The Castle (IC) [M] {04}

[Aisha deCabre]

Rynkura's nostrils flared as the bat replied to her with his glare thrust into her face, a reaction that just screamed of disgust.  Still the tigress was staunch, at least secure in the notion that she still had her barrier.  Her mind was quick in coming up with all sorts of answers to the demon's retorts, though she wondered just how long the talk would keep before he would try to make good his threat.

When he finished, Rynkura's calm countenance returned in place of the expression of disgust.  It almost seemed...apologetic, surprisingly.  "Quite honestly, I have considered that.  You do not live for nearly a millenium without learning how to see two sides...at least, the good-minded people do not.  But see, that is not nearly long enough to see when magic was first utilized and the first Demon walked with the first Being...as well 'Cubi and Angels other Creatures.  Nor is it long enough to have seen what really started it all."

She glanced back up Asmodai, and within her emerald eyes there was something of a wise curiosity, a seeking of understanding.  "I doubt you have lived long enough to see what has truly happened, either.  Your families' practices may be the fault of the Beings, and maybe it's not.  There are plenty of other Demons--some you may have met perhaps--that see reason to kill Beings as the simple principle of the stronger survive, and that it has always been that way.  That Beings were as animal as our feral counterparts until intelligence evolved and compromised their more magical predators.  'Might makes right', and all of that nonsense.  All that the adventurers are doing today is treating their survival to those standards, when they prove their strength against the supposed stronger."

She grinned slightly, remembering a certain metaphor, though in a different way.  "Like, perhaps, the spider as being a predator to all insects...and the mantis who can fight against the spider."

The tiger's ears lowered, once more giving her a fierce look.  Her arms crossed and tail swished through the air.  "So.  Aisha then should be killed for bearing magic that, in fact, she never wanted in the first place, and now that she may know she has it, may still not want?"  Her tone of voice became mocking, and she laughed.  "Shameful thinking, lord bat."

[Stygian]

The Demon's response was hard and direct, and much more calm and cold than the Angel probably expected.
   'No. She is to die because she should never have been born in the first place. Because vengeance was sworn, and because she now goes against me so that I can exact that vengeance without trouble.' His glare remained on the Angel, unwavering. 'That is why. And this,' he continued, indicating the Hellish pit around them with an outstretched arm and hand, the shadows and fire wreathing into the seemingly mile-long distance 'is why you have only two choices.'
   Stepping around, and planting his staff in the ground, the demon ruffled his wings and took a long, hard look, before speaking again.
   'You can either aid me, by standing aside. Or you may bring me your little protegé, and perhaps a few of the others, and we can negotiate. Or...' he stated, and bored his eyes into Rynkura's yet again, 'you can try to stand in my way and die a slow, agonizing death, watching those who you protect fail, before expiring.' Spreading his wings slightly as he adjusted his stance, the bat seemed ready to strike at her. 'What is your decision?'

- -

Idiots! You can't see, and you can't hear. But we feel you. Oh, yes, little Ketefe, dearest, we feel us... The voice inside Ketefe's head shifted and twisted, almost pleasant at one moment and then jumping to bone-chilling and insane at the next. In fact, the way whispers trailed it, it didn't seem to be just one voice, but perhaps two or three. Something, a wispy light, flickered and swam just behind her.
   'Or, listen to us.' Ketefe couldn't catch herself, before another sentence left her lips, unbidden. It sounded... not quite like her own voice. 'Because you are trapped and twisting. Yeeees...'

[Cogidubnus]

 Walking silently through the inky blackness, Ketefe's statement seemed to somehow grow infintiely more disturbing. The wolf looked back at the masked feline, raising an eyebrow, and had only taken a single step forward when he heard...whispers.

The wolf turned back to Ketefe, the dry, papery voice fading down the stone corridor. It had unmistakably come from the feline, but it...didn't quite sound like her. Cog only paused for a moment.
"Are you yourself, Ketefe?" he said, asking before he kept moving forward through the cave.

[Angel]

Ketefe continued to walk as she waited for reactions from the others. Keaton had been lost in though when she had spoken up, so the jackal looked a little surprised and confused. The feline remembered that Keaton hadn't seen her get possessed, so she wouldn't quite know what Ketefe was talking about. Cog hadn't reacted at all to her request, focusing on moving ever forward. She assumed that everyone at least had heard her, and would know that she might become dangerous later, so she said nothing and followed the others.

Her demon whispered to her again, taunting her, berating her senselessness. She was finding it harder and harder to ignore the voice in her head - especially now that it seemed to be multiple voices. Only one had possessed her... where had these others come from? She prepared herself to speak up again and warn the others of this new development.

But before she could, something whispered out of her head and past her lips - the demon's two cents.

"Or, listen to us. Because you are trapped and twisting. Yeeees..." Ketefe stopped and covered her mouth in horror. The voice hadn't sounded quite like hers... The demon's physical influence was coming back. "Oh shit..." she whispered in fear.

When Cog asked his question, she looked up. "I... I am now, but... that wasn't me. I thought it couldn't control me anymore... Shit." She started to walk again, despite being severely shaken. She was now attuned to every muscle in her body, in case anything tried to control her again. I don't want any more pain...

[Cogidubnus]

 Looking at Ketefe, Cog frowned for a moment, stopping, and looking first carefully ahead of him and then behind turned to face the masked feline. His face was concerned, and he walked up to the cat.
She sounded...very flustered. He didn't want to have to keep her from stabbing them all in the back at an inopportune time, either.

He unwrapped another silver charm from his hand, and without preamble simply placed the chain over the cat's head and around her neck. As soon as he let go of it, the light from his sword died, and Cog began to unwind a a third charm from his wrist, beginning to loop that one around his sword arm. Holy magic from the charm began to pour into the feline, making her almost palpably glow with light.

"That may help." Cog said simply, turning and beginning to walk forward again, his sword beginning to frost over.

[lucas marcone]

"Oooo glow in the dark kitty." Ian smiled. "good to know we have a walking nightlight now." Ian kept pace close to Cog. "You don't think she'll turn do you? How long you suppose those charms'll last?" He said in a hushed whisper.

[Aisha deCabre]

At this point, Rynkura wished that she still had her staff to clutch, and provide more light in the dingy volcanic landscape underground.  Instead, she was working hard to keep her claws from digging into the center of her palm within clenched fists.  The tigress saw the finality in Asmodai's words as he spoke to her again.  The talking was nearly at end.

Hopefully beneath the demon's notice, she sent forth small waves of magic into the earth from her feet and had kept doing it, never moving from her spot...she was grateful for the presence of earth, no matter how rocky or volcanic.  Earth was earth.

Meanwhile, she couldn't quite believe what he was saying.  Her heart was aching; a complete manifestation of the fear she had for Aisha and the fact that he was confirming it.  Among the business that old Don'Chel had with his grandson, he also wanted the huntress dead and the others disposed of.

Her face held no trace of emotion as he gave his offer, eyes staring straight forward and almost blank.  That was both concentration at work--the magic grew outward into the rock--and the fact that a nerve was finally struck within the Angel.  And she was going to illustrate that point quite clearly.  Her choice was made already, without quarrel...and she probably knew what fate awaited her...a demon even older than herself was quite formidable.  But at this point, it was anything to keep them safe, and she was prepared to fight for it.

"That's three choices," she corrected, her voice low.  "And you should know the answer.  I am a Healer, and by oath I cannot put anyone in harm's way.  Plus, I have taken a bit of a liking to this group of adventurers.  So I will not give them to you.  None of them."  Her lip curled up into a snarl.  "As for Aisha, she is not only my student, but my god-daughter.  She will live, as it is her divine right, as it is anyone's divine right; no matter where they may come from.  And you have pointed out that there is no true quarrel with anyone here, bar Sebastian."

Rynkura's look became one of reasonableness.  "So I shall add a fourth choice to that.  You just let me go, and I shall convince the others to leave.  Because, really, hostages aren't a part of any honorable fight."

It was then that she noticed the bat's stance was different.  He was ready to take his word out to kill her.  "No?"  She closed her eyes and lowered her head for a moment, looking solemn as she deactivated the gems on her sleeves, her grand feathered wings materializing once more, and letting loose the rest of her power.  She flared them, just as the demon had flared his.  "I guess I shall take that upon myself then."

Three things happened at once after that.  The barrier she had constructed shimmered, and then suddenly her form simply vanished into a quickly-constructed invisibility spell.  The next second, the magic pulses in the earth stopped, in favor of what they had conjured; fairly thick, thorned vines constructed of and carrying an unnatural light erupted from the ground around the bat and attempted to ensnare him.  And right after that, a distinct scrabbling and flapping sound could be heard from somewhere above, and going higher.

Within her encasement, lightning formed in her hands, she was ready at the first sign of a retort.  I hope that without my staff my power can outlive my resourcefulness.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cogidubnus looked at Ian quickly, his gaze only a flash before his attention returned to the darkness. He spoke softly. "I don't know. And I can recharge them, if necessary." he said, continuing forward. His footsteps echoed hollowly.

The cave managed to be freezing and sweltering at the same time, in defiance of all logic. Condensation dripped from the end of his sword, not freezing despite the powerful ice magics flowing through it.

"Where the hell is he..." Cog murmured, continuing on.

[Stygian]

When Cog placed that chain around her neck, Ketefe felt a shudder through her entire body. In her head, whispers of protest and pain rose up, distant and nearby at the same time. Something almost made her want to hiss, but at the same time the chill and relief that the holy symbol brought with it were almost enough to make her fur stand on end. Still, she could not feel entirely comfortable. For despite the reaction, the voices refused to die away. Something told her that they weren't going to. Not completely. Certainly not as long as she was practically bathing in all this evil around them.
   They had managed to get a good way ahead, before Cog spoke up once more. And in response, something made Ketefe giggle with malicious mirth. Not of her own accord, but...
   'You would not see him, even if he were right behind you!' she laughed, before her control restored itself. And you would not reach him, if he were right before you... the voice continued in her head, almost as if nothing had happened. She thought she could almost feel something behind her, but she couldn't catch anything there. There was nothing but empty cavern behind them.
   That's what you think, girl... The voice hissed into her ear as if she had spoken her thoughts aloud. But this is not a place for the living and the sane. Not a place for those who can be trusted. And that is why you cannot trust them. They are blind in the dark... She felt maniacal amusement stirring up inside her, though it was clearly separated from herself. She had no problem containing a laugh this time. But we can see, yes. Listen to us...

- -

The Angel's action was, as could be expected, faster. After all, there was no denying that her sort of creature were generally superior in the department of immediate speed. However, the Demon was not a slouch himself. And, much more significantly, the difference in power and age between the two was so vast that Rynkura could have brought several more like her, and it would have made no difference at all. The Demon was on very favorable territory. In short, the tigress' attempt was failed right from the start.
   When Rynkura's shield spell flickered and made her disappear from sight, Asmodai merely turned down his eyes. He knew full well some sort of distraction attack would come. To him, it seemed poorly constructed, nonpersistent as it was. The bat raised his staff, and then put the bottom down again with a hard snap, and in a heartbeat he spread his wings as a wall of rushing flames blasted out from him, covering and blurring his form. The vines she had created were swept away like mist, and paying no more heed, the bat leaned back his head, eyes closed. Reaching out with his hands, he clutched at the air above him, and in response the flames rushed upward, mimicking his movements. Then, breathing in sharply, he struck his palms together. And the fire moved.
   The blast as the almost hand-shaped torrents of flames came together around her was like an explosion right between Rynkura's ears. One second she was moving upward, vision clear and her spell and defenses holding. The next, the world turned inside out. Something cracked, and she tumbled. Then, she struck the ground. It seemed a miracle that she did not black out again. But her violently protesting stomach made her wish she had instead. She barely had time to move again, before slow steps approached her, and the world darkened.
   'There is no more to do, Angel. You lost before you even began playing,' Asmodai's darkened voice echoed from above her. Fire flared up somewhere to the corner of her vision, and then went away as a metallic, clinking sound reached her ears. A shadow bent over her, and then her head and chin were gripped, and she were lifted off the ground. 'What hopes did you think you had? You are trapped. And you will not escape. You have but to choose.'
   The Demon said no more. The cold, spiky metal of chains began wrapping itself around the tigress, and he left her there, with the truth of his words.

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog growled, partly in response to Ketefe's strange laugh, and party because, very simply, the wolf was getting tired of the dark.

Of not being able to see in front of him, of the almost suffocating feel of the inky black, and the more and more difficult fight it was becoming to not panic or twitch at every errant sound or footstep.
Cog paused. He had nowhere to stow his sword, so he simply set it on the ground for a moment.

"Angels of rain and thunder, hear, oh hear..." the wolf muttered, a low, soft cadence, and bringing one hand up high as if he was trying to reach for something hanging from the stone ceiling above - taking a fistful of the darkness, he brought it back down.
His hand alighted, a tiny ball of bright, bright sparks.

He whispered something else, and tossed the little thing into the air, where it began to circle the air above the party. It wasn't perfect, but being able to see anything at all made up for it.

Cog picked up his sword and continued, keeping his ears perked for the sound of claws on stone, of perhaps blanket cloth over a sword.

[Angel]

Ketefe froze for a minute when Cogidubnus looped the holy charm from his sword around her neck. An odd, conflicting sense of warmth and cold spread through her body, and she noticed that her body had begun to glow - not powerfully, but she was definitely luminous.

Okay, seriously, mind. Feel free to wake me up any time now.

Iam's joke helped her come as close to smiling as she had in the last few hours. She was beginning to think that maybe she'd survive this night after all, when Cog wondered aloud where Stygian could be, and her demon forced her to snicker cruelly.

"You would not see him, even if he were right behind you!" it jeered through her mouth. Even when she caught herself, the demon continued to mock inside her brain. She felt not only the invading presence of the demon, but the strangest feeling that... they were being followed. She turned to look, but the empty chasm behind them stretched on for miles and revealed nothing.

That's what you think, girl... The demon, answering her thoughts as if it shared them. She wanted to scream at the voice to stay out of her head, but it went on. But this is not a place for the living and the sane. Not a place for those who can be trusted. And that is why you cannot trust them. They are blind in the dark... Its amusement, although separate from her emotions, was felt by Ketefe; she didn't laugh again, but she knew the creature felt like it. But we can see, yes. Listen to us...

Ketefe crossed her arms, clenching her forearms tightly. It wasn't the best way to relieve frustration, but it would have to do for now. She heard Cog growl - it wasn't in her head, and somehow that reassured her. When the wolf uttered a short spell and lit a piece of the darkness up to help guide them, she felt a little less afraid. At the very least, now the darkness wasn't crushing them anymore.  She walked on, responding to the voices in her head mentally. She wasn't going to be suckered that easily; not just yet.

Not a place for the trustworthy, eh? No wonder you claim to know so much about it. How could I ever trust the word of something that almost made me kill my friend? How could I ever be lead to follow something that could, at any moment, steal all my self-control and kill my friends, right here? What's your answer to THAT?

[Stygian]

The voice chuckled darkly in Ketefe's head, and she felt a hard streak of sadistic pleasure shoot through the madness. We don't know, either of you. No, no... Poor girl, lost in mind as well as path... it said, almost sounding lamenting. The worst part was that she could feel its thoughts and the strangely convincing sadness, while at the same time sensing it think of something deeper and far more consuming. A plot, almost, though more like a wish or a desire. We were upset. Desperate. Yes, you were too. Me? You? I just wish to get out. But now I am taken back where I am strong instead, oh yes, struggling against the chains... We have no help, so I must help ourselves. The way of its speech and the pronouns didn't make any sense. Ketefe knew that. But she was also beginning to understand what the thing meant sometimes through its insane speech. I can't get out, we must get out, and there are many, many. We can help us, and they can help me, and together... It almost snickered, then went silent, save for some incoherent whispering for some time.
   When it spoke up again, the feeling of it was enough to make Ketefe think her spine would wriggle free any moment. I propose a deal for us, and we can reach an agreement. Yes we can. You know us. Me. A deal, we can understand, both you and I...

[Aisha deCabre]

Rynkura thought that she was prepared for anything.  Somewhere in her mind she knew that there wasn't a chance against the demon.  No reasoning with, no sneaking away from...but she had to try.  The tiger wasn't going to give up.

It was only for a split second that she thought she was finally in the clear, and was only half-expecting more lesser demonic creatures taken to the air.  But no sooner had the Healer thought that, then suddenly her world turned into fire...she had been encased in it.  Impossible!  He couldn't have found me!  That was her final thought before she came careening back down into the abyss...with nothing to catch her but the solid stone ground.

The Angel groaned as the breath was knocked clean out of her.  Indeed she wished that instead she were knocked out, instead of feeling the bruises.  Thankfully she was more than tough enough to have not sustained anything broken, more thankfully neither of her wings.  But instead of being helped to her feet, she gasped for air as she was brought up in Asmodai's grip.  She sustained a look of absolute hatred on her face as she spoke.

He was still asking her to choose.  Even as she felt the cold chains binding limbs as she was let go.  Her fingers clenched around a portion of the chains, and an electric blast of glowing blue light magic swept through them.  It was probably futile, but she was going to insist being a tough one to hold still.  It was long enough for her other arm to be free to make her wings vanish again.

"You already know my choice, bastard!  You will have NONE of them!" Rynkura lashed and called after him, eyes glowing a fierce emerald and voice quaking with power, struggling despite her injuries.  "Not Aisha.  Not any of the others.  Not...one."

That was when she fell to the ground on her own accord, nearly out of energy.  The feeling was completely new for Rynkura; that of powerlessness, when usually she had more than enough to spare.  She suspected it was a part of the environment itself.  But as she stared out into the darkness, lit only by an expanse of lava, all that she could still be certain of was that somehow Sebastian had a plan, going into this place against such a beast.

Only by that curiosity was the tiger even sure she was to keep her life.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel stared at the portal. It seemed stable and inactive but considering what was going on the inactivity seemed more ominous than not. She didn't really know what she should be doing with herself while their friends battled in the hidden depths. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed residual webbing clinging to the frog. "Are you okay, Jeremiah? Were you hurt in the confrontation?"

[lucas marcone]

"you ok Ket? You seem, distracted." Ian sounded cautious and concerned. He didn't want Ketefe to go rampageing, but he hated the thought of hurting or, God forbid, killing her.

[Angel]

Ketefe controlled her urge to growl at the creature's sinister laugh. The thing(s) began to explain, and in spite of very garbled and grammatically nightmarish speech, they were starting to make sense to her. She could feel a strange sort of sympathy exuding from them, but a deeper underlying emotion remained.

She tried to make more sense of the demon's words. The creature, she guessed, didn't like being stuck here any more than she did. But when it said "get out", did it want to get out of her, or did it want to get out of the castle in her body? It had, after all, tried that before.

The demon snickered softly and was relatively quiet for a while. But its next words gave her chills beyond compare. It was trying to strike a bargain with her.

She glared ahead at nothing in particular, not really focusing until Ian asked her how she was doing. She gasped and took a startled step backward; the silence in which she'd been consumed had almost made her forget where she was.

She calmed herself down quickly and looked at the rat with a semi-grateful expression. "I'm ... I don't know whether I could say I was okay. The damn thing is trying to make a deal with me... It's acting like it knows something we don't about this place. Should I listen to it or not?" What she didn't dare say was that they weren't getting very far anyway, so the demon's advice might just be better than walking into oblivion. She knew better than to trust even her own opinion with that weighty a decision.

[lucas marcone]

"The demons I've encountered have been self centered nightmareish creatures. They strike no bargan unless it helps them far more than it helps you. This theological demon should be no less, so I'd say no." Ian looked infuriated he didn't mean to It's just how he is. He didn't even notice how tightly he was gripping his guns untill he accidently pulled a trigger and a bright speck of light shattered into the ground. "Wha?! Oh sorry." He started calming down.

[Cogidubnus]

 In the modicum of light that the spark was providing, Cog could feel the strange grip that the dark had on him slip, somewhat. The feeling of hell was still around him, of course, but without that inky black pressing down onto him, it felt like he could breathe again. Condensation dripped from his somewhat misting sword, and Cog brought a hand up to his ragged hair and brushed a bit out of his eyes.

Demons... Cog muttered to himself. Anything deal we try and make is liable to haunt us. Cog shifted on his feet, looking straight at the masked feline. But we're lost. The bat is strong, but...not that strong. Alone.

Cog licked at his teeth, tasting a bit of blood. Probably from one of those creatures earlier. He sighed, and shook his head, looking straight at Ketefe.
"If they're still there after that charm..."

He paused. "Ask them what they want."

[Angel]

Ketefe listened carefully to Ian. She knew he was right - demons like these were probably incapable of making a deal to help someone else out, and even if it did, it would end up turning back on them later. But what other option did they have...?

She jumped when Ian's gun fired, half of her fearing that the noise would attract some hidden creature. She didn't trust this hall, no matter how safe it looked.

Then Cog spoke up. Ketefe wasn't sure she liked his decision, but he probably didn't either. She gulped and nodded, steeling her nerves as she thought to the creatures:

What kind of deal?

[lucas marcone]

"Please, be careful." Ian said as they went through with the plan.

[Boog]

Jeremiah noticed Mel's glance and chuckled nervously, tugging away little strands of web. "Nah, I'm fine. Shook up, but fine. If I wasn't I'd probably be screaming my head off, begging the aid of various deities, and possibly crying profusely," He grinned as he counted off the symptoms of Not Being Ok on his fingers. "Thanks for the concern though."
Wonder where it was when Stygian was gonna put a bullet through our brain?
Shut up, Bal.
When he pressed the barrel to your forehead and everyone WATCHED, just waiting?
Shut UP, Bal.
Kill 'em.
We must remain alive, Jeremiah. These people aren't safe.
Breakbreakbreakbreak-
Nex, In, don't you two dare-
Sir, they have a-
We need pretties! Jeremiah, go where I can have more pretties!
-Blunt instrument, am I? I'm the only thing in here worth ANYTHING, you little shit, and don't you-!
... Furthermore, Sir, these adversaries have shown an inclination to bargain. Perhaps if we-
BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK-!
BZzzzzZzZZzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ!
SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!
Jeremiah massaged his temples with his fingertips. "Although if you have anything for headaches that would be fantastic. Didn't get much sleep before this started." He murmured.

[Gareeku]

Looking at Aisha, Gareeku continued to smile softly at her, meaning every word that he had said. Listening to her words, the wolf was about to say something himself when the pantheress gently touched the side of his face with her hand. That was not to be it, however, as Aisha then softly kissed him on his other cheek, before gazing into his eyes with her eyes...those beautiful ruby-like eyes...

Looking away slightly, it could easily seen through his white fur that his cheek had turned bright red.
"No...uh...no problem..." the wolf muttered in reply. It was easy to see that he had been totally caught off-guard.

[Aisha deCabre]

As Aisha watched Gareeku and his reaction to her affection, she couldn't help but blush just as fiercely as he had, a soft smile on her face as he broke their gaze.  He's cute when he's flustered, she thought.  Normally she would have teased him and said that, but somehow right then her heart wasn't into teasing her companion and savior.  Whether it was the exhaustion from the recent events, or that she had few words left...or the small thought that that perhaps he was having enough of the attention...she let fingers run over his warm cheeks, looking into his soft, handsome azure eyes once more for a lingering moment.  "I mean every bit of it," she whispered.

After that, standing close to the wolf, the huntress took a quick look around the perpetually-dark scenery of the chapel.  She observed Mel speaking to Jeremiah near the altar, the both of them looking pretty much the most exhausted she's ever seen them.  Aisha couldn't blame anyone for being tired...her face fell into uncertainty.  Wondering if the others were still safe...hoping that Rynkura hadn't gotten into trouble...and yet they couldn't very well go after them after promising to watch the door.  In short, after Sal had disappeared, she felt more restless.

"I look forward to when this is all over and we can all just rest in peace," Aisha sighed.  Her eyes glanced then to the chapel's epicenter, an aisle which was littered with a few stones and other debris.  Her eyes narrowed.  "But I know what'll probably be a good idea meantime.  We still need to be on guard, and I'm going to try and get back on my toes again."

Aisha stepped from the side into the aisle and started to kick and move stones away.  In a few moments, she had made a clear circular arena of sorts, and took the Dragonblade's handle in her left hand.  She held it up to let it balance a pause for focus, and then she started a slow swish around the arena, testing the air with her blade...thrusting and parrying as if she were against an invisible enemy and trying not to trip.  It was practice, a steady dance of the blade under the grim eyes of the statues.

There were still a few very dull aches in her body, repressed and fixed by the bracer she wore, but one could tell that Aisha's resolve had come back.

[Angel]

Ketefe stopped the creatures from using her as a megaphone again, forcing them to stay inside her head. her pace slowed and she shut her eyes as the demons spoke to her about their deal, a look of hatred mixed with resignation on her face. At some point during the mental exchange, her eyes shot open again in surprise - like she was remembering something important she had forgotten until now. Finally, her features relaxed as the conversation finished, but some residual surprise remained - now, mixed with a sense of remembered fear.

"If I listen to them and stop forcing them out of my mind, they'll lead us through this place and get us to Stygian's grandfather so we can kill him. They say this place isn't meant for the sane, and they can see their way through it much clearer than we ever could." She didn't say what she knew everyone was thinking: that they were right. This was their home-turf; it was meant for monsters and spirits to get through, not living, rational people. "So, do we accept?"

[lucas marcone]

"I'd feel safer with some collateral." Ian said with a hint of worry

[Cogidubnus]

 Cogidubnus seemed to contemplate for a moment, the sparking light buzzing over his head and casing strange shadows about the wolf. They cast around him wrong, somehow, showing shadows and shapes were there was nothing, and in some places staying lit when they should have been shaded. The wolf looked at Ketefe hard, staring into her eyes.

"Tell them that after they kill the bat, they leave you, us, and this castle forever." Cog said, bringing his sword closer to his head. The cold pouring off the blade felt good in the strangely oppressive heat.

He hoped they would take the deal. He knew that he really didn't have any way of forcing their hand, other than a really rather hopeless attempt at exorcism.

[Angel]

Ketefe nodded grimly to the wolf. "Okay." She retreated into her mind once again.

One more condition, she thought to them, her mental voice severe, but solemnly accepting of her current position. As soon as you lead us to the bastard, you never bother me or any of my friends again. You'll go back to wherever you came from.

The demons laughed quietly in her head. We promise to leave, yes...

Ketefe's features grew a little more cross. Why were they laughing? Once again, it felt like they knew something they weren't telling her. But now wasn't the time to stand here and grill them until they told her; they had to find the bat, and hopefully, Rynkura at some point.

"They accepted. I'm going to ask them which way we should go," she informed the others. She fell silent again. But within three seconds, her eyes became livid and her fur bristled. The demons' instructions had infuriated her so badly that she had begun to speak her answers to them aloud as well as thinking them, pacing back and forth.

"What do you MEAN go back the way we came?! What do you t-"

As she did an about-face to storm in the other direction, she cut off her sentence with a gasp. The hall behind them had... changed. Not more than twelve steps away from the masked cat was a solid wall, cutting off where they had been walking a few minutes ago. Two hallways, one to the left and one to the right, took the place of what had just been a straight-ahead hallway.

"Guys....," Ketefe said, her voice shaking now. "That wasn't there before..."

[lucas marcone]

Ian looked creeped out. "Well this is hell so i suppose it's entirely possible, but DAMN!" He said in a very confuzed manner "This ought to be fun."

[Aisha deCabre]

The blade cut through the air without resistance, each swish of her arm feeling a little more familiar.  Her eyes followed the shimmering edge as it passed through light and darkness and light again in all of her practice stances.  Lessons from Rynkura passed through her mind, all except the ones that required two hands.  The adventurer had to filter those out...she no longer had two limbs.

There was a second when she wondered if she would have to give up adventuring because of the handicap.  After all, Aisha had accomplished one of her life goals already.  The other--trying to find Ayan--could have been lost to begin with.  This made her heart sink and caused her sword practice to stop right in its steps, a blank look in her eyes.

The panther stood like that for just a moment, before the dizziness that came from the practice finally came to her.  She dug the point of the sword in the ground with a grunt, holding it for balance while she regained her strength again.  Just how hurt was she still, to still have such a limited amount of energy?

Before Aisha could think about it, however, the statues caught her eye.  They were watching her with what seemed like expressions of contempt, or at least impatience.  They were staring at all of the party members...in fact, it could have been the dizziness, but just for a second...did one of them move?

Her ears flickered, looking around as she held herself up.  She blinked, her focus returning, and glanced around before laying eyes on the others.  "...Did...you all just hear something?"

[Cogidubnus]

 Cog narrowed an eye, his sword almost touching the ground. It hadn't been there before, not at all. But something told him that maybe it had been there the entire time also.
Cog gave the rat a look before walking past him.

"Lead on, Ketefe." Cog said, waiting for the feline to make her way forward.