“Hey, Gideon?” The Five turned from one of the lower level Umbras gathered around to look at the Four. “What’s that?” it questioned pointing to something pink moving in the distance.
Gideon tilted his head as the figure drew closer before he raised an eyebrow. “It… it appears to be a child?” His attention then went back to the Umbra gathered around. “Leave it be.”
Gold eyes shifted towards the one in a suit before the Four felt the corners of its mouth pull upwards into a smile. “A child?” Its smile broadened slowly as it climbed to its feet. “Can I eat it?”
“Pardon?” His eyes then snapped towards his companion to see the Four had already ran off. “That fool…” Growling regained his focus as he set his sights on the others before massaging the sides of his head. “You all know what to do,” he said dismissively as he walked away.
As the others scattered into the dark recesses, Gideon walked down the street. Following his nose, he rounded the corner to see the Four circling the girl dressed like a little pink princess. She had a somewhat annoyed expression on her face as she watched the Umbra before her gaze drifted to the Five that was steadily approaching. She then flashed a sweet, childlike smile as the Four lunged at her.
“And here I thought I’d have some fun,” she mused aloud as she watched a tentacle reel in the captured Four. Eyes flashed a vivid red before the girl clasped her hands behind her back. “Let’s play.”
“Gideon…” Gold eyes locked onto each other. “I want to eat her.” Gideon looked back at the girl as the Four started to thrash about. “Let go,” the Four growled as it wiggled about violently.
Watching the newcomer as he tilted his head, Gideon’s gaze snapped back towards the Umbra that had sank its teeth into the tentacle. Biting back a low growl, Gideon tightened the tentacle around the other before slamming it down on the ground beside him. Repeating the action once then twice, he eased up once the Four stopped its futile resisting.
“I recommend you cease and desist,” he suggested as he turned his attention back to the girl that was smiling at the two of them.
“But I’m hungry…”
“You’ll eat soon.”
“But I’m hungry now,” the Four muttered sullenly as it looked back at the smiling girl. “Can’t I have a snack? Like a leg maybe?”
“No,” Gideon replied, earning an exasperated sigh, “you shouldn’t put strange things in your mouth, especially if you don’t know where it’s been.” He then proceeded forward until he stood in front of the stranger. Eyeing her a moment longer, he bowed slightly in greeting and to be level with her. “And who might you be, Miss?”
The girl tilted her head curiously at the man before smiling once more. “I’m Ravage,” she replied with a curtsy
“Ravage?” the Four snickered from behind.
“Ravage?” Gideon repeated more so to himself before he stood straight to collect the Four that was watching her like a meal. “Well, Ms. Ravage, we’ll be on our way.”
“You don’t want to play with me?” she pouted. “I’m all by myself.”
“I prefer to eat,” the Four commented before being hooked by one of Gideon’s tentacles.
“Won’t you play with me?” she called as she followed, only stopping as another tentacle speared the ground in front of her.
“Ms. Ravage, please don’t take this the wrong way,” Gideon replied as the tentacle withdrew, “but it would be quite unsightly to play with someone like you.” He then looked over his shoulder to eye the newcomer as her smile broadened to showcase needlelike teeth. “Do try to be considerate and stay out of our way. We will do the same in kind. Now have a good day.”
Being dragged around the corner, the Four huffed as it was towed up the street. “Gideon…” The tentacle released him unceremoniously. “Why didn’t you just let me eat the child?” it questioned as it picked itself up.
“Because it’s not a child,” he replied as he fixed his cuffs, “and I will not stoop to the level of partaking in whatever play it had in mind.” He then looked at the Four. “I already have my hands full as it is.”
Nuallis had a dagger in her hand.
Senshi had pushed Carlos behind her as she raised one of her own blades.
Even I grabbed the knife I had been cleaning as we stared at the newcomers.
It was only Ignatius and Moryuu who didn’t seem all that fazed by the sudden appearance.
“Good Morning, Moryuu,” Van greeted before nodding at the man in yellow, “and guest.”
“Morning,” he said as his gaze drifted towards everyone else.
Following his gaze, Vandal signaled for us to relax. “He can be trusted. He helped me deal with Caecius and Shadow a little while ago.”
“Obviously you didn’t do a good job seeing how Shadow has Magpie,” Senshi chided as she tucked her weapon away.
“Shadow can be… difficult,” Ignatius admitted, earning a glare from the faery.
“One out of two isn’t too bad though,” Moryuu commented as he noted Talon making his way over to Nuallis as she went to put away the breakfast.
“One out of two?” she questioned before flinching as she noticed Talon leaning on the countertop next to her. “Um, hello?”
The one in yellow just gave an upward nod. “How you doing?”
“I…I’m alright,”
“Only alright?”
“She said she’s fine,” Senshi commented irritably.
Talon gave an appreciative nod. “Fine indeed.”
Sucking his teeth, Vandal walked over and casually positioned himself between Nuallis and Talon. He narrowed his eyes slightly before turning his attention to just Moryuu to see him eyeing Talon in brief contempt.
“Getting back to the topic at hand,” Vandal interjected, “about one out of two –”
“Ah, the aeromancer is no more. Moryuu had to handle him.”
“No more?”
“Dead,” I muttered to Cordis as I continued to wash dishes.
“What do you mean he’s dead?!”
“Cordis… are you upset that he killed your friend?”
“Friend?”
I paused. “He was your friend, wasn’t he?” He didn’t say anything. “Cordis?” The sides of my head started to hurt. “Cor—”
“…kill him…”
“Let’s talk about it,” I quietly suggested. The pain intensified before I noticed the drops of blood dripping into the dish water. “Cor—”
“I’m gonna kill him… I’m gonna kill him… I’m gonna kill him!”
A plate shattering against the floor had the healer jumping before looking over at her companion.
“Jay?” She glanced at the mess before seeing the blonde bow his head as he started to tremble. “Jay—”
“I swear you all just love to ruin everything, right?!” Gold eyes narrowed before focusing the newcomers. “There have been setbacks, but I would adjust. Every time I deal with one of you, however, it’s so… so – why is he dead?!” Cordis questioned as the scythe appeared in his hand.
“Jay—”
“Save your breath,” Vandal griped as he pushed Nuallis out the kitchen. “That’s not Jayden.”
He reached for Leonette before realizing it was stationed by the couch. He then opted in the knife on the counter though Cordis was already bounding towards the newcomers – specifically Moryuu.
“You could’ve killed that Iggy bastard,” he griped, swinging the blade at his head. He then swung again and again as the man dodged before dislodging the end of it as it got stuck in the wall. “You could’ve killed that bit – that woman Navi but, no, you had to go and kill him.” He swung the scythe diagonally, cutting the front of the man’s shirt and drew up a line of blood before lunging again. “Out of everyone, you killed–!”
Talon waived his hand to open then close the portal once the blonde went through it. His gaze shifted towards Moryuu then the large gash in the wall where his head once was.
“Isn’t he just a ray of sunshine?” Talon mused before inspecting the minor injury.
“It would seem that you have managed to set off Jayden’s other half, Cordis. He seems to have an unusual habit of forcefully greeting others it would seem,” Ignatius said thoughtfully as he too stared at the gash then at the Moryuu. “Are you going to be alright?”
“It was only a scratch,” he replied as he glanced at the wall then towards his companion. “Where did you send him?”
Talon pointed upwards. “Several floors above us. I figured it would give us enough time to—” There was a loud crash. “—discuss a plan to handle the next set of events.”
There was another crash that drew their attention to the ceiling. “I think you managed to piss him off even more,” Senshi commented as noise grew louder.
“Perhaps we should leave?” suggested Carlos as there was thud on the level above then. “Maybe we should leave now?”
“Stop worrying so much,” the faery scoffed as she withdrew a knife, “and just stay out the way if you’re scared.”
The group continued to eye the ceiling as it grew silent. The silence was then interrupted by the large cracking sound that was followed by hairline fracture splintering from where a blade was jutting through. It then dislodged itself before the blade came crashing through to take down the ceiling. From there, six identical holes could be seen leading upwards though the group turned its attention to the blonde that was cleaning the blood leaking profusely from his nose.
As gold eyes focused on the Moryuu, Cordis stepped forward before being cut off by Senshi. She eyed him in contempt and he did the same for her before resting the blade over his shoulder.
“Little spitfire,” he said as took a step forward, “just looking at you irritates me.” He tapped the scythe over his shoulder as he eyed her up and down. “I didn’t understand why Cae was anxious to deal with you really; however, I promised to take care of you if he’d help me out.” He took another step towards her. “I mean, it shouldn’t have been that hard really. You were so eagerly to please me when Animae wanted nothing to do with you, right? Then you had the audacity to switch sides like everything would go back to normal!” His grip tightened. “Do you think they saved you because you’re a good person?! You don’t have one redeeming quality whatsoever! You were better off just letting me kill you! So, let me keep my promise to him and let me kill you!” he snapped as he lunged at her.
Senshi braced herself at the speed he charged her before her eyes widened as Carlos jumped in front of her at the moment he swung. Blood spilled across the floor before the prince staggered into her.
“Carlos?!”
“You ok?” he questioned before dropping to the floor.
“Loverboy got in the way,” Cordis deadpanned as he raised the scythe again. “I won’t miss this time.”
Pointing the blade downwards, Cordis angled the blade at the last moment to deflect a shot from Vandal’s gun. His attention the focused on the man before an unamused smile crossed his face.
“That’s enough.”
“Why?” the blonde questioned as he turned to face him. “Why do you get to make that call?” He then began to approach the man. “You get to call the shots before you’re wielding that over glorified hand cannon? How many times have you shot at me and actually manage to land a hit?” he asked. “Are you really doing it to protect her? I find it strange if you say yes because where was that chivalry when I was fighting with your wife? She helped you when you were getting your ass handed to you by dear Gideon after all.”
“That’s enough.”
“You would’ve lost a lot more than an eye, gunslinger,” Cordis added before deflecting another shot as he went to lunge at Vandal. “But that doesn’t matter now I guess seeing how she’s dead. And you were no help at all in her dying moments. Aren’t you just great husband material?!” Cordis deflected a third shot from Leonette before a grin split his face. “You have to reload, don’t you?” he questioned before charging at the man with full intent of bisecting him.
The blade came up short when a certain healer threw herself between the pair. She swallowed down the lump in her throat as she stared at the tip of the blade before it gradually pulled back. Her gaze then drifted up slowly to see gold eyes staring down at her irritably.
“Cordis—”
“Dear Nuallis, what are you doing?” Cordis questioned. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you, but I recommend you move.”
“Stop this.”
“Move, Nuallis dear.”
“Cordis, please?”
The man hardened his gaze as he clenched his weapon tighter. “I will not say it again, Nuallis.”
The lack of endearment had the woman tense before she reached out her hand. She pulled it back the moment Cordis raised the scythe before it was lowered as he stared at her. Nuallis then watched as his nose started to bleed again.
“Jayden?”
He wiped at his nose. “Cae wouldn’t want you dead,” Cordis muttered. He gripped his scythe until his knuckles turned white as he looked towards the newcomers. “You assholes on the other hand…”
“Let’s not do anything you will regret,” Talon warned.
Cordis charged towards them with the scythe raised before slamming it down into the floor. A jagged crack stretched towards them before the floor gave way beneath Moryuu and Talon’s feet leaving them to plummet to the level below. Cordis jumped through the hole after them before swinging his blade. He sneered when the blade connected with one of the tonfas before stepping back to glare at him.
Eyeing the twirling blade, Moryuu sighed more so to himself before he noticed movement along the edges of the room. Glancing at Talon to see he too had noticed the movement, Moryuu focused on Cordis to deflect one blade before ducking under the second to jab one of the tonfas into his stomach. He then kicked him back to watch him fall; however, he wasn’t expecting smaller Umbra rushing forward to catch the blonde.
Cordis only spared them a glance, earning a series of growls in response, before he swung his scythe at Moryuu once more.
"Don't do this," Moryuu warned as he deflected swing after swing. He jabbed the tonfa into his opponent's chest to knock him back. "I'll only tell you this one."
"Just shut up and die!" Cordis snapped as he lunged again.
Watching the two clash, Talon merely sighed irritably as watched from behind the counter He then glanced at a cracked wall clock. "We don't have time for this..."
ns 15.158.61.8da2
