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

[Dmaster]

The journeying was long and not terribly eventful, and from his occasional checking of the map the hunter could tell that there was still so much more to go. Fortunately uneventful meant relative safety, and while they would have to rest in a few hours it would always be best to move for as long as they could to cover the most ground. In time they came across the remnants of a battle of some kind, to which he saw no reason to move around.

Hudson skulked through the raid site with reserved indignation, weapons out as he would gently kick corpses over to examine them. Though he studied demons to better train him his knowledge failed him on the particular sigil, and he turned to Riberta as she raised her question. He was going to say something in agreement, yet clicks of readying guns got him to immediately shift into a near-frantic combat stance. Guns were trained on them, but from where?!

Then came the voice. "What's it to you, demon..? Is there ever a good time to traverse through your fucked hellscape of a home?" he shouted in turn, turning about to see where the potential enemies were poised.

 

[Infab]

"We are travelling to the warfront. I see we are getting closer."

"What's it to you, demon..? Is there ever a good time to traverse through your fucked hellscape of a home?"

"...You have a point. Anyway, you're going the wrong way if you want to live." stated the demon, as some of them lowered their weapons. Apparently they were friendly. Sorta. The demon that seemed to be the one that was speaking, who's face was obscured with half of a steel helmet modified to fit like a mask, turned about. "AZATHOR. WE HAVE GUESTS." he shouted out. Azathor? Riberta raised an eyebrow and straightened up, as the rest of the demons lowered their weapons and glanced in the direction the demon was looking.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob stood there with his shotgun ready. He didn't have much to say on this encounter, as he was lost on his own thoughts and let Hudson do the talking. Something that he considered ill-advised if they wanted to lay low. The demons seemed to be friendly, or at least not hostile and called for a person among their ranks. The name Azathor sounded strangely familiar, hadn't someone mentioned it already during their travels?

 

[joshuadim]

Venextos went quiet when he realized whom they were dealing with now, but also relaxed his stance as well. Hopefully, this meant their fortunes would change. Although, nothing was a guarantee in these current times.

Meanwhile, another figure strode out beside the one that had been speaking this time, and he looked much different than his compatriots. Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a helmet or a mask of sorts and looked rather more... refined, although it was unmistakable that he himself was a demon. He took a look at the group for a moment before looking to his lieutenant: "There's no reason to keep them out in the open like this. Lest we draw unwanted attention." he said before walking towards the group in a confident fashion before stopping some distance away from Hudson and the others.

"You mentioned heading to the warzone. Why?"

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson was not sure what to do when the demons lowered their weapons, though it was quite clear that conflict was welling within him as he didn't seem keen on doing the same. His sword and chained bludgeon remained brandished as the demons conversed among them. Just what side were they on, then? It was too early for him to tell, and even then he wanted as little to do with the politics or interacting with demons in the first place. The only bright side to working with these demons instead of sneaking into Sekath's territory was that Hudson could actually keep them a sword length's away from himself, and even then he wasn't that comfortable with it.

"We're going to join their assault on Sazak's keep or die trying." he answered, glaring at the demon who asked the question.

 

[joshuadim]

The statement only got a chuckle out of the demon before he spoke up again: "Ah, another one who has a grudge against that bastard." he spoke, putting extra emphasis on that last word. "You'll have to wait in line for a while then. And besides, that warfront isn't moving anytime soon while Ethraeil is dealing with Azgon's forces."

He then rubbed his chin and looked at the others nearby: "Although, I have heard of what you did to the factories up north. That practically crippled most of Azgon's production capabilities, impressive work. Although I was under the impression it was more than just... you four."

 

[Dmaster]

As ever, Hudson hardly seemed moved by the fact that the fronts were at a standstill. "I'm not going to be waiting. I've wasted enough time down here already." he said, flourishing his weapons for emphasis. Venextos seemed to know something about these demons, but the hunter didn't really care.

"There were more of us, but we parted ways. Wasn't too thrilled about being led astray by demons, being used." He looked to the horizon for the moment, soon shifting his gaze back to the fair-haired demon. "Speaking of, what is any of this to you?"

 

[joshuadim]

"You... parted ways?" the demon asked. He looked a bit surprised and concerned before realizing what Hudson meant exactly. "You're a fool then. If you aim to actually kill that son of a bitch, then you should've all come here in full force."

Venextos himself cringed at what might happen next when Hudson asked what the demon's role in any of this was, considering he knew the full extent of Hudson's hatred for Sazak by now. The demon looked at Hudson before speaking again; "I am Azathor. Sazak is my father, and I aim to pull his heart out from his wicked body."

 

[Dmaster]

He twitched slightly at being called a fool, gripping his weapon slightly tighter as he contemplated pointing it at the demon. Hudson didn't care what this demon thought of him, and he would march straight into Sazak's court if he had to get things done.

Then the demon introduced himself, and the hunter stood silent for a spell. Lowly he began to chuckle himself, then it progressed into a full laugh. Its tone was a bit away from mocking, yet it was no less twisted. Just as warped as the situation. "... His son? Oh, the fucking irony." Hudson spat. "I'm no fool. Those that we left behind were the traveling circus."

 

[joshuadim]

Azathor only shrugged in response, unconvinced of the hunter's response. "If your plan really is to storm his keep on your lonesome, let me tell you exactly what will happen. First, you'll be captured by his army, then you'll be tortured by him as a plaything to break. And then you'll be discarded to either be food for Azgon's mindless monsters or perpetually tortured on some infernal creation of my father's. Not a very good plan." he spoke with a hint of sarcasm at the end of his lecture.

"But... rather than suicidally throwing yourself and what few follow you into eternal torment, you can play your cards right and actually do some good that you so desperately want to do." he then said as he walked towards the others. "I'm sure your companions would prefer that outcome."

 

[Dmaster]

The threat of torture or being eaten alive didn't seem to faze the hunter, which may have been a cause for alarm to those that were deciding to follow him. He didn't bother lowering his stance, pivoting gently as Azathor walked past him. "And why are you so concerned about this? After your father's throne?" Hudson asked from behind him, seeking to gain insight on the demon's motivations.

His initial thoughts were that Azathor was after power like most demons of his kind, and if he saw himself and the others are potential pawns he wanted no part in it. "Faking concern and acting high and mighty are easy; calling me a fool and giving me a lecture is a poor way to make allies, and an even worse one to get disposable bodies to throw at Sazak."

 

[joshuadim]

Azathor chuckled at Hudson's question before responding, "I want nothing to do with that monster. I don't care about power, for I only want one thing: vengeance. Sazak must pay for his crimes, all of them. Not just what he did to me and my sister, but to everyone he has ever influenced." he said as he looked around, motioning to no one in particular. "I recognize you," he then spoke to Riberta, "you're one of his victims he always gloats about."

 

[Infab]

Riberta grunted, cutting a look to Hudson. "You're damned determined to get us killed...and you ARE a fool. If you weren't, we'd be back with the others." she said, before looking to Azathor. "...Yeah. I'm one of his favorites, it seems." she responded, her tone serious. "He used me as a distraction so that he could get his hands on god artifacts. He also has an inquisitor locked away that we're trying to find."

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson scoffed at Riberta, taking away some of the merit that Azathor may have earned with stating his reasons to kill Sazak. "I'm not determined to get anyone killed. Do you recall me ever asking for any of you to follow me? If you were so fucking content to be back there you should have chosen to go with them - don't put any responsibility on me for the choices you made." he growled.

After that he turned to Azathor, weapons finally lowered. "If you mean what you say you're just as likely to die as we are. I'm not willing to trust a demon that'll actually risk their hide for a cause - but I can stand to work with them. For a time."

 

[joshuadim]

Azathor gave a nod to Hudson, somewhat relieved that the man was actually coming to terms now. "Very well. Follow me, I will show you the warfront in its entirety." he stated, turning and bringing a hand up before motioning with a circle. The soldiers that had been nearby this time now went about in a general direction, following Azathor's command as he too began to leave. A moment later, he motioned for the others to follow.

"I'd say we shouldn't linger out in the open like this and go with." Venextos commented.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked at Riberta, as the demon asked to lead them to the battlefield. He did not react well at the revelation that Azathor is one of Sazak's children, and it looked like they jumped from one demonic ally to another. But Jakob got the feeling that this man favored slightly more direct methods compared to Tariun. "...I don't know how to feel about this, but he might have an idea where Ethy might be." He looked at the others, seeking their opinions. "What do you fellas thinking about this?" He tried to be discreet so the demon wouldn't hear him.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson looks to Jakob as he begins walking with the demonic forces. "I've stated my piece. If he has the blood of Sazak I'd prefer him to be dead with his father, personally." the hunter replied, not bothering to lower his voice at all. It was clear he did not care if he was heard. "We'll see what happens after that bastard is dead. I've not lowered my guard since I've gotten to this shithole, that's not changing any time soon."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

A smirk stretched across Jakob's serious face for a brief moment as Hudson talked out loud. "...A charmer as usual, Hudson." Jakob just laughed and continued marching with the rest. He decided to speak with the demon and explain their situation a little better. "Listen Azathor, I am not proud of leaving the main group, but you gotta understand that I don't necessarily agree with Tariun's methods." He eventually caught up with the demon, standing right next to them as they continued walking. "And forgive me if this offends you, since it's not my intention, but I came here to rescue a friend. Not to start a demonic civil war over who should control the Abyss."

 

[joshuadim]

"I'm well aware of whom you're after." Azathor replied, "Last I heard, Witlock was being held in Sekath's territory. Not a nice place to be, although that information is somewhat old by now and there is no definitive proof of where she is at this time." He then turned to face Jakob and looked him over for a moment. "You too... you also are a victim of my father. I can sense it." he said with a tone of sorrow. "I am sorry."

 

[Infab]

Riberta simply smiled at Hudson as he spat back at her. Now she was just prodding at the man, purely because of his ideals and his personality. She followed along with the others as they followed after Azathor, simply remaining quiet till Jakob spoke. "Whatever works. I'm here to make sure you and Hudson don't get killed." she responded, shrugging.

Later on, as Jakob spoke to Azathor about Tariun, she spoke up once more. "...We get it, pup. You don't like Tariun's plans." she said, glancing to Jakob. "You're here for Valeria. Nothing else. A knight in shining armor." She cut him a smirk. "I'm here because I was forced to be. So I'm simply doing what I have to."

Hudson and Azathor's group walked for what felt like hours, heading to the east, before eventually coming upon an expansive military camp. Azathor's mobile base of operations, it seemed. There were demons wandering around, most tending to things in the small settlement while others walked around with firearms. Keeping guard. There was a large tent in the center of the camp, likely Azathor's command tent. The group moved into the camp, strolling past demons that gave them surprised or confused looks until they arrived at the main tent.

Venturing inside, they found that the tent had been set up much like a war room. There was a table in the center, with a large map of the central abyssal territories, and there were several blue marks scattered about the map signifying guerilla operations across the territories. Most, however, were centered in Azgon's territory. There was a red and green blob of small models, along with a red shaded portion of the map. Ethraeil's warfront. From the scale of the map, and their current location, it was several hundred miles south of them.

------
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"...So I'll sneak y'all into the palace, usin' the excuse that I'm bringin' offerin's to Sekath. Thelyra will want ta examin' yer lot herself, so that should get ya through the incubi and succubi guardin' the palace till y'all get near the throne room. That's where our luck will likely run out." stated Kassidy. "Usin' a little magic trick I learned a few days ago from a greed demon, I can shrink yer weapons and such down. Shove 'em in yer pockets. When all hell breaks loose, you can just reach into yer pockets, yank out the weapons, and say the reversal word. They'll return to their normal size, and y'all can kill everything that moves in that buildin'."

Vincent glanced to the others. This would take a lot of trust in Kassidy, and she had already proven she was trustworthy to them so far. The question was if she had proven herself enough.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson didn't reply to Jakob's laughing, though Azathor apologizing to the werewolf got him to scoff. "Most everyone here is in some fashion." he clarified, looking to the horizon as they walked. "If you intend to pat backs and apologize to every person he's wronged you've really got your work cut out for you." the hunter said with a shake of his head.

"If Witlock isn't at his keep you'll probably have to look elsewhere, Jakob." Part of him was hoping was as far away from Sazak as possible, as he had very little confidence in this venture. Getting Jakob caught up in this was never his intention, but he couldn't sway the man to not go through with saving her, let alone not coming with him to face her captor.

Once they arrived at the camp he sneered at his helmet as he looked around. He had no idea why he was expecting anything other than demons to be in Azathor's ranks. This meant that there were countless flimsy loyalties that could shift at any moment, which didn't sit right with him. Even still, he kept quiet as he looked over the map, noting how far their goal was from them.

"So what are you lot doing so far from his front?"

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked back at Riberta, as she called him pup once again. "Knights in shining armor don't usually look like me, ma'am." He gave the alpha lycan a friendly smile. Jakob listened to Azathor, when the demon mentioned Sazak and how he had affected Jakob's life, the lycan just hid his face with his hat for a moment and letting Hudson speak. Once the hunter was done, Jakob gave the demon a gentle smile. "I thank you for your sympathy." He then looked at the path ahead. "But for now, let's just keep moving." There was nothing more Jakob could say. He didn't want to speak of his wife and Sazak. Once in Azathor's encampment, he took a good look at the map they had nearby. Knowing that Ethraeil's front was so far away raised some questions for Jakob, but Hudson noticed as well and asked his question for him.

 

[Breadman]

"Sounds like I just need to keep me mits in me pocket then." Henderson replied.

 

[Doomevil]

"Fine with me." Senya shrugged.

 

[joshuadim]

"Our operations extend throughout the entire Abyss, as we have been fighting for... quite some time now. We've gotten pretty good at what we do." Azathor began to explain as he ran his fingers along the edges of the map. "When Ethraeil arrived, I concentrated most of our efforts into Azgon's territory to aid him. We wouldn't be much use on the front-lines, so instead we help in other ways. Convoy raids, destroying supplies, sabotage, intelligence reconnaissance, anything that would give him, and by extension us, an edge in the fighting." He then turned to Hudson again. "We have eyes and ears in nearly every icon's forces, except for my father's. He and my brother have been good at weeding out traitors within their ranks."