Sealbroken

Reunion

Up the way of some shabby stairs went the footsteps on the creaking wet boards.

Leading inbetween two buildings was a narrow passageway ending at a solitary door.

Deep banging rose from the fist placed upon it, yet the commotion inside did not cease.

An impression was made by the feline eyes staring into the hatch, she was let inside by the one who opened it.

Her wet hair clung slick to her tan fur as she entered with her companion. She surveyed the wild bunch inside but didn't see the one she was looking for: her comrade.

"Anyone in the back?" she turned to the one who opened the place for her.

"Uhm, yes, Ma'am. Three are present." He skittishly answered.

Such luck. I couldn't handle any more than that.

She went for the looming passage with her entourage following.

Presumably at the sound of their steps down the hall, the door ahead was opened. In the way stood a man of considerable stature, and considerable features. All over him were the remarked features of a demon yet he certainly was not one.

With only one look exchanged with the demon he was contempt, knowing of the exact circumstances.

His discerning yet restrained expression shifted from her to her companion, a satisfied look spreading across his face. The chamber ahead was to be entered at once.

The table laid at the center, with the only one sitting at it jumping up at the sight of the two of them.

"You took your damn time! It's been what, a month?" They were greeted in a mild but cheerful manner.

"..." She just walked past to sit and let the other be the focus of the interaction.

From a corner where neither of them noticed arose a monotone judgement of the feline:

"I'd think your silence rude. Was this not beneath your stature?" It proclaimed.

"After all that was done I'd expect some respite." She slumped down and began to wipe the sog out of her face and hair.

"Then I'll remember you abandon principle at the snap of a finger, Deprived One." The cloaked figure cast her judgement.

The Circle welcomed back its member, and her haul was being looked over by another.

The one who greeted them, a tall creature towering over even the first man was looking over the boy, Cedric. His maw flared a few times out of lack of his self control, but his inspection seemed to conclude quickly.

"He's good" he stood from his lean over the boy and slumped in his seat "That's all for me. I'll be gone by next morning." He laid and almost instantly began to snore.

After being abandoned by the strange dog, Cedric's only instinct was to follow after the one he'd been cared for by, D. He attempted to sit down by her but it was impeded.

Before he could land down on it he was lifted into the air and a different chair was set beneath him. It was the striking man from the hallway who supplanted his action.

"Boy, nobody takes another's seat at the Circle. Have this one for now." He recited their law with a frizzle on the kid's head and simply left to his own seat.

One of seven seats. D was next to the sleeping guy, and the other man was on the opposite end.

His left side was absolutely covered in eyes with cross shaped pupils, his other overbore with animal features.

It somewhat seemed like he'd have a place here, regardless of his enshrouding fear of this new life.

Parallel

There must have been some divine backing of the occurence, to have the reunion of Captain Liinei's team on the very same day.

An equally shabby looking place was sought out by them and Ariel, save for the beating rain that was not present in New Aun-Lixa. Here Liinei was the one with a more favored appearance.

The quiet music and disorganized tone naturally flowed between the rough crowd. It was a bar.

"Liinei, are you sure the other team lead told you it was this place?" Ari pulled closer. The crowd was immensely less friendly that places they would frequent.

"I'm certain. She must be at one of these tables." Affirmed the moonfolk.

Throughout the smoke filled expanse of the interior and many twists and turns there were indeed many places Catarina could be at. But why here?

Liinei flittered gracefully between the crowd to not get their cape or clothes dirty again. The same couldn't be said for Ariel, as she stumbled into the busy cabal in their own flow of entertainment and pleasure. At least only her sleeve got a splash of beer on it.

As she tried to follow up after somewhat rubbing it out from the cloth she peered up and beheld Liinei stooped behind an oblivious Catarina.

She was laughing and drinking, but most importantly playing a hand of whatever card game the batch of ne'er-do-wells had in session for the hour.

The covering over her eyes, the blindfold reminded Ariel of the old father who divined her connection to Harae.

She pondered about the abated words from the Patron, and how they could have possibly ended up being connected.

Her wandering of thought was interrupted as she saw Cat being taken by surprise, as she raked in a huge pile of money, she was yanked out of her seat by the captain.

"Ha! What a way to meet you again!" Ari jovially greeted.

Cat couldn't even respond a she was being held away, forced to watch the huge pile of currency of her own claim be retaken into the circulation of the table.

"Let go of me! Now! That's all mine! Damn shit bastard Liinei I'm not on duty until Monday!" She screeched while losing out on her winnings.

"It's Wednesday you idiot! We are going!" Returned Liinei while dragging her.

The rest of the fellows were not in the least disturbed by the scene that persisted until the three were outside.

Cat whinced at the sudden brightness as Liinei slipped up and removed her blindfold.

Her squeamish expression eventually led to her opening her eyes for the rest of her team to behold: instead of the pale blueish pair there was a set of light yellow eyes hemmed in blazing gold.

"Now what may this be? I've not been told of any such thing by you Catarina." Liinei confronted.

"It's my clerical duty, I would have told you! It's not like you'd just tell either of us any of what you get up to either!" She tried to shift blame back to the captain.

"Sorely wrong there, Cat. I know the captain inside and out now....." Ari added in, quite a bit to the embarassment of Liinei.

"To each their own... Or eachother it seems... Whatever, I just don't care. I'll tell you what you need to know on the way home." With that Catarina was on her way down towards the streets.

Within a few minutes of this out of the way hideaway for lowlives, the streets eventually became their usual commute home.

"First off I'm putting all that lost money on your tab, Liinei." started off Cat.

"Oh really? That table full of cheated earnings?" clearly the captain knew what her game was.

"Like the others were genuine players? Get off my back already. It's not like we're swimming in our wages." Catarina rightfully complained.

Even with the support from back home in her country she was quite a bit down. Ari didn't even have that, let alone the raise she was filed for...

"So whats the whole deal with the eyes? I can't help but feel uneasy looking at them." the serval fired up a different matter.

"Met the apostle, got my rites, took on my severance...." She went quite for a few seconds. "Oh... Yeah. We, I mean Us. The team. We've been assigned to go to the Seventh Layer by Jasewic."

"Oh. Oh yeah. Of course when I see you for the first time after so long you're just gonna drag me to Hell. Great." Ariel was less than pleased.

The captain couldn't help but also add on. "I'm quite disappointed as well. I'll need to hand in several requests at the headquarters, let alone contact another Division."

"Actually I've done all that..."

"???"

"???"

The other two were really taken aback.

"It's just that... Uh... I didn't wanna bother with dragging you guys into it and got caught up and made all the preparations and did the paperwork and a Kenoma team is waiting for us..." admitted Catarina.

Next to the door full of messages Ariel was a demon, leaning against the wall.

Even with the explanation of the demonic divison waiting for the three of them, they still found themselves thinking of Cedric upon seeing someone of similar features and colors. What the difference was that the one loutering around their home was his lightness in hair and lack of horror on his face.

That poor kid. I hope he's not dead or anything. I can't imagine what that woman has in mind with him.

He whipped up his head once he realized the Luna Vis' were here.

"Oh, Good Morning. Is this the rest of your team?" He adjusted and stood upright.

"Hello there. We three are Team Liinei. Where might the rest of you be?" The captain peered down at him.

He looked to the side before making the connection. He was definitely taking a nap before they arrived.

"Uhm, they're waiting for you at the head office place. I thought I'd catch you guys- your team over here..." The words fell out of his mouth, a fair few of his teeth were missing. He was clearly a juvenile.

"It's fine, Shonas. Let's just head there. I kinda really messed the whole thing up too." walked over Catarina. To their further surprise she put her arm over the demon's shoulder as they made their way along the sidewalk.

Yellow leaves now covered the city, winds carried the scent of fall. To think it's already been half a year since Ariel was conscripted. The summer that began her life's unravelling was far over.

Shifting of heavy wood and the squeak of hinges was the usual sound of entering the Luna Vis headquarters. She refocused on what was happening and noticed a man, a lunar steadily emerging from his seat at the sight of her team arriving.

A head of gray hair draping down to his shoulders but with shapes akin to horns, his eyes great and round. His hand emerging to meet Liinei's in a strange lunar greeting from his jacket with many straps, with no sleeve on the arm he put forth.

With the two of those introducing and letting the Luna Vis know the man's name was Kazo Kenoma, the demon that accompained them here only seemed interested in a female demon of the same species who was waiting here with the lunar.

Are those two together? I don't think I've seen a male serval before... I'm not sure if I'd be interested in one anyways.

A few words later she learned that the two were mother and son, so she tried to brush the thought aside altogether. Even that was cut short as Catarina pushed her to the front.

"And this is Ariel! Come on, say hi!" Cat was way more handsy that Ari knew her to be.

All eyes were on the girl now, much to her discomfort.

"Hello..." she said in a low voice "My name is Ariel Mathison. I'm the junior of Team Liinei and I recently found out I am an angel. Pleased to meet you."

"That's you then? You were the talk of town a few months back. Glad to meet ya, I'm Érenn, and my boy here is Shonas." The female demon introduced herself and her son. The two were dholes, she was darker in both hair and fur.

Ari's attention was taken however by the lunar stepping close to her. He was easily a whole head taller than her, and his glare made her feel like prey.

"I'm Kazo Kenoma. The form you've taken likens our chances of getting along, but we'll see about angelhood, young lady." He said then offered a more commonly used handshake, which she took.

"Still kept the white hair, huh?" a hushed murmur came from the reception desk.

Ari could only ease up once his large frame withdrew from her close personal space.

"So the matter at hand." Catarina took everyone's attention. "We are to go to the Seventh Layer. On behalf of Jasewic we have been tasked to reestablish the conference in a lost monastery, Nursium."

"Which span of the clergy?" asked Kazo touching his chin in contemplation.

"Neither... Both. Actually it was the Central Crosier. So we're on behalf of the royal line, and we're running late at that." Responed Catarina. "We are to head out immediately. It is my mistake but we cannot wait a day."

Oh thats just great again. I won't ever let her live this down.

The six of them scurried in preparation afterwards, and then were northwest bound.

It seemed like this time Catarina was the one to be carrying something of importance. Ari got glared at if she as much as looked at it a second too long.

Descent

It would be a lie to say she didn't feel at least a tinge of excitement in the midst of all the dread. After hearing it is the very place originating her for a lifetime, she could only imagine what the layers beneath the current world could look like.

Liinei said this entrance to hell is only a half day from New Aun-Lixa.

The thought of which made her ponder even more about whatever reason the Lunars had to build their capital so close to such a place.

For all the length of his legs Kazo was the slowest walker out of all of them, and thus was by Ari, who hung back out of nervousness from the new people.

"So what layer did you come from? Must've been a while since you were back down in Hell." The silence was broken by him.

"I've never been, I was born on the eighth. I'm from the surface." Ariel responded with an answer he wasn't keen on.

"Don't try that with me. No angel could have came down after the seventh Banishment. Now tell me which layer you're from." He cornered her.

A scene had been made as argument ensued.

"I'm telling you I'm from the eighth world! I grew up there, I'm only nineteen!" she answered in honesty but not to the pleasure of the lunar.

"Say what you want, but I can't see you telling the truth to me right now. Your youthful demeanor could very well be just a guise."

"I've no memory of anything prior! I really did grow up over the past two decades, right here in Tavatha! The only way I even know I'm one is weird memory flashes and some stupid letter from the clergy!" She cried out her truth.

"Is this true? You two trust her word? I for one could trust any demon far more than an angel. Could you really tell she isn't an agent of the so-called divine?" He gestured as he pushed even further against the whole team now.

"Listen here. There is no way she could decieve me of all people of that. I vouch for her and her word." Cat tried to interject.

"I've seen enough of her to know for sure. But if you don't take that for certain then I'm here as insurance. I could subdue her even while berserk." Liinei also stepped in.

"If you say so, but I'd rather sit down and hear your story, it's out custom to hear about the lives of demons." He let the matter drop for the time being.

There was only little ways until they reached the gate. From the sparsely forested rocky-mossy parts of country rose a rotund mass. Unlike the other which was sunbleached and in several piles, this one was a single dome with mosses and creeping vines lining it.

Within a large open chasm were scaffolds and lookouts. It was clearly held down and controlled by Uvica. Must be boring for all those common soldiers just standing around all year long with most of the time having zero traffic.

The few officials that were on site in this checkpoint were easily bypassed by the two team leads' authority.

With that cleared and just a short inspection led to Catarina being singled out.

"Hold on. One of you's human. You're not to go down, how'd you even get cleared?" One outpost officer pointed out. He walked right up to her.

"Sir, there really is no need for concern..." she assured "...within me is a sliver of divinity. I have zero chance of infection." She said and pointed at her eyes with both index fingers.

Indeed the pure light within was of holy origin, a product of Heaven. There was more than what she was letting on. The officer backed off and tended to the paperwork and let them through.

That's reassuring but so disturbing. She won't become a hellwalker at least. I have to know just what she has done in these weeks.

From then on they were seemingly being swallowed by the earth. The last bit of sunset sky they saw flittered out and enclosed into the shaded part of rock, then into pure dark.

Their path down was lined with ropebridges and makeshift stairs. Higher up there were still roots and trickles of water from the walls and ceiling but down here it was thin air and only stone.

With his steady pace that was maintained amidst the vertigo inducing drop at almost every single step Kazo was in the lead.

"You lot are in for a child's play of a descent. This hellgate's one of the most built out ones you can find. If you were to go down a lesser one or even an unattended one you'd have a fair bit of cave diving on your hands. Climbing down ropes of miles and all." He let them all in on his experiences.

But it wasn't miles until something changed. The chasm tightened and a path of stone molded like a ramp from old foot traffic led downwards. It was like an ordinary cave for a while, but then there was something faintly glowing ahead. Then as they got closer it became apparent. The cave wall turned and went downwards for awhile, but one side was open to the outside.

How there could be light down here left them in amazement. There was just a single ray of it beaming into the cave part they crossed, and the rest was an expanse of pure abyss. At least they could somewhat tell how many more hours of descent lied ahead of them.

It seemed that the Kenoma leader was more in tune with the non-lunars' sensibilities in mind and as such has called for time to rest.

Despite being in such a high up place there was a complete lack of wind. Sure, it was a little cold, but they had no need to set tents to shield from the elements. Cat set her mystery object down, which Ari could discern to be solid beneath the wrappings and contained liquid.

Though she wanted to ask about it, there was something more pressing she was wanting to ask about.

"Cat."

"Hm?"

"What's with the eyes?" She thought the casual approach would be the best.

"Severance."

"Explain..."

"Wanna know?"

"I'm asking you, dummy."

"Yeah sure okay."

"Dummy."

"So I've got divine eyes now."

"That's how you cheated at cards?"

"Yep."

"Did it hurt when they put them in? Or was it more painful when they took the old ones out?"

"That's not how it goes."

"Then how?"

"You sure you won't get sick or jump at me?"

"I'm only bad during first impressions."

"Okay then. I've dined on your kind."

"WHAT?????"

"Don't wake the others, idiot!" Cat whisper-shouted.

"Hhhhgnnghhhh sorryyyy........." Ari held her short snout.

"Please don't scream again, I actually want to tell you about it now..."

"Mhmm..."

"It was a secret ceremony."

"And here you are telling me."

"I don't care. The ceremony, called severance, is how my eyes became like this."

"Meaning you become holy by eating a demon? A secret cleric power?"

"Ari. I ate parts of an angel."

Eyes tired but wide and staring. Ariel's horror paralyzed her completely. If not for her body's instict she wouldn't have kept breathing.

The attempts to make sense of how this could have happened all fizzled our before they could form into meaningful discernments. It simply wasn't compatible with her frame of mind.

Catarina came to be worried, as the few minutes she intended to let her process the confession wasn't what she intended.

"Ari..." she tried to reach over to brush her shoulder from her own bedding.

"Don't touch me!" She pulled away, evading the attempt.

"I'm... sorry....."

"Why...?"

Seeing each other's faces wasn't necessary for Ari to shudder and Cat to cloak herself with her blanket in shame.

With all the rustling from the fabric against her hair and ears she wasn't aware that Ari crawled out of her own bedding. Thus Cat just stayed there in her misery.

The moonfolk was sitting at the upper part keeping watch, opposite of the other team's head who peered at the path down.

Liinei didn't expect to get stumbled into by either of their companions but here was Ariel, doing just that. Without a care for comfort she slumped over into a pile on the hard floor.

"Huh? What's the matter?" They asked.

"Sniffle, sniffle-"

"Did something happen?" They sat her up.

Firstly she tried to speak but the constriction from inside forbade her from forming a sound. The second attempt was then also failed by her as she erupted in a short sob.

"That's not Catarina....." Ari could finally let out.

"What? How do you mean?" They paused for but a second. "I'll take care of it. Stay here."

Only half a minute later Ari got her blanket and bedding and was allowed to sleep by Liinei's post.

They only returned after a lengthy talk that Ari could not bother to hear or was awake enough to pay attention to.

Traversal

Their march down was coming to an end.

Ahead the path widened into the expanse of the whole of the layer. As much as it seemed unremarkable it still felt like a completely foreign place.

There wasn't a single tree in the vast and varied hillside. Ari wanted to murmur a bit about how it's so different down there and the mountains of Tavatha are much more to her liking, but her quiet little attempt to speak a bit was overbore with loud exclamation.

Kenoma went: "I know you're all anxious, Luna Vis! I always ask this to first timers down here, what do you call a violent lunatic from the Seventh layer?"

"Oh please not this, Kazo. Not now..." The older demon, Érenn was dismayed by the coming punchline.

"A Jasewican!" He howled in laughter.

Heheh... I guess it's not just the one I ended up with...

"Eat shit." Cat said. She did not enjoy being the butt of such a joke.

Liinei was giggling a little but halted it when they realized they were in a prime position to be pushed into the lake over which they walked on a trail. Ari hid her chuckles as well.

"Come on then, push back! Don't tell me you don't have it in you to tease a lunar!" Kazo replied. It seemed like his way of keeping up morale here was to poke fun at each other.

"Fine. What do you call a tall, ugly, unkempt, gray haired piece of porcelain?"

"A Jasewican?" Said Ari before bursting into a cascade of laughter. Even the other two demons laughed at that.

Liinei almost fell into the lake on their own from laughing.

A crag led the group to a different lake on the opposite side, which looked like an exact mirror image of the one they just passed by. A difference was that this one's dark water was swirling and crashing against the stone and soil surrounding it endlessly.

The dead grass still had a few patches of green in it somehow. But further ahead away from the lake the upcoming several hills were densely covered with a yellow glowing hue. This was familiar to all of them.

The path ahead was all but completely covered in the flora covered the blighted town they purged above: sproutings of yellow leaves that were crystalline and shattered into hundreds of shard each when distrubed. Team Liinei was stumped to why they were heading right towards this expanse of danger instead of finding another way. Still they followed the others.

With his comfortable strut the tall leader positioned himself right at the cusp of it. Shonas and Érenn stood a few meters back, by intuition making Liinei and the rest stop there as well.

"You lot stay back there." said Kazo.

He shined with grace. Without even showing his sigil it accumulated on his exposed arm and coalesced into a mass on it. It was a layer of thick scales lining his arm, made of a vibrant bright blue grace.

With the arm weighed down by it all he put the bare minimum effort to raise above his head and let it drop onto the ground. Once the weight of it impacted the earth underneath, all that laid in front of him for a short distance ruptured outwards. The path was cleared of the blight.

"Now we can go. Don't worry, I won't go tired all day, just keep me talking!" Said Kazo, setting into motion the traversal of the scourge.

I would have just stepped between them all but I guess with all of us there's no chance there wouldn't have been an accident.

As they took on the journey through this vastness of blight Ari couldn't help but look closer at the plants. She knew not to touch but she did almost set off a lot of them when she sneezed from sniffing one. It was irritating like pepper but didn't smell natural.

They looked hollow, she thought there may be pressure within, making them pop like a balloon. A half-correct deduction.

"Are these things also on the lower layers?" She asked.

"Not normally, no." The tall lunar took to answer. "You'll find other things the deeper you go. Stranger." Érenn was the one to reply.

"Uhuh. What's the deepest you've went?" Ari pondered further.

"I've been to the fifth!" The young dhole boasted.

"The second layer. It was an all lunar expedition." Kazo explained.

"What did that entail?" Liinei was specifically interested in this.

"We--" he slammed at the ground once more to clear more of the way "--we went down there to map out the Prophet's path."

What Prophet? A lunar expedition?

"Explain more. Please." Liinei went all serious.

"Fine, but help me out a little so I can talk without interrupting myself." Appealed Kazo.

They obliged, taking off their cape and undoing their shirt to not ruin it with the upcoming labor. The same scales sprouted out from their arm, dragging down with mass.

Kazo seemed impressed and intrigued over his ability being replicated.

The shimmering scales broke off and scattered once they tried to slam down and the path in from remained uncleared. It looked quite violent with the yellow shards pelleting them and the destruction of the scales.

"Are you okay?" Ari ran up and looked for injuries.

"I'm fine. Let me try again." They stood back up.

"Liinei, you've done it wrong."

"That much I can tell, Kenoma."

"Right, then try... flexing them? That's the best I can put it." He tried to give direction.

"I'll get it right, I just need a few practice shots at it. Pay it no mind." They said, as this was the usual way they learned a new grace ability.

And as they said, the next few tries either completely backfired or went overboard and almost set the entire field of blight flowers off. With just the right amount of control and a little more help from Kazo they eventually got it somewhat right. The way ahead was a bit faster from then on.

"So about they Prophet's path?" Liinei said after clearing another section.

"Oh yes, that. It was the pilgrimage he took when finding the first head of each House." He disclosed.

"Every House? Even mine?" They sounded surprised and further intrigued.

"Look, I didn't get your file in time because of Catarina's latency. Which house are you from specifically?"

"Serenfair."

"..."

"..."

"What's the problem with that house?" Ari intruded.

"Don't be rude. You might be young but you should know when to not pry." Érenn, the older demon got in her face.

Cat and Shonas also gave her a disappointed look.

"Sorry."

"Who would blame them for not telling everyone? It is fine. I'll tell you their origin at least, since I had to look into all of them for the expedition." Said Kazo.

Liinei wasn't talking now, just toiling at the ground ahead and clearing more of the way. They all gave them a moment to process some source of upset only Ariel seemed to be unaware of.

I didn't mean to come off like that. I can sort of suspect what it might be. I'm really sorry.

The captain battered away at the front for at least half an hour and seemingly at the end of this cathartic exertion they put in a great amount of effort into one last slam. Resulting from the forceful slam was the earth ahead on the whole hillside rupturing into thousands of shattered pieces.

If only I could take powers from others...

I guess I have to make do with sword summoning...

At the sight of this demonstration of power the other lunar was impressed.

"Now that was a good one! You hang back for now, I'm taking the rest of the traversal. Just listen." He took the front.

"...Alright..."

While a lunar does not get exhausted their grace is still finite and needs to be kept above a minimum level, lest dire consequences follow. This is why Liinei took on a slow stride just like their counterpart.

Ari listened intently to what would be said next. She cared much for their intricacies and for her that included their past and origin.

"On the path we began at the outset of his pilgrimage. Quite unremarkable looks wise, but it is where the Prophet and his disciples awaited in introspection until the age of man truly began on the second layer." Kenoma started.

"But it actually had been there, where the first of us, House Kenoma approached and joined him. Thus we are the first of the moon's phases, the waxing crescent."

"Is your grace sigil that then?" Ari asked.

"Exactly, attentive girl. Hell, I might show you if I like you enough."

"No thanks. I don't like you that way." She stuck out her tongue.

"Huh? Whatever."

"Shut up, Ari." Nudged Catarina.

In the meantime Liinei fell over but the two demons caught them. They've really overdone it.

"So. Further he wandered and he found the next houses together, Hreesium, Cuilier, you know those two. The forgemasters, and the founders of Uvica." He said as it was obvious.

"Those two were found together as rivals, one a smith and the a fighter. The two relied on each other yet still wanted to outdo one another. You can see how far our army has went with the drive between those two."

"I can't wait until I get my officer's weapon from Cuilier!" Shonas added. "I know it's gonna be long until then but I just want one."

"You'll get it one day. The next was Diannate, the full moon house. It was actually decided then, when they communed together that this house will be the Prophet's. It still carries his name."

"Do the others not?" Cat Questioned.

"It's one we could verify. In the communion Aphelion showed up and became the royal guard. When they headed out they found Morenia and Yuela while preaching the word of the Moon's creation."

"That leaves the one." Liinei said, more tired sounding than ever.

"Yours." Ari was prepared to take in every bit of information.

"House Serenfair's origin is muddled. Most sources said it does not even have an origin. Even among the vastness of lunarkind their affinities are completely different. To be quite honest I either found no mention of it or conflicting denials." He disclosed his lack of concrete knowledge.

"Chancoclour." Liinei let out with little strength.

"Wait what?" Kazo said in surprise.

Why does that ring a bell?

"She turned up on the final day and became our first..." They continued.

"That was one account I disregarded. Are you sure that's the true origin? The Saint that would go on to aid us in the third layer's war?" Kazo was the intrigued one.

"It's apparent, no? How else... could we practice Soul Surrogacy?" Liinei revealed in asking.

The hell is soul what? And so it really was that Patron I was shown. How can a Patron even be a person? Be a lunar, even?

"I see then. In that case the site we found at the end really was the origin. It's why there was a shrine to the Saint there." Kazo connected all the dots.

He could also rest a little, for the field was cleared and they could follow the dirt road ahead which led into a shroud of fog. Ari thought it foreboding but the Érenn assured her the layer was known for this.

It only took a quarter hour from then on to find a fence, and a little more after that to end up in a long abandoned farmstead.

It would make a fine place to sleep off the day, as much as they could keep time of it.

Bygones

A few foundations and chimney shafts, even fewer walls remained of towns they found.

The four days they spent travelling in the directions Catarina was given didn't lead to any signs of life or habitation. Did demons really live down here?

For the duration of the days there wasn't much to do but look forward to the next meal and the next conversation to be had.

Luckily the bunch was not getting tired of each other. In an opportune moment, the Kenoma leader took Ariel to make right on telling him her story. Having dinner in silence would be just painful this long into the journey.

The dry stock became soup once more after boiled into water, and they were ready to get their fills. He took the opportunity.

"Say then, Ariel Mathison. How'd you end up in Luna Vis anyways? You do good on your exam?" He posed first off.

"Mhm. I had a bunch of options. You wouldn't know Maelia by any chance? I beat her." She explained and boasted while stuffing her cheeks.

"Ha!" he exclaimed as it was a massive revelation "She didn't dare say she got beat by anyone but we could tell. So it was you?"

"It was me. I did die a few times before I wore her down but I still took her down despite her level. Was kinda weird how similar the exam's way of putting you back to actual death is though..." A strange but truthful comparison came.

All but her teammates were quite confused.

"You say that like you've died before..." Shonas said.

"Well I wouldn't like to go too much into detailed but I have..."

The gray haired lunar raised his eyebrows.

"You're pulling my leg. Tell us or we don't believe you." He went.

How can I even put it? The whole time after they broke my head I wasn't in control of what I was doing, let alone have a single choice by the situation I was put in.

"There was an incident in bootcamp." The Luna Vis' leader's voice arose.

Liinei was taking this part over by the clear discomfort of Ari. She wondered how much they actually knew, since she has never really told anyone her side.

"It wasn't made public or even widely reported between the forces." They said.

"Even I have only heard of it in passing." Catarina added.

"She had been ambushed and by the time we found her she was showing signs of a recently healed head injury and another initiate dead." Liinei told the account. "We've confiscated a number of stolen weapons and even a musket."

"So that's what it was? I've never figured out what actually did it." The feline finally realized the source of her demise.

The loud sound, the instant pain, the sheer amount of harm done, and the vast blackness before being brought back by some force. It made sense for it to be a firearm.

"I had a rough time in training but that's just wrong. I'm glad at least you are here today to tell the story." Said Érenn in relation and confidality. Ari looked and felt at least a little understood.

"It's just a footnote in my life story I guess." She started back up. "I was raised by a priest, became a Luna Vis, had a complete failure of a first mission that still haunts my soul..."

"You mean you're still caught up in that? I've told you I forgive you. It wasn't your fault." Cat interjected this time. "The fault lies with Harae's influence over you."

"A Patron? Why that one, when you have the freedom to appeal to nearly all of them?" Kazo questioned.

"Hey, I'm not the one obsessed with her, it's the other way around. I've shut her up for good with Yandra, I hope." She showed off the Patron of Justice's sigil on the back of her right hand.

"Well I'll be. Are you in with House Yuela? The bloody lot?" He replied.

"Why, got a death sentence like me?" She asked in turn.

"No, but they would quite like me to. Bastards all of them. Except my sweet girl. They don't like that I treat her how a woman should be." Kazo told them with a little hint of love from his heart fluttering his voice when he mentioned his beloved.

Her spoon clanged loudly when she dropped it into her near empty bowl.

"Ari?" Cat asked immediately knowing something was wrong.

She was frozen, unblinking, yet tears flowed endlessly from her eyes. It was the first time this happened outside of the times she was up late in bed.

Several others got up to help her without really knowing what to do. She told them about memory flashes before but they hadn't really witnessed the effects.

"Fire. Let me go. They bled. Why me." She uttered in a flat tone with even skips between the words.

There was a hand in front of her. A white hand reaching for her. In memory, in reality, and in the surreal.

"Ill child."

"Ari, please."

"Choose, Sister."

"I want to live."

...

...

When she awoke she was in her own bed, at home. A typical morning in New Aun-Lixa.

She shared breakfast with the shadow shrouded pure-white figure and went to the park with Liinei.

She took a moment to remember who she had lost and shed a tear at the hooded figure's statue.

She wore her coat and shielded her head from the deep red rain of blood that fell from the sunless sky.

She opened the stairwell door and fell down into the burning chasm of oranges and blinding whites.

The same color greeted her as she opened her eyes again, facing Catarina's concerned pair looking right back at her.

"She's glowing... What happened to her? What do you mean you can't see it?" She said to the others. "Can you hear me?" She asked Ari.

"...hhhggghh......."

"Can we tell if it's a good thing or not?" Liinei's worry was palpable.

"We'd need someone who's more knowledgable on things such as this. And I don't know of anyone who is." Said Kazo.

Ari fell back into the daze for but a second before falling asleep fully.

Was this the illness Harae spoke of?

Sacellum

As it was spoken of and written in the parchment guiding them so far, onto the belly of the sea drowned in black abyss grew a small peninsula.

On it laid the Monastery that Jasewic was so eager to reclaim by the hands of our Luna Vis.

Her head was mostly cleared from what transpired the night before, but Ari could still see random images of the wrong appearance the capital took in her vision.

Nothing like the towering walls and eroded limestone buildings that laid in front of her, however. It all seemed to build up and confine the inside and eventually rise into a long basilica and a bell tower at the end.

With this being in such an advantageous position they were wary of resistance. If they were to encounter anyone hostile, they had no laws in the way of going all out. Down there was a dog eat dog world.

Maybe we can clear her up in a holy place like this... thought Catarina.

They approached the front gate and it seemed as derelict as the rest of the ruins down here. The difference was the tough build of it made it more intact than any other.

Since there were no holes or missing segments of the wall and it being too tall to scale they had no other choice but push open the heavy door. And they did, with a clammer that shook the air for a mile around. Anyone who could be inside heard them come in.

But inside they were utmost surprised to see a still green garden. It wasn't frozen either, it was growing foliage and flowers right up to the walls of the building capping this enterance section.

"What a rare find! And in such a place! This will serve us good." Kenoma was pleased.

"What, you're moving down here?" Asked Liinei.

"No. By our directive we assist you in the restoration and make this place a checkpoint." He explained his team's directives.

"That is what we agreed on." Confirmed Catarina.

Thump. Slam. Clatter.

Sounds came from the building on the other end of the garden. Something was there.

Kazo gently opened the door.

The first floor was empty, as the rest could see once they followed inside. He took careful steps up the stairs.

In the midpoint a clash happened: He turned to go further up, and crashing into him came a furred figure.

They collided and almost fell over but his towering form grabbed the demon and held up his strong arm in threat.

"Shhh." He silenced.

The demon, who was some sort of rodent, whimpered a little in fear before he was tossed down to the rest of the soldiers. Cat tied him right up. The rest of misfits he found upstairs came down freely in surrender.

Once they were lined up, the tall lunar took to his so-called diplomatic approach.

"What were you lot doing in here, you churls?" He questioned harshly.

"Isn't that derogatory?" Ari whispered to Liinei.

"Uhm, nothing, sir. We've just been staying here in safety...." The first one he caught spoke meekly.

Kazo made him jump in fear by standing right over him with his imposing stature.

"You'll have to leave. Anyone else still in here? You better tell us."

Is this how I'd be treated living here in Hell?

"M-my friend... We haven't seen him in a week..." A different once spoke shyly.

"Kazo, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Érenn spoke up.

"Any difora by you guys?" He peered as he dug further.

What's a difora? He sounded accusatory there.

"No, never. We were on the run from that, some maniacs took over our settlement up the way of the river a little bit from here." The first one explained.

"I say we let them wait here until we secure the place. Their friend could be here... or what we can bring back of him, should he pose danger." Said Érenn.

The bunch looked understanding enough but still torn up.

Poor people. I don't want them to lose anyone. We're the ones that should shoulder that burden, even for demons.

There wasn't any reason to wait around any longer. The back of the building opened up into a cloister with a long dried up reservoir in the middle. The first couple levels only held dusty libraries and no way further in, so they had to ascend higher. It made sense, considering the compound was built on a slope.

There was no sign of anyone. Not in the halls, empty dormitories, not in the cellars or abandoned offices.

"I bet four hundred silver that the guy ditched and ran away weeks ago." Catarina put forth a wager.

"You're so insensitive, Cat!" Ari replied.

"Why make such a dumb bet over someone? What if he's dead?" Shonas was also upset.

"Are you that afraid to make some money, Ariel? Isn't that like two months of wage for you?" Pushed Cat.

While he was busy looking around Kazo picked up on this.

"They pay you that little? Seriously? You'd have been an officer by now in Kenoma, if the papers didn't lie about your talents." He echoed from a bit of a distance.

"I'll take it. Just to see your face when you're wrong." Ariel accepted.

Cat grinned on in sheer confidence.

Jerk.

Up ahead was a derelict ruined part. It only served as a bridge now, some of the rubble still had old illustrations and even carvings.

"You recognize any of 'em?" Érenn asked Catarina. There were some saintly looking figures within the ruined depictions.

"How could I not? The main three archangels are there, I see some lesser ones too. A lot of these actually are martyrs of the old church." She explained what could be seen.

Old timey paintings upon the crumbled limestone, haloed men each attending to their servitude of God.

"Michael's the one holding light. Raphael's the one churning water, and Gabriel is showing the way to the wind." She pointed at each one.

"Am I on one of these?" Ari asked.

"I couldn't tell. I've got no clue what you're the angel of, must be a lesser one." Cat said with true honesty for once, as she was talking about a matter with actual interest.

"How am I lesser? I can pour some water out or breathe hard if that's what it means to be a known angel." Ari wanted recognition.

She looked at the lesser ones closer. They stood in a row, each one holding what looked to be a small baton made of yellow color. The one in the very front had a sword held out in their hand, facing them all.

"So what about this? Does it mean I'm some arbiter of war? Or some footsoldier? Wingsoldier?" Said Ariel as she mimicked the depicted weapon almost perfectly.

"Huh. To be honest you don't really match a war angel. But it is common to see or read about angels who carry something like a... I guess like an enchanted weapon. I've read it matches the user, changing to be a perfect fit like what is used in Uvica exams." Cat went deeper into thought.

"Makes sense. But I make it from my own grace." Ari replied.

"Maybe you're the one who made those?" Shonas added his own little theory.

At the end of it the path went only two ways. One up to the basilica, and the other down the way to the chamber Catarina was seeking.

The place to connect with the apostles of Jasewic: the Communion Hall.

"Let's wait for the captains here." Ari said.

"Actually, Kazo's a lieutenant. He's been wanting a promotion but there's too many in his house to compete with." Érenn gave a little insight on their superior.

"Oh..."

"Let's just wait around then." Catarina said in a somber tone. She wanted nothing other than to do her duty.

Still she obliged and sat down with the rest of them on an old dusty bench. What she was about to do would take a heavy toll on her and she would rather have been done with it right away. Her nerves wouldn't leave her the whole time they waited.

Revelation

Why'd I have to go with the other team? I'd rather just be with Cat, not go up here just for inspection.

Ari followed them up the steps. Shonas was spared having to exert himself with looking all over the largest part of the monastery.

"Seems like it really was the grim outcome I was dreading that waited for us." Érenn was crouched down over something on the floor.

The first step into the basilica was stained with old dried blood. One could not tell by the black color were it not splattered and in the midst of scattered fur and miniscule chunks of demonic remains.

"Goodness! What the hell happened?" Ariel was surprised.

The Kenoma leader didn't even bother taking a second look.

"Had to be another demon. The guys at the enterance would have heard it leave, so it's bound to be still around." He concluded from so little.

"In the church? This place is huge. And if it was some crazy demon they could've jumped the wall..." Ari spoke from experience.

"We'll still have to comb this place thoroughly. You're a recon, right? Search missions should be second nature." Kazo stated.

He's right on that. I couldn't leave without at least checking if there's more of a body to recover anyways.

The holy chamber coiled up around the cliff face, into which its builders carved the motifs matching what was seen before. A collusion of important figures from the history of the church.

Many nooks could hide someone here, with a huge amount of clutter and booths for prayer, benches, and small segments sprouting off to tiny chapels.

Ari looked inside, checked each corner, peered under benches and stared at the frescos on the ceilings.

Divine blessing showering those who prayed, angels spearing the ones who sinned and casted into hell. The demons below bathing in blood, and a man fit for a throne rising into the light.

This was not the same as the scriptures she was reading in her youth, this was pure Jasewican history. She eagerly looked through more of the main temple and more of the obscure corners to learn.

//---

Ahead of the clergywoman was the exact place she was needed. A wide chamber in the shape of a dome, directly under the church. This one was downright huge, much bigger than the one housed in the common church.

A great deal of care has to go into making something so perfectly circular and smooth down to the smallest imperfection.

This really is going to be enough to reach Heleda Mäe. But will I, alone, be able to reestablish it? Catarina pondered.

No turning back now.

The floor was inlaid with a miriad of scriptures, all circling and encroaching on the center. Within the center laid the shape of a cross. The scenery was unnerving enough for the non-believing, but what she was about to do would be certainly more than a shock.

Again she reached for the thing she brought all this way. It was gently placed on the floor by her, then a thread undone with her spiral hilted dagger. Varnished dark wood sat beneath, and a latch held the top in place. That being undone let her raise the true object of significance out of the container: a sizable vial, about a meter tall, filled almost to the brim with a dark red fluid.

"That's... I know what that is....." The young demon behind her could pinpoint that scent at a moment's notice.

Demon's blood.

Liinei also looked a bit offput, but they trusted their subordinate to keep within boundaries.

"I know, captain, I know. This is the reason why I was so late, a bit difficult to get so many donations from Kenoma. And kid, don't worry. I'll gently ask, should I need some of yours." She addressed their reactions.

A sudden rustle made them whip around and face the enterance. Liinei's hand was ready to unsheathe their sword.

A five minute long standoff against nothing. Cat chose to just continue with the ritual

The covering on top was unsealed, and the thick, metallic, yet ashy scent was apparent to all of them now.

At the base of the cross in the floor she tilted the vial and the shape began to fill in. By some force the scriptures that were also inlaid in the ground began to glow white, gradually filling the room as the central cross was filled in parallel.

"Hmmm."

"Hmmm what?" The captain asked.

"It's just... It's just I'm not feeling it." Cat said as if it was something they would understand.

"Ooookay? Well I can't help you with this at all..." They went on, circled around looking closer at the cross.

"Hmmmmmhh........" She pondered further.

Until...

Another splash of blood, more messy.

"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" "Huh? What the....???" Both of the ones accompanying her were taken aback.

She put her dagger through her own hand, pouring her own blood inside the cross as well.

Once again a rustle but faint footsteps approached and the captain could not stand by and thus took a fighting stance.

"Show yourself!" They exclaimed.

Silence once more, save for the last drops of the fresh blood into the pool within the cross.

The rest of the scriptures lit up, and the blood evaporated into white light in a flash. The remainging vapor surrounded her and brought her to her knees.

They could tell she was in some sort of trance state, whatever goal she had seemed to have come true.

I claim by the name of Catarina Bauer, on behalf of our Queen and in the honor of King Jasewic and his court. Hear me, from the lost haven of Nursium. Revere my voice, thou whose heart is tender for Him.

---//

It's about time I find something, or I might just take a nap in one of these booths.

Ari hadn't found any trace of a single soul. There were a few drops of the same old blood, splattered high up the pillars. She noticed them as she gazed at more of the frescos.

Here in the main chamber the depictions were of more importance, showing martyrdom, apostles, and seraphim praising God's name.

"Holy, Holy, Holy.... Will that make me one of you?" She pondered. She wondered if she even wanted to be an angel, rather than the demon she lived as now.

A crash rung out, followed by a shout:

"I swear I just saw something!" The lunar was riled up.

Ari looked on from a bit of a distance, but disregarded his concerns. If anything happened the three of them would handle it without a question.

The serval was at the end part of the building, where it spread out into two wings. East and West with their own motifs, and of course the head, the Central Crosier.

Her vision could only wander so much before stopping at the altar directly in the middle. There must have been thousands of sermons and ceremonies conducted here over the age. But in front of it was a beam of light, descending there directly from the ceiling where a painting of a Trinity of angels were.

Ariel was drawn to this light, for no comprehensible reason, and stood within it.

A few seconds of basking lent nothing. She closed her eyes expecting something but what she expected only happened once she opened them back up.

Bluish light blinded her from the left, pink light from the right. All the color from them concentrated to two shapes, leaving the surroundings a blinding white.

"Ariel. You have descended to the world, as ordained." The words beamed from the pink side.

"She is weak. To complete this sealing I must unveil my Aspect." Declared the other, turning to a darker blue.

I was weak? Why? Why do I always have to be weak?

Her head fell to look on her hands, two mosaics of void, with white peering out from under. Her torso was pouring out sickly dark green, her knees buckled just from standing.

"I will care for you, as sure as the Light that reaches all." The pink one embraced, while the blue left.

"Brother in Light... I'll live by your side.... and await Sister's return." She muttered with her weak and weary voice.

Her voice, the raspy one from the mouth of the serval, the one that gave out as she broke out in tears.

It was the last seconds of her vision, and her peripheral filled back out into the painted ceiling above.

A frail groan.

Teeth inside her throat.

Out of reflex she jabbed forward, felt something budge, reached to her throat but couldn't quite feel it.

Something was in the way, thrashing.

I'm awake. I'm hurt for real. I can't call for help.

The one thing her elevated headspace spurred her to do was to use her grace.

For Ariel it was difficult to form coherent shapes without seeing what she was making.

But was that really needed?

She let her intuition guide it, her grace flourished by being set free, as the blood was set free into her range of vision.

A twisted golden spire emerged through the person shaped mass, which relinquished the maw on her neck.

By the long hilt in her hand she dragged out the malformed lance she had made, leaving a trail of blood from the chest of the black dog she could now see.

Its eyes wild, sclera burning yellow. Ari knew that she had to stand her ground alone until the others arrived, but her time was limited with her neck squirting blood with each pump of her racing heart.

The two demons had no sense to just stand around, the serval swept with her weapon but it was jumped over and she was landed upon.

The weight pushed her to the ground but the incessant biting was kept at bay with the lance she held in the way of the dog's head.

She used her most powerful body part: her legs. The other demon was sent into the air with the strength of her kick, and she quickly got to her feet from the pool of her own blood.

"....foul...... beast......" Ari's choked voice could still let some taunting out.

It came at her with its claws this time. Even as her lance ripped through its shoulder, it got close enough to claw her several times down her arm and torso.

It also had a distinct advantage she did not: its wounds were closing up from the blood it ingested.

I won't. Never again. But I can't die either.

She took hold of the black dog and threw it into a pile of discarded old furniture. The loud crash would be more than enough to alert the Kenoma duo.

It launched back at her from the rubble and clawed her once more, this time across the face. Her vision was hindered by the blood in her eyes but her pristine hearing could detect anything, even past her rapid heartbeat.

I'll kill you, I'll kill you so bad.

Ariel thrust her weapon right at center mass, but for the first time she thought to run more grace into her weapon, not knowing what would even happen.

It impaled the demon, and with the grace surging into the armament it grew sporadically, sprouting gnarled horns and spikes and breaking brittle grace metal off into the demon's flesh.

With the grave injury it somehow enraged further, and did something strange. Strange to her at least.

Ari has only experienced the berserk state form the side of the one going through it, not facing one. As such she was unaware that a demon pushed to this extent would erratically use its grace.

There was a shockwave knocking her arm aside, making her lose her weapon which dissipated once it left her hand.

She felt the demon's dark red grace burning her as it wrestled her, intending to finish it all with another bite to the neck.

Ari attempted to use her grace again to make at least a dagger or knife, but just a few sparks flew out of her hand as she tried.

I'm out??? But I've only made one thing. I'm done for...

Yandra.... lend me... something.... anything...

Nothing arose from the fading mark on her hand.

Harae.... help.....

A hard slam and a feeling of its snout against her neck. She knew it was over.

What?

She felt the sick taste once more, metal and foul liquid. The dog's head was covered in it and dripping, and as Ari's sight beheld Kazo standing over her she realized she might just make it.

Having consumed the blood of another and the grace within, though unwillingly, she had enough in her to stand once more. The many wounds on her were clotting and ceasing to bleed. Her throat was at least able to carry the musty air of the church to her lungs, she was still in the fight, even without being able to wield her grace.

"Mathison. Stay at the back, we'll take care of this." Her lunar savior insisted.

His words were kept, and she stood behind him with her sword drawn.

The dog was only interested in the bloodied prey and not the tall man in front of it. It was relentless in the pursuit of the serval, and was deterred several times.

"Hey! Don't go for her, bite me instead! Stupid mongrel." He held out his exposed arm to entice it.

The bait was taken and its snarled maw was wrapped around his forearm in no time.

"Gotcha."

Kazo shrouded his arm in his scales piercing its mouth at every angle. However the demon did not simply let this happen, as it created another burst of grace separating them.

"You thi--" Ari tried to speak but her neck wounds opened again and her airway filled up with blood.

"Stay back! I told you I have it!" He berated.

The demon got enough blood to have even the heavier injuries Ari gave it close up.

The lunar chose to take initiative and use the same move that he cleared the field with: the earthquake. The brick floor erupted in a fissure with the force of his powerful input and almost broke its legs.

But the dog demon also gained momentum, and with pain only increasing its frenzy it did not falter in its approach. It took to Kazo, who with the weight of his scale covered arm could not fight back properly, was then being wrought harm upon.

Neither of the Uvica members expected the demon to be able to start tearing the lunar up, but tear him up it did. And with the shock waves the soft state lunar was being seriously harmed.

Ari knew the futility of it, as weak as she was now, she still shoved her sword into the side of the demon. She grit her teeth and fought tooth and nail to get it off of him, even if it meant she would be next.

Alas it did not turn out that way. Her shoulder was gently tugged and she could not relent. Into her sight lunged Érenn. Her mouth wide open with rusty red grace frothing within.

The hand about to claw Kazo once more was removed by the bite the dhole had executed. The entire appendage was removed and the residue from Érenn's grace melted into its flesh, its screams attesting to the harm done.

"Sorry I'm late. You're in bad shape, girl." She said, less worried about her leader.

He only took a few seconds to form himself into proper shape, though chunks of clay were missing.

Ari really was on the verge collapse. If she teetered a little it was no issue, but she would pass out if she so much as sat.

With her drive stemming from her leftover momentum she foolishly attempted to keep within the fight.

The other two were just about to collectively attack the demon but Ari got in the way and was slammed to the side with little regard. From laying on the ground she was in clear view of it while she got up.

As the demon stood, Kazo embellished Érenn with his sky blue grace. Her own arm sprouted the scales but more emulsified.

What in Heaven's name?

She took this red-blue arm of massive weight and destructive design and directly hit the rapidly approaching demon right in the abdomen. The thing was torn nearly in half.

"Hah... It's....." Her voice choked again, and her vision went black.

Wounds

Having come across the same remains of the other squatter Liinei's bunch moved up to find the rest of the present Uvica.

It wasn't right.

Sometimes there was distinctly a sense of being watched. They were too attentive to just let the feeling go.

"Shonas. You sense anything? And how about you, Catarina?" Liinei assessed the situation.

"It's just eerie. I can't tell." Responded the boy.

Cat was too weary from the ritual so she just shook her head in response.

They rounded the turn that made the way to the end of the place a direct shot. They were stopped in their tracks by what they saw.

"How could they have missed this? If Ari saw this... she could not go before at least...." Cat trailed off from discomfort. She had to stop looking at it.

Looking at the strewn up and bled out corpse lying in wait, there for them to see as they followed the rest. It must have been the poor squatter, some of its wounds looked older. The pillar it hung from was covered in semi-fresh blood. This was a recent, torturous killing.

"No, you're right. This was done after the others came through. Let's catch up with them at once." The captain took charge.

Wary steps were the most they could take. Every little sound was cause for alarm.

No, if we're not finding anything as we go, then... Catarina realized.

"Liinei! It's going for them! Hurry the hell up!" She burst out.

They understood what the implications were and sprinted away, Shonas following. Cat was to arrive later, weary after the communion.

At the altar the beat up serval refused to sit. Reaching up to her face to clean off the blood was the Érenn, who was also quite exhausted. Kazo was leaning against the wall at the back. He had parts of clay missing and was not very happy in the moment.

The beam of light still lit the same spot in front of the pedestal. Near it lay the demon in its own blood, they supposed it to be a wolf of some kind.

By Érenn's acrid strike the body of it was barely held together, but the toll it took was visible on her. Her stance was shabby and her panting was unceasing.

Out of their little group's sight was stealthily approaching yet another canine. It was way larger, with mangled and blood caked fur.

The Luna Vis captain beheld the nigh-inevitable scene ready to unfold and thus chose the path of more resistance.

//---

When a lunar runs there is not a single reason for them to breathe hard.

I'm a different case. I heave when I am terrified.

Sorry if I lied, Ariel.

I was merely a child back then. Back when I first had reason to suffer it.

...

The young pale child questioned their older sibling of the same complexion.

"Aun-Lixa was supposed to be safe for us. Why? Why is this happening?"

They were on the run. The familiar ways between the windowless arches in the Serenfair estate gave none of respite a usual walk home would.

Instead their itenerary was to find safety from those pursuing them.

"Just keep running Liinei! Follow behind me!" Their elder sister led the young child.

They were not a lunar just yet, or moonfolk as they would turn out to be.

Ahead were familiar halls and chambers but with all the furnishings and decorations strewn around and destroyed.

Liinei's poor mind had to bear the sight of corpses that were left around in the same manner. A few faces they recognized, more of them unidentifiable from what was done to them

Clay littered the glossy white floors in the nightmare the two were desperately escaping from.

"Is that..." the sister uttered the words at what laid in front:

A corpse of a woman stripped of all personhood. Mutilated yet still wearing their mother's dress.

All possible air that her lungs could hold were expelled in an instant.

They'll find us now. She screamed. I don't want to die.

And right away came the footsteps of a solitary person.

Liinei chose to hide while their sister tried to first see who was on the way.

"Hello? Who is there?" She peered down the way they came.

Peering right back, right in her face was an overbearing figure of a man. Deep red hair hung over his face, wide eyes glaring orange at his victim.

That's...

"Hello, Zelfié. This isn't not personal, the Serenfair must be culled for high treason."

Her lips stammered and she almost tripped on the fearful steps she took backwards.

"Please, just let me go, Masao. Remember the little hideaway between the walls? After class?" She pleaded. Her younger sibling was surprised about the identity of the assailant.

"And how far did we drift apart? You were a good friend, I'll remember our little time together." The sinister response came.

Liinei was watching on from such a hideout, obscured by the ruin. A place out of focus in the hunt that they were lucky enough to find themselves in.

Please just keep running, you said so. Please get away, Zel. I don't want to see...

"You... you're so heartless...."

"Aren't we all?"

She bound down the end of the room to the heavy set of doors that could let her escape, the only possible way out.

Following her in slow steps was the man. His confident strut, his arm outstretched, palm pointed at her while she ran.

Wait, what is he....

The sound. Liinei's could never forget the harrowing memory of it.

The exact sound of something heavy and hollow erupting from an overload of pressure; a hole from within his hand bursting out witha jet of teal grace.

Zelfié was still on the run and just on the cusp of reaching her safe haven. Her upper back was hit and covered and stuck to her.

NO. NO. NOT ZEL. I DON'T WANT THIS. Was the thought, but they could only breathe heavy in panic.

The grace clung to her and burst her clay to pieces little by little, etching the horrific murder into their memory forever.

There was no savior here apart from the small crevice they hid away further in.

---//

Even if it tears me apart I'll be free in death.

With a scream they tore apart their own extremity to alter it to the required shape.

Liinei's entire arm separated down themiddle, then rejoined at the seams. Moonfolk were not meant to haphazardly alter their shape such as this.

The demon was just about to pounce on Érenn and Ariel.

"This time I am the one which pursues." They muttered. Grace overfilled the newly created chasm in their arm.

With the proper aim the shot landed square on the target, the arm burst open in various places but they survived.

Kazo and the others noticed the distinct noise and the commotion, and became part of the engagement.

The demon cared not for them any more, it only seeked retribution. Its flesh tearing away from the grace ravaging it was severe, but it still charged right at the moonfolk.

Liinei was spent. It took all the grace they could possibly expel to do what they did. The demon was torn to shreds but closed the distance in seconds.

Sorry, Zel.

They toppled over from the slash of the massive claws at the end of its hand, clay torn to the very center.

Perhaps from luck they seemed lifeless enough for it to leave them alone. Another doll on the floor.

Bloodlust drove it and one was drenched in it.

"Keep Ariel Safe in the back." Kazo commanded his team's senior.

He stood firm despite his lacking of some clay. Again he chose to lead away the beast's attack to the best of his ability.

The scales manifested more sparsely and only partly up his arm.

His remainders of strength would be put to the test against this wolf the same height as him.

Kazo withstood a claw and a bite, attacks that pinged off his grace scales but left some marks on his skin underneath.

"Come on you prick." He mumbled, kicked the demon down and readied a hefty attack.

He set its head to the side with an offhand punch and delivered the full weight behind his dragon arm's strike. Visceral cracking of its skull and blood splattering eased everyone's worries.

Kazo thought it would be finished. He was wrong. Still stood over it he had a miniscule moment to notice the flash of it's eye's yellow flash before he was grappling with the canine.

In trying to overpower it once more he forced as much as he could. Until one moment when something felt very, very wrong.

His fighting arm felt it being gripped, which was somewhat strange because of it's sharpness. He felt it being twisted and tugged and by the time he realized it was already done.

At him the demon swung his own torn off arm sending him into solid wall.

Both team leads dispatched and possibly killed in seconds, their names screamed out by their onlooking subordinates.

Catarina and Shonas were nowhere near arriving in time to help. So Shonas attemped something.

"Catarina, please run to the corner, I can move there quickly, I have this ability...." He frantically planned.

She grabbed him by the shoulders to deliver her discernment:

"Listen here. What's in front of us is certain death."

"THAT'S MY MOTHER OVER THERE!!! YOU MIGHT BE A COWARD BUT I WON'T JUST STAND BY WHILE SHE'S KILLED!!!!" He shoved her off.

"You'll just die in vain, you idiot!" She yelled back. There wasn't much time.

"The more I think about it the more I'll mess it up, just do it!" He was truly adamant and confident.

She still wasn't privy to the idea but at least it didn't need her to run headfirst into danger in her state. A touch on her made a small mark and she departed.

He unsheathed his saber and got as ready as he possibly could.

With his nerves urging him to stay away, he saw the large wolf walk down the center at the two demon women. The blood dripping from its many fresh wounds abating, and most definitely seeking to restore itself by their blood and flesh.

"Far enough?" Cat turned back.

"See for yourself!" He returned.

She felt a twist as she was turned against her will. In the arc she rotated she saw Shonas move rapidly in the way of her angle, launching direcly at the enemy.

"This idiot..."

In the moment he was unseen he decisively attacked the legs of the wolf. He didn't quite hit the tendons he was aiming for but now he was there to assist the others.

The beast would have stood almost two heads over him, had it not been forced to hunch from the damage to its legs.

"Érenn... What... do we do...?" Ari asked with her voice still not fully back. She bolstered her stance as a sign of her willingness to fight on.

"We might just about have a chance. I can manage one more bite with my ability... You stay your blade unless there's no other choice." She advised. As the only senior aside from Catarina she was in charge.

Knowing this plan Shonas focused on keeping the wolf's attention on himself.

"Come on then! Get me you big bastard!" He beckoned while his mother snuck closer.

A snarl, a flaring of the skin on its snout, a flash of its stained teeth. The creeping fear shook him but he wasn't about to relinquish his trust in himself.

Sure its savage strength and speed vastly outmatched his, but its first attack completely missed. Or rather, it was evaded.

The consequent ones were just as unsuccessful. It couldn't discern his movements, each swing, each slam or bite was exploited. His sheer momentum gave enough inertia for him to circle around and stay safe in arms reach of the beast.

She's just a little bit away. If she makes a single mistake I'll have to grab her and run... If I even can...

Rage was building and the attacks shaved closer at the young dhole. He thought to get away once more, but he felt his tail get stepped on pinning him on the ground. the maw was headed right for his jugular but the reach of his hand was quicker to land on his side. Upon the contact he flipped right side up and fell to the floor.

Shonas seemed lost in the moment, looking like a shell of himself.

The distraction was long enough. Érenn was going right for the face with her now prepared attack: the acid enveloping her mouth and fangs.

If only Ariel didn't trip over and alert the wolf to the direction of the ambush.

Fuck.

A backhand swing struck the sneaking soldier. A foolish mistake for the wolf however, as it put his hand where it shouldn't have.

It was left with a stump of an arm from the acidic bite it recieved, so it opted grab her with the other.

She was held up by the neck, the monster unabating despite the desperation and objections of the son of his victim.

She won't last long like that... Where the HELL is Cat? I have to step in.

Her unwilling charge left her only in a worse position. In her unannounced attempt a collision happened. Shonas tried to turn with him again, but crashed into Ariel.

Before they could even call each other idiots the one being held up gurgled, the pressure on her throat from the crushing grasp taking its toll and was quickly nearing her end.

Caught in each others frantic attempts to get back up and at the demon, the two only got in the way of aiding.

Above them, in the tower, the bell began ringing. The dim interior immersed in the brightness of the ray of light Ari basked in.

And from within it emerged a singular form, clad in robes of white. Arriving to the commotion was a being none of them were sure of the kind of.

"Aset, into clear view." She recited. A quick flare of light, but vivid orange grace enveloped her.

As soon as it was gone a miriad splinters rained into the wolf, making him relinquish the grip and ram at the strange being. The being which looked to be an intersection of human and demon...

"What IS this? We better get away. Damn Catarina can't be here to tell me anything." Ari was fed up but was at least safe for now.

"Worry about he cleric later... We have to get my mother to safety." Shonas let his concern be known.

In just the nick of time before the conflict truly exploded they managed to drag Érenn away. Ariel glanced back at the violent affair behind.

Little did she know of how brief the entire ordeal would end up being.

In the glimpses she got she saw there was a torrent of orange flame decimating the wolf, who pushing through was also fighting back. Even that was futile.

Its overbearing stature did not matter in the face of one posessing such sheer strength. The moves she did were extraordinary, even for a demon, regardless of size.

"Cat, you... here somewhere?" Ari yelled out to regroup.

"Right here. Liinei's in bad shape..." Cat responded.

"What... about Kazo...?" Érenn was the one to ask.

"I... I haven't seen him." Pensively replied Cat.

Staring back with worry they happened to witness the last of the life of the one who was responsible.

As its last effort it tried a bite, but the being took hold of its head and twisted.

Were they to be next, or was this creature amicable?

The limp body slid to the floor from her hands. All interest shifted towards the present Uvica.

"Halt. Do not approach, identify yourself." Catarina stepped up. Out of her side she was the one in line of command.

Her words were heeded. From this distance the clergywoman and the serval got a good look at the thing.

She looked to be humanoid, yet fur adorned her. Her grace flickered out but the remnants were clearly a mellow orange. Her red eyes slashed with cross shaped pupils...

Is this an angel? Cat, say something.

"Have no fear in thine heart." Was exuded at them.

"You... Identity- Identify... yourself." She probed. Her eyes darted around and her stance was unsure.

"I pose no harm. Do not act rash in this moment of clarity."

"Cat. Are you alright?" Ari was worried.

"Yeah." She responded.

Then her body hit the floor with a soft thud.

Can you not lie. For once please.

The next few seconds were spent with awkward eye contact between the being and Ariel, until it said:

"Clerics." in a somewhat relieved voice.

"Uhm. So... You are- I mean I'm..." The serval tried to make some sort of sense.

In the meantime the being approached her and looked her over.

"Seems I was right in my assessment before. Ariel, right? I hope to Light I caught your name." They brushed past.

With the distance between them closed Ari could see them much better. Pinkish hair and tan skin, white fur going up to their shoulder from under the robes of the same color. A leaf on top of the head?

"Quick second, you've got something...." Ari flicked it off.

"A-"

Burst out from behind them was a mass, a jungle of tails. White fur and pink tips, fluffy in all directions. Now there was a real fed up expression.

Ari was hit right in the face with the cascade of fur. She was scrambing to pick the leaf back up and eventually placed it back on top of its rightful place on the top of the hair. With its return the tails disappeared as well, allowing them to converse further.

"Quite rude of you, Ariel. That is your name, I ask again?"

"I uhm.. Yes. I'm Ariel. Of Luna Vis. But who are you? You didn't answer my comrade."

"I am called Sapieha. Though I am unsure, we might be of the same ilk." She introduced.

Same ilk? As in, she's also an angel?

The serval held her hand up and forced the slightest bit of remaining grace she had, intending to confirm the color.

"Here's your insurance. Can you... help me? I may not be the greatest but I am an angel. A weak and sick one, but I need to become stronger." She pleaded.

"I can imagine so by the state of things." Sapieha looked at their surroundings. "However. You weren't exactly quiet during that little episode of yours. Despite your allegiances I have cause to assist you." She relented. There was some intrigue to her in Ariel specifically.

"Really? You mean it? Can you help me master my grace? Can you tell me where my siblings could be?" Ari got too excited, her tail stood to no end. She also almost shook Sapieha hard enough to make the leaf fall off again.

"Enough! If you truly wish for me to take a single step in your sake you better let go." She told her.

The serval quickly got herself in order. Though she wasn't sure where to go from there she didn't need to.

"As of now you cannot guarantee me safety from your Moonly associates, as such I will be along unseen." The angel thing explained.

"What's that mean? Wait, were you there in the light with me? Perv." Ari's smugness was back.

"Hey- I mean I was just- sigh... No matter that. If you need me repeat this chant: Fair above, Light below." She instructed, then stepped away.

Stepping back into the beam of light. Holding her arms out her form began to turn clear.

"Hold on, just a little, please I have so many things to ask!" Ari begged in desperation.

"All shall occur as it was willed. We will see each other again." And with that Sapieha was gone into the gleam.

Not a trace was visible.

"My head really must be in shambles, because I swear I just saw two angels." An unlikely voice surprised Ari.

Liinei was sitting up despite their ravaged state. They looked over to see the demon that assailed them all dead and Ariel the only one left standing.

"You'll get that raise for sure after this... haha...." They remarked.

"Holy hell I forgot. Are you okay, Liinei?" She ran up and knelt, held their face in worry.

"Oh come on now... I'm not doing the worst here."

"I don't know these things, I can't tell how hurt you can get. Don't hide your pain either. Not from me."

Never from me. I can't protect you if I don't know.

You, the others, it doesn't matter.

I can be a savior.