Hey guys, how's it been? Sorry that I haven't been able to update since forever. The whole military taking up a good chunk of my time is a struggle that I am trying to balance. But I do intend to see this through to the end (at least to the end of the Civil War). So, as always, if you have any questions or just want have some constructive criticism please shoot me a review! It really motivates me to get back out there.

(Rowland POW)
Rowland woke up silently. He had never been someone to make much noise, any sound could draw any number of troubles in Nokkzaruz. Looters, the shambling dead, Devils. All would come looking for anything to take from you and then your life.

His hand went to the dagger that he kept under his pillow as he looked up around the room. He heard the sound of soft breathing down on the floor next to his bed. He looked down at the side of his bed, his scowl softening as he saw the little girl that laid curled up on the floor. The poor girl had not wanted to be separated from him throughout the night, no doubt she left the room that he had set for her and decided that the cold floor in his room would be better. He'd have to talk to her about this later.

Rowland silently threw his blanket off, his feet meeting the ground next to the young Marchosias as he stood up. He picked the poor girl up, feeling her curl into his chest as she gave a soft sigh of relief. He put her in the bed, getting a small whine as he pulled her hands out of his tunic. He pulled the blanket around her, smiling softly to himself unconsciously as he left the room. He quickly left the room and went down to the longue area, grabbing his belt as he threw it on his way out.

His eyes had been accustomed to complete darkness at this point. No need to light a candle and alert people that you were there after all. No, he knew this place like no other and needed to be silent in the mornings. It was the only time that he got to train after all. He grabbed an apple and a bit of bread on his way to the cellar of the inn. Just something to eat while he practiced with his blades. The only thing that seemed capable of calming him these days.

The rogue sighed as he finally stepped down into the cellar, looking out at the small area that he had to work with. He knew that the area was a bit cramped and his movements limited by the fact that he had to stay inside. But it was also a good lesson to be had. Most of the time he was stuck in buildings when he struck. Swords were just as advantageous as they were a hinderance in such an environment. It meant that he had to branch out with his skills and know when to use a dagger or even a knee to a man's face. Anything was fair in a fight after all.

What use is honor when you're fighting against criminals and Devils? His uncle used to say. He breathed out a bit as he suppressed his memories of the man. No use dwelling on them right now. No, best to let his thoughts be free as he focused on his blades.

He pulled the longswords from its sheathe, a dagger from the one in the small of his back. With that he was off.

His hands were a whirlwind of black steel as he fought against imaginary opponents. A thrust here, a slash here, parry an invisible foe only to counterattack. Thrust, stab, slash, parry. All of them together in a dance that only he could hear the beat to. His heart the maestro as he kept moving around the constraining room. He didn't know how long he would be there as he thought about the numerous enemies that he thought about in his mind.

The visage of a grinning madman occupied his mind as he recalled the manner of which he had only glimpsed him move. He was faster, stronger, more durable. Everything that he was, better than Rowland was at this point. No doubt the Devil had spent the centuries catering to his father's delusions to harness his skills. Skills that he had used to wreak havoc on this city.

Vogdruun Eligos. The mere thought of the man filled the rogue with rage as he recalled every time that he seen the smug Necromancer. A man, no a monster, that was stronger than him in every way and form. The only one that could claim to have his loyalty and devotion was Old Man Eligos himself.

Before yesterday, he knew that he had next to no hope of ever being able to defeat him. He had seen what he could do to those that stood against him and knew that without the stars aligning that his life would be forfeit were he to challenge him. But after seeing the Sitri heiress (Serafall He thought to himself) use her magic and completely destroy that tower the other night, he had a bit of hope at his chances.

Use her like you know that she is using you. He thought, his blades a flurry of swipes as a thin line of sweat began to seep off of his skin. He didn't know how long he had been practicing for and he didn't really care. It had calmed him at the very least. His thoughts had been lingering on his doubts of late but there were subsiding a bit. Ever since last night, his mind was a maze of what ifs and should I's. He pulled the collar on his tunic a bit as he forced himself to take a seat. His uncle would beat him black and blue if he could hear his thoughts. He used to always say that such thoughts were a waste of time and that one should always focus on what is happening now.

He looked up when he heard someone walking down the stairs. His senses immediately on alert as he slowly crept towards them, sheathing his sword and dagger though never letting his hands stray too far away from the hilts.

"Rowl, are you down here?" A voice called out, Serafall peaking down as she looked down at the cellar.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he let the tension leave his body. He wasn't used to keeping long term guests. He would have to keep that in remind for the future that he now had four of them in his tavern.

And none are paying for rooms. He thought, chuckling at the thought.

"Yes Serafall. I was just grabbing a few things from down here. I'll be up in a few minutes." The rogue called back, picking up his breakfast and walking back up the stairs. He might as well have some company as he ate his breakfast.

The Sitri girl still seemed a bit of a mystery to him. One second, she seemed to be all active and happy, the next the face of a diplomat and a scholar. If anything, he had to say that she was good at picking up the atmosphere of a place and adapting well to it. A useful skill to have during these times.

"It seems a bit early to be up doesn't it Rowl?" She asked, smirking up at him as she quickly looked him over. Her eyes lingering on the sword that he kept on his belt. "Were you practicing? I could have swore that I heard someone messing around downstairs and I thought that we had an intruder."

He chuckled as she quickly deduced what he was doing. "Aye, I needed to get my practice in somewhere. Given the fact that if anyone saw me outside, there was a chance that they could help link that to my…nightly activities and figure out who I am." He explained, walking towards the kitchen as he spoke. Serafall was quick to fall into line next to him as she nodded in understanding.

"That makes sense." She commented, humming as she put a finger under her chin and looked up in thought. "When we get back home, I'll have to show you some of the training grounds that we keep for the soldiers. I'm sure that you will love it there!" She exclaimed, smiling up at him as her eyes seemed to sparkle at the idea.

"Perhaps." The rogue replied, not giving any reaction to the idea. There was work to be done here first after all and he wasn't ready to leave until it was seen through. "Would you like me to fix you something? It's a little early to really cook without waking up the rest of the guests."

Serafall nodded as she all but skipped towards the counter. "Sure! I'll have whatever you got leaving around." She said, kicking her feet as she waited for him to grab her food.

Rowland shook his head a bit as he stepped into the kitchen. He grabbed a bit of the bread, an apple, and a mug of cheap cider that he had had brought in last week. That would have to do for breakfast.

"Here you are, sorry that it's not up to your standards." The innkeeper said, placing the meager breakfast in front of the heiress. "Don't have much money to spend on high class food these nights."

She shook her head as she accepted the food. "None of that Rowl. This is more than good enough for me." She said, quickly scarfing down the food as soon as it was put in front of her. "So tell me, what does one have to do to get as good as you are?" She asked, her eyes holding a tint of intrigue as she looked at him.

"You mean with a blade?" He asked, shrugging at the question. Not like there was much harm in admitting the truth. "Spend an hour or two everyday for roughly ten years practicing after you've learned at the feet of a master then you might stand a chance. Swordsmanship is as much about repetition as it is about footwork and slashes."

Serafall giggled at the description. "The way that you put it makes it sound like that you're talking about dancing." She joked, taking a sip from her cider and sighing at the taste.

"To a certain degree they are similar." Rowland said, smiling at the thought. "With your heart giving you the tempo and a proper opponent, it's a dance alright." A dance to the death. One where if you have a misstep it's your death. He kept that thought to himself as he remembered how the little heiress had reacted to such dark and cynical thoughts the other night. "I had a question for you Serafall."

"Hm, and what would that be Rowl?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the unexpected inquiry.

He wasn't shocked at the response. He had been keeping his distance a bit, not wanting to get too friendly with the two Devils. Now that they were working together, he might as well take advantage of it.

"The girl, Jilriane, will she be safe when she gets back to her lands?" He asked, his eyes sharp as he looked for any tells from the Devil.

He knew how Devils could be when they wanted something. They would lie, cheat, and say whatever honeyed words to get what they wanted. It was clear that they wanted the little Marchosias for something. Being the sole heir to one of the Seventy-Two pillars meant that she was entitled to quite a bit he imagined. Men, wealth, lands. All things that a Devil would try and take for themselves if they could.

"Didn't I already answer this last night?" Serafall asked, sounding a bit confused at the question.

"No, what you fed me was a story." The rogue said, his face betraying no emotion as he sipped from his mug. "I want the truth from you. If," he stressed the word, making it clear that that was still under consideration. "we send her back to her lands, will she be safe there? Away from all this war that you all are holding. Would she have people to look out for her? See to her best interests?"

The heiress hummed at the question. "I think that you need to be a bit more trusting Rowland." She answered, her face slipping back into the mask of a diplomat. "She is the last remaining member of one of the Seventy-Two Pillars. That comes with great wealth and power. Along with legions of demons at her command." She sighed as she looked away for a second, contemplating what to say. "I won't lie and say that she will be left to her own devices Rowl. That's not how the Underworld works. The Marchosias were skilled fighters, some of the best in the field, one of the few that could rival the Eligos for their tactical thinking. The Anti-Devil Faction needs soldiers and we need them desperately. Her needs and wants would be looked after, there are no doubt families of servants in her lands that would die for her when they find out about her existence. But to be truly free? No, that's not going to happen and I'm sorry."

Rowland grunted in response. "Huh, I didn't think that you would be willing to give me such an honest answer." He admitted, some more respect growing for the Sitri as he emptied his mug. "I assume that was the reason why you were willing to come all the way here? To try and recruit Eligos to your side?" His mind caught on what she said about the Old Man. Was he some kind of big deal outside of here?

Serafall nodded as she placed her chin in the palm of her hand. "Yes, the man is known to be a ruthless pragmatist. One of the best that we had back during the War. No matter what underhanded tactic he could use, he would exploit and then utterly crush the enemy with it. With that kind of man on our side, we could save so many of our men's lives and move on out of this war." She sighed, her eyes misting over as she thought back to the night before. The soul crushed people that lived under his reign and realizing what it meant to work with a man like that. "But that avenue has been lost to us I'm afraid."

"And you got stuck with a cutthroat with a vendetta against him." Rowland said, smirking at the idea. "If it's any consolation, I think that you're trying to do good. A bit naïve about the way that you're doing it but at least you give a damn."

He could tell from the way that she spoke, the raw emotion that was hiding in her voice as she recalled her thoughts. She was being honest with him. Sure, he had had to do a bit of digging but she was coming clean. Perhaps working with her and her faction won't be so bad.

Huh, throwing in your lot with a noble and thinking it was a good decision? Where has your mind gone Moechor? He thought to himself, sighing as he looked down into his mug before putting it with the other dirty dishes.

"Alright, I think that's enough time spent gossiping." The innkeeper said, tapping the counter as he thought about the rest of the day. He was tempted to just close the inn for the rest of the month, let the heat die down a bit. However, he knew just how suspicious that would be. One of the Eligos ends up dead and his inn closes the next day without any explanation? No, that would draw hunters here all a fly caught in a spider's web.

Which reminds me, I need to see how Amanozako is doing here soon. He thought, his mind going to how the old Youkai was holding up. No doubt this was just another plot in her web that she helped spin. Not that he minded. She was the only family that he had left after all these years.

"Alright, I'll have to head out here tonight." He said, Serafall raising an eyebrow as she took in his words. "I need to meet a contact of mine and see what I can gather after what happened last night. Would you mind going and waking the others? I doubt that Kazgath would be too pleased to have me waking him." He commented, getting a quick salute from the heiress.

"Yes sir!" She exclaimed, walking towards the stairs before turning to him as she stopped on the first step. "And Rowl? Thank you, for deciding to trust me." She said, shooting him a smile and a wink before hurrying along her way.

Rowland shook his head in amusement at the girl's actions. He stopped himself as he reached up, touching his lips as he felt them arc up in a half smile. Huh, he couldn't honestly remember the last time that he had ever truly felt happy. Well, except for killing one of his enemies and enacting his justice.

Maybe the Sitri heiress was having a good effect on him. He'd have to wait and see.

"Alright, so the first thing that we're going to do is just try and get into a regular routine." Rowland said, looking down at his two 'charges' as they yawned and rubbed their eyes. His eyes glancing towards Kazgath, the elderly Devil seemingly not effected by the early hour. "One of the most important things to remember in this line of work is to be able to adapt to any scenario that you find yourself in."

"Boss, did it have to be so early though?" Rizamor asked, shaking his head a bit as he tried to get rid of whatever sleep was still in his face. "We had a pretty rough night."

"Oh, well forgive me then Rizamor. You can go right on back to sleep while I go over what the hell we are going to do now that we actually have a bigger plan than before." The innkeeper snarked, narrowing his eyes at his charge. "If you want to miss out on the training that I was planning on starting today then that's fine too."

The boy's eyes lit up as he quickly snapped to attention at that. That seemed to have got him awake enough. "No Boss, I'm ready!" He said, looking more excited at the prospect. "What are we going to be working on?" He asked, almost seeming to bounce in place in his excitement.

"Well, the first thing that we have to think about is how we are going to keep out of sight until what happened last night is forgotten about." Rowland said, leaning on the counter as he thought on their ordeal. "It's not going to be easy, especially with you two." He waved a hand towards Serafall and Kazgath.

"Huh, what is that supposed to mean?" Serafall asked, looking a bit taken back at the direction where the conversation was going. "What's wrong with us?"

"Well, the problem being that you two were seen by mostly everyone on your way into the city." Rowland said, crossing his arms as he straightened himself. "Running around in that carriage of yours, wearing those fine clothes and not caring a wink that anyone that could see you could easily tell that you two are nobility. That's not something that we can easily wipe from everyone's minds." He continued, getting a pout from the heiress as his words seemed to ring true.

"Then what is it that you suggest that we do?" Kazgath asked, humming as he saw the truth in his words. "It's like you said Mister Moechor, the two of us made no effort to try and remain inconspicuous on our way into the city. What could we do to try and remain out of sight?"

"Well, the good news is that most people try to avoid this part of town. It's where most people end up either dead or wishing that they were." Rowland continued. "We can hopefully make it seem like the two of you were in that category easily enough. Just have to change your appearances and try to keep you in the back until we can stage our next assault." He looked the two of them down, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the fine clothes that they both wore. "And you're gonna have to get rid of those clothes. Any effort that we made to hide your faces would be rendered moot if you still dress like you're from royalty."

"That sound be easy enough I would think." Kazgath admitted, closing his eyes as he contemplated on his suggestion. He seemed to see the merit in it at any rate as he looked back to his mistress. "I know that this might be uncomfortable Lady Serafall, but it seems that Mister Moechor has the right of it. Shall I go and get us some rougher clothes while you work on your appearance?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he waited for her confirmation.

"That would be a good idea Kaz." Serafall said, putting her index finger under her chin as she thought the plan through. She grimaced a bit at the idea before sighing and gave a small sigh. "Alright, I don't see another way that we are going to make this work. Do you have anywhere I can change once I'm done?" She asked, looking up at Rowland with a small frown.

"The rooms that you used should be more than adequate for our purposes." The rogue said, a small amount of relief flowing out of him as he got her approval. He had thought that it would have been more of a fight, but it seemed that she was able to see the wisdom in his words. "So how are wanting to do this? I can give you a small cut but I fear that I have no skill as a barber." He said, pulling out his dagger and setting it on the counter.

Serafall laughed as she waved off the suggestion. "Silly Rowl, didn't you forget?" She asked, giving him a quick wink. "We got magic on our side after all. A few quick changes and we should be okay." She explained, her hand glowing as a magic circle formed around her and then disappeared after a few seconds.

Rowland's eyes widened as he saw the heiress's face shift and morph a bit. Her figure seemed to slim down a bit as her body became more modest. Her hair shortening as it shaped itself into a more pixie like cut and her amethyst purple eyes turning into a pale blue that seemed to contrast well with her now brown hair. All in all, she didn't look anything like her true form.

If that even was her true form to begin with. He thought, grunting a bit as he looked her up and down, trying to see if there was anything about her that had stayed the same.

"Impressed? I told you that magic has all kinds of uses Rowl." Serafall said, giving a quick twirl as she looked at her new self. She seemed pleased with it, giving a quick giggle before turning back to him. "So, do you like it?"

The rogue stopped as he thought about the question. Did he like it? It was practical and efficient. There was no denying that fact. He looked into her eyes, narrowing his own as he thought on how to answer. He felt a weird pang in his chest as he noted that her eyes were no longer that deep purple that he was beginning to identify her with. He forced the thought from his mind as he gave a quick nod in response.

"Good, no one should be able to recognize you at any rates." Rowland said, pondering on what else he would have to focus on. He figured that it would have taken more time to create a good disguise for the two. Apparently nobles have a better approach to subtlety than I gave them credit for. He'd have to ask if that's something else that he could learn. Though that would have to be further down the line.

The rogue turned to the two children, giving them a quick look over. "Well, as for you two, I'd think it be best if we keep you in the back Jilriane." He commented, getting a confused from the girl. "I doubt that you have the concentration or skill to use such a disguise like Serafall and Kazgath can use. Given the fact that the Eligos will be looking for you, working in the kitchen will be for the best. That way we can keep you busy and out of the way when we are working." He explained, getting a nod from her as she went back to blinking up innocently up at him.

"I think that I would have to object to this." Kazgath chimed in, straightening his clothes as he looked at himself in one of the mirrors. He had chosen a young and rough looking blonde man, completely different from the refined elderly Devil that he had grown accustomed to. "An heiress should have no business doing such menial tasks. She should be recovering from the ordeals that she has experienced, not being bothered with servant work." He added, narrowing his eyes at the rogue for even suggesting the idea.

"None of that Kaz!" Serafall said, waving a finger at the man. "I had no problem working here doing 'servant work'. If Rowl thinks that it's a good idea then I say that he has the right of it." She narrowed her eyes for a second, making it clear that she would not budge on this issue. "We if don't trust Rowland's judgement, how can we expect him to trust ours?"

Kazgath shook his head as he dropped the issue, grunting as he turned away from his mistress and back to the innkeeper. "Alright then, though I will ask that you don't give her anything that she isn't able to do. She is still a child." He commanded, not willing to not get the last word in on the issue.

"Understood then." Rowland said, turning back to the children. "Alright Rizamor," The young Devil snapping to attention as he looked at his Boss. "I'm trusting you to keep an eye out for her while you're in the back. Teach her what you know and make sure that she is taken care of. When I'm not around, she is your responsibility. Is that understood?" He asked, getting a sharp nod from him.

"Understood Boss." Rizamor replied, smirking down at Jilriane. "Just leave everything to me little Miss. If you need anything, just ask me and I'll see to it." He said cheekily, trying to ruffle her hair. Jilriane shied away from the urchin and hiding behind Rowland.

Rowland sighed at the act. He shouldn't have been surprised at her behavior. She had been a prisoner of the Eligos for who knows how long, she would naturally shy away from others for a while. Another reason why keeping her in the back will be a good idea. He thought, patting the girl on the head before turning back to the group.

"Alright, so that's that taken care of." The rogue started off, getting to the other bit of business that he needed to get to. "Now, the other bit of business that we need to. Training."

"Training?!" Rizamor all but yelled, getting an annoyed look from Rowland while Jilriane looked up at the rogue with an equally excited look. "Does that mean that you're gonna teach us how to use swords and bows? Oh, maybe a maul or axes?!" He seemed to shake in place at the idea. No doubt thinking that this was going to be a fun and entertaining process.

Well, for me anyway. Rowland thought, chuckling as he thought on just how he'd get them the skills that they needed in a short amount of time. "Something like that." He said, nodding towards the boy. "Well, I'll be focusing on finding you both a weapon and learn the basics. However, that is only part of the training." He looked back at Kazgath, raising an eyebrow towards the elderly Devil who seemed to catch on to what he was talking.

"Indeed, I will be helping you learn how to use magic and its application in combat." Kazgath added, stepping forward. "While true mastery will be out of your grasp for some time, getting the basics should prove advantageous to you." He reached a hand to the two, one towards each of the children. "If you would please give me one of your hands, I should be able to learn your affinities and I will be able to form a training schedule to coincide with Mister Moechor's lessons."

The two children looked at each other, looking a bit hesitant before they both put their hands in the butler's. The man's hands glowed a light silver as he quickly scanned their auras. He withdrew his hands, giving them both a light smile. Whatever he had found, it seemed to put him in a good mood.

"Good, it seems that you two seem to have some talent for magic." He said, looking towards Rizamor. "Young man, you seemed to have a strong affinity for fire. Not too out of place for a Devil but that doesn't mean that you can't learn to master it and make it your own."

Rizamor's face dropped when he heard that particular news. Apparently, he was hoping for something a bit more 'exciting. Rowland merely shook his head at the sight. Next he's going to say that he should be given a great sword and expect to slice criminals in half over only a week of training.

He had a fondness for Rizamor, the kid had stuck with him when he tracked him down and never once had he questioned the boy's resolve after he told him to keep his mouth shut about his nighttime activities. But his head was in the clouds a bit too much. Thinking that life was like one of the songs that the minstrels sing. There are no girls with flowers in their hair waiting for you to save them. There are no knights with chivalry in their hearts wanting to fight you honorably. And the only monsters that you're gonna fight are not in the form of dragons but your fellow Devils boy. He thought, sighing as he watched Kazgath move onto Jilriane.

The elderly Devil didn't seem to reach any differently than how he had with Rizamor. That was good at the very least. Nodding he stood to his full height again, seeming pleased at what he had seen in the girl. "Congratulations young Miss, it seems that you have inherited your family's legacy. You seem to possess the affinity for Earth magic. A powerful skill and one that your family was famed for. Along with it, it seems that the Marchosias's trait of Chimestry was given to you as well."

"Chimestry?" Rowland asked, sounding intrigued by the name. "What exactly is that Kazgath?"
"Well, each noble family has a particular trait that is tied to their bloodline." The butler explained, slipping into a lecture tone. "They can range from Elemental affinities, like the Sitri's affinity for water, to unique magics that only they are capable of using such as the Gremory's Power of Destruction." He gestured towards Jilriane as she seemed absorbed in the lesson. "The Marchosias's ability, Chimestry, allows them to combine creatures in order to form hybrids much like the famous Chimera of legends. Indeed, such ferocious creatures can be quite impressive and prove to be quite the danger to even high-ranking Devils." He finished, nodding to himself.

Rowland grimaced at the thought, grunting at the idea. "Seems distasteful to me." He said, crossing his arms as he thought on the use of such an ability. To shape and twist creatures against their natural shape, it left a bit of bile in the back of his throat. "Though I can see the use for such an ability." Indeed, if Kazgath was to be believed then these beasts could prove to be quite advantageous to their cause. Though I doubt that combining the rats that we have done here with whatever other vermin will prove to be much use.

"Indeed, though I must stress that the Marchosias did not abuse their powers much like you might be thinking Mister Moechor." Kazgath commented, narrowing his eyes at the innkeeper as he immediately figured out what the problem was. "The process, while strange, did not cause undue pain or suffering to the afflicted like the Eligos Power over Life and Death. Though I think that might be a lesson for another day. I trust that you would want that particular lecture to be quite in depth yes?" He asked.

"Yes, if there's anything that we can exploit about them then I would want that to be covered in as much length as you can." Rowland said, narrowing his eyes as he thought on the prospect.

He doubted that the Eligos would have been foolish to allow any true weaknesses to show in the records outside of their control. It would be inviting people to try and exploit them in any way. Old Man Eligos was quite thorough when it came to rooting out any enemies that he had throughout his reign in the Underworld. But that didn't mean that there was nothing that he could potentially gleam from Kazgath's knowledge.

"So, I trust that you two can work on this together?" Serafall asked, clapping her hands together as she broke the tension that was residing in the air. She smiled at the group, nodding her head cheerfully. "Now, I expect you two to work your hardest!" She said, pointing to Jilriane and Rizamor. "You've got two of the best teachers that you could possibly ask for after all and no reason to be slacking in your training!"

"Yes milady!" Rizamor said, giving a bow as he answered. He was followed by the Marchosias as she followed his example, bowing as well.

"Ah, I think that we are going to have to work on that. I'm just Sera to you guys, no need to get all caught up on useless stuff like formality and etiquette." The heiress said, chuckling at the cute display. She turned to Rowland, giving him a smile as well. "I'm expecting great things from you Mister. I've seen you do a lot of talking and little fighting after all. I need to know if I can trust these children in your hands Rowl. To be allowed to shape such young minds, why I need some assurance that this is the right decision."

She was playing. Of course she was. The twinkle that he was used to see in her eyes was still there even if they were a different color now. He forced his face to remain blank as he gave his answer.

"Oh, I intend to Lady Serafall." Rowland said, getting a quick scowl on Serafall's face at his answer. Whether not catching him flat footed, using her title or a combination he couldn't tell (his bet was on the third choice). "It's going to be long, frustrating and full of pain for these two." He commented, getting a quick widening of the eyes from his two 'students'. Oh, they'd learn alright. It would be long, painful and no doubt full of tears. The only proper way to learn how to fight.

Serafall hummed as she heard the response. "Hm, well you are the master swordsman here." She consented, shrugging as she gave no response either way on his methods. "I'm sure that the results will speak for themselves. Though I was hoping that you'd be more into the whole sneaky surprises when it came to battle. Not straight forward and honorable."

"There is no such thing as honor or dignity in battle Serafall." Rowland commented, smirking at the idea. "My uncle once had a saying about that. 'The only dishonorable fight is the one that you lose.' As long as you are still the one breathing at the end of it, it doesn't matter how you fought." Eye gouging, kidney stabs and even torture. He was fighting a war on the virtue less and depraved criminals of this city. Holding back because they deemed it 'unfair' had no merit in it. It just meant that his method of fighting was effective.

"So, I think that just about puts all our matters to rest." The rogue said, turning away from the heiress as he addressed the entire group. "We will need to lay low for a few weeks, give the city time to forget about this mess and then we can start moving on with our plans. Remember, just because we can't draw attention to ourselves doesn't mean that we won't be doing anything at all. Keeping the inn running, training ourselves and spying on the enemy is paramount to our success here." He looked to the two high class Devils. "Remember, it's important to gather information while we are here. A lot of the weaker thugs like to frequent the Ebony Dagger and they like to babble on about what they're doing. Keeping them talking will give us what we need to know in order to tell where the Eligos are moving and how we can best counter them to take out their lieutenants. Tell me anything that you hear, anything at all no matter how small. It all comes together in the end."

"Understood." Kazgath replied, giving a sharp nod at the request. His scowl showed his thoughts on the tactic. Good, as long as he kept those thoughts to himself then he didn't care about the Devil's wounded pride.

"This should be quite the adventure once it's all said and done." Serafall commented, chuckling at the thought. "I'll have to tell Zechs and Aju about this. They'll be so jealous about the whole thing."

Rowland chose not to comment on that. Really, what was there to be jealous of when they were stuck deep in enemy territory and fighting for their lives? Another case showing of the Sitri's strange thoughts. "If that is all, I think that it best that we get to the training." He smirked as he looked back at Rizamor and Jilriane, smirking at them with a dark glint in his eyes. "This should be a fun enough experience I am sure."

END

Alright, how was that? Sorry that not a lot happened in this chapter. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and showing what the group will be doing. It makes sense I think, keeping their heads down and trying to focus on what they can do in the meantime. The whole 'Blowing up a tower along with who knows how many Devils/undead', yeah the city does tend to take note of that.

So, tell me what you guys think of the banter between Serafall and Rowland. I think that I am doing a good enough job showing how their ideals and methods clash (at least on a mental level at any rate, more of the dark and gritty later). Though I do think that I did the whole Appearance Shifting ability justice. Devils can shift their forms to look as how they wish after all. They won't want to make a deal with humans if they looked like eldritch abominations or too monstrous, I think. But again, tell me what you think of that.

Now, onto some footnotes I think, been too long since I was able to do one of these!

The Shadows: The Shadows of Nokkzaruz are one of the greatest powers in the Underworld. When it comes to collecting information, espionage, and sabotage there are few that can compete with them. It's said that they are the eyes and ears that keep tabs on just about every goings on in the New Devil Faction. If you want it found, if it can be heard, then they already know about it and can be trusted to tell…as long as you're on their side. We've heard a ghastly rumor, one that we find to be an exaggeration. One of our sources said that they have a spy in just about every Pillar of the Underworld. Ones whose loyalty to their cause is so absolute that they can blend into the servants of a nobility family, spend years acting as their beloved servant only to turn on them when they dare cross the interests of the New Devil Faction. We don't know just how true this claim is, but I won't be surprised if this was all just fabrication. Something to make any Pillar think twice before daring to turn on the Satans. After all, if these Shadows can lay low for so long, who's to say that they won't just slit their master's throat in their sleep? Nothing more than propaganda to keep us shivering in our boots and a watchful eye on the shadows for some mysterious phantom.

So, tell me what you thought in the comments! I am always looking for constructive criticism and feedback from you guys. Add a like/follow if you are craving for more of Rowland's journey. Now that I am finally back in the groove of things, I think that I can get these chapters out on a more regular basis. Until then!