Chapter 39: After Midnight

“So, how do we make people feel fear!?” asked Kianna as her voice rang with her excitement.

“It’s actually not too difficult.” said Anton as he laid his arms out across the chairs armrests “In fact, you’ve already done something similar without even realizing it. If you’ll think back to our previous training, specifically the time when you were attempting to kill your sister with a binding ring, you’ll realize that you were projecting your anger out into your aura. Mechanically speaking, the process of instilling fear is in essence the same, only with a different emotion being applied.”

“Oh, okay ... I do remember that...” mused Kianna as her expression became thoughtful “But how do we do that with fear though?”

“How did you do it with anger?” asked Anton.

“Uh, well, I just kinda did it?” reasoned Kianna “ ... I guess I was trying to make sure she knew I was pissed? Like I wanted her to feel it?”

“You’re on the right track.” nodded Anton “Essentially what you’re doing is sending a message. It’ll be easier to show you what I mean as I explain it. So let’s go ahead and begin by flaring our auras.”

“Whoa! Hold on a second!” exclaimed Mica as she thrashed back and forth “You can’t do this to me! This isn’t fair! I’m not gonna be your fucking training doll!”

“Yes, you are.” said Anton as he let his aura spread outwards and fill the area “You don’t have a choice.”

The dark elves were both smiling as they let their auras flare outwards and join with Anton’s.

“Now, anger itself is actually a very easy emotion to project. As Kianna has noted, all you have to do is make it be known that you, yourself are unhappy. It really is that simple.” explained Anton as he watched the kiochi slow her struggles as she felt the air around her become heavy “Now for an example. I’m going to make it clear to Mica, just how very unhappy with her I actually am...”

Mica made a small sound in her throat as the air around her was instantly filled with a thick and suffocating sense of dread and malice. Blinking her eyes wide in apprehension, she went still as she stared at Anton.

With their own auras now surrounding them and acting as a buffer, the dark elves were able to recognize the presence of Anton’s aura around them but were not being directly effected by it.

“This is as simple as it is because I am legitimately furious with Mica. And I do want her to know this ... However, I can still generate this same effect with another target that I am not so upset with by simply recalling a point in time that I was feeling especially angry and channeling that same emotion into my current message.” said Anton as he narrowed his eyes at Mica “Now, a message of anger can and will elicit a certain amount of natural fear in anyone who feels it. However, this fear is going to be more akin to apprehension, and is not going to be the same as forcing someone to actually feel true terror. Projection is not the same as influence. Though their mechanics are similar. What I am doing right now can be thought of as a warning more than anything. What I’m about to do however ... Is no warning...”

Mica’s breath became caught in her throat as the aura that was surrounding her began to seep into her very being. Unable to resist in any way, she could do nothing as a thin, swirling cloud of raw dread began to take shape within her mind.

“Just a tiny little taste ... Don’t want to overdo this...” said Anton as he kept his eyes locked to Mica “Now then, the difference between projecting a warning and influencing your target is subtle but quite significant ... Do you understand what’s happening? You should be able to feel it, at least somewhat ... This is no simple warning ... There is no message here ... No question or comment that can be ignored or disregarded ... I’m not asking her to fear me ... I’m making sure that she does...”

The dark elves both stared transfixed as they watched Mica begin to tremble as her face paled. Staring at Anton, the kiochi’s slitted pupils constricted themselves down until they were nothing more than thin, black slivers that were barely visible in the sea of emerald green that made up her eyes.

“ ... I can feel it! How you’re... “influencing”, her...” whispered Kianna as she tightened her eyes in question “But, how are you ... making the fear?”

“Ah, again, it’s very simple.” said Anton as he nodded slowly and dropped his aura.

Mica immediately breathed an exasperated sigh of relief as the swirling terror instantly drained itself from her mind.

“N-no! N-no more!” she croaked as her entire body was racked with tremors “I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”

“Why don’t we put our little training doll to the test. And see how well she can handle having you both practice this together.” said Anton as he ignored the kiochi’s cries “To begin with, the both of you can go ahead and imbue her with your auras.”

“Wait, what!?” cried Mica as the dark elves both smiled broadly “Hold on! Hold on! Wait! Don’t!”

The kiochi went rigid and silent as she felt the weight of the two opposing auras begin to concentrate themselves around her. Shaking her head in defiance, she clamped her eyes shut as she put all her will into resisting their efforts to invade her being.

The dark elves both began to softly laugh as they felt their auras slowly claw their way into the now groaning kiochi.

Her struggles wasted, Mica glared up at them in fury as their presence permeated throughout her being.

“Very good.” nodded Anton “Now then, at this point you two should be able to feel her resolve as if it were a wall or barricade fighting to block you out and resist you. Force you way beyond that. Delve as deep into her very core as you can. And don’t worry too much about hurting her. That’s what you’re trying to do after all.”

The dark elves both nodded silently as they concentrated on their efforts.

“No!” groaned Mica as she fought to hold them back.

Pressing herself back against the metal chair, Mica clamped her eyes shut as she felt her resistance fail.

“Okay! I think we did it!” breathed Kianna.

“Good.” nodded Anton “Now, you just need to make her feel fear.”

“ ... H-how?” questioned Kianna.

“Simple.” said Anton as he stared unblinkingly at Mica “Show her your desires. Everything that you want to do. Everything that will happen to her. Make her feel it all. Don’t simply tell her anything, show her everything. Make sure that she knows there will be no more warnings, only promises.”

“Stop!” cried Mica as she shook her head “No! Get out! Get out! Get-!”

The kiochi’s eyes shot open as her mouth hung agape. Slowly looking upwards she made a small gurgling sound as she took in the sight of the looming dark elves.

Fiona and Kianna stood completely silent as they gazed down at the quivering kiochi and watched her eyes slowly go wide in terror. Making small choking sounds in the back of her throat, Mica tried to scream as the dark elves features suddenly began to blacken and their eyes ignited into a fiery glowing red. Taking a step closer, the two dark elves forced Mica to cringe down into her shoulders as they leaned over her and stared unblinkingly into her eyes as they filled her entire being with a crippling, soul crushing fear. Unable to look away from them, Mica whimpered softly as she saw visions of herself reflected back in their large eyes.

“ ... Alright girls, I think that’s enough for now. We don’t want to break her completely on the first round. We do still need her to be coherent after all.” said Anton in a hushed tone as he watched the dark elves slowly eased themselves away from Mica “ ... This little exercise actually has a second point of usefulness to us. As one very nice aspect of Infernals, is that they all seem to instinctively understand hierarchy. Establish yourself as more powerful than them. And whether they like it or not. They will recognize you as such. And so, I expect Mica will be much more willing to behave accordingly now...”

“This is seriously so easy!” mumbled Kianna as the blackness that was surrounding both her and Fiona vanished from around them “She literally can’t do anything to stop us ... I don’t think she can even move!”

“It’s going to feel easy because for a dark elf, causing fear will come naturally.” explained Anton “And yes, I doubt she would be able to move all too well right now, if she can even move at all. This is how it will be for most people, or at least anyone who can’t resist you. And this is what you can do without even touching her. The same level of influence would not only be easier to achieve while touching your victim, but the effect can actually be amplified tenfold. I don’t think we need to go that far with Mica though, at least not at the moment.”

“ ... No wonder people are so scared of us.” said Kianna in a hushed tone as Fiona nodded in agreement.

“Yes, caution is definitely necessary whenever dealing with a dark elf.” said Anton “And now that Mica understands that. We should have a much easier time with her.”

The kiochi blinked and hunched in on herself as the dark elves both released her from their auras. Turning her eyes to the floor and away from the people in front of her, Mica began to groan softly as a light dripping sound began to echo through the room.

“Ew! Seriously!?” exclaimed Fiona as she and her sister both took a step back “Did she really just piss herself!?”

“Hm ... We may have over did things a bit...” muttered Anton as he grimaced at the small puddle that was forming beneath the metal chair “Though, if that was all it took, that is just embarrassing...”

“Shut up! Just shut up!” whined Mica as she clamped her eyes shut “I hate you all! ... I wanna go home!”

“Completely understandable.” nodded Anton “Cooperate, and we may be able to make that happen.”

“ ... Okay, fine!” whimpered Mica as she left her head to hang low “What do you wanna know?”

“Everything you may know about the clan your parents are a part of.” said Anton.

“I don’t know anything about that! I swear!” groaned Mica as she shook her head “Seriously! I never even heard about it until today!”

“Hm ... Alright then...” sighed Anton “Then how about your parents? You said they were assassins. We’re you telling the truth when you said that?”

“Yes.” nodded Mica “They are. They’re seriously real assassins!”

“Right.” said Anton “Assassins who get their targets from their clan?”

“I don’t know?” exclaimed Mica “I seriously don’t know anything about that!”

“ ... Hm.” mused Anton as he cradled his chin in his hand “ ... How is it that you know that your parents are assassins, but don’t know anything about the clan? Why would they tell you about being assassins but nothing else?”

“ ... They, they didn’t just tell me.” admitted Mica “I don’t think they even wanted me to know...”

“Oh?” questioned Anton “Then how did you find out?”

“ ... Cause they came home one day. Just out of the blue. They popped in through a portal ... It was right after I graduated, so I don’t think they remembered I was home.” explained Mica “They were talking about it. What, they had just done...”

“They were just talking about it?” asked Anton “As in joking about it? Or what exactly do you mean?”

“ ... No. Well, yeah ... kinda.” mumbled Mica “They were more like, flirting, with each other ... Dad was all over Mom, telling her she was amazing ... And, she was telling him how incredible he was, when he, cut some guys head off ... How clean it was ... And he was telling her that he could only do it because of her distraction ... I guess the guy couldn’t take his eyes off her ... She was wearing that...”

Turning her head to the side, Mica nodded to the pile of garments laying on the bed.

“Ah! So that’s why you were wearing that then...” nodded Anton “You thought a distraction would give you an edge as well. That makes sense.”

“Didn’t help for shit though!” grumbled Mica.

“No, not in this instance at least.” agreed Anton “It was distracting. I will give you that. But not enough to help you ... So, did you steal that outfit from your Mother?”

“No! I just, borrowed it...” mumbled Mica.

“I see.” said Anton “She’s going to be furious when she finds out you have it, isn’t she?”

“ ... Yeah.” groaned Mica “Probably...”

“Good. I glad to hear that.” grinned Anton “Getting back on track though. So you finding out your parents secret was an accident then. Interesting ... What did they say when they realized that you were there?”

“They just tried to backtrack.” said Mica with a shrug “But it didn’t work. So they just gave up and told me the truth, that we’re actually real shinoccubi.”

“Real shinoccubi?” questioned Anton “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, you know. Real shinoccubi. Like really, real one’s.” stated Mica

“Do you mean to say shinoccubi as in assassins?” asked Anton.

“Yeah. You know, real shinoccubi.” confirmed Mica.

“Right...” nodded Anton “You didn’t know they were killers ... But you did know that you were a shinoccubus before this though, right? As in the species?”

“Well yeah.” mumbled Mica “I’ve got a knife mounted to the end of my tail. Kinda hard to miss that.”

“Right.” nodded Anton “So what happened next? Now that you found out, what did they do?”

“They made me swear not to say anything, obviously.” said Mica “And I told them I wanted in. That finally everything was making sense. And that I wanted to join them too.”

“Making sense? What do you mean by that?” asked Anton “And what do you mean by joining them too?”

“I mean like Nokko.” stated Mica.

“Oh, that’s right. Nokko ... She knows they’re assassins too...” nodded Anton “And when did she find out? Was it the same time you did?”

“No. I don’t know when she found out.” said Mica “She probably always knew.”

“What makes you think that?” asked Anton.

“Because she’s one of them.” said Mica “She’s an assassin too.”

“She is!?” exclaimed Anton “Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah, that’s what I was talking about when I said it all made sense now.” explained Mica “Nokko has always been running off to help them with crap. And now it makes sense why. They’re all assassins.”

“Hold on, back up a bit.” said Anton as he raised his hand “What are you talking about? What was she helping them with?”

“I don’t know for sure. But now I’m guessing it was to help them kill people.” said Mica “Nokko was always waiting for Mom or Dad to call her so that she could go and help them. It was actually really annoying, because she would be standing around one second and then just gone the next without ever saying anything. She never actually wanted to do anything either. Like she never really hung out or played any sports or anything after school because she always had to be ready whenever they called. I always thought it was kind of weird and stupid. And I never knew what they were doing. Until now.”

“And you never asked about this?” asked Anton.

“Sure, a couple of times.” said Mica as she shrugged her shoulders “She always said she was just helping Mom and Dad though. And they were always busy working, so I figured she really was just helping them do stuff. Honestly, I always thought they were being cool to to me because they never made me do anything like that. They just let me do whatever.”

“I see ... So they’d call her for help ... But not you...” mused Anton as he seemed to be focused on his own thoughts “ ... Was this always a random thing? Whenever they would call her. Or was it often at the same time every day?”

“It didn’t happen every day.” said Mica “And no, the times were always different.”

“I see...” nodded Anton “And how many other siblings do you have?”

“Just Nokko.” answered Mica.

“Really? It’s just the two of you?” questioned Anton.

“Yeah.” said Mica.

“Hm, cubi’s stopping at two ... That’s different...” mumbled Anton “Is Nokko older than you?”

“Yes. Barely.” said Mica “She just barely turned 19.”

“And you’re 18?” asked Anton.

“Yeah.” said Mica.

“Hm, very close together ... Interesting...” nodded Anton “Does anyone in your family ever interact with any other shinoccubi? Any at all? Family? Neighbors? Anything?”

“Um ... No?” said Mica “Not that I know of?”

“Do you know if your family are the only shinoccubi living in Parnell?” asked Anton as he closed his eyes and slowly twisted his neck to the side to crack it.

“No. I’ve seen other one’s before.” said Mica “But I don’t know any of them though, I’ve never talked to any of them.”

“Right ... It makes sense that you wouldn’t...” mused Anton as he twisted his neck in the opposite direction “So it sounds like your parents let you stay busy with your own things while they met with Nokko whenever they could. Rather than try to juggle the both of you at the same time, they just focused on her ... Plates were already too full I’d guess...”

“ ... What do you mean?” asked Mica as she gave him a perplexed look.

“Nokko is not part of your parents clan, and like you, she probably doesn’t know anything about it either. Or at least none of the details. We can be sure of this for two reasons.” said Anton as he settled back in his chair “The first is that if she was a part of the clan, she would have already told them about you. And the fact that she hasn’t is very solid evidence that she is still free from their influence. The second reason we know she isn’t part of the clan is because your parents are the only one’s who’ve been interacting with you two. You see, normally, shinoccubi communities take the form of well hidden villages that may be home to dozens of different families, all from within the same clan. Living in this way, they’ll all work together to help each other raise and train the children. Unfortunately, your parents didn’t have the luxury of relying on that kind of support system. So with all the burdens of trying to keep up with the appearance of normal citizens, maintaining their careers and apparently handling clan assignments. They weren’t left with many hours in the day for raising a pair of young shinoccubi into effective and well-rounded kiochi’s.”

Their attention focused on Anton, Mica and the dark elves remained silent as they all listened to what was being said.

“Alright then, so considering what we know so far ... I think it’s safe to say that your parents have been permanently planted on Terra. More than likely this was so that they could be on site for any assignments that became available here ... And they more than likely were given the level of freedom that they have so that they could form a better cover for themselves ... Now all that is simple and makes sense ... What’s interesting though, is what they’ve done with this level of freedom...” mused Anton as he let his eyes fall to the floor “And the question now, is did they actually plan any of this? Because I’m really starting to think that they didn’t...”