Now that he was closer to Enrique, Lucifer could see the several wrinkles on the man’s face probably given his harsh working conditions.
"So you’re a light bearer too..." Enrique said softly, as if he was still weighing the weight of those words and the responsibilities that came with it.
Somehow he had figured out that Lucifer was a light bearer before he told him about it.
"Not much light left in me after what I’ve been through, old man."
Lucifer argued immediately, not questioning how Enrique knew he was a light bearer.
Perhaps there was a way for high ranking light bearers to figure out that there was another one nearby, or perhaps it was one of his artifacts, Lucifer was just not surprised.
Enrique ignored Lucifer’s tantrums and spoke decisively.
"I trust you because you’re human too... but always remember... no matter the demon that awakens within you... you’ll always be the Son of Annabeth the healer!"
"I want you to make the name your mother has given you proud, light-bringer."
Lucifer sighed deeply.
He didn’t know why... he’d never met people like Enrique before... but he knew he was going to dislike them all with passion for the rest of his life.
’Or is this just a phase?’
’Well who knows... but I do know one thing... my mum has a thing for heroes...’
Enrique chose not to comment on Lucifer’s unwilling expression and simply patted him on his shoulder before speaking up again.
"I believe you are in need of a bed and a good night’s sleep young man... I’ve heard you were born with remarkable healing properties... a possible path for a high level light-bringer."
"May the corruption never touch you and may your coffers always be filled with gold and interesting arefacts... Good night, Light Bringer."
Enrique stood and left after that, going back outside, presumably to his furnace and smithing station outside to artifice some more unique items.
Annabeth quickly walked over to Lucifer and spoke eagerly, "So? What do you think?"
Lucifer’s expression was so bland that it was practically asking his mother back, ’Can’t you see it written on my face...?’
But since Annabeth kept staring at him so eagerly like a golden retriever begging for forgiveness he sighed and spoke softly.
"I don’t particularly have any sense of attachment to him so far... but he’s bearable. At least he doesn’t call me Nyechistyy and refuses to touch me anywhere like I’m a disease he could catch."
"So you love him after all!!! I wonder when you’ll start calling him pa!! Enrique would be so excited and proud of you if you did that!!! Promise me you’ll call him pa once in the next few days!!!"
"Hell no!!! Did you even listen to me lady!!?"
Annabeth immediately put on a tearful expression as she pouted her lips and asked ’cutely’, "Really?"
Lucifer deadpanned but there was nothing he could truly do! He hated seeing his mother cry and he hated seeing her in pain.
So all he could say at that moment was, "Fine... I’ll try..."
"Gooood~~~!!!" Annabeth gushed before helping Lucifer stand up and taking him to the cot in the room and laying him down on it. "You rest here for today..."
Her expression then turned serious as she said, "We’ll be leaving tomorrow anyway... so hopefully you recover by then."
"I probably will... the injuries are not too serious after all..." Lucifer nodded.
It was at that point he closed his eyes and heaved a deep sigh.
Memories from seven years ago flashed by in front of his eyes as he remembered the day his mother had been torn away from him forcefully.
He was just a wee lad hearing her stories about the world in prison when the warden had arrived and done something that had caused her to sacrifice herself for him.
Perhaps noticing his aura being down, Annabeth instantly wrapped her arms around him. "What’s gotten my baby so down? Be happy! We’re going to be free once more!!"
Lucifer nodded, he’d never particularly tasted freedom before, so he was a little afraid of what it would entail... but he could still muster up the courage to look forward to it.
"I was just thinking about how I stole the prison keys from the guard and got caught with it..." Lucifer finally said. "I’m sorry Ma-"
"Don’t be sorry for it!" Annabeth quickly shook her head, "Look! I’m perfectly fine right now.. Aren’t I? In fact I’ve always wondered... had it been you who was caught that day you would’ve had an easier life like me... no warden... no rude neighbours... no bullying... I felt like I was the one in the wrong for taking away your opportunity... I felt like I’d committed a sin, for God had decided to save you and I’d interfered!"
"...well... I’d probably have been killed the second I stepped foot in here because I was the devil... but anyway..."
SMOOCH!! SMOOCH!! SMOOCH!!
Annabeth quickly smooched Lucifer on his head a bunch of times before speaking to him again, "Look how it all turned out. It was all for the best."
Lucifer nodded and Annabeth spoke again.
"I’ll bring you food once you wake up... Eating too quickly after you’ve eaten that prison food will be bad for your digestion!"
"So you better eat light... but you better eat something before we go outside since we don’t know the state of the situation once we leave."
"Alright Ma..." Lucifer nodded.
"Good then... take rest now... I’ll be going... there are a lot of preparations we’ve got to make for tomorrow... I just hope the others are wise enough to accept my help."
"I’m sure they’ll come around eventually... after all... I don’t think there’s anyone that can resist you." Lucifer said with a soft happy smile.
Annabeth smiled and then quietly gave him one last smooch on his partially burnt head before leaving the house causing the stone curtain to click-clack.
Lucifer closed his eyes while still holding his broken scimitar and mana pendant listening to the soothing background noise of the sea shells curtain settling after it had been disturbed.
Talking to his mother had lifted a weight off his chest.
He’d always believed that he’d been the cause of death of his mother... now that he wasn’t... he truly already was beginning to feel for the lack of a better word, ’free’.