The Battle of Euangelion: Reborn

Chapter 21: Birds of a Feather

"Oh Pravus, do fetch one of the seers to have a look at Alex's wounds, will you?" Diabolus summoned. "We wouldn't want anything to get infected now do we," he winked his yellow eye before escorting her to Pravus who tried to grab her arm.

"Don't touch me," she yanked her arm back, eliciting a scowl from the Turpi General.

"Feisty one, isn't she," Diabolus beamed. "The lady is to be treated as our most honored guest, understood?"

Pravus nodded and led her down the steps, passing a nervous-looking Turpi who emerged from the staircase.

"Why aren't I popular tonight," Diabolus sighed, "well, what is it?"

The Turpi approached carefully, "My Lord, the prisoner -, he, er,"

"Yes?"

"He's escaped, my Lord."

The news didn't reduce Diabolus' grin, in fact, it may have increased it. But his eyes were communicating something other than content.

"I see," he said.

The Turpi flinched at his words, almost as though he expected to hear something else.

"And how, may I ask, did he manage to do that? Last time I checked, his quarters were well guarded."

"Yes my Lord, six guards my Lord. But they, erm. The guards were found to be -, to be indisposed."

"Indisposed," his eyes widened, still grinning.

"Some scouts, they, er-, they say they saw Angelo on the beach."

Rufus, still constrained by the huge serpent, lifted his head at the sound of the Rider General's name. Hoping not to hear anything that could even remotely draw his captor's attention to Mount Timor, its tunnels, or the humans therein.

"Of course, they did," aside from three quick blinks, Diabolus' expression didn't change.

"We sent a group of fifteen to investigate," the Turpi continued.

"So not only did you lose my prisoner, you also cost me fifteen men?"

"My Lord, I-, we-, we don't know yet."

"Oh don't hold your breath. If that Neanderthal can manage to find his way to the cells and smuggle my prisoners out without alerting any of you imbeciles he would've easily outfoxed any chasers."

The Turpi was growing more anxious and instinctively got down on his knees.

"No use crying over spilled milk. Always meddling into my affairs that one," he shook his head and made eye contact with Rufus, "but two visits in one week... Just color me flattered!"

He looked eerily intrigued, "and to deliver, not one, but two humans to my front door - one being the Prophecy no less!" he laughed as he was approaching him, "what were you doing here Rufus, what's Angelo and his merry men up to?" he leaned in over the serpent. His shadow creatures reemerged and were now encircling Rufus. "I'll let you go if you tell me," he whispered in his ear, the shadows echoing the same thing. But Rufus remained silent.

"No matter," Diabolus stood back and waved the creatures away, "it was a fair trade, wouldn't you say?" he looked back at the Turpi, "Seeing that I'm running low on men, and also in a particularly generous mood, I will pardon this gross display of incompetence. Get out of my sight before I change my mind," he said disdainfully, dismissing the Turpi who left in a flurry of gratitude and surprise.

"What are you going to do with her?" Rufus asked.

"For one, I'll keep her safer than any of you," he contorted his mouth, "though I'm afraid that marks the end of my generosity for one day," he looked almost sincerely sad.