Infinity: Rising of the Soul Weavers

* Marshmello - Alone [Monstercat] *

Sighing softly, Raven dismissed her armour and mask and focused on the unconscious kid on the ground.

"Hi, are you dead yet?" She asked while poking him with a short stick she found on the ground.

"My mistress, he's still alive," Calcer said innocently. "Do you want me to wake him up?" He asked as a short sword materialised in his hand.

"We want him alive, Calcer, A-L-I-V-E!" Raven said while shielding the boy from Calcer.

"Hehe, don't worry my mistress, I am aware!" He said with a sincere smile that made Raven subconsciously trust him and move aside.

"Say Calcer," Raven asked as Calcer pointed the tip of his sword on the kid's chest. "How come you changed so fast?" 

"Um, what do you mean, my mistress?" He asked as a warm red beam shot out of the short sword's tip and towards the kid's chest.

"Err, first call me Raven please, I don't like this mistress business," she said, prompting Calcer to adopt an apologetic smile on his face.

"I'm so sorry, it feels so inappropriate... calling one as great as you with no honorifics, my mistress," he said while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

*Sigh*

"At least try..." She said with a sigh as he had called her 'my mistress' again.

"Yes, my mist- um, Ra- ugh, um… hm, Rav-" Calcer was stuttering hard that Raven could only facepalm.

"Ok never mind," she said in defeat.

"Thank you, my mistress!" He said with another one of his smiles that made Raven's heart melt. 

'I don't know what to do with him… he's so cute and honest with everything he says or does… *sigh* it's going to be hard to get him to obey me if I tell him to leave me alone in combat situations, unless I order him by the contract rules…' she sighed as she didn't want to do that. 

The fact that he was this attached to her meant that he might feel the need to protect her even when she doesn't need it.

Just imagining a situation where she would need to fight a troublesome opponent made her bite her lips as she knew Calcer will most likely avoid leaving her alone against danger, even if the opponent was stronger than him, which would put her at a disadvantage.

"Um, so anyway," Raven dismissed the matter as it was a problem for another day. "My question was: how did your appearance change? Last time I summoned you, you had red horns and not black ones, plus they were larger.

"And if I remember correctly, you had red sclera, not white like humans, no?" She asked while tilting her head to the side.

"You still remember that?" He asked with a tear in his eye. "You're truly so kind and passionate, my mistress!" 

"Eh? Hehe, thank you for the compliment, but really… I wouldn't say I'm too kind, I'm just good to those who are good to me," she said with a forced smile. "Um, anyway, so what happened?"

Wiping the lone tear, Calcer smiled. "The change is a result of my training!" He said happily.

"See, before you summoned me here, I was a mere imp, one of the most common types of demons in the demon plane… we normally serve as food for the upper ranks," he said with a bitter smile.

It was the first time he had such a sad face that it made Raven sad inside.

"But when you summoned me, my mistress," he said with renewed enthusiasm, "I instantly became stronger, especially after you named me!

"After returning to the demon plane, I practiced and practiced. I even asked Keith to teach me some of his tricks.

"He's a pretty cool teacher! He even introduced me to others that taught me some other stuff like healing!" He had such a happy smile that it gave Raven's mood a 180 to the best.

"My healing still isn't the best," he said while glancing at the dim red beam still directed at the kid. "But after my training, I've learned to be thankful. You see, basically, the reason I resemble humans much more now is because I've undergone an evolution! 

"I'm no longer a weak imp! I'm now a High Ranked Greater Demon!" He said happily, "and it's all because of you my mistress, that's why I admire you to no end!" He smiled again.

Suddenly, unable to hold her emotions anymore, Raven found herself hugging Calcer who was as surprised as her by the gesture.

'That is why he's so attached to me… I've basically given him a life… Poor souls, those demons…' she thought to herself. Unbeknownst to her, a small part of her believed that saving the rest of the demons was an achievable task.

"My mistress?" Calcer asked, knocking Raven out of her trance. "Are you ok?" He hadn't returned the hug, only asked with a tilted head.

Realising that demons probably don't have the same traditions as humans, Raven explained: "this is called a hug," she said while releasing Calcer. Her cheeks were now rosy as she realised it was her feminine hormones and emotions taking control.

Normally, she wouldn't just hug people randomly. Even if she wanted to, she'd mostly get shy and avoid it. But not now.

"You hug those who are dear to you to let them know you care for them," Raven said, trying to hide her embarrassment. 'I am quite fortunate that he doesn't know what is embarrassing and what is not, phew!'

Hearing her definition of a hug, Calcer couldn't help but clutch his arm right using his left hand, trying to understand what Raven had just said. 

"So, I am dear to you, my mistress?" He asked with a tone that said he was beyond surprised.

In the demon plane, kindness and love weren't a thing. You had to be useful if you wanted to live. No one loved others for what they were, only for what they could provide.

They sure honour loyalty, but that is nothing close to love and hugs.

Taking a moment to understand, Calcer felt his body move on its own, hugging Raven. "You are dear to me too, my mistress," he said as he closed his eyes and tried to imprint this feeling onto his heart.

It was a strange feeling, yet he found it soothing and wanted to treasure it.

Returning the hug, Raven smiled. 'I thought you didn't want him to get attached to you, no?' Tu asked.

'Well… I can't exactly tell him I can't hug him, he's just too innocent for that.' she said.

"Ugh, where am I?" The boy in the ground finally woke up with a hand clutching his head.

"My healing worked!" Calcer said while releasing Raven. 

"You did well, Calcer!" Raven smiled and patted his head slightly.

'Stop pampering him!' Tu said as he didn't know what she wanted exactly. She didn't want him to get attached, but she kept providing him with the care he needed.

"Aauhhh!!" The kid screamed, "you… please don't kill me!" He said while shielding his face from Raven.

'Aw f*CK!' she thought with a face palm, 'I forgot I almost traumatised him…'

'Almost?' Tu asked with raised eyebrows.

'Ok enough talk for you today, why don't you go to sleep?' she asked him in her mind.

'Hypocrite!' Tu exclaimed.

'Meh, that's old news,' she smiled internally, which curved her mouth into a real smile.

Noticing the smile on her face made the boy scream harder as he'd remembered her maniacal laughter.

"My mistress," Calcer called with a confused expression, "what's wrong with him? Are all humans that are not you this dumb?"

"My mistress!" Keith said while approaching them. Kneeling in front of Raven, he continued: "the demons have been dealt with. But I'm afraid I also bear bad news."

Keith was always as serious as Calcer was innocent. Yet both cared for Raven deeply.

"Uhm, what's that?" She asked with a neutral expression.

"I believe it's better if you check it out yourself, my mistress," he said.

"Hm, I'm assuming it's something near, huh?" She asked. "And Keith, please don't kneel, stand up tall, you both saved me just now, I don't want to play queen here."

Without arguing, Keith stood up. "Yes my mistress, it is near."

"You're not going to kill me already?" The kid interrupted, after a while of screaming. "You know, I kinda deserve it. My friends told me to never ask a girl to marry me without going on a date with her…"

Tilting her head in confusion, Raven seemed to suddenly remember the earlier events. "Oh yeah, definitely don't do that." Raven said.

"Hm, but I couldn't stop myself you know," he said, "my mouth just started moving on its own… you're just that adorable what was I supposed to do?

"Plus, to be fair, I wouldn't mind if I died in the hands of such a beautiful girl. I was dead before you showed up anyway." He shrugged.

"Do you have a mental issue there, buddy?" Raven asked seriously.. The boy was just screaming out of fear, but now he's asking to die by her hands.