"The defects of the mind are like the wounds of the body. Whatever care we take to heal them the scars ever remain, and there is always danger of their reopening."
-François de la Rochefoucauld
The air was cool, the room dark. Illumination came only in the flicker of torch lights, red-orange flames casting shadows that danced silently against stone walls and across shadowy figures. Their eyes cast a soft, red glow in the limited light, masking their thoughts behind an almost unnatural illumination.
It was something she was almost glad of for all the eeriness the effect created. For just as her audience so too did her own eyes shine with red, hiding her anxieties behind a mask of shade. Yet it did nothing for the way her heart beat rapidly within her chest, and it forced her to take long, deep breaths of the cool air, chilling her lungs even as it bit into her bare flesh. Self-consciously, she drew her cloak tighter against her body, yet it did not provide the warmth she so sought. The material was thin; even the lightest breeze pierced it with ease, and she clenched her jaw to prevent herself from shivering.
Her breath fogged the air. A rarity; from what she'd seen upon initially entering the room, only a couple others in the audience seemed to produce such a mist. Her eyes drifted, and she almost thought she recognized one or two of them. Flauros, large and imposing beside what were no doubt his two siblings. Amy, standing near one of the torches, the flames casting the illusion of his body engulfed in flame. Amon in the corner as his larger, humanoid self; recognizable by the large, protruding crow's beak emerging from his cowl. They were Children of the Flames, just as she was, capable of wielding the burning heat that sought to consume everything in its path. They burned brighter and hotter than others in the Legion, shining with an internal flame that gave fire to their voices.
Yet now all their voices were muffled. Muffled and controlled like a flame imprisoned in a circle of rocks, unable to consume and spread and grow as was its nature. Controlled and condensed into something powerful and deadly like tamed lightning, whose wielder watched over them all in silence.
Nervously she caught her eyes drifting to the one who sat in such regality; the holder of lightning who led them all with a vicious smile. Violet eyes shined with a crimson outline, so akin to the Dark Lady's own magic, meeting her own before she immediately she dropped her gaze in a sign of submission. To hold her leader's stare was to issue a direct challenge, and as one with the blood of the Daimakaicho already flowing through her veins, such an act bordered suicidal.
"Come." The voice was calm and firm, an order almost seductive in its own tone. After so many years under the woman's reign, it had become a familiar tone to her, the obedience it silently demanded so ingrained within her person it had become second nature to obey. So where others hesitated or held their place, she stepped forward, leading the way to the leader's throne. And like a heard of sheep the others followed meekly behind, eyes burrowing into her back as they waited with bated breath to see what would become of the first Tyro to approach their ruler.
Before her the Daimakaicho sat, nestled under the cover of shadows and leaving a black silhouette to mark her presence. Though her eyes were a clear violet, the heavy darkness caused her eyes to glow with an otherworldly red; the lone, physical sign of the Demon Ruler's nocturnal vision. The woman leaned forward on her throne, eyes observant and smile hungry, and at her side another spoke.
"You three have been selected among your peers to join our ranks." The voice was male and professional, void of any emotion. "Through perseverance and excellence you have excluded yourself among your fellows, succeeding where others have failed and rising where others have fallen. You have demonstrated profession in fields of intense training and have mastered the art of adaptability to the consistently changing circumstances that were demanded of you."
"It is through these challenges that you have passed the first class of S.E.S. and that we gather here today to welcome you into our fold." Before them, the Daimakaicho rose. "As fully fledged Rabishu you shall be granted the title Alu. With this title, you shall walk amongst us, yet not be seen. You shall work with us, for us, and among us without reward. You shall be granted our power, yet hold no rank. You shall be given all the strength and responsibilities of a Goetia and of a Slayer, yet walk invisibly among the populace. For from here until you fall, you shall be of the shadows, and hold the freedom none shall have."
"When addressed by the Daimakaicho, step forth to receive her blessings: the Asar Azag and the KaDinger Rimanis."
The Daimakaicho spoke. "Bies, come forward."
One of the demons behind her moved past and towards the throne, the second one shifting to stand at her right. With bated breath the two of them watched as their comrade kneeled before the Daimakaicho. The tall woman rested a hand on his shoulder, and with the touch he rose once more, his respects paid. The Dark Lady drew close, whispering something unheard to the younger demon, before lightly pressing her forehead against his own. For a brief moment it almost appeared as though the sigils that adorned their faces glowed with their eyes, yet a second glance showed no such light.
Hild stepped back, and for a brief moment Bies swayed unsteadily before catching himself. The man straightened once more while the Daimakaicho produced a ball of green energy in one hand. It was different from her true magic, whose violet hue burned red after images into the eyes of all who beheld it, and yet somehow familiar as well. It made the hair on the back of her neck rise in alarm, and with a pounding heart she breathed deeply, desperate to calm its rapid beat.
"And with the acceptance of the Asar Azag, I now bestow upon you the gift of the KaDinger Rimanis. Take this new form, and grace us with its presence." Gently, the Daimakaicho pressed the alien orb into Bies's chest, where it sank through cloth and flesh and into his body. The man's cloak fell away, leaving him naked and the demon stepped back. A moment of silence passed before Bies gasped and kneeled over. Strange, oddly geometric veins began to appear on his flesh, glowing and pulsing with an inner blue light. The veins spread, thickened, consumed his skin and warped it, transforming it into something new.
The light began to fade, hailed by a shriek that echoed off the walls. With it came a beast dressed in brown fur, its form vaguely human from where it stood hunched on the legs of a bull. Three, curled horns decorated a thick brow with the ears of wolf, set within a human face lined with three eyes. A thick, rumbling growl echoed in the depths of its throat, and Hild smiled, resting a hand on its shoulder. The Daimakaicho almost needed to stand on her toes to perform the feat. "Welcome to our fold, Alu Bies of the Rabishu."
Bies said nothing, perhaps having lost the primary means of speech with his shift. The Daimakaicho dismissed him and the demon departed the throne, returning to his position behind herself and their second companion, Masan. The man was called next, and a repeat of the ritual was preformed, though where the alien magic that had consumed Bies had been blue, Masan's appeared as a green only slightly less vibrant than the orb that had been sent into his body.
The creature that resulted was humanoid as well, its flesh a ghostly pale and its body lean and hairless. It had no eyes but a pair of large ears that twitched with every movement; making up for what it had lost. Its maw was long and slender, almost like that of a gavial, lined with rows of jagged teeth. Steam erupted from its snout as it exhaled, and as Hild welcomed the demon to the legion it too departed the stage, lining up beside Bies's frightening form.
It was her turn.
"Marller, come forward."
She walked forward, her heart once more beating a quickly in her ears. She approached the throne, approached Hild, and found the woman smiling at her in welcome. "You received the Asar Azag from me once already." She murmured, a hand running down her left arm, which seemed to throb at the Daimakaicho's touch. "I gave you more blood that day than I have your peers here combined. You don't need any more."
She swallowed nervously but held her place, all too aware of the many eyes on the two of them. "You need only the KaDinger Rimanis to be fully welcomed into our ranks." The smile grew larger by a fraction. "Congratulations. Your grandfather would be proud."
She struggled to hold back the smile at the rare praise. She was unsuccessful though, and a small, nervous grin briefly glided across her face. Hild's smile grew amused before growing more serious. The globe of light from before once more appeared in one of her hands. "I know bestow upon you the gift of the KaDinger Rimanis." She said, before pressing the light into her chest.
It was warm.
A warm presence that entered through her chest and spread throughout her body, causing her left arm-the arm Hild had saved in her childhood-to lightly tingle.
And then her body erupted in fire.
Her eyes widened in pain, and she gasped, desperate to draw in more air. Yet it only seemed to fuel the burning in her lungs, and as the red veins of magic began to engulf her the initial warmth grew into something else. Something large and heavy with a presence all its own. It pressed painfully against her body, invading her being as the alien manifestation seeped into her mind. Her vision began to fade as the shift overcame her, a void expanding before her as her other senses grew faint as well.
The presence hit a wall.
And she knew something was wrong when the wall fought back.
That was when the screaming began; a horrid mixture of pain and terror as the physical world came rushing back to her. She was screaming-not the Avatar, but her, mixed with the dual tones of something else and a guttural roar that was not her own. Her sight returned to her doubled, seeing both the shocked expression of Hild and the audience of alarmed demons behind her.
Fear developed into terror.
Hild was not supposed to look so confused.
"What is this?" The Daimakaicho roared. "What is this?!"
"What is this?" The words echoed in her own throat, growing warped and indistinguishable to her ears.
"WhaaAATTtt…iSSss…tttTHiisss"?
Marller woke with a start, red eyes opening to a black and alien sky. The young blond stared at it for a long moment, taking a deep, calming breath as visions of a time long past once more settled behind her eyes. In its place came a starless night; the edges frayed with bolts of white electricity that danced against rolling hills of umber sand.
The woman blinked crimson eyes, already alight with the demonic glow that signaled her night vision. Recognition came with it, and Marller sighed greatly before slowly pushing herself up. The demon frowned, taking a moment to better observe her surroundings. The land was quiet and still, cold and calm with night and leaving a chill in her bones reminiscent of the woman's dreams. Nothing but an ocean of sand surrounded her, rising in large steep mounds decorated with waves formed by wind. In some areas, rare sandstone spires sprouted like thorns, long and spiny; cut and molded by years of harsh wind and harsher sand.
The demon was alone.
"Nidhogg bless it!"
And naked.
The blond grimaced, shifting to sit and propping an elbow up on one knee. "It happened again." She muttered, resting her forehead in one hand.
Something rough and spongy met her skin in place of familiar flesh, and immediately Marller jerked her head away from her hand. The woman's breath caught in her throat. The hand was malformed; tumor-like black mounds sprouted from her palm, their texture rough, broken, and stained in sand. The nails rounded to a jagged tip, one that sharply curved inwards before ending in a stunted point. Across the back of her hand tawny hair sprouted in coarse, uneven patches, the exposed flesh dotted and decorated with black stripes and spots. The mutation was large enough to engulf the demon's entire forearm, where it gradually faded away to her normal, lighter flesh at the elbow.
The woman stared long and hard at the mutation, ignoring the panic that steadily crept up the base of her spine where it burrowed into her brain. "Change back." She instead ordered it, imitating the iron will from the voice in her dream. "Change back."
The mangled limb did nothing. The woman growled and flexed it, watching as the nails seemed to protrude outwards horrifically. Grimacing, the demon immediately relaxed it again. The nails returned to their dormant state, and with a deep breath, Marller tried again. "Change back!" She snapped.
This time her hand began to itch, and Marller watched with a scowl as small tufts of fur began to float idly from the mutated limb; short, golden brown hairs that drifted lazily to the burnt sand beneath her body, almost disappearing against the fine grains. The itching grew more insistent, and Marller grit her teeth as the black, tumor-like mounds melted back into her body. She released a hiss as the nails shortened and grew duller, resisting the urge to tear into her skin as the itch became more intense, growing to the point of near-maddening.
And then, her arm was human again, leaving no traces of its past mutation. Releasing a breath through clenched teeth, Marller allowed herself to relax, rubbing the limb with her opposing hand and relieved to find nothing but smooth flesh in its wake. The demon ran a hand through her hair, closing her eyes as she sucked in deep breaths, desperate to calm her frazzled nerves.
"It happened again." This time her voice was softer, filled with troubled thoughts and unspoken anxieties.
For a long time nothing but the deafening silence of Purgatory filled her ears, leaving unspoken possibilities screaming in her head.
A breeze blew; warm and gentle, bearing with it a scent that did not belong. It caused the woman to frown, and desperate for a distraction, the demon inhaled deeply, mouth parting as she tasted the air. The normal scents and tastes were present: her own scent, that of a sweaty demon, the hot, dry air, baking sand, even the almost non-existent scent of vegetation.
Yet beneath it all, there was a secondary scent; one the woman needed to close her eyes in order to smell. Musky and dry, with the faint taint of fur on the breeze…Red eyes snapped open, and Mara bristled. In a swift motion the woman rolled to her feet, body tense as she scanned the horizon. Heat waves created the illusion of movement, and the demon had to look twice to ensure she wasn't seeing an actual body within the waves.
Predator. Her instincts whispered, and like all demons, Marller paid attention to that voice. It smells like a predator. The demon cursed inwardly. She was naked and vulnerable out in the open, with no cover, no bearings, no weapons, and no allies to watch her back. The woman had only her magic, which was near-useless in the all-consuming Purgatory.
Make a weapon then. The voice of calm reason stepped over her instincts, and Marller frowned, slowly scanning the area in her immediate area. The woman was careful, keeping her head forward as she searched with her eyes, ensuring she didn't give away her opponent's position. There was nothing she could see in her immediate area; nothing but the sand that now buried her feet.
It'll have to do. The woman thought to herself, allowing gravity to take over and pull her to the ground. The demon hit the sand with a soft grunt, catching herself with her hands and knees and focusing on the fine grains beneath her body. While not recommended for an environment such as Purgatory, short, controlled bursts of magic could be used in the more dire situations. With that in mind Marller let the power flow into her arms and down to her hands, where the energy radiated into the sand as heat.
Within moments the sand around her hands grew red and lumpy, the grains fusing together into moldable glass. The blond raised her head slightly, eyes darting left and right as the demon strained her senses for any sign of the one that hunted her. While there was nothing she could see, the scent of the hunter was stronger on the breeze now. It's closer than before. She thought, hands dipping into the heated glass and quickly molding the cooling glass into a usable form. I need to hurry.
Gathering as much of the malleable glass together as possible, the woman quickly formed it into a ball before burrowing her fingers into the darkening red and pulling it out. The demon twisted the glass as she pulled, thinning it out and elongating its form as the mass steadily darkened to black. Hurry, hurry, hurry, her instincts raved, predator's getting closer, closer, closer!
Letting one end fall to the ground, the demon quickly moved to focus on the other end, twisting and lengthening it to a swirled point beneath her warm hands. The scent was stronger now, and in her mind's eye the smell brought familiar images: grassy plains and black spots, a golden, black-ringed coat and a long, ringed tail. Sharp, curled claws and long, bearing canines. The images caused her to bear her own fangs in a grimace, encouraging her to work faster.
Yet glass had its own cooling period, and even with her makeshift weapon complete, as soon as she grasped it Marller knew it would be too late. Something moved behind her, and immediately the demon craned her head in its direction. Nothing but shifting sands met her anxious gaze, and growling Marller shifted to her feet once more. The glass dagger, little more than a long and twisted stiletto, was black and hot in her hands. Occasionally small shards of its outer coating chipped, leaving the glass beneath red hot and littering the ground with black shavings. Too soft, needs to cool.
This time something growled behind her, and within her mind a voice softly whispered, Time's up.
The blond swore, whirling to face her opponent and instead meeting the leopard as it lunged at her. The woman brought her hands up reflexively, bracing herself as the creature collided with her. The two of them went down together, twin snarls on both opponents faces as the beast bore its claws into Marller's shoulders.
Marller hit the ground with a grunt, the wind knocked from her lungs as the leopard's weight settled on her chest. Its maw went for her throat, and instinctively the fanged woman brought her arm up. The beast's fangs sank into her flesh, ripping through skin and muscle and to the bone beneath. The demon howled with pain as the leopard gnawed her limb, and heated blue met matching red.
"Get off!" The demon snarled, her armed hand coming up and slashing at the big cat's underbelly. She felt the glass meet resistance, and using all the strength in her arm pushed into it. Something warm and wet fell onto her hand, and almost immediately the large cat released her.
The creature retreated from Marller's fallen form, blood dripping to the ground and staining the sand a muddy red. The white fur of its underbelly was stained pink. It looked at the demon, eyes hard and enraged as it snarled at her. The leopard began pacing, circling the woman, first one way, then the opposite, and grimly the woman followed its movement.
Panting and with her wounded arm clutched tightly to her chest, Marller pushed herself off the ground in a crouch. Keeping the cooling blade towards the beast, the woman hesitantly lapped at her wounded arm, tasting burning copper within deep gouges. Almost immediately the blood slowed to a stop and the pain lightened, allowing the demon to focus once more on her opponent. Her shoulders still throbbed, but tending to those would require Marller to take her eyes off her opponent. And with the continued pacing of the beast, the blond knew that was not a wise move to make.
Snarling, Marller took a threatening step towards the beast, releasing a vocal growl the caused the leopard to retreat. Yet it was only a temporary delay, as a moment later the creature was once more fast approaching, belly low to the ground and ears folded flat against its head as it roared at her. The demon bated it, swiping her blade, now cooled and black obsidian, out menacingly at the beast only for it to retaliate with a paw swipe of its own.
The demon retreated, switching the blade to the opposing hand as she shook the other. Blood that had only started to dry sailed onto the ground, adding to the stained blotches of red that already littered the burnt-gold hues of sand. The obsidian had been bent in her initial strike, and now half its length curved to the right, leaving the woman with a sickle in place of a dagger. Yet none the less the creature treated it with the same wariness as before, lunging in and out of Marller's range at it attempted its own strike.
Yet Marller had adapted by now, having learned the beast's movements and reading the leopard's body language as easily as though its actions were text on paper. Red eyes focused on its chest, predicting the beast's moves with the slightest twitch of skin, the gentle ripple of the muscle beneath. And as it once again rushed her this time the woman side stepped, sickle-dagger crashing atop its back and raking the fur like one large, black talon.
A shriek filled the air as the leopard retreated then, and Marller crouched, a feral smile on her face as malignant red eyes stared to the bloody scratch that marred its coat. "Got you now!" She snarled, and with a burst of energy chased after the large cat.
Only to see the white-black sky sail into her vision as the beast suddenly turned and released a green-white bout of needle like energy from its maw. The magic hit her head-on, the demon's lethargic body seemingly unable to muster up the strength necessary for Marller to dodge. He used…magic? She wondered, hearing a deep, rumbling growl approaching before her.
Grimacing, Marller tried to move, finding her body painfully unresponsive. It was almost as if…the woman picked her head up, discovering her flesh littered with green-white magic needles. While many seemed scattered across her body randomly, the demon was startled to see where many of the thin strands had pierced areas she knew were pressure points, effectively paralyzing the demon from the neck down.
The leopard drew near, teeth bared in a snarl and ears pressed flat atop its skull and Marller felt her heart leap in her throat. From here there was nothing she could do; if the cat decided to attack her now, there was nothing she could do but watch and scream and bleed out. Not a pleasant way to go.
The creature stalked past her body and approached her head. A soft noise escaped her throat, and Marller shut her eyes as the leopard suddenly lashed out at her throat. The jugular then. It was going to make it quick; crush her throat and suffocate her to death before feasting on her remains. The demon felt sharp pinpricks pinch her skin, and then a voice arose in her mind. You lose.
"Cheater."
Laughter like that of a harsh purr ran through her head as the leopard suddenly released its grip around her throat. A burning tingle washed across her body and Marller hissed as the magical needles disintegrated, allowing the woman to sit up from where she'd fallen. The demon hugged herself, drawing her legs close as she glared at the beast. "You aren't supposed to use magic." She grumbled.
Neither are you. The leopard retorted, sitting beside her and moving to groom itself now that the fight was over.
Marller made a face, brushing off excess sand at the more easily accessible wounds before imitating her prior enemy. "I didn't really have a choice," She muttered, pausing to spit sand and blood from her mouth. "I woke up and-" the demon hesitated, tension rising in her body before she released it with a sigh. "…it happened again, Ose."
Beside her the leopard, Ose, sneezed before shifting to sniff at a blood-stained shoulder. The demon flinched as she felt a rough tongue sudden scrap across the ingrained skin. I know. He said simply, and Marller did her damnedest not to flinch as her shoulder burst into burning fire. Don't forget I was the one who had to track you down.
The demon grimaced but nodded. "I don't…why can't I stop it, Ose? I thought it was getting better, but…" Marller ran a hand through her hair in distress. "This can't keep happening. It needs to stop before something bad happens."
The leopard at her back ceased its grooming, shifting to lean against her side. You've improved. He stated. It's been three days since last it happened, and before that two. You're not regressing. Don't let unconscious shifts disturb you. Remember, I told you that the progress would be slow. You can't simply expect the problem to 'disappear' after it hasn't happened for a couple of days.
The creature sneezed, shaking itself of any remaining sand. Come. The best way to get through it is to adapt to the form you chose. Shift so that we can return to the camp. I've been up three hours tracking you down and I'm ravenous. You look like you could use some food too.
Marller grunted. She didn't feel particularly hungry after waking up, and after their ritual morning fight her appetite still had yet to appear. Shifting seemed even less appealing, yet a soft warning growl from Ose got her going. "Alright, alright." She grumbled, moving to a more comfortable position. "Just give me a second."
The woman drew in a slow, deep breath, focusing on her alternate body. Shifting had not been kind to her in the past months since officially becoming a Rabishu, and it had only recently gotten to the point where her body had begun to adapt to the pain. It started off with an itch. It always started with the itch, before metamorphosing into the pain that came with muscle rearrangement and bone reconstruction. It only lasted a couple of seconds, yet the pain of the experience always made it feel absurdly long.
The woman grit her teeth, eyes closing as her limbs changed in length and figure, as fur engulfed flesh and senses became clearer. When eyes opened once more, the world around her appeared extraordinarily bright, and with a hiss the newly shifted lynx squinted, silently willing her eyes to readjust. Ears twitched with a light breeze, moving one direction and then the next before focusing on the leopard beside her.
That wasn't so bad now, was it? Something lightly nipped at one of her ears and Marller jumped, looking up at the larger feline with alert red eyes. Do you need to rest or are you good to go?
The lynx's tiny tail swayed as the small cat stood up, experimentally taking first one step, then another. No, she said, no, it looks like I adjusted relatively quickly this time. Let's head back.
Lead the way.
If it was possible, Marller would have grimaced. Instead her ears folded back.
You're going to learn how to properly use that body one way or another. Ose explained. And if you want to eat, you're going to find camp yourself.
We're going to be wandering around for hours than. Marller grumbled, a soft growl voicing her frustration.
Ose seemed not to care. Good. It'll increase your endurance in that form then. He nudged her hindquarters lightly. Let's go, Winter Child.
The demon snorted and rolled her eyes at the absurd nickname before walking.
It didn't take as long as Marller predicted to reach the small camp Ose and she had constructed. It consisted primarily of a small dugout around a cluster of sand stone spires, the duo having marked the area with several relatively large boulders and dead branches as a way to mark the area and shield themselves from sandstorms. The entrance was barely big enough for a human to enter; a purposeful design by Ose to encourage Marller to stay in her alternate form as well as a way to prevent any larger…occupants of Purgatory from slipping into the small den.
You go in and get the medical supplies. I'll get food from the reservoir.
Marller released an irritated sigh as the leopard departed the area once more. They'd stored the food and water they'd obtained for Purgatory in a different area, once more to dissuade any potential enemies from their true camp site. Of course, Ose's assignment was the easier of the two, forcing Marller into the depths of their camp in order retrieve the needed materials.
It consisted of her carefully slipping between the multiple boulders that lined the entrance and into a small tunnel that gradually grew bigger. It then opened up into a small den barely large enough for Ose's human form to crouch in without scraping his head. Dead roots from plants long since departed draped down and through the walls, providing stability for the little cavern while a blanket, one of the few the duo had taken with them, rested unrolled in the center of the den.
The two of them had created a small pit to store their medical kit in, a small, steep hole that took up very little space and was marked with a small rock to ensure the two of them didn't accidently destroy it. The only problem with it was the fact that it was made for longer limbs, and so the smaller foreleg of a lynx wouldn't be able to reach in and snag the small pack.
Growling lightly to herself, the demon once more shifted back to her human form, finding her injuries throbbing irritably and her vision filled with spots. Marller gasped, sucking in several deep gulps of air as she fought to stay conscious, and after several minutes of steady, controlled breathing her sight cleared once more. "Bless him and his training." She hissed to herself, closing her eyes as a light dizzy spell engulfed her.
When it finally passed, the blond moved towards the rock that marked the medical supplies, removing it and thrusting her uninjured arm into the hole. Carefully, she withdrew a small leather pack before once more placing the rock over the hole. The woman turned, staring at the entrance before sighing. "I'm going to be pissed if I pass out this time." She grumbled, before setting the pack down beside her and shifting once more.
She didn't pass out, though it was a close call. The demon's head swam nauseatingly as spots danced across her vision, and for a long moment Marller laid where she'd shifted, panting as she waited for her body to once more readjust. When the world grew clearer once more the lynx stood up, grabbing the medical kit in her jaws and carefully making her way out of the little den.
Ose was waiting for her outside.
The demon had switched back into his more human form and was currently chewing on a piece of tough jerky. In that long time it'd taken for Marller's repeated shifts, the man had clothed himself as well, dressed in a uniform of soft tans and yellows to help reflect the desert heat and blend into their surroundings. "Took you long enough." He teased, smirking when Marller growled at him. "Did you feint this time?"
The lynx paused, one ear swiveling back in thought before approaching the fellow demon. …No. She thought after a moment. It was close, but I didn't feint. The feline set the pack down at Ose's feet, and the man offered her a piece of jerky. She took it gratefully, laying down beside the demon and gnawing the tough meat.
Ose picked up the medical pack, humming in agreement. "It's not easy shifting so much in such a short period of time." He said. "Especially when you're low on energy reserves." Taking a seat beside Marller, the man reached over and scratched behind her ears, causing the demon to growl in irritation. Ose ignored it. "Stay in that form for an hour or two more." He instructed. "That'll give some time for the food to digest and for your body to recover. We'll move on to something different from there."
What about my injuries?
The demon waved it off. "You forget who I have for brothers." He said. "I've dressed wounds on avatars plenty of times. You don't need to worry about stray hairs catching and causing infections. I know what I'm doing."
Marller eyed him warily and Ose offered her another strip of jerky. The demon snorted. Trying to win me over with food?
The man smiled, gold eyes laughing. "It's a proven tactic with demons." He retorted. "Some victories are won with politics. Others, with food." Taking another strip of jerky for himself the man stuck it in his mouth, chewing on it as he opened the medical pack and withdrawing a strong smelling ointment. "Hol sill" He said between the jerky, and with a sigh Marller did as instructed, claws protruding outwards with the sudden sting on her shoulder wound.
It was gone as quickly as it came, and in its place came a soothing cool. The wound on her forearm was even worse; lying down had left the injury covered in sand, forcing Marller to clean the excess grains out before Ose could use the ointment on her. Sandpaper tongues, while useful for cleaning, were rough and painful on wounds, aggravating the scab that had formed to the point where the demon could taste fresh blood intermingled with the grains of sand.
Ose had her stop there, taking over and splashing the injury with a heavy dosage of the ointment. Marller shrieked at the sudden flare of pain, the demon at her side ignoring it in favor of gauze and bandages. There was no point in trying to shave fur around the wound to prevent stray hairs from becoming entrapped in the scab that was to form, as a quick shift back to human form would cause the fur to disappear on its own. Stitches would be easier that way, however the ointment was, among everything else, an accelerant healer, and so by the end of the day the stitches and gauze wouldn't be needed. Yet the injuries still needed some initial protection from the surrounding elements, thus Ose's reasoning for binding the wounds.
At least, that was the only reason Marller saw in it. Knowing Ose, it could have been something completely different. It was anyone's guess what went on in the leopard demon's mind on a daily basis, and Marller had learned early on it was better not to think too heavily on it.
The older demon had an easier time caring for his own wounds than he did Marller, opening his tunic and revealing the long gash the woman had made with the obsidian blade. The cut was long and clean, extending from one breast and down to the bottom of his ribcage. Marller watched him attend to the injury with a sideways glance, finishing what was left of the jerky that consisted of breakfast and taking the time to instead survey their surroundings. Ears swiveled left and right, searching for any noise that might speak of an intruder.
The man hissed as he applied the ointment to his wound, face wrinkling into a snarling grimace. Nothing but the wind could be heard beyond his the wind, something Marller felt no small relief for. Though Purgatory was a wasteland, it was far from 'dead'. At least not in the manner that Marller was familiar with.
Though she'd never seen them herself, the demon had heard more than her fair share of rumors of the entities that dwelled within the wasteland. 'Ghosts' was too generous a word for them. Ghosts couldn't hurt gods and demons, after all. Not like these…Remnants. The Slayers muttered of them from behind closed doors and under the curtain of night. Creatures that were the remains of gods and demons long since dead and forgotten, their spirits trapped in the limbo that was Purgatory as they continued in their ceaseless battle for domination.
By the Heavens, her own grandfather had installed his own paranoia in her from her childhood in Purgatory. "Listen to the winds." He'd always said. "Is there a voice that calls with it? What does it tell you? Is it a cry for help? A roar of victory? A sob on the breeze? Never listen to those voices, Marller, for they will lead you to a fate beyond death."
She shuddered at the memories, fur bristling as a strong wind echoed within the surrounding rocks of their camp. Or was that a howl of a demon in its never-ending slaughter?
Ose kicked sand in her face, causing Marller to backpedal from where she lay. Shaking sand from her snout and sneezing, Marller glared at her lone companion, finding it returned whole heartedly. "Stop." Ose growled, golden eyes narrowing in warning. "You'll only draw them closer if you think on them. Let those who never rest be forgotten in the sands of time."
Let them that are no more cease to exist and find peace in the Abyss. Marller finished, and with it the winds seemed to die down, what might have been voices revealed as little more than the hollow echo of the breeze amongst the rocks.
The demon huffed and sneezed again, taking a moment to groom herself and remove any more needless sand. Ose ran a hand through short blonde hair, the strands decorated with black spots that wouldn't have been out of place on his avatar's coat. "Take the next few hours to relax." He said with a sigh. "We'll go over some forms after you shift back, then break for a patrol."
The next two hours were miserable. Forced to stay in the form of a beast more adapted for colder condition, it wasn't long Marller's heavy coat became a hindrance. As such, returning to a more human form came as a relief, the steadily encroaching heat becoming more bearable with the absence of a heavy fur coat and lighter, loose clothes.
The woman sighed in relief, carefully stretching muscles that had started to acclimate to her more petite form. Across from her Ose was doing the same, rolling his shoulders before falling into a warm-up stance. Marller imitated him, and together the demons went through several exercises, starting with slow, steady movements to practice form before gradually speeding up for power.
Her shoulders groaned in protest, arm throbbing dully as she flexed mending muscles. Marller took it all in stride, however, allowing herself to grow lost in the rhythm that had become so habitual growing up. There was a peace in the routine; a special type of meditation that allowed her to forget about the difficulties of the outside world and allowed her focus to fall inwards, reflecting on her current situation as her body went on autopilot.
The two of them, Ose and herself, had come to Purgatory a month ago. The official reason was to patrol the BDZ that separated the heavens from the hells and ensure no Valkyrie spies were taking residence in any of the fortresses close to home. Off the books, however, it was quite the opposite. With Ose acting as a guide, the two were slowly moving into what was considered 'Valkyrie territory', searching for outposts and unidentified locations of enemy positions. Where Ose's job was to guide her to the protected areas, it was Marller's job to get close enough to actually observe the activity within.
Such a task had proven much harder than initially expected; however, in the wake of an avatar that had a tendency to roam while the demon's consciousness slept. In truth, the duo had been forced to withdraw before even making it to the borderlines, taking up residence in an area relatively far from any outposts in order to attempt to get a reign on the wild alternate form.
Several times Marller had awoken to an unfamiliar area.
Once she even caught a glimpse of whatever it was her alternate form was pursuing.
Whatever it was, it had scared her to the point where Ose had been unable to leave her side, leaving the woman sticking to him like a small, shivering burr. It had been the start of what eventually became a large hindrance to the mission, and under higher headquarters instruction the duo were re-tasked to find a solution to the problem.
What should have been a simple, two week mission developed into a month long struggle of control and temporary or failed solutions. The Daimakaicho had been very clear too. "Don't come back until the problem is fixed."
Ose was very tolerant of her, patiently tracking Marller down whenever the avatar took over and easing the burden of their shared duties when her nerves became too frayed. While the demon encouraged her to shift whenever possible in order to better ease the strain between herself and her avatar, the man never pushed her, allowing the blond to grow more comfortable with the alternate body in her own time.
Marller had been taken aback at first; rarely were demons ever so patient or tolerant of the needs of another. Such a sign was usually attributed to weakness, exploited at the first sign of kindness. Yet her own gratitude towards the senior demon prevented even the consideration of such thoughts. The possibility of who could take Ose's place if she abused his actions so chilling that she took it all in stride, working towards her own improvement while doing what she could at Ose's instructions.
The next three hours were spent going over basic forms and mock battles, Marller and Ose practicing their stances in a more physical aspect before delving into more complicated patterns that incorporated magic. The addition of spells was straining on them both; Purgatory was a land that consumed magic actively used in its environment, and so even the simplest of spells could be draining for a careless demon.
It caused the seasoned demons to use their magic with restraint, observing each other and searching for ample opportunities to assault one another. Ose proved more adapt at such a task over Marller. The younger woman was less disciplined than her fellow, and so many of her attacks came fast and hard, leaving the blond winded between blows.
The leopard man took full advantage of that weakness as well, easily putting Marller on the defensive without burning through his own magic so quickly. It wasn't long before the woman was actively retreating from her opponent, forcing her to watch her footing as Ose moved her backwards.
The sparring session was finished when Marller's foot caught in a dead root, sending the woman to the ground and rolling down a small sand dune before Ose had a chance to grab her.
Lunch came after Marller was able to scrap the remaining sand from clothes; a small mixture of nuts and seeds, tough roots, and more bicorn jerky. While not the most appetizing meal for either demon, the food had a long shelf life and very little was needed to provide them with energy. They were simple ration packets that were easy to transport and required very little care, though after eating the same items for a month the taste had long since grown old.
Afterwards came more of what Marller had come to dread in the past month. The multiple shifts from human to beast, from beast to Rimanis, and from the Rimanis to was a taxing process, not only in the physical aspect but in the mental aspect as well. More than once the Rimanis had shown to hold a conscious separate from the demon that housed it, and after the traumatic experience of her first shift Marller could not rid herself of the anxieties that now haunted her with each transformation.
"The best way to get over the fear is to do it until you forget you're scared." Was Ose's advice, and one of the main reasons why so much time and energy went into the many transformations. The man had set up their entire camp to be the most accessible to the alternate forms, and as much as she disliked it, Marller had to admit his reasoning was working. She was getting more comfortable with her alternate forms…at least in regards to the lynx.
The Rimanis still gave her the most trouble, and as her gaze dissolved into the thermal vision of the final avatar. She waited, feeling the push within her mind that signaled her new form's instincts, and with a mental snarl the demon fought it, battling for domination over the wildness of her form and succeeding.
This time.
With her mental victory assured, the demon rose on six legs, the world that greeted her was a chaotic blend of infrared energy over the more familiar visible light. She snorted, waiting for her senses to adjust to the new onslaught of information, before turning to Ose for instruction.
What greeted her was a creature that stood erect on two legs rather than four, the leopard having taking on a more human form. Experience with the man's Rimanis outside of her own brought forth the image of an anthromorphic leopard, two swords sheathed at a belt around its waist, a green coat it's only other adornment. Her more human eyes knew his coat was a golden yellow like his hair, yet in her current form he came across as pure white, the outline of his fur cooled to a light, almost nonexistent blue. The cape was a cooler shade of yellow, the orifices of Ose's face like that of the Assiah's blue sky.
It was always an alarming sight to see for her, so different was it from what Marller was used to, and as before so too did it now, bringing rise to a bubble of panic that swelled uneasily in her gut. She pawed the sand restlessly, a low growl rising in her throat as one of Ose's ears swiveled in her direction.
The man-beast launched himself towards her, swords drawn and a snarl on his breath, and she met him head on, a jagged, black body only just registering the blades that came down upon her back.
It was in such forms they fought, and in such forms Marller was defeated. For unlike Ose, who's conscious was whole and one, the woman's was divided, leaving her with two battles at once; that of the physical world with her companion, and one within her mindscape, where that of the Rimanis fought desperately for freedom.
The fights were exhausting, and when they were finished there was still a final border patrol to make before either could rest. Only when both were certain neither Valkyries nor denizens of Purgatory roamed their territory were either allowed to rest and break for food.
With the sky above their head steadily being consumed by the black magic of their demonic kin, only then came the time for rest and relaxation. A small moment of peace before retiring for the night, and then the sleep of beasts until the light of the gods once more overtook their darker kin.
And thus the day would begin anew, repeating the events of the day prior.
Such as it had been for the past month, with a patient leopard and a reserved lynx.
Such would change with the upcoming dawn of Purgatory.
For nothing was every truly set in stone.