A warm sun hung overhead the clean white and gray city, water like crystal reflected up below the various walkways as the citizens went along with their own business. It's been three days since they've been here. First to arrive where members of the DHO, and those representing the Charred Council, and along with the DHO were Gilgamesh and their science crews. Next was Kushiel and a band of angels, though they were as snobby as they usually were, Kushiel himself had decided to put aside his assigned duties, and act in the way he believes benefits heaven best, and that is to ensure the threat that Vega and the False Riders pose is neutralized. He made it very clear that he would claim this seal once that was over. The same went for Gomory, who arrived with a posse of demons she herself had handpicked, but for now she had a bone to pick with the one who calls himself Vega.

It was a strange sight seeing all of these figures stand in a Greek styled hall with an open roof, surrounded by pillars and cascading steps, lowering towards the center.

"So, it appears that everyone here has come for a common enemy. According to the visual reports by Aquapolis' security, the description matches the one they call Vega, it can be safely assumed he roams the wilds of Brightwater Isle. Furthermore, DHO have found the location of the next seal, located in the Pillars of the Earth", this man wore a vest, suspenders, and it appears in light of this weather, his coat is laid to his side on the table before him. The man was older in stature, but one could not help but notice the man behind him, bound. It was Sevrin, even in this predicament he was grinning, encased in a straight jacket, though it was unnecessary, as he was now a normal human. It was clear Gomory and Kushiel were eyeing him carefully.

"For now, we will focus on defending Aquapolis and it's seal. Kushiel and his angels will command airspace, Gomory will be at the gates leading into the rest of Brightwater Isle, and the DHO will handle communications, repairs, and technical aspects. All forces will deploy their specialized agents to either focusing on critical tasks in need of a specialist, or sending them on expeditions to the Pillars of the Earth, in search of the next Seal, and securing it", the elderly looking man's tone rested off, leading to letting the others speak.

"I have no objections to this arrangement. This will be an alliance until Vega, and the False Riders have been defeated... From which I will rejoin the main forces of Heaven, and continue our task on this realm. I will remind that I am here because I feel letting those factors run loose will be a detriment to everyone, including Him", he firmly put it. It made some of the attending DHO and Gilgamesh members just a little uneasy, but it wasn't unexpected.

"Likewise, no objections to arrangement... However I would like to ask, why is HE present? I have not torn him to shreds yet for the sake of this shaky alliance. Was he not the one who destroyed the seal in Barlour City?!", Gomory turned towards Sevrin who sat bound in his spot. The older man representing the DHO spoke again,

"It's already been determined that he was possessed, however we have brought him here because the bulk of our forces are already here, including research, so we felt it more efficient to bring him here to have his body and mind tested and examined, to see if we can learn more of Vega from whatever may be left behind in him. He claims to have no memory, and it appears that he had been possessed for quite some time before the events of Barlour City, so there is much to gather about this case"[/color], he explained. Gomory looked away with annoyance before turning back to the council,

"Very well... But we should not delay in stopping Vega's growth. Bring it up again, those visual reports", she demanded. With little problem, some of the people in the back hit a few buttons, before the large screen at the end of the hall lit up, cycling through stills of video feed, showing a black hooded figure.

"You say these were taken over the course of the week yes?", she inquired. Everyone nodded.

"Notice how the lines on his form become brighter and more numerous... Furthermore, Kushiel, you claim he was more akin to a wraith when you saw him in the Jungle? He can maintain a solid form now. He is growing stronger, and fast", she emphasised this.

"I know not what manner of demon he is, and it is my job to recruit demons, so I know just about every kind there is to know... So the fact that I don't know what he is, is what concerns me. He must be dealt with as soon as possible",she seemed more concerned about him than the other threat. She seemed almost frantic, like she may know something the others don't, but whatever it was, she wasn'tcompletely sure of it.

"Of course, naturally... But let us not ignore the Nephilim that had appeared to us, I believe I have reports saying that another of their number were seen in a previous encounter prior to the Jungle, in the Undersky, as he went after another Seal. Though the Council should have that one under lock, if I am to believe these agents", he noted, referring to the agents of the Council present, that being Lily, Fenn, and Akoni.

"These Nephilim are powerful. Between them and Vega, I believe them to be the larger threat. At the very least, Vega's progress can be slowed, but these Nephilim are larger threats than him already", he argued.

"Alright, understood... Then I will assign Gomory with hunting down Vega, while Kushiel will be assigned with the Nephilim. Report regarding the two will be sent to you both first and foremost. I'd like you all to agree that all of our forces will be deployed to go after one or the other, so please assign them wisely, and try not to let bias cloud your judgement", the DHO representative set the terms, it appears the two have agreed to this.

"Now then... There is much to be done, even today, and some not yet done from yesterday. Unless there are questions, this meeting is adjourned. We will hold yet another next week to discuss developments, now then, dismissed", with that said, Kushiel's wings spread and he disappeared into the clear blue sky ahead, while Gomory turned, shrouding herself in darkness before disappearing entirely.

NOTE: Missions are being added and worked on. For the time being, enjoy your stay at Aquapolis. It's also actually a popular tourist spot for the relaxing scenery and unique festivals they hold here. Everyone has their own room also.

---

"Mmm." Ferrus mumbles satisfyingly as he eats a fresh fish that he bought from the market, which he cooked on the end of his flaming sword, "You know, this fish is actually pretty tasty if I may say so myself. I don't believe I've ever tried a fish as rich as this."

"Hmph." exhales Mallus as he sits across from his brother while reading a book.

Ferrus glances at the blonde haired man briefly before proceeding to slice a clean piece for him on a plate.

"You want a piece, brother?" he politely asked.

Mallus looks up from the book only to frown in disgust.

"No." he mutters coldly before returning to indulge on his reading.

"You sure?" Ferrus asks curiously, waving the plate slowly.

"No."

The redhead shrugs as he proceeds to consume the piece for himself. As a seven foot tall inquisitor primarch, who is constantly going on extensive missions against heresy, Ferrus needs to eat often in order to satiate his fast metabolism. This is especially true for his mastery of fire manipulation skill, one that burns way more calories than simple exercise alone. He'd eat just about anything to keep his energy up and his fires flowing. Many would believe the same is true for Mallus, however in his case he happens to be the opposite. He barely eats anything at all, and when he does it's usually in small portions. Perhaps his mastery in manipulating ice allows him to retain the nutrients in his blood for longer periods of time, consuming most at a slower speed while pocketing reserves for later. Yet all the while being still able to keep a heavily chiseled physique and his quick reflects all the same.

Yet the journey ahead of them will be tough. Kushiel had plucked them from their inquisitional duties to join with his task force of Angels to help in the collection of the Pillars of Earth. Most of the missions they've partook in were mere quests for artifacts or to find and sedate heretics that threaten Heaven and the Hierarchy of Laguna. It would usually just be the two of them going out together, sometimes alone in rare cases. Now they are up on the front lines with their rogue superior, the angel Kushiel, with each having two opposite opinions on the matter.

The two were initially rather conflicted whether they should join him on his own "crusade" or to stay as "loyalists" to Jubelius, despite their lack of choice in the matter. Ferrus believed it would be better to join him, as after all he too was doing it for the sake of Heaven and not to any harmful cause. Mallus, on the other hand, wanted to decline, as he didn't trust the rogue angel and was skeptical about whatever "heretical plans" he might want to commit. Yet at the end of the day, both were forced to be part of Kushiel's tutelage, whether they wanted it or not.

This is why the brothers came to Aquapolis.

"Say..." Ferrus wonders as he finishes his meal, "Can you remind me who these False Riders are again? Are they those Nephilim that we are supposed to find?"

"Yes." Mallus answers while still looking at his book.

There was a slight pause in between the two. Ferrus' eyebrow lifts up as if he's waiting for something.

"Well... who are they? And who are the Real Riders?"

The blonde coldly stares at Ferrus before snapping his book shut.

"Did you not pay attention to Kushiel's debriefing?" he asks somewhat harshly with an icy glare.

"Course I did." the redhead retorts lightly, "All I need is a crash course to settle the information in. It was really a lot to take in, you know? Like... we only just got started in getting our feet wet. And you know pretty much all of this information, so I imagine it'll won't be a problem reminding me."

Mallus sighs at his brother's response as he sits up.

"You should really be reading this information up yourself." he replies bluntly as ever, "But if you insist, I suppose I ought to remind you..."

"We might as well start out with the real riders then. These Four Riders are part of the Charred Council and are used as countermeasures in case the seals are all destroyed. These seals are essentially barriers between the three realms; Heaven, Hell, and the human realm. With the destruction of each seal, it becomes easier to travel through them. If all of them are destroyed, the realms will collapse on themselves and form one singular realm, causing chaos and mass heresy across the entire world."

"And that's what Vega and these False Riders want, right?" Ferrus asks.

"Yes." confirms Mallus, but with slight hesitance, "Although their ultimate goal is unclear. We can only assume that's what they're going for."

"Well, in that case, how many of the false riders are there?" the redhead inquires.

"We don't know." responds the blonde, "There could be as little as a handful to as many as an entire legion. I've found reports that two of these heretics have already been found. They're identified as Void and Aeon. Other than them, we're still searching. That's all the information I have on them at the moment."

"Ah alright, thanks." Ferrus nods politely, "See, that wasn't so painful right?"

"Right..." Mallus growls as he picks up his book, "Anyways, let me get back to my reading. Why don't you go and uh... mingle with the others or something?"

"Sure." the younger brother responds positively as he leaves his older brother alone to find others to talk to.

Mallus, meanwhile, continues with his reading in peace, glad that he finally has time for himself.

---

---

"It's... been awhile." Gideon growls reluctantly as he plants his foot in Aquapolis.

Indeed it has. The half-demon assassin had been out of serious engagement with the rest of Hell since the battle at Barlour City. He remembers fighting the Angels of Heaven and Humanity with his fellow kin, as well as successfully defeating and recruiting the vicious Gorgon to their cause. By all accounts, Gideon was a promising asset to the army. However, the demon king, Mundas, had other plans for the young demon. He pulled him out of the front lines and placed him as a spy, issuing espionage behind enemy lines to scout out their next moves. For the most part, Gideon did his job rather well. He even enjoyed the whole sneaking around and gathering information, but especially in assassinating high-ranked individuals. It wasn't very often he did such missions, but when they did, he enjoyed every second of it.

Now that Hell has made an alliance with the rest of the factions, issuing a temporary truce as they attempt to find the missing seals, Gideon's services as a spy will be compromised for as long as it holds. It was rather disappointing to him really, for he was already getting used to this espionage thing. On the bright side however, he'll definitely have more opportunities to kill Mundas' opponents so it's definitely not bad at all. In the meantime, he is to join Gomory in their quest to find and hunt down someone going by the name "Vega" in the city of Aquapolis. All the demon knows about him, according to literally everyone else, is that he's extremely dangerous threat, to the point where he threatens the entire world as they know it. Even a capable assassin like him wouldn't be able to stop him alone.

Gideon has been preparing for the engagement ever since he caught wind of Vega's existence shortly prior to being relocated to Aquapolis. His desert eagle pair, Lucifer's Wings, have already been upgraded and he has learned several new gun skills to his arsenal. He also continues to improve on his blade work, despite them lacking in new abilities and upgrades. While Gideon certainly relies on them for most of his non-firearm attacks and as an efficient defense, he is trying not to be absolutely dependent on them. Nonetheless, he'll certainly upgrade and add new abilities to them at a later date.

For now, he ought to enjoy the peaceful environment that Aquapolis has to offer... although perhaps it's a little too peaceful for his tastes. Nonetheless, Gideon proceeds to go out and stroll in the main plaza area. Perhaps he can find something interesting to do in order to keep his mind occupied until he's needed.

Like gravity, the pressure of so many otherwordly beings weighed down on the humans present at the secret meeting, though none as much as Souta. Until recent times far more comfortable at his forge than in the field, Souta found himself growing more accustomed to the presence of angels and demons at a frustratingly slow pace. He remained still, with nothing more to contribute to the gathering than his visible existence as an agent of the Charred Council, until the gentleman 'in charge' adjourned the conference. Before he could even steady his breath, Souta hurried to find a secluded spot.

Once out of the towering doors and out of sight of their exquisite decoration, the smith reigned in his pace. He rounded the circumference of the building, running a hand along the silver railing. Before him lay a piece of the sparkling ocean from which Aquapolis rose, an island of glimmering metal and elegant craftsmanship. It was hard to believe, standing here bathed in brilliant reflections and awash with the gentle sounds of crashing waves and waterfalls, that this beautiful place could harbor any ill at all, but not all was well in Brightwater Isle.

Vega. The revelation still gnawed at him, cycling his mind through worry, doubt, and dark humor. That was the name of the entity who wished to destroy the seals and bring the apocalypse, bringing annihilation to all of reality. It would all be a smoldering wreck, if not dust itself: his magical place, every city and wilderness in the world, his home, his family...everything he loved, and everything he didn't. More than once, Souta considered how such a thing might occur. He'd thought, long before armageddon was even the remotest reality, that the end of the world meant Hell emptying its legions across the world, laying waste to the planet in a war to end all wars. Yet, Hell was as much a player in the affairs of the world as Heaven, and no instrument of the existential accord that the seals represented. Would the oceans dry up and the mountains crumble? Would all the world become nothing more than a heap of ash? Or would, after the seventh seal's destruction, things simply cease to exist? Souta remembered a movie he'd seen not so long ago, and shuddered. Never did he spare any effort wondering why this Vega would want the apocalypse to come—that, he could not fathom. “To think. All this, because of a Spanish guy from Street Fighter,” he said aloud, joking to himself.

Of course, it was no joking matter. Though he commanded no forces and carried precious little strength of his own, Souta would fight to protect the world. To him, the odds seemed good; now, Heaven and Hell would be cooperating, at least for the time being, against the rogue responsible for two seals' breaking. Plus, he still retained his Council allies: Fenn the hellhound, as brutal as he was cunning, the somewhat dubious but nevertheless powerful Nephilim Wrath, the crotchety old sorcerer, the Watchers -though mostly the unusually helpful one he called Magpie- and...Lily. Souta wanted to say that she still had him spellbound, that he could not make any decisions until this chaos was over, but he knew how he felt about her.

Taking a deep breath, Souta clapped his hands on the silvery railing and pushed off. He could not waste much more time idle, and needed to practice for the coming fight. The remarkable weight on his back, troubling him now more than before, belonged to the Mountain Buster, not so long ago 'borrowed' from Regalia Arms. Right now, the incredible but unwieldy new weapon was nothing more than a weight on his hands, and though he would likely never be strong enough to wield it freely, he needed to get more comfortable with it to have any chance of using it in battle.

A long, curved bridge extended across the water not far away. Souta headed in its direction.

"'And try not to let bias cloud your judgement,'" Lily murmured, chuckling to herself as she watched the clouds drift by above this new city. Cassandra, her daughter, stood beside her giving her a quizzical look. "Does that not sounds odd to you? Ironic, even." She asked, looking down at the shorter woman.

Lily had returned to her more Fae-like appearance, with the long, wavy, silver-white hair, curvaceous form and, this time, only near inhuman beauty. She wore a frilly, white dress that hung loosely about her, but with a similarly white cloth-belt tied around her waist. Cassandra on the other hand, looked entirely human. She had adopted chestnut brown eyes and rose lips, with light brown hair hung loosely past her shoulders. The bangs kept in place by a small tiara-like headdress. She wore a simple t-shirt and high-waisted jeans.

"Non," she admitted and looked towards the retreating angels. They were only specks in the sky at this point, and the other attendees of the so-called meeting were still leaving the grounds. "I do not know exactly what you mean, mother." She shrugged off her backpack and started rooting through it, procured a sketchbook and charcoal, and closed it up again. "I do not see irony in warning against bias," she told her mother, and started drawing a series of lines on the paper. She still glanced up at Lily every so often, indicating that she was still listening.

Lily looked down at her drawing daughter, brows furrowed. She could not see it? Truly? She ran her tongue along on her elongated canines, thinking to herself how much they had grown apart. She remembered a time when her little girl would have readily agreed with most anything her mother had said. Knowing she was thousands of years old, had then been enough to convince the little baker's daughter, that she knew what she was talking about, and that she was right because of her age. She stepped up behind Cassandra and looked over her shoulder, seeing the first spire of Aquapolis start to take shape. The skill and surety with which she placed each line, curve, and stroke was a far cry from the awkward scrawls that she remembered seeing... It must have be a hundred years ago. She had become so much better at drawing. She had... Grown.

The realisation brought a pang of some unidentifiable feeling to Lily. Cassandra was no longer a little girl, but a grown woman in her own right. She may yet be millennia younger than Lila herself was, but she was still mature and well over the age where most humans died. By human standards she was ancient. And Cassandra was, after all, part human. She deserved to be recognised as the adult she was. And that included realising that she was no longer a little girl who agreed with everything her mother said, but had her own opinions and worldviews.

It brought a small smile on her lips, in spite of the melancholy it followed.

Cassandra was now looking at her, the charcoal pen hovering still above the paper. "Did I do something, Mother? Did you not want to explain why you thought it ironic?"

Lily blinked and met the eyes of her daughter, quirking an eyebrow. "Well if you insist. Have you noticed the one wearing the Kimono?" Cassandra looked off towards where Gormory had been, but now was gone, and nodded. "She's an agent of Hell, a servant of Mundus who desires Hell's victory over both Heaven and Earth. She was there when the first Seal was broken, fighting to defeat those of us who attempted to defend it, ultimately leading to the one previously known as Sevrin, now Vega, to being able to break the Seal. Why would someone who desires dominion so, want to defend the things that keep them from attaining it?"

A contemplative look washed over Cassandra's features. She put her half-finished drawing and pen away, and crossed her arms. "Étrange... You make a good point, but that is no evidence of bias."

Lily shook her head. "No, t'is not. But the angel, the one who looked like a boy?" Once again, Cassandra nodded. "He made it quite clear where his priorities lie. That he is only in this alliance because he believes it serves the great tyrant, the one they call 'God'." She chuckled, as if finding the word itself amusing. "What's to stop him from letting those he is not allied with, suffering more losses in the battles ahead? The Angels above desires dominion as much as the demons below. It would be to his benefit to let powerful humans and demons die, to make ragnarok an easier fight for them in the future."

Cassandra wrinkled her nose. "Ragnarok?"

"Ancient belief of the Norse people. The name for their version of Doomsday, the Cataclysm, Armageddon... Every culture has their own name for it," Lily explained simply. "I simply prefer it over the others. To me, that name carries with it more of the bloodshed and horrors, that war will bring, than any of the others. Everything else sounds pretentious."

Cassandra was silent for a spell, tapping her foot as she gazed off into the distance. "Je vois. That does make sense, the angel's motivations. But are you certain we cannot trust him?"

Lily shook her head. "No. His bias is clearer than the sun in the sky," she said, her tone gaining a bitter edge. She fought to keep it down, but ultimately she knew Cassandra would notice. "He, like all other angels, live only to serve. They know not the meaning or value of freedom, and so will seek to squash it so long as their hearts remain beating."

"You should know you have your own biases, Mother," Cassandra pointed out, turning to face Lily fully with something of a stern look on her face. "You view the Angels as a single, totalitarian body that wants to control every atom of existence. The Demons of Hell you see as monsters who just seek destruction, and then to rule over the ashes they have left in their wake. And humans are things to be pitied, toyed with, and protected." She crossed her arms and faced the ancient demon that was her mother, calling her out. "You accuse others of bias, yet your own shows as clear as day, non?"

Justified anger rose within Lily. She dared to throw such lies at her? Cassandra may have been her daughter, but this... this was... It was true, wasn't it? Partially at least. She did hold Angels in low regard, and did think of them as haughty beings, that just wanted to rule and nothing more. Demons and Humans were something else. She took a deep breath, quelling her anger, and let it out. "No, you are wrong," she said, meeting Cassandra's stern frown with an impassive look. "Humans are not playthings to me. Your father should be proof of that. While I have admittedly toyed with certain individuals throughout the ages, humans as a whole are a species equal to the rest of us. They're not toys. They're people. As for demons, I view them as chaotic and varied. Fenn is one of my oldest rivals, and I daresay maybe even a friend. Demons are capable of every emotions humans are, provided they are intelligent enough. They're not just agents of destruction."

She paused, thinking over her stance on angels, arguably the kind she hated the most. What was there to say? She thought them haughty and arrogant. They were creatures beneath her, and so many others, and yet thought themselves superior and right to rule. It was laughable. "The Angels... You are mostly right. I see them as a single body, but not necessarily totalitarian. They're haughty, megalomaniac, and seem to believe they have the right to stand on top of everything, justifying their transgressions by saying, that it was the will of their God." She fought to keep her tone neutral, but as ever she found it difficult when speaking her mind on the angels. But she tried, if only for Cassandra's sake. "I will freely admit to hating them, but not because their views and philosophies oppose mine, but because they try to morally justify the wanton mayhem and murder they commit, as if they are above morals. Admit to their nature being as bloodthirsty as that of many demons, and I would have far less issues with them." She turned back to face Cassandra, having looked away earlier to not betray her anger. "Does that explain things adequately?

Cassandra held Lily's stare, and slowly uncrossed her arms and let them hang at her sides. She breathed out, the sternness bleeding away from her. "You have never lied to me before, so I am going to trust you. Nevertheless, should we not give everyone a chance? They have agreed to work together, after all, even if both the demons' and angels' goals are to rule over all realms, come the end war."

Lily didn't answer immediately, for the moment occupied with toying idly with her pendant. Cassandra had a point. A very good point. She always had been the most tolerant of the two of them, which was understandable given her dual nature. She grew up knowing she wasn't just a human, but something else. Those caught between two sides often learned to appreciate all sides, was her experience. She blew air out of her nose harshly, and it soon became a weak chuckle. "You half-demons always know how to get to the heart of the matter, do you not? Always knowing what to say to convince someone else that they are not quite correct."

Cassandra stepped away and shook her head, albeit with a smile on her lips. "You know I don't like being called a half-demon. I think of myself more as a faerie; one of the Sídhe." The smile grew into a grin and she motioned towards Lily in her entirety. "Much like yourself. You look the spitting image of one of the Sídhe Queens." She closed her eyes briefly, and when they opened again they were a solid, monochrome blue. From the corner of her eyes swirling blue lines started etching themselves into her skin, spreading from her face to her neck, and then to the rest of her body. From her back also sprouted a pair of luminous butterfly-like wings, each a kaleidoscope of colours that glittered in the sun. "See," she said, now hovering a few hand-spans above the ground, "fairy." She blinked and returned to her human appearance once more, landing on the ground again. She aimed a smirk up at Lily. "For someone who prides herself on being a demon, you sure seem to have taken a liking to the appearance of a Tuatha dé Danaan."

"It's how a certain fictional character looks," she explained. "I read a book she was in a few years back, and had the chance to try to look like her recently. I think it turned out rather well. Don't you think so, my Fayette?"

"Petite fée, indeed mother," Cassandra said with a bright smile. "Your little fairy, forever."

“Unbelievable. Who do they think they are?”

A woman angrily strode down the city’s streets, occasionally slipping through into the alleyways, pausing occasionally to glance behind her. She blended in with the occasional group of people when she found them – the working members of the hunting organizations and the few locals that remained outside given the recent influx of less than agreeable tourists – but the white labcoat and the knapsack she wore on her back set her apart even before one got close enough to listen to her grouchy muttering.

“Telling me to stay put while all of this is happening. ‘You must stay in the hotel until the labs are set up, ma’am. Wait with the rest of the science crews, ma’am. Don’t try to talk to the angels, ma’am.’ Treating me like I’m some kind of… security risk after all this time.”

Some might say that she was skulking, sneaking where she might not be seen, but such observations would be wrong on all accounts. She strode – proudly at that – not skulked. Skulking was something those of sketchy morals and poor intentions did, and hers was a character as upstanding as any other.

“Doctor Kipper!”

A choking noise left the woman’s throat and she pressed herself against the alley wall. She blew at her black hair annoyedly as a stray lock fell over one of her eyes.

From further ahead, the call repeated itself. “Doctor, we don’t have time for this!” The shout was followed by the telltale murmuring of conversation. Frustrated conversation at that.

“Oh, are they annoyed at me? How rude of them.”

“Did you hear that?”

“Gah.”

The woman sucked a breath and began to retreat back into the alley. Of course, that was when another shout came from the alley mouth she had turned to. “Doctor Kipper! Where the hell did that woman get to this time?”

Cursing her luck, the good doctor glanced at her surroundings, searching for impromptu escape routes. Her eyes happened to alight on the wall she had been pressing herself against. The wall did not belong to a building proper, but rather separated the back-end of a large building from the rest of block, likely fencing off a garden or pool. It was just high enough that she thought she could scale it given the circumstances.
She pulled her knapsack off her back and swung it over the fence wall. The next moment she had jumped and grasped the top of the wall, pulling herself upwards with quickness that either revealed surprising strength or an alarmingly light body. Such was her hurry that she just about bowled over once she reached the top.

The clumsy fall was thankfully cushioned by a soft bed of grass below. The doctor shuffled forward on all fours, grabbing onto her fallen bag before she paused to listen. With satisfaction, she noted the sounds of voices falling farther and farther out of her range of hearing.

Smiling brightly, she adjusted her spectacles, which now dangled loosely on the tip of her nose from the fall, and turned to look for the exit.

Of course, it was only when she turned to face the other way that she came face to face with the secluded garden’s other occupant.

“Gah,” she choked out again at the sight of the hulking, black-scaled monster that stared back at her.

The creature shifted, turning its bulk to face her. The light played over the thick chains wrapped around its arms, jostling something deep in her memory, but her more immediate concerns lied on the canine grin the creature showed her.

She knew what it was, of course. The large, brutish arms capped with clawed hands, its lupine features, and the fur that covered its extremities, wisps of fire flitting over its surface made it plain as day. The skein of scars was typical as well, even if denser than she had seen before. It wasn’t the first time she laid eyes on a Hellhound – she had even spoken to some for crying out loud.

But since when do they grow that large!?

She jumped to her feet, holding her knapsack before her in a futile warding gesture. Stay calm, stay calm. Oh, would those officers hear me if I scream bloody murder right now? Ah, but that might upset the friendly dog here. See, he hasn’t pounced yet. He’s just curious, curious is all. No need to panic.

The hound let out a low snarl, taking a step forward. She matched it with a nervous smile and a step backwards.

“W-Why, uhm, greetings, friend!” she said, putting on her brightest smile while wide eyes scanned the surroundings for an escape. “I assure you it wasn’t my intention to disturb your sunbathing, o-or whatever you might have been doing out here.” There was the back door into the building itself, but that would require her to run past the hound. Beyond that, she could try scaling the wall again, but that choice was…

Another growl-like grunt and another step closer interrupted her train of thought. “Please don’t eat me. That would be a problem,” she said lamely.

The hound ceased its approach. Its head rose, nose wrinkling as though something offensive reached its nose. She could not find it in herself to be offended by that. Then it spoke in a deep rumble, a sound like crumbling stone.

“You would not make for a filling meal.”

“Ah,” she gasped, the relief almost making her drop her makeshift shield. She barely caught herself, hugging her bag tightly. “I am certainly glad I’m not up to your standards.”

The hound grunted. “Yet you would not flee.”

“Would you have let me?”

The beast rolled its shoulders in a ponderous shrug. “It is bad form to take another’s quarry.”

She frowned. “A-another? But…” She wondered where that statement had come from. Ah, though I suppose I am being ‘pursued’. Is that how it sounded to him? That would mean the answer was a simple no.

He could have just said that.

In the moment it took her to make the connection, the hound had already stepped away, returning to where it had been lounging. She was more than glad to have some distance between her and the beast’s looming presence. Even when lying down, the hound’s head could meet her at eye-level. “Take your flight somewhere else, then,” it said.

Well that was that then. How fortunate was it that the one towering monster she had disturbed wanted nothing to do with her? On hindsight, perhaps she had taken too many liberties in her latest foray away from her working quarters. It would certainly be in her best interests to return before anything else happened.

This had been a good reality check, in a way.

Yet… now that her heartrate had slowed, she found curiosity overwhelming her concern. This is a very rare opportunity, after all.

“If I may ask… what clan did you come from?”

The hound’s gaze immediately focused on her, slitted eyes holding hers with a coldness that made her limbs shiver. Its gaze bore down on her with nary a sound, yet this kind of attention scared her, yet the gesture scared her more than the previous, snarling approach. She was all too aware of the reason. A beast’s growls and barks were warning signs, a message to trespassers and threats to leave or heel. It was a form of communication.

Yet there is no need to communicate with prey. A lone predator will stalk and kill in utter silence.

She found her lips curling into a disarming smile. “Ah, apologies,” she said past a parched throat. “I let my curiosity get the better of me. It’s simply that ever since Belial of the Fire Hell was dispatched you barely see any other Hellhounds. I imagine you came with Gomory?”

The hound continued to stare at her searchingly for a few more moments before the edge began to bleed from his eyes – and, she noted, the tension from his body. Finally, he grunted. “Hell’s recruiter and I have not had the misfortune of crossing paths.”

“No?” She hugged her bag tighter, thinking. “It would be amazing if you came with the Angels, but that’s more than unlikely, and I would have heard if there was a Hellhound working with Gilgamesh or the Demon Hunters. Which leaves—”

“—the Charred Council,” he finished for her. The dog scowled, as if displeased. “Accurate enough.”

Once again, she found herself mildly puzzled over his wording. Accurate enough, but not entirely? “What does that mean?”

“Enough.” He grunted wearily. “What do you seek from me, cadger? You may know of my kind, but I have no interest in discussing how I came to be here.”

“Cadger? I’m not a beggar.”

“You have yet to prove otherwise.”

He’s not wrong there, is he? “Right, where are my manners. I’m Samantha. Doctor Samantha Kipper, a researcher with Gilgamesh.”

“Humans take in your ilk?” The hound asked slowly.

Good nose. Her smile wavered before it reaffirmed itself over her features. The dog was poking at her. “Apparently!” she said happily, before she added. “Knowledge can open doors wherever you go. Now, you see, my work is one thing, but I have also taken to recording the events since the destruction of the first seal. Considering how this may well lead to the end of this realm, it felt important to have an account of what led to it.”

The hound let out a slow breath. “Why do you think this worthwhile?”

Samantha was thrilled to hear him ask. The hound may have been affecting disinterest, but the fact that he had not shooed her away spoke volumes.

“It’s an amazing chance to learn of, course! Already we have data on a mystery Demon with powers we don’t comprehend, and new Nephilim have been appearing left and right! They were supposed to be extinct! Well, expect for you know who…” she coughed lightly against her knapsack, recomposing herself. “There is also the historical value of such an account. Perhaps it will prevent certain world-ending mistakes if someone reads them later on.”

“You must know, cadger. Those who should read such accounts, never do.”

Samantha frowned. There had been a surprising bitterness to that remark. Also, that nickname is not going away, is it. “Perhaps. Still, there is value in history. In a world’s memory.”

The hound’s reply was silence. Not the kind of murderous quiet he had exhibited earlier, but rather the kind that made her feel the hound had held back another comment. It unsettled her. This was not the behavior she had come to expect from this one’s brutish ilk.

“In any case,” she said. “Even though I’ve been trying to record what is happening, my responsibilities tend to keep me away so I only learn what happened after the fact. Even today I had to stay behind at the lab while the meeting was conducted. Even though I helped make those graphs,” she added with some annoyance. “So a lot of what I write down is things I have been told by others.”

“You wish to ask me about what happened today?” The hound scoffed. “Find another. I am not needed for such a thing.”

“Oh, no need to worry about that. I got the details about what happened from my co-workers.” She gave him a conspirational smile. “That said, you are with the Council, aren’t you? You could have insights I couldn’t get from anywhere else. I want to ask about your take on this alliance um…” she trailed off. “What should I call you?”

The hound scowled. He lifted an arm from the ground, looking down at his clawed hand as though searching for something. “Fenn.”

What, did he write it on his paw or something? Still, there it was again, that niggling sense of recognition at the back of her mind. Where had she heard that name before? “Fenn,” she repeated. “Your collaboration would be invaluable. If you speak with me, I’ll be sure to make it up to you somehow.”

“You are vague,” the hound rumbled. “Yet fortunate. Aye. If you truly wish to preserve this moment, I would speak.”

“Perfect!” she exclaimed, elated. Trying to keep calm so she would not startle the beast, she reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook and a pen. “I assume you don’t mind if I take notes?”

“So be it.”

“Good,” she said as she lowered her bag to the ground to free her hands. “We have an interview going, then. Let’s start from the top. What are your thoughts on this alliance?”

“Alliance,” the hound spat with displeasure, “is too generous a word for this convergence. Expedience governs the joining of forces. By that same token, expedience will govern their parting. It shall be… violent.”

“It is true that Heaven and Hell have been at odds for eons, with this realm caught in the middle. Still, the forces here have expressed a desire to protect the seals.”

“Truly? That begs the question, then. Why have they not cooperated from the beginning?”

Samantha blinked at the odd question. “Why, it would be an issue of trust, would it not?”

“Yet such issues were put aside when unexpected forces joined the conflict. The snake and”—the hound’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly—“the False Riders. It occurs to me, that this is not a matter of protecting the seals, but rather controlling them. A war waged with these places as the key territories. However, the designs of this new enemy run counter to that.”

“You think trust was never the issue, but rather that they have been waging their own war since the beginning?” Even as she said that, Samantha felt that she had said something idiotic. She was speaking of Heaven and Hell. Of course they were warring between each other.

Fenn, however, did not call her out on it. Rather, he frowned, as though the words were in fact worth contemplating. “Would it not be convenient,” he said slowly, “to keep this realm in this state? Such that it may be interfered with directly?”

Her hand paused from its dance over the paper. It was a concerning thought. Concerning in its deviousness, which could be easily attributed to Mundus and the like. Would the commander of the heavenly host also think in such terms, however? She had not been expecting conspiracy theories when she had asked to speak with this Hellhound.

“I see,” she said. “Let’s be more specific now. What are your thoughts on the parties involved in this agreement? Let’s start with Gomory.”

“I have only seen Hell’s Recruiter from afar, cadger. It is difficult to say.” Fenn huffed. “She appears loyal to the Prince of the Underworld, however. It may be safe to assume her intentions are his intentions.” He narrowed his eyes. “However, intentions change.”

“What do you mean?”

“Bringing about the End War had never been the demon prince’s intention, preoccupied as he was the domination of the realm of man over its destruction. I am inclined to agree, given what I have seen and heard thus far. However, whatever initial plans he had in store were likely scattered by the destruction of the first two seals.

“Though the most well-known to this realm, he is not the only power within Hell. The ancient call of a burgeoning apocalypse has brought forth many of the Underworld’s inhabitants, ones he does not truly hold authority over. With the forces of Heaven responding to these incursions, it is not an option for him to abstain from this conflict.”

Samantha nodded. “You feel he has been dragged into this unwillingly.”

“Does the Prince seek to salvage the situation by preventing the destruction of the last seals? If more seals are lost, will he choose to destroy the last barriers between this world and calamity, to eke out Hell’s ultimate victory over Heaven? Does the Prince hold secret designs to bring about his desired end, or has he fallen to reactionary tactics, struggling merely to wrap his mind around the new players that have entered the battlefield?

“This sham of a truce makes me lean towards the latter.” A grunt. “I feel… ambivalence. We shall see if the Prince’s Hand is to be trusted.”

“What about the Angels that joined us? What about Kushiel?”

Fenn bared his teeth in something halfway between a smile and a snarl. “That one I have crossed path with twice. Twice we have tried to kill each other, though I believe he only recalls the latter. The little prince knows the face of his true enemy, cadger, and it is not the one we came to defeat. He has already sought to kill Council agents to claim a seal for his lord. The blame for the previous seal’s destruction lays at his feet.”

Fenn was supposedly working with the Council, so perhaps it should have been expected that he had a firsthand account of what had happened at the site of the last seal to be destroyed, but she still found herself surprised by the news. Surely there was more to be said about the bold claim the hound had given her, but she did not want the discussion to go on a tangent.

“He did say he would continue his task on this realm once this partnership was finished,” she pointed out.

“Task.” The hound let out a slow, venomous laugh. “I fear that in his zeal, that one may attempt to do as his lord wills before the task is given. With the assumption, of course, that the will of his lord and the will he expects from his lord are one and the same. Which begs the question, would he assume correctly?”

“You hope he betrays Him on accident.”

“No. I wish to see the choice of the soldiers who follow him, should such a thing happen. Would they awaken to the distinction in the end? Follow blindly, or turn against him? I wish to see the answer they present.”

“But why?”

The hound shook his head. “One should not justify desires, Cadger. You only draw eyes to the reasons’ obvious absence.”

Which she supposed was a convoluted way of saying he had no real reason to wish misfortune upon them, he simply did.

She hummed in quiet acceptance, deciding to move on. “How about the human organizations gathered here? Any thoughts regarding them?”

“None. You shall find it a common stance. Those they have agreed to work with care nothing for humanity’s fate.” He sniffed. “Ah, but I will amend myself. If they do, they care not for its freedom. If you wish to ask me of the groups in this island, I suspect you would know more. All I have seen of them have been the weaklings sent after me in the city of the second seal.”

Samantha made a note of that. Demon Hunters after demons in Barlour City. She would have to corroborate that piece of information with their liaison.

“What do you know about the demon, Vega? He is the one destroying the seals, so he must be the main focus of the Council.”

The hound shrugged. “It is as you say. It is all there is to say. The snake’s ultimate goal is irrelevant to all gathered here, but his methods have marked him as the enemy.” He scowled. “I shall face him yet.”

“The false Riders must have also triggered alarm bells for the Council? Do you have any ideas what they seek?”

“No.”

“None at all?”

Fenn’s brows furrowed. “Twice have they been sighted. Twice was I among the party that met them.”

The sound of scribbling intensified. It struck her again how fortunate she had been to find this resource.

“It is… unclear, whether they act with a single purpose, or if separate factions exist among them. The first allowed the seal to be taken. The second enabled its destruction” He gave her a sidelong glance. “I failed to take the second’s life. I shall not fail again.”

He went as far as to battle one of them? “What makes you so sure you’ll succeed the next time?” she asked.

“I was at death’s door when the battle started, cadger.”

“Ah.” She replied simply, her eyes flitting to the numerous scars covering his body. “You look all better now.”

He grunted.

“There is only one group left to discuss, then. What can you tell me about the Council’s involvement?” she finally asked, holding her pen expectantly.

Fenn, however, merely stared at her. Where before he had eagerly gone into a tirade for each question, now he simply eyed her silently.

“Um, can you tel—”

“The Council presents its own conundrum.” The hound interrupted, an oddly neutral cast to his tone. “Do you know when the Council gained the agents you see gathered here?”

“What?” she said, taken aback by the initiative being wrested from her so suddenly. “No! Shouldn’t I be asking that to y—”

“Do you know how many Seals of the Apocalypse they have come across? Where they have found them? Who sent for their recovery?”

“N-no, but—”

“Do you know where the true Riders of the Apocalypse are? Why it is us here, and not them?”

Mutely, she shook her head.

“Then you must bring these questions to others. Those who bear the mark of the Council.” The hound’s head drooped, resting it over his arms. “Begone now,” he rumbled.

Dimly, Samantha realized she had been dismissed. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again, hummed, and bent to pick up her bag. Silently, she stuffed her writing material inside and brought it over her shoulder.

A hop and a wiggle over the wall later and she was back on the streets. One of the Gilgamesh employees noticed her then, and she looked on as the man rushed towards her.

Her mind was still going over the last few moments she had spent with Fenn. He gave me homework. Homework! Below that thought was another, more unsettling one. The hound could have given an answer to those questions, yet he insisted the questions be brought to others.

Had she been tasked with delivering a message? This she wondered as the security staff led her back to her quarters.

From atop one of the tallest buildings in Aquapolis City drifted the sound of music, carried by wind the sound was quiet but clear, indicating just how loud the music was being played. Dancing around an old beat-up boombox at the top of the building was a tall creature hidden in smoke with massive wings. Malvvosia, The Thrasher of False Kings, had made her way to the city to help with the efforts of protecting the seals. She had been under the impression that only humans were involved so she had been surprised to find several demons taking part as well, even more shocking -and down right appalling- was that angels were involved as well. Her trust in the whole endeavour shaken by the inclusion of angels, Malvvosia decided to take a more subtle approach than she normally would to a situation. By transforming into a human she was able to avoid unwanted notice, allowing her to get close enough to eavesdrop on the meeting that took place. Once the meeting was over she flew around the city and continued her dropping of eaves, to find out more about the kind of creatures she would, potentially, be working with.

She found many of the angels and demons and humans that had taken part in the meeting all around the city and spent some time observing them. She felt the demons and humans had good enough heads on their shoulders, but they were not her main concern. The angels she came across were who she spied on the longest, an excruciating experience as she had to resist the urge to run up and bash them in the head. Having finished her spying, Malvvosia came to the concision, that while she might not like them, the angels did seem dedicated to protecting the seals. All the same, her disliking of angels put her in a mental quandary as to whether or not she wanted to join in or not, so she elected to find a place that was private and enjoy some of her favourite human music to take her mind off things.

As the smokey demon danced around the rooftop feathers would shake loose from her wings and flutter in the air a moment before slowly falling to the ground. She had been dancing for some time so there was a decent sized bed of feathers coating her dance floor, and about half as many still floating in the air slowly making their way towards joining the others. She paid the loss of feathers no mind as she had plenty to spare, and her attention was focused on the humans below. She adored just about everything to do with humans and loved to watch them go about their lives, often making up stories for why they were doing what the were doing, and making up their names so she had something to call them. Dancing along the edge of the roof, using her wings to keep her from falling off, she looked down at a nearby park and spotted two humans she had been watching for most of the day. Dorian and Princess Red Shirt were what she had elected to call them and they had spent most of their day wandering around in the park. It was difficult to tell from so far away but it looked as though Princess Red Shirt was resting her head on Dorian's shoulder. They made a cute couple: Malvvosia wondered if it would be rude to drop in on the wedding she had just then decided the two were undoubtedly going to have. Continuing to dance along the edge she made her way around to the other side of the building, and spotted Martha Abigail Peterson sitting out on her balcony knitting. Malvvosia had spotted the woman a few hours prior, where she had been folding laundry on the same balcony. There had been quite a bit of laundry so Malvvosia decided that must mean Martha had ten children, undoubtedly she was knitting clothes for an eleventh on the way. The dancing demon began to think up fitting names for the yet-to-be-born child, when a strong gust of wind hit the top of the building almost blowing her off the side. She dug her toes into the concrete to stop herself from falling. The feathers in the air and on the ground were picked up and blown away in a swirl, looking more and more like a flock of strange birds the farther away the wind took them. A second gust of wind knocked the decrepit boombox over; the music cut off abruptly following the upsettingly familiar sound of music equipment breaking. With a sigh Malvvosia went over and inspected the device, trying a few buttons and knobs, and giving it "love taps" -as the humans liked to call them- to see if she could get it going. She quickly realised that was not going to happen. "Damn it all..."

Taking her musical destruction as a cue to actually come to a decision, Malvvosia decided she would help for as long as the seals needed protection. She would work alongside angels up to the very moment the seals were no longer in danger, and not a moment longer. She smiled at the thought of the look on those angels faces when she would tear them to shreds. "All good things to those who wait," she muttered happily to herself.

As she had skipped out on the meeting Malvvosia decided, that since she was going to be fighting alongside these people, it would be prudent to introduce herself to someone on the team, as a means to break the ice. She recalled observing two people -after listening to them for some time she realized they were demons- earlier in the day and remembered thinking they seemed a reasonable pair. With a mighty push that broke the concrete beneath her feet, Malvvosia leapt towards the end of the city she recalled seeing the pair in. As she began to lose height she used her wings to guide her towards an alleyway where she could land unseen. Moments before she landed she altered her form to take on the appearance of a human, hitting the ground just as the transformation finished. Her landing, like her take off, cracked the pavement around her in a large radius. Malvvosia brushed debris from her leggings and straightened her jacket before heading off to find those she sought. After she turned she found a human child staring at her, mouth agape, hand frozen in an open claw that had previously been holding a bag of candy. Malvvosia smiled, approached the child, bent down, and grabbed the candy that had fallen to the ground in shock. She placed it back in his hand and made sure he was gripping the bag tight enough that he wouldn't drop it again. She spent some time observing the young boy who could have been no older than ten. His face was caked with different colours from the candy he had been eating, and he had various band-aids all over his body. Malvvosia smiled and decided his name was Dennis "Run along, Dennis," she said with a smile. Her voice was cheerful and held a tinge of playfulness in it, but was far too mature and powerful for the young face it emanated from. "Enjoy the rest of your day, and try not to drop that candy again." Malvvosia plucked a piece of candy from the bag, popped it in her mouth and walked away, doing her best to hide the fact her face was twisted in disgust. She never did understand human’s obsession with eating sour things. The young boy gripped his candy tighter and ran off to find his friend to tell them about the experience, yelling back at the strange woman, “My name’s not Dennis!”

Malvvosia wandered around for sometime, repeatedly getting distracted watching and interacting with humans. She eventually found the two demons she had been looking for. They hadn’t moved, and were in the same spot she had left them hours prior. She approached them and put on her best attempt at a welcoming smile "Greetings Fae! I'm Malvvosia" she held out a hand "The Thrasher of False Kings. A pleasure to meet you."

song on the boombox: youtube.com/watch?v=r32aSDIGA0E

Wrath stood further towards the back of the three groups during the meeting, listening as the three leaders shared information and generally reaffirmed the terms of the single most shaky alliance the Nephilim had ever seen. Angels and Demons were already naturally...well, to say distrusting of each other would be one of the greatest understatements he’d ever heard, but he could nary think of a better way to phrase it; humans, likewise, held little to no trust for Heaven or Hell, though Wrath liked to blame the Hierarchy for the distrust held for Heaven. A small contingent of the Army of Light, about a thousand angels strong, had come to Brightwater Isle under Zarrath’s command, who stood to Kushiel’s left, silently listening and watching. He hadn’t said a word since entering the room and had at some point recognized Gomory, but he was there was a commander of Heaven’s forces, so anything else would have to wait.

When it adjourned, the Nephilim followed his friend and mentor out as Kushiel flew off. ”Quite the chain of events, eh old friend?” The archangel he walked next to didn’t reply right away, a hand still resting on his katana’s hilt as they walked. When they reached a quiet alcove, a pond at one end, opposite where they’d come in, he finally spoke, angels of the Army of Light flying in formation through the air on patrol, only seeable every so often from where they stood.

”They may be, but my concern is with the future, not the past. Such as what will become of this island once the Seal is either safe or destroyed? And how long can Gomory keep her demons in check before they decide they’d rather fight us than Vega and these other Nephilim? Even our own forces are wary of an alliance with Hell’s forces, many have openly stated their distrust of the demons.” Wrath, sighing, took a seat on a nearby bench and pulling Death’s Rain free of it’s back holster, removing the clip and inspecting the “barrel” while speaking.

”And what about Ladonna? Or Bael? Or even Sonna? What do they think?” The archangel held out his hand as a butterfly landed on his finger, the sun catching it’s iridescent wings and reflecting off them slightly, humming thoughtfully before answering.

”Bael trusts me, as do Ladonna and Sonna. The four of us have been Uriel’s Striking Fist for millenium. Still, they don’t trust the lesser Demons here; Bael even has something of a betting pool going to see how long before a Minion attacks a human.”

That drew a laugh from the Nephilim as he replaced the clip and put the automatic crossbow back in it’s holster before flicking out the blades of the Wrath Dealers, cleaning them though they likely didn’t need it. ”That sounds exactly like Bael. I’m honestly not worried about the Demons, it’s the Hierarchy that concerns me.” Zarrath sighed, though he knew that Heaven’s Nephilim had a good point. The Hierarchy was prone to...not so innocent accidents when it came to Hell’s denizens and the members of the Third Kingdom and they rarely, if ever, apologized for it. As Wrath worked on his weapons, Zarrath had an idea to help alleviate both their worries, something they’d done to destress during Wrath’s early years, not to mention if his frustration grew enough, he’d yell about what was really bothering him, as the archangel could tell there was something he wasn’t saying.

The Nephilim had only a moment’s warning, but that was all it took, the bladed gauntlets held up in a block as the black bladed katana sparked off them. His counter-attack was just as fast, a right hook aimed to land in Zarrath’s gut, but it found nothing but air as the archangel had flapped his wings once to slide back out of range of the counter, a trick he should have seen coming. ”You’re distracted, but not by concerns of Demons or the Hierarchy. What truly bothers you?” No response was immediately forthcoming as Wrath drew Rage Bringer and swung the sword in a vicious overhead arc. A rune flashed to life on the black-bladed katana briefly before a runic shield appeared in the great sword’s path, blocking it and allowing the archangel to race forwards into range of his own blade, unleashing a series of three quick slashes that force the Nephilim to go on the defensive, blocking the first two by simply putting the flat of the blade between himself and the katana, but the third required that he hop back and to the right, straight into a Cleansing Spear rune that sent Wrath sprawling. ”You going to open up and talk or are we going to keep this up?”

The sounds of the combat could be heard by anyone nearby, even as Wrath picked himself up off the ground and didn’t reply, instead opting to reassume his ready stance, which drew a sigh from the Archangel as he took his own. ”You could have given me some warning you weren't holding back.” As his sparring opponent raised an eyebrow, the Nephilim pushed off the ground towards him, bringing his sword around in a spinning horizontal slash, a move with enough momentum behind it that Zarrath opted to dodge back away from it than try to block it. His counter-attack was swift, however, as the black katana moved forwards in a thrust before transitioning into a slash to the left. Wrath parried both and then locked their blades between them and throwing a punch into Zarrath’s gut, a right hook that had missed its mark before. This time it was the Archangel’s turn to be sent sprawling, not that it lasted for long; he picked himself up before dashing forwards with the aid of his wings, a thrust delivered at high speeds that the Nephilim deflected to the flat of his blade.

It proved to be the wrong move to block, however, as the angel’s own fist connected with Wrath’s right cheek, spinning the spawn of Angel and Demon bones spinning away and back to the ground. Spitting a bit of blood as he rubbed his cheek, Wrath finally sighed in defeat. ”Fine, fine, I give. It’s these other Nephilim, the ones after the Seals for their own reasons. Aeon and Void are the only two I’ve met and…”he sighs again, standing and sheathing Rage Bringer, “I don’t know what to feel. I mean, I’ve had centuries to prepare for finally meeting Death, War, Strife and Fury, a meeting I don’t expect to be peaceful unless I still serve the Council, but these ones out of the blue? I mean...how?”

Zarrath sheathed Shadowsteel as he considered the best response, relative silence once more reclaiming the alcove and the birds and insects returning. ”I wish I could offer you some kind of answer, but this is as much a surprise to us as it is you. If she weren’t so busy hiding in Hell, I would find Lilith and force the answers from her wretched mouth, but no angel goes to Hell and returns unscathed, even Hellguard.” Noticing the discouraged look on his former student’s face, he approaches him and rests a hand on his shoulder. ”You will get answers, Wrath; that much I can promise. I just...can’t promise when.” Looking to his friend, the Nephilim nods before returning to his seat at the bench after turning it upright, a look of thoughtfulness on his face.

Lily had heard the approaching newcomer before she saw them, but didn’t react to it. Cassandra caught her eyes as she noticed the approaching woman, but received only a nod; an acknowledgement that she had noticed it too. She kept talking as if nothing had happened, ignoring the existence of the stranger until, finally, she came close enough to be heard, at which point she energetically introduced herself. The title she used grated on Lily’s nerves but it was a level of irritation she could easily keep hidden. Cassandra simply quirked an eyebrow at it, glancing cautiously at the golden-haired woman.

Privately, in her own mind, Cassandra thought it somewhat amusing that her mother’s silver-white hair was offset by the golden-blonde of the other woman. Entertaining though it was, there were still alarm bells ringing.

Neither Cassandra nor her mother had met this person before, that much was easy to spot due to how silent Lily had become. Not only that, but years of living with her had taught Cassandra to spot the subtle expression, that showed up even when her mother did her best to stay unexpressive.

Mist, like millions of glittering tiny specks, started appearing around them in a cloud, as Lily finally deigned the meet the eyes of Malvvosia, as she had introduced herself. She found herself annoyed at the title, finding it far too much like those of the angels’. Pretentious. Arrogant. She decided in this moment that there was very little chance of her getting to like this individual, but it did raise the question as to the identity of Malvvosia. Friend, foe, or something else?

Most likely something else, she told herself and narrowed her eyes, letting the silence reign. She noticed the odd irises the other possessed; orange. Not a colour possible for a human, save for whatever few stumbled upon some sort of magic. She also had not reacted the way other humans had. Lily knew how those of the third realm reacted when they saw her in her current form, and it was always either wonderment, awe, or lust. Malvvosia possessed none of these, and the eyes…

“You’re a demon,” she said and it wasn’t a question.

Malvvosia smiled wide, showing all her teeth and stretching her face somewhat to pull off such a large grin. The smile continued to grow and began to almost completely wrap around her head. Her form fluxed and undulated, limbs elongated, features blackened, and an extra set of eyes sprouted from her forehead. Without lowering her hand for the handshake she had yet to receive Malvvosia transformed into her more prefered appearance, giving her wings a flap and sending ragged feathers all over the place. “Perceptive thing you are. Was it the eyes? It’s always the eyes. For some reason I can’t get them a regular colour. Orange was the best I could muster.”

“Among other things,” Lily replied calmly, “especially your lack of reaction to seeing two creatures neither demon, angel, nor human.”

Malvvosia managed to smile just a touch wider, any more the ends of each side of her mouth would touch behind her head. She left her hand raised, still awaiting the handshake she had initially offered. Mal began to wonder if the demoness before her was familiar with the human ritual. “I’ve been around for a while. Takes something particularly… out of my ordinary… to elicit a reaction.”

“More extraordinary than someone more beautiful than is physically possible?” asked Cassandra, taking a step forward to be beside Lily. She had her arms crossed, staring up at the large demon without fear. She’d seen her mother’s true form, at once less spectacular and more intimidating than this amalgamation of feathers and shadow. “Either your life has been truly spectacular, or you’re lying.”

“Or she just does not think like humans do, Fayette,” Lily said and glanced down at the still offered hand. She reached out and took it, allowing some of her demonic strength to come through her disguise, squeezing harder than she had to, while smiling grimly up at this Malvvosia. “But very well then, I am Lily. No superfluous titles.”

Malvvosia gently shook Lily’s hand, quite pleased to have finally had the gesture acknowledge. She was surprised to find the demoness was clearly trying to squeeze harder than the ritual called for. She wondered if it was some demon variant and squeezed back, doing her best to match the other demons strength, though she found it difficult to restrain herself that much. Upon hearing Lily’s comment about titles Malvvosia’s smile vanished in a flash and she took up a look of sadness and concern “Oh no! That is truly terrible. They are great fun. You should ask a human to help you come up with one, humans have the best titles. I once attended a party where it took a gentleman a full minute to list all of his. I ended up having to kill him, but he did have such a wonderful name. I believe his tombstone was thrice as large to accommodate it.” Malvvosia then realized she had not yet introduced herself to the other demon present and so held out her free hand “Pleasure to meet you. I am Malvvosia, Thrasher of False Kings.” As she said her title again she looked back to Lily and gave a smile.

Where Cassandra remained inexpressive when the title was repeated, Lily’s eyes narrowed. She knew Cassandra wasn’t complacent—the mist surrounding them was evidence of that—but she was starting to get more and more vexed at Malvvosia. She reached out and put her hand on Malvvosia’s wrist, pushing her hand down and out of the way. A clear sign, which Cassandra picked up on.

“I think there have been enough introductions,” the Half-Demon said. “My name is Cassandra, if you need to know.”

“And again, with no titles,” Lily added quickly after Cassandra. “I could regale you with dozens I have received over the centuries, but they are ultimately useless and serve no purpose. My name is all you need to know if you are to interact with me.” She took half a step forward, putting herself in the way of Cassandra should anything happen. “But that is besides the point. I have not seen you before, so you are not with the council. What are your intentions here? Whose side are you on?” She smiled grimly, wide enough that her elongated canines, akin to fangs, showed. “And might I suggest you answer well, because if your goals run contrary to mine, you will be dead before you can cry for help.”

“I suppose I don’t need to know.” Malvvosia wasn’t too happy her handshake had been rebuked but did her best to avoid showing her displeasure. She became more displeased as the demoness mocked the titles she found so pleasing. When the other woman made her threat Mal’s initially good mood had vanished.

She no longer smiled and instead wore a frown that could stretch as large as her smile. Not that anyone could see her frown as it was only the whites of her teeth that revealed her expressions, and her teeth were not showing at that moment. Either she had been mistaken in her decision to introduce herself to the pair or she had managed to anger them somehow.

In any other case Malvvosia would have killed someone who upset her so without a second thought, but she wished to help protect the humans. Confident in her skills as she was she knew, she could not fight off the forces of heaven and hell alone and would need help. There were no other options, she had to ally herself with others. “I am here to protect humanity and its’ world. I do not care for you, or any other being but them. And before you threaten someone you should learn a thing or two about them first. I have killed more angels and demons then hairs on that vain head of yours. If, and that if is weak and impotent if indeed, you managed to kill me you would die but mere moments later from the wounds I left you with.” Malvvosia said every word with the confidence, that one can only earn from having actually done the things they boast of. “If you wish to protect the seals, we are not enemies.” At that, Lily’s lips twitched upwards.

Malvvosia, having addressed every word to Lily thus far, then turned her attention towards Cassandra, the half-demon calmly meeting the gaze of the much larger demon. “As for you. I have seen true beauty, and this creature,” Mal gestured towards Lily, “pales in comparison to them. There is no angel or demon that can match the beauty of a human. We are fake, our features carefully molded by the hands of a deeper power than we understand. You think Lily is beautiful? I see a work of art to be sure, but that is far from a compliment. Any skilled artisan can make something beautiful beyond reality, especially when that artisan can bend reality to its’ whims. It takes a truly special artisan to be able to dip their hands into the chaos of existence and pull out anything but. And yes, my life has been truly spectacular as I have had the good fortune, the honor, to spend it amongst humanity.”

Lily sighed, then giggled, but not condescendingly, or out of pity. Rather it was out of genuine mirth. The words of Malvvosia might have impressed anyone else, but to Lily they were a joke. “You are not the first to underestimate me,” she said having quelled her laughter. She looked up, narrowing her eyes and tilted her head to the side as she met Malvvosia’s eyes. “Nor will you be the last. But sit upon your tall branch for all you like, it’ll need but a breeze to snap it after all,” she added cryptically. She looked over her shoulder and caught Cassandra’s eyes, giving her a shallow nod. “She’s not an enemy, and she isn’t dangerous. You can relax.” Cassandra dipped her chin, the barest sign of acknowledgement, and the mist around them disappeared.

Malvvosia, either not noticing the mist or not caring, bent low to look Lily in the eyes on equal levels “I do not underestimate anyone, or anything. I do not think any being beneath me, which is why I make a point to rise up and surpass others. My threat comes not from an underestimation of you, but from confidence in myself to rise to your level should you prove to be above mine. If I say you would die but moments after, it is not because I think you lesser, but because I would make it so.”

Lily shrugged, a playful smile on her lips. “If you say so, but a confrontation between us would go contrary to our common goals, so let us leave at this shall we?” Her smile widened into a brief grin, before she reigned in her expression. She continued in a casual tone, “But if there i—” Cassandra silenced Lily with hand on her shoulder, earning the half-demon a puzzled look.

“I’d like to say something, mama,” Cassandra said. “S'il vous plaît?”

A second passed, the demoness’ brows furrowing before she quietly took a step back and let her daughter take the lead.

Cassandra looked up at Malvvosia, her gaze flitting between each of the four eyes of the demon, curious rather than calculating. “I think you misunderstand humanity,” she said carefully after a while. “You claim to have lived among them, as have my mother for millennia, but moreso than you two I am part of it. My father was a human, one of the best of their kind, and I think you are very wrong.”

“Humanity is not beautiful. It is ugly. Disorganised. A chaotic mess of cultures and peoples that at once both want to love and kill each other. They lie, they scheme, they murder and take advantage of each other at every turn, because that is just who they are.” She paused, pressing her lips into a thing line, her brows furrowing.

Behind her, Lily smiled. There was a fire in Cassandra’s words, one that reminded her of a small child from decades ago. This was her daughter, a demon and a human, and the best of both worlds. The power of the demons, and the defiance of humanity.

Cassandra continued, looking down. “You call humans real, and both daemons and angels fake… but I think it’s the other way around. Humans lie, cheat, and put on masks, but daemons revel in what they are, revel in their power and what they are. If a daemon is wrathful, you will know. If a daemon is greedy, you will know. If a daemon is prideful,” she glanced briefly over her shoulder at Lily, a glint in her eyes, then looked back at Malvvosia, “you will know. And angels are the same—Try as they might to justify their actions, they never hide what they want; control. And while others may see it as tyranny, they’ll see it as peace. As being Right. But not humans. You call yourself the Thrasher of False Kings, so surely you have met kings—humans—who were not what they pretended to be… And yet, maybe none of what I have said thus far is true.”

She held out her hands, palms up, and above them three small, transparent figures sprang into existence. One had feathery wings, another had hooves and horn, and a third, in the centre, had neither. It was plain, and like any human you would see on the street. The images hovered up until they were eye level with Malvvosia. “We may look different,” she continued slowly, the image of a small, beating heart, and a brain appearing in each of the figures, “but we are all the same inside. We all carry the same seven sins, the same beating hearts, and in the end we all think the same, too.” She pressed her palms together, the figures vanishing.

“My mother is beautiful beyond compare, any human would agree,” she said calmly. “She is no more false than you, or I, or the angels. Because though we may look different, we are alike as people. Her ability to become another, is no more fake than a human woman’s cosmetics, oui?”

If not because it would have ruined the mood and any effect the speech might have had, Lily might have applauded the speech. Though there were some things she disagreed with, the greater whole she could get behind. She settled for a wide smile instead, corners of her eyes crinkling as pride for her daughter swelled in her chest.

Malvvosia tilted her head and regarded Cassandra for a while. While everything she said was the naive ramblings of a child, it still showed a deeper level of thoughtfulness she was not used to seeing in those of her kind. Mal reasoned that might be attributed to Cassandra’s better half. The young half-demon seemed to view all beings as being equal, a laughable thought, but an earnest one. Malvvosia smiled her wide smile and laughed heartily, the top of her head threatening to come off as it was only attached to the rest of her body by a small tab on the back of her head. “Oh my, even when only half of you is there you’re so deeply interesting.” Mal did her best to quell her laughter though it took a moment, something which Lily noticed. “My apologies Sunflower...oh wait. You had given me your name...Cassandra. My apologies Casssssssandra.” Malvvosia liked the way that name rolled off her tongue and elected to start naming humans after the half-demon before her. “You are mistaken, but, you are the best kind of mistaken. I do hope you live as long as I for I have no doubts you will find more truth than either one of us knows right now.”

Malvvosia giggled and turned to Lily “I do not like you one bit and I regret choosing you to befriend. But I pay my compliments all the same as your daughter is shaping up rather well. You should set her loose on the world for a few millennia.” Malvvosia straightened up and laughed heartily one more, causing both Lily and Cassandra to tense up.

While not as volatile as her mother, Cassandra was not without her own pride, and the way with which she was treated tested even her patience. She breathed in deeply through her nose, placing on hand on her chest, and breathed out through her mouth.

“I appreciate your compliments,” she said slowly, interrupting Lily who had just opened her mouth to say something herself, “and yet I am still sorry, that you are unable to see the world as I see it. You pretend to know humans, to speak for us, and to know what we are really like, but you don’t really understand what it’s all about, what we are about.” She looked upon Malvvosia with something like pity, as if she really felt sorry at the demon’s inability to accept that she was in error. “The same arrogance and certainty of your own importance I see in both humans and angels. You may say your title is just for fun, but your acceptance of it tells us that you consider yourself above others—worthy of judging them. Of judging us. If you truly thought humanity superior, you would not allow yourself to judge them. Only our peers can judge each other, and until you realise that none are superior over the other, you will remain ignorant.” She shook her head and stepped away. “I hope you are willing to learn. Until next time, Malvvosia, and thank you for wanting to protect this world.” She smiled sadly at her and turned, saying no more, having surprised even Lily with both her tone and words.

Yet the elder demoness said nothing either, instead silently follow her daughter towards the spires of Aquapolis, and whatever lay within. Neither looked back.

The four unlikeliest of figures trudged together through the forest, surprisingly, not with their weapons at each other's necks, although the one who calls herself Picker is more or less amused by the tension between them all. Mostly in regards to Gideon it seems, who was more definitively an enemy up until now. Regardless, this was a strange predicament for them, Wrath himself was a little more focused, after having talked with Kushiel in regards to the Broodmother that had joined them, the other two had their own reasons for coming along for this.

The party slowly found themselves surrounded by prying beady eyes in the shadows, before they stopped in the middle of a clearing, dark as it was, it was not completely closed off. Emerging from the shadows of the thickets ahead was their client. Giant legs and a brutishly large body, emerged the Broodmother herself. Despite her request, it seems her brood had already begun going to work around them, however...

"It is good you have come as I have requested. I could not hope to safely approach the city with so many angels standing guard. I would have ripped them apart if not for our deal...", she began. Her seethingly coarse voice echoing briefly.

Wrath was here to explain the circumstances, and that they were here to help, and what seemed to be the problem. It seems she had something to share with them...

"The one you call Vega, my brood had seen... Though not all of them had returned, but it is not his simple presence I worry about, but the corrupted beings he seems to have created. My brood have tracked a small horde of them moving about, and their movements restrict my ability to find a new home on this island. I require a nest to produce more of my brood, as such those you sense around you are very much all I have left", compared to the amount of broodlings Wrath had faced before back in the jungle, this was a far cry compared to then.

So it seems their task was clear... Find the mysterious horde, and put an end to it, while the Broodmother herself kept her brood safe while they searched for a new home. As promised, it seems she would offer the brood's numbers as a way to keep the island under watch. So where to begin...?

"I will send three of my brood with you to lead you to the horde's last seen location, do be careful with them. They are young and not fit for combat", she stated, and with that, she returned to the shadows.

"I bid you good luck".

---

The approach to the archipelago and thus their destination felt longer than it was. The towering pillars that led likely to their goal was visible from miles away if not more, so within minutes of departing Brightwater Isle, they could see their destination. The curious natural structure that climbed to the heavens was even more curious as they landed upon the beach, it was certainly much larger than it appeared from afar. The pillars that seemed as large as your finger from afar, close up were dauntingly large, as if they were looking at a series of earthy skyscrapers that didn't seem to end. As they looked up they could see a preview of what lay ahead, caves and floating islands that led far above the clouds which never seemed to drift away from this location.

As everyone unloaded, the angels were already surveying the surrounding area and the island they stood upon, letting everyone take in this curious view. The island itself was tropical, and eerily quiet, only the wind and waves were in their ears besides any sounds their colleagues had made. Soon some of the angels returned to give their report.

"It appears these islands are deserted, as well as connected far above, but a curious barrier prevents our number from going too high up. We have spotted a cave at the foot of one of the pillars, it appears that will be our main way forward", of course, it'd be too easy if they could just fly huh? Still, it was best they decide on preparations. A bunch of unique characters had tagged along, maybe their abilities could be of use here.

(NPC assistance is available, ones not available are - Broodmother, Sevrin)

---

Two demons with a penchant for destruction was the last thing this city guardsman had expected. They stood at the top of the cool steel walls, marred with black, along with many nodes that suggest an energy shield is involved in this defense, barring the obviously manned walls and automated guns. Garbed in a distinct blue with a traditional coat and a cap to show his status as an enforcer for the city, the guardsman recomposed himself and began to speak to Mavvlosia and Fenn.

"S-so, uh, ahem. We of the city guard are short handed, as a lot of our men had to be sent to obtain supplies and materials, as well as to repairs, so we are spread thin. Normally, this would not be a problem, however our scouts have spotted demons of a strange nature increasing rapidly in number, and they are attacking our damaged walls", he began.

"We uh, appreciate you two extending your hand to help, I... I take it you are here to help man the defenses while we finalize repairs...? Forgive me for assuming, you two are uh, not the tech type to help with the repairs", he noted.

"W-well, in any case, we appreciate your help. They will be attacking soon, according to our scouts and information from the angels above", the guard was visibly quite unnerved, as soon as he finished, he bowed and dismissed himself before walking in the opposite direction at an unusually fast pace.

---

"I had never thought a venerable angelic general would choose to be overseeing my actions today... Although being an angel, I suppose that should not be a surprise. Judgement and forgiveness and all that I suppose?", even with the foreign entity gone from him, Sevrin was still someone who was a fair bit sarcastic and a joker so to speak. It was assured that he'd always been like that, which makes sense... Any encounter with Vega showed a far different personality, it appears he may have simply been simulating him and got a bit too into the role.

"Well, in any case all I shall be doing is reconnaisance. It's been confirmed that the island has undergone changes in the last month, and no one of the DHO are fit to carry out this duty, except for me... Especially with this gift that my invader had left me with", he said, the Devil Arms Kerberos and Hydra briefly appearing and phasing out.

"Tried as they might, they could not separate them from my body, so I'm stuck with them. In fact this also might be a good chance for me to try them out myself, my guest had shown me how to use them second hand, so I have some idea... Still, it isn't part of my objective, so maybe I'll save it as a bonus", he explained. Ferrus was given the basic run-down on what the circumstances were. Sevrin was supposed to be detained due to being a potential threat, but he offered to help, and was cooperative, so they allowed him to do his duty as a reconnaisance and information gathering agent, but under watch of another party.

"I know you're meant to only be watching, but I think if we simply work together instead, we can get a lot more done. The demons ahead seem to be heavy in number, having someone help clean them out can let me go further in and find out more about the situation", he suggested. Well, it was going to be up to Ferrus whether or not he does help out, in any case, it was time to move.

"Well I'll leave that up to your discretion, I'll just get to work now", and with that, Sevrin began to walk right into the forest ahead.

When a Nephilim, a Half-Demon, and a human mortal walk into a forest, not many expect for them to get along in the slightest. In fact, many would believe that they'd always be locking eyes with one another and pointing their weapons towards one another in a tense Mexican standoff. Any sudden movement from either character would invite themselves for a chance to be brutally eviscerated followed by a death match between the two survivors. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately for some, this wouldn't be the case. The Alliance between the Three Factions has succeeded in binding them together to achieve a certain cause, but of course that didn't mean everyone liked it. After all, one

For Gideon, having come out of solo espionage duty, he hasn't quite gotten used in working as a team, let alone working with the enemy. Alas he was assigned to this mission somewhat against his will and thus is forced to work with them for the sake of the mission. And their mission? To come say hello to the Broodmother and exterminate an enemy horde so that they can allow her to find a new home for her brood. It's rather ironic for the exterminators to make room for yet another species of pest, although they'll need her and her maggots for the missions to come. She definitely has potential to become a powerful ally that can rapidly give birth to a swarm of minions to overwhelm the enemy forces. In fact, this could be potentially enjoyable, if only he didn't have to work with the others.

Upon the Broodmother's departure back into the slimy dank depths of her cave, the half-demon sighs as he lightly probs a brood member with his boot.

"Do your thing." he orders bluntly as he watches it crawl towards a certain direction, along with the other two perhaps.

All they had to do now was follow them.

---

The two brothers had been separated upon choosing their missions to partake. Usually the two would work together, however this time things were a little different. While Ferrus chose to go for guard duty, Mallus opted to work in reconnaissance towards the nearby archipelago. Even this decision seemed rather off, as many would believe that they'd work better if they'd switched jobs. However, it's too late to turn back now at this point. Besides, the Inquisitor Of Ice wouldn't mind to take a tour of the new world and preferably without the constant attention with his brother for once. It would be rather refreshing rather than simply sitting in a comfy chair drinking his tea as he reads simple a novel or tome.

Of course, other than the other Angel warriors who accompanied him, he wasn't the only major figure to lead his forces. Accompanying him is a young woman, one that many would consider to be just a regular mortal. In fact, if it wasn't due to his expertise at his job, Mallus could've easily have been fooled into thinking Cassandra was simply an average human. However, as an inquisitor for Heaven, he has been trained to identify the auras of every person he comes by. And if anyone's aura happened to match the same color and pattern as a demon's, wholesome of not, it was his duty to slay them. For in his eyes, they are nothing more than heretics that must be slain. Yet this alliance has forced him to set aside this cold, unfeeling, mentality and momentarily accept their existence as allies. Thankfully, his partner's appearance was bearable to look upon and not some ugly deformed monster that would utterly repulse him.

As they began unloading off the beachfront of a tropical island, the rest of the Angelic forces began to survey the island with great haste. It's not often that Mallus has time to observe such environments and it's indeed refreshing to take in the gleaming sun and the ocean breeze sweeping across his face. The whole place was rather bizarre, with great pillars jetting into the sky like massive skyscrapers and above them floating islands that cast a shadowy presence across the lands. Before long, the angels returned with their report regarding what they found.

"It appears these islands are deserted, as well as connected far above, but a curious barrier prevents our number from going too high up. We have spotted a cave at the foot of one of the pillars, it appears that will be our main way forward."

The Inquisitor nods as he looks up at the sky.

"How intriguing." Mallus answers while still looking up at the sky, "These virgin islands are definitely hiding something of great value. I wouldn't see any other point for such a barrier otherwise."

He then turns towards the reporter.

"Very well." the inquisitor acknowledges, "Assemble two squadrons to come with me. The rest of you remain here to unload and set up base camp. We'll be here for awhile."

Mallus swiftly turns and points to Cassandra.

"You." he orders sternly, "Demon. You're coming along as well. You will stay by my side until the mission is over. Do not leave my sight under any circumstance without my permission."

She may be allies with him, but Mallus is always cautious when dealing with demons. For if there's one thing that he always kept to heart, is that you may never know what they might be plotting to do next...

---

"I had never thought a venerable angelic general would choose to be overseeing my actions today... Although being an angel, I suppose that should not be a surprise. Judgement and forgiveness and all that I suppose?"

"Well... basically yeah. It's kinda my job, you know." Ferrus responds dryly as he keeps a careful eye on the prisoner of the day.

Out of all the missions that he could've took, such as slaying a horde of monsters or going on a trip to a beautiful beach, Ferrus just had to pick escorting Servin while he's on parole. To be fair, he was the last person to make his decision and by the time everyone selected their mission of choice, he noticed one of the choices being completely barren. With everyone seemingly avoiding that very job, he simply couldn't help but to put that as his selection. A few people even gave him their "Good lucks" as they left the plaza. Then again, Ferrus wasn't involved in any battles that Servin was in at all, so how could he possibly know what he can do. And sure the so called "Vega" part of him had left Servin's body prior to this very moment, but the others, still seemed rather on edge with him. Actually Mallus seems to be more suited with this type of work, but even he seemed to stay clear and chose to pick a mission of exploration instead. It wouldn't have hurt to have him be with him here. Either way, with most of his power being sapped away, it seems logical that he'd at least behave knowing he's much weaker than before.

Besides... what can possibly go wrong anyways?

Servin then continues speaking.

"Well, in any case," Servin continues, "All I shall be doing is reconnaissance. It's been confirmed that the island has undergone changes in the last month, and no one of the DHO are fit to carry out this duty, except for me... Especially with this gift that my invader had left me with."

He then reveals the Devil Arms Kerberos and Hydra briefly appearing and phasing out from his body.

"Right." the inquisitor notes as he observes them wailing spastically for short seconds at a time, "I suppose if you want others to be more relaxed with you, you could try to like... oh I don't know, ripping them out or something? Just a suggestion really."

"Tried as they might, they could not separate them from my body, so I'm stuck with them. In fact this also might be a good chance for me to try them out myself, my guest had shown me how to use them second hand, so I have some idea... Still, it isn't part of my objective, so maybe I'll save it as a bonus."

"That makes sense." Ferrus acknowledges as he finally gets a more clearer picture of the circumstances at hand. Servin is seen as a potential threat and thus is kept as a prisoner. However, he wants to help and is cooperative enough that the rest allow him to do his work, all while someone babysits him in case he decides to become a threat again.

Again, Servin opens his mouth to suggest something.

"I know you're meant to only be watching, but I think if we simply work together instead, we can get a lot more done. The demons ahead seem to be heavy in number, having someone help clean them out can let me go further in and find out more about the situation."

"Hmmm..." Ferrus paused as he began to ponder the idea to himself. It would just be boring to simply do nothing other than to just watch him scout out the enemy. In fact, it could also be pretty helpful to the entire alliance if they can get a better picture of the situation. Yet he was given direct orders to only watch Servin and that alone. And what if he really was planning something awful like Mallus believed? Can he be trusted?

"Well I'll leave that up to your discretion, I'll just get to work now." Servin interrupts as he begins walking into the forest.

With that said, the Inquisitor has simply no choice but to follow Servin. Ferrus remains indecisive at the moment, but only time will tell to see what he truly believes. Will he give Servin his trust that he'll help him? Or will he keep an iron fist according to his orders?

Though by now proficient in the language's usage, Souta couldn't boast a thorough or even good knowledge of English idioms or sayings—and he likely never would. Yet, he did know one that ran through his head more than once during the long, uncomfortable, humid trek through the jungle to find some spiders: misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. The demon who accompanied him, who aside from simply being a demon also almost certainly had opposed both humanity and the Council in the past, gave Souta the creeps. It was saying something, then, that he couldn't decide whether he liked Gideon or Wrath less. In the smith's last mission the Nephilim had flown his true colors, not just entertaining but engaging in the notion of betraying the Charred Council he supposedly worked for in order to side with that stuck-up asshat, Kushiel. Wrath might not think anything of it, but as far as Souta was concerned he could drop dead, and when he bothered he made sure to wear an expression that indicated as such. By the time that skittering, many-legged and many-eyed monsters appeared in the underbrush, Souta found himself thankful for the company.

A few moments later, the Broodmother herself made an appearance. Despite all that he had pictured, Souta felt an inkling of disappointment that this monster seemed to be a fairly ordinary spider, if one put aside her size. Though he couldn't fathom whether or not the Broodmother would appreciate it, he put on the sort of polite and interested expression he often sported around clients, listening like a professional to what she told his group. At its conclusion he noted with some humor that even more of his expectations proved incorrect, for instead of escorting the immense arachnid to Aquapolis themselves it looked like they were on mook elimination duty. That, Souta thought, suits me just fine. A lone human might not look like much alongside warriors of the other worlds in a desperate struggle or critical assault on a single, powerful target, but against many weaker enemies he could shine. Since he didn't know what form the 'corrupted beings' that the Broodmother mentioned took, he instead imagined himself blowing spiderlings to pieces with his brand-new hardware. It was an enjoyable fantasy.

“Sounds like a plan, ma'am,” Souta piped up following her last statement. “We'll have this horde in stinkin', burned-up little chunks before lunchtime. See ya soon.” With that, all that remained was to catch up to his two 'allies' and continue trailing the spiders until it was time to party.

Explaining the circumstances of how he knew this particular broodmother had been unfortunate enough, with a small reprimanding from Zarrath for making a deal with a demon in the first place, but proceeding to be the central point of contact between the group of three that were approaching her and the broodmother herself? That had proven unexpected and somewhat unwelcome. Of all the rotten luck... Never mind the seething looks of disdain that Souta kept shooting the Nephilim, which he didn't feel were entirely necessary. Still, an argument on the matter would serve no purpose, so he let the weapons smith have his disdain.

Upon reaching the broodmother's location, with the webbing and broodlings skittering around far too reminiscent of their last meeting, the two parties made their exchange of information. And it turned out their job would probably be amongst the easiest one out of all of the options he'd been presented with. Both the half-demon and Souta seemed sure that they could handle the mooks and Wrath was inclined to agree, though he did find that Vega could create his own minions somewhat worrisome. And that was because it meant that he was getting stronger. As he turned to follow his companions and the three broodlings, Wrath turned back to the Broodmother had disappeared briefly, searching for some sign of the female body he'd brought her, but seeing none. Perhaps it wasn't ready yet? Regardless, he set off, determined to get this done.

She had really done it this time.

After she had returned to her laboratory—not dragged, as that would imply it was not where she was heading in the first place, even though the security team that had found her had in fact insisted on holding on to her arms and escorting her—Samantha had been thoroughly reprimanded by management.

It was not that she was completely ignorant of their concerns. Even with the time she had spent at Gilgamesh, she was still a touchy subject among the upper echelons of the company. While she had been brought to Aquapolis because of her knowledge of the species gathering there, the numerous factions that had been brought together within the city limits under the threat of a common enemy changed matters.

Many wanted her to remain locked up in the company quarters for the duration of this debacle. Some simply did not trust her. Some were worried about what she might divulge about Gilgamesh—never mind that she did not know much more than the rest of the labcoats, and those were not asked to stay cooped up in their workspace—which essentially meant that they did not trust her but did not want to admit it.

As for her, the idea of staying put while three realms converged right outside her doorstep caused her physical pain. Naturally, the higher-ups did not much care for that excuse.

They did, however, care for the contents of her conversation with the Council’s Hound, and even then, she had had to work to convince her manager that such a conversation had taken place. Apparently, an entire transcript of the conversation mired in her own notes was not enough evidence to prove she had not made it up, but in the end the thirst for information on the other factions had won out.

Which had led to her next suggestion.

“I got this Fenn to speak to me. I could follow up on this if you gave me some freedom.”

And now the petite scientist found herself in a monster-infested forest with three strangers that seemed liable to start hacking each other to pieces and a humungous spider demon whose kind she recognized from previous experience. When the last one had arrived, she had instinctively concealed herself.

True to word, she had been placed in a position where she could speak with two people who were speculated to have ties with the Council. Yet at the same time—

They didn’t even give me an escort! she whined internally. I can’t tell if my boss is trying to teach me a lesson, or trying to set-up an unfortunate accident. She knew Souta was related to Gilgamesh, after a fashion, but something told her he was not there to look after her. Hell, he looks like he’s forgotten about me already.

She had to wait until the Broodmother had gone before she could muster the courage to break her camouflage. And the tension. “It’s truly remarkable that you got her to cooperate with anyone. Those kinds of demon are notoriously dismissive of anything outside of their colonies… ah, barring what they bring back as food. Or entertainment.” The bespectacled woman shuddered. “How did you get her to cooperate?”

The guardsman's agitation was palpable as he delivered his instructions, though it was clear to all that the blue-garbed man’s more immediate fears concerned the two beings standing before him.

The larger, more noticeable of the two was a towering behemoth with a wolf’s head that loomed well over him even as it stood on all fours. The people manning the wall had been justifiably alarmed when the creature had suddenly clambered onto the parapet, but the situation had calmed somewhat when the beast simply sat and waited in place.

The only clue that the monster was listening to what was being said was the occasional twitch of its lupine ears, but the regard of its amber eyes rested far away over the horizon.

Which was just as well for the man.

By comparison, the other one listening to him was exceedingly unassuming. A young woman clad in purple clothing that would not have been out of place among a crowd of groupies in their favorite band’s concert.

Unfortunately, he had been informed that among the agents of the Council was a shapeshifter that was at all times followed by a Hellhound, which left little doubt in his mind as to who he was speaking with. Unlike the beast, however, the woman’s unnatural gaze was focused squarely on him as he offered his explanation.

The woman in question was unaware of the human’s perceived connection between her and the great wolf. Though it was clear the guardsman thought her to be someone else as he acted as if he knew her, which was highly unlikely. After Malvvosia’s meeting with the demoness and her daughter there had been brief interactions with other members of the group—enough to cement her position as a trustworth ally—before they all were allowed to select a mission. Mal doubted word of her had gotten around so quickly.

Malvvosia cast a side glance at the hound beside her and found herself somewhat irritated. She had switched back to her human(ish) appearance to ensure no humans would feel uneasy around her. A decision her beastly companion had rendered pointless with his less than ease creating form. It was tempting to change bodies and slip into a more comfortable version of herself, however she reasoned in the end that it would probably be best if the guards on the wall continued to think they were familiar with her. In times of war a new face can be just as unsettling as a demonic one.

“Actually,” Malvvosia began, cutting the guard off near the end of his sentence, “I came to lend help repairing the wall. That was my initial intention, I was unaware the part of it that was broken was somewhat less… physical, than I had been lead to believe. Had that not been the case I could have repaired the wall single handedly and made it worlds better than anything your workers could muster up.”Malvvosia shrugged “I suppose I will need to employ my less...constructive… skill set.” The demoness smiled at the thought of a good fight and had to put a great deal of effort into ensuring her smile didn’t grow unnaturally large. “Just point us in the direction of the thing that needs to die and we will do our—” Malvvosia motioned towards her hairy teammate as she said this “—utmost to make them as dead as is physically and spiritually possible.” Malvvosia’s smile grew a touch wider than she wanted, just bordering on the point were some would consider it too big.

To make matters worse for the man’s frayed nerves, the hound broke its vigil as he sensed the looks thrown his way. Its head turned ponderously, and slitted eyes fixed on the guardsman, lips parting just enough to spy lines of razor fangs. The beast simply grunted, the sound like crumbling rock uttered like a reinforcement to the woman’s claims.

The man forced a smile onto his pale features and bowed, excusing himself.

The hound followed him with his eyes until he had left the parapet, then focused them on Malvvosia. As if he had been waiting for a modicum of privacy, the hound spoke in a grave voice. “You do not have the recruiter’s stench about you, Crone. Who do you belong to?”

Free of unwanted eyes, Malvvosia let her smile spread across her face, the edges of her mouth going past her ears. Upon being addressed, her mouth returned to a more reasonable size and she turned to regard the speaker, lifting her eyes but not her head to peer up at him. “Belong? What an interesting question.” Raising and then tilting her head slightly she continued, “I belong to myself and I serve my own interests; my interests revolve around protecting humans.”

“Yet another imp,” the hound grunted with obvious irritation, though his following words made it difficult to decide which part of her answer bothered him. “Your presence here is telling, if you truly do not belong to the forces arrayed here. Why bother with walls when all the enemy needs to crack open this city is a modicum of subtlety?”

Ironic as it was to hear the hulking dog speak of subtlety, the implication was clear. If Malvvosia had found her way into the city without the knowledge of the factions that had gathered in Aquapolis, there was little stopping any with less than pure intentions from doing the same. In fact, the hound’s comment had not gone as far as to imply she was not one such enemy. Had there been more hostility to the remark, it could have come off as an accusation. As it stood, it seemed he had taken her answer at face value. Or that he simply did not care either way.

Whether or not the dog’s tone could be taken as accusatory held little interest for Malvvosia as she was more concerned with something else. “An imp? I take offence to being compared to such an annoying creature,” she snapped, her tone that of someone annoyed rather than angry.

The hound craned its head to regard her with half-lidded, almost disappointed eyes. “My musings provide scant comfort, Crone. If you must, pretend I said nothing of the sort.”

Malvvosia blinked a few times before standing on her tiptoes to better look the beast in the eyes. “Just how many of you are in there?” The demoness giggled quietly as a thought occurred to her. “ Perhaps cerberus only had one head and three doggie personalities.” Malvvosia smiled, her annoyance at being called an Imp long forgotten. She returned to standing normally and stretched her arms as she walked over to the crenulations of the wall, hopping on up to stand on top of one of them. Smoke flowed from the fingertips of her right hand and formed the shape of a large gun; closing her hand around the smokey handle of the gun caused the smoke to solidify and become her Vicker’s Gun. “Shall we keep watch, Cerby? It would be terrible if some demons found their way onto this wall.”

“Is that an invitation to toss you off?”

Malvvosia hopped from one crenulation to the next and looked over her shoulder. “You’re more fun than the other two.”

The hound grunted in what must have been agreement.

The missions that were available were basic at best, dealing with either simple defence or discovery, and very little chance for anything exciting to happen. After the humiliating failure of the angel's back in the forest, being near so many of them, and forced to not get into a fight, had put some strain on Lily's control over herself. She itched to do something, be it a simple brawl or just anything that could get the blood pumping.

She had partially gotten that wish fulfilled, when the oddity that was Malvvosia had appeared. The new demoness had been off-putting, not because she was inhuman–Lily was, after all, inhuman herself in more than one aspect–but rather because she seemed to try to be humour, yet failed spectacularly. Some humans might be scared by that juxtaposition, but to Lily it just came off as off-putting. It made her realise that she didn't like Malvvosia very much. If one wanted to mimic humanity, at least give them to honour of doing it well, as she herself did.

She shook her head and forced those thoughts away, returning to the present and her daughter beside her. They had found an isolated spot in the city, windowless buildings to one side and a railing to the other, keeping them from falling down into the water, quite a ways down below.

"I think it's time I taught you a new trick," she said, interrupting Cassandra as she was drawing. She was sketching the view beyond the railing with astonishing detail, Lily noticed. She had even drawn algae that covered the rocks that shot up from the water.

Cassandra quickly put the sketch and pens back in her pack, "What trick?" She asked, standing up.

"You know that the way I usually fight, I never use all of my strength? Only drawing a fraction from it at a time?"

She nodded. "You use your cat, dragon, and flame forms," she said, counting each on her fingers. "One is fast, one strong, and the other... fiery. Together, they're the original 'you'."

"You remember," Lily said. "Good. I want to teach you the same–Don't give me that look, Fayette, it's not that hard." She chuckled at Cassandra's look of bewilderment, as if she honestly didn't believe her. "It's based on shapeshifting, but different. Think of your demonic form not as a whole, but as several individual pieces, that, when combined, becomes 'devil trigger'–or whatever the humans call it–then isolate one of those pieces, and shape your body to fit that piece."

Cassandra pursed her lips, fingers idly toying with her earrings as she mulled it over. The gears spinning within her head were almost audible, Lily thought.

"So, like if I were to choose my wings...?" She let the question hang in the air.

Lily nodded and stepped closer to Cassandra, putting one hand on the middle of her back. "Yes. I was thinking of your wings as well. You can't fly outside of your demon form, but if you learned to do this, you could." She pressed two fingers into the upper back of her back, making her wince, and once again a short ways down her back. "I know it hurts, but it's a good way of reminding you where they should be," she said when Cassandra shot her an unamused glare. "Your wings comes in two pairs, not one like I make mine. Now remember, isolate that piece of your demon self, and will your body to change." She took a step back, giving Cassandra space. "Just like with your hair colour."

Cassandra nodded and closed her eyes. Things like this were already easier said than done, but she'd had nearly a hundred years of practice with her shapeshifting. She had never been as good as Lily, and she likely wouldn't ever be. Supposedly she had more potential than her mother did–Lily always assured her that she could become strong if she applied herself to it–but she had a hard time believing it. She had become her superior in swordfighting, certainly, but she had also focused on that, made it her speciality.

"Focus," came Lily's voice.

"I am," Cassandra muttered, nose wrinkling.

"I can see by your face that you aren't."

"Je suis!" She exclaimed, annoyed.

"Wouldn't be making your thinking face if you were."

Cassandra cracked open one eye, mock-glaring as best she could at Lily, and received only a knowing smirk in return. She sighed and closed her eyes again, this time focusing on the matter at hand. She had been provided with a number of places to focus on, courtesy of Lily's sharp nails. While not painful, she could still feel it. She took a deep breath and held it as she crafted the image of her demon self in her mind's eye. The intricate and swirling markings that covered her body, the monochrome eyes and, lastly, the two wings she possessed in all their iridescent and kaleidoscopic glory.

She let go of the breath through her nose, and snipped the wings from the image of herself and let everything except the wings fade from her mind. She could see the 'roots' of her wings, where they connected with her body. Each root, she connected with the faint sensations still on her back. That done, she did as she had done so many times before, only on a larger scale. She told her body to change, focusing on the sliver of her true form that were her wings, and where she had mentally connected them to her natural body.

"Good," came a distant voice from the outside. Lily, most likely. "Continue."

She needed no encouragement, and continued the change. Neural pathways, muscles, and sinew came as if from nowhere, her body rearranging itself to suit her desires. She felt a brief sensation of resistance, pushed harder, and broke through it. She heard a hum of approval that fell away to anticipatory silence.

She let her eyes flutter open, feeling something alien on her back. She looked up at her mother, who wordlessly conjured a full sized mirror. She stood up and turned sideways, looking at herself in the mirror. "I did it," she said, smiling at the quadret of wings now attached to her back. They were more like a dragonfly's wings, than the butterfly-like ones she possessed in her demon form; the top pair angled upwards, and elongated, tapering to a rounded point. The bottom pair were angled downwards, and were slightly smaller than the top pair, and all four responded readily to her commands.

"Add a pair of pointy ears, and your appearance would mirror your namesake," Lily told her and let the mirror-projection fade back into mist.

"Fayette," Cassandra said trying to suppress a chuckle. "Little Fairy, indeed... I should've known I'd poke holes in my shirt. Merde."

---

Cassandra, now with a quadret of holes in the back of her shirt, had begun to eagerly sketch the shoreline as soon as it came within view. She had to erase and redraw the stone pillars again and again, seeing as they never seemed to stay the same size, and only became larger the closer they got. Though she knew it was a matter of perspective, it still made her nose wrinkle in annoyance. Lily had remained quiet during the travel, alternating between watching her daughter's charcoal pencil race across the paper like a dragonfly doing its mating dance over a lake, and keeping an eye out for any other dangers that might choose to get in their way.

Lily jumped off the boat as soon as they made landfall, the feeling of coarse sand under her bare feet one she had been missing for longer than she cared to admit. She breathed in deeply, for the moment ignoring everything else around her in favour of just a moment of quiet. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes were drawn to the same pillars Cassandra had been sketching earlier. She listened with half an ear to the briefing they were all given, but as soon as she sensed, that little more was to be said, she let a pair of fae-like wings sprout from her back; this time without tearing holes in her clothes thanks to the open back of her shirt. She jumped into the air, wings buzzing behind her, and started towards the nearest of the pillars, intent on searching for whatever entrance had been found.

Cassandra watched her fly away, staring at the open-backed shirt the elder Demon wore, thinking that it might have been a good idea for her to change as well, before they had gone out to the mission. Alas, she was left with a shirt that still had four holes in it, one from each of her newly acquired appendages. She glanced over her shoulder at them. They were all angled downwards now so as to take up less space, and glittered in the sunlight, light refracting through them and covering her back in a whirl of colours. Pretty as it was to look at, they had a mission to complete, so with a thought she spread them out as they had been when she first 'made' them, and with another propelled herself into the air and hovered a good ten feet off the ground.

She turned and was about to follow Lily when a masculine voice called out behind her, causing her to stop and looked over her shoulder. It was one of the angels, the new ones. He had been giving her the stink-eye throughout the entire journey, but now was the first time he spoke to her, and of course he's giving orders. I'm starting to think Mother might not be entirely wrong around them. At least this one fits her stereotype. She turned around and gave him her best, most innocent smile she could muster. Having been everything from daughter, to mother, to great-grandmother, it was a look she had practised and perfected for over a century–perfected both by using it herself and having it used against her.

"Of course, Sir Angel," she said sweetly. "I always respect and follow the orders, of those both wiser and more intelligent than I am." She let their eyes meet, waved at him, then turned and flew off in pursuit of Lily, Mallus already forgotten, and eager to learn more about this new and strange place.

With the Broodmother herself having left the scene, it was a question of debate, indeed, how did Wrath get her to cooperate at all? It was a question easily answered by Wrath, but it ultimately came down to acknowledgement of threat to her authority, whether or not Silitha had any sway well after her death was something of speculation. Still, their task was clear. The fact that she didn't leave very powerful minions behind meant whatever was left for combat was only for her protection, and so with a few shrill cries the small spiders led them along.

Soon they came upon what looked to be a kind of small plateau at the far back of the island. After awhile the broodlings accidentally bump into each other, causing them to fight amongst themselves. Before anyone could really do anything about it beyond just a few comments, a blur of several spikes would fly right towards the broodlings. They would immediately scatter and hid as the party looked to the source, a single Assault, but tinged in purple stood there, before three more emerged from underground and behind it. The looked as if they'd already been broken, and whatever wounds they suffered were filled with a familiar purple energy.

They gave a shrill cry with a slight echo unlike their usual cries, before they charged forward, their claws glowing with a deadly purple energy, and their spikes run along with cracked glowing purple lines.

---

Despite the tension between the angels and the demons, they moved forward along reluctantly, exploring the area ahead. The area around the island was not unlike any other temperate island, in fact there was no danger in this area, but they wagered if danger existed, it would be inside.

As they entered the cave, they would be greeted with a glowing pillar, and balls of light floating to the top, and several openings further up, likely to link to the other pillars. A breathtaking sight to be sure. They would continue along for some time, realizing there was no danger within too, it was a curious location indeed, but soon they would be met with the location's natural defenses.

The light from the pillar in the center began to shine, the rocks before them glowed as a golem began to construct itself before their eyes. It's size quickly grew as the rocks not only bundled together, but seemed to combine by some manner of magic, becoming large, singular solid pieces. Standing nearly a couple meters tall, it commanded an intimidating presence. The assistant angels attempted to fire light at it, only to watch it bounce off, forcing them to retreat.

And so it seems this would be their first fight on this island.

---

As the two demons bickered while standing guard on the wall, the shadows of the forest ahead that these staunch walls faced, a man smiled before disappearing into the shadows, a familiar purple aura left behind for but a moment. Spot him or spot him not, the two demons would soon be interrupted by a shrill cry from the woods, as a sizeable horde of demons erupted from the forest. It did not seem likely there'd be another wave, but these demons were strange... Fenn and Mavvlosia being demons themselves would see them as unnatural, their hunger heightened, and the way they moved, they even clawed at each other who got in the way.

This wave was a mix of Assault, Hatred, and Scarcrows, but that was of little consequence. What was most striking, or disturbing, was their bodies were constituted mostly of a purple and black energy, filling in their body, or marring it and covering them. The aura was unmistakeable.

In any case, they were coming in fast. The manned defenses began to fire away, cutting them down more quickly than they had expected, it seems they were less sturdy than their normal counterparts were, but they matched it with speed and ferocity, even with the manned defenses at this rate it would be simple for these demons to make it to the wall and break at it.

---

The walk through the woods seemed rather unremarkable, at least to Ferrus. Reconnaisance can be a rather boring task by some respects, there wasn't much action after all. Still, there seemed to be no troubles, so far Sevrin had brought them both past enemies and avoided battles. So far they learned there were these strange 'zombie' demons infused with a purple energy, which they surmised belonged to a certain someone. Still, it seems the enemies were becoming more frequent, occasionally they would spot some demons running, only to be waylaid by some of their 'turned' brethren, before being chomped down on and being turned themselves.

"A very interesting development, even in all my years of finding and reporting demons to the DHO, I've never seen anything quite like this... Whoever I hosted must be a very powerful demon indeed to be capable of a feat like this", the way he said it was almost playful, as if he didn't take this seriously, but so far he'd stuck with every rule in the book when it came to recon. He was taking his job seriously so it would seem to the experienced.

"In any case, according to the trail left behind... We should be getting close", he said. And he wasn't wrong.

In not more than a few minutes, they came to a kind of clearing by a river, several demons lay slain, and a hooded figure stood among them, his cloak and hood glowing with purple lines and power at the very edges, and arms with energy lining along it in an ominous fashion. In his arm he held up what appeared to be a demon, it's form kept shifting. Now this was rare...

"One of Mundus' changelings? How rare...", Sevrin muttered under his breath. Soon this changeling would collapse as it permeated a purple energy.

"I recommend we avoid him, I have the info we need, and I would be dead weight if a fight broke out against him", along with the several dead demons, which began to glow with the same purple energy.

On the other hand... This was a prime chance to see what their new adversary Vega was capable of. Combat data could be invalueable, but was it worth the risk?

Gideon slowly followed the broodlings to wherever they went, keeping mostly to himself while overhearing any other possible conversation Shouta and Wrath could possibly have. While he admits that the human is barely anything of value or interest to him, he couldn't help but wonder about the Nephilim. He remembers encountering him very briefly way back during the events at Bauldr City, but whatever conflicts they had were short-lived and forgotten. After all, the half-demon hasn't seen or encountered him or any others during his time behind lines. He ought to wip up a conversation with him after this mission is over - that is if he doesn't get distracted by anything else first.

Eventually they were lead towards a small plateau near the back portion of the island. Suddenly the maggots bumped into one another and started to fight amongst themselves with agitated screeches and clattering of their mandibles. Gideon simply sighs at such incompetence.

"Bah." the half-demon snorts loudly, "These wretched maggots are useless. Next thing you know they'll be swallowed up by~"



Before he could finish, he notices several spikes within the blur heading straight towards the broodlings. With no time to block the strikes, he could only watch as they struck close to where they stood. None of them were harmed, but they scattered panically towards the nearest rock, hole, or crevice they could find. Gideon quickly looked up to see the culprit of the attack, instantly recognizing what it is.

"Oh look, a slimy lizard-folk." he nonchalantly replies towards the Assault unit as he places his hands on his holsters, "The hell is it doing?"

These lizard-like creatures are normally soldiers underneath Hell, however this one was tinged in a toxic purplish hue. It's clear that it has been corrupted by something and they are acting against their better judgement. Suddenly three more popped out behind the first and with a shrieking war-cry they lunged at the three.

"Yeah, it's definitely corrupted." Gideon says as he takes out his sleek-crimson pistols and fires a 'Sharpshooter' bullet, at the one coming towards him, straight in the head.

---

Mallus' strict orders towards Cassandra was met with a rather disappointing outcome. The half-demon simply blurted out a sarcastic response, waved at him, and flew off to be with Lilly. So much for his attempt in allying with them. Not like he wanted to do it anyways. The Inquisitor looked on with abhorrent displeasure towards them.

"Demon-scum..." he growls irritably before turning back to his men, "Being insubordinate as always. Should've expected this."

Purging the demonic heretics from his mind, he and his men began advancing into the depths of the island. The Inquisitor expected to encounter much resistance from any of the natives present here, however he sensed no manifestations of any danger anywhere. Even the environment seemed to present this outlook, with the calm and lush foliage swaying calmly in the ocean breeze. It was nice to simply have a nice stroll without the thought that you'll be ambushed from anywhere at anytime, yet incredibly odd. Mallus still doesn't fully trust the peace, based purely on his experiences prior. He and his troops will need to be on guard for any unexpected occurrences that could rudely pop out to ruin the day.



Eventually they reached a cave and began to march inside, with Mallus leading his men in the very front. If any harm was to strike at his troops, he'd be the first line of defense against them. Yet instead in being greeted by a grotesque monster or trap fall of any kind, they were greeted to a tall glowing pillar, with balls of light floating to the top. Above them, several other openings can be seen further up, perhaps leading to the other pillars as well. The whole sight was indeed a benevolent marvel of gold to be had, but what purpose did it serve in the grand scheme of this entire island? And once again, there seemed to be no danger that plagued anywhere within the golden cavern either. Still Mallus didn't fully trust it.

"Stay alert." he orders bluntly as he begins cautiously walking towards the pillars on the designated pathway, "Danger may not be imminent, but always expect the unexpected. We must tread lightly."

Yet even with this warning, they were still caught relatively off guard as soon as a massive golem erected a short distance away. The rock creature started small, but eventually became a several meter tall monstrosity. However, unlike regular rock golems, the assemblement of the stones weren't simply bundled up, rather they combined with each other that only magic could achieve. The angelic soldiers backed away as they fired light-bolts upon the golem but with no effect. Only Mallus stood his ground, looking up at the rock monster with a face of utter boredom.

"A mere golem patrols such a grand heavenly atmosphere?" he wonders aloud before sulking his face into a frown of disgust, "How primitive."

He unsheathed Tyrfing's golden blade from his belt as it glistens brightly in the bask of the pillars' golden light. With his wings quickly spreading from his back, Mallus grips the longsword in his hand and points the tip straight at the hulking golem. As soon as it was in position, he fires a beam of bright-blue energy that once hits, should hopefully begin to freeze the golem dead in his tracks. He believes that simply slashing him to bits will be a waste of time, considering how he could just repair himself by forming more rocks to him. If this didn't work, it would be time to finally put some effort into his stride.

---

Ferrus was already beginning to regret doing this reconnaissance mission. However, it wasn't because of Servin. Because he surprisingly didn't prove to be disobedient in any circumstance. No troubles arose from him at all as they avoided most of the battles against the demons, with some necessary exceptions. He was rather surprised that a corrupted fellow like him was going to be this well-behaved. Perhaps it came to him naturally, perhaps it was a ruse to throw him off, either way he wasn't causing any disturbances at all. And that's how Ferrus likes it.

The real reason Ferrus was beginning to regret this mission was simply due to the fact that it was just boring. Whilst they encountered some action from the demons directly attacking them, they otherwise simply steered clear from aggressively unnecessary conflicts. He wishes he could've been exploring that one island area Mallus chose or even dealing with the Broodmother. The inquisitor had to admit, if Mallus was in his spot right now, he would've exterminated any and every demon that came in his line of sight. It wouldn't matter if the orders told him not to do it, for there would be a 95% chance that he would go on a crusade to rid this place of Hell's filth. Speaking of demons, how would he deal with the other two demon ladies that were also assigned to his mission? Sure they're allies, but he wouldn't be surprised if he hears that he slaughtered them due to some miscommunication or argument. He hopes he'll be sensible enough to get along for the meantime.

Speaking of the demons, the ones they've encountered so far were rather odd. They were all emitting an ominous purple haze from their body, which according to Ferrus' knowledge, is a sure-tell sign that they're being corrupted by something or, rather, by someone. And the more they ventured deep into the forest, the more numerous and chaotic the demons became. Ferrus even caught the eye of several regular demons running across their path in an attempt to escape succumbing to their corruption. Alas little escaped their fate and those who fell were added to the collection of this growing horde. Even the smell here became thicker with the aroma of death and chaos. It was rather nauseating towards the inquisitor, but alas he kept walking with Servin right at his side.

"A very interesting development, even in all my years of finding and reporting demons to the DHO, I've never seen anything quite like this... Whoever I hosted must be a very powerful demon indeed to be capable of a feat like this."

Ferrus only glanced at his captive with a cautious raise of his eyebrow. Servin's attitude here seemed almost playful, somewhat ominously so. However, despite this rather weird cackle, he was behaving himself. No need to scold him on simple behavioral manners. Still he couldn't necessarily leave that statement hanging all by its lonesome.

"Feels like a regular Friday night for them really," he says blandly before glancing at several demonic zombies eating a large pure-blood brute, "Only with an added side of... brutal cannibalism."

Servin would soon switch subjects to the matter at hand.

"In any case, according to the trail left behind... We should be getting close."

"Ah," Ferrus sighed relievingly, "About time. I really wanna get out of here - cause this place is boooooooring."

Within a short few minutes, the two came to a clearing with a river flowing in the middle. Amongst the fallen demons that contaminated the flowing water with their blood, a large hooded figure stood ominously over them grasping a demon in its hand. It seemed to match the corruption that the demons were blighted with, its cloak glowing with surging purple lines and power at the very edges. Even it's arms were covered in this purple energy, crawling up his veins like mangled spider webs. Ferrus has never seen this figure before in all of his days as he continues to examine in closely.

"And what in Heaven's name is that... thing?" he asked himself aloud, not expecting an answer.

But Servin responded anyways.

"One of Mundus' changelings? How rare..."

Indeed he was definitely a weird character and one the inquisitor didn't take kindly. Soon the figure simply collapsed as it continues to bleed this purple corruption. The several dead demons nearby soon began to absorb this energy and slowly shifted back to life. Things here were about to get ugly. Ferrus instinctually unsheathed Sumar from his belt as it instantly began emitting fire from the entire blade. He's not going to let this changeling leave alive.

Yet surprisingly, Servin seemed to be against the notion of battle.

"I recommend we avoid him, I have the info we need, and I would be dead weight if a fight broke out against him"

The inquisitor was taken back by the captive's decision. Surely he'd be itching for a battle himself, right? Yes, they were only instructed by the superiors to only do reconnaissance and nothing more, but there's something about this changeling that didn't sit well with him. If they let him go, he'll surely continue to cause chaos and perhaps bite them in the ass in the near-future. Yet Servin was doing a good job in keeping orders and hasn't disobeyed his trust once since they started. Perhaps it would be fair to reward him with with the chance to engage in a small conflict like this. But wouldn't Ferrus sound like he's too quick to trust him at this point? What if he will turn on him at the last second and leave him to die? Or is he simply being too paranoid and cowardly in thinking this?

Now Ferrus has to decide... and quick.

He turns his head towards Servin, then glances at the Changeling, then back at Servin. He'd do this twice before finally coming up with his answer.

"Servin..." the inquisitor states hesitantly, "It appears this creature is responsible for the corruption of the local demon population here. If we let him go, we might be screwing ourselves in the long run."

He steadies his front foot foward as he raises his sword over his head. The message was clear.

"You've been very cooperative for a possessed captive." he mentions with a tilt of his head, "I'll let you test those new abilities of yours on this guy, if you want that is. Though I must warn you if things get too hectic, we're outta here, end of discussion. Do not make me regret setting you loose for a second - got that?"

Wrath made a point to deflect how he knew the Broodmother, instead reminding them that how he knew her was less important than what she needed them to do. He was silent during the trek, but when the spikes sent the broodlings fleeing, Rage Bringer was free of it's place on his back, his body shifting into a ready position as he held the blade towards the source, which proved to be a group of Assaults, purple energy lacing through them, with the purple energy causing cracks in their spikes. "Well, this should be interesting. Be a good work out at least." As the lizards rushed their small group, Wrath moved forwards to meet them, his great sword arcing overhead towards the one closest to him.

Whether or not the blade found it's mark, he would roll to the side, pulling his crossbow free and unleashing a quick flurry of bolts on the other Assaults as he comes up on one knee.

---

"I... Well that is... Very reasonable but uhhh...", it was clear Sevrin was not keen to fight the figure himself. Lack of confidence, or cowardice? One could not tell, but for Sevrin it was a combination of both. He was not prepared to meet the one he hosted so soon, let alone confront him. No matter what he said though it seemed this angel general would not back down... Hmmmm, perhaps he can use this to obtain information as he says. He would be able to notice more than this muscle-headed angel would be able to. But he himself fighting him would not be preferrable, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"I-I know, I'll take care of those minions, you fight him. It would not do to throw myself right at the boss as a first time, besides... I'm not a natural fighter", he reasoned. As he stated so, the corpses around the target began to rise and then growl as if awakening. It seems they were here too long though, a confrontation was now inevitable.

"Huh? Some flies?", the figure that is now identified as Vega looked in their direction, the meanest and sharpest glare one could ask for coupled with black scelera and purple glowing eyes made it an intimidating sight. He soon smiled,

"Now ain't that awkward just standing there in plain sight with that big ol' red and white armor, now shuffle outta there like some bad kiddie who shit their pants, if you wanna fight just come at me already", he taunted, raising his arm, beckoning to Ferrus.

"Oh? Oh? And who's there there too? Sevrin they called you? Ahahahahahaha! I must say thanks, maybe if you don't piss me off I'll let you off, I'm not nearly as bad as you guys think, besides that body's useless to me now, but those fancy tools might be worth coming back for later", Vega was quite enjoying this sight, almost sarcastic as he modestly bragged about his own demeanor, it was clear even he knew how full of shit saying that was. His voice was quite clear too... This was bad, when he was first spotted he was able to make short work of even Nero, but it was clear at that time an extended fight for him was a terrible idea, at that time his voice echoed as if he was still pure energy, but now... Now it was clear. He has achieved a proper physical form on energy alone.

"Buuut, well, maybe say hello to these new recruits of mine first? Or do you two wanna split the bill? I got time to watch if you two wanna fight me at once... After these little guys", his taunting tone continued throughout his dialogue without missing a beat. The corrupted Assaults and Scarecrows around him began to advanced towards both Ferrus and Sevrin as they made their choice.

The low buzz of their wings was the only companion to Lily and Cassandra as they flew on ahead, scouting the area in favour of waiting for the angels to catch up. For Lily, at least, it was an excuse to have a few moments to spend without the company of angels. For Cassandra, it was a case of curiosity, as she wanted to see more of this new land, strange as it was.

Where Lily's attention was aimed straight ahead at the looming pillars, Cassandra's gaze swept back and forth between the various trees, shrubs, and bushes. Colours, shapes, so many it was hard even for her to take in. A wide smile blossomed at her lips at just seeing the wild beauty of this place, untouched by intelligent life for so long, that the natural world reigned supreme. Even her mother's exclamation could not stop her from swooping down to snatch a flower, a branch carrying violet berries, and particularly large leaf from a tree.

"Careful!" Lily admonished, giving her a sidelong glance. "We don't know what's down there."

"Flowers," Cassandra retorted cheerfully and extended the flower, its yellow petals curling back to expose the pollen-covered stamen. "Belle. It smells wonderful, and there are many of them." Lily rolled her eyes but took the flower, bringing it to her nose and carefully sniffing it. One of her eyebrows rose and she tilted her head in an agreeable manner, giving the flower back to Cassandra.

"Just don't eat the berries," she said, drawing out the last word as something drew her attention and she looked away. Following her gaze, Cassandra saw something like a shadow that went into the pillar itself, as if a cave.

"I won't," she said, then pointed with the branch towards the cave opening. "The entrance, oui?"

Lily nodded, slowing down until she was just hovering a few dozen metres from the opening. Glancing around, she saw the the flora that had so intrigued Cassandra, but little else if one did not count the angel entourage still a ways behind them. They had encountered no resistance so far, and spotted not even the simplest hint of any guards or defences. There was the barrier in the sky to contend with, but they had both chosen to ignore that one. The immediate defences to protect the Seals had always been incredibly powerful, and sure of her own strength as Lily was, she was not arrogant enough to think she could match the power of the Charred Council. At least not yet.

"Something the matter, Mére?"

"We're missing something," Lily replied and swept her gaze over the land below and around, her eyes shifting from slitted and blue, to round and deep yellow like those of a hawk. Her vision immediately sharpened, enabling her to see in far greater detail than before. Critters in the foliage became visible, even the lizards and other slightly larger animals that tried to hide in the trees, became visible to her, and yet she found nothing that bespoke of any defences surrounding the pillars. "Nothing," she muttered, her eyes regaining their slitted pupil and icy-blue colour.

Now it was Cassandra's turn to look around in search of... something. Whatever she was looking for she did not find it. Like her mother, she found nothing but wood, leaves, petals and branches everywhere, half of which one animal or other lounged upon. "Patrol?" She asked, fluttering a short distance ahead and pointed past the pillar with the cave entrance. "Too thick to fly all the way around, but we can look near the edges, and see if there are any dangers? Even if the angels are not very likeable, we need to work together to complete the mission."

If Lily noticed the mention of the angels, and she likely did but chose to ignore it, she made no notice of it. She nodded and inclined her head in the same direction her daughter was pointing. "Good idea. Defending the Seal is the most important, so we'll need to be careful." She smirked. "No use being lax when Fenn is nowhere to be found, to be impressed by how effortlessly I solve our problems."

"Your rivalry with that wolf will bring you no end of trouble," Cassandra said shaking her head. She let the branch and leaves drop, but stuck the flower in her hair behind her ear, and motioned forward. "Let's go."

"Please, I'm much stronger than that pup," Lily scoffed, but Cassandra wasn't there to hear it, having already sped off. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as annoyance momentarily overtook her, but was shaken off. There were more important things to do, and so she took off after Cassandra. She quickly caught up and directed her attention downwards to the trees below, her eyes once more becoming round and yellow like a hawk's.

The forest was as dense as it had ever been, allowing for few openings between the trees. What few clearings they did see offered little in the way of information, save the presence of various animals, and provided some more insight into the exotic plants that made this island their home. Speaking of home, she spotted dozens of critters, from snakes to rodents, to what was probably small primates jumping between the branches.

"Find anything?" She asked loudly, not looking at Cassandra.

"Non," her daughter replied, nearly shouting over the wind rushing past them. She slowed down until she was hovering. Ahead of her Lily did the same, albeit slower. She tore her eyes from the ground beneath and cast her gaze towards the horizon, both in front of- and behind them. "There is the empty place in front of the entrance, and a few clearings in the forest, but nothing important." She turned and faced the way they had come, and in the distance they could just spot the light reflection off of the angels' armour. They were getting closer to the entrance of the cavern, and it wouldn't be long before they reached the entrance.

Lily followed her gaze, also noticing the glinting armour. She wrinkled her nose at the ostentatiousness of it, but said nothing of it. Now wasn't the time. "Let's head back," she said, taking off at the same time as Cassandra. The lack of anything of note was not quite a cause for concern, but it did rub her the wrong way. This was supposed to be a place where the Seal was located, and there were no defensive measures taken of any note. The sky was blocked by some sort of barrier, but beyond that there was... nothing. Things that were unassuming were often more dangerous than one gave them credit for. Venus Flytraps were not particularly intimidating, but for the unlucky that got too close, it was certain death. She herself made use of this principle, and was one of the reasons she almost universally appeared as a mortal woman. Few could peer past her disguise, and so would underestimate her, and even those who realised her demonic nature, were prone to assuming that she was weak given her small stature, compared to many demons.

The current situation was evoking the same feeling in her, as she aimed to instil in others. It was too simple. Paranoia was not a feeling she was known to feel, but even so there were warning bells ringing in her mind.

"You're realising it too, oui?"

Lily glanced at Cassandra, meeting her worried gaze. She nodded.

"No threats or protection around. Must be deadly inside. We should warn the angels and–No, mother, don't look at me like that. No matter how much you dislike the angels, we have a common goal." Though she was the child of the demoness, and thus far younger, the fierceness of the stare she aimed at Lily, had much the same effect on her as it did her own children. Lily averted her gaze, her eyes forward, but still listening. "They are not the nicest of people, but so long as we try to do the same thing, we should at least help each other."

Lily sighed, very clearly disliking the idea. She knew Cassandra was right, but it wasn't something her pride allowed for easily. Angels annoyed her at the best of times with their hypocrisy, but now was not a time for it to get in the way. If she wanted to get what she aimed for, now was the time for cooperation. She remained silent, but the decision must have shown on her face for she spotted something, akin to a proud smile on Cassandra's lips out the corner of her eye.

The next minute was passed in silence, either contemplative or content, depending on which of the two you asked. When next one of them spoke, they were near enough to have the cave entrance within view once more. What they saw did not make matters more pleasant, rather it reinforced the theory they had both agreed upon.

"Golem," Cassandra said as the boulders rose and locked together, her words almost lost in the passing wind. They were still far enough away that they attacks would almost certainly miss.

The angels, however, were in no such predicament, and immediately started their assault, but whatever this golem was made of, it was tough enough to withstand the initial strikes, without them harming it at all. The lesser angels, it seemed, did not take this fact very well, and if not for her daughter's presence, Lily would not have even bothered hiding the smile, that tried to worm its way onto her lips. Only the one with the most sparkling armour stood his ground, drawing a–Lily froze for split second, eyes widening as the angel drew his weapon. It's actually a Golden sword? For the love of all that is smithing, I don't know what to say.

Beside her, faint mist surrounded Cassandra before coalescing, and forming into two spears hovering in the air beside her. She frowned, and didn't look away from the golem as she spoke. "Shall we?"

Lily nodded. She didn't like the angel, but he was an ally, however tenuous. Reaching inside, she grasped hold of her internal fire and called it forth, cloaking her body in Elemental flames. "Let's kill it," she said and fired a plume of fire at the golem, followed immediately by Cassandra's Projected spears.

As the adrenaline slowly kicked in, informing the rest of both Lily and Cassandra's bodies that a fight was starting, the elder demoness couldn't help but grin. Time to show them what we demons can do