seen here, good Knight?" Scott asked sweetly. He had the cleric's heart in one hand, the other gently stroking through Avid's hair. The knight was trembling in Abolish's grasp.
"Yes, my Lord," he whispered. Scott smiled.
"Go in peace, then," he said, and raised the heart in a toast. Abolish released the knight, who scrambled to his feet, and ran out the door.
"Care for a bite, my dear?" Scott asked Abolish as the door thudded closed behind the knight.
"All yours, Scott," Abolish said, with a fond roll of his eyes.
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