The Paladin in the Abyss

"Netherworld?" Lancelot had not expected this answer, "Is it the same Domain of the Vague we were just discussing?"

"Yes." Tijana nodded as if it were obvious, "Since tugging on the rope brought no response, we should head to the other end to see what the problem is."

"But as far as I know, death is the only way to the Domain of the Vague," Alamir said curiously to Tijana, "We aren't considering suicide as a means to reach that plane, are we?"

"What? Of course not!" the Succubus Lord gave the Elf Priest a dismissive look. "Aside from death, there are three ways to reach the Domain of the Vague: the gods periodically use Divine Power to directly send envoys to the City of Judgment to guide the faithful away; demons, due to a treaty with the God of the Dead, can also use portals in the Nine Hells to travel there, as they work to persuade souls with wavering faith to join the demons; and the last method, the one you will use, involves using a portal that appears randomly in the Bottomless Abyss. However, the master of the Domain of the Vague does not particularly welcome visitors who come by this method because demons always take the opportunity to steal souls to replenish their armies, which are continuously depleted by various wars."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Bruto sprung up suddenly from where he was, "Let's set off at once! My father's soul must have been stolen by some Demon Lord! If we delay, he will be turned into a pitiable Abyssal worm..."

"Heh, you underestimate the resilience of a soul," Tijana let out a cold laugh, then her expression turned serious. "Unless willingly transformed, turning a soul into a creature of the plane is an incredibly slow process, even for the most efficient banshees, and it takes years to turn a hapless soul into a worm."

"So what you're suggesting is that this was a targeted attack, aimed at crippling the production capabilities of Twin Bridges Town?" Lancelot frowned and asked, "Molo made some arrangements in advance that prevented their resurrection?"

"There are other possibilities, such as whether serving a Demon Lord subjected them to special attention from the King of the Dead, or if touching a certain magical item has caused them to carry a special curse," the Succubus Lord looked at the Human Knight, "These questions can only be clarified by going to the other end of the rope."

"What exactly do we have to do?" Bruto's voice was urgent. "We get to the Domain of the Vague, find my father's soul, and bring it back. Is that it?"

"Don't be too hasty, Dwarf. I will have someone continuously cast a preservation spell on your father's body to ensure it remains in a state that can be resurrected at any time. And I promise you, if you can retrieve his soul, even if it has been soaked in the waters of the Stygian River for a year, I will use my most powerful spell to restore him to his original state," Tijana said directly to Bruto, offering a calm promise. Then turning to Lancelot, "Once you find Barrend's soul, you will have succeeded halfway. Just remove any restrictions that prevent him from being resurrected, and your task will be completely accomplished. Do not take a soul from the Domain of the Vague on your own as it is a great offense against the King of the Dead, unless you are certain you will never face his judgment."

"Judgment?" Lancelot became interested in the word, "Is it the ultimate judgment one faces after death as the legends say?"

"... Priest, you explain."

"The ultimate judgment might be an exaggeration because some souls undergo many such judgments...in different identities," Alamir explained, spreading his hands to the audience. "Once souls arrive in the Domain of the Vague, the first thing is to wait, wait for the envoy of the god they believe in to guide them. If the envoy believes that a soul's faith is not devout enough, it turns to the King of the Dead for judgment. Depending on what the soul did in the living world, the verdict might be to erase all memories and reincarnate; if the sins are grave, they might be cast into Hell, where Demons will punish them; some souls are too deranged, even for Demons, and are thrown into the Abyss like trash; and then there are those...extremely rare, very uncommon nonbelievers, you know, who become some kind of building material..."

"Blah blah blah, whatever," Bruto muttered impatiently, waving his arms. "No matter why my dad can't be revived, he's probably suffering right now. Lady Tijana, my dear sister-in-law, how much longer must we wait before we set out?"

"I understand how you feel, Dwarf, please believe me," the Succubus Lord responded sincerely. "But you've just fought an epic battle. Your bodies have not recovered, your gear is badly damaged and needs repair, and I need to find a useable Portal and prepare any magical items we might need. All of this takes time. I suggest you go now, hand over your equipment for repairs to Adrick, then head straight to Hagrid Manor. Fill your bellies with whatever you like, then hit the beds. Remember to drink a healing potion, and maybe take a hot bath if necessary. As soon as I have definite news, I will contact you immediately."

Bruto glared at Tijana with a look of anger, but the Succubus Lord stared back undeterred. The Dwarf stomped his foot heavily and, without a word, headed out. Alamir, after giving Lancelot a meaningful glance, silently followed the Dwarf, leaving only the Human Knight and the Succubus Lord in the room.

Of course, there was also Barrend, but the old Dwarf was now just a corpse, and his soul was not lingering nearby, so that didn't count.

"Please don't mind," Lancelot started softly, "Bruto is in a terrible state right now."

"Of course, I don't mind," Tijana shook her head. "Though I already guessed the answer, I still have to ask, you're going with him, aren't you?"

"If possible, I'd obviously prefer to stay more with you," Lancelot turned to look seriously at his lover. "But Bruto is a very important friend of mine; I can't just sit by and let him venture into the Land of the Dead alone."

"I understand," Tijana lowered her eyes, "Actually, you're taking on the responsibility that should have been mine because ultimately, the responsibility is mine. But I can't leave, or it is likely that more tragedies like this will happen..."

"You don't have to say that, my lady," Lancelot paused, "but I'm glad you think this way."

"I'm serious," Tijana shook her head and turned to look at the quietly lying old Dwarf. "If...if the same thing happened to me..."

"You know the answer, my lady," Lancelot answered gently. "I would accompany you anywhere in the Multiverse."