Harem King's Collection: Turning Beastkins Into Desperate Wives!-Chapter 80: Envoy Of Death

Cortist began chanting again, and held his arms forward as a brilliant flash of light shot forth from them and pierced the monster, making it decay from the injury once more.

As Cortist was bracing for its inevitable return, his attention was drawn to a heavy crash from where his brother had stood supporting his father.

Jagón Venatus had erupted into seizures, frothing at the mouth while his eyes rolled back to their whites. His body was dying.

Cortist rushed over in that moment, desperately thinking of what he could do. He didn’t have prayer magic, so he couldn’t heal his father.

All the power he had been born with, and he was still to only watch helplessly as his father died from a wound he had received protecting the very mage.

Cortist began to panic once more, desperately searching for some way to spare his father, while he still had some chance. But nothing came to him. There was no miracle before him. There was only his growing awareness of his own uselessness as he could only feebly watch as his father convulsed in the dirt. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The panther mage hadn’t even realized the demon had reappeared right behind him... Not until it spoke.

"... Interesting. If I told you I could return your brother, that human to you... Or save your father... Which would you choose, young panther?"

Cortist looked up wide-eyed, stunned by the question as his thoughts stirred.

’There was a way to save Father? There was a way to get Aster back?’

Talan interrupted the demon, jabbing his spear deep into the creature’s eye socket, forcing the monster to respawn once more while the older brother shouted.

"CORTIST! WE HAVE TO GO! We need to run, NOW! Father wouldn’t want us to linger... He would tell us to leave... I have to keep you safe, brother... Please... I promised mom I would keep you safe... I failed with Aster... The real Aster... I failed with our father... Don’t make me fail here, too... Corty... Please."

The demon reappeared, seemingly unbothered by the interruption. He spoke to the younger brother again.

"Time is running out, mage. What will you choose? Will you save your brother? Or your father? Answer me, cub."

Cortist’s head shot up. He was visibly frustrated at making a deal with this toying demon who had caused all this in the first place but shouted his answer anyway.

"Both. Save both... Take me instead. I’ll offer myself if you just save them... I will die for my family if I must. Please..."

Talan quickly shouted his disapproval but was silenced as the demon rushed forward, bearing his burning sword down on the older brother. Talan raised his spear sideways to stave off the sudden assault while the demon spoke once more to the younger brother.

"You know you have the ability... It will answer. Use what you studied. Use what you learned for the boy. Use that which you sought after in secret in order to save him from his curse. Use your blood. Barter with death. Barter for the power. Forge your contract at long last, great mage."

Talan felt a chill run down his spine as the hair on his neck stood up on end when he processed those words.

’Use your blood? What you’ve sought after in secret? What is this monster speaking of? Cortist has no such power... My brother can not heal such wounds. It is impos-’

The older brother’s thoughts were cut short, and his eyes widened in shock as his brother pulled a knife from within his robe.

Cortist placed the blade on his right forearm and slashed open a deep cut. His crimson blood poured forth from the self-inflicted gash, trickling over his ebony fur.

The mage placed one hand over his father’s brow and one over his father’s heart. Cortist closed his eyes as the demon kept his brother busy and finally spoke, praying this would work. Praying he wouldn’t mess up his first attempt at forging a contract with the unforgiving deity that ruled over such power.

Cortist would barter for blood magic. He whispered the incantation needed as tears fell from his face, cradling his dying father all the while

"I wish to make a deal of gods. I wish to deal with death."

Darkness erupted around the panther and his father, enveloping both in a small dome of swirling blood magic.

Talan screamed out for his brother, but his words couldn’t reach the mage where he was in that moment, but another voice did find the young panther, one that spoke directly into his mind. One that made the young mage want to run and hide from his decision to request such aid.

’Ahh... A strong soul has called on me. Speak, child, what do you ask?’

Cortist was frozen.

He knew this was expected, but he wasn’t sure if he had even believed this would work... But there was no doubt... That voice... It was the voice of a god. It was the voice of Death.

His request had been answered. He had been granted an audience with the most powerful foe of the living. Cortist had the capability to use blood magic.

"Please... Save my father. Give me the power to heal him. That is my request, ancient one."

Cortist knew what the price would probably be. He knew what this thing would ask of him. He would give it his own life in return. Death answered him.

’What do you offer? What do you barter with?’

Cortist took a ragged breath in and shuddered as he spoke his answer.

"Anything you ask of me. I will offer my very own life if you desire."

A resounding chuckle echoed into the panther’s very soul.

’What an interesting proposition. I do not reveal my prices lightly, child, but for what I seek, you must accept it knowingly... My price is your loyalty, my price is your devotion, my price is a life in service to me, child. My offer in return is my power. The power to change fate. The power to cheat death. The power to call on me when you need, for you have great potential to wield my strength... But know, I will soon call on you as well. Do you accept this payment? If so, speak your name, child, speak your oath to me. Become the first envoy of death for this generation.’

Cortist froze. Envoy? This... This wasn’t what he expected. This deity should’ve merely granted the request and claimed his price in blood... It shouldn’t have chosen Cortist for anything more... It shouldn’t have revealed its price. It should have been an easy trade...

But now? The mage wasn’t so certain. Death spoke once more as Jagón released his final breath from his lips, and his heart stopped altogether.

’Time to fulfill such a request grows short. Make your decision, child. Speak your oath, or leave my audience. Either way, I will claim what is mine today, be it your father or you.’

Cortist lowered his head, staring at the lifeless panther beneath him with a sense of dire hopelessness. As tears fell onto his deceased father below, Cortist spoke his answer.

"I, Cortist Venatus, accept your price. Fulfill your promise to me... Heal my father."

Death laughed once more that day.

___

Talan hadn’t even realized he had been knocked unconscious by the demon until he awoke in an unfamiliar room. The panther looked over, and his eyes shot open in disbelief.

His father was in another bed a few feet away. There were no signs of the damage caused by the flames left on the great knight, and he was breathing steadily in his peaceful sleep.

Talan rolled out of the bed immediately and ran to his side, inspecting his body carefully, yet finding not a single burn or missing hair... Even scars from decades prior were gone without a trace.

The young panther didn’t know how this was possible, but he was beyond grateful. That feeling was short-lived as he looked around and saw not a hair of his younger brother.

He did, however, see a very tired looking wolf leaning against the doorway. It was Sir Byron Aschefell.

The panther had one singular, burning question.

"Where is my brother? WHERE IS CORTIST?"

The silvery gray wolf only cast his gaze to the floor of his estate as he answered the young panther solemnly.

"Cortist Venatus has officially been declared among those missing since the attack on the capitol... It could be worse... He could be counted among those declared dead. Your brother is lost, just as the capitol has been. We have nothing that can stand against that cursed, flying beast that has since made the arena into its nest...

"And we’ve seen no trace of the demon responsible either... We lost, Talan, we lost so much... We lost our prince, we lost my daughter and my grandson, we lost both of your brothers, and we lost our king...

"Your father hasn’t shown any signs of waking up... I am sorry, great Venatus son... You have lost everything."

***