The Crocus gardens had been famed as the most beautiful gardens in the capital, possibly the most beautiful place even in Fiore, and yet Odin had never taken the time to visit during his tenure there. He had been almost everywhere: to multiple bars and inns, the castle Mercurius, even the grand cathedral which, given his form as a Lich, caused quite a stir among the local populace, but he had never quite worked up the courage to enter the gardens. Even now, he had waited until darkness had fallen across the land before entering, taking his time to enjoy the beauty while he could. The moon was out but covered with clouds, and visibility was rather low, as Odin went through and admired each flower, stopping at one that was close to becoming his favourite. Before, he had always enjoyed the rose, as it was both pretty but deadly, and Lucifer had always considered himself the same. Now that the demon had left Odin's body, he needed a new favourite, as he was far from conventionally 'pretty'. He had stopped next to the chrysanthemum, in a distant and hidden away part of the gardens, watching it sway in the slight wind that was blowing, it's large petals -if you could even call them that- looking much heavier that the stem could withstand. It was a flower that was keeping itself upright despite hardship, and that was something Odin could relate to.

It had been about a week since the attack, since Arthurias had announced his rise to the throne, and since he had announced that it was no longer legal to discriminate someone based on how they looked. Seven days, and yet Odin still received the occasional look from the people. While everyone was happy to have a new Emperor, going against their natural dispositions when it came to a Lich like Odin was not easy. They saw a monster, and they were instantly angry and scared, that wouldn't be something to disappear any time soon, but Odin had become accustomed to it. There were few people that looked past his appearance, but those few were some of the most important people to him.

Little progress had been made towards repairing both Mercurius and the surrounding building as a result almost nothing had been left completely untarnished by the assault save for the odd building here and there. Strangely and almost deliberately the Crocus gardens famous for their all year round flowering was untouched by both defender and attackers. Because of the state of peacefulness and stability, Kon had begun to use it as a place of solace. Entering the gardens at the dead of night when few were around to spot him using the secondary entrance for the gardeners themselves while perhaps unwisely taking his weapon, The Punisher with him. The secrecy was a result of the new ruling party requiring him to reduce his presence to the public being a former nobility himself and a current Holy Knight.

The events that had transpired within the walls of Crocus had left many of the community shocked and troubled about the future. Kon was amongst those individuals with him having a growing desire to leave the capitol and find his beloved fiance who was hopefully unaffected by the conflict that was beginning to spread through the country under the rule of the new “Emperor.” In spite of his strong want to leave, Kon was forced to remain through a obligation by the Holy Knights there should he need to defend the organisation from yet another attack.

The only reason why Alice had not be asked as well was due to her pregnancy almost having come to an end. He wondered how she would have coped in this sort of situation that he had been put in as he bent down to look at a thorny rose just about to bloom. “Beautiful….” He spoke under his breath before returning to his feet, standing up to make his way to walk around the rest of the garden, punisher still on his back. As he moved through the maze-like garden a familiar figure came into view radiating a distinct glow he had come to associate with his friend, Lucifer. “What was he doing here at this time of the night?” He thought to himself before answered his own question with his own reason for being there himself.

They had never been the type to discuss whom they worked for however it was more important that ever for him to know who Lucifer stood with if they hoped to retain the relationship that they had developed over the last few months. Approaching the man at a friendly pace, he rose his right hand up into the air with the moonlight striking a glare out from his golden eye and his huge punisher weapon as he did so. “Seems like only yesterday that we saw each-other in Baska town, Lucifer How are you?”

Odin had decided to stick around in the area of the gardens where he had been before, now sitting on the ground watching the flowers, and just enjoying the company of his own mind, something he had still not gotten used to. Since losing the demonic presence of Lucifer, his mind had been missing someone to constantly talk to, someone that had been present for as long as the Lich could remember, and now it was gone, replaced by a silence. He originally couldn't understand how the normal people could cope with such an infinite nothingness in their heads, and why they didn't go insane from it, but over time he had gotten used to it. Now, he even enjoyed it, the solace of solitude, and he had retreated there to think about life as he watched the chrysanthemum move in the wind, thinking about how it made him feel. He had never thought much about flowers, never really cared for them before, but losing one's life made it easier to appreciate the things that captured life, and many people viewed flowers as perfect representations of life. They grew from a seed, blossomed, passed on their seed, and then died, the most basic necessities to continue life and live as they were. Humans usually did all that, but they over complicated things along the way. Flowers kept it simple, and for that Odin couldn't help but appreciated the life they must've led, even if they weren't truly sentient to experience it in the same way.

An unfamiliar voice speaking on familiar terms broke Odin out of his trance, as he turned to see a stranger that he didn't recognise. The word's of the man, however, Odin could place, as he had only met one male in Baska who knew his name, and the blonde hair -despite the slight differences- made it all the more likely. Getting to his feet, and smiling at the man he assumed to be his friend, Odin spoke to Kon, greeting the man he had come to trust and enjoy the company of. "Okay, maybe that is a better way to greet someone if you've changed your face. Better than me running up to you looking like this", a slight chuckle escaped Odin's lips before he continued, "It's good to see you Kon. I'm well, but you look like you've been busy since Baska."

Able to poke fun at the man made up of little more than bones and bound in form by his very essence, he returned with his own quick jab. “Yes, I must say the last time we met you did give me quite a startle, liches aren’t commonly seen well really anywhere to be frank perhaps all that is to change with the new Emperor…” Leaving the tone of the conversation open for debate rather then illustrating his own opinion on races associated with darkness or evil in general. “Ah hmm As for my appearance there was an incident that took place between being in Baska and Crocus that caused me to clearly lose the pigment in my hair and while not as noticeable in the darkness changed my eye green for some reason.” Curious about how his friend was doing he continued. “So what brought you to Crocus…, business or pleasure?” Having carried the punisher on his back for quite sometime, he slung it with his right hand and planted it onto the ground making a resounding clunk as he did so. “Don’t mind the cross, it’s just really heavy, needed to put it down for a bit.” Smiling with the light gleaning off his white teeth as he did so.

Kon, being the man that Odin knew relatively well from their encounters, made things political shortly after they had greeted one another. Truly this was a man who knew more about how the world worked than he had initially let on. Both Odin and Kon were telling half truths and concealed lies whenever they spoke, neither knowing the true alignment of the other, or the organisations for which they both worked. If that was a known fact, then things would be very different indeed. He mentioned the Emperor, and how the man was seemingly going to bring about some change when it came to Liches, something Odin was excited for, despite never showing it, "Yes I heard the announcement thing from the new Emperor, Arthurias was it? Not going to lie, despite the man's methods I'm hopeful that the future will be bright, at least for me and anyone like me. It'd be nice not to be judged on appearance one day, although I can't really blame it if people do."

Then the vague truths started again, as Kon said that something had happened to cause his change, a change that removed any pigment in his hair, as well as for some reason turning his eyes green. Wait, eye. It was at this moment that Odin started to see more than just his friend standing before him. A golden eye, some kind of relic perhaps, and a glow about him, a glow that Odin had only seen around one other person: a Seraph. He didn't want to believe it, but the facts pointed to the idea that Kon had been the one who attacked Nastasya, something that Odin really hoped wasn't true. He had two people that he cared about in this world, two friends, and they had interacted in possibly the worst way imaginable for Odin. However, it did give some insight as to the kind of power Kon fought for. "Business I'm afraid. My pub has the best alcohol in the land, and let me tell you that isn't easy. But, more importantly and this might be a strange question, but are you a Seraph? Like an angel?"

His friend, enemy, rival, whatever Kon actually was at this point, he put a large cross that had been slung over his back onto the ground, the thud showing that the thing was indeed heavy, "If that's heavy, why you carrying it around all day? Surely you're not the extremely religious type are you?" Odin did not mean any contempt by his questions, merely poking fun at how annoying it must've been to carry around something as large and heavy as the cross, another new addition to Kon's collection since Baska.

Kon wasn’t here to get into a heated debate over the rights and wrong of a hostile takeover on this grand of scale particularly with him being on the “losing” side of such an event. Perhaps Lucifer was involved maybe he wasn’t that’s not what was important at least not yet. He did appear to at least share his sentiments of disapproval towards the Emperor’s methods, Kon equally found his forceful change of regime and new policies of keeping the peace an unstable and unreliable system to base an Empire upon. The blanket claims made within the speech clearly held significant problems with maintaining the foundations of the country now lacking the manpower with the loss of slaves industry would crawl to a halt with the economy suffering significantly from it while races would now be free to roam about without repercussion.

Each was both good from the morale point of view however Kon could easily see within the next few months drastic spikes in crime particularly between various races who held deep seeded hatred only held back by the fists of the Rune Knights and the Holy Knights. Only the Holy Knights as an independent body would be able to actively hunt those who they deemed unsavoury. “The words of a man in power can do a great deal however they do not force the people who the man rules over to view anyone any differently, laws have changed but people don’t forget what has happened to them or others around them.”

Suspicions were raised when Lucifer gave his reason for being in Crocus in the first place, sure he was the owner of a brewery however the fact that he had been not just here during the attack on the royalty and also in Hargeon town deeply suggested that he was only giving him half-truths for him being there in the first place. Did he want to push the matter further?, after all if he was involved with the crimes committed against the former crown would they become enemies as a result? Kon whilst wanting to maintain a friendly relationship with the lich gave a prompt answer probing him in return. “Lucifer, I’m a nice person only a simple human, I might have angelic properties with my magic for instance however I am not a seraph, but let’s back to a matter that you seem to want to avoid.”

Drawing up his gun casually he continued with a questioning, yet still open minded tone. “You say you’re here for work however the fact that you’ve been in the same location as each significant Grimoire Heart related crime is too much of a convince mind explaining yourself?” Noting the comment directed to his cross he answered it as a show of force at the sametime. “Indeed it is quite heavy, though I’m not much of a religious type, this was merely given to me in case I need to use it against someone.”

Kon raised a very good point, one that Odin was acutely aware of and one that unfortunately affected him very heavily. While it was true that Arthurias wanted all races to be accepted as equals, that didn't mean it was going to be the case overnight. Lycans had murdered and killed husbands, vampires had turned and sucked dry mothers and children, and that was not something that could be so easily forgiven simply because a man that enacted a coup wished it so. That was something Odin knew all too well, however in that regard he felt like he was unique, as he was the only Lich to currently exist, and likely the only one anyone would have seen unless they were immortal. "That I can understand, but I don't think I've caused anyone overwhelming harm. I can understand that some races have caused great pain to others, and in that I include humans, but I'd just like to not be seen as a monster, and judged for crimes people assume I've committed." Without even meaning too, Odin was getting rather passionate about this. There was no contempt in his voice, instead he was speaking as someone who just didn't want to be assumed, as most people usually ended up being wrong in those assumptions.

It seemed Odin had been mistaken, and this was not the man he was looking for, to which he breathed a deep sigh of relief, obviously without any air escaping his lungs. Kon had magic that held angelic properties, something Odin hadn't actually known until now, but he himself was not a Seraph, and so he was not the one Odin had to attack, something the Lich couldn't help but be so happy about. This man had become one of his closest friends, for him to have attacked Nastasya would drive a wedge between them that Odin would never be able to recover from. He was glad it was not the case, and they could move on from the awkwardness of their current conversation, "Ah, my mistake friend." Unfortunately, the conversation was about to just get much more awkward and difficult for them both.

Kon was a smart man, and it was only a matter of time before he make some connections, especially due to how secretive Odin often was. He asked if there was any link between Odin and Grimoire Heart, as he had been present during both of the previous attacks: the attack on Blue Pegasus and the attack on Crocus. Technically, although Odin wasn't going to bring it up, there had been more attacks on the guilds than just those two, as all the former guild masters had been killed, not to mention the attack in Era where Theseus was first freed. However, if Odin mentioned the other attacks, Kon could wonder where the knowledge was coming from, and that wouldn't help the situation. Odin had to give an answer though, so he did.

"Wait, but we met in Hargeon, and now you're here in Crocus too. Surely, going by that logic, you're as likely to have some relation to them as I do? You've been just as secretive about yourself as I have been, and that was always how we were. We didn't bring politics into this friendship, why start now?" Odin's voice was calm, as he forced himself not to sound too defensive. He was tempted to call Kon out on being racist, as that's partly how it seemed, but he just wanted them to end this string of conversation and go fishing again, that had been fun.

It then did change, the topic, as Kon spoke about his cross, stating that he didn't carry it for religious purposes, and instead was given it so that he could use it on someone if he so wished. That sparked an interesting question, "Surely you'd just be better punching someone than swinging that around? Seems really impractical."

“Overwhelming harm?, So you’re not as innocent as you forthrightly proclaimed, I’m not one to judge however as I too have committed a variety of acts that would been frowned upon by others, as for not being seen as a monster that is something you will have to deal with for the time being, perhaps during the reign of the new emperor the people will come to foster more tolerance towards people such as yourself.” He too spoke without malice or judgement feeling their bond more important than the issue of committing crimes. There was a dilemma that would be ever increasing around the Knight as their relationship as friends likely being a massive breach in the code of the Holy Knights who desired nothing more then to purge the world of people such as Lucifer.  “One thing that’s interested me about yourself how have you dealt with places like churches and people who follow Illumin after all some are rather radicalised and will never bend to the rules that the emperor put in place.”

It was odd for Lucifer to question his state of being as to his knowledge kon had not changed in a noticeable physical manner, perhaps it was the night’s glow and the linger holy magic he was held within his body Lucifer focused on to gather that assumption, a reasonable conclusion considering his magical strength. “Not to worry, Lucy, people have mistaken me for far worse than an angel of all things.” Looking at the petals that were falling off the flower of an overhanging tree, he listened as Lucifer gave his response towards his questioning resulting in nothing but misdirection and finger pointing which would do little to aid the lich from revealing the truth of the matter, he wasn’t concerned about the answer itself it only wanted the honesty that he expected from his best man to be.

“Oh I have nothing to hide, Lucifer, I was involved in a number of conflicts against Grimoire Heart, I only recently tried to prevent one of them from attacking in the castle itself, as for who i represent should be obvious that is none other than the people along with another organisation who work for the betterment of community, I ask again not only for the sake of our friendship, who do your serve?, I care little for the politics myself, however it is the trust from you that I want to be able to reveal who you are.” Scratching at the cross, he lingered before continuing. “If you are concerned about us fighting don’t worry I have no intention of doing so as it would destroy our friendship completely.”

Every moment that passed, every word that was spoken by either individual left a lasting feeling of tension and unease that Odin couldn't quite ignore. They were both beginning to understand more about one another than they previously had done, and which side each stood on. Kon admitted that he, too, had caused harm to people, or at least suggested he had broken the law a few times in the past, which was at least something that made Odin think he could perhaps be reasoned with and understand what it was that he was about to be told. Kon did then ask about the church, and how Odin had dealt with those of the church, the clerics that would use every ability in their power to purge the land of 'monsters' such as Odin, as it was unlikely they would so easily comply with what Arthurias was suggesting. Luckily for the Lich, that had yet to occur, "Actually, I haven't had to deal with any really devout members of the faith. Most of the ones that I come across will be all talk, then run in fear at the sight of me. I'm not looking forward to the day one of the more zealous followers finds me." That day, whenever it would be, would definitely result in Odin having to deal with an irritating individual.

Then the real questioning came. Kon stated that he represented the people, as well as another organisation that fought to better humanity as a whole, which was definitely interesting to hear, but Odin was in no position to push for more information. The light haired mage stated that he didn't care for political reasons or anything of the sort, but rather wanted to be able to trust the man he called friend, as well as the man that would be his best man at the upcoming wedding. In this, Odin couldn't lie to the man. His time in the guild had ended anyway, the guild had completed its mission and the need for secrecy was over. Arthurias, the emperor of Fiore himself, had already pardoned every member of the guild, and Odin hadn't committed a crime since then. For the first time in his life, he had no reason to lie, so he wouldn't.

"As you've likely worked out yourself, I am, or rather I was, a member of Grimoire Heart. We were sworn to secrecy about the guild and its dealings, but now it seems we can be more open about who we were, who I was..."

The words would hang in the air for a moment, as Odin allowed Kon to hear and understand what was being said. He liked the man, and hoped this would not change anything, but it would all depend on Kon's response.

Kon was somewhat taken back about the lack of resistance that the faith had shown towards his friend, while it was true he wished no harm to the man it was still a shock to hear that he had not been attacked by one of them even in a foolhardy effort. Temptation fell upon the white haired man to reveal his own affiliation completely proofing his own show of faith towards the lich however he held his tongue on the matter instead giving an earnest guarantee to him instead. “Lucy, I’m not a religious man despite the many trappings that may suggest the contrary such as the great cross that I bear or the white hair that sits upon my head, because of this I would not attack you for your race without due cause, others perhaps but you are unique in that regard.”

Though he did want to reassure his friend, perhaps his best and only friend that he would not attack him without due cause, he did not relent on the distinction in their abilities. “Of course if we were to fight I would have no hesitation on doing so, I have fought even my own wife to be to the same degree and would do the same to even you, my best friend.” Wanting to ensure that his words were not seen as a threat, he continued. “That is, of course, if only worst comes to worst and with the new emperor in power, the rune knights recovering and the remainder of the country still reeling from the coup I doubt there will be need for me to do so.”

In spite of his words, tension between them would evidently grow with Kon standing like pillar listening to the revelation that he had already deduced, Lucifer had been a part of the Grimoire Heart and relied upon the new emperor’s forgiveness to justify past crimes against not just the former crown but too the people most notably the guilds of Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail all receiving significant blows with the loss of their leaders. With the sincere response having been given with no hint of lies, Kon was somewhat at ease despite formerly being enemies with the group.

At this point it seemed dishonest for his own secrecy towards hiding his own affiliation and so chose to reveal it to the first person in a clear fashion. “Thank you for confiding in me this great secret, it is an honour to call you a friend, I too must share my own allegiance, as mentioned prior, I am not a religious individual however that did not exclude me from serving an organisation that promotes it, in short I work as part of the church, a group within it, The Holy Knights, acting as the driving force for fighting such a person as yourself, but as I am not a complete fanatic nor do I bear any resentment towards you I do not intend in the slightest to harm you.”

A moment of silence would be created with his own reveal perhaps being more significant with Lucifers and even potentially causing more issues that the knowledge of his friend formerly being in Grimoire Heart. What called into question next is what would Lucy do with the information, would he spread it around to his friend with less care then he had just moments prior, or even worse would he attack the man without a warning as if sensing his presence to have been a trap for the lich all along. Wanting to make sure there was an understanding and a way to connect each-other with fishing definitely not being something to bring into the conversation, he wasted no time and opened up a new topic.

“Such conversations as these truly take a toll on the body, we seem to be on the edge of our figurative seats with me at least hoping you don’t attack me and you likely feeling the same way, Let’s move onto another topic shall we?, There’s something that’s always interested me about Liches, one tic I’ll need to remember what it was.” Thinking for sometime, he tried to recall what liches were renowned most notable perhaps their ability to raise the dead just as he could do. “If I’m not mistaken Lich can raise the dead can they not?, Afterall you are undead yourself afterall, that brings into question how does it work do you draw the soul of the individual out and use their body as a husk?, I ask this because I once had the same ability as ironically a necromancer raising the occasionally wolf or rat, but now I can do a great deal more and I want to know what benefits you have versus a traditional necromancer."

At the very least, Kon made a point to ally any concerns Odin may have possessed about the two men fighting due to Odin's race. Despite carrying a huge cross around -which certainly gave off the air of a penitent man- he admitted to not being a highly religious man, something that did help make Odin feel more at ease. While he obviously knew by this point, given their previous meeting in Baska, that Kon wouldn't attack Odin on sight, it was nice to have that spoken guarantee nonetheless. Odin could only hope that this would also be the case once his friend found out about his former allegiance. After all, many had lost their lives to Grimoire Heart over its long lifespan, how easy would it be to forgive that?

"A fight to get stronger is always a fight worth partaking in. And besides, with your wife being a powerful Rune Knights as she is, I've no doubt she knows how to handle herself." Odin was a little surprised at the revelation that Kon had fought his own wife, but his words of fighting in earnest should it ever come to it came as no surprise, it was a natural reaction to the current world of Fiore, and Odin mirrored his friend's thoughts, despite staying silent afterwards.

The revelation came and went, with silence hanging for less time than Odin expected. As he had thought, Kon knew this was coming, even if was it simply a gut feeling without reason. But the response Odin received was not at all what he had expected. He had readied himself to be attacked, of course hoping it wouldn't happen, and for his friend to become his enemy, but neither happened. Instead, Odin was thanked for his honesty, and Kon even said it was an honour to be friends with the Lich. On top of that, Kon told Odin of his own allegiance: the Holy Knights. They were a group dedicated from protecting humanity against the evils of demons and the like, which included Liches, but Kon knew Odin to be different.

A deep chuckle escaped Odin's mouth, beginning quiet until he couldn't contain it and it bellowed out from him. He looked to his best friend and spoke, "A mage from Grimoire Heart and a Holy Knight being friends. If I didn't know any better I'd say we were terrible at our jobs." It had been a surprising revelation to be sure, but it definitely had comedic value that Odin was greatly amused by. A Lich from a guild once dedicated to committing atrocities being friends with a saviour of the people sworn to exterminate Liches, you couldn't make it up.

Then Odin was asked a question from Kon, deviating greatly from the previous topic as he asked about Odin's abilities as a Lich, and how powerful his abilities of reanimation were compared to a traditional necromancer, which apparently Kon had once been himself. Now he had more power and could do more with it, but he was curious as to Odin's abilities. Amused at yet another revelation, the Lich happily obliged, "Well, first of all technically being a Lich doesn't make me instantly a necromancer, it just enhances my capabilities at using darkness magic. As for my necromantic powers, I've always viewed as I summon a deceased soul back into this world to carry out my bidding. Once I am finished, it returns to where it came. Depending on how much effort I put into the summon, the body of the summoned soul can be stronger and take on new shapes. I've never tried it on animals though, how did that work out for you?"

The two men talked for some more time, with Odin mostly just happy that he didn't have to worry about hiding anything from his friend, nor was there any issue of them fighting due to their allegiances. He had trusted Kon with a secret he had never told anyone before outwith the guild, and it hadn't backfired. He had chosen his best friend well, and he was now even more honoured to join the man at his wedding, and deliver a speech as his best man, as much as there may not have currently been all that much Odin could talk about other than their few encounters with each other. It was their conversations that got Odin wondering if Tim, the fisherman from Hargeon that is at least partly responsible for the two men meeting each other, was getting an invite to the wedding, or even the reception, although he knew it was unlikely.

After a while, Odin bade his friend farewell, and returned to the room he was renting. He had been given an offer of one of the rooms near the castle itself due to his new position, but he'd paid for an inn in advance for a few more days, and didn't want that money to go to waste. He was, first and foremost, a businessman after all.

-Exit-

Many things were shared on such an ordinary night between friends from polarity existences, each having their own ramifications with Kon likely to receive punishment if he were to be discovered by another less forgiving Holy Knight having a positive relationship with a lich. For now however he would depart the gardens just as his friend had done so, albeit leaving from an alternative exit. While Odin used an exit closest to the castle, he opted to use the same exit which he had entered from. Rather than leaving the gardens immediately, he instead paused in front of a rose bush and plucked a golden flower which seemed to glow in the moonlight, it was beautiful. "Hmm, I wonder if Alice would like this?' With a simple sniff a rich aroma of wildberries and ginger overtook his senses, causing his nose to tickle slightly. "Oh wow, Better warn her first about the smell." After all he didn't want to detract the pretty rose with it's overpowering and intense scent.With great care, Kon slid the flower into the inner pocket of his jacket and finally left the building. Hopefully they would meet up before the rose died, for now however he would return to their apartment and get ready for his journey.

[Exit]