Who are you?" Velvet's eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, the torches inside having been extinguished. The mystery man didn't make a movement, his pupils scanning the steel that narrowed on his throat. Eventually, he pulled his vision up to peer into the endless pools that stared through him, neither of them blinking as they urged the other to make a move. Velvet could almost see her reflection in his oceanic orbs, until the surrounding torches burst with life, as Seres finally entered. As light flushed into the cracks of the store room, it became apparent that Velvet had already grabbed what she could. Resting upon her arm, was a familiar vambrace from all those years ago, that same wristblade unsheathed from its mechanism. In addition, steel boots were adorning her feet with a protective armour plate over her right shin, a similar style to the gauntlet on her right arm - suggesting indifferent capabilities. Unfortunately, a dilapidated prison such as this wouldn't have much in terms of clothing; seeing as it was all exorcist armour.
Abandoning the matted remnants of her village tunic, she chose a rather revealing ruby-red corset, partly shredded into exposing her midriff. Most likely once worn by a noble female that had been converted into a daemon, judging from a visible insignia hanging below a belt worn over her still torn black jean trousers, appearing now as shorts while the remains squished against her trained legs. Despite now being a monster, it seemed the girl valued who she was before; multiple accessories and chains trailing around her right and left leg. Over her corset, she wore a jacket in the form of a robe with red-velvet lacing, the jacket tattered towards the bottom and tightened just over her chest; torn material splitting out over her shoulders and revealing her collarbone. The vambrace was mounted over the only sleeve of the jacket, arching its way up and wrapping around the woman's middle finger with a rhombus-shaped piercing. Where the other sleeves supposedly should have been was ripped off, only her left arm decorated in bandages remained. It gave off an uneasy feeling in Sarid.
Lastly, the strange woman had extremely long and dark hair that dropped to floor level; where the bottom is plaited in big braids that are tied off by a bandage-like band. Her hair-strands curve towards the left-side of her face, and she has mid-length hair which is plaited and tied by a smaller bandage-band resting on her left shoulder. In summary, she was rather beautiful, in an uncanny and overall ridiculous sense of style.
Sarid, caught up in his analysis, very quickly became forgetful of the blade inches from ending his life. "See something you like?" The daemon hissed, taking an aggressive step forward that almost punctured his throat.
"Sorry about that. I was just wondering about the... 'unique' clothing you wore," Sarid simply said with a light-hearted scratch of the back of his head, earning another quiet growl from the woman. In truth, the man was quite overwhelmed. For a good chunk of his life, he had not interacted with a human - then was thrown into a lonely cell for another two years - and now has an unusual female prisoner threatening his life.
"Calm yourself. This is someone I needed to search for," the red-haired malak explained as she stepped around altercation. However, the daemon didn't take too kindly to being kept in the dark, as she jutted the blade forward; scraping his skin and forcing him to step back. A look of indecision flashed over her face, before she caught the friendliness that hovered behind the blue. The woman let out a hefty sigh of irritation.
"Get in my way, you die," she darkly warned, before the wristblade slipped away with a click. "...and arm yourself. I don't want extra baggage dragging me down."
Finally free from the raging ravenette who still eyed him suspiciously, Sarid took a good look at the surrounding equipment - immediately surmising why her outfit had appeared so bizarre. Locked in on walls and hangars, were various exorcist equipment - all belonging to men. There were also a collection of chests and boxes stuffed in the corners of the dusty chamber, with one specific chest catching his eye. But first, he needed to change; the biting cold irritating his shirtless skin. "I know we are low on time, but could you step outside for a moment?" Sarid peculiarly requested. Before receiving a response, he felt their gazes burrow into something of interest on his back, until they processed his request.
Velvet and Seres looked to him incredulously. "You're kidding," the ravenette seriously inquired. "No. Either you hurry up now, or we leave you behind."
The man inwardly sighed at this, and began his search for equipment.
A few minutes later, Sarid was finished. Not taking the liberty of time to adorn his armour in various accessories, he wore a simple ebony grey shirt with tightened sleeves, and onyx trousers with two bands of stark white bandages around his left thigh to hold a small pack; where his two favoured blades lay. It seemed that most prized possessions and effects belonging to prisoners were found in the bronze-lined chest that caught his eye earlier. He managed to locate some wearable boots - wrapping more bandages around his ankles - and a thick forest green vest with extra neck and shoulder bound material that had been outfitted with durable and lightweight fibres for ease of movement.
"Finished?" Velvet demanded, impatiently tapping her finger on her crossed arms. Sarid didn't answer, as he unwrapped the stuck bandages that coiled around his forehead for so long; placing an unornamented onyx headband around it instead.
"Let's go."
"What's going on in here?!" A new voice commanded. Turning to see the newcomer, an exorcist appeared in the doorway - bearing a longsword and shield.
Entering their battle stances, Velvet's eyes trailed over to the mystery man. "Let him fight. I want to see what he can do," she ordered, the flames gradually dying out in the malak's hands as she glanced with minor confusion.
"Now's not the time for th--" Seres was interrupted however, when Sarid sprang at the Exorcist Orderly with suprising speed. Strangely, he did not draw his weapons.
The exorcist quietly gasped as his blade carved through the air towards the prisoner, who looked on with indifference. Ducking slightly, Sarid's hair was trimmed as the edge glanced over his bristling strands, and he plowed the enemy's stomach with a fierce jab - before whacking the exorcist's head with a quick elbow. Shaking off the initial assault, the opponent dragged his sword back for another attempt; aiming even lower. Despite this, Sarid still dodged under the wave, legs bending with a decent show of above-average flexibility, and lashed a kick out into the man's already pained stomach - putting him in an immediate hunch.
The other associates stood off to the side as they viewed the duel. "He's good for an inmate, but why doesn't he use his daggers?" Seres mused, as she analysed his ability. 'Truly suprising. I didn't think a man like this would be such a fighter.' On the other hand, the daemon woman was becoming mildly irritated at his lack of lethality.
He sent an upwards kick into the exposed exorcist's jaw - staggering him severely. With the end approaching, Sarid leapt over the stunned opponent - grasping his robe as he did so - and pulled him into the rubble with a crash. Raising an open palm, air and mystical green energy circled around it, until he slammed the wind arte down into the dazed exorcist with a burst of force.
"Not bad, that was no normal exorcist" the female malak compliemented as she neared, "That was an Orderly, a bit more of a handful compared to your typical opponent."
Velvet however, was a bit more critical. "I'd suggest using your blades next time. If you're apprehensive in ending their lives, you have no use to me." Yet, when she approached, Sarid suddenly felt a scratching urge well up in his throat, and entered a coughing fit that left him sweating. Seres jumped over in suprise to check him over, while the hidden daemon scowled impatiently.
"Are you alright?!"
"What is it?"
Although, the man simply wiped his lips and settled his expression once again. "I'm fine. This place just doesn't work well with me," he reasoned with a wry grin.
Velvet just huffed with a swipe of her hand, and began to saunter towards the doorway - the pair following behind. "Is there a ship waiting?" she mysteriously asked. Sarid knew exactly why she was asking this.
"So, you already know we're on an island," Seres answered, clearly impressed with Velvet's intellect.
"Yes. I've learned that this is a prison island for violent criminals, and that there are scores of daemons locked away here," she stated. "Daemon's say a lot of things when they don't want you to eat them," Velvet darkly said, clenching her bandaged hand into a fist.
A shuffle of footsteps halted behind them, and a sudden hitch of breath caught their attention.
"Seems I guessed right..." Velvet and Seres turned to face the man, as he stood still. "You're a daemon." Sarid was faceless, hand resting on the pouch that sat on his leg.
The daemon woman sighed in exasperation and placed a hand on her hip, "So what if I am? Not like I had a choice." The white-haired man looked up in mild suprise.
"Choice? How long have you been a daemon for?" Sarid questioned seriously.
Velvet didn't answer, and backed off to lean on a nearby wall, watching in silence. The man raised an eyebrow, but before he could push any further, the malak stepped towards him. "She has been here for three years, and has been a daemon only for that time."
"...And her instincts?"
"I am in complete control of myself," Velvet interjected with a fierce glare.
Sarid took up his uncharacteristic look, and challenged her ferocity. "Keep it that way, and we will have no problems." After another moment of staring, the daemon's eyes settled. "Sorry about that, just not the most comfortable with a daemon watching my back. Let's continue with the plan." The ravenette rolled her eyes as he snidly spoke.
Seres just sighed at having to deal with such different individuals. Nevertheless, at least one was polite. "...The prison has docks at both the front and rear entrances. Our ship is on the back side."
"Got it. The back docks," Velvet confirmed, and pushed herself off her position. The group quickly took off through the dead hallways in the direction of their escape. Being quiet didn't appear to be an option anymore, as the daemon's steel boots ground against the stone floor noisily while her chains clinked against her garments; upsetting some residents laying in their cells. Sarid kept an eye on the chattering bars that kept them from being ambushed, but Velvet kept on running, never looking back.
"Well then, I know your friend here, but not you. Do you mind telling me your name, since we're teaming up for the time-being?" She heard him say at her side as they ran. Truthfully, his friendliness was getting on her nerves.
So, she glanced at him momentarily with quite sharp side-eye.
"...Velvet." The daemon saw his expression lighten slightly, an apparent relief escaping his sigh.
"That's better than nothing, I guess. The name's Sarid... Barloc." The final assertion of his name was low, almost melancholic with its bite. The daemon made no reaction.
Slipping through a closely parted doorway, Velvet noticed a strange rattle as her foot collided with something on the ground. Halting in a second, she swiftly grasped the peculiar item and peered into it. "What is this thing?"
"Seems to be an orb of energy..."
"That's a special mass of mana..." Seres explained, stepping around the other woman, "Think of them as the souls belonging to a family of malakhim. They appeared all over after the Advent three years ago."
Velvet placed her a finger on her chin in thought, "Another after-effect of the Advent..." she wondered in disgust.
Sarid interrupted their thoughts, "What is a malak's soul doing down here? Did it pass here?" he questioned - looking deep into the revolving energy.
"Nobody knows why they appear in these places. It could be possible, but we would have known." Seres looked to Velvet, as the daemon held the orb quite tightly; "If you collect enough of them, you might be able to solicit the cooperation of a malak family," the woman interpreted hopefully.
"And I'm supposed to take your word for it?" Velvet harshly inquired, still untrusting of the malak belonging to a murderer.
"I'm not forcing you to do anything. Whether you collect them or not is up to you."
Lifting the mysterious orb up to eye-level, Velvet unfeelingly stated her intention. "I might as well pick them up. I'll use every tool at my disposal." Tension building in her arm, the orb suddenly shattered in her palm, the strange currents seeping into her left arm. "Their lost souls will give me the energy I need." Sarid's brows furrowed at what she had done.
Seres allowed her actions to go by without objection, "Indeed. You'll have to make use of everything if you want your revenge." Velvet huffed and tightened her fists in anger, before quickening her pace again through the prison. Sarid eyed her carefully, the mention of revenge echoing through his mind.
"Fascinating person, isn't she?" The malakhim said at his side. He stayed quiet, specifically staring right at the bandages that veiled her arm. As he did so, he could almost feel the dread clawing it's way up his back - like watching a blade fall towards you with no way to stop it.
He answered after a long few seconds; "She's dangerous."
"Exactly."
The pair carried on in deathly silence, gradually catching up to the unbound beast that stormed ahead. Continuing their way through the barren keep, up multiple stairways and down a collection of corridors; the trio found their way into an open space - and voices were heard making their way towards them. "Guards incoming." The female malak warned.
As she spoke, the male had a finger marked upon the ground; eyes closed in concentration. "Two of them, a third not far." Diving off to a hiding place, Velvet and Seres didn't even notice how Sarid had vanished like the wind.
Entering the chamber, the two exorcists were conversing about some gossip around the island. "Did you hear? The path around the island is off-limits now. They say the ground's weak and could collapse."
"The path that goes under the watchtower? That's all right, nobody uses it anyway."
"True. But, it was a nice shortcut to the docks..." This was valuable information to the group about their escape. 'Shortcut to the docks... Under the watchtower...' Velvet went over to herself, focusing on the main exit to this prison. Abruptly, another exorcist sprinted in, alarming the two guards that patrolled the area.
"A number of guards have gone missing. It would seem we have intruders on the island. All exorcists, break into two groups and converge at the front and rear gates."
"Understood. No one will get past us."
"Stay sharp. The threat could be serious."
"Yes sir!"
After the chorus of orders, the exorcists dashed off to their newly appointed posts after hearing about the disruption. As they left, Velvet and Seres revealed themselves from the doorway where they had eavesdropped. "This isn't going to be easy," the malak said, concerned at their odds. Suddenly, Sarid dropped from above, landing next to them without a sound.
"Was that necessary?" Velvet prodded, an eyebrow raising at his dramatic appearance.
"Do you think three people can fit around a doorway?" the man bluntly commented, at which she blew off with a grunt.
Seres shook her head in exasperation, attempting to focus on the goal at hand. "Following what that exorcist said; this isn't going to be easy."
"Then we'll need reinforcements of our own. Where are the cells?" The daemon questioned, a plan already in mind.
"I think we bit off more than we can chew," the half-malak stated, rubbing the back off his head as he watched. A stampede of daemons and other various prisoners bolted past them, charging through splintered doorways and ghostly halls. All with one target in mind: freedom. "They're going to die doing this." No matter how strong a daemon they could of been, they would inevitably fall under the might of the exorcists. Compared to them, the trio was quite a unique set of abnormalities anyway.
"As I said, I'll use any tool at my disposal." Velvet dismissed his concerns and dashed off to search for the watchtower; Seres in tow. Sarid had a group of worries in the back of his head steadily growing. Was it truly right to let this woman free? Nevertheless, he had no choice, this was his only chance at escape.
Velvet raced through the maze-like chambers, ignoring the growing sounds of battle that echoed through the iron hedges. Soon enough, she delved into her thoughts as her body went on auto-pilot. 'So, Seres is obviously a malakhim; specifically Artorias' malak. That explains her power, but... Who is Sarid? He's no daemon, that's for sure. He's too human, but could a human hold that much power while not being an exorcist? He could be a malakhim, but why would they lock up one of their own? He doesn't make sense, and something's up with him.'
"Dear me, not a word of apology?!"
Velvet stopped suddenly, glancing around in high alert. Until, she whirled on the spot, her blade slicing clean air as the stranger danced under it. The newcomer was dressed even more strangely than the woman that opposed her, decorated in eclectic colours of blue, pink and lavender, the outfit resembling that of a court-jester. She had mischievous blue-green eyes, and abnormal pointy ears. A very large three-pointed hat covered her long, platinum-blonde hair - light skin being fairly exposed in various places - and her skirt consisted of large, locked books with an unknown purpose. "Hmph! What is WRONG with you people? There I was, sleeping like a sweet babe, when suddenly..." the stranger paraded around as she spoke, like she was on stage. "From paradise down to hell! No, worse! A grimy prison cell! You can see why I'm not feeling well." Seres and Velvet watched in sheer bafflement.
Before the newcomer could react however, a knife skirted her throat and pressed against it. "You aren't the only one who can do that." Sarid had appeared behind her as she spoke, careful to stay silent against this outlier.
"Oh, there you are! I did think this little circus had a third member," she joked, uncaring of the kunai that was held up to her neck. The man's eyebrows creased as he found her actions confusing.
"And you are?" Seres asked, mildly irate.
The stranger waved around in glee, waving dramatically as she introduced herself. "Hooray, you asked! I'm thrilled to introduce to you the wise sorceress who travels the eleven seas, who scoffs at the might of dragons...!" As she wriggled awkwardly in his grasp, Sarid eventually gave up in playing her game, letting out a great sigh and withdrew the blade and settled next to the others with a similarly exhausted grimace. Now prancing around in joy, she continued her unending introduction. "Took you long enough," she snidefully smirked. "Anyway! It's none other than the acclaimed, the illustrious Mazhigigika Miludin do Din Nolurun Dou! Magilou for short," she exclaimed, posing for the finish.
"Maggie-lou?" Velvet questioned in puzzlement.
"Not another one..."
"How dare you! And no! 'Mah', like 'soggy shoe' or 'doggy doo' or 'call me any of those things and I'll turn you into a froggy-stew!" She aggressively enunciated.
The trio stared.
'Magilou' sighed. "I suppose you'll never understand. Hmph! People can be so tragically unlearned... oh well. Like I care!" she sang, before sauntering off with her hands behind her head.
Velvet, Seres and Sarid watched in complete bewilderment.
'How did she sneak up on me...? Who was she?' Velvet inwardly expressed, 'It doesn't matter. If I see her again, I'll crush her and be done with it.' At that, the group continued on throughout the mysterious dungeon.