After visiting the Yasuda Fire Insurance Company, he went back to Jean Paul Gautier the next morning with a large black flat suitcase. This time he passed the reception without any loss of time. When he entered Jean's studio, he was making the last corrections on the outfit that hung on a doll.

Did the good guy really work through the whole day and probably the night? And at his age? When Jean noticed him, a smile shone on his face.

"Mon ami! I'm almost done. The finishing touch comes when you wear it."

Lyric undressed except for his underwear. Jean contemplated the miracle of God that stood before him. There was a knock at the door and Janette came in without waiting for an answer. Her gaze stuck to Lyric's half-naked body and she froze.

"Beautiful."

Clearly defined muscles, silk skin and the tattoos, animalistic, wild. She was spellbound. Lyric made an angry face. Suddenly, she was pulled out backwards. Lucille had simply taken her with her and closed the door with a "Please excuse us".

Janette was stunned. That wasn't a human being. That was a god. She had seen heaven. For the next two hours she was unresponsive.

"Sorry, I'm going to fire her," Jean said angrily.

"Not necessary, she certainly didn't do it on purpose. My body is your private playground Jean, you know that."

Jean was twenty when he met Lyric. He had a dream – to become a famous fashion designer. Lyric had supported him financially because he had found his fashion sense special and unusual. When he was in a slump, he had let his imagination run wild. This man had the body of Adonis and, like so many, he had longed for Lyric but in all these years, Jean had never crossed that line. He knew he wasn't worthy of him, but his clothes were to be.

Lyric put on his pants and then slipped into the top. The pants were made of an anthracite fabric that was light and flexible, but still looked high-quality. The top was made of a wafer-thin cyan shirt that nestled against Lyrics' body and the anthracite vest was only about three millimeters thick and had a stunning silver rose pattern. The buttons also shone silver.

It was perfect. Lightweight yet movable. Tear-resistant, yet elastic. He looked at his masterpiece. Lyric made some sweeping, fast movements, and the fabric held together nicely Then he tried to establish a connection with his runes. It worked flawlessly. "Jean, this is your masterpiece," he praised the fashion designer.

Jean went into the corner and got another pair of shoes. These were combat boots in the elegant design of an evening event. Insane.

"I allowed myself to complete the outfit."

He really surpassed himself.

Carefully, the fashion designer made a few corrections here and there, then he packed everything in a garment bag and handed it to Lyric.

"Time for payment," Lyric said.

"Mon ami, you know that I don't accept any money from you."

"That's not necessary either." He handed Jean the big suitcase. "Open it."

The human carefully placed it on the table and opened the side locks, then folded the front to the side to inspect the contents. "Mon dieu. There is no-", he broke off and looked down in awe. "Lyric, please don't tell me this is the original. These aren't the vase avec quinze tournesols by Van Gogh?"

Lyric just grinned. "Yes, my friend and I know you've been longing after it for decades." He took the garment bag. "Have fun with it, mon ami," he said with a laugh and then left.

"Whoever you are, you must be an angel." He looked between the receding figure and the priceless painting in awe.

Lyric now had everything all together. He still had about seven hours until his three-day deadline was over. Seven hours pass by fast. He would put the spells on his clothes, lie down a bit, then he would say goodbye to his employees. Seven hours.

Just before the deadline, he was awakened by the loud chatter of a raven. Lyric sighed, stood up and put on his new upgraded outfit. He said goodbye to his employees. After checking that everything was in the right place – especially his weapons – he activated the magic circle that the raven had brought and walked through the portal.

This time he didn't end up in the waiting room, but directly in the hall. There was a visibly good-humored Nix waiting.

"Is there a reason for the good mood?" Lyric suspiciously asked.

"I'm going on an adventure with a beauty, why shouldn't I be in a good mood?" the Oracle replied. Lyric gasped disparagingly. Nix looked at his companion, who as always, was excellently and stylishly dressed. Simply a feast for the eyes.

Dayan entered the room and looked at Lyric with a grim expression. He gave Nix a bronze bracelet, who gratefully accepted it.

"What is that?" Lyric says.

"This, my little bird, is a veiling spell," he replied and put it on. Immediately, Nix' appearance began to change. His beautiful black, shimmering green hair became short brown hair, his eyes took on a black color and his skin tone also became darker. His facial features became a little harder. Before, he was prettier.

The oracle saw the irritated look of his companion and had to smile. He went to him and tapped him once on the forehead. Immediately he returned to his original form, at least for Lyric.

Lyric was unexpectedly relieved to see him back as he looked in reality. But he understood why Nix obscured his identity. It was simply striking when the most powerful Oracle of Hell made a trip through the domain.

"Well then, we can go now. In total, we are looking for the seven objects of the bird: a doll, a mirror, a chain, a ring, a clock, a comb and a pen. Once we find them, we can find the second key," Nix explained.

The rune demon nodded. "And where should we start the search?"

"I have already located four of the seven. The first one will be auctioned off tomorrow at an auction in Korial."

Korial was a town in Mammon's dominion that was known for offering rare treasures and artifacts for sale. So if you wanted to start a search for rare items, this was guaranteed to be the right place to go. Even if they weren't on site, the dealers had incredible connections and could get you pretty much anything.

"Well, then let's go. Dayan, if anyone wants something from me, say I don't feel good or nibble on another prophecy."

The guard dog went to the oracle and looked at him with a firm eye. "No matter what happens. Call me and I'm by your side," Dayan told his best friend. Then he approached the companion. "Protect him with your life. If anything happens, I will personally tear off your limbs one by one."

Wow, I'm much more motivated. "You're welcome to swap places with me," Lyric replied grimly. The guard dog turned around and then left the room.

Nix had watched the banter and it made his fingers tingle. He really wanted to go now, finally experiencing his own adventure, because it would be his last. He hadn't told Dayan yet, but he would leave as soon as they prevented the prophecy. This decision had become more and more consolidated in recent days. But in the end, he wanted to really show fate the middle finger again and step down with a huge 'fuck you.'

He opened a portal to Kordial and made a graceful movement that meant Lyric to proceed. The demon snapped his tongue and went through reluctantly. Let's go on an adventure!

They entered the city through a public portal, which thousands of demons took a day. Both wore capes so as not to attract attention immediately. Silently, Lyric followed the oracle as he walked purposefully through the streets. Everywhere around them were colorful shops and stalls where the sellers offered their goods. It was a real spectacle.

Nix turned to a seller and kindly asked, "Which way to the auction site?"

What? He doesn't know where it's going to take place? And I just run after him like a pooch, unbelievable. Lyric snorted.

After some banter, Nix ran in the direction they had come from and turned right into an alley. There he asked the next one, who pointed in the direction from which he had come.

Could it be that he has absolutely no sense of direction? This time Lyric stood next to him and listened to the directions. Nix nodded to the trader and walked in the direction specified, but then turned left instead of right. The rune demon held him by the hood, so that he came to an abrupt stop. "Nix. It is-"

Nix interrupted him forcefully: "Shhh. Don't say my name here." He looked at the oracle with his head tilted.

"What should I call you then?" Lyric asked in a bad mood.

Nix seemed to think about anything, not that you could have done that before. "Tíz. Call me Tíz."

Alright. "Well, Tíz, can it be that you can't distinguish left and right?"

The oracle looked at him with an innocent look. "Maybe." Nothing more followed.

Excellent. An almighty oracle with a disturbed sense of orientation who cannot distinguish left and right. "I'm going ahead, you're following me," Lyric said, going in the direction the trader had described.

After a short period of time they stood in front of the auction house, Grimoire, the most famous in the country. Unfortunately, it was closed and didn't open again until the next day. He is excellently informed, our oracle. Therefore, he chased me around for three days.

"Let's find a place to stay," Nix suggested and went to the house directly opposite. A slight clink announced their entry.

They were in a bright, ostentatious lobby. Before Nix could even take a step, he was pulled out backwards. "What's the point of grabbing my hood?" he asked his companion, pissed off.

"Ni-, no Tíz, we will not stay in the most eye-catching and expensive house in the city. That's far too striking." And that's exactly what they wanted to avoid.

They walked through several side streets for a few minutes until they found an acceptable but not run-down place to stay. It was a very homely decorated little cottage, with old-fashioned furniture and colorful floral patterns on the wall. Lyric paid for an overnight stay and simply dragged the fascinated Nix with him.

Arriving in front of their room, he unlocked it with a large key and this time he let Nix take the lead. He quietly closed the door behind him and locked it. A protective spell rose so that the room could not be entered from the outside.

Lyric raised his head and inspected the room. It was a small bed that just had room for two people and a sofa in the room. In between was a small corridor that led to a bath. That's it, small but cozy.

The sofa was covered with an old-fashioned olive-green fabric that was a bit worn out and also some quirks adorned the backrests. The bed was very simple and made of light wood. The bedding was just white. The floor was laid out with woven carpets that had already seen better days.

"Very... small," Nix commented on the room.

"It is enough. You sleep on the bed, I sleep on the sofa," replied the rune demon and began to arrange a blanket and a pillow on the sofa.

The oracle looked at him in silence. He just leaves the bed to me, even though I am smaller than him. Why don't we share it? At the thought of lying next to Lyric, falling asleep and waking up, a warm feeling spread in his chest. Then the curse came back to his mind. Maybe distance was the best idea after all, because he didn't know whether he was immune or not. However, one thing was certain, Lyric was the hottest demon he had ever encountered.

_______________________

The adventure begins. The first object here is supposed to be in Kordial.

Which one could it be?

What could happen on their first night together?

Your Mouse Goddess