Finding the key was their top priority now. It didn't take them long to finally reached the control room. Only one problem, it was locked from the inside. The door was reinforced steel so Velvet's daemon claw wasn't going to break through just like the door that hold the control to the gate. So they went to search for another way in. Luckily they found it. By climbing some vines next to the door. It lead them to the roof of the building. There were more vines on the other side allowing the group to climbed down.
There was a window with few of the iron bars missing. Allowing them easy passage inside. There was nothing much of interest in the room they just entered just, from a single glance. There was a door leading to another room. This probably wasn't the control room, maybe it was the other room. Diana did spot a compass which they really needed. She had been using her location spell ever since they lost the compass.
"This seems to be the place. Let's split up and look for the key." Velvet said.
"We'll search the other room." Eizen nodded leaving with Rokurou.
"Well then, let's begin the search." Diana said as they looked around the desks under all the paper and other things.
Diana didn't have much luck on her side of the room and was about to help Velvet when she shifted her gaze to Number Two. The boy malak was staring at a shelf that held some books. On the top there was something very familiar, a compass. The witch blinked, Diana would have taken it otherwise when they left. She saw the boy taking an interest to it before it fell and hit his head. It looked painful knowing the compass was made of hard metal.
"Ow…"
Velvet found the key just in time to see what happened and went to the boy, picking up the compass on the way, "Don't get so worked up over a little thing like that. It's proof you're alive."
"The… The bump is..." The malak boy asked.
"No. I'm talking about the pain." Velvet replied and she smiled.
"But… But I'm… scared of pain." Number Two said a bit nervous.
"Well, kid, who isn't?" Velvet pointed out.
"Even you?" Number Two asked and Velvet smiled.
"Pain can be defined differently depending on their experience." Diana told the younger malak as she joined them. "It can either be physical like your pain, or emotional. Some of us have suffered and went through emotional pain. Point is, nobody is perfect. All of us can feel pain and we're scare of it. We don't want to feel it but at some point in our lives, we will eventually."
"You're afraid of pain too?" Number Two wondered.
"I am but it worries me when others feel it and there's nothing that I can do about it." Diana confessed. "But I know that pain can become personal strength one day."
"Anyway, boys sure are fascinated by the weirdest things." Velvet pointed out while looking at the compass.
"Fascinated…?"
"True. You like compasses?" Diana asked as she smiled and the malak gave a nod. "I don't see a problem if you can keep this one. Isn't that right, Velvet?"
"Sure. Just make sure you take care of it. We already lost one." The daemon woman agreed as she gave the compass to Number Two.
"I will!" The boy said, sounding happy.
"Hey, do you want me to heal that bump of yours?" Diana asked and Number Two nodded. "Well, hold still. I won't be able to get rid of the pain but it'll go over." The witch used her healing arte where the bump is until it was completely healed. "There you go!"
"Okay..." Number Two said and kept staring at the compass. "After I saw one in a book, I got a little curious about it… And I felt…"
"You felt excited, didn't you?" Velvet asked.
"Yeah… I guess so." Number Two replied.
"Well, that is proof that you ARE alive." Diana pointed out patting his head. "Just like all of us. It shows meaning to your existence."
"Do you know why the needle points north?" the malak asked the two. "Who figured out how to make it work? I thought that if I had one of these, maybe I could go on adventures. It's exciting."
"When you feel that way, you should talk about it. About what you like and dislike. If you're happy or scared. After all, you're alive." Velvet said.
"I'm...Alive."
"And we'll be there to listen to you. So don't be afraid to tell us you're feelings, okay Number Two?" Diana patted his head again.
"Yes." he nodded.
"It's just my opinion, though. Not an order. Got that." Velvet pointed out.
"Now all we need to do is to give you a proper name." Diana said with a smile.
But this whole thing has been a good experience for Number Two. The malak was sounding more alive and his response wasn't so subtle like last time. It was different almost, as he was sounding like a regular kid. Diana couldn't stop feeling happy about the boy and his progress. The door to the other room opened showing Rokurou and Eizen.
"You found it? Now we can get that gate open." Rokurou said, seeing the key in Velvet's hand.
"We needed a compass, too. Nice work." The pirate malak said.
In that moment Number Two's changed appearance. His eyes were filled with so much life and joy as he smiled at the compliment. "Thank you." He thanked the group and they all smiled.
"Then, it's about time we move before the Van Eltia comes in." Diana pointed out.
"Um, Diana…" Number Two said nervously.
"Yes?" Diana answered a little surprised.
"Thank you for saving me back there." Number Two thanked the witch, who smiled gently.
"You're welcome. But next time you'll be careful and stay by our side so you don't get lost." Diana told him, making Eizen smile at her kindness about Number Two. "Alright?" Number Two nodded with a smile of his own.
"Everything's ready. Let's get our gate open!" Rokurou announced.
"Number Two?" The black haired woman called the malak. "Keep that compass safe. We need it, all right?"
"All right." He said and gave a nod deciding to put the compass on the pouch on his back.
"I promise, I won't get mad if you talk." Velvet told him.
"Okay."
Diana unlocked the door of the control room. "Let's go."
The group returned to the room where the locked door to the gate stood. Using the key to unlock the lock and before they opened it, a loud sound caught their attention. It came from outside and it sounded like cannon fire. Eizen and Diana said that was the signal of the Van Eltia that they were passing through the canal. Meaning, they need to open the gate now. Not wasting time, the group passed through the now opened door. Running through a long passage on the outside.
Unfortunately, much to their misfortune there were daemons in the area. Lizardman, Wraith and a few bats. The group didn't have time to be focusing on the creatures. So they attacked with the intent to get them out of their way. Climbing a ladder up, they reached another room. It had another ladder going up. In the corner there stood a lever. That was it. There was no doubt that was the control to open the gate. At least, one of them.
"So, this opens the gate?" Velvet said.
"One side, yes." Eizen answered. "The gate has two giant doors, side-by-side, with matching levers to open each."
"This technology was purposely made for that purpose, you can't open the gate with just one without the other." Diana continued. "That's another reason why Vortigern should have strong security."
"Still, it makes sense." The daemon woman agreed and went over to the lever and pulled it to the opposite side. "All right, let's find the other device."
Climbing the ladder from the room they had to cross another outside corridor. Like the last one, it was filled with daemons. They saw it coming since they were traveling with the reaper. Their luck will be getting worse as they continue to have the pirate malak by their side, however, it had slowly calmed down than when they first came inside the fortress. After climbing another latter down. They were in another room, where the second lever was located. Velvet didn't waste time to pull it the other way. Shortly, they heard a distant noise. The sound of the last gate opened.
"And it's open!" Rokurou said.
"Let's meet up with the Van Eltia back at the docks." Eizen said as they started to go back the way they came until they noticed that the guard from before was standing there. But something was different, he had caught daemonblight.
"I can't let you do that…" The guard said in pain as Number Two was more focused on his compass than the guard. "This is my…This is my…."
His body changed transforming into a daemon. He resembles the wallman daemons, but he looks different in appearance. The creature was bigger and stronger, color light purple with a silver with gold marking and on the arms, with red eyes.
"This is my fortreeeeesss!" the daemon cried in anger.
The Guardian daemon charged straight at Number Two. The boy gasped before he was grabbed out of the way by Diana along with Velvet. The large daemon turned to the group as they have already drawn their weapons, ready for the coming battle.
"Grr! Daemonblight again!" Velvet said irritated.
"Ha! I'd call this an improvement!" Eizen said sounding quite relieved.
"An improvement from your reaper's curse? Doesn't look like to me." Rokurou said.
"I have to agree on that." Diana said annoyed.
Velvet and Rokurou charged the Guardian attacking with normal attacks forming combos. While Eizen, Diana and Number Two started casting malak artes. So far, the wall daemon wasn't getting hurt because it was blocking all of their attacks. Diana quickly realized the Guardian had more defense than a regular wall man and dashed into the battle, dodging effortlessly its 'hands' before throwing a strong wind arte that knocked the back to the ground which stun him. Diana quickly got back to Number Two as they got back to using malak artes as the rest started to face it head on.
The wall daemon kept blocking their quick attacks. Combos weren't working. Until the group pulled off the ace in the hole. The combination of martial, arcane, break soul and break artes on the creature.
"Now, Number Two!" Diana exclaimed and the younger malak nodded. "Air Pressure!"
"Geostigma!" Number Two chanted. The two artes appeared at the same time which trapped the Guardian.
The combination of all the artes have completely stunned the Guardian. It was really hurt, now it was their chance to go all out with their combos.
The three charged doing quick attack using martial and arcane artes. The wall daemon was getting beaten badly before it recovered and growled in anger. They performed a back step to get away from the creature. It was pushed to corner so it had no choice but to switched strategy, from defensive to offensive. It attack the group with its strong arms and even used the wall behind to cause great damage. Luckily the Guardian's movements were slow and sluggish so they didn't had trouble dodging them. Diana and Number Two started casting again.
One growl from the wall daemon alarmed everyone. It changed opponent from the three that were attacking it, to the ones that were casting artes from afar. Eizen gasped, it was heading directly to the two malakhims. He ran after the daemon, followed by Velvet. It seems she didn't wanted to see the boy malak to get hurt. Her eyes narrowed that thing was going to pay dearly. Diana attacked firing a lot of artes but they didn't do enough damage on the Guardian to stagger it.
She tried protecting him but Number Two pushed her aside and he got hurt by the arms of the wall daemon. He was sent to the ground as the compass fell from his pouch. Both the earth malak and the daemon woman charged at the creature with fury in their eyes. They combined their attacks to cause more damage on the daemon. Diana had immediately rushed to the boy malak's side casting a healing arte. Rokurou followed the two in attacking the wall daemon. Eizen was the last using his fist to hit the had skin of the creature.
"I think it's time to finish it!" Velvet glared at the daemon feeling the power inside her flowing all over. She sent the Guardian flying slashing at it with her gauntlet blade, then she followed the last attack with her daemon claw. "Lethal Pain!"
That was it as the wall daemon fell to the ground, downed from Velvet's mystic arte. The group sheathed back their weapons as they walked passed the creature. They took a look from the edge of the corridor. They had a perfect view of the docks but it wasn't a pleasant. There were groups of lizardman and bats all over the place below. Diana's eyes narrowed, looks like there are more daemons in the sea fortress than the two thought.
"The docks are swarming with daemons. The Van Eltia will be overrun." Rokurou said.
"It's the Van Eltia!" Diana shouted from the other side spotting the pirate ship.
"Rats. We don't have long." Rokurou said.
"Eizen, can you signal for them to go through without stopping?" Velvet asked, unknowing that the two pirate malakhim had already planned everything ahead of time.
"That'll keep them safe. But what about us?" Rokurou gasped.
"We'll jump onto it as it goes past." Velvet replied.
"Huh?!" the daemon swordsman stood shocked.
"Is there another option? Eizen, give some kind of sign-"
"There's no need. The Van Eltia will sail through." the pirate malak replied as he cut her off.
"Without an order?" the black haired woman asked worried.
"It was part of our plan. Welcome to the Aifread way." Eizen replied with a grin.
"Considering Eizen has his curse, we had to think of different strategies depending on the outcome and this became the outcome." Diana explained easier without mentioning that her blessing could overpower Eizen's curse after touching his coin.
"It's coming at full speed!" Rokurou said as the Van Eltia arrives.
"Let's get a move on then." the black haired woman replied walking to the other side with the other three behind her as Number Two was standing in one spot looking around for something.
"Will this really work?" Rokurou asked.
"Do you want the reaper's reassurance?" the blond malak asked grinning while Rokurou flinched at the mention. "Let's go, Diana."
"W-Wait-!" Diana tried to say before Eizen grabbed her waist and jumped off together with Rokurou. "Eizen!"
Diana kept her eyes closed when they heard another cannon firing and buried her head into Eizen, who chuckled at the sight as he grabbed one of the hanging ropes on the ship to land safely on the deck.
"You know. You can open your eyes now." Eizen said and the witch malak quickly opened her eyes before letting go embarrassed.
"Warn me next time you decide to grab me and jump!" Diana yelled annoyed.
"You wouldn't have done it either way." Eizen pointed out. "I saw that look on your face back there."
"Why you-!" Diana growled with a slight blush.
"Yes! Naaailed it!" Magilou cheered jumping up and down on the ship. "ahahahaha, you're lucky Magilou's around! Hahah!"
"You both are okay!" Benwick exclaimed in relief to his fellow comrades.
"Did you doubt us, Benwick?" Diana asked, finally calming down from her little outburst and said person shaked his head. "Now for the other two who just jumped." Diana summoned her book again as the clock on it started to spin before stopping. "Aries."
A ram appeared at Diana's side and then it jumped around a spot, making a cloud just in time when Velvet and Number Two came sliding off the sails and onto the cloud. Somehow it acted like a pillow as the ram disappeared back into the book and the two stood up as the cloud dissolved just as they passed the gate and now far away from the gate.
"Thanks for the helping." Velvet thanked the female malak, who smiled and held up a peace sign.
"Nicely done!" Congratulated Benwick with a thumbs up.
"You're not going to thank your savior for her crafty cannonballing?" Magilou asked sweat dropped.
"Are you nuts? I told you to stay away from the cannons, not bang on them!" Benwick yelled.
"But it was fun! And everything worked out, right?" the human witch replied and put her arms behind her head.
"I already know she's going to be trouble if she decides to stay." Diana pointed out with a slight facepalm to the head.
"Just ignore her." Rokurou told her.
"I'm sorry." Number Two apologized to Velvet, who sighed. The black haired woman got on one knee facing the boy.
"If it's that important to you, keep it safe. You wouldn't want to lose it again." Velvet told him before standing up.
"Give it. I need to set a course." Eizen said.
But the malak refused to give him the compass. It felt like it was his important treasure that he couldn't hand over to anyone. The pirate only smiled at his stubborn attitude and Diana just laughed at the scene, an Aifread pirate in the making.
"Fine. You read it for me, then." Eizen gave up.
"Yeah!" He replied and was more than happy giving a nod.
"But listen, kid. Give me a false reading, and you're shark bait." Eizen threatened with a smirk.
"He's only teasing. But still, do your best." Diana told him and smiled at the malak.
"Better work hard." Velvet pointed out and smiled at the boy who got scared by the pirate malak's comment. Number Two then turned to the black haired woman with a confused look.
"um...What's Laphicet?" The malak boy asked and somehow, this shocked Velvet slightly.
"It's a name." The daemon woman replied quickly. "...your name."
"My...My name? Laphicet." The malak repeated and liked his new name.
"It's a fine name." the daemon swordsman said.
"Well, it's no Magilou." the witch said.
"I think it fits you very well." Diana commented with a smile.
"We're through the channel. Give us a course, Laphicet!" Eizen said crossing his arms.
"Aye-aye sir! We're headed straight for Loegres!" The now named malak said and pointed forward.
The crew immediately went to work to prepare the ship for the docks up ahead. Soon enough, night came and everyone went to bed to rest till morning except those that had the night shift on the deck. Eizen was just checking on the crew before going to sleep himself but just as he was about to get to the sleeping quarters, the first mate saw that the captain's quarters was dimly lit inside and he decided to check it out.
Inside, Diana was sitting in one of the couches and looking out the window at the moon. The table was having lit candles together with her spellbook and a couple of other books and charts on it while Diana herself was having her legs up to her chest and was only wearing her dress, her white hair seemed to glitter in the moonlight.
"Diana?" Eizen called out, getting the malak girl's attention.
"Hi, Eizen." Diana greeted with a small smile.
"How come you're still up?" Eizen asked as he joined her on the couch. "We'll be arriving early tomorrow."
"I couldn't sleep." Diana replied nervously. "After knowing we'll be going to Logress. I'm worried that my old master is going to be there."
"He won't be able to do anything to you, he's powerless against you." Eizen told her as the witch shifted to sit normally next to the first mate. However, they didn't know that Velvet was listening to their conversation and was hiding behind the door to the sleeping areas.
"I'm not worried over his strength as an exorcist or his malakhim. I'm worried over what would happen if I see him again." Diana clenched her fists into her skirt as she started to tremble. "He didn't just treat me as a tool but also his servant and pridest possession."
Eizen quickly embraced Diana, knowing exactly what she's been through as Diana started to cry in his arms at the horrible memories and experiences she tried to forget. Her master didn't even acknowledge of how powerful she really was or that she was a living being. Eizen could never forget her master's reaction when he said she wasn't a tool.
"Diana, I promise that won't let another abuse you again!" Eizen growled in anger. "If I ever see that exorcist again, he'll deeply regret everything he has ever done to you!"
Velvet then left the two alone, knowing that she was right all along. Not all exorcists are noble and true to the populace.