Chapter 25: A man, a snake and a wolf

"How did this happen?" came a voice.

"How should I know? I'm not his babysitter. Maybe he was messing around,"

"Does this look like messing around to you?"

Ace's eyes blinked open. His eyes slid across to his left. Michael was sitting across from him with his usual venomous stare. Ace turned his face in annoyance.

"He looks fine to me," Michael grinned.

Ace wondered who he was talking to and slowly his eyes found their way to the other side. Clover was watching him with a look of concern. Ace realised, glancing down that his hand was locked in theirs.

"What happened? We found you lying passed out on the floor. The guards said they didn't see anything," Clover interrogated.

"I don't know," Ace averted his eyes.

"I've healed you again but if this keeps happening..." Clover began.

"I'm fine, Clover," Ace stated with as much confidence as he could muster.

"You were passed out for two days," Clover exhaled.

"Two days?" Ace repeated in surprise.

"He's fine,'' Michael rejoined with a mocking smile.

Ace inhaled angrily and began to hastily sit up. "Clover, I have a favour to ask,"

Clover blinked in confusion, "Right now?"

Ace nodded reluctantly, "I know you've already done a lot for us. This is the last time I promise,"

"We're friends," Clover smiled, "Ask away,"

"Please can you send Bird and Michael back to the human world? To somewhere safe,"

"That's the favour you want to ask?" Clover asked unconvinced.

Yes," Ace assented.

Clover turned to Michael with unsympathetic eyes, "I don't think that's a favour you should be asking for. Do you have something you want to ask me, Michael?"

"Fine," Michael shrugged, "I'll ask if it's so important to you. Send us back,"

"That sounded more like a demand than a request," Clover returned flatly, "Hmm, let me think. How about 'No'? How about I don't feel like giving you any more handouts?"

"You really want us to stay here?" Michael scoffed. "You didn't want to take us in the first place,"

"I'd be happy to see the back of you as long as you reimbursed me for it," Clover answered, "I'm not in the habit of granting favours for ungrateful little students,"

"Right, I'm so grateful for everything you've done. Please keep plotting to destroy the world and backstabbing every chance you get. It really makes me feel so glad I met you," Michael clasped his hands together in mock praise.

"Wow, I wish I could see what it looks like from your ivory tower. Shouldn't be hard. The moral high ground is so low these days," Clover smirked.

"Well, you would know master. Should I congratulate you on what an excellent job you did?" Michael returned with an unrepentant smile.

"Should I leave?" Ace hesitated.

"NO!" Came the rejoinder from both sides.

"If Michael wants another favour, he can come and ask for it himself, "Clover rose abruptly.

Michael sank back into his chair with an irritated smile but said nothing.

"That's what I thought," Clover let out a derisive laugh and left the room.

"Is it so hard for you to be civil?" Ace sighed. "Clover already saved us and let us stay here no questions asked. Aren't you taking it too far?"

"Did that sound like no questions asked to you?" Michael rolled his eyes.

"What I mean is, you obviously have some history but Clover helped you. Couldn't you at least try to pretend to be humble?"

"What part of me screams humble to you? If you don't buy it, do you think Clover will? Besides, civility is for the civil. It's like asking a stone for water, what's the point?"

"We thought we had an agreement? I give you the necklace and you leave. I don't care if you need to ask every damn grain of sand. Find some civility in the wind if you have to, but you're going to ask Clover to take you back,"

"I like you better when you speak less," Michael sniffed. He stood up and stormed out.

"Wait" Ace sighed, "I wanted to ask you about Bird..."

It was too late. Michael was gone. Ace wondered why Bird wasn't there. Was he still sick? Ace threw off the blankets with chargin. He felt annoyed he had collapsed in the first place. He felt fine now. Though he might have pushed himself a little too far.

Ace felt the inside of his pocket. The necklace was still there. Where should he put it? If he kept it on him, it would start to affect his magic again and Clover would definitely notice that. Ace glanced around the room.

The stone walls looked ancient. Maybe there was a loose panel somewhere. Ace traced his hand over the wall and took a turn around the room. Nothing. On the other side of the room, there was a large wooden wardrobe. Ace had never even opened it. When he was there a year ago, he had kept his clothes in his rucksack the whole time.

It was a large set wardrobe with heavy and thick wooden panels with rusted metal handles. Ace began to open it cautiously. The moment the crack opened, a puff of dust ejected from the inside. Ace stepped back and let out a clough.

He looked at the interior and a strange feeling came over him. There were women's clothes inside. Ace let out a sigh. He stuck his hand into the dust-coated recesses reluctantly.

He flipped the clothes to one side and inspected the wardrobe. To his surprise, there was a line carved into the back panel. Ace inhaled, the dust scratched his throat but he leant further in. His hand eventually reached the back panel. He traced the line and without meaning to it gave way.

Ace pulled the panel out and inspected the inside. It was a shallow slot in the brick with barely enough space to put a hand inside. Ace was about to put the necklace inside when he felt something.

He pulled his hand back in surprise. He held a book in his hand. It was coated in a layer of dust and the spin was broken. It looked like several pages had been ripped out and left a hollow concave behind.

Ace wiped the surface. It had no title but he recognised it at once. It was the only book that the demons read, so to speak, most of them only claimed to have read it. The book of their god: the book of stars. Ace had read it once before as a child.

Each one was hand scribed from generation to generation. The words would be copied from one person to another without much understanding of what was even written there. Most demons seemed to be under the impression that it could foretell the rising of the demon god.

However, on closer inspection Ace had found it to be a bizarre and unintelligible book. He opened it again now with this vague recollection of the twisted tales contained within. He expected to find it just as incomprehensible as he had before.

"You've got to be joking," Ace uttered to himself.

Sprawled across several pages were spells and incantations. His child self would have never known the difference. Now he could understand most of it. Ace would have been satisfied with this realisation if he hadn't noticed another surprising feature of the book.

On a few pages, there was another writer. It wasn't just the mindless transcription of some demon. Someone else had been writing in the margins...it looked like a woman's writing.

"Ace?" a knock came at the door.

Ace automatically slammed the book shut.

"One sec," he called out hastily.

Once more he dove into the recesses of the old wardrobe. He placed the book back in place and the necklace with it. He quickly replaced the back panel and shut the wardrobe. He raced to the door apprehensively.

To his relief, it was only Bird. Ace ushered him in and closed the door behind them. Bird looked him over with a curious expression.

"Everything okay?" Bird asked.

"Yes, fine. Fine," Ace nodded.

"I heard you woke up," Bird went on, "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah I'm fine," Ace answered.

Bird dropped his voice to whisper, "Were you able to get it?"

Ace nodded and leant back against the window. His mind was still a little distracted. Without meaning for it to happen, an uncomfortable silence elapsed. Bird let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been a good friend have I?" he remarked.

Ace's attention came back to Bird, "What are you talking about?"

"The truth is I wasn't even sure if I wanted to come here. I mean you're my friend and you get sick, I should have come right away, but I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. I'm a terrible friend,"

"No, you're not and even if you were, I wouldn't blame you," Ace exhaled, "It's hard to be a good person in a world full of bad people,"

"With everything that happened, I've been thinking if we really made the right decision. I don't even know if I am a good person right now."

"Bird," Ace laughed, "It's really fine. I mean you did come and honestly it's probably better that you came later,"

"I heard. Michael returned, snapping off like a cobra. He had the nerve to ask 'why wasn't I over there?' Well, maybe he was right. I take it he and Clover were at it again?"

"As usual. Now we have the necklace, all he had to do was ask nicely and I know Clover would have agreed to send you guys back. Instead..."

"Instead, he went off on one?" Bird chuckled, "Maybe he's not a snake. He's like a wolf, always barking."

I think you mean a dog," Ace laughed.

"Either way, sometimes he needs a muzzle," Bird said flatly.

Ace raised an eyebrow half in surprise and amusement, "I don't disagree but..."

"But why am I agreeing?" Bird laughed. "Am I agreeing? No, maybe I'm not,"

He threw himself on the bed then turned to Ace.

"This bed is more comfortable than mine," he complained.

"Bird," Ace tried to get him back on topic.

"I know! I know," Bird lamented, "I know better than anyone. It's not like I can't see he has problems, but let me ask you this: Would you be able to ask a favour from someone who killed the only family you had?"