<span style="font-style: italic">"And after a few decades, when I attempted to make her pay a visit to Hell's deepest pits, she vanished once more, splitting her soul and leaving one of its shards in my own conscience for as long as she walks the earth. That would, naturally, give you the answer to your first question... What I have been doing all this time. I was looking for her."</span><br/><br/>Erlind nodded his head, and allowed some more Champagne to pour into his glass after their second toast. He drank some of it and leaned back against the kitchen counter's edges, one leg crossed over the other in a standing posture. He cared a lot about Kai. He cared about his wellbeing, but Asmodeus was certainly worried about how greedy his friend has become.  Kai was indeed a Lord of Greed, and known by every legion in Hell to be the bringer of this particular sin. Humanity fought and killed in the name of Greed, but so did the Fallen. Unfortunately, greed was not a financial issue but an issue that emerged from one's heart.<br/><br/>Kai's gaze grew dark and foreboding once more as he continued to speak of the Witch, his tormentor. Erlind watched the other, one brow slowly began to arch on his forehead and above a cerulean gaze. The Advocate incoming words did not surprise him by one bit. Even the cursed ones deserved a little bit of happiness, even if that type of happiness did not fall into the right category. Erlind studied his physics, taking note of his disguise. Kai was a full package; he had what it took to make any woman fall for him. If his aristocratic, handsome features were favored by women in this age, Kai had a tight grip on the most powerful weapon available to mankind; words. That alone, would leave people - men and women - follow this man blindly. Seduced wickedly.<span style="font-style: italic">"Besides, I have a better company that will be visiting us this evening. I hope you won't try to seduce this one... She's in my personal ownership, and I gave her a ring to prove that, too. Frau Annika Rohr shall pay us a visit... You should get yourself a little toy like that, they alleviate fatigue and won't even notice you feeding on them if you seduce them right. Besides, she's sitting on a mountain of gold."</span>Kai announced.<br/><br/>At these words, Erlind tilted his head away from Kai and absent-mindlessly watched the droplets of water leaking from the sink's faucet. He chuckled and placed the flute glass inside the wet surface of the sink.<span style="font-style: italic">"I may be marrying her this winter."</span>Kai added.<br/><br/>Erlind's jaw muscles tensed. He did not feel the blood beginning to ooze from his ancient scars.<span style="font-style: italic">“To seduce her? Hah hah, you know me better than that, come on now. Congratulations. I have no business in telling you what you should do, or what you should not do. I know that you're capable in measuring the ups and downs of such situations. You know that marrying humans is not easy and I know that you're doing this for your own selfish agenda, but as long as this marriage will be an opportunity for you to satisfy your greed, please yourself.” </span><br/><br/>Erlind looked away from the sink to eye Kai and gave him a sincere smile.<span style="font-style: italic"> “I must make a run to the office this afternoon and see if I have gotten any mail response from Udo. You remember him. He's supposed to be on his way to Munich today, from Berlin.”</span>At the mention of the name, Erlind's smile extended a little more to reveal his teeth.<span style="font-style: italic">“We should probably invite him for dinner, what do you think? Actually, I may even bring an additional company, Paula Hitler. We have been engaged for a week.”</span>The man laughed lightly, shaking his head at Kai.<span style="font-style: italic">"Ahhh!, you and your dirty tricks. Now I'm desperately in need of a shower. Did you say first floor?"</span>He pulled away from the kitchen counter and gently tapped his friend's shoulder as he walked past him. He suddenly winced, his face paling in color. He pulled his shirt up from under his belt and began to unbutton the forest-grey material as he made slow steps towards the kitchen's exist. Different spots on his shirt were damp with dark spots of blood, and these spots clung to his arms, back and chest. He let the shirt slid off his arms and he quickly swiped it across his chest but that only made the blood smear all over the area under his rib-cage. On his back, four noticeably blood-oozing triangular-shaped marks - two on each side - appeared where his once heavenly wings connected to his body. He let out an excruciating sigh as he realized how his curse had found a way to manifest through his mortal form.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Who</span>else beside Raphael has been following him?