A City Betwixt

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The man groaned slightly as Sam lowered him down from the tree. He sat on the forest floor, still scarcely able to move. His removal from the tree, however, had unrestrained his lungs, so breathing came easier now. He gave a wheezing cough before looking up at Sam. "Thank you, sir." He looked around at the other members of the party. When Alana mentioned Mavo he nodded, a look of sadness in his eyes. "Yes... My name is Arthur. I was Mavo's friend. We met in Lambrecht, but one day he just... he lost it. Starting rattling on about how we were pursuing the impossible, and the next day, he had disappeared. The Captain said he had become a demon, and they'd tracked him to this forest. So, I and a few of my compatriots came here to search for our lost friend, but... Well, maybe we shouldn't have come looking. He killed the two that were with me, but I didn't get that fate. I was knocked unconscious and hung to that tree there. I don't even know how long I've been up there now." The man wheezed through his story, still obviously quite distraught. "I'm guessing you all are from Lambrecht as well?"



Domino stood back, listening to the man's story, not that it really gave them much to go on, other than perhaps that Mavo had been here for a while. While trying to decipher something of value from the man's tale, he felt Alana's hand strike him across the face. He stood still for a moment, the red outline of a hand against his cheek. After a few seconds of silence, he turned his head toward the woman whohad just told him to learn his place with a broad grin. "Excuse me?" He held the grin, but it was more than a bit obvious there was some anger seething beneath the surface. His right hand clenched into a fist and shook ever so slightly. "Tell me something, Alana... Have you lost your fucking mind?" His pink eyes locked with hers, but the grin still held across his face.



Annabel strode along beside Rhys, making their way through the crowded street and towards the tower. "I suppose you're right." She looked up towards the Monolith. The great tower seemed to stretch up into the sky, and the brilliant sunlight shone the brightest against it. Compared to the melancholy grey of the plains, the sight of the shimmering gold tower was beautiful. Even in such a sad place, it seemed to give the young woman a bit of hope. Before she knew it, the duo had reached the base of the tower. As she lowered her eyes from the structure, she noticed Elias and a girl she had not seen before standing a few feet in front of them. She glanced towards Rhys. "Well, that didn't take very long." She waved to the pair across from them with a smile. "Hello again."
 
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Elias flashed a smile at Daine, his eyes not leaping with joy nor sinking with melancholy but his lips warmed. "That's good. I'm sorry about bumping into you like that." That was about as far as he went to explain himself; she didn't need to know about his personal demons, for there was a mission at hand, and surely the bell would ring soon by fate. Fitting that task, he saw fit to work together with the young lady before him as they tried to pave their path out of Lambrecht. Making friends and allies to fight alongside would benefit all involved and could ensure their absolution from sure hell. His mind peaced the words together, and he prepared to ask her name and introduce himself. A voice behind him, however, yanked him out of focus on the girl, and Graeff became aware of another presence besides himself and the young lady. Elias reared his head to the source of the voice, Annabel.

"Oh, hi." He held up a hand in greetings. He brought himself to his feet and offered a hand to the other girl.
 
The man on the tree was alive. Vivian hadn't counted on that, focusing on the man brought her out of the dark for a second. She quickly took a knee at the man's side after Sam had released him from the tree. His wounds were grievous, her mind comparing them to the glimpses in her head of corpses laying strewn through streets and battlefields. By her intuition, under their current conditions, the man's wounds were lethal. He probably already knew that. She refrained from informing him of the gate, it was likely he would understand the significance of it being down. His lucidity was an asset, however, she needed to talk him through until the end. "Yes, from Lambrecht. We are here for Mavo as well, but I'm going to help you," she said, smiling. Opportunistic was it was, she'd found her role. Combat wasn't her place, but they had someone to help along now. A smack brought her out of her new-found purpose, and she looked up at Alana and Domino to see what the fuss was. "No fighting, we have enough problems," she insisted quietly from the ground, holding her patient little smile. There was little she could do to break things up between a muscular fighter and a self proclaimed assassin if they really wanted to have it out. She hadn't even noticed the slight that had started it all, and that alone gave her the impression that there wasn't much of a fight brewing.
 
Nodding at his admission once more Daine murmurs a soft "It's okay." before musing to herself about how strange this boy seemed compared to those she had known before. If everyone is like this here I'll turn into a soft-headed dolt though it could make for a nice change. Getting used to people behaving respectable towards her might be something she would have to accept and take in stride while in this new place. At the offered hand Daine hesitates for a short moment before accepting and levering herself up. She dusts off her backside as best as she could before straightening to her full height which wasn't terribly impressive.

Training her eyes on the new arrivals she gives them both a cursory glance before flicking her eyes to the ground and holding herself close. Steeling herself, she brings her eyes back up and gives them both a soft smile, "Hello." Her hands betray her nerves as she tugs a wayward curl and tucks it behind her ear.
 
"Vivian is right," Ebayan agreed as the younger girl tried to play mediator. "Settle down and help me patch this man up."

As he and Vivian tended to Arthur's wounds, he murmured to the girl, "You recognize his injuries for what they are." His tone made it clear that it wasn't a question. "Keep him comfortable, as best you can."

More loudly, he asked Arthur, "Mavo - where is he? Is he alone? We were sent to neutralize him, prevent him from being a threat to anyone else...and give him a quick mercy."
 
Rhys walked, eyes straight ahead as the duo advance closer to the Monolith to confront the task at hand. The tower was quite the spectacular monument, but nothing Rhys hadn't seen before. He had seen all sorts of monuments. Rhys noticed that Annabel stopped right next to him, mentioning about something not taking that long. Turning his gaze to follow her's, to figure out why the momentary stop had happened. Past the numerous other people walking around them, Rhys saw Elias, along with a new person he had never seen before. Rhys gave the pair a curt nod as the other three exchanged quick hellos, "We need to hurry up." Rhys said, softly, to Annabel. Not that the pair was on a time schedule, but for the fact that Rhys was silently impatient. Rhys waited for the opening niceties of conversation finish, before he would leave to enter the Monolith.
 
Annabel managed to hold up the same smile, though it still felt awkward for her. She turned towards the lithe girl next to Elias. "I'm Annabel, by the way, and this is Rhys." She motioned towards the soldier beside her. "I suppose you're new here too?" Her eyes glanced towards Rhys as he encouraged them to keep a move on. It seemed the man was growing impatient with their situation, an understandable feeling, given the circumstances. She, too, was feeling a bit frustrated at the wait. Still, she was trying to be polite, and having a group would no doubt be quite helpful in the long run. "We were just heading towards the Mon-" Annabel was cut off by the clamor of bells from the top of the tower. The sound seemed to carry for eternity, bouncing endlessly off of every building in the city. As the ringing ceased, the front gate of the Monolith opened wide, and a figure in golden armor exited, flanked on either side by tall guards bearing polearms. Shortly after exiting, the figure spoke in a commanding feminine voice.


"May I have your attention please. I am Captain Miranda Armis, chief representative of the Archangel Argyle." The woman paused for a moment, looking over the crowd that was quickly gathering around her. "As I'm sure you've all been told, the scheduled hunts will be beginning at this time. I encourage everyone that can to participate." Miranda took a step forward. "I will be accepting volunteers for the first hunt at this time, if you would like to participate, please step forward."




Annabel watched the entire procession with interest. It reminded her a bit of the court processions back home, or at least what she could remember of them. It all seemed a distant memory now. When the call for volunteers was given, she turned quickly to Rhys. "I suppose this is our chance, then." She threw a questioning glance towards Elias and Daine, as if asking them to join in the group. Unsure of what was to follow, Annabel took a deep breath and stepped forward towards the Captain, stopping a few feet in front of the crowd. She heard a few snickers and hushed whispers behind her, but drowned them out, at least for the time being. She had a goal now. A goal she would have to focus on.
 
Elias's head swiveled to the Monolith at the exact moment when the bells broke Annabel's sentence. He listened carefully to the words of the Captain and took note of the bizarre procession. Nothing of the sort happened where he grew up. Then again, this was the land of the dead. Standing there ready to be volunteered off to fight demons, Elias felt like a man being drafted into an army. Only instead of what sort of battles took place on Earth, the people here would be fighting demons. They were fighting for their redemption. Their fate was at stake, not their country's.

Annabel stepped forward first. Quickly he looked to his left and to his right, at Daine and Rhys respectively. He nodded to Rhys and turned to Daine.

He introduced himself in a hurry. "Elias. Um, Elias is my name." And just like that, his feet pushed him forward on their own.

More mockery from the unruly crowd. He wanted to cry, but it had to be done. Graeff bit his lip, and his brows furrowed into worry as he stood before the Captain, his dead heart pulsing fast.
 
"Have you?" Alana snapped right back, the black swirls returning around her fists. She stared Domino down without wavering, her self-respect on the line. She hadn't been paying much attention to Arthur's story, though somewhere in the back of her mind she thought it strange that he was still alive.

Even with Vivian and Sam trying to calm her down in the background, Alana never broke eye contact with the cocky little bastard. Yes, it was true that they shouldn't be fighting immediately, but if Alana didn't get her frustration out on someone she felt like she was going to explode. "I want an apology, at least," she hissed, pulling her glove back on. The dark energy moved around the leather like smoke, settling near the spikes capping the glove. "Apologize for being so arrogant, or there's a lot more where that came from."
 
Domino cocked his head back with a grin at Alana, a look of amusement taking over his face. Both Vivian and Sam seemed to be trying to defuse the situation, but it seemed their efforts were wasted on the brash woman before him. The assassins smile only widened when she demanded an apology. He seemed as if he was on the brink of laughter. This was not the time or place for infighting of any kind, but the young man couldn't help but be amused by Alana's reaction. For a brief moment, his eyes darted to the glove that had now found its rightful place on her hand. The dark magic swirling around it made it clear just how frustrated she had become at the situation. After a moment of contemplation, the young man tipped his hat and made a low, over-pronounced bow. "Oh yes, Alana, I am terribly sorry for my behavior. I will most certainly try to show more respect towards you in the future. I was wrong." His voiced dripped with sarcasm. As he bowed, the hand not holding his hat crossed his chest. Though the positioning seemed innocent enough, his hand had slipped within his coat.




Arthur looked towards Vivian with a pained smile. "Thank you, but I believe I'm beyond help at this point." He struggled to maintain a sitting position. His bloodshot eyes moved to Sam, who at the moment seemed to be the figurehead for the party. "I knew Armis would send someone else out here eventually... I... only hope that you all can succeed where I failed... Someone needs to stop him... to help him..." The man gasped for breath. "I fear I cannot help you with finding him. He's like an animal, stalking his prey. Chances are he'll find you before you find him..." The injured man leaned back against the tree. "Why was I so weak? Why couldn't I stop him? Mavo, why would you do this? I can't..." As the man's speech devolved into self-questioning, the sound of a creaking tree limb over head resonated within the silent forest. Arthur's eyes darted to the canopy. He lurched forward, as if attempting to move, but it was too late. The man gasped as the silhouette of a long metal object crossed the single beam of light that had illuminated the tree.



Arthur slumped forward as a fourth stake pierced his chest. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth as he raised a wounded hand towards the treetops. He choked out a final word, "....why?" before falling over onto his side. Blood began to pool around the corpse as he gasped out his death rattle. On a tree limb above the party, a crouched figure balanced. His face was covered by a white porcelain mask, and his clothes, which once seemed to have been some sort of robe, were now scarcely more than a mass of tattered gray rags. Long, matted grey hair hung around the corners of the mask.


The figure stood up from the branch, watching the party for a moment before slipping down from his precarious position and landing in the sunlight, revealing the true terror of his form. He stood with a hunched back, and his visible skin seemed deathly pale, almost bearing a hint of blue. Grey eyes, lacking any sort of focus or emotion, stared blankly at the party from beneath his mask. The most distinguishing feature, however, was the array of stakes that seemed to be impaled through the man's own abdomen. If he felt any pain at the intense self-mutilation, he showed no sign of it. As the ragged creature glanced between the party members, a voice seemed to flood their minds. It was clear the man was not speaking, no, the voice seemed to be some kind of telepathic communication. "So, the dogs of Lambrecht once again disturb my home..." Mavo's hand reached from beneath his tattered robe, wrapping it's scarred form around the base of one of the stakes imbedded in his stomach.
 
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Ebayan leaped to his feet at the terror's arrival and assumed a fighting stance, shoulders loose, back straight, with blades drawn and held with tips angled upward at his sides. His dark eyes studied the hunched-over creature before him. The others also looked at the creature with wariness, but it seemed as if they were listening to something that Ebayan could not hear.

The old man assumed that this was Mavo, the demon they were looking for. As the creature reached for another stake in its belly, Ebayan ordered, "Stross, blind him! Alana, get to a higher position and bring on the heat! Vivian, with me - go for his back!" Mavo was evidently adept at ranged attacks and agile enough to easily balance on tree limbs. Dexterity seemed to be his forte. A hard counter to the demon's throwing skills would to be eliminate his line of sight with Stross' smoke control. Flanking him would obviate his agility somewhat. Alana pelting him from range would add another element to counter the demon's agility.

With that, Ebayan charged in, blades flashing. One cut forced the demon back a step - and more importantly, forced him to release his hand from a stake - while the second blade forced Mavo to step sideways...right into position so that Ebayan stood in front of him while Vivian was behind him.

We need to control and limit his movements, the old man thought. The key to battle was controlling its flow and rhythm. Hopefully, his team could get their act together enough to pull it off.
 
The situation with Alana and Domino seemed to be degrading. She frowned and lowered her head, removing herself from the argument for the time being. Arthur needed real help, not to listen to them bickering. The dying man beseeched them to help his former comrade. That was what she dearly wished they could do. Their guide in Lambrecht had spoken of the demons as though they were beyond redemption, but that was something Vivian internally refused to accept. She wasn't angry over being told how it was, but her mind was already made on using her second chance to help people. That ideal seemed integral to what she knew of her mortal life, and it was something the new her naturally enjoyed. "Relax," she insisted when Arthur started to babble. A person in his state was in no condition to start grieving. Vivian shook at the sudden sound of wood creaking, startled by the wounded man's sudden reaction. Before she could even look upwards, a stake had descended from above and buried itself in the man's chest. Vivian slipped backwards off of her knee, falling back onto her hands. A few rogue drops of blood had spattered her front, she could feel warmth on her face even as the chill of fear set in. Her glasses had been jostled down her nose, it was difficult to see but she knew Arthur was now dead. With trembling hands, she pushed herself back up to sitting, and readjusted her vision. The next sound to tear through the forest's silence was the gentle thud of feet on grass, and Vivian's head snapped to the direction of the source.

The demon standing there was more or less what she'd expected of a demon. Vaguely human, not changed but merely distorted. She was terrified, it carried many more of the weapons it had used against Arthur. The imagined agony of those dull stakes being driven through her skin, the first hand knowledge of what had been done to Arthur, the source of all that stood before them. Its voice rang in her ears, with no apparent direction, it was as if the words came straight from her own mind. Perhaps they do, she reasoned. The demons were supposed to be corruptive, weren't they? There was no better entrance. Vivian had no reply for Mavo, they were in fact Lambrecht's attack dogs sent into his abode, but something else did. Anger, a feeling she felt most unlike her, welled in the back of her mind. In her head, screaming. Abject protest of the intrusion upon her mind, in a grating voice like metal clashing. She could not think over the din, her throat constricted and breathing became difficult. Before she could react, Ebayan was shouting orders and going to blows with the demon. Pressed as though by great weight, Vivian shuddered painfully to her knees, and then onto her feet. "What?" The shaken girl stammered in reply. She could barely comprehend Sam's command, wobbling forwards and struggling to produce her axe from her tight belt. The weapon came free and she held it in her right hand, feebly searching the air ahead of her with her left. A couple steps forward, and she could contribute. After the first, she toppled, this time forwards. Vivian landed on her hands and knees, free hand sunk now into the pool of Arthur's blood. She grimaced at the sight, and the inarticulate wailing in her mind stopped. Vivian froze, not again, the first conscious thought she was able to push through. Fear of something she recognized but could not remember. It began to sing.
 
Maximilian sat far back in the crowd a decent distance from the monolith. She wasn't standing but was sitting and just observing what was happening to those up front. When the massive monolith opened her stood and could easily see over the heads of the others standing in front of him. He knew he was dead and he knew how he died. He felt no remorse or any 'I wish I would have' feelings about all of it. He knew why he died and he knew that he was yet to redeem himself for his crimes against humanity.

When the call for volunteers was made he immediately began to walk forward. The aura he commanded seemed to make people part from the crowd as he walked. It was something to be feared but a type of fear that was filled with a retribution. His purpose was carried by the way he walked, the way he composed himself and the way he spoke. He wasn't here to fiddle around. He was here to make up for the horrors he carried out against innocent people and the failure of his mission to stop the man who rivaled the Devil in his eyes. His war was still going.. a soldier's soul cast out but never able to slumber. He was restless and he wished to move forward.. to reclaim his place.

He stepped out of the crowd and the snickering immediately stopped. He was an imposing 6'6" tall and built. He was toned from head to toe but carried a youthful appearance. The only thing that set him apart was his eyes. He had a stare that would make a person falter in their place. It was the stare of a person who had seen things that would make a person puke up their guts. The stare of someone who killed, murdered and slaughtered people as an act of statistics. It was the stare of someone who hated who they were. It was filled with the resolve he had filled himself with. Something that made people wonder and question their own motives.

His own soul was colored Green. If he were to have died before he carried out Martyrdom in the name of justice he would have been morphed into a Demonic entity from the start. His soul was changing from the darkness that had nearly claimed it. With the crowd now silent he looked at the others that had stepped out. He did not say a word but just glanced in their direction. He was a man of few words unlike his past. He was one to brag about the killing of others. Now, that part of him is labeled as evil. A vow of Silence unless needed was made by him at the time of his arrival.

With him was an array of material that would make the average person look weak. He carried the full load that he would have in life. A burden born from his self mutilation due to his Atrocities. Another vow placed upon himself, to bare the weight of his evil. Each piece of equipment stained with blood, the blood of the innocent. Each piece having its value in his past. Each piece to be discarded as he redeems his corrupted soul and moves forward towards his final mission completion.
 
Even though she had been here a few days she had kept her head down for the most part and explored not really looking to make any acquaintances. With the chance in front of her though she thought it would be smart to grab at it while present, she wouldn't admit it aloud but she had been pretty lonely without constant companionship of her animal friends and two-leggers were as good as it got for now. Daine opens her mouth to issue her name when the bells toll, the gate opens, and a majestic lady knight in brilliant gold steps through. The loud bells ring in her ear a moment more and she completely tunes out the lady knight's introduction so caught up in the moment she was. Hearing "hunts" captures her attention enough for her to come back to her senses and she perks up listening carefully.

She stands for a moment soaking up the meaning of the golden knights' words before Elias shifts next to her, introduces himself, and then moves forward to his redemption. Feeling a bit inspired by the boy, and looking to purifying her own soul, she trots to catch up with him not really hearing the jeering crowd and then the silence that accompanies it when a stranger steps forward coming to come place in the hunt. When she pulls even with him she ducks her head, "Daine. My name is Daine."
 
Alana's scowl deepened further and further with each sarcastic drawl that fell out of Domino's mouth. Her right arm tightened into a hook, ready to sling a brutal punch at the side of his head at any moment--

Another metal stake plunged into Arthur's chest and found its way clean through, the sickening crunch and the splatter of his blood enough to shake Alana's aggression away from Domino for the time being. She only managed a startled "what--" before the demon Mavo descended smoothly onto the grass, his deathly pale skin and masked face seeming almost holy in the single beam of light illuminating him. More stakes jutted from his abdomen, the surrounding skin unmarred by blood, as if the spikes had always been there. If she weren't still seething, Alana might have winced in vicarious pain. Sam barked orders at the edge of her awareness. He wanted her to attack? So be it!

Alana jumped back, widened her stance, and held her arms out in front of her, palms out, elbows locked. A wild roar ripped its way through her throat, full of all her pent-up rage, frustration, and despair, all the emotions she had been holding back since she arrived in the hideously empty Grey Plains. Her eyes were wild, almost inhuman. The energy crackling in the air around her made her hair stand on end. After only a moment to take aim between Sam and Vivian, she flexed her fingers and unleashed a massive beam of dark energy, the seething black ray nearly grazing her allies as it sliced the air and blasted towards its mark.

It felt amazing.
 
Rhys watched as the the lady stood ready, ready to take up any kind of volunteers for the war against the demonic entities in this Limbo. Slowly, one by one, a couple of strangers, Annabel, Elias, and the newly-met Daine all stepped forward to participate in the hunt. Rhys watched, with a thousand yard stare that could probably even rattle a seasoned solider like himself. Rhys continued to stand where he was, stoically refusing to step forward and take part in the hunt. Rhys had came for answers first, and to fight later. Spending more than half his life fighting wars and battles for no reason but to fight, Rhys had made the choice long before that he would not blindly fight as he had. This feeling nearly surprised Rhys, a burning sensation rose in his torso, a feeling he had never felt before. He would not be another foot solider in a war he did no stake in, his 'redemption' be damned. He wanted answers first, before he would battle. The tall, scarred warrior painted an almost laughable picture. Here stood a veteran warrior, refusing to step forward to fight, when younger, and less experienced, people stepped forward to fight.
 
Annabel looked to her side as Elias joined her. She heard the snickers in the crowd grow slightly louder, only to be cut silent moments later. She glanced behind her, noticing a man she had never seen before taking a place beside them. His clothing and armament were strange to her. She could tell, right away, however, that the man was a soldier, or had been. The girl that had been talking to Elias quietly told them her name before joining the group as well. The blonde woman turned back for a moment, looking towards Rhys. For all his talk of hurrying, it seemed the soldier would not be joining them. She frowned, but only for a moment. He almost certainly had his reasons for the decision, and she would not question them. She had more important things to focus on at the moment.



Miranda took a step out towards the quartet and gave them a nod, before speaking up in the same commanding tone as before. "If there will be no more volunteers, you four shall be the first among those here to join the hunt. If you would, please follow me." The Captain turned and began walking back into the Monolith, the sunlight glistening off of her golden armor. They entered the Monolith, walking down a long hallway lined with paintings. The artwork on the walls seemed to depict angels fighting with a variety of demonic creatures. As they reached the end of the hallway, Miranda pushed the door, opening it into a large room with a floor of smooth black marble. A white stone archway stood in the midst of the room. Miranda looked at the Gate. It had never malfunctioned before, but it had been completely shut down earlier. She would have to investigate the cause of the interference.


The Captain turned towards the volunteers. "You all have done the right thing to seek your redemption with such fervor. I recommend you disregard any comments from those outside. Cowardly souls must mock those around them to feel adequate." Her eyes glanced amongst the volunteers. "Before i brief you on your particular mission, do any of you have questions?"





A grin had crossed Domino's face as he saw Alana's fist tighten. ~Go for it, see what happens...~ His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the crunch of the stake as it pierced Arthur's chest. The perpetrator, evidently Mavo, dropped from the treetop. His form was gruesome, to be sure, but surprisingly human, despite the stakes through his stomach. Sam began shouting orders immediately and went in to strike. Domino's eyes narrowed. "Show time." Sam had shouted for him to blind their opponent. ~We'll see how your strategy works out, old man.~ The assassin rushed forward, his hat finding it's place on his head while his free hand slid down the front of his coat, opening the buttons. In a flash, a pair of long, single-edged combat knives had found their way into his hands. His eyes sped from person to person. Sam was engaging. Vivian seemed to have tripped. Alana was preparing a blast of dark magic, and Mavo evidently had the ability to communicate. "Dogs, ey?" The assassin took a single step forward and seemed to melt into a cloud of charcoal-grey smoke. The fog surrounded Mavo as he grabbed the stake in his stomach.




Mavo leaned backwards, avoiding Sam's first strike. In the next instant, the sound of tearing flesh rang out as he tore the stake from his stomach. A thin stream of blood began to flow from the opened wound as the demon sprang into action, parrying Sam's second strike with a swift upward motion of the stake. His eyes went from their previous dull state to an incredibly focused series of darting motions. The smoke surrounded his form, limiting his visibility. A blade tore through his side, being partially deflected by one of the stakes lodged in his abdomen. He could see the silhouette of the black-clad assassin in the smoke. He rolled backwards, away from the figure and out of the smoke. As he emerged from the fog, a blast of dark energy caught the side of his arm, singing away the flesh near his shoulder. The creature seemed to completely disregard any pain it felt.


Mavo grabbed another stake, pulling a second weapon from his stomach. Again his voice filled the heads of those surrounding him. "Such vigor. A shame you fight for a fallacy."
 
"Shut up!!" Alana roared. Mavo's voice was too loud in her head, hammering her ears and rattling her skull. His stoicism in the face of her attacks only enraged her further. She'd already lost so much, not just her relatives but the friends whose faces were only blank slates in her damaged memory. Her home, her possessions, her life, everything that she ever had but the scraps on her back, it was all gone for good, and she would never see another moment of peace and happiness until she could kill enough of these hideous, twisted souls. Red clouded her vision and blood pumped in her ears, drowning out all other sounds but the invasive voice of the demon still ringing in her head. As far as she was concerned, there was only her and Mavo on that battlefield. And she wouldn't walk away until he was torn to shreds.

Her arms pumped forward in turn, left then right, more dark beams leaping from her fingers as she screamed. She slowly advanced on the demon, taking staggering steps towards Mavo with each magical blast she unleashed. Once she was close enough, she would throw everything she had into a single punch, intent on shattering Mavo's face into tiny pieces. Had an angel been watching, they would see her soul flash red underneath her skin, responding to her aggression.
 
Elias looked left and right at the crew which joined him and Annabel. Rhys, however, was absent from the line, and that fact worried Elias. Rhys would have proven a valuable asset to the group as one of the few skilled and seasoned fighters and warriors, but instead he chose to let them go without him. That somewhat punctured Elias's morale; the dark-haired boy felt a little betrayed. He hoped Rhys had good reason.

Daine stepped forward and joined Elias, and he nodded in acknowledgement of her name to more underhandedly give her a "nice to meet you." Another stranger, who seemed different from the rest, included himself among their ranks. Unmistakably a more modern soldier, but not from any time Elias was familiar with. No, this strapping giant of a man was ripped straight from the pages of a World War II novel, a soldier wearing clothes with a style that screamed Nazi Germany to Elias's eyes. Here? You'd think they'd've all gone to hell. Graeff knew he had to speak with that man sometime. The Nazi was a big deal if he could get to at least Lambrecht. Elias's analytical brown eyes lingered there for a moment in equal awe and a kind of admiration, but they tore away when Miranda called the group into the Monolith.

The paintings caught his eye immediately. They captured moments of battle between angels and demons, and they were stunning—the work of no mere mortal. Miranda led them to the last chamber, containing what Elias presumed to be a portal of some sort. He stiffened when she asked for questions. He had many, but none he believed that Miranda would answer.
 
Ebayan was accustomed to fighting in unusual conditions, so he was ready when Stross' dark fog curled and roiled around them. He let his hears serve as his eyes. Knowing that the speed of close combat would prove difficult to keep pace with while blinded, he began to disengage, especially after he heard the twin sounds of steel on steel along with the roar of mystical energy. It seemed that Stross and Alana had opted to engage.

Ebayan backed out of the smoke, knowing that he could trust in those two to handle themselves. His thoughts went to the girl, Vivian, whom he had not yet seen attack. She was on her knees, in turmoil, and the old man found himself wondering what had happened to her. Some of the smoke cleared, allowing him to see his other companions more clearly. Stross had the look of someone listening to a conversation, but seemed undistracted by it.

What where they hearing that he was not?

The paralyzing voice! Ebayan realized, recalling Armis' warnings. But...how come I...oh, stupid! Of course! Telepathy!

The pieces fell together like so many jigsaw puzzles. He sheathed his weapons and called out, "Make a space! Incoming!"

He charged into the fray, hoping that Stross and Alana would hold their blows just long enough for him to pull one last trick out of his hat. The old man, with surprising agility for his age, went into a roll between Mavo's legs, thus dodging the demon's swiping attack with a pair of iron stakes. As Ebayan slid beneath the demon, his bare hand reached out and touched the skin on Mavo's ankle.

The demon kicked out, catching the old man across the jaw hard enough to send him rolling backward across the grass. But Ebayan was smiling.

They had touched.

Let's see how strong you are without your mind tricks.
 
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