Silver Rain – The Cohort

Digital Devil Saga

Digital Devil Saga, the scenario minus any original characters, and any canon characters, are © to Atlus
Yulia/Garuda is © to myself
Kaamos/Pandemonium is © Drcheerio of Deviantart
Shiv/Morrigan is © Dimitrininjasan of Deviantart
Jed/Vakirauta is © to his player
All original characters not of my creation are used with express permission


Chapter Two – Gifting

Kaamos looked up, his white eyes gleaming with disapproval, even in the dim lamplight, as his leader stepped down the few stairs to his lab, dripping water everywhere. When she reached where he sat at a desk, Yulia gave the trapper a small, unapologetic smile. Kaamos did so hate it when people dripped water all over the floor of his lair.

"I hear you have a new trap for me, Kaamos."

Kaamos sighed dramatically, and turned back to gesture at a rather nasty looking assembly of blades and wires.

"Well, hopefully not you, boss. I hear trapping your own leader is a heinous crime. Nope, this'n's gonna really bite someone in the ass." He chuckled. Right out loud, not the hushed, almost strangled laughter of a Cohort Stealther. Kaamos was a master of trap warfare. He was somewhat lacking in the art of the silent kill, but there had been many a time where his traps had prevented intruders from gaining even an inch into Bezaid. So, he was a valued, trusted, comrade. Yulia smiled, and flicked a finger at the trap, careful not to get anything she valued anywhere near it.

"Dare I ask how it works?"

Kaamos rubbed his hands together with glee, and, eyes bright; he took a deep breath, preparing to launch into singing the praises of his new toy.

He never got the chance.

Kaamos' face fell, crestfallen, as footfalls sounded unnaturally (for a Cohort, meaning they'd be normal sounding from any outsider) loudly down the stairs towards them. Suddenly, Shiv, his hair stark red against his pale skin and drab cloak, shoved his head through the door.

"Boss, shit's hit the fan. The Embryon and the Vanguards were scrappin', and then…"

Yulia spared a frown for her second-in-command. Shiv wasn't one to waste time with gossip. Usually.

"This had better end with both Serph and Harley in tiny pieces."

Shiv didn't even flinch, instead plunging on with his news. Yulia schooled her expression. If he wasn't detoured by a frown and a wry comment, then this was important.

"…Somethin' crazy 'appened."

But she couldn't ask what. A burning, stabbing, twisting pain in her neck blocked all words, stoppered all breath. She fumbled at the clasps of her cloak, wrenching it back from her throat. Her skin was burning, soon there would be nothing left, the heat was so intense, and why couldn't she feel the burning when she clenched a hand to her throat? Surely her flesh must be aflame; was this some misfire of one of Kaamos' traps? Without consciously remembering doing so, she had fallen to her knees, rasping for air, her vision dimming, tunnelling. To her horror, she heard a pained, frantic groan, and realised it was her own voice. In pure panic, she looked for Kaamos and Shiv. Then she found them; they must be those blurred forms beside her…Kaamos flailing at the back of his own neck, Shiv gritting his teeth, grasping at his right hand. What was this?!

But then oblivion laid claim to her mind, and she couldn't help but feel relieved.