A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out. I've been REALLY busy recently. Between starting a new academic year and settling in, I've been juggling time more or less all the time. HOWEVER, this week I vowed to get some new chappies out for some of my work.

So enjoy my lovelies!

D.L.D


~~~~~Path-Rarely-Traveled~~~~~

"Did you sleep well?"

Elizabeth blinks, squinting as she shovels a spoonful of porridge toward her mouth. As if sensing her slowness, the sludge falls back into its bowl, sticking and clumping together in a mushy, oat-ball of stickiness.

It was early morning, before the sun had even risen, and she had not slept a wink the previous night. Every sound, every tiny rustle of the leaves, every little creak and groan of the wind, had kept her stiff and alert. Between her racing thoughts and the lingering paranoia of her ominous nightmare, the night had only offered Elizabeth half an hour's more sleep before the day demanded that she get up and continue her mission.

Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth got up rather sleepy and lame, her eyes crusted with tiredness and her limbs heavy with fatigue. Things were not made much easier by her darkness, the inky tendrils dancing up and down her body as she brushed away her paranoia and forced herself to get ready. Even it, her constantly cool and confident companion, was restless with the latest rise of the sun.

In all, last night had not been pleasant at all. If anything, Elizabeth would rate it as one of her worst possible nights. But she didn't want to appear ungrateful to her hosts - not when they had been so kind and generous toward her - and so with her best goddess-driven flare, she pulled out a silly excuse.

"Oh, I've had much worse," Elizabeth smiles sheepishly, her cheeks flooding with warm blood. Making sure to avoid eye contact, she toys with her bowl of porridge, prodding her spoon into the steaming oat-mush. "Sleepless nights are very common for me."

"Well, Jezebel has dealt with plenty of those," Klaus offers helpfully, smiling as he glances at his currently frowning companion. Unlike Elizabeth, he appeared to be a natural early-riser and lacked the bleary-eyed stare of a sleepless night. "I'm sure she won't mind helping you."

Surprised, Elizabeth peers up from her bowl and stares at Jezebel. The demon in question sits confidently at the table, her dark hair pulled into a tight high ponytail and her dark eyes hard and unreadable. Fierce, assertive and strong - that's what Elizabeth thought when she looked at Jezebel, not unbearable night terrors. Jezebel looked like the sort to fight their own demons, to slay the very beast hiding under their bed, rather than view it night after night.

However at Klaus' prompt, Jezebel narrows her gaze at Elizabeth, glowering. A warning. About what, Elizabeth does not know. She figures it is about last night, but with Jezebel's ill-temper it may be something else entirely. She is too easily annoyed, too easily put into a bad mood. With Jezebel, her foul mood could be caused over something as simple as an ant scuttling across the table while she ate her breakfast.

Drawing her gaze away from the demon, Elizabeth returns to working through her breakfast. Did Jezebel really have nightmares too?

"That's not up for discussion, Klaus," A harsh snap breaks the sleepy pre-morning atmosphere. Another warning - this time to Klaus. It was evident from Jezebel's pout and the tense set of her crossed arms as she stared at Elizabeth. Painted lips press into a tight frown, pinching lined within the smooth skin of her face. "I'd prefer for my business to be kept private."

Letting out an odd, squeaking sound, Elizabeth flushes pink and focuses her attention back to her mundane meal. Yep, Jezebel definitely wasn't the sort to discuss nightmares. Elizabeth was lucky that she even tried to comfort her last night.

"Now, now, don't be so harsh, Jez," Klaus lets out a lighthearted chuckle, a warm smile spreading on his lips. Leaning back in his chair, he adjusts his glasses. "You'll scare the girl away before she's even started."

"Oh, I don't need to do that," Jezebel smirks confidently, her lips quirking a little. Her dark eyes shine brightly, betraying a slight cobalt blue sheen as she chuckles humorously, darkly. "The General will do it just fine."

Cold. Elizabeth's blood runs cold at the sight of Jezebel's wicked grin and the words she spoke. As she pokes and prods at her porridge, the half-goddess' heart stutters in her chest and her lungs tighten. It takes everything she has to tune out the light laughter of Klaus and the continued uttering of Jezebel.

The General; Elizabeth had forgotten about him. In all of the paranoia and haste of yesterday, Elizabeth had entirely pushed the idea of meeting the feared and powerful military leader into the back of her mind. At the time, he wasn't important. Relevant. Just a distant problem that a distant Elizabeth would have to face. Meeting him had never been an immediate thought of hers nor one she thought would come so quickly. But now, after Jezebel mentioning how he'd scare her away, Elizabeth was very much dreading her meeting with the General. She was downright shaking to the bone at the prospect of just seeing him.

"You've heard of the General, haven't you?" Jezebel leans forward in her seat, smug as she takes a small bite of Elizabeth's food. Once again, her dark eyes fix onto Elizabeth, filled with certain glee. "Only those who know of him shake like that."

Shaking? Elizabeth hadn't even noticed that her body had locked itself into panic mode. Usually she never resorted to fight or flight: she knew how to defend and prepare herself. Any adversary she came across could be defeated through enough quick-thinking and skill. Everyone had a weakness.

But the General, the General of the Demon Army, was something else entirely. Unlike most entities of this universe he was someone who could rival the power of the Supreme Deity, or even his superior, the Demon King. Being a progeny of the Demon King himself, the General was someone that Elizabeth would have to tread very carefully around. He was someone she couldn't let her guard down around. Unlike everyone else she has ever met, he is unpredictable and untamed. Even Jezebel, with her sudden flashes of hot temper, would pale in comparison to the General.

Due to the nature of her mission, Elizabeth always knew that she would eventually run into the infamous General. She figured that it would be once she had snaked her way up the ranks, steadily gaining trust and support, that she would finally cross paths with the legendary leader. She thought it would be after meeting the monster she was assigned to kill that she would meet the General. However it seems the meeting had been pushed forward - very forward. He would be the first real demon of high standing she would meet.

"I've heard a few tales about him," Elizabeth lets the words out slowly, carefully, her hand tightening around her spoon. Already, her darkness was climbing up her arm, spreading its searing heat through her limbs. "I know that he is someone I shouldn't take lightly."

"Rightly so," Jezebel sniffs, leaning back in her seat. "He'll definitely make you think twice."

"He's also your best bet to succeeding," Klaus chimes in, calm and collected. Contrasting Jezebel's casualness, he is professional, proper. "If you can impress him and gain his trust more or less everyone will accept you. It will be an easy in, a straight path to victory, but you just have to take it correctly."

Nodding, Elizabeth gulps as she spoons more oatmeal onto her utensil. In the past, she had always known that a great responsibility sat on her shoulders. Most of the time she panicked because of it. Hell, she was panicking now. But, somehow, somewhere deep within her was calm and ready. Prepared.

For majority of her life, she'd been preparing for this moment, training at every possible moment. Days were spent perfecting tactics, moves and motions and rules to perfect and master her combat skills; months were filled with praying in that stupid spring to strengthen her goddess-linked gifts to use against the dark evil of the world; years were dedicated to learning how to act, to behave, around others without disgracing her destiny as a maiden of battle.

All of it, everything, was all done in order to defeat a great evil. It was all done and suffered through and learned in order to make the world orderly once more. Peaceful.

But of course, beneath all the perfect planning, there is always the lingering doubt.

"I'll try my best," Elizabeth settles for an uncertain smile, her mind mostly occupied with the task of boxing away her silly, little insecurities. Those silly insecurities that appeared to just stack up and up and up until they became powerful, wobbling towers. However, luckily for Elizabeth, her darkness was well-versed in the act of distraction.

'Hmmm, you seem to be better today,' It observes, its voice low and thoughtful. It swirls around her wrist, tracing the veins and tickling her soft skin. 'Aren't you curious about that nightmare of yours?'

'No,' Biting her tongue, Elizabeth lies. It's not good to do it, but with her darkness she must. It is her only exception. 'Why would you think so?'

'You're a terrible liar,' Her darkness cackles, traces of it dancing up her spine. As it bounces over the ridges of her spine, it tickles the shell of her ear. 'I know you like the back of our hand and I know that you're curious. You want to know why you saw our severed head, you want to know who gave you box.'

'No, I don't!' Elizabeth insists, her hand tightening around her spoon. Every muscle in her body is tense, coiled, ready to act. A frown sits on her face, her brow creasing. 'I'm worried about my safety! That is all!'

'Then you won't mind if I give you a little clue~' Her darkness teases, entirely amused. Oh, how it loved to toy with her innocent emotions and naive heart. 'Just an itty-bitty tidbit. The person you saw is the one mother dearest wants us to kill. He is- '

"Are you alright, Elizabeth?"

Instantly, her darkness dissipates and Elizabeth is left with a slack hand and smoothed face. Her spoon drops to the floor. The bowl follows. Clattering fills the air, the fading tones of smashed glass punctuating it. Pieces of ceramic glass lay scattered on the floor, cracked and chipped and pierced in random, jagged, angular shapes. Both of her eyes were wide, traces of darkness fading from her irises as Elizabeth blinks and clears her throat.

It left her hanging. Her darkness left her hanging. It had never done that before - left her suffering and waiting with anticipation for an answer. It had done many things, annoyed her, taunted her, tortured her even - but never left her hanging. Waiting. Anticipating. This weapon was entirely new and entirely unexpected, so much so that Elizabeth had no clue in how to react to it. She had no clue on how to regain the upper hand she once held over her darkness.

Awkwardly, Elizabeth peers up from her shattered bowl and stares at the two waiting demons. One is calm and patient, regarding the scene with a mature and prepared eye; the other is bristling with chagrin, their dark eyes flashing as they flex their fingers stiffly. For both, an explanation was clearly mandatory.

"Yes, I am fine," Elizabeth clears her throat once more, her cheeks aflame with hot blood. Carefully, she bends down and begins to pick up the shards of her bowl hidden within her breakfast. As she does, she nicks her finger but shows no flinching pain, part of her role as a maiden of battle was to endure pain. "I was just thinking about something."

"Well, don't think too much," Klaus advised, pushing away from the table. Worriedly, he joins her in picking up the glass, scooping up the shards with ease. His dark eyes meet hers. "We have a long day ahead."

Nodding, Elizabeth stands straight and empties her handful of glass into the bin. As she does, she feels a shiver pass through her spine, a call from her darkness to talk once more. She blocks it out.

'I don't need anymore distractions,' She says to herself, drumming it into her head that she must remain focused. Decided. Meeting the General should be the only thing she thinks of; fulfilling her destiny had to be her number one priority. 'Distractions lead to trouble.'

With that lingering thought in her mind, Elizabeth returned to her room, ready to face the dreaded encounter with the demon race's infamous General.


~~~~~Path-Rarely-Traveled~~~~~

Midday was when the trio had finally made decent headway into their journey, the sun high and bright in the midsummer sky. They had set off with the rising sun, the warm flame of an open sunrise being their signal to begin. Not a single soul had been around, not a single soul had been alert. Not even old Beelzebub himself dared to disturb the early morning hum, instead discretely watching from behind his film of clouds and mist. But that was the perfect setting for them.

Many superstitions lay within empty, soundless roads. Some believe that they are signs of danger, imminent doom, the unnatural silence and empty barrenness of it indicating some sort of foreboding, ominous force. Others firmly believe that rarely traveled paths are good, fortuitous, as they mean a new discovery because they have been unexplored and open their secrets up to the adventurous traveler to see. Learn from.

Raised in a settlement of humans, Elizabeth was always wary of rarely traveled paths and undiscovered trails; born to forever be outcast and forbidden, Klaus and Jezebel relished in the empty and ominous soullessness of unknown paths. Goddesses believed in known safety; demons believed in unknown danger.

"They say a path rarely traveled leads to a great change in history," Klaus grins, taking in the clear blue sky above. A large, full breath of air is taken into his lungs, savoring the warm crispness of the summer breeze. He turns to Elizabeth, refreshed and renewed. "Pretty significant considering your mission."

"You believe that hogwash?" Jezebel snorts, a small smile growing on her end. She spits onto the side of the road, rolling her eyes. "Anyone could have been chosen to do her job, she just got lucky."

Hurt is the first thing Elizabeth feels she should display. Hurt from Jezebel's words, hurt toward her pride, hurt toward her purpose. She should be offended that someone could suggest that she was replaceable. Expendable. As if her whole life's purpose had just been determined by a simple roll of the dice of fate. As if her eighteen years of strenuous training and studying had all been for naught. Her contribution will be for nothing, her individuality will be overlooked and overshadowed.

But then, Elizabeth couldn't feel much hurt towards the subject of her fate. Over the years she had learned just how expendable she truly was. After many close calls when sparring with the Archangels, Elizabeth became aware of just how worthless she was to them. How easily she could be reproduced. Sure, she was one of a kind and unique in her origins and genetic makeup, but she was also just another soldier. Yet another maiden of battle.

With one single sweep of her mother's hand, Elizabeth could be replaced; with one wrong move on the battlefield, Elizabeth could be cut down. There was no true difference, there was no true worth to her being, and Elizabeth had accepted that. She accepted that she was expendable. She was replaceable. Yet another child of a god sent to win a war.

But, even if she was worthless - expendable - Elizabeth would also succeed. She would free herself of the burdens of a maiden of battle and finally live a life that was filled with freedom and adventure and...well living instead of just existing.

"Now, now," Klaus warns, attempting to keep Jezebel in line as he always does. "You know why Elizabeth was chosen."

"Who doesn't?" Jezebel huffs, her features pulling tightly. The firm pull of her lip was not missed, her dark eyes blazing with annoyance. "Back home it was all we were reminded of."

Then, without another word said, the dark-haired demon storms off, her long ponytail flowing luxuriously behind her. In her wake, flowers begin to wilt, their petals darkening and stems bending as they folded within themselves. Grass followed, vibrant green yellowing and then withering into dry and hardened white sticks. Even the great trees stretched above began to bow, their leaves drooping to follow the angered demon as they dropped their precious fruits and nuts.

Elizabeth could only watch in wonder as Jezebel disappeared further down the path, flicking her midnight hair over shoulder. As she did, the hybrid caught a glimpse of the demon's pointed ears, the tip pierced and stoned with a single stud.

Fairy ears.

"Oh Jezebel..." Klaus sighs, shaking his head as he took in the aftermath of her outrage. Much of the surrounding greenery had suffered, wilting and dying in the wake of the enraged demon. In fact, all of the surrounding life had bowed and surrendered, withering and bending to the negative whims of the pessimistic Jezebel.

Frowning, Elizabeth turns to Klaus, raising a brow, "Why does she hate me so much?"

At Elizabeth's words, Klaus' disappointment grows, his own features dropping with worry, fatigue. Even behind the lenses of his spectacles, Elizabeth could regonise the strain within his eyes. The age-old signs of endless fretting sitting on his face. He is the one carefully balancing the scale here, the one tasked with making sure everything ran as smoothly as possible. He was the one responsible if anything went wrong and Elizabeth could imagine her mother's wrath if anything did go extremely wrong.

"It's not you that she hates," Klaus responds cryptically, gently, as he reached up to snap a dry leaf from its branch. Seeing his concern for the nature around them, Elizabeth touched the tree, instantly sprouting fresh, green leaves and snapping the branch back into place. "She just needs time."

'Time?' Elizabeth frowns, her gaze once again following the enraged demon down the path. A trail of withered and decaying plants still followed, all of them dried, browned and wrinkled. Flowers, trees, grass, even a deer had stopped dead in its tracks when faced with Jezebel. It was the deer that stopped the raging demon, made her slow down and backtrack to observe the damage she had caused in her tantrum.

Curiously, Jezebel studied the still deer, its brown eyes blown wide in immense panic. Her eyes scanned over its stiff legs, erect tail and slightly twitching snout, betraying none of her thought or mysterious logic. Then, with a simple, graceful movement, she touched the deer upon its snout, spreading out her hand. Each finger gently rested over the deer's nose and mouth, traced over the short fur covering the creature, and grazed the white spots speckled below its eyes.

"Be calm."

Fluttering closed, Jezebel's eyes cloaked themselves from the world. She then leaned forward, her forehead resting against the panicked deer's, rubbing against its short, soft fur, before breathing in the forest air. Then, she plonked right down on the dried out grass. Simply. Easily. As if the dried blades would not poke her uncomfortably.

It was then the deer moved, blinking suddenly with calm brown eyes. Snuffing, it let out a warm breath of air, blowing strands of Jezebel's hair back. In a graceful, respectful movement, the creature bowed its head and nudged its nose against Jezebel's cheek - paying respect, saying thanks. Then, without a second thought, the deer swiftly stomped a hoof, prancing away into the rapidly regrowing plant life. The rapidly regrowing plant life that had been wilting and dying not more than a minute ago.

Breathless, Elizabeth stood there, disbelieving of what her eyes had just seen, and yet knowing that it had to be true. Real. There was no way that what she had just seen was a fabrication of the mind. There was no way that Jezebel had just spoken to an animal and mended all of the destruction she had caused. No creature she knew of could do that. No demon she knew of could do that. No-one. Not even the most powerful of goddesses.

"You two are more alike than you think," Klaus speaks from behind her, his voice quiet as his eyes followed Jezebel's slowly standing form. "It's because of that likeness that she's so harsh and cold toward you."

Speechless, Elizabeth could only gape and stare as she followed Klaus along the path, her brain fizzing with all the unanswered questions it wanted to solve. Why was Jezebel like her? What made her so angry all the time? But, above all, Elizabeth wondered about Jezebel's power. The origins of such a strange and powerful gift.

Just what power did this demon possess? And why would she need time?


~~~~~Path-Rarely-Traveled~~~~~

True to Klaus' words, travelling to the location where they would meet the General had taken an extremely long time. In the past, Elizabeth had never spent more than two hours travelling through Britannia toward a town or city. The furthest she had ever gone was to a seaside village once, her mother deciding that the small break was something that might do Elizabeth good. Something about fresh sea air and the wonderful healing it did to one's soul. However, Elizabeth had never visited a place like here.

Unlike Elizabeth's home village and the town where the inn was located, this city was full and bursting with noise, life and chaos. London, one of Britannia's biggest cities at the current time, was known for being a rather secure and quickly advancing place. Located by the river and not situated too far from the sea, it was a good place to set up a merchant business or even to go to after learning a trade. Of course, it was a place that drew in a lot of attention - especially due to its large population. But Elizabeth figured that London was chosen because of how easy it was to lose someone in the masses of travelers that gathered there.

Klaus had gone further ahead, stating that he had to find an old contact before meeting back up with them. That left Elizabeth alone with the shut-off Jelamet, the demon seeming to be in a rather grim mood as she surveyed the scene of London's main marketplace. With her long dark hair, dark cobalt eyes and demonic mark curling along her collarbone, she stood out clear as day. She fit in as well as a disco ball in a cave of shadows.

Radiating about the same amount of abnormality, Elizabeth didn't fit in much better. Her silver hair, fair skin and fine clothes speaking of an upbringing that was very different from the struggle and suffering of the more deprived areas of London. If anything, it made her look like the perfect target for any lurking predators. She looked just like a pretty primrose, bright and sweet and just the flower one wanted to pluck up.

Roughly, Jelamet yanked on her cloak's hood, pulling it firmly over her head. As she did, she glanced at Elizabeth, expectantly.

Catching the nonverbal cue, Elizabeth shakily pulled on her own cloak's hood, hiding away her silver hair, and blending into the swarm of people stretched before them. She knows that she must not ask questions. She knows that there is a reason why Jelamet has signaled for her to conceal her face and hair. Yet, being the ever-curious being she was, Elizabeth just had to know why. She had to know why she had to do this.

"Jelamet," Elizabeth's voice is soft, timid, against the heckling cries of barters and merchants. Polite and gracious, it does not belong in the rough and gritty atmosphere of London's marketplace. Too soft and too kind it is to belong in such a big and cold city. "Why are we putting our hoods on?"

For a moment they are silent, walking side by side as all outside noise passed by them. Jelamet was focused, staring ahead into the crowd and scanning for something. Elizabeth was nervous, biting her lip and fidgeting with her hands as she tried to follow Jelamet's keen gaze. Just as she was about to find its focus, its target, Jelamet swiftly stopped walking, pulling Elizabeth to the side and down a gloomy sidealley.

"Even though it's busy here, you need to keep your head down," Jelamet spoke lowly, her gaze still fixed on the hustle and bustle happening in the main marketplace. Firmly, her gloved hands rested on Elizabeth's shoulders, weighed with the severity of her words. "There are people here, both human and demon, who will have you dead just because of what you are."

"W-what I am?" Elizabeth stutters, her eyes darting to the side, begging to see the threat Jelamet had spotted. However, like a stone wall, Jelamet did not budge, drawing Elizabeth's attention right back to her.

"Listen, half-breed," Elizabeth couldn't help but wince at the way Jelamet hissed the word. "The only worth you have is determined by that sullied blood in your veins. If people know that you are of two races, that you can hold the powers of both demons and goddesses, then you are as good as dead." Some space is given, Jelamet letting go of Elizabeth's shoulders. "No-one likes to have an unpredictable weapon. You would do well to know that."

"But I- "

Rain begins to pour, piercing drops of water that pelt down from the heavens like the tears of a miserable god. Dark clouds hovered in the sky, the air still warm and acrid from the summer heat, as the rain grew in amount, growing heavier and heavier until it fell in downright buckets. Soon, if they did not find shelter, the two would be soaked to the bone, drenched entirely with the remains of a summer storm.

However, instead of leaving, Jelamet slowly took down her hood, pulling back her hair and revealing her pointed ears. Once again the single stud, the stoned earring, glistened in the light, capturing Elizabeth's attention as she watched the demon's strange actions.

"Your gift of two sides is your greatest weapon," Jelamet breathed, pointing to her ears. The traces of her own mixed heritage. "Don't ever let anyone make you choose a side. Don't ever let anyone know what you're fully capable of. Otherwise you'll become a slave to your own kind."

All Elizabeth could do was stare at her companion, unable to come up with any words that could equate to her shock. Truly, there was nothing that could. Prickly Jelamet, the demon who appeared to hate her guts, was really someone who was similar to Elizabeth. Like Klaus had said, they were more alike that Elizabeth originally thought. In reality, they were two lost souls traveling down a path that was rarely traveled.

"You can stop staring now..." Jezebel spoke over her shoulder, her dark locks following in a luxurious veil. She then pulled her hood back on, sniffing.

Blushing, Elizabeth quickly averts her gaze and shuts away the overwhelming awe taking over her system. Everything made sense. That was why Jelamet was so cold and harsh - she was a half-breed, just like her. They were alike in genetic solidarity.

"We should leave before Klaus starts worrying about us," Jelamet speaks once more, her voice a little softer than usual as she pulled Elizabeth further down the alley. A slight grin pulls at her lips. "He's quite the worry wart, you know?"

For the first time, most likely, Elizabeth found herself laughing at what Jelamet said. For the first time, most likely, she found true companionship within the prickly demon. And that epiphany, that thought, made her feel somewhat better about her impending meeting with the General. That epiphany made her feel like she would be supported, even if things went horribly south. Well, it did until the thunder struck.

Instantly, Elizabeth's spine straightened, the familiar tendrils of terror creeping into her system. That was thunder - her mother's scared gift and power. When thunder was around, it always unsettled her. When thunder was around, Elizabeth always felt on edge, always felt as if she were treading on an extremely thin tightrope.

As Elizabeth followed Jelamet down the alley, she tried to calm her racing heart, thoughts and nerves. However, all her attempts failed, horribly.

Thunder was always terrifying. Thunder was always bad. Thunder was never a good sign.