A/N: New story idea. Ugh I really got to stop my brain from overloading. But here we go cause I gotta get it out of my system.

Disclaimer: I do now own any of the characters except my own OC. Tales of Berseria belongs to the rightful owner.

Chapter 1: Prisoner

My story begins after I had been captured and thrown into this deep dungeon, not a very nice way to start off with I suppose. Frankly I myself barely remember my own childhood, only flashes of memories appear from time to time but they would be all be scattered like puzzle pieces. One things for certain, I felt myself becoming very angry and the longer I stayed behind bars, the worse my feelings got. Anger. Hatred. Kill. Those three were constantly swirling around me and it was taking a toll on my sanity no doubt. I could hear the other prisoners in the adjacent rooms but they were none of my concern.

As days turned into months and then into years I grew older while being malnourished. I was practically living in Hell. The banging on the doors, the walls and even the stomping of guards above my head greatly increased my horrible mood. My care taker, did I mention that I had someone babysitting me? Well I did. He would always come and throw in some poor morsel for me to feed upon, stating "I'm so glad it isn't me being used as prey". At first I thought of it as a game, playing with my food normally before getting bored when they died. Slowly the amount of bodies accumulated to where my caretaker refused to come and see me. At first I thought he was playing a game with me but after awhile I realized he abandoned me. I could care less...that's why I refused to bond ties because that'd make saying goodbyes that much harder.

Life wasn't as bad as it seemed but to me, I felt cheated. Robbed. Left to suffer alone. Anyone I came across I treated them as enemies, no matter the situation. It's either kill or be killed...I lived by that rule and always will. Eventually I killed all the 'presents' that were given to me, watching the blood run though my claws. I lapped up every drop but it was never satisfying and it didn't seem to get rid of the burning hatred cultivating within me. In fact the sticky liquid acted as fuel and the flame kept growing, growing to the point where all I ever see is red. Red like blood. Red like roses. Red like insanity and madness.

This is my story. My redemption. My journey. How one girl saved me and I in turn got the opportunity to glimpse at the wide world with my own two eyes. We learned a lot from each other. We fought together in battle and sometimes out of battle. To me, she ended up becoming an important ally. A friend for life. Perhaps something even more beyond that. I want to tell you this tale because it shaped me to what I am. My feelings since then had slowly changed but I firmly believed that I had been blessed because of her.

Dark dungeon...

I opened my eyes, gazing up at the grated ceiling with weary eyes. My stomach rumbled noisy but I ignore it and suppressed my hunger the best I could. There was no point in crying and begging...not to those who threw me in. I looked towards the walls and with a claw, etched a mark. It's been too long and I lost count as to how long I had been kept in my filthy so-called home.

I hate humans...I slowly closed my eyes and reopened them. To be more exact...Exorcists. My throat vibrated slightly as I growled at the word. It left a vile taste in my mouth. They are the bane of my existence...They are the reason why I'm here. Shaking my head I stood up and began to stretch, opening my maul to reveal rows of sharp canines. I appreciated the powers I inherited from my mother, as well as my entire linage of deities and thus I found myself in my other form more often than not, some much so that I didn't want to revert to my fragile human form.

Careful not to abuse your power. Everything has its limit. It's not wise for one to exceed it.

Of course...my mother often warned me of such things every single time she got the chance. It was like she didn't trust me one little bit. Once my hind legs were properly warmed up I proceeded to groom the fur on my pelt, drawing my tongue slowly across my side. It's how my routine began and a habit I could not break. Appearance is key no matter where you were.

"Listen up! I'm opening every door to every cell!" A strong voice but definitely female echoed through the halls, mildly drawing my attention as I paused in my grooming process. To my knowledge prison mates rarely spoke to each other, that was just how the place was laid out. What's interesting is the further down you go, passing every single door until you reach mine, the stench of death grew till it was overwhelming. It was no surprise to me and I didn't really wanted any visitors. "We're getting off this island!"

"What the hell? Are you serious?!"

"There's no way this can be true..."

Unlock the doors...getting off this island? I thought as muffled whispers rose up from all sides and deemed myself as groomed. Never had I heard such words be ordered. Somehow I felt as though I was drawn...to the mysterious call. However lack of socialization left me in an ocean of distrust...more like absolute disdain for lesser beings. Blowing hot air in a huff I ambled over to the far corner and curled up into a ball, laying my head over my paws. Bah...sounds like a whole lot of empty promises...spoken to give the masses something to hold on to. To believe in. To have the faintest hope of survival and to keep struggling until the end.

"Split into two groups and rush the front and rear gates!" The girl continued to rattle off orders. "Break through the gates, and you'll have a ship!"

"But aren't they guarded by exorcists?" A timid voice replied. "I mean, that pirate Van Aifread's the only one who's ever broken outta here!"

Van Aifread? My ear swiveled so I could listen in. Who was that? First time I've ever heard such a name.

"He didn't pull it off just by himself ya know." Another gruff voice spoke. "He was hauled out by some old exorcist named Melchior or something."

"I won't force you! You want to rot in here, then rot!" The girl's voice snapped like a whip and it sounded like she was dead serious. "So! What's your answer?"

"Well then why the hell not?! I'm with you!"

"I'm gonna go home to my family!"

"Yeah! We have to show those bastards how its done!"

"I'm sick of the slop they feed us! I'm gonna have a real meal after this is over!"

"Let us fight those who chained us in this hellhole for as long as we live!" Roars of approval filled the air as some of the prisoners banged their fists against the bars, others stomping their feet. The sounds of locks being broken reached my ears before the sound of multiple doors opening.

Seems like they are about to have the time of their lives...I closed my eyes and attempted to sleep amidst the pounding of feet and the cries for exorcists. I wonder...how many will survive in this war? Opening my eyes to narrow slits I thought about it some more. In the end...In the end it wouldn't change anything. That's just how all exorcist fights end up being.

"What's in that room? The lock on that one looks different...I can feel...some sort of presence leaking through it."

"Velvet, are you sure you want to go into this one?" The voice, a different from the first one, spoke up and I could smell the scents approaching my door. "I'm not sure what's in there...or if there is anything for that matter."

"We don't know unless we try." The one known as Velvet replied and there was a 'click', indicating that my door had been unlocked. The door swung open and two people walked in, one with raven colored hair, the other red. They came to a halt in the middle of my den and looked around apprehensively.

"It's definitely bigger than the other prisoner cells we've seen. Probably used to house a giant creature." The red head noted before turning to her companion. "What do you think Velvet?"

"This place reeks...I've never smelled death up close and personal like this..." The raven-haired girl, the one known as Velvet, commented after a minute and her nose wrinkled up with disgust. "I shouldn't be surprised to be honest."

"It seems...some mice has entered my room." The two women stiffened as I rose from the corner I had been secluded myself in. There wasn't much light to begin with but they could see the luminous fiery orbs of my eyes, seemingly floating in the air. "To whom do I owe the pleasure of speaking with?"

"What's it to you?" Velvet spoke as she looked at me with emotionless eyes. "Are you a daemon?" The ground trembled and my claws came down adjacent to them as I stepped forward, watching them flinch at my appearance. I leaned down and curled my lips and unleashed a blood-curling roar, almost ripping the door off its hinges. Laughing out loud to their facial expressions I snapped my fingers and engulfed myself in a tornado of blue inferno. Once it calmed down I showed them my true self, a mere girl with three whisker-like features on both cheeks. Two black fox ears wiggled on top of my head while all nine of my tails fanned themselves around me. I wasn't wearing any garments but I wasn't bashful at all at my nudity. While my body gave the impression of an eighteen year old, I was a little older but I couldn't tell you exactly how old I was.

"I am a free spirit. I am bound to no one and will never be bound. I live how I want." I flicked one of my tails with annoyance before looking at the ground and muttered, "My clan had been wiped out, demolished by the exorcists before we even knew what was going on. My mother protected me with her very life, making sure I was safe before running to her doom. I felt so helpless. The worst part of it was...I got a front row seat. Oh yes! I saw them skin my mother alive from the hole I was hiding in, my ears constantly ringing with her cries. Every night since then I cried myself to sleep. Cursed myself for being weak and useless."

I wrapped myself in my tails, making a fur barrier as I recounted my tale, knowing that we'd have some time to chat. "After they skinned her, fur such as hers is high-quality material and would fetch a hefty price to be turned into a coat, she was beheaded and her head stood on a pike where the exorcists mounted in the middle of the ground. They jeered at her before leaving, didn't bother to look over their shoulders. It took a lot of courage but I managed to remove her head from the stake and gave my mother a proper burial. Since then...I've made Exorcists my enemy...any and all will be obliterate by me."

"...lost your mother huh." The raven-haired girl said, her golden eyes flickered briefly with sympathy. "So you know what it's like to lose someone that meant something important to you..."

"You lost someone important too...? Is that why you are a daemon?" I regarded her calmly before the sounds of metal against stones reached my ears and I sat up, my smoldering amber eyes flaring up in agitation. Standing up I walked briskly past my guests and pressed an ear near the wall. After a minute of silence my furry ears twitched and I stood back with a weary grin. "Sounds like my meal...has arrived. However...it wouldn't be satisfying...as usual."

"What do you intend on doing?"

"Once I lay my Curse there is no hope for a cure. It's a one-way instant kill that may take awhile to kick in depending on endurance level." I turned to look at them from over my shoulder before gazing forlornly at the iron bracelet on my right wrist. It pulsed once and I growled under my breath. "Well...at least I used to be able to cast it without any problems. Now this thing is what's hindering...my full power. Under normal circumstances I could just lay the Curse just by brushing one of tails like so..." I willed one of my tails to lightly brush against Velvet, drawing it slowly underneath her chin and the girl stiffened up as I did so. I withdrew and she released the breath she had been holding in. "Now I have to make the complicated hand gestures. So tedious..."

"Why can't you break it off?" asked Velvet, indicating with a finger toward the bracelet. "A being such as yourself should have no problem doing so?"

"It's tough." I swung my right arm back, hitting it hard against the wall. The chains rattled but the object didn't even have a scratch. When I removed my limb from the wall there was a good size hole in its place. "I decided it wasn't worth my time and left it on. It's definitely problematic down the road but in due time I'll be able to get it off. Luckily it hadn't been enchanted otherwise I'd be in more shit."

"Who put it on you?"

"Those bastards from above did. That's how I came into this prison. I was captured but somehow my life was spared, most likely because I was young at the time...and considered as 'harmless'. So they just put this thing on me and tossed me in this place so I could rot on my own time. Well jokes on them!" With a sinister sneer upon my face I proceeded to walk out of my confinement, looking over my shoulder before saying, "I want nothing more than getting out of here."

"So you're just going to be all brute force about this?" The raven-haired woman questioned. "Isn't that a bit fool-hardy?"

"If there's anything I learned from my captivity...well...sometimes you just have to trust your gut instincts. And believe me, I haven't eaten anything solid since my capture. I've fed off the blood of those thrown into my den, hence those dried up husks you see there." I pointed to a huge pile of disgusting skeletons and huffed. "The meat on those were either too dry or leathery to chew properly."

"Look we can chat here all we like about how...uneatable the meal was but we have someplace to be." The masked woman cut in. "And do put something on..."

"Prude." was all I said before rummaging around discarded scraps and pulled out a very old and tattered cloak. Dusting it off I wrapped it around my shoulders and clasped it in place. I looked up at my guests with my head tilted. "Are you satisfied? If that's the case then I'll go and make myself useful...turning those cretins into meat kabobs!" Turning on my heels I proceeded to walk towards the exit.

"Hey kid." I paused, hearing Velvet call out to me. I turned, seeing her eye me in curiosity. "What's your name?"

"My name...It's Klare. I'm a descendant of the Ahri Clan." with that I rushed out of my cell and disappeared, my feet making the softest of noises when they touched the ground. My senses, while on the alert, made me experience Heaven; no bars, no barriers. For so long I had been caged and now, I can't wait to spill the blood of my enemies once again.