From the shadows, Bangoo now understood why he was instructed to remain in the inconspicuous sections of the Winchester mansion. As far as he could see, there were at least several dozen members of the European aristocracy from all around the reaches of the continent in attendance. As per Ivy's instructions, he had acted like a servant boy and was able to keep a low profile, being the only one from the New World there was a slight deterrent, but it still worked. Despite the servant's disguise was useful, Bangoo did not like the fabric at all.
What he liked even less was how foolish the guests of the party were acting. The drunken revelry made him long for the simple life of his tribe back in the Great Plains. Even his guardian was not immune to the festivities and was enjoying the seemingly endless supply of strong drink. Most of the guests, accompanied by several people playing instruments, sang of cachucha, fandango, and bolero. He had no idea what those were, and he had a feeling it was better that way.
Thankfully, all the guests were not as inebriated as the majority and those were to be the ones he was to tail silently. Those truly curious about the shards of the malevolent swords made sure to keep their glasses full and their ears open. The wine was meant to wave off those with either little interest in the sword or little intelligence. What surprised Bangoo was Ivy informing him that she was to keep their attention off of him as he listened in and if there was a shard of the sword, to return to her and they'd resume the hunt.
He frowned at that last thought. He was supposed to be finding a way to stop the Fygul Cestemus and here he was, pretending to be a slave in front of a bunch of decadent pigs pretending to be humans.
"It's best to say nothing when nothing nice can be said or thought," a voice said in his native tongue.
He blinked and turned to see a girl, a few years younger than him by the looks of it, standing right beside him, watching the festivities. Her skin was a few tones darker than his, and her hair was braid into two separate strands from the back of her head. Aside from that, the dress she wore was also one similar to one the servant women of the other nobles made her seem quite commonplace.
He was about to gasp and demand who she was when she placed a finger on his lips. "Shh, they'll hear us. I will answer your questions later; first we have to be on the look out. That's what we're both here for, right?"
He nodded, but then stepped backward a bit whispering, "Who are you?"
Turning back to the party, she said calmly, "Khara Talim. Priestess of the Vainui tribe." She spoke with a confidence that both calmed and unsettled him. In addition, the spirits he had learned to speak with were saying this girl was similar to him in some ways. The wind around her sang silently for her protection. And it wasn't just one wind, either. The winds of the world heeded her call and even those beyond. Unconsciously, his hand moved to the hilt of his dagger, but went no further as he too resumed his vigil.
"My Lady wishes an audience with you, Bangoo of the Four Winds." Talim whispered, keeping her eyes on a pair of men that had slowly and almost invisibly slipped into another room.
"With me? I'm just a visitor."
Talim smiled warmly, still not looking in his direction, "She has always wished to meet with one who can speak to the dead."
"Isabella darling, I think you look absolutely ravishing in that dress of yours." Lady Ariel Wingates sputtered, trying to keep her balance in her volumous dress.
The dress in question was a modest affair. Colored in a deep maroon, it was constructed and weaved in a standard French pattern, made from silks imported from China. It was rumored in some circles, the lengths that composed the dressed were made of the silk worms Lady Hsi-Ling-Shih had bred for the Yellow Emperor. A truly priceless dress that belonged to Ivy's mother when the Valentine family was at the peak of its power.
It, much to Ivy's dismay, was one of the few things she was able to keep when the family fortune was lost. That and a trinket, she constantly kept around her neck. All that was visible was the chain, while the artifact itself was hidden beneath the folds of her dress. So precious were the things of her late mother, that she'd surely tear anyone apart for those that would attempt to buy them off of her.
"Thank you, Ariel," Ivy replied as calmly as she could. She had discovered too late that the wine being served was prepared to be much stronger than the usual fare. However, she still held enough control to refrain from drinking anymore, though the single cup she already had was starting to make her tipsy. "It was made of real Chinese silk, you know."
The other woman, adorned in a simpler and light blue dress nodded vigorously. "Oh, how could I not? I would sure use a good portion of my husbands money to purchase such a thing, but you would never part from it."
Ivy laughed haughtily. "You assume correct. I would never dare part with this dress, even for a man."
Join in her chuckling, Ariel continued, "Which is why so many men seek your hand. They merely wish to prove themselves capable of cun... can... conquering a woman."
With a frown towards the several sets of wealthy male heirs to outrageous fortunes, Ivy scoffed. "Those boys have yet to leave their mother's breast and they think to take my hand? They're mad... all of them."
Ariel pouted and placed her hand on Ivy's shoulder, "I know what you... went through, Isabella, but don't you become rather lonely?"
In spite of Ariel having a point, Ivy shook her head. She had enough of her personal demons to keep her company. The only way to combat them was to make sure they got to no one else, but her.
A new voice, regal and dignified answered Ariel's question, "Of course she does. It's the fate of those who wish to retain their independence from the decadence of society."
Both turned to see a woman Ivy had not expected to meet.
Lady Harker. She was a woman with a light frame, but certainly of not small appearance. Her hair was a stunning gold color, tied around her head in complicated braids, covering her ears effectively. The dress she wore was just as modest and royal as the dress Ivy wore. The only difference being it was a deep forest green with several leaf-like patterns weaving over her well-covered legs.
"Ah, Harker. Delighted to see you again, dear." Ariel said, eagerly taking the smaller woman's hands.
Ivy noticed the controlled gait and upright posture she held despite the inadvertent assault from Ariel. Harker was no lady... in the most superficial sense of the word that is. She was trained to be a fighter. In addition, there was something unusual about her. Her face was far too angular and it seemed far too young for someone supposed to be around her age. In fact, despite the lightness of her frame, Ivy could have sworn her ears were always covered. So much that a close look made her realize that Harker's ears were much longer than her own and everyone else's. Something was definitely wrong.
Almost as if she had caught Ivy's thought, Harker turned to Ariel and said calmly, "If you don't mind, dear, Isabella and I have some business to discuss." The hair on the back of Ivy's neck stood on end as she realized she felt a significant surge of magical energy coming from Harker. Almost as if... she had mentally suggested that Ariel leave them be and the one affected obeyed without even realizing it.
With the other lady out of the way, Ivy and Harker found themselves staring each other down.
"What did you do to her?" Ivy asked beneath her breath.
Taking a small glass from a passing butler, she shrugged casually. "Nothing much. Just a little technique I learned from the shamans in Kasha... a minor... hypnotic suggestion, nothing more."
Ivy placed her own glass on the table, noting that Harker held her own in a posture that suggested she was not letting that vile stuff enter her gullet. "What I felt... was more than a suggestion... it was more like an order. A complete subversion of someone else's will... is that how you've gained your notoriety?"
"You flatter me too much, Lady Valentine... I just enjoy playing with those who think they can do the same to me."
Ivy's eyebrow suddenly cocked. "Do I detect a hint of bitterness in your voice?"
"Just a slight one... I've long sense grown weary of moping over things I can hardly change. Can you imagine what it's been like, being separated from your home for almost half your lifetime?"
"Can't you return home?"
"Yes... however, I need something much more powerful than a mere boat or long lasting caravan."
A predatory smirk graced Ivy's lips. "The thing that brought all of us here, if I am assuming correctly?"
Harker matched her expression. "You assume correctly."
She held up her glass and considered it as she continued, "How is it a mere tool like that could possibly bring you home, dear?"
Knowing she was being baited, Harker shook her head. "When the time comes, Valentine. I'll tell you everything."
"Speaking of which, you were correct again concerning a shard."
"Of course I was. How do you think you've been so fortunate, not only in your efforts to do away with that thing, but to enlist a naive boy from the New World to your cause?"
"Mutual benefit. You would know better than anyone."
Harker nodded. "Yes and as an added bonus for being such a reliable contact, Isabella, I have an extra gift for you."
Ivy narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What would that be?"
The smaller woman turned to the entrance of the party, noticing someone that wasn't really invited, but appeared anyway. "How does a set of Soul Edge shards contained with an oracle's body sound?"
Cassandra moved as carefully as she could in the billowy white and blue dress she had acquired, hoping to blend in with the other guests. Though her face was relatively unchanged, she felt a set of somewhat longer hair would be sufficient. Her dress was a modification of a separate uniform she had, meant as a sparring suit she had often worn while fighting her sister and brother. Now, it was her disguise into this debauchery where people drank enough wine to kill a plow horse.
"Excuse me, madam, but I'm afraid we don't recognize you as one of the guests," a butler said stepping up to her side quickly.
Feigning a look of surprise, Cassandra held her hand to her chin in uncertainty. "Oh dear... this is a problem... but I think you made a mistake," her gaze changed slightly, "I am one of the guests..."
"No, madam, I am certain..." he was about to continue when Cassandra's palm weaved its way over his face, letting his eyes see through and making contact with Cassandra's own. Any further protest died when he saw Cassandra's pupils dilate to appear almost snake like. Had he known, Cassandra's influence, enhanced to greater proportions due to the power of the shards in her body, overrode his own will and made him a virtual slave to her.
"I am a guest... remember?" she said calmly, focusing her newfound powers on the man's feeble mind.
The man stood dumbfounded for a minute before coming to his senses once more and nodded. "Of course, madam. Forgive me. Please, enjoy yourself."
She nodded cordially before stepping into the party, weaving through the revelry. She could feel the influence of other shards nearby and these were older ones too. Though they were not of the shards that were held by the Nightmare when he attacked her village, they didn't hold any less power than the shards she had stolen from him.
It didn't matter. Old shards, new ones. They were all the same to her; pieces of the universal codex. Each shard chock full of the wisdom and history she desired more above all else. And unlike those fools who'd think they could use it for some petty version of immortality, she had better plans. But those would have to wait until all the shards belonged to her. Then, Inferno would come next.
She stopped in mid stride when she felt two pairs of eyes watching her every movement. Her eyes turned to see two women watching her with the eyes of a hawk. They knew something about her.
Moreover, they weren't normal women either. The one with pale hair had a will that rivaled her own. The other emanated an aura that Cassandra didn't find safe at all.
Nevertheless, she felt that these two would be the most likely to know the locations of other shards... provided there were any at this event.
Locking gazes with them, she floated through the crowds as though she weren't there, coming to a stop in front of them.
"Greetings to you, Lady Alexandra," the smaller of the two women said with a curtsey, "I trust you're enjoying yourself?"
Recognizing the voice, Cassandra kept her head and nodded. "I have to admit, I've never been to a party like this before."
Ivy frowned slightly. "Ignorance is blissful, is it not?"
With a titter, lightly touched with scorn, Harker added, "Especially in the case of a mere baker's daughter from a backwater, am I right?"
Cassandra's frown grew as she felt the bloodlust of Bellicus stirring in her veins, demanding release and the woman's head. Yet, she retrained her anger and stepped backward.
Harker's wolf-like smile grew as she stepped between Ivy and the Grecian. "Oh, please don't leave yet, Cassandra; the entertainment has yet to begin."
Immediately, Ivy had a bad feeling what Harker was implying as she pressed, "What do you mean by that?"
Harker turned casually to the entrances as the large and well armored double doors slammed shut with a loud crash, causing the party to come to a stand still.
"Lord Winchester's ritual sacrifice of his contemporaries for Astaroth."
Both Cassandra and Ivy looked to the upper balcony in horror at the realization that they were both caught in a trap. Ivy turned to demand an explanation out of Harker, but found the smaller woman to be missing, almost as if she had vanished.
"Inconceivable..." Ivy growled beneath her breath as she reached into the folds of her dress and yanked out her cursed weapon as the lights began to dim and a general panic started to grip those in attendance. She saw Cassandra almost frozen in fear and was ready to slap the girl back into reality when she discovered what she was looking at.
With every step, the inhumanly large golem, Astaroth, accompanied by a group of Berserker and Assassins emerged. Ivy remembered the fearsome giant all too well. Though large and somewhat cumbersome, it was hardly as foolish as most giants were made out to be. That was a few years ago. Now, he looked almost twice as fierce as before. She could even feel several Soul Edge shards powering his Herculean body past human limits.
"Stop standing there, foolish girl. Fight!" Ivy said as she started towards the ensuing melee, wishing she were in something other than her mother's precious dress. Pushing her way past fleeing aristocrats, she whipped her sword in a far arc, catching an assassin by the foot and flinging him into a berserker, ready to crush an elderly man and his wife.
Knowing they would eventually converge on her, she moved to the deserted eastern end of the room, unleashing her whip and snapping it here and there to gain their attention. True, she was making sure the killers didn't attack defenseless aristocrats, but that wasn't because she held any affection for them. She just wasn't willing to let herself get dirty with their filthy ichor. Blood had a nasty tendency to get splashed around and she scoffed at the idea of ruining her mother's dress because of it.
True enough, the berserker whom she had knocked down had directed its attention to her and charged. With a casual side step, she assisted the giant's journey into the wall; head first, leaving a nasty crack with a spot of blood on it. Noticing that her presence was being noticed, two assassins closed in on her.
With a manic grin, she met their approach and howled like a banshee. With a few precise and wild strokes, left several gashes in their legs and arms in a matter of seconds. They soon fell and Ivy took advantage by taking the first one by the ankle, and using her chain-link to throw him through the window into the river below.
She was about to dispose of the other when another berserker ran into her from the side, sending her several feet away and onto the floor in a slide. Her head collided with a few of the wooden chairs abandoned by the orchestra, leaving her with an additional fit of pain aside from the liquor.
Her assailant drew up faster than she could react and raised his weapon high to split her in two. However, the semi-armored giant went no further as Bangoo's knife flew into an unprotected part of his back, right below his head. Yanking the knife out before the giant fell onto the ground, Bangoo frowned in disgust at what he had just done.
"You're late, boy. I thought I told you to be more observant than that." Ivy frowned.
The visitor from the New World frowned back. "Actually, I was. I was seeing you getting drunk. And I found out where the one who instigated this whole thing went."
Ivy cocked an eyebrow in surprise. Perhaps the boy wasn't quite the child she thought he was. "Do tell, then."
He inclined his head to the upper balcony. "I saw him muttering something as he went through the western doors. He didn't expect to see people fight back."
Looking past her charge to see Cassandra holding her own, Ivy added, "Indeed."
Winding up her arm, Cassandra used the feint against the assassin to strike him on the back of his head, sending him into unconsciousness. Drawing out her sword, she looked to the other warriors attacking the unarmed guests and was ready to face them when the head of a hideously large ax slammed into the ground, blocking her passage.
"Not so fast, runt…" the golem growled in a deep and menacing voice, "You have a few somethings I want. If you just give up and let me kill you, I'll take them off your hands…"
Frowning, Cassandra placed her foot on the pole of the ax, and used it as a springboard to give her the needed height to kick Astaroth in the face.
"Tempting offer, but I must pass. You see, I've grown rather attached to them. And I have no intention of letting them go."
Seemingly unfazed by her kick, Astaroth shrugged, "Oh, well, I'll just smush you anyway." He drew his ax up again with incredible speed and swung it hard enough to leave a sizable hole in a pillar. Utilizing her speed, Cassandra took note of every movement he made to make a counter.
When he had missed again, she dashed inward and sent her shield straight into his unprotected side. However, her effort was wasted as the giant elbowed her in the temple, sending her away.
Despite his massive strength, she was able to soften the blow and use the momentum to get to her feet. Knowing that trying to face him head on was futile, she tried to take in the surroundings around her as the giant gave chase and swung his weapon repeatedly. Running out of options, she tore a tablecloth from the dining area and threw it towards her assailant. As hoped, the giant was momentarily stunned by the unusual attack and struggled to free himself from the cloth as she ran to his side, swung her foot into the back of his knee, forcing him down, and then using her momentum to thrust the heel of her other foot straight into the top of his spine. He fell to the ground with a loud crash as Cassandra attempted to get her breath back. Knowing that this one wouldn't be down for long, she turned to join the melee at the other end of the room.
From the shadows, Harker, accompanied by Talim watched the ensuing chaos indifferently. Warfare was a constant to both of them and to simply join out of principle was foolhardy. Besides, they couldn't show their hands just yet.
Turning to her master, Talim said calmly, "Did you get your chance, my lady?"
Nodding, Harker turned around and started for the exit, which Astaroth and the others had used to enter. "Yes, I did… and I'm afraid the boy won't remember it until we've made our departure."
Talim looked back to the fight, most particularly, to Bangoo fighting alongside Ivy against a pair of berserker. "Unfortunate… I would have liked to speak with him more."
Smiling, Harker reached out and caressed her charge's cheek like a concerned guardian. "You shall, dear. You shall." Letting go, she started to enter the darkened pathway when she noticed herself still alone. She turned to see Talim watching the fight like a frightened spectator. To her experience, Talim was much kinder to a fault than she was… it almost made her envious of the young priestess.
"If you wish to help them, Talim, you may…"
Turning in slight surprise, the young Polynesian woman stuttered, "I don't know... I want to, but at the same time, my duty's to you."
Walking back, Harker took Talim's head, tipped it forward and kissed the girl on the top of the head. "You have no duty to me, dear. If you wish to aid them, by all means go. I shall wait for you... our associate should be arriving soon. He'll be able to deal with Astaroth."
Smiling brightly, Talim reached forward and embraced Harker eagerly, "Thank you, mother!" From seemingly nowhere, she armed herself with her weapons and ran back to the melee.
Knowing the young priestess would be able to take care of herself, she turned back to the hallway, taking quick strides through the darkness to the edge of the mansion's walls. The night was clear, leaving the many stars shining along with the moon, giving her more than adequate light. She was in no hurry. Walking alongside the walls as though it were a summer day, she casually traced lines in the stone with her finger, wondering how Talim was enjoying herself. It was quite a while since she saw her 'daughter' smile. It made the pain she had to endure a bit more bearable. Such was the gift of the innocent. She was far from naïve, for she too had seen her fair share of bloodshed in her young life. More than Harker would have liked.
It was the reason she wanted to get seasoned warriors in her grip. They who had no trouble spilling blood were a deutschmark a dozen. Those who truly knew when and where were much more rare. Speaking of which, her latest acquisition to her ranks should be arriving to the mansion soon.
Taking a step off the cobble stone path, she realized she wasn't alone. She turned to the darkness and smiled viciously, "Well, speak of the devil."
From the shadows, a tall and imposing figure stepped calmly into the light. One would think him attired like one of the paladins of the Crusades a few hundred years prior. Clad in white robes and chain mail, his physique was nothing to scoff. What set him apart was his dark skin, evidently one of decent from the African nation. In addition, one eye held the immutable luster of gold while the other was encased in shadow due to the low hanging hood he wore.
In his hand, a scythe, once meant to hewing down wheat, now meant for mowing down the guilty gleamed with the same blood lust as some of the monsters in the party.
"You're late, Zasalamel." Harker said with crossed arms.
The taller figure bowed slightly out of respect for her. "Forgive me, much has changed in Venice since I was here last. Yet, I seek not to excuse myself."
Harker waved it off. "You need not apologize to me, but you best hurry before the beast inside the party feasts on those other shards."
Nodding, the Egyptian walked calmly, but with his large size, made strides impossible for a short woman such as Harker. If one looked closely enough, his strides were far quicker than a normal person's, as if he had yet to see death.
Amid the chaos, Bangoo found himself facing down two skilled assassins hopping and leaping backward whenever one of their wide swings tried to do him harm. Being separated from his guardian, he deflected another swipe from the first assassin's blade before he tripped over a discarded chair and instinctively rolled backward to avoid the swords aiming for his head.
Try as he may to get away, the second of his assailants overtook him and pinned him to the ground with his knee, knocking his dagger out of his hand.
"Too slow, savage," the man hissed behind his hood as he raised his weapon for the fatal blow. Bangoo's life would have been forfeit had a dark brown blur collided with him, stabbed him once in the stomach and chest and rolled off to its feet.
Using the distraction, Bangoo grabbed his weapon and tackled the other assassin. Wrestling each other to the ground, Bangoo found himself pinned once more, but in a sense, still on even ground since he had the assassin's wrist in his hand, while his weapon hand was held by the assassin's hand. In their struggle, Bangoo saw the same blur leap over his foe, and kick him off and away to a respectable distance.
Rolling to his feet, Bangoo marveled to see the dark skinned girl he had met earlier with a pair of blades, hanging parallel to her arms via handles that allowed her to spin them with impunity.
"Talim…" he said, bringing himself to his feet.
"Are you unhurt?" she said moving to his back to make sure no one would attack them from behind.
"I'm fine… but why are these people doing this?" he said mimicking her movements and watching a few new adversaries draw near.
"Because the man that hired these men wishes to sacrifice us to that purple giant," she replied, inclining her head towards Cassandra and Astaroth.
Stealing a glance, he returned to his vigil. "It's all for the Soul Edge, right?"
"Yes."
A frown grew on Bangoo's face as he was about to charge one of the assassins circling them. "It's all so foolish... it has to stop."
Nodding in agreement, Talim said quickly, "You help the girl fighting Astaroth, I shall deal with these ones."
Noticing the evidently unfair odds, he was about to ask why when she had already leaped into the fray and knocked one in the chin with her fist. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Bangoo dashed from one part of the melee to another, where he saw the giant knock the girl away and was ready to cut her in two. As the massive axe came down, he used all the momentum he had gained, along with all his weight and knocked the weapon sideways and harmlessly into the ground.
Bangoo's triumph was short lived as the giant batted him away like an insect. Skidding to a halt, Bangoo reaffirmed his earlier assumption that he was no fighter. Pushing himself to his feet, he stood upright just long enough to see Astaroth ram him like a buffalo and even further away.
He did his best to ignore the throbbing pain in his head as he grabbed his dagger. Hoping to get some distance from the monster, he started to crawl backward, but froze in fear when he saw Astaroth leap high into the air, his axe primed and ready to strike.
"DIE, WORM!" the monstrosity screamed.
With a final desperate movement, he was about to move to the side when he heard a loud clang and saw an additional shadow hovering over him. The girl Astaroth had been fighting before had reappeared and was holding the blade of the axe between a short sword and shield.
"You ok?" she asked quickly, keeping her gaze on Astaroth.
Unsure of whether she was telling him to either attack or as if he was well, he cried back in his own language. "Yes!" Then, he crawled up to his feet, ran around the girl and used what strength he had left to thrust the tip through the giant's bare neck. The weapon dug into the hilt, but to his and the girl's horror, the giant smirked back at them.
"Nice try, worms. But it won't... work... on... me..." he growled as he began to stagger back and forth, several patches of his skin starting to glow with an unearthly red. In addition, the glowing white spearhead poking through his chest must have had something to do with it as well.
Behind the giant, a new voice said calmly, pulling the spear back, "So said the giant to the boy who slew him in the name of Israel." Astaroth fell to the ground, making a noticeable dent in the ground and falling silent as several pieces of metal emerged from his rock like skin.
Both Bangoo's and Cassandra's gazes went from the giant to the newcomer with a sense of awe and fear. The dark skinned warrior, clad in white armor, regarded them both with a nod as he knelt down and lifted a single shard from the top of the dead giant's head.
He stood up once more and said politely, "this is all I need... you may do what you will with the rest of them." Before either one of them could protest, he walked past them... but it felt like he had floated away and into the shadows.
Bangoo's hair stood on end as he felt the unsettling presence of the man in white leave him. Death was a companion with that one, yet he was alive. The golden eye held secrets he dare not try to learn and his scythe had tasted the blood of countless people. Had the spirits not been there, he would have run. He wiped a sheet of sweat off his forehead as he saw the girl taking the remaining pieces of the Soul Edge out of the mess of clay and rock that at one time composed the giant.
Once more, he found himself surprised when he saw the pieces melt and become absorbed into the sword girl carried. He wasn't sure why, but he felt apprehensive at what the girl was doing. When she reached for the last shard, a foot stepped on the piece of metal and he heard Ivy click her tongue. "Such a selfish little girl you are."
Cassandra turned up to face Ivy with a sneer. "Don't you know about the Scavanger's Law? Anything's fair game as far as the dead are concerned."
With a flip of her foot, Ivy kicked the piece upward and into her hand. "True, but you did slay that thing. It was due in part to the young man here." She indicated Bangoo with a nod. "So, by all rights, it belongs to him."
Cassandra was about to argue the point when Ivy stepped past her and placed the shard in his hand. They all winced as they heard the shard whine on a level only they could hear. Their attention turned to Bangoo's dagger as it glowed an ethereal blue in reaction to the Soul Edge shard.
"Does it do that often?" Cassandra asked, getting to her feet.
"Only to Soul Edge shards." Ivy answered. "It seems like a blade meant to be an antithesis to it."
Though Cassandra felt slightly agitated as seeing another shard leave her grasp as the young man placed the piece into a bag with some bones, she remained in control of herself as she continued, "You want to destroy it?"
Ivy crossed her arms and nodded, choosing her words carefully. "Both he and I have our respective reasons for seeing it gone. And what of you, child?"
Cassandra frowned. "I am over twenty summers old, I'm hardly a child."
"So you say, but you never answered my question." Ivy remained still as Bangoo watched the proceedings with confusion, not understanding Greek.
"I search for knowledge... and the knowledge I seek comes from the Soul Edge."
Ivy cocked an eyebrow. "A most interesting response. And yet, you're not driven by its insatiable hunger for blood?"
Cassandra smirked. "Quite the opposite, I've broken it to my will and now it serves me. It no longer hungers for the souls of men, if it means anything."
Ivy was caught by surprise. She knew that if one's will was strong enough, one could resist and wield the weapon without falling to its bloodlust, but to dominate it the way the girl had implied was too far fetched. "That sounds too good to be true."
Cassandra nodded. "That it does. However, the fact remains that I am in control of what once was Soul Edge's abilities and I won't be satisfied until my Bellicus has swallowed the Soul Edge whole."
The same gears that twirled in her head when she had enlisted Bangoo whirled once more at the thought of using Cassandra's ability. Better yet, she'd have a close container of the sword when she and the boy were ready to dispose of it for good.
"Then... if we both have relatively similar objectives, then why not pool our resources for mutual benefit? The boy here wants his people safe, you want the Soul Edge's memory, I want it gone. It all works hand in hand."
Not expecting Ivy to make a bargain, Cassandra cocked an eyebrow of her own and considered her options. She had a feeling there was something about Ivy she couldn't trust, however, if she had insight to locations of the other shards, then perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as she initially expected.
"Very well... I'm Cassandra Alexandra, from Greece."
Ivy nodded back. "Isabella Valentine. The young shaman here is Bangoo of the Four Winds." She was about to turn when she mused audibly in English for him to understand. "Quite an alliance we have here. A shaman of the New World, a heretic from Greece, and a warlock from the British Empire."
Blinking, Bangoo asked. "She's going to help us?"
Ivy nodded and continued, "Our objectives are similar enough to make use of her ability. I think it'll a worthwhile risk."
Looking back at the Greecian, he looked back to Ivy, not exactly sure what to say. He never got the chance as a shadow leaped from the balcony above them, screaming. One of the assassins was still alive and not willing to accept defeat.
Though Cassandra and Bangoo were caught off guard, Ivy stood still and smirked, knowing what was to happen next. From behind Ivy, another shadow leaped upward and intercepted the assassin. By the looks of it, a young woman had latched her jaws onto the killer's neck and before the assassin could scream, they heard his neck snap under her grip.
When the body hit the ground, the young woman, still holding the dead body's neck in her mouth, turned to Ivy and gave her a blood-soaked and hideous smile. She was hunched over like an animal, with a look in her eye that was nothing sane.
With a gasp, Bangoo stepped backward, knowing who this was, "Belicia?"
Letting go of the body, Belicia nodded and licked her face cleanwith a tongue that was easily three times as long as a normal person's. "Yessss... madam is mosssst generousssss..."
Clapping her hands, ignoring the shocked looks of Cassandra and Bangoo, Ivy said, "Well done, my dear. And Winchester?"
Belicia chuckled darkly as she reached down to take the corpse elsewhere. "He wasss mosssst delicioussss..."
With a feared look in his eyes to Cassandra, he silently echoed the same statement she wished to say. What had they gotten themselves into?
End of Chapter 9
