My Devourer System: Rise of the Bastard Son

The strange dreams of statues and sprawling pantheons of hungry demigods haunted him through the night. He woke up several times in the middle of the night before deciding to just get up and go out.

It was still early. Selene was sleeping soundly on the other side of the bed. The light of the Halo was still growing, the sky took on a purple tinge, and there was a soft rumbling in the distance.

Rain. They would certainly not starting the journey today then.

He took a bath and put on a simple white shirt and black trousers. He wrung his hands through his blond hair to remove water and stood at the colossal stone doors.

He waited for a moment, but the doors weren't pushed open.

The giant Knights were waiting until sixth light. Lucen's golden eyes flashed with irritation.

"Open the door. Quietly if you can," he ordered.

He used his ephemeral Dominance once again to see if the giants would be forced to obey.

They pushed open the door, raising it on its hinges to avoid the loud grinding noise. Lucen squeezed out once it was even slightly opened and ordered them to close it.

Selene stirred a little as the doors' clamped shut with a heavy echo, but she stayed asleep. Lucen sighed and began walking down the hallway.

He glanced at the guards once before he left. Giant men, almost twelve feet in height, dorning blood-red armor inscribed with glowing runes.

They normally only obeyed the elders, and the orders given to them about Lucen's room were that it shouldn't be opened till sixth light of day.

His authority definitely didn't supersede Koril or Chester, so he concluded that his strange soul or the Devourer system was to the source.

Their family was pretty confusing with the fact that some people lived forever.

Alger had six sons: Duran, Sandor, Koril, Chester, and two others he hadn't met yet.

Lucen didn't know how many sons Koril had. But Heimar was his son, and Lucen was Heimar's son.

That meant Koril was his grandfather and Alger his great-grandfather.

Any time Lucen was among the direct line, he gave up on deciphering who was related to who. They all had black hair and glowing gold eyes, that was all he cared to know.

Elder Duran stood out to Lucen because Duran hated him, Sandor was more quiet and didn't really have any problems.

Chester thought he was god's gift to mankind. He was very silently arrogant, or at least that's what Lucen believed.

Koril was okay. Not always prone to involve himself in the social problems of the Keep.

But now he needed to speak to one of them. See if he could broker a non-verbal deal with Chester to help balance the one Kedral gave to him and Heimar.

Having backup plans was always a good idea, and trusting Kedral was a bad idea.

If he could formalize how he would work with the family after he was banished, then he could keep Selene happy and take her from here. While also having the Lightcloaks to possibly rely on.

Not that he was stupid enough to trust them.

There was a place he could seek advice for this.

The pits.

Though Aya was free, she remained in the pits as a quiet way of Chester saying fuck you to Kedral.

Chester and Kedral had a very under the table feud that Lucen sensed anytime they spoke. He wasn't very interested, but it was rather obvious that Chester wanted people to scorn Aya.

But Lucen was free to visit her. In fact, all the Squires were encouraged by Kedral to get acquainted with her. Much to the Lightcloaks' displeasure.

Soon he was at the lower basement of the castle. There, a trapdoor the size of a siege gate was pulled open. Lucen glanced at the giants standing guard and walked right in, descending the ladder.

The pits were sparsely lit by high torches. Its black, damp walls rose high above him and ran in different directions.

He knew the way to her cell already and just walked straight by, only stopping to greet Tron.

"Heaven's blessing, Tron. How have you been?"

The stone man carved into the walls of the dark dungeon smiled, his long hair swayed smoothly despite being stone. He was bare-chested and well-built.

"The halfblood legend himself. Lucen, it's a pleasure to think you came to visit me, but I know better—only your woman is on your mind. Do try to keep it down, though, people have been visiting her quite a bit."

Lucen rolled his eyes and continued down the hall. Her cell was an open, large alcove cut into the stone walls.

How this was meant to keep a prisoner in, he couldn't guess.

There must have been some magical seal that Chester left inactive for Aya.

He knocked on the wall before her cell lightly. "It's Lucen."

Aya's voice was cold and formal. "Permit me one minute to make myself more presentable, Lord Lucen."

Lucen found himself rolling his eyes once more. Aya had never agreed to stop calling him that despite his pleas.

Hero worship in the empire was just too prevalent. Just from the small number of tales he had, Lucen couldn't walk through Castaway without drawing a crowd.

He had to agree that it was actually reasonable. They walked among literal demigods and relied on these individuals to protect them.

It was reasonable to paint them in your morals and values in hopes that they stayed good to you.

And cast their glorious moments in stone in hopes that they come save you when you need them.

"Please come in," Aya said finally.

Lucen walked in only to freeze slightly as she came into view. She was wearing a blue and black dress that complimented her figure well, to say the least. She also wore some makeup as far as he could tell.

Lucen smiled slightly. "You look far more than presentable."

"Well, it's the first time you've come to see me in ages," Aya said coldly. "I assume it's important, else you wouldn't have come."