Snake-like tunnels wound about the mountainous underground, and the repetitive assault of daemon a plenty brought a sour atmosphere that weighed heavily upon the group's shoulders. As they all continued their seemingly unending trek forward, a particular daemon's heart panged with more adrenaline than she would have liked. Number Two had almost gotten killed during their dangerous venture, all because she mindlessly told him to keep his mouth shut, only just saved by the pirate brute Eizen. Due to this, her muscles were more tensed than normal, and she couldn't keep her careful gaze from whisking about meticulous corners and outcrops with acute awareness; despite such a roll being dedicated to their group's half-malak scouter.
As always, the malak child trodded his way meekly through the towering blades and serious adults, but he never strayed too far from the ferocious woman's devastating wake. Her blades carved the way for him to follow, strength blowing through their obstacles without mercy. The boy couldn't help his amazement bloom under the soulless green that made up his innocent sight - his will having been siezed by the ones he served. And so, he hung as close to her winding cloak as his tiny feet could carry him, just out of reach from her shrewd glare. Although the group would never catch her seemingly selfish temper being off, someone could easily catch the embers of humanity guiding her protective hand.
It only made his upfront indecision become more crude and painful.
After another brief battle with the residents of the complex cavern, leaving corpses crushed and seperated, the kindred breeze of fresh air flowed through an approaching opening; where the flora seemed greener and pleasant. Few breathed a sigh of relief as they appeared ever closer to their goal. However, Rokurou no longer could ignore the conversation they just had with a peculiar travelling merchant that somehow managed to reach the depths of the burrows alone. Bursting out with a laughter, he turned to face the frowning woman who stalked forward at his side. "You sure know how to drive a hard bargain, Velvet!" he assessed with a humorous smile.
She turned with a blank stare, "What else was I supposed to do?" she complained with a shrug of her shoulders. "Would you rather I devoured him and swiped all of his stuff?" the daemon grimly suggested with a roll of her eyes. Rokurou's smile died with a flick of a switch, and he passed an incredulous glance over at the brash woman
"You're more frightening than the reaper," Rokurou admitted lowly, taken aback by the strange companion he had indebted himself to.
"You're only figuring this out now? At least you weren't the target of her anger since we've met," their scouter added with sweatdrop, eyes diving away from the sudden turn he caught in his direction.
The woman hummed scornfully, "I don't exactly have much patience for humans," she snidely responded with a flick of her hand.
For once, the patter of steps behind them grew in pace, and an innocent face parted the tension with his curious look - mildly disturbing from the lack of self present - and decided to add to the discussion. "Still, that Turlez was an interesting guy..." he childishly mused with a mildly confused expression. The very nature of the merchant was ambiguous despite the group's diverse experience.
"It's a big world, kid. Lots of strange folk out there," the samurai cheerfully mentioned, joyful about parting words to the younger minds.
"So I'm discovering," the boy wryly confirmed with a tone of naive astonishment.
The pirate chuckled to himself, and raised his arms to the side. "He probably took one look at us and thought the very same thing," Eizen dryly joked, self aware of their group's unique appearances.
Sarid hopped over with a sly twitch in his lips, "Speak for yourself, I'm the only perfectly normal one in this group," he proudly asserted with a lazy salute. Turning to the young child, he patted him on the head with a welcoming look. "You don't have to worry, kid. You can come to me if you ever need something," he stated with an honest tone, but still fully aware of the deprecating joke he was enforcing upon his companions. Before the boy could respond with a nod he'd been mustering - fascinated by the prospect of a half-human half-malak phenomenon - a firm voice interjected from the side.
"Don't kid yourself," Velvet scoffed with an annoyed tch, grasping the man's shoulder with her right hand and pulling him away from the perplexed malak. "Out of everyone here, you're still the strangest one." The daemoness accented her point with a stern cross of her arms in front of the boy.
As Sarid scratched his head in dismay, Rokurou rubbed his chin and hummed as he scanned the crew they had amassed. "Two daemons, a malak, a half-malak, and a reaper... we've got it all," he professed in prideful acknowledgement.
"Ain't that the truth?" Velvet added with a downcast frown, facing away from the line of allies.
"Hey, Eizen," the samurai quickly began as they started to wander off again. "What are turtlez, anyway?" he questioned as the anomaly that was the merchant popped up again.
The pirate stopped in thought for a second, "Some sort of... turtle men."
Rokurou stared at him blankly, while Sarid almost slapped his forehead in stupefication. "Really? I never thought of that," he sarcastically goaded.
The samurai stifled a laugh at the man's response, and cast his gaze back over to the unamused malak. "Yeah I get that, but what are they?"
"They are what they are. All you need to know is that they're good at peddling things," he bluntly asserted with a narrow of his eyes.
"They're probably just called Turtlez because of those sea turtle shells on their backs," he mused to himself in thought.
"That, or they just mispronounced the word," the half-malak dryly suggested which got another hum of amusement from the thinking swordsman.
"True enough, but after all, Rokurou means 'sixth son', and that's what I am."
"I was Teresa's second tethered malakhim, so I was 'Number Two'," the child monotonously added. A frown skirted the lips of the few who talked, and Eizen huffed with annoyance at his lack of self-worth.
"That's a title, not a name," he declared with a disappointed shake of his head.
"Huh?"
"Would someone just give the kid a name already?" Rokurou stated with a hint of irritation from his tone. Velvet, who watched from the sidelines, suddenly felt a name get thrust into her mind at the request; as she sighed in annoyance and anguish.
"A name... for me?" the boy murmured in wonder.
"Rokurou, he's not a dog, you can't just name him something random," Sarid imposed with a grimace. The samurai just shrugged in response, clearly at a loss for what to do with the young malak.
~~~
A blossoming ray of sunlight was perceived in the far distance of the coiling caverns, soon signalling the beginning of their siege upon the great Fortress. However, as the group began to approach, their newly identified pirate ally seemed to be caught daydreaming; in his palm, that beautiful gold coin he incessantly flicked through the air throughout their travels. As another sigh of defeat wisped out from his mouth, and the ghastly face of Dhaos, the demon king stared back from the coin's glistening face, he looked upon the opening in the endless depths. Vortigen awaits, and the group were about to begin their assault.
Stepping out into the burning light, a trio collectively felt an itch of relief as the sweeping chill of the North finally dissipated into the soothing warmth of the great sun. Burnack Plateau was situated next to a far fall into the freezing depths, but originated as a great junction along the viridescent ridge. All around, the group was surrounded by sweet smelling flora, mixtures of violet, rose and teal flowers decorated the natural cliffside; all catching the young malak's attention as he scoured the beautiful sights. And at their front, was a grand wall of compact stone and brick, draped with the obnoxious royal banners of the Abbey.
Velvet turned her head to nod at the group that stood at her heel, surveying the area. Once confirmation was passed around, they sprung from their perch, landing onto the matted grass embroidered with vines. Turning away from the wall scowering at their forms, Rokurou suddenly felt one of the thick vines he stood on tense. His eyebrow rose, until it violently ripped out from underfoot; almost taking the daemon in its flexible limbs if not for his hurried leap away. "Whoa!" he breathed out, while the group twisted on their spots to catch the attackers. "Eyes up. Daemons!" the samurai cried out, unveiling his amber blades fiercely as he perceived the foe.
Or rather, foes.
From the brush surrounding the slopes that trailed up to the cave system, came floral daemons of varying flower-like appearances. Heads of roses bobbed and hissed in their direction, brandishing threatening barbs among their vines that writhed along their plant figures. Abnormal rows of teeth scraped against the petaled bulb, and Rokurou huffed with a grin at the trio of encroaching daemons. "I've always wanted to try this... a shame you beat me too it Velvet!" Baring his wolfish teeth with a blaze of crimson gleaming under swaying bangs, he scraped the daggers against eachother, eliciting an ear-ringing shing across the junction. In a split second, his blades were endowed with a searing blaze, drops of crackling residue falling from their sparkling sheen.
The apodous plantus daemons froze on the spot, as the Yaksha let out a dark chuckle of amusement, and sprinted towards his targets; a howling bellow of flame in the wake of his assault.
Soon after the battle-lusting daemon got over his enjoyment in reducing his foes to ash, the group continued their steady approach to the assumed gate that led to the center of this fortress. However, Eizen's curse kept its translucent fingers away from interfering, as the outside remained unguarded. Rokurou scratched his head in confusion, the unusual silence causing a itch of suspicion to grow within his gut. "There's no guard. Do we just go in?" he questioned cautiously.
The pirate stepped forward, squinting at the lone gate that sat unattended. "Wait, this isn't what I expected," he murmured in surprise. Through the flowing gales, soared a lime green leaf, floating among the shrill whistling of nature. It blew too close to the gate, and...
Bzzt!
The leaf vanished with a crackle and burst, a brief azure shield materialising upon the slight contact. Sarid sighed as he caught the glint of electricity spark among the cobalt energy, "I was wondering when your gimmick would kick in," he said with a rub of his forehead, eyeing the pirate.
"There's a barrier over it?" the samurai questioned in dismay.
Eizen's eyes narrowed again as they faced a new problem, "They changed the security," he pondered in annoyance.
Velvet's fist tightened and she sent a stern side-eye at the back of the pirate malak, "You weren't kidding, were you?" she firmly asked with a glower. "That scorpion who attacked Number Two, and this barrier, all part of your curse." The daemon's bandaged arm clenched with a usual intensity, becoming a habit when faced against infuriating malakhim.
"You'll be lucky if that's the worst of it," he retorted with a devilish grin from his turned back.
A new prospect blocking their plan, the samurai decided to ask what they could do. "A direct assault would be a bad idea," he assumed, placing his grip on his chin. "What's the plan?"
Eizen spoke as he began to walk, the group on his heels as he continued to explain their assault idea. "Down the cliff, there should be an entrance used during the fortress's construction. We'll use that," he easily explained without a doubt in his words.
Velvet hummed in response to his quickly fabricated backup plan, "You did your research," she stated, slightly impressed.
"I had to, didn't I?"
Heading left from the reclaimed junction of flora, the group came upon a winding slopes that twisted down unto a lower level of the nature-smothered valley, the gently rolling waves far below hunched up against the worn rocky formations. Tiny stones trickled down upon the deep cobalt pool below, the crew travelling steadily down the coiling pathways, relishing in the peaceful breeze before the mayhem. Wildlife settled tensely, the expanding fauna in constant gritty clash with the dark nature of daemonblight; only the cawing birds above could be free of torment and danger. Maybe that was another answer to his question, freedom. But, she knew better. After seeing the true man underneath be revealed to the ugly outside, there was no genuinity or care in such a question. Only reason. A test.
While her heartbeat crashed within her mind like a resounding drum, so did her boots as they landed upon the final level; grassland stamped underfoot as the rest followed suit from the height they leapt from. Casting their eyes forward - Sarid finally landing at their heel with a roll - a lone stone gate sat integrated within the mountainside. Sporting at its front, were a pair of steadfast exorcists clad in thick steel. Thankfully, their lack of efficient visibility gave the criminals a chance to dash behind a nearby rock outcrop. "Is that the way in?" Velvet whispered rhetorically, crouching behind the stone with sharp eyes.
"This one's actually guarded," Rokurou murmured quietly, kneeling at her side.
Daemoness nodding to herself confidently, she assessed what this meant for the entrance. "Which means there's no barrier..."
Peeking out from over the rock, the half-malak formed a concise plan of action after analysing their placement. "There's only two. If someone catches their attention, I can take them out from behind-"
"Let's move everyone!" Velvet yelled, before she sprinted out from her hiding spot with the samurai in tow, recklessly assaulting the two. Sarid sighed in irritation as the remaining malakhim looked on in surprise for a brief moment. Eventually, the trio dashed forward, with one groaning about how she was 'doing this on purpose'. However, as the guards turned in their direction, something seemed off. A faint moan came from the veiling helmet of one, and they trudged forward strangely.
The boy was the first to notice. "Stop... Those guards are-!" he began, trying to warn the daemons that rushed ahead carelessly.
Eizen interjected with a stronger voice, purposefully in alerting their allies to the danger, "Careful! They're not what they seem!"
As they yelled out in warning, one of the guards flinched and gripped their head fiercely. Painfully, a ominous sensation pulled at his soul, and ripped it away in a cloud of withering violet miasma. Sarid stopped with a cough, eyes hardening upon catching sight of the grisly transformation taking place. "This isn't right...! They're daemons!" he cried out in warning. Vile snapping and twisting of joints crackled through the once serene air, as the distinct nature of daemonblight seeped into the once thriving greenery. Suddenly, the metal that protected and masked their facial features erupted and groaned, before violently splitting with a bang. The material collapsed onto the dying floor roughly, and hissing lizard head wildly writhed in its place; beady irises of crimson locked onto the group in feral earnest. Hooked blades scraped against armour with a shing, as they stomped against the earth.
Velvet narrowed her eyes with a growl, and slammed her foot against the dirt to hurriedly stop her momentum. She and Rokurou nodded at one another, and pounced after the left-most foe. Although, the half-malak was determined to find his place in this battle, despite his human drawbacks. "Eizen!" he asserted, stopping the pirate in his tracks. As the malak went to question his intention, a nod in the direction alerted him to a certain throwing knife already positioned behind the snarling beast that sat unopposed. The pirate chuckled, and nodded to the man who jumped over. "You better get used to this," he stated, laying a hand on his shoulder with an expression of concentration.
Eizen furrowed his brows, but a certain moment flashed through his mind when they had met. 'He can teleport... others too?' Before the man could say a word, his reality zipped around him; rolling his mind into a daze until it corrected itself. Lightning crackled, and fists tensed with the popping of fingers. The malak levelled his gaze at the back of the daemon he had appeared behind with a smirk. Wind coalesced around his hand, hugging it tightly as he wrenched his arm back. "Go to hell!" In shock, the lizardman could only spare a hiss of surprise, before the fist bellowed towards him like a meteor.
Smash!
Darkness seeped from the impact, as an elongated tooth seperated from the reptiles mouth with a snap. Air dispersed from the ferocious blow, and the foe's feet were torn from the ground as the powerful arte sent it soaring. The bang rumbled across the junction, the malak flexing his shoulder with a grunt. However, it wasn't over. As the daemon flew across the plain with an animalistic cry, a certain malak stepped forward with firm conviction. Inscribed parchment zipped along flowing winds, sigils sizzling with a growing sear as they zeroed in on the beaten body.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted with a crackle upon contact, consuming a portion of the air as oxygen burned. The body never fell, encompassing ash lingered on the hushed gales in wake of the attack. Number Two felt a firm pat on his back after his action, and Sarid's beaming face marked his vision with ease. "Nice one, kid!" he praised with a soothing smile and thumbs up. The young malak nodded with a hint of joy, his face inching upon a grin.
However, a harsh cry of battle took over their attention, the signature predatoral howls of Velvet's unyielding assault reminding them of their final foe. Smoke amassed before the two, Sarid pulling back his kindness for a moment as he switched his gaze towards the steadily dissipating smog. He may be majorly human, but his reactions and speed were unmatched by normal standards. So, he found no trouble in catching the knife that was presumably thrown to him through the cloud. Although, the writhing body of the second daemon similarly tumbling through the smoke caught him off-guard briefly. Pushing the malak's head down, he rolled swiftly under the injured enemy.
What he wasn't surprised about however, was the woman who leapt after it hungrily like a daunting beast, flipping overhead to catch the scrambling lizard that wildly swung its blade in agitation.
Velvet landed with ease, slipping under the sword with her right leg splayed out to the side flexibly, slightly sliding over the grassland. Her gauntlet blade sang as it pounced, and she jumped up with a twist and carved deep within the ligaments of the reptile. Knocking it back with a spry roundhouse kick, it felt right into the waiting jaws of Rokurou; who sprung laceration after laceration all over its beaten and clawed form. Spinning to its front, he deftly crossed his daggers resiliently before him as the lizardman's blade cracked against his sudden guard. As the enemy daemon snarled and pulled, the blade did not move. Water coated the trio of metal, and the hooked sword froze in an instant. The samurai grinned wolfishly, until he ripped up the chilled edge and swung his weapons to the side; harshly deflecting the attack in a deft parry and leaving the adversary wide open.
Shing!
Cleanly, a thick ivory slice split the foe up the middle, the abrupt build up of force separating the gurgling beast into two, as it collapsed in a mass of harrowing stench and blood. Rokurou sighed in content, "Well, that was fun!" he joyfully stated, flicking his blades clean and sheathing them among his sash.
With a couple of clangs, Velvet's boot kicked against the beast's corrupted armour in dismayed thought. "What kind of curse is this, Eizen?" she inquired, at a loss for the fact they had been disrupted twice in just a few minutes.
The pirate stepped forward lazily, whipping his calloused fist in the air from the aftermath of the impact. "I warned you, didn't I?" he sternly reminded with a tone of weariness at the repetitive subject. Fiddling with the strings that tightened over her irritating corset, the woman turned to face the gate as Rokurou chose to question the chances of such a happening.
"You wouldn't expect these guards to carry the daemonblight..." the Yaksha despairingly wondered as his orange iris locked to the pirate at the heel.
Relaxing a hand upon her hip, she turned to glance at the malak despite him being the root of their issue so far. "If I'd charged in, that might have turned ugly. Thanks you for stopping me," she surprisingly stated with an appreciative tone.
However, Eizen crossed his arms to the kid that meekly hovered at the group's side. "Don't thank me," he began, shaking his head over to the child. "He's the one who noticed the danger." Number Two stifled his words, looking down in shame at having spoken without ordered to.
Sarid hummed from the sidelines, similarly astounded at this malak's array of power. "That's correct. Even I couldn't sense it until they changed," he complimented with a scratch of his throat. Unusually, the young boy had managed to catch on to their corruption before his sensitivity could.
Velvet turned with a mild hint of surprise, until it mellowed out into a look of impression. "In that case, I'll be counting on you to keep watch," she suddenly announced, catching the boy off-guard. "After all, we've got a reaper with us, who knows what else we'll find." The daemoness stalked off towards the gate after giving the white-haired man a look, soon following after the reaper through swaying nature; now uncompromised by the sickness's fowl domain.
"Huh?" the boy murmured in confusion, staring at the back of the trodden woman.
"She's saying it's alright to talk," Rokurou reworded with a slight genuine smile, Sarid standing at his side. The boy continued to stare, until he processed the words and looked towards the half-malak.
Sarid patted the samurai on the shoulder and nodded towards the gate, which Rokurou followed through with and leaving a grin of good luck. Crouching before the boy, he chuckled at the question he could easily decipher among his lime gaze. "Kid, your senses are incredible. I don't care about what she thinks of me and my place in this group, but after that display you put on?" The man passed another of his meaningful smiles. "You be the scout, and I know you'll do a real good job," he resolutely asserted with a ruffle of the boy's blonde hair - the lone strand springing back up stubbornly.
Without waiting for a response, the man stood up and made his way to follow the group, before he could be harshly reprimanded by their brash leader. Unknown to him, a wonderful glint returned to the boy's once soulless orbs, and his expression lifted with emotion. "Understood. Keeping watch."