Fantasy Hunter's Moon: The Sin & Sentence [IC] [CLOSED]

[Damian0358]

Takato seemed to be nodding to himself as he took in the auras from the cathedral - more powerful than the Hollows encountered, and sharing similarities to his and Loque's auras, these were clearly demons. About 40 or so in total, thirty outside, ten atop. But what interested him the most was the powerful aura felt within the cathedral itself - that had to be the Priest of the Damned. There is still a minute chance it isn't, but if that's the case, then they have even bigger troubles.

Takato looked over to the befeathered Venextos. While he had been concentrating more on the auras, the mage must've by now figured out a path for the landlocked group to traverse through.

 

[Infab]

Eventually, the group started to notice the number of hollow thinning out to where there were empty streets before them. It was quiet. Really quiet. The city really was dead for the most part. "Stay vigilant, people." said Vincent, pressing the stock of his rifle into his shoulder as he walked. The rifle shots behind them had died, signifying that the group had either moved on with them or had stopped to reload or talk. Either way, their pause helped. The wind occasionally gusted through the street, moving pieces of trash and debris about or blowing up dust. As they glanced up from time to time, they noticed that Venextos and Takato had found the cathedral and were inspecting it from afar. "Cathedral is that way. Lets head up these stairs to the next level and see if we can come at it from another angle. Its better than heading straight into things." said Vincent, pointing out a large staircase heading up between a pair of rundown buildings. Riberta grunted nearby. "I'm all for head-on charges, but I like knowing what we're running into first." she said, looking down towards the end of the street before heading up the stairs with the rest of the group.

Behind them, Gwen, Aliana, and Jakob moved through the various buildings and rundown shops as they attempted to link up with the group on the next level of the large ringed city. Gwen had picked out the cathedral in the distance, so it was just a matter of getting to it now. She had also saw the various demons perched atop it. Excellent targets, but if she had opened fire on one of them, it likely would have alerted the rest of them. For now, they had to be stealthy.

------
​

Back in the Mortal Realm...
Red Gorge, Atraca

The various constables and citizenry of the southern town of Red Gorge wasted no time surrounding Velin, as she strolled into the town from its northeastern entrance. Most of them were terrified. The wrathful goddess of judgement had arrived, but she had come alone. Likely intending to deliver her divine punishment upon the whole town. Velin eventually stopped walking, letting the blade of her bastard sword rest on her shoulder as electricity crackled and ran down her armor to the ground. She looked about, studying the various peoples around her and the weaponry they held in their hands. Most were rifles and shotguns, while others were pistols. There were even melee weapons like swords and maces scattered among them. She grunted, before speaking. "Should a single shot be fired, or weapon be swung, in defiance against me, I will not hesitate to lay waste to the entire population of Red Gorge. None will be spared. I am here to perform a duty that you would not allow my Orders to perform." She looked about once more, before speaking again. "...Now, show me where the creatures of the night reside. Then leave me to my work."

No one moved. The electricity began to crackle and dart about more violently. "Are the lot of you deaf?" she asked, raising her voice a bit. "Point the creatures out, so that I may put them down. I have other matters to tend to, and I will not spend all day here hunting them down. Should you refuse to show or tell me, I will consider all of you accomplices and will lay you all in a grave alongside them." At first, things were deathly quiet. The population was scared, some among them were starting to gently walk away. Among the crowd was Jessica accompanied by Lucy, who was holding her aunts hand. Eventually Jessica let got of Lucy's hand, pushing through the crowd while pulling her gun up. "Leave! LEAVE!" shouted Jessica, emerging among the population and aiming her revolver at the goddess. "You are not our goddess! You are not welcome here! Take your HATE somewhere else!" While nervous, the woman's bravery had inspired some of the population. Soon, they began to boo at the goddess, screaming at her all sorts of insults. A priest of Gyasis among the crowd began to call her a monster, a traitor to the other Divine. "Yer not welcome here! Neither are yer goons!" shouted a constable, while aiming his shotgun at Velin. From the cemetery, the old grave digger watched. Shaking his head while gently stroking his pendant of Adona.

The electricity darting across Velin's armor increased until it became violent shafts of lightning. Darting from the metal plates to the ground beneath her and creating several blackened marks. She glared at Jessica. For inspiring these people, she'd be the first to be killed. Velin gripped the handle of her blade with both hands, and took up a battle stance. Her metal boots clacking as she stomped into position. "SO BE IT, THEN." she shouted, her voice filled with rage. Some of the crowd began to panic, getting ready to fire their weapons at the goddess.

And then, a heavenly voice spoke out from the crowd. "Josefina! Please, don't do this!" Velin froze, having took a single step towards the group before her. She knew that voice, and knew it all too well. She straightened up, lowering her bastard sword till the tip touched the dirt. "...Dominique?" she said aloud, the rage in her voice gone instantly. Even the electricity had vanished entirely. Someone pushed their way through the crowd, and soon the origin of the voice stood before Velin. A woman, clad in a dark purple cloak with a hood pulled over their head. A grey veil covered only their eyes, but it seemed as though they could see through the veil. She looked upon Velin, and smiled.

Undite.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson said nothing as he clamored up the steps with the group, sword still held at his side while they made their gradual ascent. While the hunter's preferred method of dealing such things were shock and awe, the Abyss was indeed unknown territory to them. With all the jangling twangs of his equipment it was obvious that stealth was far from his specialty. Though there were of course times it was warranted, but Hudson had himself a rather reliable partner to handle covert dealings to make up for his shortcomings.

The thought of it made him slightly wistful, and he stopped in place for a few moments. Shaking his head out of it he then carried on up the steps.

 

[joshuadim]

There were clearly too many enemies for the group to simply push through without bringing an entire horde on top of themselves, however thanks to his aerial view he noticed a better path. They could possibly use the ruined palace nearby as cover to get close to the Cathedral and make their way inside, even if they manage to draw the attention of all these demons the choke point of the entrance could aid them.

And so Venextos made his descent down from the air and back to the group. He landed a few feet away from the group and reverted back into his normal form after a quick display of feathers and energy dissipating away. "Monsieur Beaumont, there are enemies within the courtyard and on the rooftops. There is a dilapidated building near the Cathedral itself... once a palace I believe... we maybe could use that as a means to sneak around and get into the Cathedral. I will confirm with Tariun for this." he spoke. Afterwards he quietly muttered the words needed: "Speak to me, Tariun of the Chosen."

 

[Doomevil]

A few hollows gone here and there as several members handled them with ease. But they were still outnumbered in this city, by far. Senya watched these streets turning up empty, seeing nothing like this before. She definitely agreed they needed to find another way into the Cathedral, lest ending up as food for the crows. Senya continued to stay near Vincent until anything major happened. The Grand Magus returned to the main group safely, explaining how there might be another way into the place.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Inari heard Venextos say something about a palace as he was talking to Vincent, and that perked her interest slightly. Palaces were good fun. Either they were pretty, had loot, or both. Otherwise they wouldn't be a palace.

Still, she was eager to finally get into the fight. It had been quite a while since she had slain anything, and even though Kioshi slept, she knew the blade was getting anxious, too. Both sword and wielder were alike in more than one way.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

"Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine, you were gone and lost forever, dreadful sorry Clementine." Jakob sang along as he walked alongside Aliana and Gwen, he seemed rather calm despite the fact they were in a forgotten town full of lost souls and hollowed vessels. From time to time they had to fight the odd straggler on the rooftops but it wasn't a match for the three of them. Eventually they noticed the Cathedral of the Damned in the distance, impressive structure, he wondered though why there is a religion centered around the King of Hell, rather to some unknown dark deity of the Abyss. "Welp! I see our objective, its guarded so we have to sneak towards that place and meet with the others."

 

[Damian0358]

Takato followed Venextos as the latter made his descent. For the time being, he'd keep the talisman-like cards wrapped around his ankles, in case sudden ascension was needed. The hermit just nodded as the mage spoke.

 

[Infab]

It wasn't long before Tariun manifested before Venextos, giving him and the others a warm smile. It wasn't REALLY her, but a simple gathering of what appeared to be grey mist. It gathered slowly, forming her head and horns before forming her body. She then spoke. "Yes? Is there something you need?" she said, her mouth not moving but her voice flowing forth. Vincent spoke up. "The cathedral is guarded. Several demons stand in the way. Is there a way into the cathedral from the palace ruins?"

Tariun's spectral form nodded. "Yes, there is a secret passage hidden in the back wall of Kaizen's private chambers. Move the bookshelf to reveal it. The secret lever may not work anymore, so you may have to use brute force. The passage should get you inside, but you will emerge inside the crypt beneath the cathedral. Work your way through the crypt, and head upwards to the main hall. The priest spends most of his time there." she replied. Vincent nodded, before looking to the others. "Well, guess we're going to the palace." Tariun nodded, before speaking again. "Be careful. The crypt is a rather dark place. Bring a light source." A moment later, her spectral form dissipated.

 

[Damian0358]

Takato nodded as he listened to Tariun's spectral form speak. As he listened, he did note the new person the group had picked up, the one he noticed earlier. He would have to ask who they were later.

With the spectre's dissipation, Takato responded in tow:

"Light sources and brute force are certainly not things we lack, though wondersome am I whether the priest within would note magically manifest light sources from below."

 

[Infab]

Vincent dug into one of his pockets, and eventually drew out a box of matches. "I have matches, if we can find an old torch or something. Would be better than giving away our position to the priest." he stated, looking to Takato. A stick with cloth or something wrapped around it would work, really. He then looked to Venextos. "Lead the way. Lets get this over with. Takato, find the other three and guide them to the palace. We'll link up there, then we'll look for Kaizen's private chambers." Riberta spoke up afterwards. "I've got a feeling the crypt's going to be full of hollows." she said, folding her arms.

------
​

Back in Red Gorge...

The group of citizens was left standing there, watching as this mysterious woman guided the angry judgement goddess away from them to the nearby cemetery. Who was she? She resembled the goddess Undite so much, and the way that she stopped Velin like that...it had to be her. Undite had returned! The pair walked through the old iron gate of the graveyard, walking over and sitting beneath the lone tree in the cemetery. Nearby, the old grave digger simply observed. Smiling as the pair of goddesses spoke privately. "Josefina, this isn't you. You're having people murdered by the thousands, you're sending innocent people to the Abyss...why are you doing this?" asked Undite, looking to Velin as she sat down. "I've told you, Dominique, that I can't simply sit by and let these creatures grow out of control. Three years ago, we had a pureblood vampire come close to a full blown revolution. Attempting to overthrow human rule and replace it with vampire rule. You know this, because I know you spoke with the two vampires of that inquiry." responded Velin, "You know my history, Nikki....I can't allow humanity to be replaced and controlled by monsters."

Undite went quiet for a few moments, then spoke once more. "...Things have changed, Josefina. The world is far different from how it was in the Age of Darkness...and in the centuries prior to it. Not all vampires are like the...twisted monsters that did those things to you. And the ones that do are actively shunned and cast out from vampire societies." Velin turned her head to face Undite, her eyes peering through the slit in her helmet. "They all need to be destroyed outright." she said, bluntly. Undite frowned. "Even me?" she asked. Velin looked at her for a moment, going quiet, before looking down towards the ground.

A moment later, Velin reached up and placed her hands on the side of her helmet. Then, she slowly lifted it off. Beneath it was a woman with heavily tanned skin and black hair tied into a tight bun. Several scars adorned her face, with two large ones stretching across the sides of her neck. One of her eyes was badly scarred, sealed shut and covered with a black, leather eye patch. Her other eye, a beautiful sapphire blue, eventually turned to look back at Undite. "You're the only good one, Nikki." she said, her voice losing the metallic and angry tone that it had before. Undite smiled. "I'm not, and you know it."

She then looked to the crowd nearby, which was still watching them. "...There's plenty of vampires here as well as others that are kind, honest, hardworking people just trying to get by. They're not harming anyone...and you were going to kill an entire town because they were hiding them from you and those zealots of yours. There are children here, Josefina. And you were going to kill them...does that sound right to you?...It makes you no better than Taranoch and his lot." She then looked back to Velin.

Velin remained quiet, having returned to looking down at the dirt. It really wasn't like her. She was supposed to be a hero. A proper god. This wasn't what a hero, or a god, was supposed to be doing. This was mass murder over a personal grudge. "...You're right." she said finally. She then stood, grabbing her helmet by one of the large horns jutting off the side of it. "...If you need to speak to me again...I'll be in Eternis at the Cathedral." Undite nodded. "Alright...I'll visit you soon enough. We have a lot to catch up on." she said, reaching up and touching Velin's gloved hand. Velin smiled a little, before turning and walking towards the gate. The crowd quietly watched as she approached, stepping through the gate and moving towards the mass of people.. She then stopped several feet from them.

She glanced up from the dirt, looking amongst the crowd. Eventually looking to Jessica. "...I'm...I'm sorry, everyone." she said simply, before turning and walking away. Towards the northwest. Eventually, far down the path, she summoned a portal and stepped through quietly.

 

[Damian0358]

Takato nodded, briefly looking over to Riberta as she made her thoughts known, before quickly leaping into the air seamlessly into flight, heading towards Jakob, Aliana and Gwen.

As he got close enough to the three, he spoke up:

"Hey! Headed we are to the palace," he began, "are your wishes to follow me on foot so that we may link with the others, or does the sky call for you?" he asked, stretching himself mid-air.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson shuffled his feet in place, not eyeing Tariun's ghostly form as he looked toward their destination, soon one leg planted on the railing that overlooked the township below them. "If he can detect magical light sources we're proper fucked." he said, gesturing toward the jangling chains about his body. "They're holy relics, conjured flame supposedly from Velin herself. They'll definitely light the way but maybe a bit more than we'd like, but it's not like I can suppress them." the hunter said with a shrug of his shoulders.

As Takato made his offer to ferry some of them off, it prompted Hudson to look at him before shaking his head, choosing not to comment. "If it's full of hollows or demons we'll be fine. Nothing that can't be killed."

 

[K0mori]

Daristein, two days after the Redgorge Incident

With a loud hiss and a plume of white steam, the white-painted and brass-adorned engine Wunderpferd rolled majestically into the central station at Kolnstadt. Near the front of the train, where the most luxurious cars held the most well-to-do passengers aboard the train, a short man with soft, rosy features, brown hair and a large mustache stood with his cane in one hand, a top hat and newspaper tucked under his arm, and his other hand wrapped tightly around that of his adoptive daughter's, a gloomy-looking Redonian whose inky black hair draped flawlessly over an amethyst-colored dress. "Stay close, Sabine," Mr. Fallensteller instructed as they stepped out the door onto the busy platform. There was a heady buzz in the station that day, as news had traveled by wire from Atraca the previous day about something incredible which had transpired there.

In Redgorge, it seems, the Goddess Velin had confronted a mob which was unwilling to cooperate with the church's commandments to eliminate the accursed sorts - vampires and lycans - and Velin had been dissuaded from harming them by none other than Undite! The full truth of the matter wasn't fully known, but there had been so many witnesses to the event that it was hard to deny. The newspaper under Mr. Fallensteller's arm questioned how long Velin's regime, which had supplanted the monarchs of Adonia in its absolute authority for three years now, could remain supreme if a little mining town from the deserts of southern Atraca could defy her so openly without punishment. Or, perhaps, this was a fluke, and without Undite's protection, the entire city would have been razed for its defiance.

Daristein was different from most of the major powers in Atraca in that it had no one to call a king or queen. In a realm where the government rules with the consent of the governed, Velin's unchecked power was even more alien and unwelcome for the ordinary people than it was in the more traditional realms. Daristein had less issues with werewolves than the Tsavanians and less interference from vampires than the Escarians; it quite simply did not exist in a world where such targeted violence felt warranted, or even sane. Yet, Velin's power could not be denied; there was no force on the continent which could rightly oppose her aside from another god, and while little Redgorge had Undite's blessing, there would be no guarantee that anyone, holy or otherwise, could stand in defense of the Republic.

The father and daughter, Albrecht and Sabine, were in town together for related reasons. The Alchemical Union of Kolnstadt, or AUK, was one of the most respected in the region for its proficient research in both physical and metaphysical biology. Simply put, the Institute at Kolnstadt were discovering more about the human body, vampirism, and lycanthropy than just about any other organization in Redonia aside from the other alchemical research centers scattered about the Republic. However, trouble was brewing, and Albrecht feared that after the incident in Redgorge, his investments in the Institute's research could be in jeopardy, and he had come to test the waters. It just so happened that one of the Institute's foremost researchers had also invented a human vaccine for rabies, which gave him a reason to bring his daughter.

When he had learned that his daughter was spending much of her free time exploring a cave on his neighbor's property, Albrecht was concerned. It became much worse when Sabine expressed her love for the bats that congregated there, and over the holidays asked for books about the winged vermin so that she could better understand them. Albrecht and his wife had tried their best to dissuade her, but Sabine was stubborn, and when she balled her fists and stamped her feet against the ground, Albrecht couldn't help but melt and give in to her wishes. This, however, would come with a compromise. Sabine would need to get the vaccine, or else Albrecht would hire a caretaker to ensure she wouldn't go back to the cave. Although Sabine reluctantly agreed, Albrecht noticed she had been adding salt to his morning coffee since then, and he had said nothing. Her rebelliousness was simply endearing to him.

"Guten Morgen, Albrecht," a tall, blond man in a burgundy coat greeted, "und hallo, kleine Sabine."

"Ah, guten Morgen, Emmerich. Sabine, this is Herr Behringer, do you remember him from my birthday party?"

Emmerich Behringer was an alchemist with a leadership role within the Institute's medical research lab and was Albrecht's point of contact for all matters of investment in the various projects the department was working on. While he wasn't the man responsible for developing the vaccine, he would be administering it later that day. Sabine did, in fact, remember him, as he had brought along an absolutely gorgeous carving and engraving kit for her father when he turned 50 in July. Albrecht had wanted to take up a new hobby and was so impressed by Emmerich's gesture that he had spent the last three months carving any scrap of wood he could get his hands on. Sabine gave him a small curtsy. "Dad very much appreciates the gift you gave him," she said, a half-smile concealing the resentment she felt for the injections Emmerich would be giving her later that day.

---

It was a little past noon when Albrecht and Emmerich found themselves seated across a table from brothers Hans and Hagen Voll, both alchemists from AUK, at the latter brother's townhouse just down the road from the Institute. It was here that they could have a conversation about the troubles faced by the Union without worrying about eavesdroppers. While the gathered men helped themselves to a plate of sandwiches, Sabine stabbed miserably at a petite madeleine, bored with the discussion and still aching from the injections. She had complained loudly for the treat, but now found herself lacking in apatite.

"It seems to me," Hans said, "that this Redgorge thing might be the tipping point. We've been hearing rumblings about it for over a month now, how our best men and women don't have their heart in it anymore, that the conditions just keep getting worse, and that we could have a walk-out on our hands if AUK doesn't get concessions from the church already."

Hagen chuckled pitifully. "As if it were that easy, though... there's not a single soul in Daristein who has that mad Goddess's ear. They've made it more than clear that they won't negotiate, so it'll take a standoff, just like in Atraca."

"While I understand your lack of enthusiasm, gentlemen," Albrecht cautioned, "I've nearly doubled my contributions to this Institute during the last three years. And you know that's not just an effort to grab whatever comes out of this church meddling; I've specifically laid out that half of all new investments should go to independent research within the Institute."

Emmerich nodded. "At least most of those contributions can be guaranteed. I've already made sure that we can cover the losses in the event of catastrophe, but as long as we aren't completely shut down I think the worst you can expect is a six-month delay on delivery beyond the initial principal."

"Yes, yes, while that's all well and good," Albrecht countered, "I still don't understand why catastrophe is even a discussion."

Emmerich glanced to the two other alchemists at the table, who gave a solemn nod. "Well, friend, that's why I arranged for this luncheon. These two men can explain exactly why catastrophe is a possibility."

Albrecht went a bit pale. The project with which the Institute had been entrusted had been one of the most closely-guarded secrets in Daristein. Even Sabine was aware of the reputation the project held, and leaned forward in her seat. "Go on, then," Albrecht said.

"There is magic which can imitate the sun," Hagen explained. "We've been refining it into all sorts of devices. Imagine a hand torch that could melt a vamp's face off-"

"-or a flare that could put a sun in the sky at night." Hans interrupted. "We've been cramming this stuff into everything we make, stockpiling it for the day they find out where all the vampires have run off to."

Albrecht leaned back in his seat, the color having returned to him now. "Ah. So it's all part of the great extermination, isn't it? Why is that such a problem?"

"Do you know any vampires, Herr Fallensteller?" Hagen asked. When the speculator shook his head, the alchemist continued. "Neither do we. In fact, this Institute hasn't devoted itself to the art of hunting the undead in such a vast capacity in the entire history of its existence, although our forerunners from the Age of Darkness might have been different. Simply put, we became alchemists to improve lives, not to destroy them. This is not a fight we wish to become embroiled in, especially when it stymies our research elsewhere and requires impossible hours and sacrifice."

"Moreover," Emmerich added, "I've been hearing more and more that the church is meddling increasingly in our medical research, demanding proof that we aren't trying to enhance the human form with our alchemy rather than preserving it. They seem convinced that we'll wind up creating the next breed of supernatural unless they're watching us, which is beyond ridiculous."

Albrecht nodded. "I understand, now, gentlemen. This isn't just about a temporary intrusion; this is about the independence of your research. I have no choice but to stand by you if this turns contentious, as I don't believe that the church will manage my investments more wisely than your Union will. When do you think we'll know?"

"Know what?" Hagen asked.

"Whether you will stand against Velin?"

Hagen shook his head. "Sir, it isn't a matter of 'whether,' it's a matter of 'when,' since Redgorge. I believe we will see a stoppage within the next three days."

 

[joshuadim]

"I can help with the lighting as well." Venextos chimed in as he patted the top of his staff. "After all, a dark dungeon is the last place we want any corner left unchecked of threats."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked at Takato, a bit weirded out by his proposal. "Uh...You can fl...Nevermind. Sure, I'll go. Lets go ladies." he said, while pretty much just pushing Gwen and Aliana towards Takato so he could grab them. "Alright, you might be an oni lad and all, but I'm quite heavy s--" To his surprise, Takato was able to pick him up. Seemingly without any trouble. "Well...there's that! Lets go then!"

Red Gorge, a few seconds later...

Jessica stood there in utter silence among the rest of the townsfolk. Everyone was confused, as the goddess seemingly apologized for her behavior. But apologies mattered little when they came from a 'monster'. The people of Red Gorge had lived in fear as Velin and her thugs came every few days to look for vampires and lycans, and many people had already died because of her. Her apology meant nothing to them, and as she walked away, the population simply scolded her. Insulting her and letting out all the anger that had been bottled up because of her. Jessica looked at the people around her, confused and a bit sad to see everyone sink down to the goddess's level of anger and hate. Lucy came out of the crowd, grabbing her aunt's hand. "W-What happened?" she asked meekly. Jessica didn't have an answer for that at the time. She simply looked down at her niece, and gave her a little smile. "I...don't know, little one...Come, lets get something to eat at Mama Jermina's."

In the cemetery, Undite sat in silence as the grave digger looked at her with a smile. "It's interesting..." he said, as Velin was seen walking away from Red Gorge from the low hill that the goddess and the native man were on. "How some of the ancients and the spirits... decided for a few of us to watch over the rest...disregarding how we work. Our nature." He looked back at Undite. "She suffered a lot...didn't she? And while that's understandable...her behavior is abnormal at best, but...you'd know better about her than some old man, wouldn't you?"

 

[Infab]

Undite smiled. "But you're no ordinary old man." she replied, turning her head slightly towards the gravedigger. "...But yes...she's suffered a lot. Far more than anyone should." She then looked back to the crowd, as it began to dissipate. "...I've tried to help her...several times. Tried to get her to show some compassion, and she genuinely does at times." she continued, "...I just wish she would do it more often instead of letting her anger and grudges blind her...that's why she and Adona don't speak to one another anymore."

She went silent for a moment, before looking back to the gravedigger once more. "How is Waya, by the way? I barely see him anymore." she said, tilting her head.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

The old man gave Undite a smile, his hand shadowing his eyes as he looked about the cemetery around them. "Hawe, aku watey." He said, before looking back to Undite. "He's preparing for what's coming...but he's in good spirits. For he knows the outcome already. I sometimes wonder what Waya sees in those restless nights...in those long dreams...Is it the future? Does he truly know what awaits all of us?" He looked up at the sun, as it started to set. "You are a good woman, lady Undite." He slowly moved away from the grave he was near. "...Time for me to get back to work. Take good care of yourself, Undite. And remember...Waya is always there for his friends." And so, the old man walked away. Gently whistling a song, and leaving the goddess alone gazing at the dusk.

 

[Damian0358]

"Alright, you might be an oni lad and all, but I'm quite heavy s--"

Jakob could hardly finished when Takato, with permission, picked up Jakob under his bandaged right arm simply enough. He's handled heavier. He simply smiled at the man.

"Well... there's that! Let's go then!"

Jakob exclaimed, as Takato motioned Gwen and Aliana to come forth - the two of them could either get on his back, or one of them could go under his left arm, and the other on his back.

 

[Infab]

The group continued onward, moving through the broken streets and narrow alleys towards the palace which used to house the former rulers of the Abyss. As they grew closer to it, the environment shifted around them. It began to take a more regal tone, plain stone walls becoming ones bearing fancy carvings and decorations. Statues of older kings and queens of the Abyss began to appear, though nearly all of them were destroyed. Simple piles of broken stone. Soon, they passed through the remains of an old shop into the open area surrounding the palace.

The palace was a wreck, with most of its roof gone. Exposing its inner contents to the elements. It appeared to have been destroyed from the inside out, however, as several chunks of the building lay scattered about the area while very little remained inside the old walls. Remnants of the battle between Taranoch and Kaizen, most likely. The group carefully traversed the debris, eliminating any lone wandering hollows as they ventured into the ruins. There were old, torn paintings and banners scattered about inside, along with the skeletons of dead demons and humans alike. There were broken and rusted weapons here and there as well, along with matching suits of armor. Soon, they found what was left of the throne room. Half of the throne itself was destroyed, a mangled mess tossed off to the side. The other half was near pristine, laying on its side where the throne was supposed to be sitting in the grand hallway. Pillars which once held up the roof were simple piles of broken stone now, pieces tossed about. Destroyed during the battle that took place here, or over time. Takato soon arrived with the others, reuniting the group with two of its elves and Jakob.

They eventually found the passage in the throne room leading down beneath the palace to where Kaizen's chambers were, descending down several flights of stairs into darkness. Vincent was quick to make a torch, finding a broken spear and wrapping the end of it with some cloth they had found. The underground portion of the palace was relatively intact, save for some cobwebs and broken containers. It wasn't long before they entered into Kaizen's personal chambers, clearly defined by the double doors leading into it. Fancy engravings marked the rotten doors, though they had faded with age. Loque pointed out that most of the writing they had seen throughout the building was that of far older demons. Apparently their methods of communication and writing changed with time just like that of humans. Still didn't stop it from hurting when a demon spoke in their own tongue, of course.

The bed inside the room was in tatters, along with most of the other furniture in the rooms. The bookshelf, however, was intact. Though the same couldn't be said for the books upon it. Only a handful of books hadn't crumbled in time, and one of them was quite clearly the method of activating the hidden door. Vincent moved over and tugged on it, but found that it wouldn't budge. Tariun was right. Riberta then moved over and smacked the shelf a few times before pulling on it with all her might. The door shifted after a few tugs, and with enough force, was pulled open.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Throughout the walk inside Kaizen's palace, Loque couldn't dodge the feeling that she was recklessly desecrating with her tainted presence the last remains of a period when the Abyss wasn't the cruel and unforgiving dimension it most certainly has become. It was all legends and myths to them now, ruins of half-forgotten things only her parents told her about. The few positives the Abyss ever had were now held in cracked walls and smashed floors, and she tried very hard not to disturb any of it. Worse still was the feeling she was being not only watched, but judged, as if Kaizen was just waiting around the corner to chastise her for entering his home uninvited. These feelings only intensified the deeper they went, peaking when they entered his personal chambers.

The door opens, and she stands there waiting for the order to go inside; an order that can't come fast enough in fear of fouling the dust around her any more than she already has.

 

[K0mori]

Anya swept from shadow to shadow, using her coloration to blend in perfectly as she stalked behind the others. "What a waste..." she remarked as they passed by the seemingly endless ruins on the way to the secret passage. Loque seemed genuinely downcast and ashamed of her own presence within the once-regal halls, and Inari seemed to be growing impatient with the lack of challenge. Anya couldn't help but feel the same. She had spent the whole day killing hollows to the point that it had become boring, more than anything else.

 

[Infab]

The passage behind the bookcase was a tunnel devoid of light, and seemed to go on a ways before turning a bit. Likely towards the cathedral above. Vincent went in first, slinging his rifle onto his shoulder and drawing his pistol as he ventured into the darkness. Holding out his torch to light the way. The rest followed closely, as they moved into the passage. There were noises here and there, mainly the sounds of water dripping and hitting the stone floor or the echo of their footsteps or movements. It was quite narrow, Henderson and Uloth barely fitting into the tunnel and having to move sideways as they traveled.

For several minutes, they walked through darkness. Eventually, however, they came to a solid wall. There were holes in it, which the torch light shown through. There were also noises coming from the other side. Breathing. Movements. Something dragging the ground. Riberta moved up, gently pushing Vincent aside. A moment later, she angled herself just so and plowed her shoulder into the wall. The wall exploded outward, sending stone bricks and chunks sailing into the room. As she and Vincent stepped through, Vincent's torchlight revealed where they were...as well as what was in the room with them.

It was the Crypt, alright. There were several coffins and wooden caskets scattered about, some open or broken while others remained undisturbed. The dust that had covered some of them was knocked into the air by the sudden movement, forcing one or two of the group to sneeze. This caught the attention of the stone-skinned demon in the room, whom was dragging a massive battle-axe behind him on the ground. His black and gold eyes shifted to them quickly, and he grunted before quickly rushing towards the group.

"Shit." was all Riberta spat, as she quickly swung her claymore up to block an incoming downward axe swing. A loud clang followed, and she planted her foot in the demon's gut to shove him backward for breathing room. "Take it out quietly! We can't let the others up top know we're here!" said Vincent, looking to the others. Guns would certainly let everyone know. It was up to the melee fighters to take the creature down.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

The palace was an unfortunate apocalyptic mess. Even she couldn't find any hidden treasure in it, and she had an eye for knowing where people liked to hide treasure. Under the floorboards, perhaps in a vase. On top of a ceiling beam. There was no such display in this place, and it wasn't like they were stopping to loot, either.

Her spirit was in decline while they continued traveling, through the dark hidden passageway, until Riberta knocked down the wall and took them into a crypt. The excitement had given way to an actual combatant. Not a mindless husk. She didn't waste her time killing those. This was finally a living enemy!

Inari was already quick behind Riberta as the woman blocked the first strike and knocked the demon back. The kitsune-woman didn't hesitate, nor did she listen much to Vincent's words as she rushed ahead as the demon stumbled back. She drew her sword in one smooth, quick motion. The blade left a near double-image in the air as it moved, a thin black outline sticking to it as if it were some manner of an optical illusion.

"Ahaha!" Inari laughed, rushing in low for a deep horizontal slash on the demon.

 

[Damian0358]

After delivering the three by flight to the remainder of the group, Takato remained largely quiet, as he observed the surroundings, contemplating on things passed. In Kaizen's personal chambers, Takato examined the writings left behind to see if there was anything he could draw from it from what he knew of post-Darkness Oni writing - nope. The script had shifted quite a bit, it seemed. Soon enough, the bookshelf was identified, the passage was brute forced open by Riberta and the gang continued on.

Through the darkness, Takato wondered briefly what his master would do if he had found himself in the position that he was in right now, assisting the gods by heading to the Abyss, before Riberta plowed herself into the wall, blowing it outward, revealing the crypt... and a stone-skinned demon with a large axe lying in wait, as he rushed and attacked Riberta.

With Vincent's words in mind, and remembering his own comments on magic, he knew his options were limited - he carried no 'proper' weapons, and magic was a no-go. Hand-to-hand was the only option, aside from using what was in the environment to his advantage. Inari quickly rushed forward, likely in her more typical bloodlust, as she rushed in to strike with her blade. Assuming her style, he would have to go for a keiyiken fighting position to allow for swift movements, rather than taigekkun, at least for the moment. Using 'soft' internal strength could also help dislodge the axe from his hands. He shifted into swallow style, and waited for an opportunity to open.