Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Late at night after Raven's departure to the city of baked goods, everyone else took to their rooms inside the only inn left in town. Like cattle, the people had gathered on the lower floor, still sick from a lifetime of servitude. Their minds had bent beyond reason, and the only way they were being kept alive was thanks to Erika using her runic knowledge to create many large circles of healing around town.

Her magic helped somewhat but had it not been for Asmodia's input and Erika's work to place those runes, the people would've degraded before long. Similar to the illusion to protect Rose's house, the runes drew mana through the air and kept themselves going for as long as there was air to carry the magicules.

Alas, it was time to rest, however, for some reason, nobody could get a moment's shut-eye despite it being pretty late. Erika, for she couldn't stop thinking about how she could help the citizens turn to Athenia, the elves because neither of them could get out the raging image of Raven screaming at them. It was truly done, doing the right thing had to stop so that they could serve the greater good. Recognizing that they knew they had to do as he commanded, but even then, the thought of leaving the helpless to themselves just didn't sit well with either.

Regalia and the monster girls, on the other hand, had no issues following Raven's command either way. Being a general, it wouldn't be the first time the wolf-girl had done something bad to achieve a greater good, and as for the monster girls, as tame as they'd gotten, to their instincts his idea of focusing on the bigger problem just made sense.

However, amidst this confusion, the person affected the worst was the so-called hero of justice. Amedith, along with Liliyana, and even Will-O couldn't bring themselves to simply accept the fact that they might have to leave the desperate to fend for themselves. And while Liliyana understood and even somewhat agreed with Raven, she wanted to go against her fae instincts and save as many people as possible moving forward.

"When we left those women to die in that lighthouse," turning his head to the side to look at Liliyana, Amedith reached for her cheeks and planted a light kiss. "I thought they would be the last necessary sacrifice we'd need to make."

Laying on top of the much larger devil, his fingers quivered at the thought of being unable to save others moving forward. Sensing the shift in his emotions, Liliyana wrapped her hands around his nude body, and with a brush of her hand caressed his hair before reeling his head in. Nuzzling up against her neck, Amedith sighed. The tension in his body was relieved in an instant all thanks to the warmth the devil's body wrapped him in.
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"I know, but you said it yourself, no? You can't help everyone," kissing his forehead, she glanced down and matched his gaze as he was looking up. "And sometimes it is mercy to let their suffering end."

"Helga, she taught us those stupid slogans," gulping his emotions, Amedith's lips quivered as he spoke. "I don't even know if I believe those anymore."

The memory of him under the blade of Aran trying to save Arche in her helpless form flashed before Amedith's eyes. Aran's blade had left him in a shadow, had it not been for his shield that could deflect any attacks he surely would have perished.

'No…I did die, but the necklace brought me back.' Linkle's necklace made of Athenia's nail, had brought him back to life. 'But if I hadn't put myself in harm's way, Arche would've died right there.'

"Where do we draw the line of someone being beyond saving?" He asked the devil, his mind wandering through dangerous territories.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused as to what he was referring to.

"Arche, when I saved her, she would've died if I hadn't helped, then who's to say we won't end up abandoning someone else in our group as hopeless? When push comes to shove and a decision needs to be made between saving the integrity of the remaining group or leaping into harm's way to bring that person back to safety, then what would we do? Abandon them because it is too dangerous or distracts us from the greater good?"

"I don't think Raven would make us do something like that…" Shaking her head, Liliyana squeezed Amedith into comfort. Caressing his back, she tried to ease his anxiety which was obviously making his thoughts run rampant.

"But what if it does happen?" He asked.

Staring into the distance, somewhat distracted from the topic at hand, Liliyana mused over the thought for a while before giving him a response.

"Then we walk, we walk a separate part than the hero, we're not bound to him if he himself becomes a tyrant, right?" Her words were of little comfort, and although he was the one who'd ruffled the feathers, it somewhat frustrated Amedith that Liliyana would abandon Raven–a lifelong friend, one of the few remaining family he had, instead of trying to save him from himself.

"We…we should get some rest," finally realizing just how much he was overthinking, the warrior shut his eyes and in the arms of the devil allowed himself to drift into slumber.

As he slept in her arms and Liliyana joined him in his sleep soon after, Will-O watched over them from a supporting beam. Using a swab of cotton as a pillow and a handkerchief as her blanket, she couldn't help but smile at the fact that her daughter and Amedith could talk about even the harshest of things and yet fall asleep in each other's comfort.

But then came another realization, what Amedith had said–to her it didn't appear far-fetched. She knew the fairy mothers weren't exactly fond of each other, and a child of dark fae could surely follow in the dark steps of their mother.

'I need to keep a close eye on that man,' she thought, shifting the attention to Rave, even though deep in her heart she knew that Liliyana could end up the same if led to the wrong path. The mere thought of Amedith dying to Aran's blade made her wonder exactly what kind of hell Liliyana would've unleashed.

"I'm glad he's alive because without him she'd be lost and I think he would be lost without her as well." Turning around to lay on her back, the fairy wrapped her wings under her spine as a cushion and with the handkerchief on top, she too joined the duo in sleeping.

Their concerns, as far-fetched as they were, had some truth to them at least. Athenia knew that well, and so did Umbra, and that is why they kept a close watch on each of the dark-fairy kin.