Penelope’s secrets

Eliot slumped in a corner booth at Tal’s Tavern, his favorite restaurant in the Metropolis. Eliot loved this place. Tal’s Tavern might be the lone non-noble only culinary establishment that lacked the trademark sticky floors and tables of every other tavern, bar, pub, or saloon. The appearance was the run of the mill tavern, with a few exceptions. It had the creaky wooden floorboards, classic round tables, cheerful waitresses, and made most of its profit from beer sales. The reason Eliot cherishes this place to the point that he refuses to eat anywhere else besides the academy's meal hall, is exclusively thanks to those few exceptions. The first reason is the aforementioned clean tables and chairs; Eliot never fails to tip like a noble because he attributes the sanitary environment to the diligence of the waitresses. The main reason, though, is the addition of the booths that are almost exclusively found in noble only establishments. The booths are insanely comfortable compared to the hard, creaky wooden chairs. Not to mention, the atmosphere felt like it was specifically designed to appeal to Eliot’s character; The lighting was dim, a freshly lit incense stationed comfortably in the middle of the large table made love to Eliot’s eyes. The booth’s warm hug blocked out the other clientele and some of their noise. It was paradise.

Eliot sighed complacently, “If only I could live in this booth.” Unfortunately, tonight’s visit was to lift his spirits. Eliot would only be attending The Arcane Academy of Everveil for a few more weeks, and he would be evicted from his dorm after graduation. Now, he was scrambling to find a suitable living area; The only houses he could find were absolute travesties. Given his recent life style, Eliot perused residential areas geared toward nobles first. Those houses were all too lavish, bright, and space frittering. After that disappointment, Eliot viewed more modest housing, but those were all too conservative and frankly unbearable for his skewed living conditions. Eliot started his house hunt three days ago, during that time Eliot explored the Metropolis like an entomologist scours the forest, and he still found nothing he liked. The best he could do was commission an entirely new house, and though that is a good option in the long run, that would require at least a month’s time to complete, time Eliot lacked.

“Why so glum, Sir Relius?” asked a sing song voice at the opening of the booth. Eliot lifted his head at waitress’ arrival. The waitress wore the traditional skirt and blouse with an apron on top. Her midnight black hair cascaded down her shoulders and bounced with her bosom in response to her superfluous mannerisms.

“I’ve been looking for a place to live. I’ve had no luck, though,” Eliot shared defeatedly.

The waitress’ smile intensified and she bounced on the balls of her feet as she delivered, “Then you came to the right place, nothing cheers you up like Tal’s cooking!” Eliot cracked a smile at her overzealousness.

“You don’t need to sell me anymore, Cherry. I love this place. If only I could live in this booth...,” Eliot lamented dramatically. Cherry’s giggle was ambrosia to the ears.

“The booths were made to appeal to couples, but I like a man who appreciates a...charged atmosphere,” Cherry cooed.

Eliot frowned slightly when he caught the less than subtle undertones and changed the subject, “I’ll have a beef stew for tonight.”

“Will that be all?” Cherry chirped. Eliot nodded in affirmation and Cherry ran off to pass on his order.

Eliot frowned in earnest after Cherry left. He found Cherry alluring, as did most males, but he couldn’t bring himself to flirt with her, or anyone for that matter. Deep down he knew why, but pretended to be ignorant. Eliot was afraid that if he acknowledged it, he would be more obsessed with her than he already was. Eliot threw those thoughts to the wayside and gobbled up his stew with a new passion.

“Give my regards to the chef,” said Eliot as he climbed out of his haven and flicked a silver coin in the air.

“As always,” called Cherry as she stacked Eliot’s bowl on her tray and caught the glittering coin with the same hand.

Eliot soaked his lungs in the acrid air of the metropolis, the recoiling of his nostrils as he forced down the air a common ritual. Eliot used to frequently cherish the air quality of The Town of Flora when he needed to focus; while the air in the Metropolis was unpleasant to say the least, the motions helped. Eliot puffed the air out of his lungs and steadied his breathing before tearing through space time and connecting two locations that shouldn’t be connected. Eliot stopped himself mid step when a familiar shade of green announced its presence in his peripherals. Eliot lifted his head and saw Penelope. Eliot had a sudden epiphany.

“Of course! I should ask Penelope and Henry. they’ve lived in the Metropolis their whole lives, it’s likely they know something I don’t.” Eliot had the urge to face palm for not considering something excruciatingly obvious. The solution to his frustrating problem beckoned his negligence, but Eliot mentally shoved himself to slow down. Something was wrong with the scene in front of him. Penelope was wearing all black, the stark difference was startling. All she usually wore were variegated and showy outfits, as if black didn’t exist to her. Penelope’s movement were disorderly, her head swiveled frenetically and she had an uneven gait.

Eliot canceled his portal and entered what he liked to call Cel mode because he copied the movements and swagger Cel had when he stole bread in broad daylight. Immediately the people that crowded the streets of the metropolis at all hours lost interest in Eliot, able to see him but unable to acknowledge that he was there.

Eliot followed Penelope from a distance carefully, anxiety fueling his conscientiousness. For once, Eliot was doing something most people could relate to. He was impatiently awaiting the ending of a perilous situation while his thoughts took a turn for the worst.

“Where is Penelope going dressed like that at this time of night?” pondered Eliot. Penelope continued on her trek, unaware of the trouble brewing. She lead Eliot to the slum, the worst part of the Metropolis.

Something like the commonly thought of slums featuring run down businesses, gang hegemony, and careless law breaking wouldn’t be allowed in the glorious Metropolis of the Crucible Empire. In actuality, the slums were incredibly safe to visit or travel through because the bulk of the guard’s attention was directed at the slums. There was a good reason it was called the slum, though: the slum is the area that houses the highest crime rate in the Metropolis, thought to contribute a whopping seventy percent of all crime in the Metropolis.

This was one of the Metropolis’ features that Eliot looked into when he first moved to the Metropolis. After all, it rang paradoxical music to Eliot’s ears, how could the slums contribute seventy percent of all the crime in the Metropolis when the guard focuses most of its manpower there?

first, Eliot looked into the actual percentage it contributed. When that proved correct and not exaggerated in rumor, Eliot decided to nourish a relationship with a guardsman high in the guard hierarchy. After asking some friendly guardsmen and successfully landing a friendship with Polly Ofal, the captain of the guard, he got his answer: the slums contained the main base of operations for most of the prevalent underground organizations. The underground organizations are as the name suggests, underground. Therefore, the seventy percent crime rate is all underground and right under the guard’s nose. The main reason Eliot could chance upon a friendship with the captain of the guard was because that fact frustrated Polly to no end, and Eliot had endless patience for his rants. Polly was also the main well of information the aspiring undergraduate trio drew from in order to go against the Serpentine BrotherHood.

After entering the slums, Eliot’s worry grew tenfold. Penelope’s practiced and methodical pathing that perfectly avoided the guard and avoided unwanted attention glared with the fact that Penelope traveled this path frequently. Finally, Penelope reached her destination: a church. Eliot almost collapsed when the rush of relief rendered his knees to straw. Eliot’s thoughts turned to unwanted restoration projects commissioned by the church, unaccepted by anyone but the truly saintly and altruistic Penelope he knew. Unfortunately, his shady conduct wasn’t over yet, there were still some doubts left unplacated.

Eliot followed Penelope into the empty church with run down pweys and cracked murals. Penelope moved quicker, excitement supporting her legs and rushing her breathing. She paid no heed to the sad, desecrated place of worship and walked with purpose, dipping into the doorway left of the main altar. Eliot leaned sideways as he surveyed the rooms before entering and followed Penelope deeper into the unlit corridors of the previously prosperous church. Penelope ended up struggling with a massive monolith of a door that she heaved open after some effort and practically skipped down the dark and sketchy staircase. Eliot dashed in after her before the door could slam close, almost tumbling down the staircase in consequence of his rush.

The crypt was the exact opposite of what one would expect of a crypt, in fact it looked like someone lived there. The rooms were large and cozy, wax candles providing the perfect amount of lighting; Eliot would love to meet with whoever decorated this place.

Penelope was very familiar with the crypt, she shed her black layer of clothes and hung it on a hook before running through the rooms impatiently, vaguely resembling child like ecstaticness. Eliot continued following until Penelope entered a room and closed the door behind her, leaving Eliot with nothing to do but put his ear to the door. He heard soft breath and quick talking accompanied by some unknown rustling, there was someone who lived here. Eliot clenched fists with anxiety, he still had no idea what Penelope was doing here. That was when he heard a soft, but clearly audible squeal of pain from Penelope. Eliot didn’t think twice and slammed the door open, a holographic rune floating formed in front of him in preparation.

The room was a bedroom. A wooden dresser with a mirror on the right side of the room, a large bed with red sheets in the middle, and a closet with a door that was slightly ajar on the left side of the room. On the bed was Penelope and a man Eliot didn’t recognize, they were extremely pale and had white hair and black eyes. The man and Penelope were locked in each other’s embrace, the fangs of the man digging into Penelope’s exposed neck, and Penelope was showing much more skin than would be decent to show in a public area.

Penleope let out a shriek and covered herself with the sheets. The vampire hissed, its eyes shining like a black hole in tandem with its bloody visage, and it pounced on Eliot. Eliot’s training with Master Camble kicked in and he fell onto his back with the momentum, kicking the vampire off of him. The vampire stopped itself mid-air using an ability all vampires possesed called low flight and widened its eyes in surprise when Eliot was already right next to it, sending a kick its way. The vampire turned parallel to the ground, utilizing its innate skill to dodge. Eliot smirked with confidence, he knew all too well how a flying person would dodge from dueling Henry. Eliot kicked off the ground with his other leg, snapping his legs together and around the vampire. Eliot twisted his hips and smashed the vampire into the floor head first. Eliot caught himself with one hand and flipped upright while the vampire shook shook off its confusion, the stone floor decorated with a new spider web design of cracks.

“Wait! Wait! Stop fighting!” shouted Penelope as she ran out of the room, thankfully fully dressed in her obnoxiously bright colored clothes.

“Arvik, this is one of my best friends, Eliot,” explained Penelope. “Eliot, this is Arvik, my partner in an intimate relationship.”

“Oh...” realized Eliot, “It that all it is? Why were you acting so shady?”

Penelope just gestured toward Arvik and said, “That’s why.” as if that explained everything.

Eliot furrowed his brows in confusion and asked, “What do you mean? Were you too embarrassed to tell us that you had a significant other?”

Before Penelope could respond, Arvik let out a deep, haughty laugh and said, “It appears that you insult your friend’s credibility, Nel.”

“You don’t find any of this weird?” asked Penelope incredulously.

“Nope,” Eliot shook his head admonishingly. “Vampires being evil murderers is just a really bad stereotype, and I don’t see any signs that you’re doing this against your will. That with the fact that I should have respected your privacy makes me the one at fault,” admited Eliot. Eliot walked up to Arvik and stuck out his hand while saying, “Nice to meet you. Sorry about your floor.”

Arvick returned the gesture while saying, “Likewise. The floor is of little consequence.”

“I’ll leave you love birds to drink each other’s blood,” waved Eliot goodbye as he turned to walk out of the room.

“Wait,” called Penelope. “You kind of ruined the mood… so you can stay and get to know Vick.” Eliot felt a little embarrassed and apologetic, he should have given Penelope the benefit of the doubt, after all.

They all walked to another room that had massive bookshelves covering all of the walls with a round granite table in the middle of the room. The table had a tiered candle holder that illuminated the room perfectly.

“Nel talks about you alot, she says that you are a collector of knowledge, is that true?” asked Arvick.

Light gleamed off his teeth as he smiled with childlike enthusiasm and answered, “Yup, I want to learn everything about everything one day!”

“In that case, I think you would like to know that vampires do not actually drink blood.” Eliot leaned forward with a gleam in his eyes. Penelope rolled her eyes, familiar with the way Eliot got.

“Instead, They drink the residue dark mana in the blood, not the blood itself.”

“Residue dark mana?” asked Eliot completely lacking the required prior knowledge.

Arvik furrowed his brows and queried, “Do tell, did Nel not share the real Story of Origin with you?” Eliot and Arvik looked over to Penelope, who grew red with embarrassment.

“I was going to tell them, eventually, but I thought that they could spend as much time as possible not being hunted by the church for knowing secrets they aren't supposed to know,” fussed Penelope.

“If it will put you in danger, then I don’t want to know,” Eliot shared immediately after.

“No, no, it’s fine,” sighed Penelope. “...It’s fine. You already know the second big secret I’ve been keeping for what feels like forever, so telling you this will really lessen the weight on my chest.” Penelope took a couple of big breaths before starting, “Almost everything that the Church preaches about the Gods is a lie. They want people to believe that their patron God, the Goddess of Life, created humans and all life itself and is the strongest, most benevolent God; all of those are lies. Contrary to her name, she did not create life.

“The Real origin Story goes like this: In the beginning, there was nothing but what humans refer to as space. Humans have speculated since their creation what lies beyond, in the confines of the vast void in the sky. One day, long ago when the idea of time and its tracking was yet to be conceived, a blob of mana with an ego popped into existence. No being, divine or otherwise knows why or how it happened, only that it did. That amalgamation of mana and ego is now known as the Goddess of Life, the senior of the three great Goddesses. Of course, we are clueless as to how she reacted to being the only thing with an ego. What we do know is, eventually she figured out how to separate pure mana from her being and cultivate an ego within that mana.

“More time passed while the Goddess of Life grew her faction of Gods, to later be known as the Faction of Light. Similar to the Goddess of Life, a blob of mana with an ego just existed, with no warning, that is now known as the Goddess of Death, the second oldest of the three Goddesses. Being new to existence, the Goddess of Death sought out other life forms and encountered the Faction of Light. The Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Death were declared sisters. Unfortunately, the Goddess of Life and Death were, as their names suggest, polar opposites and frequently butted heads. Their battles were fierce and destructive, if anything besides the endless void existed, it would have been obliterated. The Goddess of Death ended up isolating herself from the rest of the created Gods that made up the Faction of Light and started her own line of Gods, the Faction of Darkness.

“More time passed. Some say that it was immediately following the Goddess of Death and Life’s fight, some say that it was longer than it took either of the sisters to form. It’s ultimately unknown how much time passed before the third sister, now known as the Goddess of Null or the Goddess of Creation, gained existence. The Goddess of Null, however, was special. She had an actual physical body, not one made of mana and an ego. Again, it is unclear what her form was, some speculate that it was human, some beg to differ. The Gods of both factions were instantly obsessed with her because in addition to having a physical body, she could make anything at all real and solid, something the other Gods lacked.

“An unknown amount of time passed before the Goddess of Null got the idea to make Earth. The Gods loved it, a vast land that only knew the physical. The Goddess of Null started developing reality rapidly. First, she created her own line of Gods, they make up the Faction of Equilibrium. Next, she made geographic features and added other physical beings, much smaller and basically harmless. Those beings were dragons, harmless to Gods, deadly to most other physical existences. The Goddess of Null spent time making all sorts of different fantastical beings for billions of years, enough that all the other Gods grew board. To remedy this, the Goddess of Null started a secret project that she kept hidden from the other Gods. In addition to anonymity, she asked the Goddesses of Life and Death for gifts she would incorporate into her new creation. The facts fall into opinion here, as well. Some say the Goddesses worked together for the sake of their younger sister or the project, some say it was by coincidence. Whatever occured, the Goddess of Life gave pure mana and the Goddess of Death gave ego. The Goddess of Death originally planned to give pure ego, but it was extremely unstable and difficult to work with. To fix this, she mixed it with water, a physical substance found on Earth that is speculated to be made up of slightly different substances than today’s water. This allowed the ego free reign with no restrictions while resolving its unstable nature, and resulted in the blood that flows through every human’s veins.

“The Goddess of Null is undeniably the true Goddess of Life and Death for humans. Unfortunately, the Goddess of Null is different in more ways than one. Unlike the other Gods who frequently take brief visits to attract followers, she stayed hands off and eventually faded from the annals of history. The Goddesses of Life and Death did the opposite, spurred by competition to cultivate the most followers. It seems that the Goddess of Life was the victor of their rivalry. The Church of Life is the most followed religion around the world, and its teachings make the Goddess of Death to appear as pure evil, given names such as the devil or lucifer with its own fake history behind it.” Eliot took some time to process the information. Even though Eliot loved knoweldge and learning, if he was hit with a long lecture or explanation such as this, he would have to properly digest it. Despite it being normal for people to have to reflect on what they learned, it frusterated Eliot to no end.

After properly understanding and commiting the information to memory, Eliot broke out in a smile, “So what you’re saying is the pair of a holy woman and vampire makes sense in that the vampire gets sustenance and the holy woman literally become more holy.”

“That is partially correct, yes,” said Arvick. “The only problem lays in the fact that vampires do not need any sustenance, they are physically dead beings. In reality, it only tastes good and is seen by most vampires as a bonding ritual.”

“This one’s a keeper,” remarked Eliot with a smirk.

“Of course!” shouted Penelope as she slammed her hands on the table. Eliot started laughing at her antics. For a fleeting moment, Eliot thought about Beelzebub and wondered how long it would be before him and Beelzebub could be like Penelope and Arvick. Not to mention that she would have to feel the same as he did, not likely with how she always runs away.

That was when a slightly problematic idea hit Eliot, which he shared with the table, “Hey, Arvick, are you looking for a roommate?”

“Please, call me Vick,” said Arvick as he leaned back in his chair, thinking. Eventually, he nodded and leaned forward, “I suppose that a roommate would not be a bad idea, but only if you shall agree with one stipulation.” Eliot motioned for him to continue. “You have to allow me to address you as El.”

Eliot laughed and agreed before turning towards Penelope and asking, “You don’t have any objections?”

Penelope crossed her arms and said, “Vick is his own person, I shouldn’t be weighing on this.” They spent the next few hours going over all the details and room situations. As soon as he was ready, Eliot could move in