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Azrael watched the head fall silent with an impassive stare, his quintessence winking out of existence. Lowering himself to the ground, he furled his wings about his body and moved over to Willowa with padding steps.

"An astute observation," he remarked, coming to a halt a few feet off to her right. "But I think we should scout about inside a bit before returning."

He shrugged, casting a sideways glance at her.

"Better safe than sorry after all."

---

Ignis’ unreadable expression was met pound-by-pound by Pandora’s mysterious smile. Despite looking the same as ever, this one gaze had a different quality to it. Something awry.

The echoed question didn’t earn much of a different reaction. Except, maybe a faint tinge of amusement coloring Pandora’s timid smile as she let go of Haru. She watched as the wolf girl pulled away from her mechanically, as if she were in a trance, going on about her business of quelling her comrades’ bloodlust.

Once Haru was out of the room, Pandora looked straight into Ignis’ vacant eye sockets. The smile in her face was wider and more evidently pleased. Even so, she made no notion to pay attention to him, Rafid, or Chryseis for more than the blink of an eye. Instead, she paced around Haru’s office, looking at many bits and bobs with a curious gaze.


At the same time, the Pandora that observed the other group step away from Velo. Her presence vanished from the world completely. Now that the battle against the Watchers had been concluded, there was nothing else to observe there.

Or maybe yes?

After all, a faint rattling of chains could be heard from within the temple...

---

He had cheated a possible death. Or a possible fate worse than death. Azrael had been the final clenching blow that rescued him, though he was sure his Right Hand had down some work too. The fallen angel had done so on his order if anything, or at least he liked to believe so. Either way, Velo brought his foot around, and kicked the bodyless head away. Watching it bounce into a corner. He was human, and as such the hissing of the angel didn't fall on his ears. He heard nothing.

"Thank you, Azrael." He said, summoning his golems closer to his body. The drones folding back up, and hiding under his uniform. "You may not like humans, but... I think I am starting to like you." It was a playful tease at best, and maybe a bit of an insult at worse. "At the very least, you have done me a service, and I always pay back debts I owe."

Though... He did have to pause when he was greeted with Pandora. The rattling chains and odd silence were... Uncomfortable. He was used to silent servants, as one protocol in his household had been to remove the tongues of slaves so that they could not talk back, or plot against their owners with cursed tongues. But, there was a different kind of silence at work here.
"I am thankful that she seems to be on our side."

"I can set to work right now on preparing this location as a base of operations." Velo said, speaking to Willow. "I shall need materials, but I can start to repurpose the armor of the fallen enemies into some of the raw materials I'll need to build troops. If you can provide the chemicals, I believe I can make a weapon that fires compressed gas canisters. The gas in question is one my homeland used in the two hour siege of Mthos." It was known as the two hour siege not because of how short it had been, but because of how much longer it had stood against the empire's might than other such kingdoms. "We call it... Mustard gas. After my uncle's favorite food."

For the longest time, Lord Ignis stared down the mysterious Pandora beat for beat. Neither moved and, barring some smirk from Pandora, neither had a readable expression either. Only when one of their allies entered the would-be wolf chief’s room did Lord Ignis choose to ignore the keeper of the Abyss. Naturally, she was to be a waif of a creature indeed in both appearance and tolerance. Lord Ignis made no expression in seeing Chryseis had returned to his more human looking form rather than pad up the stairway as a beastly lion.

“There’s nothing to see here. We were just concluding our business,” Lord Ignis answered the blonde man. Already he was moving out of the small study, expecting those loyal to follow him. After all, he could already sense the Oni’s presence was no more. Whether Jukati was killed or wandered off further into the Abyss’ depths was no immediate concern when there was little to be done about the fact. It was a sacrifice to be paid with their newfound legions. “I’ve discussed negotiations with the wolf’s leader. In exchange for protection and a true home, they will serve us in our cause. But that’s probably why you’re looking downcast,” Lord Ignis told Chryseis.

The skull-faced man placed a hand on his shoulder even as he walked. “Worry not. You will have your great war very soon. Today is but a taste of the ocean of carnage you may commit.” With knowing words left to be said, Lord Ignis continued on his way until he exited the wolf’s fortress. Many of the mutts had little loyalty left to the old regime of humans; thus, it was easy for them to follow along if their chief said so. All that remained now was reuniting with the others and so they would. As far as Lord Ignis was concerned, the wolf fortress was their territory now.

Ironically, it wasn’t too far off from the Watcher’s temple as well. While the Abyss was everlasting, some points of dimension were given. It wasn’t long before Lord Ignis led the wolves and their own small number to the temple where Willowa’s group was already at work thriving and rebuilding anew. In a single day, two locations had been added to their rule, if not by influence, by sheer numbers alone from the wolves now following around their troupe.

Interactions: @TheWendil

---

With Chryseis shortly behind Ignis, he took a cursory overview of the current base where they are situated. He held a hand to his chin as he conjured up schemes to use it as a point to burst through this prison. A glitter of gold flashed through his eyes as he smiled inhumanly wide enough to swallow a skull.

Soon. The wonderful days will return soon and he can barely hold back his body from quivering in excitement. He debated switching back to his normal form, but he decided to stay in his human form just to get used to it again. The last time he used a human form was long ago, back on the surface. He still remembers the day when he snuck into an army camp, forcefully took control of the militaristic group there, and pitted them against another. A memory that doesn't induce nostalgia.

That was a time back when he was no longer just a flicker of light. He then spoke, ridding himself of thoughts and sentiments from the far past.

"Looking at our current base, it can be improved upon, though I'm going to look upon the place the other group have secured for themselves. Using these two places will be essential in tearing our way out of this prison," he smoothly informed his skeletal companion. He closed his eyes all while keeping a devilish grin on his face. Embarrassingly enough, he doesn't really know this place as much as he should have. He spent 99% of his days lounging about in a prison like the dead.

"You don't need any concerns about my nature leading me to violently assault anyone in our little posse," he added, almost like an afterthought. He understands that a personality like him will mesh poorly with any group, so by saying these words, he is acknowledging that to lower any tensions with Ignis. "My desire for a perfect war offsets anything paltry and boorish like that. Thus, I can be patient and wait for that destined battle at the end for as long as need be. Though..." He trailed off as he looked over at the wolves following them. An idea came across his mind.

"When there is time to spare, I will take it upon myself to whip these wolves into a proper legion of battle-ready beasts." He then turned back to his front with the Watcher's temple coming into view. With the short distance between the two areas, Chryseis knows he can fashion something useful out of this opportunity.