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

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister was motionless for several moments, staring at her in silence, until he finally rose up with graveyard solemnity. He was dressed in fine attire, with black trousers and a white shirt, buttoned up smartly with a billowing cream colored cravat tied about his throat. A vest of black and red clung tightly to his midsection, the chain of a pocketwatch visible from the breast pocket. Around his shoulders was a rather voluminous black overcoat, with a sharp towered collar. The interior of this coat was a bright scarlet, completing the ensemble motif of the islanders with their black, red, and white style.

He had always been thin, but his clothing made him look even smaller. Aleister strode around his desk slowly, eyes on Undite, until he stopped just a couple feet away from her. "Well... madam... here I am."

 

[Infab]

Undite smiled, then stepped forward and gave Aleister a hug. "...I'm sorry. For everything." Her hug was warm, as if she were generated the heat herself when most vampires often had a cold embrace. "You and the others were put in a position that you shouldn't have been...by that damned abomination called Sazak. And I blame myself...I should have done more. More than I did...you and Mariette would've been safe, along with everyone else in the inquiry. I was too busy chasing something that doesn't exist..."

She held him close for a few moments, before gently releasing him. She had actual tears in her eyes. "...I spoke to Velin...and I've made her cease this madness she called purges. She's agreed to atone for what she's done...she isn't even wearing her armor anymore. She's...she's broken, Aleister. And I'm doing what I can to fix her."

 

[Damian0358]

Elsewhere, in the mortal coil
Northern Upper Redonia
Lord Long's Estate


Lord Long (龙君) sighed, watching from his home the changing autumn season. Though the sight was beautiful, a sadness within him pinged. What helped in reverberating that sadness was the literature he was reading, a work discussing the days prior to the Darkness succumbing the land. It spoke of kingdoms and empire, a Mandate of Heaven maintained and then forever lost, and of particular interest to him, of royal titles. His title, lord (gun), in the pre-Imperial times had been interchangable with that of marquis (hau, 侯), effectively more a general term of the higher nobles than anything. The title of marquis dominated over the Imperial age, achieving importance for the non-relatives of the dynasty, nearly as much as that of the feudal princes (zhuhou wang, 諸侯王) related.

It was only after the arrival of the demons that his title had lost its general referral to the nobility, and grew to its own being under such great leaders. One nary speaks of those with the titles of feudal prince, duke (gung, 公), marquis, or even earl (baak, 伯) or count (baakjue, 伯爵); today only the latter two seeing mention by those lords around the former capitals, such as Zhongjing. Otherwise, one would hear mention more of those rarer titles today, being viscount (zi, 子) and nan (baron, 男), though their respective characters also mean son and man, and the former typically more associated with teachers and masters as a respectful suffix. They are earned through their people then these days, so one is either a lord, a chief (tousi, 土司), or another common title. Unless they are one of those rare supposed claimants to the old Imperial throne, claiming themselves as a 'prince of a state' (guowang, 國王), calling themselves not only prince and duke, but also king. Good thing the shrine master is always around to deal with such madmen.

Speaking of, as he placed his book down, and turned his head, floating outside he could see Shi Jing. He looked in shock and awe, as he stepped back, unsure what he may have done to prompt such a visit. Jing approached his home, before entering smoothly through an open window. She looked upon him, as she landed down on his floor.

"[Good day to you, Lord Long. I hope that my intrusion is not of any issue,]" she spoke, her voice accentuating her youthfulness, a contrast to past shrine masters, though the initial politeness is ever the same.

"[G-good day to you too, oh great-]"

"[Oh please, miko is just fine,]" she quickly interrupted him in a rude fashion, surprising the lord. He would make a comment about this, but the shrine masters were always a tad... odd, in the social sense. At least they didn't force their own personal behavior onto others.

"[V-very well, miko. What brings you to my home?]"

"[I'm here to inquire about a hermit supposedly living in your territory. My own records mention their last sighting some five hundred years ago. Does this sound familiar to you?]"

The lord scratched his chin, attempting to consider whether he had heard of a hermit in his lands. He recalled not a mention from his subjects about such a being, and the last he had heard of it was his now-deceased father having mentioned that his grandfather had heard of a hermit here once. That is still too far into the past to be of use, nor did he recall if his grandfather had even seen the hermit. The lord shook his head.

"[Unfortunately not. Such a hermit I've not personally seen, nor have my subjects told me about. I apologize for not being of use.]"

"[It's fine, don't worry yourself. Just means I'm going to have to look for the bastard myself,]" her tone became more casual shockingly quickly, the use of 'bastard' catching him offguard.

"[B-bastard?!]"

"[Remember, if a hermit sees something dangerous approaching another, they will immediately come to their aid and display the utmost kindness - hermits love to help folks. For one to be gone for this long, from his supposed general area, they must have either gone wicked, or have died.]"

The lord was unsure what to think of this - her tone continued to be oddly casual, and yet what she said made sense. Neither option was preferable, but still.

"[I-If you wish, I am willing to offer my men to-"] he began to say, before the miko merely raised her hand.

"[Assuming the latter, it is rather likely the hermit was assassinated, and if so, there's a chance for the assassin to be an oni. I'm not about to risk your life or the lives of your subjects,]" she interrupted once more, the lord merely nodding his head solemnly.

"[I-I see...]"

"[Don't worry about not being much help. What you've told me was help enough, confirming assumptions I had coming here. Rest easy, lord.]"

The lord nodded, before receiving a smile from the miko, prompting one of his own.

"[Time to get going then. Hopefully, if it was an assassination, it was from a human. If not, I'll try to keep damage to a minimum. Goodbye, Lord Long,]" she said, slowly floating upwards.

"[G-goodbye!]" Long muttered out, as she elegantly went out the same way she came in. The lord was still unsure what to think of the young miko, but one thing was sure - but one thing was sure; she's a curious one.

The first shrine master to be this youthful in a long while, and so casual too. The fact he hardly felt her strength emanating from her indicated how seriously she was taking this, and yet simultaneously, she's the kind to speak so informally after beginning in a formal fashion. He chuckled slightly, before going on with his day.

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you, Aleister. I truly appreciate it. Please let me know if there's anything I could do in return."
Just then the vampire stormed in to announce Undite's arrival.
Galina exchanged wide-eyed looks with Aleister and as the two of them waited she stepped to the side of the room with her hands concealed underneath her cloak.

When the godess finally arrived Galina remained silent out of respect. Believer or not the aura she sensed did not lie and the being standing in front of her held immense power.

Seeing Undite ask for forgiveness and to see her embrace Aleister was powerful, not to mention emotional. It was an honest moment though Galina remained on her guard with one hand gripping a sawed off shotgun loaded with silver underneath her cloak.

At the same time the Queen of Whispers also appeared. The spectral banshee mother revealed her full form which was a rare honor even for Galina. What was even more rare was the smile forming across her pale lips.

"Uuundiiiteee..." She whispered while bowing her head in respect. Galina followed her lead and bowed her head as well.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Her embrace sent a sharp, uncomfortable gasp through his body as the heat she radiated sparked the merest sensation of life once again. Not a gasp of expression, a useless intake of air, but a proper, single breath, one which all living creatures on land were accustomed to drawing for basic survival. His arms remained at his sides, however, and he didn't so much as move to complete the hug. Once released, he squirmed back away from her, putting one hand out to steady himself on his desk.

"She's agreed to atone?" He echoed, voice bitter as the frosty wind outside. "I... I-I don't even know what to say. Nothing can atone for what she has done. Do you know how many tens of thousands lay dead because of her? Beaten. Tortured. Ravaged. Chained to posts so that the morning sun can incinerate them, so that their flesh melts from their very bones, which then turn to ash? Or what of the ones brought low by stakes and silver, their bodies crippled under a hundred blows until every bone in their bodies have been smashed and broken, leaving them an unhealing mass of crying meat? Did you know that two dozen were impaled to the point of near death, then entombed within coffins and buried alive so that their immortality can be spent six feet underground, immobile, in darkness? Forever? We've only found four of them. Four. One, two, three, four. There's an entire bunch in the forests of Daristein digging holes into the earth to find these people. They began their work fourteen months ago! And we've found four!"

"And did you know that in Nivarden gangs of her followers had rounded up werewolves and used them as target practice, filling their guts full of lead bullets? Or maybe you heard about the Drowning at Hjelset, in which twenty-three accused werewolves were drowned in the river there. As... a-as if that would fucking work?"

A hysterical laugh escaped his lips as he stalked towards one of the bookshelves near him. He pulled out an edition at random and leafed through it quickly. "I can't even remember all of it, you know," he continued, voice taking a frantic cadence as it shifted a pitch higher. "I've had to document each and every incident around the continent of the genocide that devil has orchestrated. Mass graves found in Tsavania - Viporsk, Nelksky, Ovrovich - to name only a few! The burnings in Atraca like its the dark ages again...." He tossed the edition in his hands onto his desk, grabbing another at pure random, leafing through it furiously. "Six killed in Minerve, Escaria. Staked. Eleven shot in a frenzy in Turonne, Escaria. Two vampires found, burned by the morning sun. The other nine local villagers left to rot in the mud." He tossed this edition onto his desk, too, grabbing another. "Events in Situsil. An entire volume." It was tossed at his desk. He grabbed another. "Volume two just for the entirety of Atraca." That, too, was tossed at his desk. His hands ran across an entire single shelf of nearly a dozen books as he turned away, flying across the room towards a large wooden file cabinet with eight drawers.

He grasped the handle to the first and tore it open, shaking the entire cabinet in the process. "Letters! Letters! From all across the continent. Sent to me, to officials, to loved ones here who were lucky to leave everything they owned behind - heirlooms, pets, everything! - just to escape with their very lives to this place of salvation!" He scrambled at the next drawer, flinging it open. "More letters! Begging for help. Begging to be saved. Asking for moral guidance. Asking for directions. Asking where to go, who to talk to, what to do to save themselves from the hounds of hell that have been unleashed upon this world!" His hands were shaking as he plucked out letters at random, reading through them to himself, before tossing them aside onto the floor as he pulled out more and more. "To the Exalted Archbishop -is it moral to kill in self-defense? Can I feed from a human if they tried to kill me? Dear Bishop - our home was burned to the ground this morning. Will my dog be in heaven waiting for me?"

More letters passed his hands until he started to pull out every large drawer in the cabinet, the massive piece of furniture shaking and threatening to topple over as all overfilled drawers were extended. Each stuffed with envelopes and crumpled letters, some organized, some not.

"More. Fucking. Letters! All to me! Me! As if I have any bloody clue what happens to fucking dogs when they die? If I am suddenly the only moral authority left in this mad, fucking world to have the answers these people are crying to have answered! Why do they ask me? Why me!? I'm not a god! Why am I supposed to have these answers?" He shouted, suddenly turning towards Undite, face creased with the wild intensity seen only on a cornered animal as he pointed at her. "Do you know how many have asked me if the gods hate them? Why Velin, a god that some prayed to, had suddenly returned and deemed them unfit for even existing? Where is Adona, some asked. Where is Gyasis, and Thiasis? What of Undite? Why are they not being saved? Why has a lifetime or worship been rewarded with smiling men hunting them like animals? How do you tell someone to have strength when their spouse of three hundred years is now a pile of ash drifting across the wind?"

"Well!? Do you have an answer!? Any answers at all!? Because I don't! I have nothing! I don't have anything anymore! I don't have a single, fucking idea what to say anymore! Velin is broken? We're all broken! Tens of thousands of us are broken, and lost, and shattered, and she is the one broken now!? Broken over what? Not killing all of us faster!?"

 

[Infab]

Undite simply stood there, staring down at the floor. A third of the way through Aleister's rant, she had started crying. Tears dripped from her chin, staining the floor at her feet. "...I wish I had the answers you wanted to hear, Aleister..." she said softly. "...Velin...Josefina...she's broken because she realizes what she is now...and its exactly what your mural out there portrays her as."

"...The gods are not perfect or omnipotent, Aleister...we never were. We were human before we became gods...and we make human mistakes even still. These...artifacts left behind? Relics...from when we ascended to godhood. We should have destroyed them, but we didn't. Maybe mortals could use them in times of need, after we're gone...After we've used up all of our power or if we simply go to the Heavens above...Josefina was the one that suggested that...How wrong she was..."

Undite looked up to Aleister. "...Do you want to know why Josefina hates supernaturals so much?...Why she seems out to kill all non-humans? She was captured as a child and used as a blood bag for a pack of feral vampires to feed on. A knight saved her, and raised her." She paused, finally rubbing her eyes to wipe away tears. "...I've spent most of the time I've known her trying to help her. Trying to fix the damage they had done to her. To cure her of her blind hatred. Centuries, Aleister. The hatred she had for our kind...it burned in her soul like an inferno. She was hell bent on exterminating everyone...but she's finally broken herself. And now I have to help her pick up the pieces and reshape her."

"...Nothing she will ever do will truly atone for what she's done...Nothing. But she has decided to work towards something better. Peace. She has stopped the purges. And she intends to disband her Order. The Vigilant Order will return to its previous duties and hunt only that which needs hunting."

"But...in order for all of this to work...I need help. I need you to help me by stopping any attacks against the church or the mainland nations. They will only entice her old followers to continue trying to hunt you down. Atraca itself is already readying itself for war because of your followers. A war is something you don't need if you're trying to make this into a place where humans and the supernatural can live in harmony together."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Caraborough Ridge, Island of Caraborough.
Fall 1880.

​

Caraborough Ridge. It was very beautiful once; the landscape a magnificent sight to behold long before the Atracans turned a sizeable chunk of it into a putrid hellhole holding the world’s worst criminals. Sprawling, rocky canyons in various shades of red and brown and seemingly chiseled by the gods themselves, large swathes of grassy plains with wildlife grazing about in the distance, and rivers flowing with waters so sweet that it might’ve been mistaken as coming from heaven itself. Though ever since ownership of the island transferred to the Atracans, the island isn’t so pretty anymore, especially now that its most beautiful spot was turned into an overpopulated prison colony. Dingy shacks made of rusted metal and carelessly placed bricks were stacked on top of one another, reaching into the heavens themselves as they overlook filthy mazes of streets riddled with trash, mud, and sometimes the bodies of those that were unlucky (or perhaps lucky, considering the terrible environment) to perish that day. Surrounding the massive slum was a tall amphitheater-like formation, itself looming ominously over all the rot and decay as if the earth itself was trying to swallow it whole and smother it to death. Who could blame the earth though, after having witnessed so many murders, so many robberies, so many rapes, so much evil, for wanting to do this? The inhabitants, which were made up of convicted criminals and various other outcasts of society from across the world, ought to consider getting buried underneath hundreds of layers of rock a mercy.

Yet even a decade after the Atracans made the wise decision to simply abandon the prison and leave all the inmates to their own devices, life refused to improve. People were still cramped together in the small filth-ridden cells they called home, they were still rubbing dirty and flea-covered shoulders with one another as they squeezed past each other in the trashed streets, and the boats carrying more and more refuse from the continents still came. The only difference between now and then is that instead of being divided between inmates and prison guards, the inmates have divided themselves into various gangs fighting each other in pointless turf wars to control the former colony and whatever resources are left on the island. Not a day goes by where someone isn’t murdered out in the open over the ownership of several square inches of ground. Not a day goes by where someone’s hovel of a house collapses in on itself due to the termites and maggots eating away at its structure. Not a day goes by where people aren’t awoken at night by someone screaming murder down the street, followed by the loud cracks of gunfire.

The screams, the gunshots, the looks of misery on everyone’s faces serve as a reminder to all that life in Caraborough is hell.

And yet, almost miraculously, there is at least one thing about the place that’s worth saving among all the iniquity. On the cliff of the mountain overlooking the colony lays a church; its light glowing among the visible and rising fumes of stink and decay coming from below. It was built there by missionaries from Adonia ages ago to try to convert the inmates to Undite’s service and worship, but with its staff either having been killed or pushed back to Adonia, it has fallen into disrepair as only one member of the original missionary groups remains. A single nun, holding her ground against the endless hordes of barbaric outlaws. She’s turned it into an orphanage now, taking in any stray child they can find below in the hopes that at least one of them can avoid becoming like the rest of the depraved monsters overrunning the island. And by Undite, she’ll do anything to prevent that because if even just one child is saved, whatever sleaze she had to sink into just to clothe and feed them would have been worth it.

Word of her goddess becoming active recently has reached their attention from newspapers coming in from Adonia, lifting up her spirits immensely and hoping that she hasn’t forgotten about her and would pay her a visit. She could seriously use one after decades of absolute devotion to her and spreading her message, especially after trying to do so here in the Ridge. Until then, she’ll just have to wait and see if she decides to come to such a hellish place. As she passes through the market, looking for items and other things to buy for the orphans, she passes by a group of bizarrely-uniformed Warders gathered around a Staafman talking about what’s happening. Seeing as they’re the only group of people remotely interested in what’s going on back on the mainland, she leans against the wall and listens in on their conversation.

“Ag, shame! Woulda luv see’n tha’ bitch tear th’ other one t’ pieces!” says one. “She tink she so tough, shoulda said fokkit, and jus’ kill’er righ’ dere, ‘ey?” They’re talking about Undite and Velin, it seems.

“Na’, my’n bru. Leddem be bangbroeks so every-one kan see jus’ ‘ow wortless dey are as tha’ fokken world burns.” says another, his golden irises flashing under his helmet. “Oath, mates, I ‘ope it burns dem an’ de rest of de mainland too. ‘s wat dey get for dumpin’ os ‘ere like fokken dogs.”

She grimaces heavily at this blasphemy, almost raising her voice at them for saying such awful things about Undite. She didn’t, however, as they’re Warders. The homicidal, trigger-happy enforcers of gang law across the entire island. Should she have spoken up in their defense, they would’ve shot her to pieces, and should she survive, turn her into a ‘wyfie’. That is not something you would ever want to be in a place like this. So, she can only continue listening. Maybe one of them wouldn’t be as cynical as the others.

The Staafman speaks up to his friends. “Blerrie ‘ell, no! That’s not the way to think! Adonia burns, yeah that’s all well an’ good, an’ what’ll be left for us, huh?”

“Ashes, boet! We don’ fokken need ‘em.” responds one.

“The Warhead ain’t tell you yet, has he?” The Staafman shakes his head while bringing the Warders closer to him. She leans in a bit closer as well. “Rigo’s got plans… Something big. Bigger than this shitty place, that’s for sure. Mainland getting shit on right now is bloody perfect for this.”

The Warhead. Hearing that title made her shiver a little, and she’s not the only one either as any other passersby that heard it also stop for a moment and look around cautiously as if he’s coming around the corner that very moment.

“Wha’s d’kaffir thinkin’ now?” asks one of the Warders.

“I’ll tell you this much. We’re comin’ together for it. All o’ us. In full force.” With a finger, he twirls it around to show that whatever they’re scheming will involve everyone on the island. “Warhead’ll tell you more about it later, I’m sure…” It gets a bit quiet for a moment, as they probably know she’s there listening in on them. “So! You boys still comin’ over for cards and cigars later? Rigo says you can bring your wyfies for it.”

The Warders all nodded in confirmation. “Ag, bakgat, bru! We’ll be dere!”

“Right then! See you mates later!” And then they departed, leaving her against the wall. She’s absolutely worried. Whenever the Warders and Staafmans came together, something horrible always happened moments after. Worse, by the sounds of it, it involves Adonia and the absolutely chaotic state it’s in right now. Whatever it is they plan on doing, it’s not good. As she hurries back to the orphanage on the cliff, she makes a reminder to herself to pray extra hard to Undite tonight so that whatever it is they want to do will not come to fruition; for everyone’s sake.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

As Undite spoke, Aleister had returned to the side of his desk. He had both hands out on the mahogany mantle to steady himself as if he had finished running a circuit around the entire main island. With his hair so long and curled, it hung low around his face and concealed his eyes as he stared down into nothingness, eyes unfocused as he struggled to compose himself. He'd not lost it like that in... well, ever, really. And it was no great wonder why. He'd never been in this position before, faced with the dark things that watched him from afar, across the ocean, sitting warm and happy on a throne. Part of him held not a little resentment towards Undite. Why? He didn't really know. He simply felt that way. What was left of the old him bristled at the fact that he had made her cry. Even four years ago had he known that he'd do and say things to make Undite cry, he'd have been willing to throw fists at whoever suggested such a ridiculous thing. The only tears he had brought about were supposed to be tears of joy from his plays, or at least, tears brought on from the swaying of hearts during the more tragic productions.

"Peace... harmony... how can these things possibly exist now?" He whispered, still staring down upon his desk. One of the articles on the very front of the newspaper there spoke of some gangs still active in their rabid purge of anything not human. "Such irredeemable evil has been let loose on the continent. Were it a fire, not even every fire brigade, bucket, wheelbarrow, and hose across the entirety of Adonia would be able to put out even a fraction of that flame. Velin... that... that woman," he said, struggling to avoid saying anything too crude before Undite as a modicum of clarity returned to him, "may personally stay her hand... but we both know very well that once the tree has been felled, it cannot be stood up again. So what if the order is disbanded? Will these folk see the error of their ways? Become milkmen, carry postal through the countryside, perhaps retire to their cottages and tend their gardens? Their souls are blacker than any tar pitch conceived. They won't stop. And neither shall we. It was not our hand that swung first. Everything we have done has been in response to these great evils, and over these past three years, we have trained and prepared relentlessly not just to defend ourselves and our home, and all of the prosecuted on the continent, but to take the fight to them so that, once and for all, true peace can be known. You're asking us to make a bed among starved hounds. Preposterous. The moment we close our eyes - " Aleister suddenly slammed one hand down against his desk with such force that his fingers audibly cracked. "Snap! Their maw is around our necks again."

"We've ships. We've arms and ammunition, steel and faith. Willpower and spirit so unshakable that even now martyrs walk our streets knowing that their time will soon come to lay down their lives as a foundation for generations to come. And they hold their heads up high, knowing this. Everyone out there - everyone - has names in their mind of those we have lost. Faces that will never be seen again. Laughter never to be heard, nor dinners to be shared. So many of us lived our lives with heads bowed and fangs concealed to avoid confrontation. Fighting isn't worth it, we've always thought. Tranquility. Compassion. The arts, even, as a medium to bridge understanding. Centuries of this. And what did that earn us?" He sent one frail, exasperated glance towards Undite. "Pain. Pain of an immeasurable degree that I cannot even begin to voice the heartache that we all carry."

"From now on, we will defend ourselves with the utmost force. The day that vampires, werewolves, and others of our kind aren't hunted through the streets like vermin will be the day that we will set our arms aside - within reach, so that when a time comes again, which it very much will, we can protect ourselves in the way we always should have."

"This has never been about settling scores. It's about survival. Can you truly tell me, were we to stay our arms today, that the devils that call themselves human would do so as well? I think not."

 

[Infab]

"This has never been about settling scores. It's about survival. Can you truly tell me, were we to stay our arms today, that the devils that call themselves human would do so as well? I think not."

"...Aleister...I just ask that you stop the attacks...Show them you're willing to see a peaceful outcome...or work towards one." responded Undite. She looked back to the floor again. "...Josefina is trying to get the zealots to stop. Either using church means, or...if she has to...her own sword..."

She then went quiet, before sighing quietly. "I...wish I knew what to do...I'm sorry for not being the kind of god you want...The god you need...I just..." she said, her voice soft before eventually trailing off. She finally forced a smile, and looked up to Aleister. "...I guess its just...another one of my failures."

 

[Viper Actual]

As the argument heated up the Queen of Whispers vanished in a near-instant, leaving Galina alone as a angered Aleister began to scold Undite and Velin for their inaction and actions, respectively.
Galina swallowed nervously as the discussion went on and on.

Truth to be told she had spent so much time out in the wild that she had extremely limited knowledge in regards to what was being said.

Finally clearing her throat, Galina spoke up;
"I may not carry the same knowledge that the two of you carry in regards to this conflict but if I may interject; We should all strive towards a peaceful solution.

What we saw at Grimtham was a warning, Aleister. A warning of how things could go. I will not defend Velin or her crimes but I refuse to accept additional conflict.

There is simply no need for you and your people to sound the horns of war."

Galina nodded towards Undite. "If Velin's most devout zealots want war then let them come. They will march into their deaths and be buried at sea where they will be nothing but forgotten stains of history. Your people have a future here and will live long after even I myself am nothing but dust scattered in the wind. There is no point in risking it when all you have for survival is right here."

The banshee turned towards Undite. "Velin will never be forgiven, at least not properly. She needs to understand that. As do you. We will need an accord or a treaty. Signed. You cannot expect Aleister's prople- your people- to follow words of peace blindly or with trust. A promise will simply not do."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Red Gorge, Southern Atraca.

It was a new week, and the headlines were in. "Red Gorge against the Gods" it said, and people from all over traveled as fast as they could to the town. The King's Knights, the governor's men, and even the Atracan Press were all over Red Gorge, asking for testimonies, stories and the exact events that happened that day. The press were making all sorts of outlandish claims. Some saying that the people fought Velin, others say that they outwitted the Goddess, some were honest and wrote of Undite's involvement.

The stories were spreading fast. Just as fast as the news of Velin's seemingly fast change of heart, and the subsequent call to stop the purges. The governor of the southern colonies and the mayor of Red Gorge were said to be heading to the Kings court. Some said the King wanted to congratulate the people of Red Gorge, while others say that the King is not pleased with the events that took place. Nobody knew for sure.

In the Phillomon Detective Agency, the news of the prohibition of the Purges was a reason to celebrate. The various agents and detectives were dancing around at this victory. No longer they'll have to act as frontiersmen to stop Velin's thugs. Jessica was with them, taking a few swigs of whiskey before looking at the little goblin detective, Volog. "Any news of Theodore?" she asked, while ruffling the goblins hair. "I... I dunno, ma'am. Probably working." said the Goblin while his ears twitched. "Well, invite him over! We gonna keep celebrating, and prayin' for Jakob's safe return!" Volog nodded before leaving the building to look for Theodore. Jessica continued drinking until she noticed that Lucy wasn't in the room anymore. She quickly got up and called for her, checking the upstairs rooms in the building. No signs of Lucy.

She quickly got out of the building to look for her. While Red Gorge was quickly industrializing and embracing a new era, it still was small enough for her to look and ask around. Eventually she saw her niece at the least expected location, the cemetery. At the top of one of the hills in the cemetery was a large tree, under it were both Lucy and the Grave Digger. Both seemingly talking with each other until Jessica approached them. The Grave Digger gave her a friendly smile. "I am sorry. When I told her she should be at home she just... refused to go." he said while looking at Lucy, who hid behind a nearby grave.

Jessica let out a sigh of relief before trying to grab Lucy's hand. "Good lordy, I was so scared! Lucille, you gave me a heart attack. You should be studying your... math... thing that Theodore told you to study!"



Lucy looked at the ground for a bit, before looking up at her aunt. "I just wanted to ask him how dad is doing..." she said while rubbing her hands together. Jessica
looked a bit confused before looking at the graver digger, who continued to smile at her while resting on top of a boulder. His arms resting on a shovel. "...What did you tell her, old man?" asked Jessica with a bit of animosity.

"That he's alive and being tested, Miss Phillomon. I am sorry if I wasn't supposed to talk about Jakob." The monster hunter looked at the man a bit puzzled. She knew the Grave Digger was a strange man. Some even claimed he was a priest of Adona, but she never thought much of the man. "...How would you know that, old man?" she asked while crossing her arms. The old native gave her a smile. "A good friend of mine told me. He knows more than most of us... Jakob's alive and well, but he is being tested. He faced his darkness... but his fight is just starting." The old man looked over towards Lucy and gave the child a smile, and she smiled back at him.

Jessica didn't know what to say or what to even ask. There were hundreds of doubts in her mind, yet the unnatural sincerity in the man's voice made her trust him. Only one question managed to come out of her mouth. "...What did Jakob got himself involved in?" The old man shook his head while smiling. "My answers will not please you, Jessica." But Jessica quickly responded. "Try me." The old man gave her a nod. "Jakob was chosen by fate... He is one small part of something far greater that we can imagine... Only the greater spirits know where fate will take Jakob. But he is important, just like everyone else that was part of that Inquiry."

Once again, she didn't know what to say. She simply nodded and took Lucy's hand. The little girl waved back at the grave digger as they walked down the hill. While walking down, Jessica saw something nearby. A cowboy, resting against one of the graves. She didn't think much of that before walking away from the graveyard.

The grave digger watched as they walked away from the graveyard, his smile changing into a pensive look. His eyes looked over Red Gorge, the meadows and the swamp surrounding this place of resting. He got up from his break, ready to continue his work watching these graves, until he noticed the lone cowboy resting by the graveyard. The grave digger smiled as he made his way down the hill. "Théhaŋ waŋčhíŋyaŋke šni." said the grave digger, while looking down at the cowboy.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister was quiet for a full minute as he digested Undite's words once more. Even Galina spoke up shortly afterwards, giving her piece into all of it. He had forgotten she was still in the room. Indeed, he had thought it was only himself and Undite for a time there, while Dominique lingered in the back of the room quietly and Galina stood nearby, watching. In the mere several minutes he had been speaking with the goddess, he felt exhausted already. He slunk back around his desk and fell into his chair like a sack of vegetables. His hair was still messy, though he spared the simple effort of smoothing the strands back.

"I could stop the targeted killings," Aleister said calmly. "If the dogs on the continent stop theirs. I am willing... for the moment... to not press any attacks that have been discussed. Devontown was only the beginning to a new campaign. Once those ships reach a harbor, they cannot be stopped, you understand. Let the continent know we can put a bomb where ever we want. A carriage bomb might not be so destructive, but it is scary enough to most. Now imagine what we can do with a river barge going inland. Or a freight train. Every major city has a rail line, and we have many friends in very low places. People underestimate how easy it is for us to fully unleash our strength if we so desired."

"One month. I will give a single month of cessation of fighting from our holy militants and martyrs. Coming from you, they will understand. Were it only from me, there would be much more... difficulty. Our ships will continue their work in the waters around the island. The piracy will not cease in our waters. But we will not bring the spearpoint back upon Atraca's shield. For now. But if they force our hand, we will not stay it."

"Galina is, naturally, right in another regard. To an extent. A treaty or an accord will be needed, and it will not be a small one. I could go on and on about the legalities and the things it must say, but aside from peace, full recognition of Nocturne and rights for all supernaturals across Adonia - yes, the entire continent - will be necessary. And nothing less. If those pompous, wretched kings, queens, and councilmen can agree to that, and put muzzles on their prized fighting hounds, then Nocturne will swap the sword for the plow."

 

[Infab]

Undite glanced to Galina, before loooking back to Aleister. "Aleister...it will take far more than a month to get the kings, queens, and other rulers on this continent to agree to tour demands. These attacks have to stop because Atraca won't just invade this island if you strike at them again...They--" She immediately froze a moment later, when she heard an all too familiar sound coming from behind her.

Her eyes widened, and she slowly turned to see a portal had formed. And halfway through it was Velin herself.

Velin was still armorless, her long black hair tied into a rough ponytail. Her one good eye was locked onto Aleister behind his desk, the other eye still covered in a black leather patch. She had changed clothes, wearing a loose fitting white button up shirt and black trousers with black shoes. Oddly, she didn't have a weapon. She didn't look like she'd need one, honestly. Her muscular scarred physique was clear for everyone to see, even while she was clothed, and the rippling lightning they had often seen whenever she appeared was in full view once more.

Once she stepped completely into the room, the portal closed. Her gaze shifted from Aleister to Undite. And she smiled.

---
​

As Jessica and Lucy arrived back at the agency, someone nearby called out to them. A woman, with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. She was dressed like a cowboy, sitting atop an Eshaxian war horse. On her hip, a cut down lever action rifle. "Howdy! This Jakob's place?" she asked, smiling at the pair.

 

[Damian0358]

Elsewhere, in the mortal coil
Northern Upper Redonia
Edge of Lord Long's Territory


Shi Jing flew over the forests, rivers, hills and farms which filled the sights of Upper Redonia, squinting down upon the land as to search for any sights of a possible hermit, dead or alive. Uncertain was it for her to even find anything, but she braved on, especially since this whole hermit thing could grow into a bigger issue later. As she made her way through, her eyes caught something in their corner. Within the trees, there appeared to be something... unnatural. She aimed straight for it, as she dove downwards towards the trees.

Arriving, she identified what she had spotted - it was a home built within the trees. The styling appeared reminiscent to the tengu, but they didn't typically built atop or within the trees. Approaching further, Jing realized that the home had suffered great damage; the walls seemed charred, as though almost set aflame, risking the entire forest. Within, whatever possessions the homeowner had, they had been brought about, laid a mess, or even destroyed. The sight revealed that there had been a struggle, and she raised her upper lip in disgust, noting how some of the belongings were documents that likely contained info missing at the shrine. As she tried to read them, she realized that they had been dragged across the ground, as though someone had grabbed them. Following the trail, it led to the window, out of which she stuck her head. Below, she saw a body.

Jing quickly leapt out of the window and descended downwards, as to identify whomever this was. As she drew closer, she could tell that whoever this was, they had died, and a while ago for sure. Landing beside the corpse, she knelt down and turned it over. It was an elderly looking lady, the life visibly drained from her eyes. Her body, clothed or not, had suffered severe fire damage. Whomever had killed her had clearly done so with an elemental understanding of fire. A disgusting, aggressive, restless use of fire. She then noted her attire, inspecting it and attempting to remember what she had read about hermits from her ancestors and predecessors. There was no question about it - this was the hermit she was looking for. The name she had read was not that of a man, but of a woman. She had been overcome by a fierce threat.

As she got up, thinking about what to do now with this information, she noticed something within the woods. A presence unfelt before had made itself manifest, and it was slowly but surely making its way towards her. Acting as though she hadn't noticed it, she slowly prepared to strike back against whomever was approaching her, when suddenly-!

She made a few steps backwards, as a set of qi attacks narrowly misses her. She began hoping about the ground, elegantly dodging the attacks thrown her way, before she flew up back to the house, standing atop the gap between the roof and the tree tops.

"[If you're about to use the rules of the mystic barrage art, then you may as well introduce yourself,]" she exclaimed to her attacker.

Out of the trees approached the assailant - his singular horn stood tall and proud from his forehead, his spiked war club menacingly held in one hand, and embers seemingly comes off of the other. His attire revealed his kind - those born and raised from youth, to hate all those whom they deem to have forsaken one's mission to the public, devoid from living affairs; most of all deeming such the dutiful hermit, whom in their following of their creed, abandon the public for the pursuit of the Dou for themselves, for private interest. At least, so they claim. Her predecessors had labeled them as the Pure Fellowship Society (Shuntungwui, 純同 會), bearers of assassins and other such people, born out of radical parties whom took the writings of the teacher and thinker Hu Yuan (胡瑗) to great extremes, organizing a natural phenomena through a group.

And unfortunately, this assassin appeared to be a Northern oni. The oni leaped upwards, landing in front of the shrine master, looking somewhat disappointed. He pointed his club towards the miko, who looked unamused.

"[So, this is the Great Shouki Shrine Master? You must have some good reason to be hanging around this abandoned rut of eremitism,]" he spoke in a deep yet bored manner.

"[Of course - the reason being the one you presumably killed.]"

"[Hahaha! You came seeking the wench who stayed clear of the affairs of the living?]"

"[Disrespect not the dead so, assassin.]"

"[Her fate was decided the moment she sought not to return to the public. To not become a] shennyin (聖人, sage)[, but rather be such a hermit. These lands, embodied by the selfish desires of those seeking to go beyond the affairs of the earth and those walking upon it. What respect should I grant such a being?]"

"[Her fate is decided by none but the Way.]"

"[And it seems the Way has led her face-first into the dirt.]"

Jing raised her hand towards the oni, whom laughed off the movement.

"[Oh, you intend to show me what's for?! Your techniques are likely to be pathetic, if the hermit here was of any indication all those years ago.]"

"[How long have you waited for one to come?]"

"[Some hundred years, why do you ask?]" he stated, prompting a deadly glare from the miko.

"[Hundred years too late for your burial, it is.]"

As the oni looked at her incredulously, the expression remained as he suddenly felt her power skyrocketing. It was as if she was suddenly becoming stronger and stronger! No! Has she been hiding her strength this entire time?! The oni looked at the shrine master with hate and spite, and charged at her.

"[No mystic barrage is worth you! For supporting the hermits, you will die!]"

As the oni approached, the miko stretched the fingers on her outreaching hand, and he felt himself forced down onto the roof with the strength of a thousand mountains. He tried to bring himself to his feet, but the force repeated itself once, twice, thrice, as he felt pressured, before the roof gave way and caused him to slam at high speed into the home's floor. As he tried to even look upwards, he could see the miko looking down upon him.

"[...had you chosen to go with a barrage instead, you may have had a chance. Remember why the mystic barrages were put into place.]"

"[...t-to g-give the we-eak a ch-chance against the st-trong...]" he muttered out, contempt in his eyes.

"[Exactly. And right now, you've forsaken that chance,]" she responded, before forcing him through the floor of the home, and onto the ground of the woods. She floated down to the hole in the floor, looking down at the oni. She clasped her hands together, before putting them to the shape of a triangle.

The oni, forcing himself up from pure rage of being humiliated like this, looked up and put up his open arm, aiming it up at the cavity left by his forcing downwards. Out of his hand, a steady stream of fire came out, aimed up at Jing.

"[For this, you shall burn in the Abyss! GO AND-]"

"[Die.]"

With her simple response, from the triangle formed, a steady beam of qi rained down upon the oni, extinguishing the flames coming out of his hands, and destroying him in his place. The trees shook from the strength of the set of beams fired down upon the assassin, eradicating his existence then and there.

Relaxing her hands, Jing floated down and observed the formerly living oni. She checked his clothing to see if he had anything on the whereabouts of other hermits. No dice. She snapped her finger in frustration. He wouldn't have spoken anyway, and would've gone on to try and kill other hermits, if he hadn't done so already. Though the phenomena of hermits facing challenges once a century was one set in stone, the Shuntungwui didn't help matters. She sighed.

Jing grabbed the body of the hermit now passed, and left the body of the oni unceremoniously, to be consumed by nature. She would have to get Lord Long to do something about the body and the long-abandoned home. Perhaps a proper burial, as to ensure peace for her ancestors. She thought about the oni as she flew to Long's estate; would he have reconsidered his actions had he known she had gotten a reputation of being not only rude and casual, but also unrelenting and "oni-blooded", as they called her? Likely not.

The enemies the hermits must have, they likely cared not for whatever reputation they had, and for whatever little interaction they had with the villages near them. To the eyes of these assassins, their decision to have asceticism be their norm, rather than something temporary before returning to the public, was their greatest sin. Had this society existed during the reign of the last few emperors, they would've likely been enshrined as part of the system, the bureaucracy that brought the Empire to ruin viewing hermits as a potential threat.

If only she knew such enemies laid not only in the mortal coil.

---
The Abyss
North of the Land of Greed
Youdu (幽都), Yinjian (陰間)


Through the hall, footsteps could be heard, hastily pacing through as they quickly departed the building and headed to another. A civil servant held in his hands a selection of documents, headed for the Bureau of Transgressions towards Pure Fellowship. These documents have been going through bureaucratic hell for the last several weeks, and he had finally found out about these minutes ago. Minutes ago! And this set was even labeled as "urgent"! He couldn't believe that this had happened! One would think that the Heavenly Empire would've improved its system, having found itself here since the beginning of the Age of Darkness, but nooo...

Pacing across Youdu, he reflected briefly one what he had just thought. The government here claimed they were but the regents of the Heavenly Emperor, whom had departed for the Divine Plane, to confide in the Jade Emperor, who was monarch above all in Heaven, assistant to Yuanshi Tianzun (元始天尊), its creator. They claim that, by virtue of being here, they had replaced the King Yama, whom now served in the transitional realm, to serve judgement through his subordinates. To all those in the Land of Shade, they were well-aware of why the Regency of the Heavenly Empire resided here - it was their corruption, their incompetence, their ambitions, their wastefulness, their extravagance, arrogance, ill-consideration of those not themselves; their greed for more power that had placed them here. And even he, like his fellow civil servants, realized that, as even at the top, division remained between those most responsible for the fall of Emperor An (安皇帝), and the infiltration of demonic bodies before the wholesale invasion from the north-west began.

Among them was the one most responsible, whom had in fact summoned the demons as to usurp power for himself, and when the invasion had concluded, he was awarded with death at the hand of the one whom would rule over the region, Ibaraki, in place of her husband, originally scheming to take power from within the Empire, before the invasion took place. So damnable is he that, to insult him, one is to refer to him only in the Lower Redonian fashion, Fujiwara no Chikata (藤原千方). He remains a part of the Regency, but it seems like he has his own shadow government and bureaucracy. Only more tedium, it is. The father-son pair of Daozi (道子) and Yuanxian (元顯) continue their feud with all and each other, the numerous generals remained treacherous, and it is no wonder why the 'capital' of the Land of Shade, designed after the last capital prior to the demonic invasion, is named the 'dark capital', after the mythical capital of hell, or Diyu as they called it. Or, well, as they called it in the mortal coil. Remembering that 'Diyu' is merely the capital of the Land of Envy, he wondered how those back home would react to such knowledge, and knowing that the Abyss was unlike anything they had imagined.

Soon, the civil servant arrived at the building he was headed for, now pacing down the halls as to arrive at the correct part for the Bureau. Finally having arrived, he knocked on the door, before being let in.

Within, the space was hardly lit properly, as to hide those using it, to present a sense of shadowyness. Or something like that. He always found this bureau weird, but that happens when one makes an office filled and dominated by (now state-sanctioned) assassins in the name of the Emperor, to face against Imperial enemies (and whatever enemies those within personally had). He had never heard of the Shuntungwui prior to the bureau being established either, being from before that time. It was an intimidating space, nevertheless. He could see the eyes of a dozen men watching him, before a cough directed his sight at the desk on the other end.

"[What brings you here, civil servant?]" the man spoke in a higher pitched, yet still intimidating voice.

"[D-documents, sir. They've only reached my desk minutes ago. They are for your Bureau.]"

"[Hand them over then!]" the man yelled, standing upwards with his gaze fixed at the non-assassin.

"[H-here you are...]" the civil servant quickly tossed the papers onto the table.

"[Good! Rare is it to receive documents such as this, as though we were one of the other bureaus, ministries, offices, courts, or what have you! Now, let me see here...]"

As the man looked through the documents, the others within the room quickly forced the civil servant out. Landing on his butt, with the door shut, he sighed, at least assured he wouldn't be dealing with them for a while. Within the room, the assassin read through the documents.

"[...a meeting has been requested from a name I recognize not,]" he spoke, all listening intently to what he was saying, "[...Gaá Xiaòzhou. The request is urgent, it says. Bah, what would we want to do with some commoner!? To think, one was even aware of this office! We only deal with cases befitting us! It is for that reason we work for the Emperor! It is... it is..."]

The man continued reading through the documents, reading remarks left by the requester as to why the meeting was urgent, and what it may entail. A demented grin stretched across his face.

"[You!]" he pointed at one of his men, as he grabbed for his writing material. He quickly signed where he had to, acknowledging and accepting the request. He raised the documents, "[Bring this to the relevant bodies! Bring me Xiaòzhou, posthaste! If what he suggests is true, then we had all truly received a chance!]"

"[A chance at vengeance!]"

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister's expression broke when the portal opened in the office and out stepped her. His lips curled back into a feral snarl of such incredible, uncharacteristic disgust and contempt that he seemed to have become a different person entirely. It certainly was no expression Galina could have imagined him to have been capable of making. The hate he felt for her, the righteous fury within, blazed far hotter than the trumpets of fear that sounded. Face to face with not just a god, but a murderous god, one of wrath and envy, the orchestrator of untold suffering and the ignoble demise of tens of thousands of innocent people. He was afraid, certainly, but he wouldn't allow it to stop him. Not here. Especially not here, in his own cathedral, in the nation he had built, surrounded by the souls of those tossed aside and spat upon by this woman.

Dominique had produced a slim pistol and a silver blade from somewhere on his person, an admirable feat considering his slim frame and lack of heavy, concealing clothing. He glided closer into the room yet was not able to approach her any closer, not without Aleister's direct word. He knew that he had to be crafty - a strike now could be certain doom for them all if he was foolish. His life was forfeit by nature of his position. Throwing it away would be an injustice to Nocturne if he achieved nothing.

"You... y-you smirking bitch," Aleister roared, rising from his seat once more with unexpected animation. "How dare you! How dare you! To come here! To show yourself on this sacred ground, in a place of worship, a place where no devil has the right to stride let alone stand! You unholy, impenitent, infernal wretch - you slavish whore to misery and destruction - you blackhearted, vile, profligate! There is nothing in this place for you, nothing to be said nor heard. Your words mean nothing. Your superficial dictations are as hollow as that shriveled crisp of a heart that you disservice by allowing to beat any further. You are no god. You are the most ignominious and incompetent degenerate to have slithered forth from the blackest, most wretched pits of hellspawn from the very Abyss itself, in which your presence here by the very nature of your existence lightens the evils of that that hell below us!"

"Be gone! Away with you! If you stand here to further your malign goals then you will face fifty-thousand blades and guns and the unshakable, unassailable spirit of those who move to enact the most righteous defense and vengeance this world will have ever known. If you've come to speak forgiveness or apologies, then I spit upon any drivel you could possibly spout in these hallowed halls. Leave! Or seek atonement in your demise by taking your life, here and now, upon this very floor."

He raised his hand, and in a fluid gesture like a trick showman, flung a sparkling item across the room so that it skittered to a stop at her feet. A simple silver knife, the hilt curled upwards to protect its supernatural wielder, but otherwise elegant only in its brutal simplicity, with no adornments whatsoever.

"You are the very worst devil to have walked upon this earth. Whatever good you could have possibly done in years past mean nothing now. You are, and will forever be, an archdemon of the worst kind."

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina sighed, knowing that Aleister had at the very least heard her words. While he was still intent on a show of force through precautionary strikes the discussion was, at the very least, going in the right direction.

Or at least it was until Velin showed up.

Galina pulled out her sawed-off and a revolver, holding the former next to her hip. Her spectral form flashed as her eyes wandered from Velin to Undite. She cursed.

"You incompetent idiot. You brought her here?"

Galina adjusted her aim, training her silver-loaded shotgun at Undite while her revolver remained on Velin. "You've let the fox into the hen house. Fool."

 

[Infab]

"You are the very worst devil to have walked upon this earth. Whatever good you could have possibly done in years past mean nothing now. You are, and will forever be, an archdemon of the worst kind."

"...Are you quite finished, Aleister? You and I both know the end result of an attack against me." said Velin, her voice oddly soft. Lacking the echo and boom it had before when he first encountered her. She looked down at the blade on the floor, before kneeling down and picking it up. She then quietly walked over and gently placed the knife on Aleister's desk. She then looked to Galina. "If you pull either of those triggers, then I'll put you in a place far worse than any Hell you could ever concieve."

The lightning rippling down her form stopped, fading to nothingness as she looked back to Aleister. "...I am everything you said I am, Aleister. I realized that a week ago, when I almost destroyed the town of Red Gorge out of spite."

She stepped back, looking to Undite. "...Undite...or Dominique as she's known to me...stopped me. She made me realize just what I was doing. I'm a monster clad in human flesh, and blessed with divine powers. I'm not worthy enough to be a god, and I never was."

She then looked back to Aleister. "I don't blame you for hating me. None of you. And I hate myself just as much...but suicide will not help. I have these gifts. I must use them to fix what I can. Put right what is wrong...and that begins here."

She glanced back to Undite, before returning her gaze to Aleister. "My Order will be disbanded. Should my men continue, I will hunt them down and have them arrested. Or execute them myself. I will speak to the royal families and elected officials of every nation on this continent, and seek out the proper rights for all supernatural beings, and the recognition of your nation as a legitimate one. But in exchange, I want the Vigilant Order of the Church to maintain its duties."

"Just like there are humans whom hate your kind, there are supernatural beings that prey on humans. Those will still be hunted with due diligance. And I would like for you to set up your own task force to police your own as well. I want the Vigilant Order and your task force to work together...as closely as possible."

Velin motioned to Aleister's desk. "I will be willing to sign a proper document should you prepare one. In both my godly name...as well as my real one. And when its all over...and everything is as it should be...I'll destroy my sword, melt down my armor, and leave. And you'll never see or hear of me again....Nirdonia seems like a nice place to die these days...."

Undite quickly looked to her friend on the last few statements. Leave? Die? She was gently shaking her head, a look of horror in her eyes.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

"How lofty of you, fiend. Let us simply pat the head of the dog which has already gnarled one hand. Despicable," he spat. He glanced around at Galina who had her weapons drawn, which he said nothing about and merely looked away back towards the two gods.

"Then leave. Get out of here. You think you are on a path to redemption? You aren't. But I won't stoop to the level of your barbaric thugs. Leave, and do exactly what you claim you will do. Speak to the bastard rulers and their vermin advisors. Try to heal the fatal gash you've dealt to this civilization. Whatever documents your cursed name requires will be sent to Eternis. We want none of your people here. Especially not you."

Aleister turned and looked out the large bay window behind him, an elegant three-pane piece with heavy velvet curtains tussled up on either side as the night was young, allowing all to look out over the interior of the island. A climate of grassy fields and lichen-spotted ridges, with rolling hills framing the distant moonlit sky.

"It'll be a truce. For now. We're already forces to police our own. We aren't savages like your addled mind thinks. But you can't possibly believe our forces and yours to possibly be able to work together. You expect a vampire to shake hands and work alongside the man who burned his family alive? Absurd. Flense their numbers and get rid of the scum. Then do it all over again. Maybe by that point the worst villains will be done away with. We've cells across the continent. Word will be sent for dignitaries to be drawn up. But rest assured - should any more harm come to them, then it will be war again, and it is not a war we shall lose."

 

[Infab]

"...it is not a war we shall lose."

Velin straightened up, as hints of sparks rippled down her form. But she maintained her composure, surprisingly. "You stooped to my level when you started killing people minding their own business, Aleister. A theater full of people, a port in Devontown. Innocent people died. And you make more threats of cells across the continent willing to create new incidents. Terrorism, Aleister."

Velin eyed the back of his head. "Blood is on your hands just as it is on mine. Hell, I'm covered head to toe in it. But I'm owning up to it and trying to repent." She looked back to Undite, before looking back around at Aleister. "The documents will be sent here. To you. You won't dare come to Eternis, and I refuse to have anyone other than you sign them alongside me. Should you send someone in your sted to the Grand Cathedral, I will drag them back here to you. Show me how much of a man you really are, Aleister."

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina lowered her weapons and glanced between Velin, Aleister and Undite. Upon holstering her weapons she crossed her arms.

"Aleister," she said. "We need to at the very least take a step in the right direction." Galina looked at Velin. "If needed be I'll be the first one to shake hands. The nature of my powers and my past as a Hunter makes for a good bridge."

"Taking a chance seems like the only way to progress this forward," said Galina with a soft voice.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

"There is a distinct difference in our targets and yours. A theater full of people? Indeed - what kind of people? Some of your most ardent supporters, robber barons, and men of the cloth who were there solely to feel the comfort of satin upon their hands rather than show any actual care for doctrine or faith. Bloodthirsty, despicable people. We told them not to bring youngsters, you know. It wasn't a play fit for them. Not all of them listened. We held our hand when it came to them... most of them. We were clumsier back then. Far, far more than what could be said of your people. As for Devontown? A military target. A legitimate attack in any war, by any law and treaty known to the nations of the continent. Blame the Royal Navy for using the people of that town as their shield. War, the most cruelest of things, has casualties on all sides. The ones who often suffer the most are those on no side at all. Yet when our backs were put against the wall and we were slaughtered, should we have simply bowed and succumbed? We've taken care to avoid needless death here. Had we truly wanted to unleash hell, there wouldn't be a village, town, or city untouched in Atraca. People would never step out of their homes at night ever again."

Aleister trailed off and took a deep breath. Another useless gesture, but for the moment, a calming one. A moment to steady his frayed nerves and consider things. He turned his head to listen to Galina and hesitated before nodding.

"Quite so.... Fine. Documents can be sent here, but they will be met at sea by ship. That will be where business is conducted for now. I'm not about to invite the lions into Nocturne, even if they claim to have cut their claws and filed their teeth," he explained, before laughing bitterly. "Unless you rather perform diplomacy at Caraborough? Your people would look right at home alongside the filth. I dare say black and white stripes fit them well."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jessica and Lucy were about to enter the agency when they were approached by a rather pretty cowgirl. Jessica looked up at her, and gave her a nod. "Yes ma'am, this is the Phillomon Detective Agency after all." Lucy looked at the woman with curiosity, and gave Rose a cute little smile. "But... if you lookin' for Jake, I am afraid he... is not here. We don't know if he'll come back." said Jessica, a hint of remorse in her voice.

 

[Infab]

"Still terrorism, Aleister. Atraca will be the hardest one to convince now because of you. And your threats of further violence will be made known. If you think you will win a war against most of humanity, I'd suggest you look to the past to see how a war like that ends." stated Velin, a tone of seriousness to her voice. She glanced to Galina, before returning her gaze to Aleister. "Caraborough? Cute. How about Red Gorge? You'll have friends there. Plenty of them. They stood up to me as well as my order."

She stepped away from the desk. "Let it be known, however...that if the news of another of your attacks should reach my ears after those documents are signed...I will come back here..." she said, before glancing back to Aleister. "...And I will do to you what I did to Cassandra on that rooftop. Only far slower. And then I will turn this island into a crater." Her voice was disturbingly soft and serene.

She paused for a moment before speaking again. "I am trying to change, Aleister. Regardless as to if you believe me or not. Don't make it harder for me to do so. Please. I want this to end...and for everyone to be happy."

---
​

Rosanna nodded before dismounting. "He'll be back, don't worry. He's tough." she said, glancing over to Lucy and giving her a cute wave. "Guess I should introduce myself. Rosanna McFadden. I went with Jakob up to Grimtham three years ago." she then said, with a grin.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

"Hmph. Trying to change, yet you'd turn an island full of innocents into a crater...." He mused aloud in disgust. "I care not for your threats. I told you I'll be staying my hand unless there are attacks against us. I don't expect all of your hounds to obey... nor, do I imagine, some of mine will entirely. I won't lie. There are some... broken people here. I don't exaggerate when I say martyrs. We will do what we can to hold them back. I believe our methods are already known well enough that a madman out there is not indicative of us, nor have they ever been. Madam Undite would do much to help if she speaks to the people."

"As for Red Gorge? I don't know. I have no great desire to go there. I'd prefer the safety of a ship, as at least I know the cabinets won't hold stakes. But we shall see.

 

[Infab]

"Red Gorge holds no stakes. There's vampires living there along with other supernatural entities to this day. Thank your friend Jakob and his sister for that." responded Velin. She then looked to Galina...before holding out her hand to her. "A sign of good faith." she said. She glanced to Undite as she held her hand out to Galina. "...Well, Dominique...There's a nation out there that you need to speak to. I'll wait here for you."

Undite still looked worried. Immensely worried. "...Can we go to the church in Caraborough afterwards? There's someone there that I should check on, now that you two mentioned the island." Velin raised an eyebrow, but nodded afterwards. "Alright. We'll go there after you're finished here."