Embers (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Mu]

There was nothing else they could do the fire demon could think of from the top of his head. But anything apart from what they had was fine. "I- I do not know..." Phynex looked overwhelmed with extreme worry, his hands still rested on her shoulder, shaking from anxiousness as he spoke to her at length. "But this is not the only way, I know this is not the safest path to take," he murmured, a tone of fright slowly creeping into his voice. The fire demon's voice had almost cracked. Images of a possible, grim future for the huntress kept flashing in his mind. As a demon who was often happy and joyful in his daily routine and his life in general, these images terrified him. Like living nightmares, pictures he did not want to see but he knew deep inside his twisted heart might happen.

"As Lloyd said, he is willing to do anything to save his own mother. I am willing to do anything to keep that from happening to you." Phynex had cast his features down, only to look up back in her with an earnest expression. It was determined, willing, a person who was going to sacrifice a lot to do what he wanted to do; and to Phynex it was to protect the huntress, even if she didn't understand why. Sometimes, he didn't understand either, why he would go to such lengths for someone he only knew for months. She wasn't like the fire nymph he cared about all those centuries ago and yet she was still as important, if not more.

He could feel something cold trailing down his arms, his forearms where the huntress had grasped back. Glancing down, it was her fingers, moving along the tanned skin and seemingly chilling him to the bone. As a fire demon, the sensation of cold had never been known to him for long. A foreign sensation that was introduced to him by Selene. He had been surprised to know someone who could make him feel new feelings that he didn't understand at all. "Because- because even if I am part of this tier of demons... I do not have much. I never had much, my parents left me no inheritance." He shuffled his feet, trying to come up with the right words to convey his thoughts. "I am protective over what little I have, I do not take them for granted. And I definitely do not want to lose them." On a whim, the fire demon moved his hands from her shoulder to her back, drawing her in for a hug. His arms were firmly wrapped around hers, but tight with a vice grip. Phynex felt warm, he felt happy knowing Selene was safe for now. But at the same time he was also shaking worrying about the future.

 

[Hana]

The girl blinked slowly at him, her eyes openly displaying her confusion for once. Selene felt lost, what did she ever do for him to be so willing to sacrifice a lot for her? She could tell that the look in his eyes that he wasn't speaking empty words. These were not the words of a man who carelessly tossed out promises he wouldn't keep. And all over whether she would be safe or not, spurred on by the idea of that incubus. Even when he told her that, in a voice that shook not with uncertainty, but with fear and determination both, she still couldn't understand.

It felt as if a stone had dropped in her stomach. Her heart felt wound up and tight, far too tight and brimming over with confusion and conflicted feelings. Selene couldn't even tell what she was feeling now. She couldn't read herself. And that was staggering, how could she not know herself well enough? On top of not understanding why Phynex was looking at her with the devotion of one who would go so far just for her, her own heart was unreachable. These feelings surely had names, but they weren't revealed to her. All her studying and her experience hadn't let prepared her for anything like this.

"You... You..." She was just as tonguetied as him, unable to come up with any words as she listened. "You have me?" Sitting there, she could only murmur questioningly. His arms were tight around her, Phynex bent down to gather her in them and pulling her towards him. There were many things she wanted to ask now, like the way he had mentioned his parents. And how little he owned, or had. Distantly, she remembered him mentioning something similar. About how he never had much when he had lived in Phantisamine, and how he only had one person there he had considered a friend.

Drawn up against his chest, Selene blinked, the side of her face pressed against his neck. She could feel the steady beating in her chest quicken. Quickening beats, like the thrumming of a bird's wings. At the same time, the fire demon holding her close was trembling. His grip was tight, like a vice grip, pressing her closely to him. He had pinned her arms to her sides, but despite that, she didn't feel trapped. Slowly, she eased her arms out of his grip, her hands coming up to rest against his back.

She had long learned that Phynex enjoyed touch. If it weren't for she, she who shied away from contact, drawing away from most people, he could have felt much more appreciated. The only time she had clung to the fire demon was during those bewildering moments when she had nearly watched him drown. Was that what he was feeling now? The fire demon was lingering on grim thoughts of the future, a future that only he could picture. From how he shook against her, it was almost like completely silent sobs. Except it wasn't.

"Thank you..." Maybe she didn't understand, but she could guess at what he meant. Since when had he come to see her as his? His partner? His friend? Did that really make way for this sort of protection? She reached up to ruffle his hair, before turning her head and leaning in to whisper softly in his ear. "For not taking me for granted." Selene wasn't sure what that meant, but maybe she could hope. For this one time, she could hope that what he meant was... "You won't lose me." Her voice was firm as she pulled back, still close enough to look deeply into his eyes. "Because I clearly have someone to come back to."

And for the first time, instead of him leaning in, she let her lips brush over his cheek. For those fleeting moments, her lips tingled slightly at feeling the warm skin of her partner, before she pulled away. "But we have work to do, and I need you to do your best helping us." The girl looked imploringly into Phynex's eyes, silently asking him to trust her.

 

[Mu]

"Yes, I have you." He bluntly stated, the fire demon was not toying with her, or joking with the huntress. His expression held no room for someone who was playing around. For this brief moment, Phynex felt at peace. In this house, in his arms, the huntress could never be taken away by the incubus. Away from the den, away from all the problems even if it was for a short amount of time. Even though they both knew they needed to leave soon in order to track down this havoc-causing demon. The outside world was dangerous, but the inside world was safer. Phynex's own heart was beating quickly, thumping in his chest accompanied by the aching feeling of fearing Selene might be lost to him. He had never truly explained why he felt this way to her, in doing so he felt a little better, more hopeful. Hopeful that she now understood his way of seeing their relationship and what he felt for the huntress.

The fire demon knew that they had come a long way to be this close to each other. Before, they were just two beings getting used to each other. The feeling of working with a demon and a human, being stared at or being questioned. Their lives becoming busier and crowded with the meeting of their new friends. As they travelled and fought in the city of Lumist, the fear of seeing each other dying was enough for the two of them to cling onto each other. That was a day, the fire demon had thought, where another strong link was bonded between them. And during that time he relished her touch, feeling more appreciated and more accepted than ever before, even if it was embarrassing for others to see.

But he also knew she had a slight phobia of touching. He had become accustomed to her shying away from him, no longer open for hugs or holding hands even in private. The feeling of Selene ruffling his hair made the fire demon shiver, not in fear but in silent delight, almost as if he was an attention-starved feline, making his mood a little bit more uplifted. The fire demon drew back slightly, blinking at the huntress. Hearing her words, that she now knew about why he was so protective and defensive, made Phynex smile softly. It was a small smile, but it made his nervous and still frustrated face light up.

As someone who usually initiated contact, the fire demon was surprised to see the huntress move in, even stranger to feel a spreading burning sensation across his cheek. Like fire, but not like fire. He easily connected it to the warm fluttering feeling he would always experience whenever Selene did something. The feeling he couldn't understand and was too afraid to admit to anyone. It was a sensation he somewhat liked even in these small amounts, it was enough for the fire demon to feel as if he was in heaven. Phynex sniffed, "Promise me we will get rid of Adulio together? With Golem and Belinda?" He didn't want her to go to that incubus' side, ever. He wanted them to fight him and win.

 

[Hana]

Relief spread throughout her chest as she spotted that small smile, the huntress nodding at his question. "I don't make promises..." She leaned back, giving his hair one last ruffle and sighing. "But we will kill him." Phynex very much acted almost like a child, with those eyes looking at her. But it was clear that his words and his worry weren't childish at all, and while he continued on holding on to her, she offered him another small smile. She realized, then, that he was painfully adorable acting like this. It was hard not to smile, after they had put past their earlier argument.

Now that it was over, she felt lighter. With no anger or disagreement hanging between them, she could focus easier on the predicament at hand. Selene placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back to stand up. Clearing the smile from her face, she looked up at him before grabbing his hand. "Let's go, then."

She took another glance at the room they had found themselves in. It was small, with the two bunk beds pushed off to the farthest side of the wall. The window itself was casting some light into the room, where the bunk bed was close to. Their bags and cases were still outside, with Belinda and Golem in the main room of the cabin. A few specks of dust hovered where the beams of light poured in, the movements of the huntress and her partner disturbing them. "Let's get our bags later."

Her hand still clutching his, she moved to the door, unlocking it with a soft click. She pushed it open, peering down the hall. The other two hadn't come into here yet, most likely conversing with the villagers back in the first room. Glancing at Phynex, she eyed their linked hands. There was nothing bad about letting him hold her hand. For the time that they weren't at work yet, though she wondered if this was betraying professionalism. Tugging him along, she headed back to the first room.

As soon as she opened the door, the people who were quietly watching Andreas and Lucas, along with the apothecary's son, debate with Golem and Belinda turned in their direction. Their faces showed hints of surprise upon glimpsing the two, who had earlier been arguing. Phynex had been aggressive, growling and snapping at Lucas and glaring back at Selene. It was probably unexpected to them to see him look much calmer, though still worried.

"Anything we missed?" Directing the question at Belinda, the white haired girl arched an eyebrow at her. She closed the door behind them, silently looking over the other people. The boy - who was closer to her age, so maybe she should stop calling him a child - appeared to be frustrated, scowling at Phynex as soon as the fire demon entered the room. When he saw her, he had immediately turned his glare away, his head whipping back around to look at the healer as well.

"'Linda, you and Golem aren't really fighters, are you? Aren't these two supposed to fight while you heal and Golem protects?" His words had the huntress' attention at once, making her blink at hearing the frustration in his voice. Maybe they had been discussing his plan of leading her and Belinda in, the one that Phynex had protested so vehemently to. "If she and Golem could protect you while you go in, you could find a way to help those women. For a few days, you could watch the villagers. Maybe you'd know something to help them, and we can make that potion. You could immediately escape with the others watching for you."

~-----~
​

The town hall was the heart of the village. With the incubus seizing control of the village's heart, and most of its lifeblood - the people themselves - Adulio had Southmount in the palm of his hand. There were other notable places in the village. The apothecary's shop and home, the baker's, and the butcher's. Lucas and his children had been forced out of their own home in the past months, the baker and his wife were loyal to the incubus, and the butcher had been killed by him to prove a point. The small inn there, usually where the hunters would have stayed, had also been taken over.

Shuffling along the streets under the weakening sunlight that didn't lift the deadened surroundings, aimless and hapless, were the villagers who were not as favored by Adulio. The favored ones were the ones he kept in the town hall most often, the supposedly prettiest women and men that he had fancied. Meanwhile, the rest of the village were still as loyal to him, but were kept moving, like broken clockwork, in a mockery of the village's former state. People milled about the pub and the streets, eating what little food was there with an eerie cheerfulness, as if nothing was wrong.

"This way," a young girl whispered in one of the smaller sidestreets. Hidden behind a stack of discarded crates, full of fruit, grain and vegetables long gone bad, four figures were huddled together. They ignored the flies that were circling above the crates, the ceaseless buzzing of the insects blending in with the cheerful and oblivious chatter of the villagers walking about. The girl, with short, roughly cut black hair, once again took a quick look, inching her head to peek past the crates. "It will be sundown soon, you two know the way already, right? Lloyd and I will look out for you."

In the past three days, they had ceaselessly come and gone to spy on the village's activity. Selene had been lent a nondescript cloak with a hood to hide her hair, trailing behind the children who dashed and crept the streets quietly or hurriedly. The healer, Belinda, had also come along a few times, to take a look at the state of the ensnared humans. Selene wondered if the healer had identified similar illnesses or conditions, or if there was a way to temporarily incapacitate these villagers without harming them.

It was in these ventures that the huntress had come to notice the strange feeling that pervaded the entire place. Not the sense of unease and lifelessness, that was already obvious, but the feeling that Colleen had haltingly spoke about. Maybe it was good that she was able to notice this, and notice any changes in her train of thought. Because she could have sworn that her feet would take her to the town hall if she didn't watch herself, something causing a feeling of being pulled towards where the incubus' 'home' was.

Is he trying to draw us towards him? He probably knew about her and Belinda by now, hearing from his many 'eyes' the white-haired girl and the small healer. She tugged the hood of the cloak further over her head with a small sigh. Her hair would stand out in the village. Unlike in the city of Nora, where there were people who colored their hair in more eye-catching shades, or in Lumist where people enjoyed so much freedom with themselves, Southmount was a simple village. The women here had hair that was pale blonde at its fairest, or as black as the raven at its darkest. Brown hair was the most prevailing color.

She briefly considered chopping off her hair much like Colleen had done. Quite frankly, she wondered if keeping her hair long was worth it at all. It could be grabbed, but she was often quicker than her enemies, which was why it had never been a problem. Being faster and more agile let her slip out of attempts at pinning her down or grabbing her, and she tied her hair up during work anyway. Then again, Jasper had told her she should keep it long, after she had grown it from shoulder length when they were younger. Why couldn't I have been born blonde like my mother? The other villagers had found it fitting to tell her Adulio would never forget her shade of hair. He probably would consider it as another thing to collect. He'd recognize her immediately if he ever spotted her.

And now this plan of walking right into the town hall. Lloyd's plan had prevailed, with Belinda's only condition making a potion similar to what had saved Colleen from being controlled. They had watched and waited, noting the times when certain places were easier to slip past by at certain times. The huntress had been surprised at the two siblings' ability. They were very capable of sneaking around, their light bodies, smaller than that of adults', making them quick on their feet.

Nodding at the disguised 'boy', she watched as Colleen darted out of their hiding place, leading the two hunters along the street with Lloyd. The two siblings looked alert, eyes scanning the place around them and immediately careful at any sudden noise. To help them, Selene had taught the two how to move more silently, and the results showed. Colleen had looked almost happy when she had managed to sneak past her brother, a hint of the child in her once again peeking out of the grim appearance. The huntress nudged Belinda to follow after them. The healer was going to be in between the other two, who would look out ahead, while she would watch for anyone behind them.

​

 

[Mu]

She had taken his hand and together they made their way back out of the bedroom into the lounge room, where the crowd of men and their friends remained. Upon entering the change of the air wavered from the slight happiness he felt from being with the huntress and her acceptance of him and twisted into the tension. He could tell something had happened when they had left, an argument most likely, with the boy who had lead them to the cabin looking infuriated with something. Belinda's face seemed to be apologetic, but firm on her own opinions. Her partner stood beside her, as still as a rock, listening to everything being said.

The brown haired girl blinked up at the huntress' voice, looking down at the clasped hands for a brief moment, a little spark igniting in her eyes upon realising the heavy and thick angry air around Phynex and Selene had dissipated. It made her smile inwardly, seeing a contract partner take the beginning steps together. A vast river with fast currents and stepping stones they needed to cross, to rely on each other and cross together, not to backstab and push the other person over where they could drown. The meaning of a contract between human and demon was a strong bond like a friendship that would allow them to work together in the face of danger. Most contract pairs understood this belief, but it took time to get to it.

"We were just discussing Lloyd's idea of having us two girls going in, but I don't think-" Belinda's head snapped back towards the boy at his interruption, eyes narrowing in slight annoyance. He was bent on that idea, believing that they would have the advantage if they could successfully infiltrate and assimilate into the women of Adulio for a few days to see how the gears turned. But at the same time - as Phynex had loudly protested - it was a big risk and a dangerous task. Yet there was no other idea that could be presented. "No, Lloyd. We aren't fighters as you would say, but please consider our safety as well." Her voice was stern, as if she was lecturing him. "If something were to happen to us in there, what would happen then? Maybe we should sneak in, but let's look at some ways into that..."

---
​

The fire demon and the other men were hidden in the alleyway, watching the equally as stealthy group of women moving closer and closer towards the town hall. Much to Phynex's disappointment, the plan that Lloyd had proposed was to be carried through. But now he knew he had to trust in Selene and their bond and their connection. At a moment's notice he would come in. He told her that if she ever needed his help, they could try to communicate with their contract connection. Just a small tug in his heart, a feeling that wasn't his, would be enough for the fire demon and his friend to move in.

During the past three days he was occupied with learning and studying the map of the city, discussing with the others what was the best way to get in and out. The design of the town hall, which remained unchanged since Adulio's reign, was laid out for the members of the cabin to analyse. Safe exits, each and every door, which window would be safe to jump out of. Their end goal was to either slay the incubus or trap him without losing the lives of their own people. And each and every night, before their friends would come into their shared room, the fire demon would shamelessly cling onto his partner as tightly as he could, silently praying for her success and her victory inside the den he could not go in himself.

Now, donning a brown cloak that was very common in the city for men and those who were not accepted into Adulio's harem, he watched Selene's every move intently. There were no women around, as predicted by the young boy. Since they were not always needed they were also known to walk around the town looking for escapees or mingling amongst each other and living 'normal lives'. But there was a certain period of time where the town hall was completely unguarded except for one or two of these harem members, leaving it open for them to sneak in if they were quick enough.

"Your white hair is too noticeable," he remembered the night before the day they were to sneak in. The woodcutter with the blind girl in his arms was looking at the huntress from head to toe. "Nobody in Southmount has fair hair like that," he mumbled, before putting the little girl down - who grabbed his pants instead - as he dug out some hooded cloaks for them to wear. Belinda could fit in perfectly with her earthly tones, but Selene was far too pale. Standing behind them and acting as a lookout with the other men, Phynex could barely recognise the huntress if not for her slightly darker cloak.

Belinda herself was ready, albeit a little nervous with her task. She had a prototype of the potion ready, and could easily adjust it if she could see what the incubus was doing with these women firsthand. Along with her bottle she had brought along a selection of plants, depending on what she saw would be the final ingredient to the liquid. She took a deep breath and nodded at their guide. "Yes, we're ready." Ahead was one of their ways in and it was unguarded. Perfect for them to quickly make their way into the town hall.​

 

[Hana]

Stepping out of the sidestreet, she cast once last look behind her, feeling a certain fire demon's eyes follow her group's movements. Hidden in the alleyway were the other men and the hunters' partners, waiting for the opportune time to begin their diversion. The prime time for that would be during sundown, when most people were grouped more closely to each other, frequenting the nearly empty and barren pub and clustering near their own homes. The villagers' range of sight would also be considerably smaller, making it easier to sneak past them, or escape after causing a ruckus. A ruckus that would turn Adulio's attention to places outside of the town hall, while the two huntresses would make their way inside.

Truth be told, Selene didn't think that Belinda's current potion - a prototype - would be enough. While purportedly, the healer, the apothecary, and his son had made good progress on recreating the mixture, how effective was it? Lloyd himself had admitted that he barely remembered what ingredients he had thrown together and the correct measures and procedure. He hadn't been able to write it down. But the healer was quite experienced with the ingredients and herbs in the area, working with the local apothecary further helping things along.

Yet even now that she had taken that potion, the feeling of Adulio's influence had only weakened. It made her head feel clearer, and she was much more aware of the small nuances the incubus' power had over the area. But that didn't make the influence fade away. It wasn't still completely safe, and only provided some resistance to the passive effects. Belinda herself had downed the same potion, but even she still looked uneasy about the upcoming task.

And so, just before sundown, the girl trailed after the healer. Despite the cloak that covered her hair and let her blend in with the darker areas, there was still an uneasiness that wouldn't let up. Before they had set out, the villagers had made her and Belinda wear villagers' clothes. Clothes that made Belinda feel uneasy, knowing that they were the very dresses and underskirts that the unfortunate women used to wear. The few knives and one dagger that was tucked and hidden under the layers of clothing she had on would be the only weapons she had if Adulio ever tried to attack her and Belinda. And Belinda was her responsibility, entrusted to her by an earth demon with eyes that hid his worry.

Her violet eyes narrowed from under her hood as she urged the healer on, the four of them going in a quick, silent, but punishing pace. It was only a matter of time until they then arrived at a side entrance of the town hall. When they came to the scene, the windows of the town hall were closed shut, heavy dark curtains keeping the light out. The interior must have been quite darkened, unless the lamps inside had already been lit. Yet the door was easily picked open, the children quickly ushering the hunters inside.

They closed the door carefully, carefully to avoid the slight creaking sound. That was nearly a feat in itself since the hinges hadn't been taken care of, and made Lloyd wince as it was finally shut. Selene looked at the part of the town hall they had entered. They had not yet come to the main hall. This was one of the smaller halls on either side, with a few doors leading to storage or stock rooms. It was dark, as expected. Selene blinked at the darkened surrounding in surprise. Yet unlike the rest of the village, the town hall was entirely clean and well-kept. There were no signs of neglect. There was a dim light coming from closer to the end of the hall way, swaying and flickering.

As they started walking down the hall, the closer they were to the end, the more sounds of human activity were heard. Female voices, talking in a relatively normal manner. The women inside the place were talking animatedly about something, the word 'my lord', or 'gifts' often being pitched in. Happy voices, eagerly sharing something with each other. Most of them young, ranging from adolescents to young adults. Yet there were a few voices that sounded distinctly more matured. From the looks on the siblings' faces, they recognized their mother's among the many speakers.

"We'll be waiting at the two escapes," Colleen whispered to Belinda, tugging on the healer's arm. In the dimness of the room, her expression was worried but determined. "It's up to you two now. If something wrong ever happens... I want you two to run." She bit her lip and looked down. "Be careful." The girl briefly pulled Belinda close to her, hugging the older girl before turning away. She walked towards where her brother was waiting without a look back.​

 

[Mu]

As soon as both the healer and the huntress disappeared through the side entrance of the building, the men who were ducking in the alleyway nodded. This was their time to shine. A little unfortunate that not all of the women were occupied with something else at the time, a few of them still having been spotted walking along the roads or laughing as they talked about their lord or other frivolous things. Phynex had noticed that they never once spoke about any other man other than the incubus they called their lord. Even if some of them were once the sisters or daughters or wives of some of the men who were hiding with him in these dark small paths. He could tell that they were missed members of this village society. Looking up, as he was crouched, he could see the longing, saddened expression on their faces as they cast their eyes upon passing women, only to steel themselves and prepare for their part of the plan to begin.

Even with a small amount of women walking about, it was enough for Selene and Belinda's presence to be quickly noticed if they were not careful. With insistence, the men offered to help divert the attention of the women. Though they were under the influence of the demon, it would not be a difficult task to overpower them or catch their attention - they simply needed to cause a ruckus. "I want to help," the fire demon remembered offering, finding this his opportunity to help out his partner. He could not come with her into the town hall, but Phynex could help in another way. And he knew that she could encourage him to do something, no matter how small.

Taking a deep breath, he waited for the signal. Another man, a friend to the woodcutter, was going to be their de facto leader, his face stern and concentrated, waiting for the perfect moment... He raised his hand, signalling the men to move forward. Without any concern for safety, the group charged into the nearest shops, breaking through display windows and tossing everything about, causing some of the women to scream in shock. During their meeting, Golem and Phynex had expressed concern as to destroying property, only to be waved off as these shops were once their own before they were kicked out of the village and forced to hide in the woodcutter's cabin. Rummaging through a jewellery shop, the fire demon and his friend peered behind them, spotting a small group of women gathering, looking angry and curious and shocked all at the same time. Attracting them was no problem, but keeping them there was a whole other thing.

"My lord, it seems that some of the men are causing a disturbance... by destroying the shops." One of the women approached him and bowed before her lord, not daring to look into his eyes, which looked like shimmering liquid gold. Perched on his lap was one of his favourites, dressed in some of the fanciest clothes he could provide, her arms looped around his neck and head resting on his bare chest. Adulio knew who she was, she was the woodcutter's wife. Before the incident, of course. It was even more amusing whenever wives came to him, knowing that they had previous engagements, bonded emotionally with another man, only for him to easily crush these mortal bonds. Funny how humans can say such serious vows, yet could easily be manipulated. All the kind sisters, the innocent daughters, the loyal wives - all of them were his. The only ones he didn't touch as of yet were the little children, far too innocent for him, but they could make some of the perfect soldiers he had ever seen. And better yet, none of his opponents would ever dare to hurt a child.

He chuckled, twirling a lock of the woman sitting on his lap's hair. "Let them be, they are just angry, that's all. "They should have known a long time ago that anything they do is useless. Now, Emenda," he cooed. "How are those hunters? Any movement from them?"

Emenda shook her hand disappointingly. "We have searched, but they do not seem to be active within the town itself. However, my lord, we can provide a good description of a few. I believe two are men, two are women. One of the women has quite noticeable hair, like white snow, my lord. The other one has quite typical brown hair, but it hangs down and from what I have seen is very long." She paused, looking thoughtful. "The men look similar from what I know, one of them has reddish-brown hair, and the other has very dark brown hair. Because we have not seem them in the town, the women could only provide descriptions of what they saw on the day of arrival... my lord?"

"White hair, you say? A rarity..."

 

[Hana]

We have to get as close to the incubus' resting place as we can without getting caught... As the children receded and left the two girls to their own devices, Selene stared at the other cloaked girl in the darkness. She lightly tapped Belinda's shoulder to let her know she was going on ahead, signalling the healer to follow her lead. Not hindered by the dimness of the hallway, the huntress picked her way across. Completely silent, with careful and measured steps, the two made their way across the darkened hall. As she ushered the healer about with light taps or nudges, she kept her eyes out for the doors that were kept closed along each side.

Her eyes flickered slightly in surprise as she spotted a few pieces of what looked to be fine art. The details weren't easily seen due to the lack of lighting, but there were a few paintings hanging from the walls. They were entirely out of place in the simplistic town hall, portraying landscapes of mountains, lakes, and pastoral scenes. Each of the paintings had nicely carved frames made from wood that under her fingers she could feel were smoothed and polished. These were the works of artists and craftsmen. And then there were the scents that hung in the air. Expensive perfume, most sweet and floral, and all cloying and thick. Along with the oddly humid and musky air, the heavy scents made the place feel all the more suffocating.

Gifts for women... Where could he have gotten these? Southmount was an all but dead village by now, there were few who went to it even before then. These items were clearly not originally of the villagers', since she had asked Lucas what the inside looked like. She had made him tell her every minute detail, so much that she knew the town hall's layout even through the complete darkness. And she had seen herself the more and more elaborate dresses the women would wear, standing out against the grim and dreary looking streets. Dresses made of silk, velvet, lace, and chiffon, from the thin and light material to the ones that were mostly ruffles and ribbons. All vibrantly colored, enough that the colors verged on being gaudy. Bright purples and blues, bold reds and yellows, along with the softer lavenders, pinks and blues. Where Adulio could have gotten such material was another concern.

After taking note of all the 'changes' the incubus brought to the place, they moved on. Silently, silently making their way through a town hall that was blocked off from light and its people, Selene and Belinda were on their own. She knew that Phynex and the others were making their move now that they had slipped in. In a foolhardy but admittedly distracting plan, the men outside were going to break in and steal from their own shops. If that wasn't going to rouse the incubus' attention, it was going to upset the women. Adulio barricading himself in the town hall could have been a sign of confidence that even if he did not step one foot out, the village was still going to crumble. It was well on its way to doing so, except now the remaining ones had a chance to fight back. Or alternatively, he was relying on the women surrounding him to be protection enough. With the hunters brought into the fray, he hadn't even made so much of an attempt as to seek them out past making his people look out for the hunters' recognizable traits.

The ever-unsettling feeling of something drawing her towards the incubus didn't abate. Flickering like a beacon to her senses was the incubus' demonic presence, announcing to the rest of the place where he was. With how much he was exerting his will over the people, even the villagers could tell just where the incubus was. His influence cast a strange haziness to the surroundings, a layer of unreality to the wood and stone, cloths and fabrics. Sights and sounds, scents and sensations. And it was disorienting to learn the extent of it that could go past one's notice, unless they were being careful and rightfully watching out. It was like an itch, a strange nagging sensation on the skin that wouldn't go away.

They glanced at each other as they reached a door that was slightly ajar. Selene motioned for the healer to stay back as she lightly pressed her palm on the door, pushing it open and looking in. A storage room? What looked like a storage room was laid out before them. In the darkness she could see the many boxes and containers on the shelves, a scent of staleness pervading the air. It smelled like stale bread and... Wine? She picked up on the scent, among the different ones of bread and harvest that had gone bad. The only thing that still smelled edible was the bread, and even that was stale. Had the incubus been feeding these people only bread and wine? She knew Southmount relied on its produce. They had livestock as well, what with the late butcher owning most of those. She had seen the animals kept in their pens, either just grazing, unaware, or diseased and dying. Whatever these people were eating, it wasn't enough and was unhealthy.

How do those women look like they do? Those women that walked in lavish and uncommon clothes, they didn't quite look as starved as they should be. The incubus couldn't leave them to starve to death or die of neglect, for they were his primary source of energy. Phynex had told her in low and unhappy tones, repeatedly, in the past days that if unchecked, an incubus strong enough could keep on taking energy indefinitely. They weren't exhausted by getting energy from victims, they thrived off of the feelings of lust and obsession, and affection. In the end she had realized that not all incubi were the exact same.

"They're in the main hall or upstairs." She spoke quietly, already knowing they wouldn't be heard. The women in the main hall wouldn't notice, and now she knew that Adulio was upstairs, where a few bedrooms, a small library, and spare rooms were. The town hall only had two stories, though the ceiling of the first floor, especially the main hall, was quite high.

Once again, she ushered the healer out of the storage room in silence, leading her towards the nearest flight of stairs. Inwardly, the girl frowned. The closest stairs would bring them quite close to the main hall, where the other women where. They could sneak past those women, they weren't even demons with enhanced senses. But she didn't know what changes the incubus could have given these humans. These women could be more watchful or wary than usual because they were worried for Adulio, or because he had told them to watch out. "Let's look at the other rooms that aren't occupied..."

They went from room to unoccupied room in the hall, opening and closing doors with nary a sound. Rummaging carefully through the storage rooms, finding the dresses that the incubus had given the women. Cups of wine had even been left out in some rooms. And there was that distracting scent that sometimes littered a room or a part of it, but she didn't comment, only silently moving on after noticing. It smelled like the women, or females, and reminded her of sweat.

When they finished, she let the healer go up the flight of stairs first, looking back behind them before taking the lead again. Once they arrived at the second story landing, the change was noticeable. There were lamps that were spaced far away from each other, lit and flickering about in the hall. Immediately, she rushed them away from the sound of footsteps, flat against the wall. Two women passed by them, and Selene reached out and drew more of the cloak over Belinda. She did the same for herself afterwards, ears pricked for the two talking ladies. Adulio, again. Of course. The other women that they sneaked past were, unsurprisingly, discussing the incubus. But interspersed with those were mentions of hunters.

Selene frowned as they approached ever closer to where the incubus was, eyeing the closed door. She could hear voices coming from inside the room. It looked like the incubus was talking with a woman. Because who else could that male voice belong to? It reminded her of the smooth hissing voice that Namah had, but somehow deeper and much more liquid. There was a certain quality to the voice...

 

[Mu]

Waiting a few minutes after the hunters made their way into the building, without anyone's knowledge, Lloyd cloaked himself and went in after them, taking a different direction to the girls. A second plan that only he knew was going to be carried out, even if it meant he needed to sacrifice the hunters. It had been months since their mother had been taken away, suddenly going to the town hall and never returning. He missed her, Colleen missed her. It was a nightmare in here, he didn't even need to know what happened in the shadows for him to know that fact. There was a high chance his mother was going to be there, in the main hall of the first floor. Months spent studying her movement, he knew the women worked and moved like clockwork, affected by the demon.

Lloyd snuck quietly into the main hall, where a small group of women had gathered, some of them drinking tea from expensive looking porcelain cups and laughing and chatting with each other. He hated how they looked and appeared to live their normal lives, when they weren't. It was like every single one of them was sleeping, that everything was just being done in their sleep. It was like they were oblivious to what was happening around them. Looking about, he spotted his mother, sitting on a plush sofa blinking at what seemed like nothing next to another woman in a blue dress. His heart began thumping quickly, now was his chance. Lloyd bravely leaned in next to the woman with the blue dress, his lips hovering by her ear. "Intruders have come to kill Lord Adulio!" he whispered, watching as her eyes widened in shock, anger and surprise. Not bothering to look behind her and see who had told her such news, she instantly stood up and moved to a small group of women, her face flustered as she passed the message on. He waited with patience, keeping his eye on his mother, and before the long the hall began to explode with quick movements of the women, shouting and yelling, some even breaking down and crying. Before anyone spread the line to his mother, the young boy took hold of her wrist and fled. His mother looked hopelessly confused, but followed along until she realised he was taking her out of the town hall. "Let me go! Let me go! Lord Adulio! Help!" she grabbed hold of her own son's wrist, trying to force it off of her own, twisting and turning the thin but strong arm away from her, only to be unsuccessful.

On the other side of the building, Belinda found herself not as stealthy as Selene, but she diligently followed the huntress in the shadows. It was lucky that she had a small and thin frame, allowing the two of them to quietly and quickly slip past the women in the building and hide in the dark shadows of the dimly lit building. Clutched tightly in her hand was one of her own concoctions, a liquid that could turn viscous when exposed to air, effectively sticking an opponent's feet to the floor like thick gum, slowing and immobilising them considerably. Hunters used to say healers were only good to tend injuries both simple and life-threatening, but with their knowledge of plants even chemical weapons could be used to their advantage. The healer looked about, realising that the place had not changed much since she had last arrived in Southmount. But as they traversed deeper into the building, Belinda frowned at the appearance of several paintings hung up on the walls, they were not there before. Even strange how many of them looked expensive and well-looked after. The frames were polished and glinting, reflecting what little light there was. In the air was the scent of thick perfume and the smell of musk... and something else. The brown-haired girl wrinkled her nose, hoping it was not what she though it was.

Believing that the incubus was simply treating the women like his own sex objects, the two of them were surprised to see the women they passed looking happy and smiley. Wearing very pretty clothing, not of this village, with bright colours and hats and bags, earrings that shone by their ear and necklaces twinkling. She noted with a grim look at how flimsy most of them looked or easily undone with quick fingers, possibly for Adulio's personal purposes. Sneaking into a random room, Belinda covered her nose with the sleeve of the cloak. This was clearly meant to be a storage room for the food that the village had harvested but neglected. Crates of food and stale bread, she could even spot some boxes of herbs meant to be delivered to the city, yet the ones she could see were long dried and useless.

The two of them exchanged glances, they should move to the upper floor. After studying the map well, Belinda knew Selene had a very complex grasp of the layout of the building. It had two floors and it was safe to assume Adulio had taken the central room for his own, the central room was surrounded by a few bedrooms, possibly for his favourite maidens. Making sure their tracks were covered, the two of them swiftly made their way up the stairs after making sure nobody was going to come down and meet them halfway. As they climbed higher and higher, the healer's heart began to throb, prompting her to place her hand over her heart in confusion. Ever since she had entered the building, her heart had begun to beat a little quicker, accompanied by a strange tugging sensation. As if she wanted to go to the central room, dragged away into the den of the incubus. There were whispers in her mind, tickling it with enticing words that she tried to brush aside. The closer they came to the door of the central room, the stronger and more uncontrollable the feeling was. Here, they could hear the voice of the lord, the only male voice they could hear. It reminded her of Namah, yet this was less friendly and more liquid, but just as smooth.

Suddenly, yells came from where they had just entered, the staircase a tunnel of bouncing screams and yells for their lord. Caught by surprise, the two hunters fled to the side, taking refuge behind a thick support pillar, hiding safely behind its shadow. Panic voices and screams could be heard, filling the entirety of the second floor.

With a slam, the doors to the central room open, a tanned figure stepping out with a woman in his arms. "What is going on?" Belinda withheld a gasp, was this the unwanted lord of Southmount? He had hair as fair as Selene's, short cropped with two visible horns curling from his head. His ears were pointed, and his demon attributes were laid bare for all to see. Big, bat-like wings sprouted from his back, leathery and shimmering with dragon's scales. His hands were tipped with claws, looking sharp and dangerous wrapped around the woman's waist. Belinda wasn't surprised to note that he wore no shirt, baring his chest, as incubi and succubi had no qualms with showing skin. The woman he held looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her green dress was wrapped around her like a bundle, her face showing confusion and annoyance, it was clear he was trying to get another feeding before being interrupted. "Is that him?" she whispered very softly to the huntress beside her, somehow memorised by the sight. Was he the reason why her heart felt like this?

"Quick, my lord! Seek refuge!" a woman came bounding up from the stairs, throwing her arms around the incubus protectively. "Thank goodness you're safe, Lord Adulio." Another woman sprinted up from the staircase and did the very same. A surge of women charged up from the entrance to the second floor, throwing themselves onto the surprised demon, their arms curled either around him or each other, their voices full of worry and concern for the false lord. The momentary look of surprise on the incubus' face vanished, the demon letting out a chuckle. Leaning down, he kisses a few of them on the forehead, brushing locks of hair behind their eyes, making a few of them mewl in excitement. "My sweet darlings, whatever is the matter?" he purred. "No one will ever harm me." His voice was a mere breath, but these simple words meant so much more.

An incubus could turn words into something far more powerful, no matter what he said, how simple or short, it could affect somebody so much. Each and every one of their hearts were tied to his by a string, a string he could pull taut and pull them just a little closer until they lost every part of themselves, mindless slave to the incubus. He could easily tug their hearts until they were gathered in his clawed hands, attracted to him like a magnet. Infinite feedings, endless energy, the end goal of incubi and succubi. And for Belinda, the strings were beginning to worm their way into her heart. She stared at the demon, her mouth agape. Why were they fighting him? Was there... really any reason? Her hand became limp, her chemical weapon slipping from her fingers and landing on the floor with a clink, rolling away from her and out of the pillar where the demon stopped and turned to look.

 

[Hana]

A sudden sharp feeling of unease had the hooded girl tense up, alarm washing throughout her and making her blood run cold. She abruptly turned to Belinda, grabbing the healer by the arm just as the shouts from below burst through. Thinking quickly, Selene pulled the healer behind her and turned sharply to hide behind a thick wooden beam standing as a pillar, further tucking the hood over the older girl's head and pushing her behind her. Pressing herself flat against the pillar where the shadow would hide her form and the healer's, she inwardly cursed. What the hell? Screams. Screams coming down from the first story, women screaming as if they were dying or in panic. And all of a sudden...

Her eyes widened, alarm and surprise flaring for one brief moment in them as she heard the thunderous pounding of footsteps on the stairs. And at the same time, her stomach gave an uneasy flip as the door slammed open, making her whip around to look at the doors to the main room. As the figure stepped out, Selene inhaled sharply, taking in the tanned skin, pale white hair and light golden eyes. She let out a slow breath, urging her quickening heart to slow back down to a steady pace, as much as it rebelled at the sight of the incubus. Finally, she had a face to connect to that reviled name Lucas spat in anger and hatred. Lord Adulio... Messy white hair hanging past his chin and framing his face, similar to her own hair, along with darker tanned skin. If she was to guess, his skin was a few shades even darker than Phynex's lightly olive skin, standing out against the stark whiteness crowning his head.

Adulio's eyes were a shimmering gold, pale and light, not having more orange and red hints closer to amber. As soon as Selene looked into those eyes, she knew it would be better not to look at them directly, feeling the same sharp flip in her chest. It felt uncomfortable and forced to her, as if it was forcing her to drag all her attention towards him, but in what way? She was already taking in every detail, from those deep black scales and those sharp claws tapering from his fingers. The more she looked at the incubus, the more she had to dig her heel in, figuratively, to keep herself from being pulled away. And when she heard that voice, the cloaked girl raised a hand, rubbing her temple as a pounding ache beat away in her head. She let out a long and slow breath escape her lips in a hiss, barely audible as she covered her mouth with her other hand. Forcing herself to listen, her face returned to its normal stoicism as she once again turned to watch from behind the pillar.

Women had rushed up from downstairs, sprinting towards the incubus even in their impractical dresses and shoes. It was almost a sight to see all those women gathered together in those dresses and colors, the styles not even nearly matching each other. Selene's eyes lowered slightly as she heard Belinda's whisper, something about the way the healer spoke making her uneasy. When she chanced a look at Belinda's face, her eyes narrowed faintly at seeing the mesmerized look clear on her face. The usually sweet-tempered and cheerful healer was acting out of sorts, her eyes only set on Adulio. She wasn't even looking at the younger girl, whose lips had firmed into a thin line for a moment. The white-haired girl looked away, watching the scene again.

Seek refuge? Selene's grip tightened on the healer's cloak as she heard a few more shouts. "Lord Adulio! There are intruders inside who are going to kill you!" Another woman had rushed up just as the first one had thrown her arms around the black-scaled incubus, before more and more followed and nearly blocked the hidden ones' view of him. The huntress spotted surprise briefly disturbing the confident and irritated look in those golden eyes, before it quickly turned to amusement. It was utterly bewildering. These women, so drawn to this demon who would be a danger to them if he wanted, throwing their arms desperately around him and getting as close to him as they could. The devotion in those women's eyes were more madness than anything else.

We have to get away. Now. She didn't want to hear more of the incubus' amused and indulgent voice, low and purring and entirely unfamiliar. Already, she knew they couldn't continue this with much success. Perhaps if she was alone, she would have risked it. Selene was stealthy enough, but she had Belinda to account for. With all these women alert and dashing through the town hall, looking for the intruders, they had to flee. The earlier predicable clockwork of their movements was crumbled away by the panic, their movements now erratic and feverish. Just what could have happened to make them like this? I don't want to immediately think that he... For one moment, her expression turned grim, before smoothing back to that soft calm, one that she sought to keep as she watched the incubus purr and touch those women so familiarly. The thought of that incubus even trying to do the same to her made her both uneasy... And that strange calling, tugging sensation.

She snatched the older girl's wrist, but the healer didn't respond, making her frown for a moment. Yet as she looked at Belinda, her eyes widened as the flask in the healer's hand had fallen, the healer not even noticing. That soft sound the flask made against the floor was loud and damning to her ears, rolling away from their cover and coming to a stop in the incubus' sight. Already, Adulio had noticed and turned to look, his golden eyes spotting the flask of liquid and then trailing, closer and closer, to where the two were hiding.

Selene glared harshly, even when the incubus couldn't see her, her jaw tightening as she also firmly grabbed Belinda's hand. She barely looked at the other's slackened expression, turning and picking the healer up. It was awkward to carry a girl similar to her size, even if the healer was light and not a bother. The huntress didn't have time to spare, forcing the hood over the healer's head to hide Adulio from her green eyes. She held the other girl tightly as she started to flee, their cloaks already fluttering as she dashed in the opposite direction from the incubus. She kept to the walls at first, the far placement of the lamps making it easy to dash from the more shadowed area to another, but it was clear that the women were already searching the entire place. One caught the fluttering of cloaks, suspiciously following it. Without sparing a thought, the girl slid on her feet, maneuvering around the woman and striking the back of her head before slipping past. The woman's unconscious body fell with a dull thud to the floor, the fabrics of her dress pooling around her and her jewelry making too much noise.

 

[Mu]

Belinda had made no effort to move from where she was hiding, her eyes trained onto the incubus standing just meters away from her. It was like everything else in the world became less important in her life, that she should pay more attention to the new being in her life. Unbeknownst to her, the bottle fell from her hands, rolling to the front where the incubus turned to look with an odd look on his face, yellow liquid eyes slowly moving upwards until it seemed to be fixed onto where the two hunters were hiding.

Selene seemed to be the first to notice their sudden change in plans. Now that everything had taken a turn for the worse, the huntress grabbed the healer's wrist, a movement Belinda did not register. There was something fascinating about the incubus' eye, looking at the rolling jar of the sticky chemical with a confused and bewildered expression, before it began to trail into their direction. The more he stared at the spot in the shadows behind the pillar where they were seeking refuge in, the more she felt she needed to step forward. If not for Selene holding her back, Belinda knew that she would have walked up to him and joined the crowd of women holding the demon of lust. There was a part of her that would allow herself to go to him, and another fighting futilely siding with the huntress.

She barely reacted when her centre of gravity shifted, the healer finding herself thrown onto the huntress' shoulder like a sack of flour as Selene began to flee from the scene under the guise of the shadows. Even as Selene escaped with her eye remained trained onto the demon that was her enemy. But she didn't understand why? Why was he their enemy? Seeing how he was loved, how fine these women seemed to be treated with their flowing dresses and glittering jewellery, why should they fight Adulio who was making their lives just as regal as the women in the city of Nora? Belinda was beginning to lose sense of their mission, but she didn't fight back Selene. Her emotions and her thoughts were torn, beginning to be muddled by the spell of the incubus.

"Search the town hall for any intruders," the incubus cooed, touching the cheek of one of the women, whose eyes glimmered excitedly at his affectionate touch. They all nodded, parting away from their lord, hoisting their dresses up from the level of the floor and scattered until the small crowd of the women dissipated. Adulio blinked down at the woman in his arms, still looking unsatisfied - and he did too with the incomplete feeding - before grinning at her. "Wait for me in my room, dear. I will be right back," he whispered, dismissing his 'lover' for now. If there were truly intruders, he should easily be able to find them, yes? He strolled towards the fallen bottle, peering into it. It was not anything he had recognised, nor was he sure was a village creation. Hunters? Did hunters break into the town hall? Growling, the incubus clutched onto the bottle of the clear liquid tightly, smiling to himself. It would be a shame if their own weapon was used against them. He followed the shadows, leading towards a longer hall and many rooms. To get out of the hall they would have to make a big loop around back to the staircase. Essentially, they were trapped.

Continuing down the shadowed path, he stumbled across a fallen body of one of his maidens. She was knocked out, her face planted on the carpeted floor. So these hunters had no qualms about taking down villagers... at least knocking them unconscious. He was well aware her chest was rising and falling. At least his own goods were untouched. "My sweet hunters, where are you?" he roared, stalking after the footsteps of Selene and Belinda, licking his lips in anticipation.

 

[Hana]

There was no time to lose. Selene knew that the girl she had thrown over her shoulder, limp and pliant, had fallen to the incubus' magic. She couldn't shake Belinda out of it, though. Not here, when the women that were outside the halls were following after their lord's footsteps. She could hear the footsteps pounding down the hall, the presence of the incubus following after her at an alarming rate. And here she was, having to maneuver around the women that had come their way - this was nearly a losing race. The women she had knocked out fell limply to the ground behind her, the girl not even looking back. A hiss of steel later, and she had drawn out her dagger from under the cloak, brandishing it and slamming the end of the handle into the backs of their heads or in their temples. With no coherent healer, Phynex, or Golem to berate the girl, she had taken to using whatever means to get the obstacles out of her way, short of actually injuring them. They wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. But she had no choice. Already, she was holding back on her own strength against the much more flimsy women.

"My sweet hunters, where are you?" A roar that sounded more amused than furious thundered through the town hall, the incubus' voice magically enhanced. For a moment the cloaked girl flinched, nearly losing her hold on Belinda. Selene's breath hitched as her hands shook for a moment, angry at her own crumbling composure. It was as if her body wasn't even listening to her, her heart beating faster despite her willing it to calm. Where was her usual stoicism? Her face, from under her hood, was still completely still, but the rest of her seemed to shake. After she regained herself for a second that probably cost them too much, she sped up again.

Her footsteps, even while running, were completely silent. There was only her upbringing to thank in these situations... And even that was barely helping. The incubus had already picked up on which direction they had fled off to, and this floor's layout was simple. Even so, she knew she shouldn't ever let them get caught, not if she could prevent it. By this point she was barely checking if she was still hidden under the protection of the shadows, only sticking to it out of habit. A cloaked figure that would run, being hidden by the darker parts of the hall at some points and dashing under the flickering lamps, there were some surprised gasps from the women that had noticed before they were knocked out. If we loop around the staircase we'd be met by more of them... Her eyes flickered from side to side, before she settled on a room where she knew a window was. If they couldn't use the escape routes they had planned before... She would be making one for themselves.

Grabbing the doorknob she turned it forcefully, the lock giving way under her hand before she pushed it open. The door slammed shut behind her, the huntress not even caring at the sudden loud banging noise. It was a spare room, and she barely took note of its details before she made her way to the window, shoving the dark and thick curtains aside. The white haired girl hissed as she saw that the window, glass with wooden frames, was locked. Holding the healer over her shoulder with one arm, Selene drew back the dagger she was holding, before she smashed the handle against the glass. The glass shattered, shards flying outwards and more cracks appearing from where she had hit it, before the entire panel shattered completely. But before she could fling herself and the healer out of the window, the door slammed open again, and the incubus' voice rooted her to the spot.

Downstairs, Lloyd grimaced as his mother kicked and clawed at him, screaming obscenities at her beloved son. There was a wild and angry look in her eyes that made the boy flinch, before he growled angrily, leaping at his own mother and shoving her with renewed strength. Both of them struggled, the boy grunting as he was kicked in the stomach by a fully grown woman. He was barely fifteen, what was he going to do against his own mother? But the thought of what Adulio had done to his family, and what he had to do, made him shake in rage. And mixed in there was the hatred, hurt, and betrayal he couldn't help but feel towards the mother who abandoned him and his sister. He couldn't blame her, but the feelings opened like a floodgate.

He wrenched his mother's clawing hands away from him, bruising her as his nails dug into her arm. Grabbing the handful of dirt he was hiding in a pouch under the cloak, he threw it into his mother's eyes. The woman shrieked as she was blinded. Shouting, he threw her down on the floor, before he froze as the back of his mother's head loudly hit the ground. After a moment he paled at realizing what he had done, his mother now unconscious under him.

Moments later he was carrying his mother, rushing to the exit where Colleen was waiting. But before he reached it, his own sister met him. Panicked hazel eyes met his, the girl looking visibly frightened. And why wouldn't she be? They had heard Adulio roar out the very words that told them he was now pursuing the intruders. The hunters. "They're in danger!" The girl managed to get out before she gasped as she saw their mother, who he was supporting against his shoulder. The boy only rushed past, shouting at her, "Leave them! They can take care of themselves!" Unlike him, Colleen lingered behind, before the women running towards them made her also turn and run.

 

[Mu]

He stalked after the figures, following the trail of fallen bodies of his maidens. Adulio gritted his teeth angrily, treating his wares this way was no way to go. He had already ordered his closest 'bodyguard' to make her way back to the stairwell and wait for them to loop back around in order to make their escape, as it was the only path they could take. Flapping his wings open, he chased after the hunters with a short burst of speed, picking up momentum and turning the corner just in time to see a corner of a cloak slipping between one of the doors to a bedroom. The incubus grinned, if he had not noticed that small movement, the hunters may have thought it was the golden opportunity for them to wait it out and then return to the stairs. His wings fluttered to a halt before the wooden door, slamming it open with his powerful arms and peering into the room. He found himself staring at the sight, a cloaked figure with another similarly cloaked figure thrown over their shoulder, the only window to the room smashed open where a chilly breeze wafted into the otherwise warm room. Did the hunters plan on jumping out of the town hall and hope to survive?

"Where do you think you're going?" Adulio snarled, throwing himself towards them while airborne, powerful wings hoisting him into the air as he grabbed a fistful of both of the cloaked figures, in the process losing grip on the glass bottle he had found before. In their struggle, the smash of the bottle sounded extremely loud and piercing to the ears, a hissing sound overtaking the room. Surprised, the incubus hovered back, staring at what looked like steam rising from between the shards of glass shattered on the floor. Without warning, the liquid began to froth and bubble, turning into something thick and sticky. "What is this?" he snapped, wondering if it was any sort of hunter's magic that he knew they possessed. But as he watched cautiously, he realised that it was stopping the hunters from moving further.

Belinda's eyes stared at incubus, standing at close proximity to the two of them. While Selene was focused on trying to get out of the room, the healer couldn't help but stare at their so-called enemy. Up close he was even more gorgeous than before. His eyes bored into hers, looking deep into her soul, reading her mind and feeling everything she could feel. Her heart thumped even faster now that she could see his chest rising and falling, every time he took a breath and the claws on his hands flex. Belinda's brown eyes moved to meet his own, locking with the liquid gold ones, blinking at him with a look of fascination that the demon immediately registered, a glint appearing in his eyes. He raised his clawed hand to her chin, tilting her head upwards where he could see under her cloak. "Hello, darling. Did you come to see me?" Adulio hissed lowly, a smile appearing on his lips. This one was naively poking around the web he had woven. "Interesting how we meet like this, hunters. I expected better from the infamous demon hunters of Nora."

Now that the hunters were seemingly glued to the floor, he felt braver around them. Warily he tugged the hood of the hypnotised girl back, revelling in her rather normal looking brown hair and brown eyes with a glint of green. Definitely not the eyes of somebody from Southmount. Even more cautiously he reached for the other figure's hood from the back, knowing it would be difficult for the hunter to turn around without painfully twisting themselves since they could not pivot. Revealing a crown of white hair, the demon bit back a gasp, though his surprise showed on his face. "Sending female hunters into my home? Ha!" Adulio burst into a small fit of laughter, "What were they thinking? Those fools. I thought the hunters were meant to be legendary figures, formidable human opponents!" He shrugged, showing his disappointment. "I guess they were just rumours."

Outside of the town hall, the fire demon felt a sense of unease. Something had happened to Selene, he could feel something going wrong inside of him, a sense of hurry that wasn't his. A foreign feeling, but a feeling he had trained to look out for. Looking around, he could sense the same thing from Golem as well, though he looked more confused than worried. "Belinda has completely changed, this is something I've never felt from her before..." the earth demon bit his lip, looking befuddled with his connection with his own partner. "Do ya think something happened to her?"

The two male demons moved away from the chaos being caused by the men, shops being destroyed and trashed and furniture on the streets, much to the shock of the still growing crowd of women. With Golem leading, they both headed towards the side entrance Selene and Belinda had entered through, not sure if they should enter themselves. "She has not given me any signal to go in, but..." Phynex growled, blinking up to look at the second floor as if it could give him any leads to Selene's condition inside the building. Suddenly, footsteps broke his concentration, the two demons ducking under some bushes nearby, peering at the side door where a familiar figure was dragging out a beautifully-clothed woman, who was lashing out and protesting. Golem gasped beside him, clamping his mouth with his hand in surprise. "Lloyd!"

Phynex stood up from where he hid, his eyes flaring at the siblings. This was not part of the plan! "What are you doing? Who is she?" he snarled at the younger boy. "What did you do?"

 

[Hana]

The door slammed open, and for the huntress and the healer, it all went downhill from there. For a brief second a fluttering, spiderlike sensation crept up Selene's cloaked back, making her jolt as she heard the incubus' snarl. She heard the powerful beating of wings from behind them, the gusts of wind blowing their cloaks against them, before she felt the back of her cloak getting seized, pulling her back. In the struggle that followed, the girl's hold on Belinda loosened as she tried to twist around to attack Adulio, already ramming her elbow back against where she knew he was, her feet shifting as she prepared to lash out. But she never expected her feet to stay rooted to the ground, another shattering noise ringing through the room before she smelled the liquid. In that moment, her insides felt as if they had turned to ice, the bottle of binding liquid coagulating, thickening like webs that stuck both her and Belinda to the ground.

Her palm smacked against the floor as she fell on her knees, before she quickly drew back her dagger to hide it under her cloak. From behind her she heard the incubus snap out a question, anger and wariness making his voice come out more like a hiss than it had before. The cloak was protecting her features from being revealed, yet it was all for naught. The demon behind them would already know that they were the hunters that were seeking to stop him. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes, a sinking feeling in her stomach as she heard Adulio breath behind her. A few moments later, he spoke in amused hiss, presumably to Belinda. Who by now, was transfixed entirely on him. Could she even shake the healer out of it?

As she continued to listen to his amused and mocking tone, the more and more she was feeling bewildered. Her heart was beating quicker just from the proximity of the incubus to her, his presence looming ever larger behind her back. There was trepidation rising in her chest, mixed with the feeling that she was slowly losing her calm the more she stayed around him. Where was her usual steadiness with fighting her opponents? Even against demons much more grotesque and dangerous looking than this incubus could ever hope to be, she had never once felt her heart skip a beat like this. Her breath, if she hadn't been consciously regulating it, would have come out just as fast as Belinda was breathing. Already, she could tell that the healer's heart would be beating and skipping far more than hers. I won't let this continue. It was as if someone was wearing away the walls she had put up... With thick and cloying poison that was entirely too sweet despite its nature...

That thought terrified her, the idea of something eating away at things she had put up with for so long, and in the span of so short a time making her panic. This wasn't like the way her partner patiently waited for her to let him in closer. This was someone who was pushing his way in even as she fought. And that felt utterly intrusive, the fact that it brought unfamiliar feelings far too quickly making it worse.

A rustle of cloth behind her; and she knew that Adulio had slipped off the healer girl's hood. Thoughts racing for a way out of this, the huntress was silent and still behind Belinda, her breaths deliberately even. Her cloak swept against the wooden floor, making her look smaller and more vulnerable with her back turned to Adulio. With her arms hidden under her cloak, her palm bracing her on the floor, Selene considered on cutting the thick bindings that stuck her legs to the ground. She could do it... But if she did get herself out of this bind, what would happen? Was she fast enough to outrun Adulio? And what of Belinda? If she did that, it would only be her or the other girl. By doing so, she would essentially be leaving the healer in the hands of Adulio.

Damn this. She gritted her teeth silently as she felt the hood on her head being pulled back, bowing over. Her hair, slipping free of its constraints, was still quite clearly white and flowing, even in dim flicker of the lamp in the room. It had been pulled back at the nape of her neck. There was a gasp from the demon behind her as he recognized her by description. But what sent a flood of cold anger that tempered her growing fear was the mocking laughter that followed. Selene, if possible, had gone stiller than before. It was as if she had stopped breathing, when in reality, she was just breathing really slowly. Her hand bracing her on the floor clenched into a fist, knuckles whitening. Despite the conflict brewing inside her unwillingly, the anger she felt let her, ironically, think more clearly. It made her expression turn cold.

"That's the huntress! They're the hunters! Lord Adulio, punish them! " Selene barely registered the women that had come up behind Adulio, eyes widening in surprise and anger at seeing the white-haired girl. The glares that they tried to pierce into her back went unnoticed. All she was aware of was that she still had a weapon to kill with, and a demon that she should kill behind her.

Whenever she got truly angry, she was never someone who would immediately turn to violence. Her partner was clearly someone who let his heart decide his actions, every emotion openly showed. When she got angry, she went far past the point of explosive anger, and deep into the calm before the storm. The world seemed to look starker, the colors almost draining out of everything. Her anger made her see things clearer, let her act colder and sharper than she usually would. But now it was slow to come. She could feel it draw her into its cold embrace. And now she wanted to throw herself into it. Anything to get away from the intrusiveness eating away at her, coming from the incubus.

"I suppose we give off that impression, don't we." Her words came out flat and toneless, before she felt a hand tug at the tie in her hair. The tie came loose, her hair spilling out over her back. But his hand had come close to her... His hand... He had touched her hair. A seemingly innocuous action considering he could have done far worse to her, but it only made her cold fury worsen, inwardly raging against her own folly. That was the last straw... Turning around, her eyes were chips of violet ice, staring like daggers at the white-haired incubus. The girl's features were a mask of cold stoicism, her delicate features as still as stone as she met Adulio's smirk. She couldn't turn around without difficulty, the sticky binding trying its best to hold her down. To hell with this.

She barely felt the pain from snapping free of the strong bindings, which would surely leave welts under her clothes and on her skin. Despite the defeat at their situation, she couldn't put Belinda in danger, she could still get the message across. "You will not hold me for long... I will sooner slit my throat than become yours," she said softly, calmly. "Though... I would rather slit yours." A moment later a knife slammed and stabbed deeply into the ceiling above them, one of the women shrieking in fright. The knife had also cut the demon's cheek diagonally. "But I have someone to come back to and you will never be able to make me feel the same way he does."

His mother's weak struggles against him only made him glare harsher as he looked ahead, wresting her under his control. She had been dazed and weakened when she had hit her head on the floor, but she wasn't badly injured. He had enough presence of mind to quickly check if he had truly hurt her. The woman he had called his mother was barely recognizable in her fine dress and the heavy perfume that nearly choked him. He remembered his mother as being simple and loving. She barely wore anything beyond the simple cloth dresses that were in simple but cheerful hues of pale yellow and green, looking well on her light, but not pale skin. Her hair was usually in a neat bun, or in a soft side braid. And she never smelled like this unfamiliar perfume that smelled too much and too heavily of flowers that weren't of their village. She smelled clean and simple, of herbs and soap. The scents he had associated with his mother.

Behind him Colleen was running, slamming the door shut as he continued to rush on ahead. But his sister stopped him short by grabbing his shirt and their mother. "Lloyd," she gasped, blinking down at their mother with bewildered eyes. But before he could say anything, they heard footsteps stomp over to them. All of a sudden a furious face snarled down at the siblings, making even the determined boy recoil. "They messed up," the boy immediately snapped back a moment later, pushing their mother into Colleen's arms. "And they can save themselves." He wasn't going to admit that he had done something to cause those two to get caught. Yes, he had caused the uproar and panic inside that ruined it for Belinda and that other girl. "And now we have our mother to help."

 

[Mu]

The incubus snarled in pain, darting back with a hand pressed to his face. Sticky warm blood seeped through the cut the huntress had gave him, making the demon snarl. She had just marred his face, but Adulio couldn't help but smile at the fierceness he could see in her eyes. There was defiance in her eyes - her strange multicoloured eyes that changed into different shades of blues and purples - that made something inside of the incubus ticked. Out of all the women in the town hall, pulled into his trap as soon as he had step foot into this village, none of them looked like this. They had all submitted quietly, became his far too easily, where was the fight? Everything was too easy. He had yet to meet a human woman who would fight back, and he knew those were the best one to take. Watching them break, watching them change and go through the inner battle of their sanity and their lust. Behind him, the women's shrieks turned into gasps of horror and despair, running up to the demon and looking at his hovering body with concern. "My lord! A- are you alright?" one of them asked, eyes moving to the cut on his cheek. She jabbed her finger towards the huntress' direction, her voice filled with seething hatred. "You bitch! How dare you hurt our lord Adulio! Punish her!" Her words turned into a little chant, words of 'punish her' repeated over and over in the small crowd of women that had gathered.

He held up his hand for silence, grinning at the white-haired woman. "Someone to go back to? You can forget about him just like the women living here with me. Husbands and brothers and sons, you don't need any other man in your life except me, little huntress." Adulio inclined his head towards his followers, eyes glinting with glee. "Chain her and throw her hood over her face, you know where to put her." A handful of them nodded, disappearing for moment before returning with heavy metal shackles. While Adulio took the opportunity to forcibly grab the huntress' wrist and held them high above her head, eyes looking deeply into her violet-blue ones in fascination, his women quickly went to work shackling her ankles and her wrists together. The chains between were pulled taut, only allowing the huntress to make small steps to walk. With her arms brought to the back and held in place, the incubus grinned at the somewhat submissive sight. "I'm almost happy to see that you aren't like your friend," he hissed at her, taking the knife embedded into the roof and hacking off the sticky chemical away from the brown-haired huntress before scooping Belinda into his arms, who did not utter a sound of protest. "I shall start with her first, but in time you will be my favourite if you keep looking so fierce and defiant like that~"

With the cloak thrown over Selene's head, the group made their way out of the room, with Adulio leading the women holding Selene captive and bound in chains into one of the rooms deeper in the town hall. Gently swinging the door open, he was met with a misty room, thick with perfume, with two beautifully-clothed women lounging lazily on the plush sofas within, their eyes rolled over into their heads, breathing heavily. This room was specially designed to make the women a little less... wanting to leave his side. The special perfume that clogged the room, a peculiar item obtainable only back in the underworld could keep the sex drive of those who would be exposed to it constantly to very high levels, making it easier for Adulio to do his work. He turned to look at Selene, whose cloak was still obstructing her vision. "Even a huntress has to breathe sometimes," he grinned at her, before kneeling down until his lips were at her ear. I don't even know why they sent you here, I assure you there is nothing you can do to help these poor, poor creatures." Adulio licked his lips, "Do you know about demon marks? Do you know what the most potent mark of a demon is? And do you know what happens to women who get marked over and over again?" He barked out a loud laugh, before shoving the huntress into the room, disappearing down into the darkness of the hallway.

"A shame you don't look as exotic as your friend," he sighed, blinking down at the starry-eyed Belinda in his arms. "But a demon hunter is a good catch, isn't it? I wonder if it might be different breaking a hunter compared to a villager," he hummed his excitement, heading towards the main room of the town hall.

Outside, Phynex was flaring with anger, with the fire demon snarling at the boy's response. "Messed up? Selene never messes up on an important task like this!" He was ready to lunge at the young boy if not for his friend holding him back. The fire demon couldn't help but worry, turning to look at the now menacing-looking town hall looming above him. Selene had not yet once signalled him to head into the building, did something go wrong? Did she fall into the spell of the incubus, he chewed his lips nervously at the many horrifying possibilities. "Five more minutes, five more minutes and we'll go in, yeah?" Golem placed a hand on the fire demon's shoulder, looking just as worried as he did. "Belinda's gone strange, I don't like this one bit..."

 

[Hana]

I should have gone in and killed him myself. Selene's glare didn't let up as she stared back at the incubus, eyes tracking the blood trickling down from the cut on his cheek. She noted with grim satisfaction that the cut was rather deep, blood insistently flowing due to the demon's healing being stagnated. If he didn't realize just how much of a danger she was to him, with just that one cut, then she would continue on letting him underestimate her. Adulio even barely noted that his healing was slow, due to the fact that the knife was very much made for that purpose. A cut from that would slow down his healing, even with other wounds on his body aside from that cut. Are you just this confident, or are you naturally that fucking stupid? She didn't care about the hateful glares the human women were sending her. The real threat in the room was now grinning at her again, glee lighting up his face.

She had never been captured like this before. Her hands were, figuratively and soon literally, tied, as she watched Adulio hold Belinda to him. The healer could very much be used as an incentive for her to stop fighting or trying to kill Adulio. They were surrounded by his women, who while were weak villagers compared to hunters, could still harm the other girl. Since Belinda was not even trying to fight back, she was at a loss. It was hard to swallow, getting caught so swiftly like this. This wasn't doing all the years of work and studying she had done any justice, and all because of a simple hitch in the plan. That boy... Just from the look in that boy's eyes, she knew he was determined enough to get his mother back. But he had now done so through throwing the hunters into the fire. Because otherwise, Selene and Belinda could have slipped in and done their work without getting caught.

Adulio's power was always a threat, one that they had known to work carefully around. She knew her heart would beat faster at just looking directly into his face, had she not had the anger running icy in her blood, she would have continued on letting this influence eat at her. As it was, she was the only one between the two hunters who could still look at him with a clear mind and outright defiance. But how long would that last? The fact that Belinda had fallen enough that she no longer protested, a confused look on her face, was worrying. A hunter had more resistance than the usual human, even the healer, who was a non-combatant, had it in her blood or had it through the basic training and study she would have gotten. And Selene was an Averill, studied and well trained. But she had never been tested against this before.

She narrowed her eyes, hands clenching tightly at his words. "I don't need a sad excuse for a man in my life," she retorted coldly with a raised brow, what was he even trying to get at? He had no power over what she was going to feel towards anyone. She wouldn't let him get that power over her. And forgetting Phynex? Any other man in her life? Looking at these women here, looking back at her with furious glares for hurting the incubus, she knew she would never let herself become like them. And as little as she knew about why they were falling for the incubus, she knew how she felt about his methods. Pathetic. If he thought ensnaring these hapless women was something to be proud of, as she could see in his eyes, the only thing she would ever think of his ways would be pathetic. Effective, but were was the deep planning and thought behind this? There was nothing like the actual manipulation done through simple words and actions, without even the need for using magic. Nor was there anything respectable about this victory he got without any battle.

As the women left at his orders, she stiffened as the incubus grabbed her. His hands were heated, steel-like bands around her wrists, holding them high over her head. She leaned away from him as he leaned closer, flinching as her chest throbbed oddly. He was looking into her eyes with fascination, and she couldn't look away. Even if he chains my arms... She grit her teeth silently as the women grabbed her, thick shackles before they yanked her arms behind her. As the women grabbed at her arms roughly, digging their nails into her arm through her sleeves, she wrenched her shoulders away from them. "Don't touch me," she hissed at the females, ignoring their hateful looks. The fact that her ankles were also bound together, her boots being pulled off, was going to be trouble. But she was confident that she could get out of being bound. These people didn't know even half the things she had been taught.

So she let them pull the hood over her face, obscuring her vision. It wasn't as if keeping her eyes closed would keep her from being able to tell where she was in the town hall, not after she had memorized its layout. Forced up to her feet, she could feel the incubus' pleased grin on her before she turned her head in his direction. She didn't say anything at his words, only letting her silent glare from under her hood and her tenseness tell him all he needed to know. Maybe acting like Belinda could have saved her from the unwanted attention, but she didn't feel like bowing to this incubus, even if her defiance piqued his interest. The women she had wrenched away from grabbed the back of her cloak, pushing her forward. The women and the incubus had moved out of the room, the huntress forced to take small steps with the chains being pulled taut.

Her heart sunk slightly as they continued moving. Selene knew where she was in the town hall, but Adulio was leading her to a room that hadn't been used. With a town like Southmount, there wasn't much need for all the rooms in the town hall to be used up. He was moving towards a rectangular spare room, one that Lloyd and Colleen hadn't been able to sneak past or into yet. And then he pushed the door open. A whiff of a strong perfume filled her nose as some air rushed out. Immediately, the girl choked, forcing out the suspicious perfume. There was something about the perfume... It wasn't the heavy and sickly sweet and overbearing scents of earlier. It didn't make her feel sick... But something. That one breath had made her skin feel a touch warmer, and a reaction that she didn't understand. As she felt Adulio's lips at her ear, the girl flinched. That's not going to stop me, she wanted to hiss back, but couldn't. What if she wasted more breath and had to take in that perfume again? Was this some sort of drug?

The incubus shoved her into the room, locking the door behind her. She stumbled slightly, before steadying herself even on her shackled feet. Holding her breath, she threw her head back, flipping the hood off of her. She was met with the view of a misty room. There was so much of the perfume in the place that it caused a sort of hazy mist. In the room were two women, sprawled on the plush sofa. Selene blinked, disturbed, as she saw the women breathing heavily, as if they had been running. Yet they were literally just lounging there, but their eyes were rolled back, dilated. Their chests were heaving up and down, and she heard what sounded like whimpers coming from them. What... Backing away, she clenched her hands until her nails dug into her palm, drawing blood. Her back pressed against the locked door. Even a huntress has to breathe sometimes... Ten minutes. Ten minutes at best. She couldn't hold her breath if she was going to make this work. And she had to work fast.

She couldn't stay here or breath too much of that mist. I wonder why people always forget I'm flexible enough to not be hindered by these. Even if they had shackled her wrists behind her, she easily just swung her arms until they were in front of her again. Examining the heavy metal shackles, she silently hissed, before examining the rest of the room. The room was starting to feel warmer, or was it just her? She walked around, looking for something to help her with the shackles. But there were no sharp objects inside, only plush sofas, tables, and what looked like bottles of wine and drinks. Selene didn't want to look at the two women inside, they looked like they were moving and squirming around. In her peripheral vision she could see one of them reaching under her dress. Painstakingly maneuvering with her wrists still shackled, she drew the dagger out with one hand. It was now in her right hand... Didn't even think to disarm me, did you? While the shackles around her wrist were thick metal bands, she could work with the chains. But it took so long, until she felt too warm under her cloak. At least they're off... Wiping off sweat on her brow, the now broken chains hung from the shackles around her wrists. She allowed herself a small breath, her lungs already protesting against holding out too much. Am I feverish? Her face felt hot, but not out of embarrassment. I shouldn't be this short of breath. Turning towards the locked door, she narrowed her eyes. It was locked... She silently worked on the chains on her ankles, furiously willing herself against the confusing haze. Unlike the village women, she could fight this off. She wouldn't be driven to whatever they were doing now. Five minutes...? How long has it been.

Aren't you glad you know how to pick locks? What should have been quick and simple was complicated by her slightly unsteady handiwork on the doorknob. Ten... This wasn't those expensive and high security locks, at least. She could make this work. A few times she was nearly distracted, either by the sticky warmth washing over her skin, like someone was breathing hot hair on it. She was also suddenly, awfully thirsty, her throat and her mouth feeling dry. Her cheeks felt flushed. She slapped her face a few times, taking care not to do so loudly, before shaking her head. These were the most obvious signs that this could be a drug. That was always bad news... Never mind the other strange things going on. Golem and Phynex... They should be here. Golem probably knew something was up with Belinda now. And she could tell her partner's own worry and anger. When she finally unlocked the door, she pushed it open slowly, looking outside.

Adulio and Belinda were gone from the hall. But there were a few women who were clearly told to watch her, and as soon as they saw her, Selene rushed out of the room. Her work of knocking them out was less controlled than before. She broke one's wrist, even, but grabbed the woman by the throat and knocked her out before she could scream. Afterwards, she rushed down the hall, before leaning against the wall for a moment to catch her breath. The girl leaned her forehead against the cool wood, taking a deep breath of air that wasn't clouded by that substance.

 

[Mu]

With the door to the drugged room shut, he took a deep breath. It would take a while for the huntress to calm down and succumb to the drug, but it should at least confine her to the room, and leave her personality intact. Holding her friend in his arms, who was staring blankly at the incubus, he headed down the hallway as he dismissed the rest of the women who were following him. It was strange seeing a defiant subject for the first time in a while, of course, Adulio had learnt how to master his natural talents in the demon world, the Underworld abundant in succubi and incubi. As a so-called bastard demon, his life in the world below this one was harsh. He had once made his home in a small area that was extremely popular for their kind, preying on travellers and engaging in acts with big numbers. Compared to the higher-ups he had met in his life, his skill was not good enough. In fact, Adulio had little to prove, little to use his skills on when other demons of his own species could easily brush aside the lustful feelings.

Humans, on the other hand, were much more fragile. They weren't exposed to these kind of things, nothing too extreme, no magic like this. Even if the two-legged dwellers of the human plain had knowledge of magics and spells, manipulation of emotions was a rare sight. And the most beautiful thing is that lust is always present inside every being, and not everyone knew how to fight it off. It was carnal desire, programmed into each and every single living creature on earth and in Hell. Heck, perhaps even the Celestials of Paradise could house lust inside of their holy bodies. So why should Adulio waste time in the underworld, being ridiculed by his own people, when he could make himself useful and prove himself to be what he was - an incubus? And the human world held the keys to all his questions, weak human with weak minds would be enough to satisfy him, make him feel like a lord and a worshipped god, a goal that every incubus should have. To have women bowing at his feet, kissing it, come to him at his every beck and call. Endlessly feed on and on, it was a dream he could only dream when he was younger.

He stroked the cheek of the brown haired girl, smiling down at her. Looking into her eyes, he could tell her ability to process her thoughts were slowing down immensely over time. Successful capture, though not fully infatuated or obsessed with him, she was gone to the point where she wouldn't question his actions... no matter what they were. True obsession and reliance and dependability came from a demon's mark. Through the old traditions of mating, marks were left to signal to others that their partner was taken. The strongest, most potent one was considered the most noticeable one by other demons both female and male, and used to deter others. Though now it was treated more as a symbol of ownership, it was still the path demons like Adulio took when it came to marking their women or men. It needed to be... 'refreshed' every now and then, but the sensation was breathtaking for the incubus.

Adulio asked for her name. The name Belinda rolled off his tongue quite well, much to the incubus' surprise. A common name, but a beautiful one at the least. Towards the back of the main room of the second floor was his own quarters, where he could take things whenever they got a bit too... personal. It was usually his favourites that would ever set their eyes into this very bedroom, but the demon thought he would make the huntress an exception. As gently as he could, he lowered the huntress onto the bed, moving towards the bedside table where he pulled out a candle from the drawers. Another version of the heavenly mist he had managed to find. Adulio lit the candle, placing it aside and making his place beside the huntress, grinning at her. As soon as the poor woman would take enough whiffs of the scent, it would be enough for him to begin his work.

Five minutes seemed to pass so quickly in the minds of both Golem and Phynex. They really had no time to waste. Although neither Selene or Belinda had given them the signal to come into the building, they had decided upon themselves that it was time. It was better to receive a scolding from their partners than to lose them to their enemy. Worse case scenario, they had served their own partners to the incubus on a silver platter. Nodding to each other, they stealthily - or as stealthily as the could - sneaked towards the side entrance of the building. They would have to thoroughly search the building, which to Golem's annoyance suggested that there were many rooms for them to check. With Golem peeking behind the door and around the corner to see if anyone was there to ambush them, he slithered inside, followed by Phynex, who was eager to rescue or assist his partner. He trusted her, but that did not mean his own wishes to protect her disappeared.

 

[Hana]

Breathing in deeply, Selene was relieved at the untainted air that filled up her lungs. The difference was starkly clear, now that she was out of that hazy, lavishly-furnished room. There were no strange, spicy and heavy scents that brought with it the drugged feeling. She could feel her head clearing up now, though her face still felt a little flushed. Touching her face, she could still tell her skin was hotter than usual. Earlier, she had even sweated a little, feeling too warm under her cloak and clothes. Whatever that mist was trying to do, it still wasn't completely out of her system, though the fresh air had helped. It was worrying to think what could have happened if she had been well and truly trapped inside that room, instead of easily cutting apart the chains and unlocking the door.

She kept out of sight of the women who now walked back and forth the halls, sticking closer to the walls and quickly rushing past them. If they heard the sounds coming from her shackled wrists and ankles, she quickly brought her fist to the backs of their heads, knocking them out cold. Searching for the room where Adulio had gone, she knew with a feeling of dread that he had taken Belinda with him. I shall start with her first, but in time you will be my favourite if you keep looking so fierce and defiant like that~ Just the sound of that incubus' lilting, mocking voice made her clench her hands at the memory. But she felt her partner's presence come closer and closer to the second floor, pausing. They've gotten in? While she hadn't signaled Phynex to come in, she wasn't surprised that he had taken things into his own hands. But the girl shook her head. It would take precious minutes for her to find those two, minutes where Adulio could have gotten to the healer already. Thinking of that older girl, with her kind and patient ways, falling to the same madness the incubus' women were under was enough to make her feel... Angry.

Belinda may have been too kind, and even more naive than her younger friend in some ways, but she and Golem were the younger pair's first friends. Remembering how they met, the healer had treated her and Phynex kindly from the very start. She was also the one who introduced them to the rest of the group. The brown-haired girl treated Selene like a younger friend, most of the time. She didn't like to hear about the younger one's killings, or her track record. Violence and killing, those were things that the healer abhorred, yet she still accepted that it was part of her work, and a lot of her friends. She only focused on happier things for them, but if she had to, she took care of everyone. This older girl was shy and down to earth, two things that made her strangely likeable. And if Adulio ever wiped out that part of Belinda, turning her into a mindless follower who hissed and spat at anything that wasn't him...

No, she wouldn't let that happen. We'll find each other eventually, Phynex. He knew she was in the building. Most likely, he could even make his way towards her from sensing her alone, but she wasn't going to search for him. He and Golem were still on the first floor, they would have to make their way through the town hall and the women no doubt roaming about. That would take too long... Instead, she sought for that tugging feeling coming from the incubus. Adulio was practically a beacon on his own, uncaring of who sensed him in his arrogance. She didn't even need to focus on sensing where the demon was, her feet taking her to the front of the main room. Standing in front of the door, she took a deep breath. Inside, there would be some women who might be trouble for her if they raised their voices. The shackles still on her wrists and ankles, despite the chains being broken, still made an annoying noise. With a frown, she worked on cutting off the chains as close to the metal bands on her wrists and ankles, letting the broken chains fall to the floor. There was now barely any of the chains left hanging from the shackles.

Afterwards, she pushed the door open, tugging the cloak over her head. The rest of the women turned as soon as she stepped in, recognizing the cloak for what it was, and immediately rushing towards her, or towards the door at the back of the main hall. Selene didn't give them a chance, immediately striking down the women closest to her before flickering before the others, who had just reached the door. She brought the handle of the dagger against their heads, knocking them down in front of her. Looking at this door, she closed her hand around the knob, before slowly opening it. Pushing it open, she walked inside.

Oh no, this again? She had just left that drugged room, only to come into another one with a similar mist? Her eyes took in the most lavishly furnished room within the town hall. This was clearly the incubus' personal quarters. A four poster bed at the center of the room, who knew how they had even brought such a bed inside the town hall. There were that hid the view of the people inside, but one side of the bed's curtain was opened. To that side there was a flickering candle that dispersed the drugged smoke or mist. Selene raised her arm, covering her nose with her sleeve as she walked over to that side.

Adulio was covering her view of the healer with his large black wings and bare back. He was lying beside the healer, hovering over her with one arm bracing him on the bed. And he was nearing Belinda closer and closer. He was touching the brown-haired girl, or he was close to touching her clothes. From what she could see of the healer, the incubus was already divesting her of her clothes, baring pale shoulders. Rumpled on the floor was Belinda's dark cloak. And seeing that bare skin of the girl, the clawed black hands ready to touch her friend, was enough to send a chill through Selene. Despite her inexperience, she knew enough to know what he meant to do to her friend. She didn't give the incubus a chance to see who was behind him, taking swift and silenced steps until she was behind his back. Glancing down at Belinda's entranced face, not even noticing the white-haired girl coming for her, she raised the dagger high and brought it down at the base of one of Adulio's wings, targeting his back and the wing both.

 

[Mu]

Much to their surprise, the first floor was not bustling with activity as they had anticipated. The fire demon bit his lip, this had to mean something had happened in either one of the rooms or the second floor. Phynex had expected the first floor to be flooded with the members of the incubus' harem, having made this place his home it would attract all his women to the town hall. However, darting out of the storage room door they had entered through and clinging into the shadows of the hallway, they only saw a handful of women, most of them walking individually to their own destinations. He tapped Golem's shoulder, pointing at the roof. Phynex could sense the huntress' aura above them on the second floor, radiating faintly and moving slowly in one of the hallways. Suggesting that they should go and meet them, the earth demon shook his head. Though Phynex could feel Selene's aura, he could not feel Belinda's. It was like her aura had been snuffed out - hidden away - still there, but too faint for her demon partner to feel. Before meeting up with the white-haired huntress, it would be wise to search for Belinda's location, and with two minds their work would be faster.

Phynex and Golem knew that the town hall usually consisted of many hallways connected in a square shape, forming a loop with several exits and entrances - most of them safety exits and entrances with one main entrance - and leading into usually unused rooms prior to the arrival of the incubus. Opening door by door, they would look inside briefly and move on, checking all the rooms and avoiding detection from the somewhat small amount of women roaming the halls by either pressing themselves into the shadows or ducking into the rooms they had been looking in. "Did you find anything?" Golem asked the fire demon, panting and looking slightly mad with worry as the two of them met up by the staircase. Phynex shook his head, "No, she is probably upstairs, hopefully with Selene."

Silently, they quietly moved towards the second floor, making sure their footsteps were light and silent like Selene's, not knowing what was around the corner. The fire demon found more comfort crouching, almost crawling upstairs, peering out of the end of the stairwell as he pressed his body against the steps. From the corner of his eye, just peeking out of from his field of vision was the back of a woman. She was wearing one of the dresses Adulio seemed to don his women with, and clutched in her hand was a dagger glinting in the dim light. Her back was turned to the stairwell, not realising the danger behind her. Yet this also posed a problem to both Golem and Phynex, with her positioned like that it was almost impossible to sneak past without being noticed. Phynex was about to turn back when his friend flew past him, his footsteps painstakingly loud to the ear, making the woman turn around in surprise. Wham! Golem had almost thrown himself onto the woman, knocking her almost out cold immediately with his tough exterior, the woman landing on the ground with the wind knocked out of her lungs. Phynex took the opportunity to run, running with Golem towards the direction of Selene's aura, which was straight down the hallway in the centre room.

Inside his own quarters, Adulio felt the most at ease. He was waiting patiently for his victim to inhale some of the drugged smoke, the demon taking the opportunity to remove several straps that held small pellets and small glass bottles. He frowned at the straps and belts, taking into account that hunters seemed to have the most peculiar places to hide their so-called weapons. Brushing off the thought, he tossed them aside, her dark cloak thrown over them and left discarded on the floor. The incubus confidently removed her shirt, revealing a white undershirt underneath, her pale shoulders revealed. Now he could better see her curves and her breasts, making the lord of Southmount lick his lips in anticipation. Not only fresh meat, but meat of a huntress as well! With surprisingly gentle fingers - he didn't want to hurt her... yet - he brushed over the peak of her clothed breasts, only to be met with sharp pain on his back.

He roared aloud, his wings flexing from the pain out of instinct, only to make the wound sting even more. Spinning around, he was met with the startling figure of the huntress he had previously imprisoned. With a growl, he raked his claws over her front, the movement causing fresh blood to splatter all over the bedsheets and Belinda. She had dug her dagger straight into his back and the base of one of his wings, breaking through the black scales and into the sensitive flesh underneath. "H- How?" he snarled at her, shocked to see the white-haired huntress out of the room. "This isn't possible!"

As soon as Adulio roared, it had alerted to both his own people and the two demons that something had gone wrong. The fire demon and the earth demon charged through the open door, faltering at the sight of Selene holding a bloody dagger over the incubus, who was facing the huntress, his chest bare with a figure laying beside him. Golem's face changed from determination to shock and horror, realising the figure beside the demon was his own partner. Swiftly flying from one side of the room to the other, the earth demon slammed his clenched fist into the incubus' stomach, his anger translating into force, possibly painfully shattering bones as the incubus gasped for air.

 

[Hana]

It took one second for the incubus to register that she had stabbed him; Selene had to watch as he nearly brushed his hand over the helpless healer's breasts, feeling ill at the sight. She immediately tensed at his roar of pain, expecting him to spin around. Leaping back, she got away just in time to miss getting sliced deeply by Adulio's claws. Her own blood mingled with the demon's on the stained bedsheets and Belinda, the huntress immediately pressing her free arm over her front to staunch the flow. They felt like four long claw marks down the front of her chest, thankfully not slicing into her abdomen, lightening off to scratches. All the blood that had splattered on the bed wasn't entirely hers, a lot more blood also flowing from the deep wound she had dug into Adulio's back. From the view of the incubus, it probably looked like she had splattered her own blood over herself, the injury looking worse than it actually was. In truth, they had both just injured each other. She was much more cautious now, but at least she had stopped him from touching Belinda.

Raising a brow at the furious snarl, she smirked back at the disbelief on Adulio's face. "Clearly it is," she hissed back, backing away with the dagger still held tightly in her free hand. She could hear the shouts now, coming from the halls outside. Adulio's howl of pain had alerted everyone in the building. So much for subtlety, now everyone in the village would know. But then again, everyone had probably known by now, that village boy's gambit had thrown all plans to hell. They shouldn't have relied on those siblings in the first place. "And you didn't disarm me." She pressed her hand over her chest, tightly drawing her cloth over the claw marks. They throbbed slightly, but she confirmed they weren't poisoned. A good way to put her down would have been to attack her with more than just claws. Otherwise, she could continue on fighting indefinitely so long as her mind was clear and she could still move. Injuries be damned, she wasn't letting him walk away from this.

She was stopped just in time from making another lunge at the injured incubus, the hunters' two partners appearing in the doorway. Stiffening, her eyes flickered in their direction, drinking in the unharmed figures of the two demons. "Took you long enough," she muttered with wry amusement, though her mirth quickly disappeared as she saw the fury on Golem's face. Following his eyes, she saw him taking in the sight of his nearly undressed female partner. Belinda was still out of it, staring uncomprehendingly at the blood splattered on the sheets. Any other time, the healer would have been horrified at the amount of blood on her and the bed, and immediately rushing to take care of any injuries her friends had. This time, she was slow to react. Belinda had nearly been taken by Adulio, and she wasn't even coherent enough to realize it. And the young huntress wasn't about to interfere with a furious demon partner. It reminded her just about the day in Lumist, Golem angrily striking at the incubus without stopping.

Selene took advantage of the distraction to yank the other girl away by her arms in time just as Golem flew at the incubus. Pulling Belinda back by the waist, Selene moved out of the way of the struggling demons. She looked sharply in Adulio's direction as she heard the snap of bones. The earth demon's fist was buried against the incubus' stomach. Soon enough, she heard the incubus begin to gasp for air, painful and wheezing. There were gasps of horror and fury from outside the room, several women trying to get past Phynex and run to Adulio.

"Snap out of it!" Grabbing her friend by the shoulders, Selene placed Belinda on the floor, crouching in front of her. She shook the other girl almost roughly, slapping her cheeks lightly to wake her up. The mist was still making things hazy for the healer, showing the very same effects that the younger girl had escaped from falling deeper into. Dilated pupils, and even more flushed cheeks. The older girl was breathing slowly but heavily, her white undershirt clinging to her due to having sweated. Placing her hand against her forehead, the white-haired girl bit her lip as she felt the feverish skin under her palm. Another thing was that Belinda felt shivery against her. She might not rouse until she's far away from Adulio... Glancing in the incubus' direction, she didn't look at Phynex as she spoke her orders. "Kill him." With Adulio's wings damaged, he would be unable to escape very quickly from the town hall.

Holding Belinda close to her, the huntress stood up. "I've been hit," she murmured, pulling the healer in front of her to hide the blood from the fire demon. It wasn't nearly as bad as it looked, only her shirt soaking up most of the blood. It clung to her front, but she wasn't feeling faint yet. She wasn't going to bleed out just now. Backing further away, she grabbed the hem of her cloak, tearing off a long piece of it with the dagger. Working quickly, she wrapped it around her torso, tightly stopping the flow of blood. "Belinda needs to get away from this place. That smoke is a drug." Eyeing the women who were struggling to get past her partner, Selene brandished the handle of the dagger again. There weren't nearly as many women who had come to witness this as she would have thought. Most likely, a lot of the women were incapacitated or unconscious around the town hall. She grabbed Belinda, holding her close.