Chapter 33: The Lord of Cups

Song recommendation: Red-eye (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWm2UvEjcj4)

"Come on, Clover," Albaric shook his head sadly.

For a moment Ace and Clover stood apart silently surrounded by a field of blood and ruin. The sky was almost dark, the harshest shade of red warped by black clouds. The quiet was like a figure in itself, hanging heavy and cold.

Ace's eyes were an unforgiving shade of black. He spent one more moment under Clover's broken gaze and turned away. He knelt down and threw Varseille over his shoulder. He was still covered in blood, not moving.

There was no goodbye. Ace snapped his fingers and a portal appeared behind them. He took off without another word leaving the others standing in the shroud of death and destruction as far as the eye could see. Beyond the horizon, the palace of cup smouldered a translucent shade of blue.

As Ace traversed the path back alone. He noticed the figure at his side but kept walking.

"Why do you keep appearing in front of me?" Ace said flatly. "You always come at the worst times,"

"Because you keep bringing me here," Lucia replied. "Your power has grown more than you can imagine,"

"I didn't bring you here," Ace returned, "I wasn't even thinking about you. Can't you leave me be? I just want to be alone. "

"I am the loneliness," Lucia looked over the expanse behind them and cast an eye upon the field of dead bodies with a smile."It is me to who you call and that is why I come,"

Ace didn't reply but kept walking. He just wanted peace and darkness. The comfort of the empty palace would have to be enough.

They reached the gates of the palace of cups. This time to his surprise, there were demons standing waiting. There were crowds of hundreds, maybe thousands swarming the palace. Ace kept walking indifferently. The crowds let him pass wordlessly.

He kept going until he reached the courtyard and stopped. There were more inside the palace's walls. Their dress was not of the palace of swords, neither were they Varseille's or Yashtara's men.

They were dressed in black cloaks but did not carry any weapons.

Among them, Ace recognized the bone priestess and a number of her sisters. Thin bags of bones with eyes covered. And then there were even some outliers Ace remembered he hadn't seen in years. Were they here to fight? Contest the throne?

It wouldn't be that surprising. His time with Clover had given him some reputation it seems. They would only see him as a human no doubt. Well if they had come to fight...Ace was about to draw his sword when Lucia placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to her suspiciously. Her small white hand pulled him closer as she whispered.

"They are yours. Consider them a gift,"

Ace was about to respond when all of a sudden, the crowd of demons stretching out over the entirety of the courtyard bent at the knee. Row by row they knelt down before him. Ace turned back to Lucia but she was gone.

It was only him alone standing in front of the palace with thousands of demons bowing at his feet...

Ace kept walking until he reached the throne. He sat upon it staring vacantly ahead. He expected at any minute, they would all set upon him. It would be a fitting ending. He felt numb. Nevertheless, he inhaled deeply and sat back. Let them. He didn't care. He glanced down at the crowds still waiting on his word.

From amongst them, a tall slender woman approached. Her hair was pure white and her skin the same. She knelt down in front of him.

"My name is Rinn," she said with a bow.

Ace looked down indifferently, "who are all these people?"

"We are the true house of cups," she replied.

"Where have you been?" Ace asked, "Your palace was nearly destroyed,"

"We left the palace some years ago when the Demon king had our lord killed. Since then we have been in hiding. We left the palace to whoever dared to take it,"

"And now? "

"Our oracle told us of your coming so we have returned,"

"Why? I'm not different from any of the others who have tried and failed to take this seat over the years. Are you waiting for me to die so you can take it back?"

"No, my lord," Rinn smiled.

"Why do you call me your lord?" Ace said quietly, "I merely took a palace that you left abandoned. I've never heard of demons who hide or bow before anyone who takes their throne."

"You are not anyone," Rinn said resolutely, "You are chosen. You are blessed,"

She bent her head all the way until her forehead hit the ground.

"Stop that," Ace said annoyed, "get up,

She complied with a smile. He gestured to Varseille at his feet.

"If you want to be useful, take care of him," he said distrustfully, "There's probably another woman here who is badly injured. Care for her as well,"

"Yes, my lord," Rinn dipped her head.

Ace watched her go suspiciously. Was that it? The other demons disappeared into the shadows but Ace could still sense their presence. Weren't they going to attack? Were they really the house of cups?

Ace had heard about the strange orthodoxy of the palace of cups as well as anyone else in the demon world. They were the demons who carried the old ways with a dedication rarely seen in the demons. The rumours were that they did not eat, did not sleep. They refused to partake in any human activity whatsoever. It was hard to manage that such people would offer him their throne willingly.

Ace stared out into the dark. Patchwork cuts of light fell softly over the length of the great hall leading up to the glowing hourglasses. But the quiet was a lie. No, it must be a trick...they were waiting for something. They were going to kill him. Ace felt certain. He ought to run but he felt so tired...

He closed his eyes and let the darkness wash over him.

"Come take a walk with me," came a voice.

Ace threw his hands against his face exasperated.

"Just leave me alone!" he snapped.

"I told you," Lucia's cold touch sent shivers down his spine. "You called to me,"

"Please just leave me alone," he pleaded. His eyes blinked open and he turned to her angrily.

"What?! What do you want?" he screamed.

She smiled and gestured ahead. He turned slowly. His eyes widened in surprise. They weren't in the dark shade of cerulean that coated the palace of cups. Instead, in front of him, green rolling fields came to sparkling clear waters.

In the distance, a small village sat at the foot of a mountain. The sky was vibrant and relentlessly clear. Ace stared down in utter disbelief.

"What is this?" he uttered breathlessly.

He didn't wait for the reply before he knew it, he was running towards it. He felt drawn towards it. He reached the foot of the village. Children ran past him playing merrily. There was a sweet smell in the air. A familiar tune carried in the warm wind. He came to a small cottage and stood outside it. His whole body trembled.

A woman with short dark hair and warm dark eyes turned towards him with a smile. He shook his head ever so slightly.

"Ace," she laughed, "what's the matter? Come inside quickly, your father is waiting,"

Ace swallowed uneasily and stepped back. "No, no, no..." his voice broke.

"Make this stop! I don't want to see it!" he screamed, falling to his knees. "Make it stop. Lucia please!"

"I cannot," she said, staring down with her lifeless green eyes.

Then the smell of burning filled Ace's lungs. It felt as though his eyes were forced up. He was in front of a table. Everything seemed to slow down. The hearth burning so brightly filled his eyes. His mother's touch and her scent like flowers embraced him. His father and the sound of his laughing voice overtook his sense.

Then just as suddenly, their laughter died. The room was completely silent and they were gone. It took all of his strength to reach the door and with one final burst throw it open. The green village was no more. Everything was rotting and the smell of death hung in the air. The flowing river dried up and children wailed in the streets.

His mother took his hand. Her skin looked nothing more than skin and bone. With dark eyes glazed and dead she pulled him forward. A great dark door lay ahead and Ace was dragged forward without the strength to resist.

"Please, mama! No! I don't want to go!" the words expelled from his lips as if they weren't his own.

Then nothing but cold blackness remained. Ace found himself once more staring into the shades of grey that lined the palace of cups. He wiped a tear from his eye and stared ahead bitterly at Lucia who was still standing before him.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he questioned in a low voice.

"I am not,"

"You ARE!!" Ace raged, "The dreams, the memories and this pain, it's all you! I know it is! But why? What did I do to you? Why are you doing this to me?! Just tell me what you want,"

She stepped forward and her long crimson hair cascaded down her shoulders and across her forlorn eyes. She put a hand to the tears falling down his cheek but didn't say a word.

"Who are you?" Ace stared at her with a pained expression, "I already know so just say it,"

At that moment, he found himself once more staring at a vacant hall.