The Damned Demon - Chapter 600

Chapter 600: Deeper Than It Seems
Asher and Callisa ventured into the landscape, their search led by the subtle clues of disturbed sand and an unusual quiet that hung in the air near the large rocks that dotted the shoreline.

They found Lori sequestered behind one of these rocks, her serpentine form shrunk to a fraction of her usual size, her face buried in the sand as if trying to disappear from the world.

The sight of the dreadful Dreadspine Serpent in such a small, dejected posture was oddly poignant, and even Callisa seemed taken aback by the transformation.

However, she was more fascinated by the fact that Lori was able to shrink herself to such a small size compared to her true form.

“Ssssss, didn’t I tell you I don’t want to talk to you two?” Lori grumbled, her voice muffled by the sand, her irritation palpable even without her looking up to face her visitors.

Asher sighed deeply, finding it hard to reconcile this petulant display with the wise and powerful being Lori claimed herself to be with a straight face whenever she felt like it.

He sat down beside her, adopting a tone of gentle persuasion, “Ceti is not like the Moon Guardian who killed your father. She just happens to be connected to their clan, but she is one of the best ones I know in my life. It would be wrong to make her a target of hatred just because of her bloodline. As a wise senior, I’m sure you must have heard of the saying, ‘Hate the man, but not his kind.'”

“Ssssss, what kind of pea-brain idiot came up with that saying? The saying I am familiar with is ‘You can dress a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but its bite will still kill you,'” Lori retorted sharply, her bitterness seeping through each word as she kept her face turned away from them.

“Aren’t you generalizing a bit too much? Just imagine, if your grandfather had killed my father…would it make sense for me to hate you and try to kill you for it even if you are nothing like your grandfather or had anything to do with the act itself?” Asher countered, his voice calm but pointed, aiming to strike a chord of reason in Lori.

“Sssssss….” Lori’s frustration was evident as she let out a low hiss, suddenly whipping her head around to glare at Asher with clear vexation, “You have such a silver tongue, brat. I shouldn’t have allowed you to talk to me, ssssss….”

Asher chuckled softly, a sound of friendly reproach, “Looks like you got my point. So stop being a sourpuss and slither out of here before you embarrass yourself. Ah…one more thing. Ceti is my woman. So I won’t tell you to be friends with her, but you can’t try to harm her.”

Lori’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Sssss, you are even sleeping with a busty wolfy but not a graceful creature like me? Did my kind traumatize you or what?”

“Oh, devils, can’t you just let it go before you traumatize me with your words?” Asher asked with a tired sigh and added with a shake of his head, “Besides, I didn’t sleep with her…not yet, and uh…” Asher noticed Callisa’s beady eyes intensely focused on him, as if trying to decipher the meaning of his words, making him clear his throat and add, “Let’s just stop talking about this topic. Callisa, you can go ahead and show where your senior can build her little home.”

“Koo, koo!” Callisa snapped her pincers together in what seemed like approval or maybe a simple expression of her own feelings.

“Sssssdid you just say ‘yes’ to my kind offer, Krakie?” Lori’s mood lightened, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at Callisa, a flicker of the old fire returning to her gaze.

Asher’s expression was one of concern as he stood, looking at Callisa, “What do you mean you are willing to give her the mentor’s fee? Did she demand anything from you?” His voice was firm, seeking clarity upon hearing this surprising conversation between the two.

Lori, unable to mask her irritation, snapped back, “Ssss, this is a private deal between a junior and her senior. Stop being rude by poking your little alien nose into our—”

“Koo, koo.”

Lori’s voice trailed off as Callisa interjected with another series of pincer snaps.

“What? She told you that she could teach you how to become smaller in size?” Asher looked incredulous, turning his gaze sharply towards Lori, “Don’t tell me you fooled her into thinking that it was possible for her to do that when her bloodline doesn’t even allow that?”

Callisa’s response, a low, shocked “Koooo?” signaled her sudden realization of the potential deceit.

“Ssss, I didn’t promise her. All I said was I could give it a try…right, Krakie?” Lori’s voice was sly, her winks at Callisa poorly masking her defensive posture.

“Koooooo…” Callisa, clearly distressed, issued a long, drawn-out, sorrowful mewl before turning her vast body toward the sea, retreating towards the water.

“Callisa, wait!” Asher called out, wincing at the fallout of the revelation, realizing he shouldn’t have said that before Callisa.

He turned to Lori with a mix of anger and disappointment, “This is your fault, Lori. You crushed her hopes. How could you even fool your junior like that? She has an innocent soul, unlike us. You can’t toy with her like others. So it’s on you to go and console her.”

“Ssssswhaaat? I will lose face! What about my soul?” Lori’s hiss conveyed her exasperation, clearly upset at the prospect of having to make amends.

“You should have thought of that earlier. Now you can either do that or you will be sleeping outside here without a proper home. Can you imagine how your poor scales might feel by lying under the scorching sun?” Asher’s smirk was almost cruel, emphasizing the severity of Lori’s misstep.

Lori’s scales shimmered with a mix of anger and resignation as she glanced at the retreating Callisa and then back at Asher, her options dwindling as quickly as the seconds.

“Ssss, fine! Being the bigger beast here, I shall take care of my juniorssss,” With a final, reluctant hiss, she slithered in the direction of the departing young Kraken, her pride stung but her path clear.

As Lori disappeared into the distance, the tension she left behind began to dissipate, replaced by a reflective calm.

“She is different from what anyone would imagine of a very old, powerful serpent,” Isola’s voice, melodious and thoughtful, broke the silence.

Asher, with a wry chuckle, glanced at Isola as she approached and stood by his side. He wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulled her close, and planted a warm kiss on her temple, “She is a handful. The only reason I am able to make her stay in line is because she is obsessed with having a child to continue her bloodline. I guess that worked out for us.”

Isola’s eyes carried a depth of understanding as she nodded, “I can see why a creature like her would be so desperate. She is the last one of her kind…just like Callisa’s mother was,” she murmured, her voice tinged with sympathy.

The conversation turned as Asher gazed distantly towards the sea, his thoughts clearly with the departed young Kraken, “Callisa…Why does she want to reduce the size of her body so badly? I thought she probably wanted to do so for fun, but after seeing how hurt she was…I feel as if her desire was deeper than I thought.”

Isola looked up at him, her expression softening, “Because…Callisa wants to spend more time with you. She knows she can’t accompany you everywhere because of how huge her body is, confining her to the seas. She can’t even roam around in the town or visit you in the castle without destroying everything on her way.”

Asher’s expression flickered, a mix of surprise and introspection coloring his features, “Do beasts like her feel such things? I don’t think Flaralis would express such things towards Rowena. Her dragon only cares about protecting her and following her orders.”

“Callisa is not only a part of the direct bloodline branch of the Great Kraken who was a First Demon, but she was born different. Her bloodline might have slightly evolved from her ancestors, especially because the force of our bloodlines was used to forge hers. She might exhibit intelligence and emotions no different from us. Lori also has a similar ancestry as she seems capable of displaying our intelligence and emotions. So, we have to treat Callisa as any other adolescent. She is a beast, and this allows her to grow mentally and physically faster than any of us. Do you remember how you would act and feel when you were at that age?”

Asher paused, his voice low as memories flickered across his mind, “I…would crave attention and love…”

Isola’s smile was gentle and understanding, “Yes. That is why I try my best to come here whenever I can to keep her company. But of course, I can’t pressure you to do the same since you are our king, and with the survival of our kingdom at stake, you have your hands full already.”

A mix of guilt and newfound understanding shadowed Asher’s features, “I never knew she missed me that much or that she had such deep feelings.”

“Callisa is very understanding despite how young she is. She may not understand your role as a king completely, but she does know that you are a very busy man who can’t afford to lose time. So, no matter how badly she desires your company, she wouldn’t show it nor tell it. But I am telling you this now because I felt that you should at least know that she is not just a beast. She has already accepted her role as the guardian of the seas to make you proud.”

Asher’s jaw tightened as he absorbed Isola’s words, his chest becoming heavy with guilt, “I will secure our future as fast as possible…Once I do, I will make it up to her,” He vowed to himself.