Episode 4 (part 1) : Fugazi

Tito is frolicking about our command room, not touching, but carefully observing all the details. It's not too fancy. Tia had a lot of work cut out for her when we first found this place. I believe originally mother had built this for father during the first month of his arrival in this region. After he vanished, she abandoned this place and focused all her resources on keeping Tia and I alive.

We have several cameras and sensors by the reef where the fog rises and falls to warn us of approaching ghouls. We also have some pointing hundreds of miles towards the entrance of the peak's garrison where the divers come from. Weapons made from scrap thrown out by the remains of divers and waste from the peaks dumps are displayed on our walls. 

Tito's eyes glisten when he studies them. He has the best weapons we have. That enchanted short sword, mothers xiphos, grants the wielder the ability to phase the blade through an object in correlation to how much essence they pour into it. The gun is forged among the peaks and was used by a young inquisitor I had slaughtered many years ago. None of our weapons are enchanted, so although useful for a tactical advantage, they pale in comparison in strength and durability.

Dior: Well it's settled then. You will be enrolling in the north garrison academy, become a diver, and eventually an alphie.

Titus: For what purpose?

Dior: You will work up the ranks from the inside and reach the peak elites. Your father is held in the islands above. The more we know about who we need to topple the better. We won't be gaining anything down here from our measly little cameras. We certainly are not powerful enough to barge in and take over. This is the only method that will get us closer to our goal.

Titus: I reek of hellcoast slum, you really think I can just march into the front gates and enroll into a prestigious academy?

Tia: I'll work on fixing you up to a peakies standard. Dior has found a royal family that will take a bribe to adopt you.

Bribe? We are broke as fuck. The most valued currency is gods blood, the enchantment elixir that is forged among the peak elites. We haven't been able to replicate it, little to no information is available about the source of the liquid or how it is forged. We did manage to make a healing elixir of similar value to gods blood, but it is made from brain fluid of a terrifying ghoul. The ox bear of the reef is a category five ghoul, the top ten percent of the most rare and treacherous breed; and I have only barely managed to kill one. We had used the elixir made from it sparingly over the years but just recently we wasted half of it on a diver girl that Dior decided to show mercy on.

Tia: We should start by washing all that ghouls blood off of your hair. The stench is maddening. Also that soot you rub all over yourself is disgusting, it's terrible for your pores.

Easy for her to judge my appearance. Her every detail is customizable. Of course it relies on how well she can craft a cosmetic to fit what she wants but she's never had trouble with changing her appearance to her liking.

I rarely take off my mask. If it isn't to sleep or eat it stays on. Tito has never seen my face. I dismiss him to go play in our training quarters while I turn to get in the bath.

She is right, the smell of ghouls' blood is hard to wash out. I scrub my hair using a citrus scented lavender bar and groan as my battered body slips into the warm bath water. My mask and strips of snow leopard fur lay in the entryway of our bathroom. The soot that my sister had ridiculed has helped seal my wound from the sword earlier. Come to think of it, I never got an apology. I'll have to scold him later. He probably doesn't deserve it because he was tricked by that witch but it's fun to mess with him anyways.

After a few minutes of soaking in soapy bathwater, I feel fresh again. My bruised skin heals quickly due to my enhanced body and I let out a sigh of relief from all the chaos that happened today.

I can't believe this is happening. I'm about to enroll into a peak society and get adopted into a royal family? I can't really argue with them, they're mostly right about my lack of direction. Originally I had intended to train relentlessly within the abyss until I felt comfortable enough to challenge the peak elites. What was I thinking? I certainly would never have been able to get strong enough to single handedly take down an entire society no matter how hard I trained. 

I'm not even sure if I would consider rampaging across the abyss training. Even though Diors words hurt, she spoke the truth. It was just me lashing out and using the bodies of reefers to feed my need for vengeance. Both Tia and Dior have been nothing but extremely useful in guiding me. They set everything up for me to be on the path to success. Even if we are motivated by different things, I should trust their process.

Divers academy should be a breeze. I easily slaughtered six of them. From what I understand, the north's school is called the Ark. Only one out of a hundred students graduate each year, every other weak peakie drowns. I will be that one. I am simply cut from a different cloth. Those soft peakies will feel my wrath.

Lust: You're not really working with much are ya?

Titus: What the… hey! I told you to knock before appearing whenever you want!

She taps the tub with her knuckles and chuckles. She visits me from time to time. I think it's just to quench her boredom. You can count on the demoness of Lust to make small pp jokes when you're brainstorming how to become the most powerful man in the most competitive academy.

Lust: Good luck on your endeavors little one. Your greatest challenge at the academy won't be graduating. It will be your weakness in desire for lust. You thought Zara was pretty? Wait til you see the other peakies. Your resolve has not been tested thoroughly here at the hellcoast slums. I can't wait to see you being tormented with constant temptations.

She vanishes, leaving me with the terrifying thought of me losing all of my powers due to the curse she matched to my blessing. One bust is all it takes. I must stay focused.