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

[SniperComZero]

Gwen seemed conflicted at the information. Part of her disliked immensely the fact that an elf was made an icon. Another part of her was more intrigued towards the fact that non-demons, or, at least those who weren't born demons, could become icons at all in the first place. At the very least, it would explain the emblem and the fact that the book she had retreived was written in her own language. As she bundled herself up well to make the long trek towards 'The Keep', a maddening, insulting thought began to crop up within the queen's head.

". . .Sekath. . . There's no chance that she at... at one point was an elf in a prior time, was she?"

 

[Doomevil]

Senya followed everyone and found themselves at the Kings tombs. Almost immediately, the aura she felt back in the Icon almost paled in comparison to this place. For once, it caught her off guard and made her worry. There were also points where she could feel an bad omen coming from a mile away. And she didn't know why. When she wandered from crypt to crypt, she thought there were only a few Abyssal Kings, but she quickly changed her thought as she saw hundreds. She turned to Vixas.

"You think there might be shields within these tombs? My own is wearing out and bound to be ineffective for later battles. I could use the protection."

 

[Infab]

"Which one is Adriel's?"

Vixas looked over his shoulder towards the group. "Adriel's tomb is inside the Keep. A grand tomb, shared with Zazriel. I will have to open their tomb...as only an ascended demon may do so." he replied.

". . .Sekath. . . There's no chance that she at... at one point was an elf in a prior time, was she?"

"Sekath is but a quarter-elf. She is obsessed with the elves, finding them far more interesting and attractive, while her sister Sagath basically ignores your race. Their mother, a demon with half elf lineage, ruled Redonia for a time during the Age of Darkness. I am sure Takato can fill you in on the details of her mother's death."

"You think there might be shields within these tombs? My own is wearing out and bound to be ineffective for later battles. I could use the protection."

"Indeed. Some kings had full sets of armor and weaponry, much like Adriel. The Mad King was so paranoid that he wore full plate armor and carried an abyssal battle-axe...but died via suicide because he got the idea that a shadow demon was inside him."

 

[SniperComZero]

She didn't know why, but the fact that Sekath both was, and wasn't elf, made things even worse. Out of two options, which is worse, someone giving up their own race to extinction for the cheap thrill of it, or someone holding a... grudge, or fascination, or something, and wiping out another race. As it turned out, Sekath was both! Something that disheartened Gwen immensely. "I... I see. But then, if I was, at least under my better assumptions, the one she..." Gwen had to keep herself from physically revulsing. "...Interacted with more. How come I'm here, and not a, say, bad memory, left in the husk of that burnt out whore palace?"

 

[Damian0358]

Takato found himself once more reminded of the cold of the northwestern mountains in Upper Redonia as they made their way to the Keep. Takato found the structure absolutely fascinating. Though he wasn't showing it much, due to finding himself being more determined than usual now, what he experienced via Vixas and what he's seeing since rejoining has been but a blast. It even distracted him to some degree from the ever-shifting aura of this land. He just observed and looked at things as they moved, listening in on the questions of others, since they managed to prove enlightening to some fact or story.

Hearing that only an ascended demon such as himself could open the grand tomb of Adriel and Zazriel, showed how important they must be, but he was taken aback by his revelation that Sekath and Sagath are quarter-elves, and that Ibaraki, in turn, was half-elf. Once she was mentioned, and how he pointed to him for the details, Takato looked over at Gwen with curiosity and worry. He'd tell her what he knew if she asked, but after everything today, he feels like he could take a bit of a rest, especially for his hermitic routine. She seemed more interested in continuing down a different line of thought though, which made him glad.

 

[Infab]

"...How come I'm here, and not a, say, bad memory, left in the husk of that burnt out whore palace?"

"...That is something only Sekath can reveal to you. That, or the Elder Gods." replied Vixas, looking back to the elf.

 

[Viper Actual]

A warlord turned advisor? Fascinating.

Seriphine nodded towards Vixas in confirmation. She then fell in with the others without saying a word though her ears both twitched and shuddered at the mention of Sekath's Elven heritage. Just the mere thought of it all filled Seriphine with contempt and rage.
At the same time she reckoned that Gwen's own feelings were far more intense on the matter.

Unlike Seriphine the Elf queen had been there to witness the downfall of their race at the hand of Sekath. Such a thing filled Seriphine with the deepest of dread and a seething anger.

Perhaps one day she and Gwen could exact revenge on the icon on behalf of their entire race?

 

[Doomevil]

Senya nodded, walking off in order to explore the tombs. She found herself at a black crypt, wondering if she can find something here. She opened up the tomb and found a husk wearing its demonic armor, a sword and a silver shield. The shield had an image of a single wing curled up. The Warden prayed quietly, the Dragons forgive her for taking the shield. Senya gave one last look at the tomb before closing it off again, setting aside the old shield and placed the new one on her back.

She returned to Vixas, hearing Gwenaelle ask about Sekath. “The Icon will have her due, all of them will. It just reinforces the fact a man like Taranoch can just tear everything down and reap the benefits in one coup.”

 

[K0mori]

To kill time while the others finished their preparations, Mariette stepped off to the side a safe distance and began practicing with her new side sword, to familiarize herself with it's shape and heft, and also to adjust to the extra weight behind each movement due to her new armor. It took supernatural strength to maintain grace while carrying and utilizing so many different implements, between her sword, cloak, grimoire, blood vials, and sometimes even a dagger, and required her to commit to either one discipline or the other: magic, or swordsmanship, and that was a consideration based on the opponent she was facing, and whether or not she was fighting alone.

Vixas had told her that Xaroth's armor enhances magic, and given that the side sword wasn't enchanted or unique, the Countess figured she would be relying mainly on her casting abilities... But a thought nagged at her: if Xaroth was a powerful mage herself, then why hadn't she enchanted her weapon? Had Mariette not taken her own life, she probably would have sought to enhance Cassandra's blade with some sort of magic, but she had neither the time nor the expertise to achieve that three years prior. Most of her own magic was hex-based and built around illusion and attacking the mind. She would have needed time to experiment and develop an enchantment that would attack the flesh, instead.

She found it hard to believe that Xaroth had the same problem. So why the lack of enchantment? Was the sword purely for appearances? She continued to mull over the problem as she went about her exercises.

 

[Infab]

Vixas took note of the tomb that Senya had opened, watching her as she prayed to her gods before speaking as she returned. "The tomb of Therzal. One of the more recent Kings of the Abyss, about three before Kaizen. He had to put down three rebellions from three different Icons of Wrath during his reign. That shield proved rather useful to him, and hopefully it will prove useful to you as well. Be wary, however, of the switch on the inside of the shield near your thumb. When toggled, it switches into a more 'offensive' setup." he explained, before looking back as Vincent spoke up. "Do you think there's any swords or anything that I could use in one of these tombs?" he asked, looking around before looking up to Vixas.

Vixas nodded slowly. "Yes. There is a sword that I believe will prove suitable for you. Follow me." said the ascended demon, waving his hand. Vincent followed, and they walked several yards away before pausing at a tomb. Vixas pointed to it, before speaking again. "Rorthren. Formerly an Icon of Pride whom became King. He wielded a sword similar to that of a gladius from your mortal realm." he stated, before speaking the words he needed. The tomb opened, and inside was a coffin encrusted in gold and silver metals as well as jewels. Vixas gently opened the coffin, and upon a silk wrapped corpse sat a silver handled sword with a jet black blade. "It is of Abyssal make, with an enchanted grip. It allows the user to recall the sword to their grip with a simple thought...among other things, should you find yourself in the heat of battle against an Icon." explained Vixas, as Vincent reached in and took hold of the weapon. He felt an odd sensation, as he gripped the handle of the blade and held it up. His nerves tingled all the way up his arm.

The tomb shut, and they quickly returned back to the group. Riberta, whom had yet to claim anything beyond armor she found on a dead icon's dead guard, looked about. She knew what she wanted. Adriel's weapon. If Leakhena claimed the armor, she would get the trident. She had used spears before, so a trident wouldn't be all that different.

Meanwhile, Cassandra was nearby, watching Mariette move about. Practicing with her new armor and weapon. It was certainly a fancy set of armor, with a small face crafted into the top of its breastplate. Apparently allowed for plenty of free movement. She looked at the estoc that she herself had acquired, and figured she should get used to it as well. She had practiced with an estoc only once, preferring rapiers and other types of cutting swords. An estoc had no edge to its blade, so it could not cut. She had to stab and thrust, which was fine with her really.

She soon found herself twirling it about, before moving into stances and making sharp jabs here and there. With both one hand as well as two.

 

[Viper Actual]

Seriphine watched with mild interest as two of the newcomers- Mariette and Cassandra- practiced their respective techniques. She crossed her arms and turned to face Vincent just as he returned with a new sword in hand.

Nodding towards the weapon Seri tilted her head slightly and looked at Vincent. "A fearsome weapon, though balanced in design."

"It suits you well."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

A few hours ago...

Jakob watched as his companions crossed the portal towards one of the last stops of their adventure. He cared little for the explanations given by Tariun. Being so close to his objective only meant that he had to push himself forward and rescue his friends from this damned place. But before he or Ser Edmond could cross the portal, he felt the need to speak with Tariun, whom had explained what were her intentions were after Taranoch was defeated by her rebellion. "Ma'am... I feel like I must apologize for the things I said to you that day." Before the ascended demon could respond, Jakob raised a hand to stop her. "I ain't no demonologist nor a theologian. I don't really understand how things work here, and maybe that's the reason why I don't really see your way. And that's why I want to say that I'm sorry, Tariun..." Jakob took off his hat for a moment. "...Whatever happens, if you ever get out of this place and go back to your inn in Grimtham... send me a letter. Would be nice to see you again, ma'am." As Jakob puts his hat back on, he gives her a teasing little smirk. "...You and your missus." He looked at the portal again for a few seconds, before turning back to Tariun one last time. "...Take care, Tariun." he said, before glancing to Kassidy next to her. "See ya when I see ya, blue gal."

As Jakob crossed and disappeared into the portal, the vampiric knight approached it as well. But before he would cross the threshold, he looked upon the ascended demon. He had not introduced himself to her, for she probably knew who he was and he knew who she is. He leaned close to her face, his red eyes looking into her odd helmet before speaking. "...I am not one to give words of discouragement to strangers, for I was once an idealist who believed in fighting seemingly impossible battles... But miss, the Abyss is older than you or I could ever imagine... Older than the world of men and legend. Some even said it is older than the Heavens." He slowly backed away from Tariun, making one step closer to the portal. "...And throughout those eons, only one great demon stood tall to put order to a land without such concept... And ever since then, demons created their own version of such order... It reminds me of a time one empire ruled over most of the lands of man. An empire.. that fell to the hands of chaos. And many claimed to be it's continuation, but none ever matched its greatness." Tariun could hear a slight dry laugh coming from Edmond's expressionless face. "...Do not be a fool, demon, for your fight only delays the inevitable... Let the Abyss become what it always was." With nothing else to say, Edmond crossed the portal without looking back at the ascended demon. Leaving her behind with Kassidy, Zebulon, and her own thoughts.

Currently...

Throughout the rest of the journey towards Vucrox, Jakob remained quiet. Not wanting to interfere with the conversations the others were having, nor questioning why the kind eastern monk wanted to stay with the strange demons of the village. They got a guide from the village, one that seemed well informed on the ancient history of these structures. But to Jakob, all these names meant nothing to him. All he cared for was getting to Valeria as soon as possible. Edmond stood several feet away from the group, always looking at the shadows and ruins surrounding them, waiting for a possible enemy attack. Once at the tombs, Jakob watched as the others began to grab the items that once belonged to the powerful entities of the Abyss. But he didn't want to take part of it. Instead, he used this time to watch Mariette and Cassandra practice with their new tools. As he watched, he thought of the letter and bottle that Henderson had given him before the man stepped into the portal. He opened the letter, smiling slightly while reading its message.

Dear Jakob

I'm afraid I wasn't truthful with you when we talked. Selling perfumes is just part of what I do. Along with them I create concoctions, tonics, and poisons. To ask for forgiveness for my lie, I asked my friend to give you a new one I have been brewing. I won't bore you with the details. The scent is awful, but the liquid should have healing properties similar to how holy water is described in the old church books. Hopefully you never have to use it, but if what Henderson says about your mission is true, then I pray for your safety.

Your friend among Wrath's domain, Colette Boivin.

Jakob looked at the vial with a smile, before putting it in his gun pack and continuing to watch as Cassandra and Mariette moved about.

 

[Infab]

Eventually, Vixas gathered the group back together once more. As it did not seem that Ser Edmond or Jakob would be gathering themselves any gear, he directed his attention to the others. "We now begin our journey into the Keep...Do you happen to know exactly where Valeria Witlock might be held inside?" Hudson quickly produced the map that they had found in Sazak's personal quarters, which Vixas took and ran his fingers across. "...Ah...The lower catacombs. Storage for when the Keep was used as a fortress by Adriel." he said, his clawed fingers gently gliding across the parchment. "Alright. After we have stopped by Adriel and Zazriel's tomb, we shall descend into the catacombs. I warn you. There shall be spectres below. As I said before, do not interact with them."

He handed the parchment back to Hudson, before turning and floating towards the Keep. The group quickly moved to keep up, and soon they were walking across the barren flat land between the King's Tombs and the Keep of Vucrox itself. As they neared, the building seemed to grow ever larger, towering high into the sky above. And they started to see the massive growths along the walls and towers. The Abyss had affixed itself to the Keep, making it practically part of the landscape. The huge main gate, which they could see in the distance, was virtually untouched however...though it was covered in a sheet of frost.

Once they reached it nearly thirty minutes later, Vixas waved a hand. The frost evaporated almost instantaneously, as the gate shifted and moved. It split in half, folding inward as the gate opened up to reveal the darkness inside. And before them, in the center of the Keep, was a pile of huge bones. Everything around them was covered in ice and frost, reflecting almost like glass as the group stepped inside. And on the other side of the bones, a large tomb. Behind the large tomb, however, was a gigantic stone throne-like structure. "Behold. The Bones of Trig'dranuuch...as well as his throne, and the Grand Tomb of Adriel and Zazriel." stated Vixas. He floated closer to the bones, but paused near immediately.

"...Someone else is here."

 

[joshuadim]

The remains of Kaizen were impressive enough on their own, but upon seeing the bones of the being known as Trig'dranuuch Venextos felt a sense of awe wash over him momentarily as he saw just how massive the creature was... or rather had been. Even in death, its very presence seemed to freeze over the entire area in a biting cold comparable to the harshest winters of the far north back in the mortal world. For such a being to have been slain must have taken no lack of skill and perhaps luck in doing so. The wizard pondered as to where the creature actually came from in the first place, a rather curious thought that would have to be saved for a later time though as Vixas made it clear that the group was not alone.

Venextos looked about for a moment with concern before speaking up: "Who? Friend or foe?" he asked.

 

[Damian0358]

Takato largely observed what the others were doing as the mentions of Sekath and Sagath died down, being glad that the two vampires that had joined them kept themselves vigilant, Senya gaining a spiked shield, and Vincent in turn getting a sword. He listened closely as they continued onward, the hermit still getting to grips with the aura and qi from beyond the capital territories. Watching the ascended demon open the gate with ease was in some ways incredibly interesting, and within, the interest continued. While he merely passed by Kaizen's remains, only observing through Vixas, he could be here for the bones of Trig'dranuuch. He could only how battling the titan would've gone... that Adriel managed to put an end to him is awe-inspiring.

Takato didn't hesitate to enter a battle stance the moment Vixas mentioned they weren't alone. With how isolated this area is, and what they know about accessing it, there could only be one logical conclusion...

 

[Breadman]

Henderson gripped the handle of the hammer just a bit tighter. He had seen enough fights in the Abyss that started similar to know when something wasn't right.

 

[SniperComZero]

The response she got from Vixas was expectedly, and annoyingly, cryptic. She supposed that she'd just have to languish in her own thoughts and theories until such a time as she's able to actually have them answered. The rest of her own journey was silent. Once they opened the tomb's gate, she marvelled at the corpse, sat in a throne of eternal ice. A throne room, flanked by tombs. And yet, part of her had this funny feeling, deep down in her gut. Something was going to happen here.

"...Someone else is here."

As if she were on cue, the shadow of the queen stepped from behind the throne, many times her height. Flanked by six of her own knights, in a design that was eminently familiar to Gwen. As much as it was a bastardization of the armour she had seen all throughout her life, it was an... eerily accurate replication, all at the same time. Were it not for the wisps of black smog seeping through the cracks in their armour, and the piercing, golden stare behind their masks, she would have thought that they were hollows that were kitted out with that same armour. Each step they took beside her impacted the ground with a heavy, dull kthnk. Even as imposing as she and her entourage wanted to seem, the shadow stopped a good way away from the group, staring them down.

Gwen pushed to the front of the group, seeing her own shadow for herself. "You. I had a feeling." The queen broke the silence, her hands clutching tightly to her rifle. "We're so... predictable, aren't we?" The shadow replied, a grin curling the sides of her lips upward.

​

"The hero and the villain, facing off in a grand duel to rival legends! The theatrics of it are just too enticing to give up, don't you think?" Gwen seemed unconvinced. "I had expected you to use some of that magic to create somewhere for me to drop my guard." "Considered it." A blunt reply was given. "But I felt like that would be quite a waste of it, just for something that... realistically, only you and I will truly remember, non? Besides, I'd rather not give away power just for the theatrical grandeur. I'm a pragmatist."

Gwen gave her a somewhat amused snort, before levelling up her rifle, aiming clear between her own eyes. There was no motion from the shadow save from a slight twist of her fingers. "Just like a real villain would, ah? Fight, with no talk." She pulled the trigger.

And yet, nothing would come out. No deafening ring, no projectile to clear the insides of the shadow's head. Nothing. Not even that gut-wrenching click. Gwen pulled the trigger again. And then again, before looking to her bolt, forcibly rammed backwards. She looked towards her own shadow with a seething look in her eyes, lowering the, at present, useless gun. "I am not the villain here." The shadow raised a hand to her chest in faux-shock. "Oh! Are you not? Excuses, mon amour! I was under the impression that after everything you've done, that the title would be befitting of oneself! How many humans did that kingdom of yours own, mm? How many did you own? Of course, you may say you didn't treat them badly, but where did all of that mineral wealth, all of that infrastructure come from?" Gwenaelle refrained from letting her eyes wander towards the rest of the group, ears slowly lowering down against her head. "Your kingdom was built on the bones of slaves, mon ami. Built on the souls of hundreds of thousands!"

"But... I guess that makes us both villains." Gwen's shadow shrugged. "If we both want the same things, then perhaps it is a duel of two villains." With a shaking hand, Gwen's finger pointed at her shadow. "We want the same things? Puh, you would shack up with that vile tramp queen as soon as you had the chance."

"Oh, now what makes you say that? Perhaps I would have, in an earlier time, but so would you. I am a reflection of everything of you. I felt your, mm, sadness, let's say, at not being picked at her side as opposed to that wench, Thelyra." Her tone was lowering, the jovial, playful nature escaping from the shadow. "I felt those feelings whenever you discovered what that whore had truly wrought upon our race. The feelings felt upon every beast, every traitor, every demon." Her eyes cast a stinging glance upon Seriphine. "On how those supposed gods, who you had looked up to, let us die out, so agonizingly slowly, whilst they groomed those-- those things as their successors. Their pompous, self-serving angels being no better than humans if they end up here. Tell me, queen. Do you think this band of, ah, convenient allies will last forever? Even when you and I both know, as much as you want to deny, that among them are the same ones that destroyed our kingdom? The same ones that scattered us to the wind, and reduced everything that we built, to dust?"

The shadow breathed out a heavy sigh, running her hand over her face. She had to recompose herself. "I reiterate. We want the same things. To rebuild our kingdom. To make everyone that has wronged us so badly suffer the pain of a thousand fires, and to take our rightful place under the sun." Gwenaelle's rifle had long since lowered, hanging limply by one hand. "And it should be done by someone who isn't a naive fool like you. The advice of other demons destroyed us once already."

Gwen's hand tightened her grip on her gun. "And it would do so again." She stared herself down. "Perhaps I was once naive, but I won't let another demon influence my actions once more. You will have to pry my crown from my cold, dead hands. I won't make the same mistakes that I did, once again."

The shadow let out an amused snort. "I was hoping you'd say that. A duel, then?" She raised one hand, a replica of the sword upon her hip beginning to materialize upon it. "The kingdom is not even a shadow of its former self. The gods treat us with apathy, so..." Her other hand drew the second sword from its scabbard. "What else is there left to fight for, if not honour, mm? And not with that thing that you've been using." The 'real' blade was tossed towards Gwenaelle, with only enough force for it to land a small way away from her, sparks shooting from it as it scraped, and then stopped, at her feet.

Gwenaelle's rifle dropped to the ground, with a mechanical clnk.

 

[Doomevil]

One Week Ago
Diyu, Land of Envy

Time went by as the events between the Tainted Web’s manor was destroyed in an effort to free slaves. The group all celebrated with a cold pint within Sanguine’s underground domain, with the warm fireplace. Sanguine and Ruth made sure their new guests were accommodated for and well-rested.

When she received her payment from Sanguine, she stashed it in his manor. She began to take quick jobs to gain experience and find out the news behind Diyu. Visenya came across a broken-down bar not too far from Sanguine’s alley, but it wasn’t abandoned, just unrepaired. The Knight walked in, causing an interruption between conversations as many demons turned to her. Some of the demons glared at her, one in particular growled and stood up.

“You’re that Terror Knight. What are you doing here? We don’t allow shadows.” The large demon pointed out as a few of his friends nodded slowly. Visenya sighed, crossing her arms. She already saw how this can go, but she was in a good mood at least so she’ll bite.

“I know that, Wrath boy. I’m looking for a quick job before I leave this place. Now I know someone’s interested in hiring a shadow, just say who.” Visenya stated her intention, alerting someone near the very left corner, but they were hidden in a long coat and hat. The Wrath Demon grunted, stepping forward with his hand clenched into a fist. Visenya tilted her head, annoyed.

“Save it for someone who needs a real kick in the ass. I’m not your guy. Besides, you’ll be fighting an armored shadow with weapons around her. Get a gun or a regular warhammer next time.” She pointed out his logic as he had no defense if this was going to be a fight. The demon growled, walking to his corner and left her alone. Visenya gave a dark chuckle, “Smart.” She spotted the interesting individual on the left, walking up to them as the wood creaked loudly against her boots. The individual turned their face to the side, revealing it was an Envy demon, with two horns curling downward on his head. But he looked far more human than Sanguine or Brax.

“Terror Knight huh? Any specific reason why you haven’t chased unfinished business?” A deep voice sprang from his mouth, chewing a cigar with the cap already cut off. She hated whenever people asked her about the Warden as soon as they saw the knight's appearance. It frustrated her, making it seem there’s an obligation to hunt her down despite her refusal to do so. It was the only job she wasn’t willing to do. As if the name Terror Knight made no difference. She clenched her hand in response, but the individual caught note of that.

“Nevermind I suppose. If you’re up for hire I got a job you might be interested in. There’s a demon named Basmyr who works for Sagath on the bottom ladder. She won’t notice, but I will. This man has been around the city, collecting debts and taking names. He’s the kind of soldier who takes down dissenters and answers to the authority. I want him dead before he can take more of our own people.” The demon explained calmly. Visenya nodded, wanting more information on the guy.

“I’ll need a description and a place. Bodyguards protecting him? Combat techniques?”

“Two thorns on his forehead, he’s well built and carries an ancient sword on his back. Growing eyes that can spook a child. You won’t miss it. He lives in a citadel, he works alone luckily. But I’d be careful.” The demon fully turned to Visenya, the other side of his mouth was cut clean off, exposing his sharpened teeth and muscles. She lowered her brows, staring at the damage. Perhaps it could be an interesting challenge for once.

“You sure you want to mess with a soldier of Sagath?” Visenya asked, causing him to nod without hesitation. He set the cigar down and sighed.

“News is popping all over the city that Sagath is losing her grip. Some of the groups have been eliminated, causing a wide power vacuum that can get a lot of people killed. If we don’t take the chance to step in, others will finish the job. I won’t let my brothers and sisters' deaths be in vain.” He swore with inner rage. He wasn’t wrong the death of Sagath’s pet placed her into a hard position, allowing the gangs to start taking advantage of the situation. The Tainted Web being the first casualties. She walked out of the bar and went straight to searching for Basmyr. It didn’t take long before civilized demons gave her a few leads about the killer. Which led the Terror Knight to a decrepit tower with a wide structure incorporated. Visenya observed the crows sitting on the edge of the walls where windows would be, the stone slowly losing its color.

She wandered through the gate and saw a tall tree, the leafs red and the bark as black as coal it blended perfectly against her armor. Visenya slowly pressed a hand against the tree, eyes wandered down to see a sigil carved. It was a flaming sword, a daunting figure raising it beside many demons.

“Visenya, the Terror Knight. Welcome to the Citadel of the Forged.” A booming voice echoed throughout the lair, causing Visenya to pull out her sword and pistol, scanning through the area until she found a tall figure covered in thorns and spikes like armored skin. He had a long sword on his back, red rubies around the pommel similar to the Warden’s Dark Shard. He had no mouth but the two light eyes within his sockets, hollow yet dauntless. The figure walked calmly and gestured a sharp hand to her.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Basmyr. I’ve heard tales about your deeds. The Tainted Web being the first.” Basmyr noted as he observed Visenya’s appearance which didn’t disappoint at all.

“Certainly not the last, demon. Someone placed a hit on you. You know why I’m here. Ready your sword so we can get this over with.” She said in a tired tone as she readied her stance, wanting to finish this soon. But Basmyr never pulled out the sword

“I think I know why you chose that form. If you lower your sword first.” Basmyr pointed out as Visenya scoffed, “You’re full of it. I ain’t lowering my sword for a demon like you. Get the shit out your ass.” She yelled and prompted him to get with the combat already. Basmyr shook his head.

“They say knights on the surface were created because they needed loyalty and bravery to command armies. They might have held a code of honor and fought for the people of the realm. That’s similar to what the Forged have done for the city of Diyu until Sagath, the new Icon arrived. We served the Icon of Envy, Garnennuth and protected this city. But one by one, the Forged dwindled in numbers and sacrificed their lives for the Abyss. Now I am the last one.”

At first, Visenya didn’t listen to his life, but the more he talked, it gave her nostalgia for the days of patrolling the city of Valencia, rescuing citizens and putting the bad guys to jail. Until she realized none of those deeds were hers. The fact Basmyr was the last of the Forged left, it resonated with her. Why was he telling her this? But, she finally lowered her sword to show an understanding. Basmyr seemed pleased with this and spoke. “I fight for Sagath now because she and Taranoch have defeated us long ago, and in return, I must serve to uphold an oath of duty. But before we settle this battle, I’d like to get to know you.”

Visenya sighed, allowing him to. Basmyr turned to her sword and inspected it. “I know your deeds, Terror Knight. But your actions don’t reflect your name and appearance. You could have killed so many people, but yet you showed restraint. You showed mercy at your leisure. You still haven’t found your vessel yet. Why is that?” Basmyr questioned, causing Visenya to lose her composure a bit. She shook her head out of frustration and everyone kept asking her why she was not finding Senya yet. The Terror Knight finally gave in and exploded with anger and hate.

“YOU DON’T THINK I KNOW THAT?! YOU DON’T THINK I REALIZE MY OWN FATE IF I HUNT HER DOWN?! I’ve been in this hellhole for centuries, and I have barely gotten to know so many good things! I tried so hard to build my own destiny, but it all comes back to her no matter what I do!” She clenched the grip of the handle and yelled across the citadel, her green eyes glowing with fury. With so little time left and times where she had to build her reputation, people still attempted to think of her like a shadow regardless. Was this work all for nothing?

“We all pay a price in this underworld, Visenya. To live, to suffer, to choose who lives and who dies. You are a Shadow, you picked your vessel for a reason. But you have absolute hate for this person. What was their sin?” Basmyr stated.

Visenya narrowed her eyes, “Murder born of Envy.”

Basmyr tilted his head and finally understood, “I see. You came here because the Land of Envy reminded you of her past, you wanted to do so much more but something made you realize this vessel wasn’t what she said she was through her memories. Then she murdered someone because of envy. Because she was a knight, you started to question her values and personality. That’s why you despise her.”

“Senya came here through Envy because she murdered her lover and a woman through the end of a sword. She took Luis from me and left an innocent woman to die. Once her father found out, he bribed the city watch and allowed her to walk away.” She spat out through her helmet with the coldest emotion she could ever display. Basmyr could watch as Visenya went silent for a moment until she regained her composure.

She took off her helmet, exposing her pale face and black locks of hair. With a straight face, Visneya opened her mouth. “I picked my vessel because I wanted to believe there was hope in changing this Abyss. My anger and rage are all I had before they came. When I saw that armor, that sword. I wanted to be like her and take up the fight. All those days when she fought monsters, protected the people and brought justice. Only to realize you can pay off your crimes if you’re a knight of the Red Wardens.” She listed with venom, shaking her sword. She put the helmet back on and stared at Basmyr.

“I never wanted to be like this. If I face her, I’ll know what’s going to happen... I just want more time.” She lowered her head, looking down at the tiles. Visenya sighed harshly and tilted her head up, looking at Basmyr for one last time.

“I don’t know what you’ve done in your past. All I know is that you’re serving the wrong side in this place. Ready your sword and let’s finish this.” Visenya declared, before raising her sword and pistol as Basmyr slowly nodded, pulling out a long sword from his back and prepared a defensive stance.

“May the best knight win...” Basmyr declared.

…

Sanguine, Brax and Ruth spent their afternoon cooking a series of meals and drinks. Sanguine brought a cookbook from his ancestors. “Now let’s see here. Roasted crow and elderflower with a bit of porkberry. How’s that sound?” He asked to Brax, who licked his fangs with a long tongue and gave a thumbs up.

“Yes yes. Brax is most pleased with this dish!” He bounced around while Ruth rolled her eyes, walking over to the group of kids. She smiled and waved at them at all. Suddenly, they all heard a knock from the main door and paused. Sanguine recalled Visenya doing jobs around the city, so perhaps she arrived so early. Sanguine assured everyone, raising his hand. “Don’t worry. It’s probably Visenya.”
He took a few steps and opened the door for her, but when he was expecting the Terror Knight to appear, there was nobody there. Sanguine raised an eyebrow and peeked outside side to side until he found a small crate sitting on the porch. He slowly leaned and unveiled the top, seeing Visenya’s pistols and a bag of coins laying there. Sanguine frowned and took what seemed to be a folded note.

I wished I could have done so much being here. But I’m afraid my time here has come to an end. But I am glad to have spent that time with you all, even though I may never understand what it means to be whole. Goodbye.

Visenya Melgaeron

Sanguine widened his eyes and turned to the living room, wondering how he was going to break the news to them. It surprised him she left for good, knowing that she wanted to do more things for the city. He hoped things would go well for her. Sanguine gave a smile and took the crate inside, closing the door.

...

Present

A few moments later, a trace of a shadow aura also appeared. The shadow shaped itself into a black knight, wielding a sword. Senya narrowed her eyes, tightening the grip on her sword while they could feel this will be the last battle they will fight. In a way, it was. Visenya stood straight, shield and her sword in hand, glaring at her enemy.

“I had a feeling you’d show up.” Senya pulled out her shotgun, loading two shells into the chamber carefully while her other half nodded confidently. But deep down, Visenya hid her face with a frown and lowered her eyes. So this was it, no turning back now. But she'll give it her all.

“Eight years of fighting and you’re still at it, even the Abyss won’t drag you down. You already know this is just business for you. That’s all it is.” Visenya clenched the grip, almost if she was angry at the fact. She’s been overconfident and collected for too long, she needed a nice good reality check.

 

[Damian0358]

Takato knew to expect a shadow, perhaps even his own, but he didn't expect the shadows of Gwen and Senya, alongside six shadowy guards. The former theatric, the latter to the point. The former reveled in the fact that their goals are one and the same, even if they disagree on execution. Dragging up the past as though her experiences thus far hadn't re-shaped her mindset, hadn't pushed her past what she might've thought before. Though he wasn't certain whether his thoughts rung true, with all this time shenanigans, she was still given another chance, to better herself, address the past, and not repeat it. The latter, meanwhile, was as Senya was, straight to the point, but her tone seemed... resentful. He had heard that resentful tone weeks ago... there was no doubt about it.

Takato just walked up and positioned himself behind the two, preparing to fight the knights. A silent acknowledgement to them and their battles to come, and a sign for them to know they weren't by themselves.

 

[K0mori]

As the first of the shadows made her presence known, Mariette used the time provided by the drawn-out conversation between the elf and her double to take out her grimoire and prepare a hex, unaware that a second doppelganger was also present; the sheer overwhelming aura that remained from the hulking corpse of Trig'dranuuch was highly distracting. She was forced to either divide her attention between foes, or focus on one (and her guards) or the other. Ultimately, Mariette decided that the best course of action would be the removal of the shadow guards first, so that her allies could focus all of their energy on overwhelming the lead demons.

Spirits guide this wanton bloodlust... let chaos reign, no allies, no loyalties... let warriors be savages... Every dark creature amidst its own war!

As she weaved her spell, Mariette fixated on the minds of the shadow guards, trying to turn each one rogue so that they would fight as individuals, rather than a team. If she could isolate each one into a sort of lone warrior delusion, then perhaps she could even trick a few into fighting each other. Either way, she would deny the enemy coordination and teamwork so that her own allies could do better to pick them apart. When she was done, unsure if it had worked, she drew her side sword and remained on the defensive, weary of whatever tricks the enemy might employ.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

"For fucks sake..." muttered Jakob while dropping his gun bag on the ground. "...hope ya' girls ready to kick their asses." He said while loading two more shells into his weapon, aiming it at the demonic knights surrounding the duo. While he didn't know the elf noble nor the brave dame well at all, for they had little interactions before the team separated, he knew that they were good fighters, and they will most likely win this fight. "...come on, lets get this over with."

 

[Doomevil]

“It’s a simple job. Nothing more, nothing less. I came here to stop another war from happening. If I have to destroy you, so be it.” Senya declared, she had no clue what her Shadow has up her sleeve. For her to come without some sort of backup like Shadow Gwenaelle’s guard seems like she wants to do this one on one while the others fight the soldiers.

Visenya straightened her shoulders, turning to the throne, silent. “I wish to fight you one on one, no interruptions but us. I’m offering you this right now because someone did the same for me.” She explained, throwing Senya off guard. If a shadow was supposed to be the worst aspects of themselves, wouldn’t she have not been honorable? Was this a trick so the shadow could throw her off?

The Warden lowered her brows and sighed, “You expect me to believe that when you’re with another Shadow? Don’t insult my intelligence.” Senya pointed out towards Shadow Gwen.

“I work with no one. This is between you and me. You talk a lot about being a Red Warden and dueling with others, how about you do the same here?” She brought up, reminding her of her duel with Kimura back in Redonia. Damn it, Senya thought as she gritted her teeth. Now the Shadow was taking advantage of her honor. But this was no trick, Visenya just wanted to face this battle and be free. She knew she’ll be at a huge disadvantage if she fought her group, she wasn’t willing to risk it just to get mowed down. This was her only chance to leave the Abyss.

“Your time is running out, Senya. I never wanted to meet you face to face, but it seems like we knew this would come eventually. There’s only one way this ends. I will preserve your legacy when this is done.” Visenya stated, readying her dark sword and waited for an opening. But Senya leaned forward.

“I won’t let our actions go to waste. If we don’t stop Taranoch, the mortal world is doomed. If you wish to preserve our legacy, why do you wish to fight me?!”

Visenya then sighed, “I finally understand why so many demons leave this place. In all my years of spending in the Abyss and finally realizing how much death sits here. There’s nothing left here anymore. You had a chance to start yours up there, but you wasted it with Luis. It’s time for me to carve my own life."

Senya tightened the grip on her shotgun, glaring at her enemy after going through the Abyss’s obstacles and still trying to make it through the uphill battle. For once, she was getting enraged at the Shadow’s taunting. To throw Luis in her face like that, tore her apart deep inside. She expected the shadow to do everything to put her on edge, and it was working. The Warden slowly nodded, raising her shotgun at the shadow.

"I accept your duel, Shadow." Senya declared, causing the Shadow to growl. The Terror Knight gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes.

"It's Visenya. Visenya Melgaeron."

 

[Breadman]

"Right." Henderson rested the hammer on his shoulder as he inspected the knights. "We'll handle this lot. You ladies kill your slags." The mutant tried to make out which one of the knights looked the toughest and which one the weakest. Nearly identical this group, but the weakest link will make himself known real quick.

 

[Dmaster]

The sprawling and immense structures on the outskirts of the Abyss were quite humbling to witness, a testament to just how ancient and alien the place the group found themselves in truly was. After pocketing the map Vixas returned to him, Hudson remained quiet yet alert throughout the journey to the Keep. Once they reached it, he found himself gazing up at the freezing pile of bones before them, blocking the path to the tombs. No matter how skilled or confident he may believe himself to be, he did not think battling a monster such as that would have been possible. Once Vixas stated that the group was not alone in this massive structure, the hunter was quick to draw his new sword as he slowly twisted his wrist to get accustomed to its light weight yet again.

"Do you really need to ask that?" he replied to Venextos as he shifted into a combat stance.

Two more shadow demons and their respective grudges revealed themselves, the hunter slowly advancing and closing the distance toward the impostor duo as they gave insight of their situations. As ever they were all too pleased to go on and on about themselves and their hosts, Hudson only half-listening as Gwen's tried to make her guilty for enslaving humans and Senya's spoke about some honorable duel to take place. As far as he was concerned, neither of the women owed their shadows anything - and he was certain that the conditions may change once either of the monsters become desperate.

"I beg pardon for not being much of a spectator for these things." Hudson called out to Gwenaelle's shadow, unfurling one of Velin's Tears as the mace slammed itself onto the floor beside him. "Once your entourage is dead - I'm moving on to you." Running ahead as he gradually gained speed, he grasped his chain links and swung the holy implement with building momentum, whipping it at one of the shadow knights.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

What in the world is going on? This isn't normal. This isn't normal at all. When Shadow Gwen and Shadow Senya shuffled out of the darkness behind the throne, Leakhena expected yet another inelegant ruffle through someone's past sins, regrets, and misdeeds. She was fully prepared to once again become irritated at some upstart shadow demon trying to talk one of their own to death; if they somehow weren't crushed, shot, burned, or whatever first. But, very unexpectedly, Senya's shadow made it clear it had other plans. More disturbingly, plans of its own. Leakhena's eyes slowly open wider and wider the more Senya's shadow made it clear what it wanted to do. It didn't want to go into the mortal realm and spread wanton chaos and death like the other shadows, but instead wanted a life free of the Abyss. It wanted to live away from all this death and suffering. Just like she does. This isn't normal for shadows to do this. They don't become self-aware and yet here is Senya's shadow, talking to Senya herself and taking a separate identity of her own. What's even more surprising is the words her shadow spoke. They resonate very heavily with her as she finds herself agreeing with the shadow.

I finally understand why so many demons leave this place. In all my years of spending in the Abyss and finally realizing how much death sits here. There’s nothing left here anymore.

... Didn't she say this exact thing many years ago?

"Visenya..." Leakhena steps up right beside her friend. "I don't know who you are, or if you're even a shadow anymore, but if you really want to live a better life than down here then just go." she points above them. "I too know there's nothing but death here, and I too left the Abyss, yet I still let its misery destroy me. So let me speak from experience when I made the same mistake you're about to make yourself. You don't need to do this. Let go of your anger. Find a different vessel. Just go."

For a moment, she felt like she was talking to a younger version of herself.