A City Betwixt

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Alana almost didn't realize what Sam was yelling; everything was turning to static in her ears. She felt unstoppable, on top of the world, finally in command of everything around her. Wisps of energy poured from her eyes as dark energy flooded her being, bursting from her fingertips like water from a fire hose. Only a moment soon enough did she realize that Sam was charging in. Despite everything, he had been the most patient with her. She couldn't blast him. She stopped her onslaught for the few seconds that Sam needed to make his move, rolling in and sliding right back out before Mavo caught him in the jaw with his foot. Stupid old man, Alana huffed internally. She hadn't realized what Sam had done, but at least he was clear. Violet streams cut into the crimson of her soul as she prepared to resume her relentless attack, tears starting to form in her eyes for reasons she couldn't quite fathom.
 
Maximilian began to walk forward as the Angelic captain turned around. He saw the eyes of others on him and it was obvious what he was. To all those who did not know him... he was a 'Nazi'. It would serve him well as the intimidation factor of such a dark soul being in the area would steer those away who wished him harm. He couldn't help but stir a long lost laugh on his insides. He let a smirk cross his face as they walked through the monolith. The paintings did not interest him at all so he kept his eyes forward. His mind was elsewhere. He was thinking ahead of the future and actively thinking of the possibilities and how to conquer them.

When they reached the main room her stopped to glace around. The black marble tickled his fancy and he couldn't help but glance around at it all. Something that he had always enjoyed. The marble flooring of main of the Nazi's main buildings always made him think of how such large blocks were moved and placed with such precision. It was a feat of engineering that not many nations could do in less than ten years. He looked up once the Angel began talking and listened closely. It was then that he decided it was necessary to speak. "Why let the misbegotten individuals lead us astray.." He said slowly and purposefully.
 
Vivian's breathing stopped. Fingers of blue light pressed into her throat, and the skin bled under the abrasion. Pain joined the cacophonous singing in her mind to blot out any form of conscious thought that remained in the woman. She needed to move, to tear at the bindings around her throat, but she was unable to. A single command, given in something resembling a voice that was certainly not her own, resounded in her mind. Imbibe. Her arm was pulled from under her, her shoulder ached at the unnatural and sudden movement. The captive limb was directed towards Mavo, the closest person to Vivian. Tendrils of blue light emerged from her fingertips for a fraction of a second, arching through the air before becoming lengths of dark, rusted chain. The shift occurred in both directions, a heavy span of chain appearing wrapped around Vivian's arm. Her other arm, her only support, was yanked across her chest and kept there under the forming chains. She collapsed onto Arthur's corpse, unmoving in spite of the slowly fading sensation of agony.

The free end of the chain lashed about through the air, animated with unnatural, jittery motions. It seemed to move of its own accord, winding back and forth like a metal serpent before fixating entirely on Mavo. Its length steadily grew, compensating for the distance to its target, and perhaps the size of the demon it intended to consume. Warm to the touch and only growing hotter, the ravenous chain lashed out at the demon. Devoid of intelligent control, it swiped through the air for any part of its target's body that it could begin to constrict. Vivian was vaguely aware of something happening above her, the slight tug of her ability's motions was the only thing to move her. She was grateful for that in only a purely instinctive way, though the difference between being disturbed by the chains and disturbed by an angry demon was miniscule.
 
Mavo dodged about, slipping around the seemingly endless stream of dark magic projectiles. His movement, however, was interrupted by Sam's charge. He kicked the man away, but breaking from his dodging for even had second had proven dangerous. A bolt of dark magic struck his chest, devouring the cloth and the flesh beneath it, and revealing a patch of charred bone. He rolled away from Alana in an attempt to dodge further blasts, but he felt a strange numbness wash over him. Something seemed to be jamming his telepathy, and he felt the muscles in his throat constrict, barring speech. Perhaps it was the dark magic... no, the first bolt hadn't hampered him in such away. The demon's grey eyes flashed to Sam. The man had bound his powers somehow. He tightened his grip, flipping one stake into an inverted position and began rushing towards the old man. Again, however, something impeded his movement.

He felt his left arm yanked away, pulling him backwards onto the ground. Vivian's chain had begun coiling around the limb. He stared at the bound limb, feeling a warm heat emanating from the chains. For a moment, he heard an unearthly singing in the depths of his mind, and then the drain began. It was clear the chains were not only serving to bind him, but also sucking the very life force from his being. His eyes followed the rusted length of chain to it's source, the small girl who had stumbled earlier. For a moment, he tugged at the arm, but escape from the bindings seemed impossible. His eyes flashed around wildly to his other assailants. To stay in one place was to die, that was certain, especially with his magic bound just as much as his body. Without hesitation, the demon rammed the stake in his free hand through his own elbow and twisted it violently, tearing at the flesh. In an instant, he dashed away from Vivian, the sound of ripping tendons filling the air as he tore off his own limb, leaving the severed arm entangled in Vivian's chains. Mavo dashed into the forest, blood spurting from his severed arm. He swept through the trees. Surely there was a limit on the old man's magic, he'd have to wait that out before he made any motion to attack again.


The smoke seemed to reenter Domino's body as quickly as it had spread. For a moment, he looked at Vivian. He had not expected such a power from the woman, but now was not the time to marvel. Their target was escaping, though he had been severely handicapped. He smiled, sheathing the two combat knives and producing a short axe of polished steel with a pendulum-shaped blade from his coat. There was a clicking sound as the weapon was attached to the chain in his armguard. "No worries, I'll finish this up." As soon as he spoke, Domino again dissolved into a cloud of grey smoke that flew into the recesses of the forest after Mavo. A trail of blood showed the path the demon had taken.
 
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Annabel looked toward Maximilian as he spoke. It seemed he was a man of relatively few words, but she was a bit intrigued at the man who had seemingly shown up out of nowhere. His accent was strange to her, but if his demeanor was any indication, she was fairly certain he could fight. She nodded when he spoke. They couldn't be led astray by something so trivial. To falter over something so small was unforgivable. Her eyes glanced to Elias. It seemed he had been the most bothered by the jeering crowd. Honestly, she felt bad for the boy. She had died young, but he was still a practically a child. She wondered what could have become of him in his past life, but shook off her curiosity for the moment. She pondered for a moment on what to ask Miranda. What were these demons? What were the requirements to move on? How many of these things would have to die before she could finally rest? A thousand questions raced through her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to ask any of them.



Miranda turned toward Maximilian and nodded. "An excellent outlook to have." Her eyes, invisible beneath the golden visor of her helmet, turned to the Gate. "If there's nothing else, I will begin the briefing." The Captain paused for a moment. "The demon you will be facing is called Aniani. She has gained the moniker of the 'Maiden of Glass' as you can imagine from that title, she has the ability to manipulate and shape glass according to her will. She once resided here, but like so many became misguided and fell to the dark. She currently resides in an abandoned cathedral. I must warn you, do not let her appearance or her words fool you. She may try to convince you of her sanity, she may even try to lead you away from this path, but know that she is a demon, and has been the end of several others who have hunted her. I recommend extreme caution, because the area she has chosen as her abode amplifies her power a great deal, if only by the sheer amount of glass at her disposal."


She took a breath. "Onto the more general. Upon defeating Aniani, her soul will be left behind as a physical remnant. This remnant must be returned so that her lost spirit may be cleansed. If, for some reason, one of you falls in battle with the demon, know that your soul is connected to this place through the power of the Archangel. You will be returned here, but your Soul's Clarity will likely suffer. Thus, I recommend you be as careful as possible." The Captain touched the arch of the Gate. "This is the Gate of Argyle. It can transport you to your destination. Upon completion of your duty, it will also return you to this place." She turned towards the group. "If there are no questions regarding your mission, you may proceed." The Gate again sparked to life, filling the room with it's radiance. The pale white light formed a wall. It seemed to be functioning as well as ever. Whatever had damaged it had been a temporary effect, it seemed.
 
Alana's barrage stopped in an instant. The smoke of Domino's form slipped away between the trees, following the trail that Mavo clearly left behind. Alana's mouth twisted into an ugly snarl. She wouldn't let Domino get away this time. Without stopping to think, Alana rocketed into the thick forest, weaving between the trees, kicking up bloodied dirt and moss behind her. She would beat Domino to the injured demon or die trying.

Shadows ruled Alana's vision, the light blocked out by the thick canopy above. Her arms and legs pumped madly, and sweat thickened on her brow. Her throat felt raw from the screaming she had done, and now her jaw was sore from clenching it too hard. Mavo couldn't have gotten far, but she hadn't seen him nor Domino. The smoke was moving too fast. She wouldn't make it. A moment's break in concentration was all it took for her foot to land improperly, and her legs buckled underneath her, sending her flying to the forest floor once again.

She had really only been running for a minute or two, but now, lying in the middle of Mavo's blood trail, Alana wept into the silence of the forest.
 
Ebayan rushed over to Vivian after Stross and Mavo, followed by Alana, dart off into the woods. "Come on, get up. So, that's your power, huh? Didn't seem like you had much control over it. Here, let me help." He had witnessed firsthand the agony her power put her through. A touch on her forehead gave her at least a few seconds of reprieve, shutting down her ability enough to at least let her get her bearings.

"We can't let our comrades go off alone. We need to help them. I need you to help me help them," he said soothingly. "You ready?"
 
Elias's eyes wandered over the other members of the mission uneasily. Maximilian had said, "Why let the misbegotten individuals lead us astray..." Misbegotten. Graeff had never been more thankful for English classes and his disciplined attention in school. Maximilian wasn't particularly fallacious in his words, but Elias sincerely hoped the group contained no such person to tear them off the right path. He shivered. The last thing he wanted was to live a miserable eternity.

Miranda briefed the somewhat oddly-assembled squad on the aspects of the mission, and Elias hung onto every word. Do not believe the false prophet, he surmised. Listen to the crazy glass lady, and you're all fucked. Curiouser and curiouser to Elias. Their target was Aniani the Maiden of Glass; like glass, Elias anticipated that she'd be easily broken and fragile, but sharp when shattered. How the hell would they kill her? Graeff supposed the obvious. Distancing himself from the windows at all costs would be his best option for survival. The mission would be like the Zelda series: slay a difficult beast at the risk of life and in the pursuit of good things, and receive an important artifact crucial to victory. The Gate of Argyle buzzed to life and casted its light on the room and the people in it. The mission begun.

Elias was the first to step forward. His fingers gingerly tapped the surface of the Gate, and it rippled in response to his touch. Here goes nothing... He closed his eyes, and with a heavy, audible inhale, he pushed himself through the Gate.
 
The chains fell to the ground, wrapped around Mavo's discarded arm. They writhed, tightening around the dying flesh and cutting into it with the battered links of the chain. After a few seconds of desperate feeding, they were no longer satisfied with the ruined meat, and released. One by one, the links of the chain evaporated into sparks of blue light, each one tearing away a piece of its length. Maggot-like fingers of soft metal wiggled at the ends of each broken link, before joining their brothers in returning to the ether. The dissipation crept its way up the chain towards Vivian, taking its dear time and siphoning what it could for safety following a failed consumption.

Vivian's eyes turned, unfocused, to look at Sam, but whatever the man was saying to her went unheard. The singing was starting to quiet down now, she knew that meant it was almost over. Either for her or the chains, it didn't matter anymore. When Ebayan touched his hand to her forehead, the singing stopped. She was surprised to have silence in her own thoughts, her head felt so empty. A second passed, and a fearful, pitiful wail came from deep within her. She as not sure if it was her own, or the chains, because at that moment she began to breathe. Responding to a new threat, the chains exploded into vibrant streaks, retreating immediately beyond the veil of blue. Vivian started to cry out at the pain, but instead choked as she struggled to take in fresh air through a fit of coughs. Her discomfort slowly faded, restricted only to the dull ache of her nearly crushed throat. Her left hand went to the darkening marks left by the chain, feeling the damage. There was no time to collect herself. The cleric sat up, the front of her dress now covered in blood, to say nothing of her. For now, it was only Arthur's, and that was fortune enough. Sam was saying something again, probably orders, her hearing was coming on its own time. The word help stood out to her, as it always did, and she understood what needed to be done. Lurching forward, Vivian pushed herself to her feet and wobbled there for a moment before getting her stability. Somehow, this whole process felt familiar. "Uh huh," she said dully, not entirely sure what she was accepting. "I will assist." Weakness resounded throughout her body, more than from suffocation alone she felt purely drained, but the two of them had to press on. There was danger in the forest, if she remembered correctly.
 
The cloud of dark grey smoke followed after Mavo with surprising speed, primarily because it did not have to worry about obstacles. The demon took to the trees, darting from limb to limb in an effort to escape his newly acquired shadow, but it seemed to no avail. No matter how fast he ran, the smoke seemed to remain mere feet behind him. They were deep within the forest by now, the the already treacherous landscape seemed to grow more and more impassable the farther they went. Suddenly, the thick foliage broke into a secluded clearing. Mavo lept forward with inhuman strength, seeking to propel himself all the way across the opening and further into the forest. As he made his jump, however, Domino rematerialized, taking a solid form at the edge of the clearing. "Not so fast." The sound of whirling gears cut through the air as the assassin tossed his axe forward, the chain extending forth from his armguard. The weapon flew clean over Mavo, seeming to miss by just a hair. "Gotcha." Domino's free hand flew to his armguard, flipping some sort of switch in the clockwork contraption. The gears whirred vigorously, yanking the axe backward and hooking it's curved edge cleanly into Mavo's shoulder. The force pulled the demon back, toppling him to the ground in the center of the clearing before the axe tore itself free from his flesh.


Stross dropped down from the tree line, walking casually towards his wounded opponent while twirling his axe in a slow circle by it's chain. "Where did you think you were running off to? Did you really think I'd let you go so easily?" The demon found his way to his feet despite the inconvenience of having lost a limb. His grey eyes turned toward the assassin as he felt the old man's spell begin to fade. Again, his telepathy began functioning. "To fight me alone, so far from your comrades... Perhaps you have a death wish? A shame, you will not receive that peace." As the last word crossed through Domino's mind, a stake came whizzing toward his chest. He vanished into a puff of smoke, rematerializing a few feet from the demon. "Cmon, at least make this fun." The assassin laughed, lunging forward with a swift swing of his axe. The demon met the strike with a swift parry from a newly drawn stake. Domino smirked, and a battle between the two commenced, the sound of ringing steel filling the clearing.
 
Sam led Vivian through the woods, where they came upon Alana lying in a pool of Mavo's blood. She seemed unfocused, distraught. "Alana! What happened, where's Mavo?"

She was weeping, and did not immediately answer.

The old man scanned his surroundings, taking in the blood trail on the grass and the sound of steel on steel in the air. It seemed Stross was once again engaging the demon. He could reasonably pinpoint their direction by the sound alone.

"We need to help Stross. Alana, you still have a fight in you? We need a full-on magical assault on that demon. Vivian and I can flank him from the sides immediately after."
 
Maximilian listened closely to the lady before nodding and following behind those around him. He knew the time was finally here for him to kill again. He did not like death but in the past he used it as a means to an end. Now it was bent on his future life. He refused to be swept up in darkness like so many of him comrades. It was finally here, a chance for redemption and he grasped it and held on for his life. He pressed through the gate and felt the substance move around his body. It felt alien and unknown to him and it made him squirm. He shrugged it off and pressed forward farther into the portal before coming out on the other side. Immediately he unslung his LMG/Rifle and loaded a magazine into it. His eyes seemed to gleam as the studied their surroundings.
 
Alana continued to stare at the ground, the demon's blood slowly drying on her chest and arms and sobs wracking her body. She wanted to snap back at him, she really did, but everything she could think of turned to ash in her mouth. Domino doesn't need help. Whether or not that was true, it was thanks to her that Mavo was so gravely injured. I can't help you. Again, grossly untrue. It wasn't like her to deny her abilities. The fact that her inner voice was telling her such things was troubling. What does it matter if Domino dies? Sure, it was true that they'd be reborn under normal circumstances, but it was entirely possible that the Gate was still out of commission. That could make all the difference. She would never forgive herself if she let another of these lost souls die. I don't have any fight left in me. Bullshit. Just go, leave me behind. Did she really want to let Domino hog all the glory?

That last one got her eyes into focus. Hell no was she letting that bastard take on Mavo alone, not after all this! A slow, deep breath helped calm her down, and slowly she got to her feet. Her leg was sore from the fall and she was bruised and scraped in a few places, but it was nothing to be concerned about. "Yeah..." she said, "let's go." And with that, she took off into the forest once more.
 
The sound of ringing steel cut through the silent forest as Mavo and Domino continued. The assassin darted about quickly, dodging the thrusts of the demon's stake. He struck at every opening he was given. A swift cut to the leg, a sliding hack at the monster's ribs. He was making progress on killing this thing, when he heard footsteps in the distance. "Well, dear friend, it seems our little scrap has come to an end, hope you enjoyed it." He dashed forward. This would be over before the rest of them got there. He'd finish Mavo off just before they arrived. He vanished into a cloud of smoke, phasing through the demon's counterattack and appearing mere inches from his face. With a swift move of his knife, he disarmed his opponent. "Tough luck, eh?" As he spoke he brought the axe down cleanly into the demon's forehead. THe crunch of shattered bone and porcelain rang out as the creature fell to his knees, the mask crumbling away.


Mavo's true face was revealed. He looked oddly human, though his face bore many scars and seemed drained. A piece of cloth was tied around his mouth, seemingly as some form of gag. A thin line of blood ran from the top of his forehead where the axe had pierced it. The assassin pulled the axe from the creature's head, and immediately froze. He heard a voice swell up within his head. "You should not underestimate your enemies." In a single motion, Mavo's hand flew to his mouth, ripping the gag away. The demon's jaws opened wide, ripping his cheeks as it spread to an inhuman width. An ear-piercing screech cut through the entirety of the forest. Domino felt his muscles constrict around his bones. His entire body froze in place. How had he been so stupid? His axe slipped from his hand, hanging by it's chain.



Mavo rose up, a dark aura surrounding him, and actually spoke for the first time. "Tell them to send more dogs." Blood ran down the man's torn cheeks as he spoke. He ripped another stake from his stomach. Domino tried to force his body to move, but to no avail. ~Shit...~ The demon ran the stake through his abdomen, piercing his diaphragm and running all the way through to his back. He felt the pain aching out from the wound as his muscles began to go limp. He dropped to the ground, blood pooling beneath him. His hat dropped to the ground a few feet in front of him as he coughed, choking as blood leaked from his mouth. "You... bastard..."
 
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Vivian ambled along after her guide, her strange gait snaking paths through the forest. Vaguely, she recalled that moments ago the forest had been a place of excitement. The fear had become intoxicating, and for a few moments she was back, back in... the name was gone, the memory of even recalling the name was fading. The darkened blanket of green that surrounded the two of them as they made their way was no longer ominous and foreboding. In her stupor it had become surreal, otherworldly. It was a canvas that she was unable to reach out and touch, mostly because her arms suddenly felt so heavy and weak. Lucidity would come back to her in bursts, cooling and soothing, and she would remember to follow Ebayan faster in order to keep pace.

Before long, he stopped up ahead, and she saw that they had come upon a woman laying in the trail of blood they were following. Familiarity dictated that her name was Alana. Part of the fight that had recently transpired. Ebayan had reached her first, and although she was covered in blood he didn't seem concerned with her well being. Oh, that's right. They were dead, maybe wounds didn't matter? No, her own neck was very truly damaged, and her entirety felt drained. Vivian walked towards the downed woman, noting that the source of the blood on the ground had moved on. For her dirtied appearance, Alana did not bear any immediately obvious physical trauma. She still had all of her limbs, which was fairly high on the mental checklist for someone whose only medical experience was battlefield clearance and triage. Before she could offer proper help, the woman had climbed to her feet and taken off into the woods. Slowly, Vivian's head between the path through the forest and Sam, searching for some sort of signal to move on.

The signal came in a scream, radiating through the woods and rattling her ears with its volume. Breathing became difficult, her chest did not want to move. Her body felt heavier even than before, as though the weights tied to her were now being pulled. She could no longer will herself to move, it was as if the action was being resisted by her own muscles. After a silent, breathless second, the effect passed, and she breathed in in appreciation of the restored faculty. There was no doubt, the sound had come from the demon they'd been told to hunt. Without being bidden, she set off after Alana at her slow, wandering pace.
 
Ebayan burst into the field at a dead run, just as Stross fell to Mavo's attack. With Alana and Vivian behind him, he hoped they had arrived in time to save their comrade. He had his doubts concerning the will and mental fragility of his two other companions, but right now Stross needed help and fast.

The old man leaped ahead and caught the falling Stross, his touch negating the paralysis that had overcome him...not that it mattered with an iron spike sticking out of his gut. He gently set the man down. Expertly, accustomed to battlefield injuries, he assessed the injury in the blink of an eye. The spike was probably the only thing keeping Stross from bleeding out faster; it would have to stay in place. Given its location, it was likely fatal...or at least ran the risk of forcing him back into soul-stuff.

Since no one knew if the Gate was operational, Ebayan figured the best move was to stabilize Stross. With Mavo mere feet away, he would have to buy Vivian time to work what skill she could. Ebayan drew his blades and swung out at the demon, steel on steel, and seemingly dancing with the nimble creature.

"Alana, I need fire support! Vivian -- help Stross!"

He looked around him for anything that could even the odds with one of their number down.

A nearby tree, seemingly dead and rotting, was bent precariously.

Maybe....

Ebayan became a flurry of motion, his strikes coming faster and harder. Mavo parried them all, but had to step back each time. The old man directed the demon's retreat toward the tree until he spun on his heel and planted a sidekick into the demon's stomach. Mavo crashed hard into the rotting tree, the force alone snapping a large branch off and dropping it on his head.

"Attack now!"
 
A high-pitched scream cut through the forest, the source growing closer as Alana ran. For a moment Alana bitterly wondered if it was Domino's scream, but the noise was too inhuman. The raw aggression in that noise made it sound somewhat familiar to her ears. Not that she had much time to ponder it; once again she found the ground rushing towards her face. At least this time she managed to land on her knees. Assuming it had been another root that had tripped her, Alana tried to jerk herself to her feet, but found her muscles paralyzed for a terrifying few seconds. Of course...the demon's attack. Domino was closer than any of them, so he must've taken the brunt of it. She had to admit, it gave her a twisted sense of satisfaction, enough to wait out the paralysis.

As soon as her muscles stopped constricting, she jumped back up, shook out the rest of the numbness, and continued down the trail. She burst into the clearing in time to see Mavo get beaned by a dead branch and to hear Sam's order. She wasn't feeling sassy enough for a "with pleasure" or something along those lines, but she did nod to show she heard it. She had enough distance between her and the demon. She held up her arms, and the dark sparks flew, a beam heading straight for Mavo's side.
 
The last person into the clearing, Vivian nodded dimly at Ebayan's command. Stross? Domino. She connected the name to the man laying pierced in a pool of blood. Keeping a careful eye on Mavo and the fight ensuing around him, she made her way over to the downed man. He was in bad shape. A metal spike through the inside was no doubt incredibly painful, to say the least of the danger the man was in, and Vivian herself lacked any sort of medical tools. Calmly, she stooped to pick up the man's hat and laid it on his chest. The sound of wood shattering pulled her head back over to the fight, and she shuffled nervously for a moment as she weighed her options. There was no moving Domino, but something about setting down and tending to wounds in the middle of battle didn't seem sane. She shrugged off the feeling, Alana and Sam were keeping the demon at bay. Resolved, she knelt down at the wounded man's side, taking a closer look at his injuries through her dirtied glasses. Everything flowed from hazy familiarity, she had done this before, somewhere. "Hey," she said, trying to engage him. "Can you still speak?" An assassin didn't seem the panicking type, but the circumstances were not ordinary, and so she wanted to hold his attention during treatment. There were no bandages around, that was the first problem. Her left hand crept to her neck, feeling her bloody scarf. It was a poor option, but by virtue of being an option it was her best choice. She released the man's hat, which she'd been holding against him, and took the scarf from around her neck to place it on Domino's bleeding torso. Already, red spilled through the thin blue fabric, but it was better than nothing. Her trembling hands pushed the garment against him, but gently, for fear of restricting what could easily have been damaged lungs.
 
The branch fell onto Mavo with force, but the demon seemed to shrug off his injuries. Blood still ran down his head from where Domino's axe had connected, and his stub of an arm didn't seem to be slowing it's bleeding at all. As he rose from beneath the limb, a hot beam of dark magic flew towards him. He lept forward, the blast just grazing his back. Still, because of it's intensity, the magic singed away both cloth and flesh from Mavo's side. He took a step towards Sam, some sort of sick smile curling across his now disfigured face. He hacked out a sort of dry, strained laughter. "If you only knew... If you only knew what it all meant... There will be no escape for you... no peace... you will rot for eternity." As the demon finished his last word his mouth opened wide again, and again he shrieked. As he did so, he dashed toward Sam, plunging a stake forward toward his stomach.




Everything was growing dim. The world appeared as ripples of movement in a blurred landscape. Darkness was closing in. He heard a muffled voice that seemed far away, and felt someone touch him. Everything grew darker. Domino, shaking, pale, and now covered in sweat and blood, began mumbling. "Not again, no, not this again." As he spoke, a green aura surrounded him, flecks of crimson beginning to cover it like blood spatter. For a moment, everything was dark, but he heard a voice. "Can you still speak?" He strained to breath. He was still alive, or as alive as he could be in this place. He choked for a moment, a thin line of blood running from his lips. His vision began to refocus, and he could see the girl sitting above him, tending to his wounds. "V-Vivian?" He gritted his teeth, his hand going towards the stake still lodged in his midsection. His eyes glanced first to his wound, which Vivian seemed to be tending to the best she could. Next he looked towards where Mavo had been, seeing the demon now locked in combat with the other two members of the party. He tried to force himself to sit up, but to no avail. His eyes ran down the bloody scarf wrapped around his chest. The assassin smirked and spoke weakly. "Shit... Sorry for ruining your scarf."



Annabel took a deep breath and shut her eyes, walking through the Gate. As soon as she took the step, the world seemed to melt around her, and was quickly replaced with a new one. The group stood at the base of a rocky bluff. A path of ruined cobblestone lay in front of them, leading up to a large, but obviously long abandoned, cathedral. Behind the building was a sheer cliff leading into the sea. Here they were. The former executioner spoke up, looking around at her compatriots. "I'm guessing that church up ahead is where we're going. First, though, shouldn't we know what our allies are capable of?" He looked as Maximilian readied his gun. She'd never seen a weapon like it before, and was frankly uncertain of just how it worked. She shifted the large sword on her back.
 
Ebayan spat out blood after the spike entered his abdomen. Fiery pain ripped through him. Through the agonizing haze, he grabbed Mavo's hand, still on the spike intended to kill him. Then he pulled the demon close, running his own short blade into his stomach, giving him a matching wound.

"...I've been fighting monsters like you all my life," the old man growled weakly, but with unbroken pride in his tone. "Eternity suits me just fine." He shoved Mavo away, leaving the sword in his torso. He dropped his other sword and fell to his knees, gripping the bloodied spike and trying to stay conscious.
 
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