Aura Thorne's Story

Aura Thorne

Aura gracefully slid downwards from the fire stallion’s girth to rest, once more, her grounded feet on the asphalt. Though, could one really say that she was anything but exalted to be standing, albeit on shaky knees, back in her home court once more? Slowly reaching out a wavering hand, the golden-haired Tamer lightly thumped the palm against the base of his neck, attempting to show the appreciation she had of being alive after he came plummeting down to the surface. In fact, her mouth had just opened to voice her gratitude when the screams and shouts arrived.

Spinning around on her heels, crimson orbs just slightly widened with surprise, what greeted Aura wasn’t the pleasantry of the abandoned amusement park. No no, it was far worse; it was a scene of utter chaos, lesser demons, whom were most certainly not their intended targets, decided to make a crashing appearance. Of course she was shocked! Who wouldn’t be? Feeling that familiar sense of cold dread wash over her, blood chilling in the vein, Aura’s gaze latched onto the rambunctious Akio, the idiot purposefully taunting one by himself. He….he’s going to get himself...killed like that! hissed her inner conscious, worry seeping heavily into the tone. Sinking her teeth into her lower lip, the quiet Tamer had made a move to rush to her comrade’s side, even if she wasn’t going to be of much use, when Julius, the fire stallion’s owner, barked out a definitive order. "I got this, run! Don't stop, you'll only get in the way!" It was this voice, this command, that directed this girl’s focus to rest on her counterpart’s physical condition, his features pallid and reflecting back the agitation she felt inward. Knitting eyebrows in worry, Aura merely responded with a reluctant nod, the screams from another party directing her attention sharply to the left. W….where are the teachers?! "Oh king of beasts,servant of Hera and punisher of Zeus. Unleash thine rage and crush those before me scourge of Nemea! Roar...Regulus!!" were the male student’s final words, the demand cut short by the hacking sound of blood bubbling in his throat. Spraying the life force over the concrete, Ms. Fay took a half-step closer to the suffering Exorcist, every intent to call upon one of her summons (even if they wouldn’t provide that much help) in her mind. However, a single warning growl from behind her indicated that fate had no such plans in the workings.

Narrowing her scarlet gaze, that pit at the bottom of her stomach expanded, adrenaline now sending out erratic bursts… after all, it was just her luck to be signalled out. But...what about..Julius…? Well, with one look over at Eve dragging his body away from the action, that notion was put to rest, concerns about her own person now arising. Drawing in a shaky breath, her thought process became occupied with counting down from 10, hoping, praying, an idea would come to her… after all, she surely hoped she wouldn’t have to act on her first instinct. 10….9….8….7….6… Surveying the area, her focus flickered across the grounds for an escape, 5…..4….3...2...1…! In that split second that ‘1’ mentally resounded was the second she took off, lithe stature streaking past the alleyway that Eve and Julius had ducked into, feet barely making contact with the ground. And, of course, that pigheaded demon ended up chasing in pursuit.

Leaping over the upturned garbage cans and discarded stuffed animals, all remainders of the lesser demons' first taste of freedom, the Tamer’s conscious eroded away the initial points of dread for her team mates and more for the dire situation she had put herself in. Hearing the snarls fading just in the slightest, Aurora received this as a blessing as she detoured to the carousel, hoping to find a stronghold there to plot her escape. Ducking behind the paint-chipped benches, the teenager had ended up squatting, untrusting to sit fully down should the event of having to flee come to priority once more. Panting out shallow breaths, mental curses filling her mind, Aura rummaged through her blazer’s front pocket, desperate to find the one tool that would either save or condemn her existence. Fingertips brushing against the sliver of cold metal, a small smile played onto her features as she retrieved it from the depths of fabric; a needle. Glancing up and over the bench’s backing, her eyes narrowed at the sight of the mangy hound, fur pulsating with shadow, noisily sniffing out her scent...and, apparently, it was confused. Retreating her head back to the safety of the obscure view, Aura pricked the bed of her right pointer finger, a drop of crimson welling up. However...something was off about her in this moment of time. It was as if someone had taken control of her person, as if someone possessed knowledge she didn’t. Blacking out for a brief moment, any sense of self-awareness melting away, her body began to move on it’s own accord, eager to project what it's mind was demanding. When she finally came to, blinking confusion her response, Aura could only stare at the 4-inch mark in curiosity, in apprehension. Instead of Rin or Kota’s usual symbol painted onto the machine’s metal flooring, glyph occupied it’s place, the construction of it’s birth quite unique to say the least. What the…? mused her inner voice, wariness causing that distrusting gaze to narrow. A heartbeat had passed before, out of nowhere, a searing pain in her low spine caused her to yelp out in surprise. Undoubtedly, the lesser demon heard the tortured gasp...but did she care? Hardly.. in fact, the whole of her attention was focused on, vainly, blocking out the sensation that felt as though flame was licking her flesh. Clenching her jaw, tears pooling in her vision, Aura could only grasp at the fabric of her vest, breath now only arriving in small gasps. In fact, the Tamer was in so much pain that it didn’t even fully click with herself in that instance; she had summoned a lesser demon to her aid, to be pitted against her pursuer.

Ryuu

Ryuu nodded her agreement with Nathaniel. She didn’t particularly care about the students as individuals but more so because she was a teacher and it was her job to care. Hmm maybe taking this one wasn’t the best idea after all Ryuu looked back at Nathaniel as she continued to shadow her students. Very little happened between Evangeline and Akio not that she had expected much. Akio was one to joke around but Evangeline seemed more on the serious side of things. As she walked, Ryuu kept looking up at the sky, red eyes flicking about in search of her familiar and her students. A flash of movement could be seen which Ryuu soon deduced to being Night as he slithered through the sky.

She watched Akio as he made a fool of himself, an amused smile beginning to form on her lips. Suddenly Night settled down beside her drawing her attention away from the two before her for a brief second. “Where are the other two?” Night curled in the air beside her head as he shrunk to the size of a medium sized snake. “They are on their way. It seems the boy landed a bit too far from the others so I’m guessing he’s bringing his familiar closer.” Ryuu looked back at the other two in her line of sight and soon enough Julius and Aura arrived. His familiar knelt so he ad Aura could dismount as one would a normal horse.

Nodding her head she continued to watch them, not even bothering to look in the direction of her familiar. “Good, they’re here in one piece, although I would have preferred it if you had stayed with them Night.” With that being said, Ryuu reached out for Night who in turn curled around her arm. With a dark flash of light Night once more became a two-dimensional version of himself. Still moving about on her arm, it looked like the dragon like familiar was making himself comfortable before finally settling and was still.

Upon the fellow tamers arrival, Ryuu could hear Akio’s nervous laugh as he tried to turn attention away from his fool of a blunder. Surprisingly enough the knight-in-training proved himself by what he did next in dealing with the obvious piece of news Julius had given them. As Akio quietly confronted the spiritual creature, his foot hit a can much to Ryuu’s dismay. Ugh now it’ll know your there but that didn’t seem to be the case as the spiritual creature seemed to be completely oblivious of the young exorcists in trainings presence. Using his cane, Akio hit the can and it flew right by the spiritual creatures head. “Hmm that was pretty good for a blind swordsman. Let’s see what else you’ve got up your sleeve Yamada.”

Akio began to taunt the poor creature but it was enough for it to anger it. Throwing a trash can towards the young swordsman; Akio unsheathed his sword and then sheathed it with surprising speed and precision. Impressive. I guess his family’s harsh training has done some good. Seeing as the trash can was a failed attempt, the spiritual creature rushed Akio who lowered himself into a fighting stance, which earned him a slight frown from Ryuu as she began to criticize the stance he chose. Ryuu gave him a scrutinizing look over, His center of gravity is too high, one push and he’ll be easily overtaken by it. That was really the only thing Ryuu caught onto before she turned her attention back to the rest of the group.

Red eyes focused on the female Aria as she distanced herself from the group, but not because she was scared but to give her room to think. Good, good. Think and think hard Evangeline. Soon enough it seemed the girls thinking time was over as she began to speak a phrase from the bible. Although because Ryuu herself wasn’t an Aria she had to rack through her brain in order to figure out the verse Evangeline was speaking. Ryuu was glad the girl was screeching out the verse like another Aria she knew. The red haired woman understood their need to be loud so their voices could reach the ears of the spiritual creature or lesser demon. It sometimes got a little annoying hearing them scream and shout all the while making a fool out of themselves.


The young girl continued with her verse and already the first sounds of pain coming from the spiritual creature could be heard. However it seemed the Aria herself wasn’t able to handle the scream of pain that escaped its lips. Faltering just enough to give herself an opening but it seemed before the spiritual creature actually had a chance to attack the girl. It yowled in fear as it made an attempt to backtrack its footsteps. It was at that moment a chill went down Ryuu’s spine, turning around she just barely managed to catch sight of a flock of lesser demons pass her overhead. One of the three went in a separate direction and right towards Aura, while the other two focused their attention on her students. Ironically the lesser demons did her a favor as one scooped up the spiritual creature in its jaws and swallowed it whole. Finally the direness of the situation reached Ryuu’s mind as she ran towards her students, a string of curses escaped her lips and were left in her wake.


“What the hell are they doing here?” As she got closer to her students, Julius had summoned his second familiar one Ryuu hadn’t realized her had. It was a lion albeit a wild one as it let loose a deafening roar that sent not only the lesser demons in its path but her as well staggering backwards. Shielding her face from flying debris she saw arcs of lightning leave its body, a look of worry flashed across her normally serious face when her eyes caught sight of Julius’s state of being. The arcs of lightening from before were not directed at anything in particular but they did ruin a few objects in its path of destruction. Eyes narrowing Ryuu made haste in reaching her students although she had to make sure not to get in the way of a now rampant familiar.

“Damn it all!” Ryuu watched as Akio made attempts to fight off one of the lesser demons. While Evangeline and Julius were nowhere to be seen, Where are they? Running over towards Akio, Ryuu drew out the two swords that rested at her sides. Sharing a look with her student Ryuu raised her swords, “Yamada I need you to go and find Evangeline and Julius. Julius didn’t seem to be in the best of conditions and Evangeline will need time to come up with a “Fatal Verse”. You need to protect them from the Lesser Demons so hurry” Ryuu had no idea as to where Aura went but hopefully the girl would be able to hold her own. Ryuu now alone stood before a rather large Lesser Demon, it was somewhat larger than a horse. The Lesser demon resembled a mutated ape with arms the size of barrels and curled horns protruding from its forehead. A snake-like tail whipped about behind it with barbs covering the surface.

The second Lesser demons was smaller than its companion, resembling a boar with huge spikes poking out of its back. The one thing that was different from the normal boar was that its legs were somewhat longer so the creature was as low to the ground as its animal counterpart. Taking on a fighting stance, Ryuu side stepped the barbed tail that was sent her way. At the same time she sliced at its thick hide with both her swords. However they did not have the same effect as she had hoped it would, the cut was shallow and only enraged the creature more so than when Evangeline had spoken those verses. Swinging its large fists Ryuu rolled out of the way, coughing on the dusty dirt that rose up from the ground as it caved in under the weight of its fists. Looking up she just barely managed to guard against the second lesser demons charge. Its sudden charge caught her off balance and she fell to her side however its sight was not set on her. Instead it ran past her and in the direction that Akio and the others had gone in. “Dammit!”

Ryuu quickly got back up and rushed after the boar. However the ape demon blocked her pathway with its large fists. It laughed in triumph and her obvious frustration as Ryuu turned her attention back towards it. Suddenly the creature’s tail snapped at her upper body, raising her swords to deflect it they cracked then splintered under the immense weight. In the end its tail reached its target and sent Ryuu flying right into the wall of one of the nearby buildings. Thankfully her swords had blunted the force behind the blow but Ryuu still coughed up blood as she stood back up on shaky feet. Wiping away the blood that streamed down the corners of her mouth, Ryuu discarded her now useless swords and rolled her shoulders. Pain blossomed around her chest and feeling around she pinpointed the location of what she guessed was a fractured rib.

To make matters worse the ground began to shake and rumble all around her. Suddenly a large serpentine head erupted from the ground not too far away from where she and Nathaniel had once stood watching their students. The newcomer was twice the size of the one she had just been fighting with and resembled a snake with horns curling around the sides of its head. “What! Goddammit it, who they hell summoned these things?” Her anger at the idea of a Tamer or a group of Tamers in this case summoned such strong familiars got the better of her. All she knew was that either they had been killed in action and were unable to dismiss their summons or they were the ones who had sent their familiars loose on the world. Ryuu wasn’t sure what Nathaniel was doing in all this chaos but at times like these even an Exorcist at her level needed help. “Nathaniel! Now would be a good time!” she called out to him wincing in the process.

Using the blood from before she formed a seal on the wall behind her all the while keeping her eyes on the demons that began to advance towards her. A look of anger mixed with determination in her eyes, words of power left her lips. “Come forth oh Demon Blade. Slash the evil before you with the darkest of blades” slamming her hand against the seal, her hand formed into a fist as it took hold of the hilt of a blade. Pulling it out of its storage, Ryuu held in her hand a katana nearly as long as she was tall with a blade the color of onyx.

The demon ape growled in what she guessed was fear at the sight of a Demon Blade. Letting loose a long held release of air, Ryuu breathed in and out to calm her mind. "Alright Chomesku, lets burn them to hell." A mean smile on her face Ryuu rushed forwards at the same time as the demon ape. The two clashed heads with Ryuu's sword giving her the advantage. Guessing from the fact that the demon snake hadn't attacked her, Ryuu assumed Nathaniel was dealing with it.

Amusement Park||Demon Boar

Meanwhile Ryuu and Nathaniel dealt with the demon ape and snake, the demon boar went after Akio, Julius and Evangeline. It snorted and yowled loudly, enough to alert its targets up ahead as it dashed straight for them. The demon boar swerved to the side only to pop up in front of them. It sqealed bloodlust raging in its eyes, pawing at the ground with its hooves, the demon boar stared right at Akio and his cane. In that moment it charged forwards right for Akio.

Akio Yamada

Akio waited for the perfect moment to strike, as the spiritual creature cry in pain from Evangline attacks Akio seen the opening he was waiting for just. Akio started to sprint at the spiritual creature, but seemingly out of nowhere a huge "thing" crashed down on top of the spiritual creature. Akio heard a loud crunch then what sounded like a "glup", Akio slid to a stop just a few feet from the huge thing. This was one of the few times Akio wishes he could see, because he had no idea what was going on. Did a teacher summon this, If so why? Maybe another student did. As Akio tried to figure out what exactly was going on, the huge thing that seemingly ate the spiritual creature became aware of the boy's presence it raised its huge arm and swatted at the boy as if he was a fly.

Akio not fully paying attention was caught off guard by this the, "things" arm slammed into Akio sending him flying at least 10 to 15 yards away the only reason he didn't fly farther was he crashed into a wall or at least what felt like a wall. once Akio hit the ground, all he could hear was a loud ringing. He could hear what sounded like people, but couldn't quite make out what they were saying, kinda like he was underwater. Akio still clutching his cane slowly being to try and get up still not being able to make out any sounds other then a faint rumble that was slowly got louder and louder until he could make it out, it sounded like something charging him. Akio still pretty out of it from crashing into the wall had no time to react to this. For a brief moment Akio thought he was done, but seemingly on its own his body jump out of the way of what was charging him on its own.

This wasn't the first time something like this has happened while training with his mother, his body seem to move on its own Akio could thank this to training from a young age fighting was second nature to him at this point. What every it was crashed into the wall a fraction of a second after Akio roll away. Once Akio made it back to his feet, his hearing was somewhat back to normal and to Akio it sound as if he was in the middle of a war zone, but that didn't bother Akio as much as what he smell blood. There was a heavy smell of blood in the air, since on one else was in the area Akio assumed the worst one or all of his team members where at least hurt. Akio thought back to his promise he made to them, "as long as I'm alive, not even Satan will lay a finger on your guys." Akio clinches his teeth I let them down.

Akio had little time to dwell on his failure because what ever charged him dug itself out of the rubble of the wall and let out a monstrous cry. Akio turned his attention back to it. Not knowing fully what was going on and coupled with the fact he let his team down forced hand Akio hand, he had to get serious. To most people this wouldn't be a big deal, but to Akio it was only slightly better then dying, getting serious meant acting like his mom. Akio slowly open his eyes this was his "switch" for lack of a better word. The monster would snort and charge Akio again, once in range Akio quickly side steps the attack and quickly unsheathes his blade and slashes at the beats leg as it passes by. This attack was not meant to cut or severe the limb. Akio's goal was to trip up the charging monster. With one of the beast legs knocked from under it, the moster would crash into the ground hard. It slid a 7 or 8 feet to a stop at the sames time Akio slowly re sheaths his blade. Once his opponent made it back to it's feet Akio begins to ready himself for another charge. <br>

Bavol

---

Glancing over her shoulder Bavol carefully watched the other demon, Astaroth, as he too approached the abandoned park before finding himself at some odd structure which stood nearby. “Unless they’re especially powerful I doubt we’ll need to work together to take them down… Best kill them when we see them - never know if they might move or try to run.” He spoke, before proceeding closer towards Bavol and holding out what seemed to resemble some sort of map of the area. “If it’s no consequence to you I’ll take this section.”

Bavol dazedly looked to the map offered to her before accepting the bundle of information carefully in her hands as her eyes glanced vaguely over it’s contents. “Uh, sure. I see no issues with that. Go ahead.” She replied, and added, “However… should you run into trouble then just give us a shout.” With an amused little giggle quickly following the female offered a simple sigh before refocusing her stare deep within the map that sat securely in her hands before her.

This place sure is big. She thought, gradually getting back onto her feet whilst taking in some of the finer layout details of the amusement park. At first glance this place is awfully boring, but, when given a map things certainly get more interesting. I better not get lost.

Looking to the demons once more, calmly, Bavol said, “Alrighty. Astaroth takes the far left. Yeu, where will you go?” Once the other demon joined the pair Bavol took a step forward and handed Yeu the map of the amusement park, believing her subordinate would find the information useful. “Maybe it is time I showed a little more initiative as a Prince. I think this time round… we can handle going our separate ways to cover more ground, you know? I still expect you to remain in one piece without me though - ok Yeu!”

Stepping back the female offered a smile to the pair of males, before turning round on her heel and proceeding further down one of the various paths that lay built into the ground to guide visitors around the rides and stalls. “I‘m going to explore the far right side - check the place out. I wont get lost though, I got it all memorized! Haha!” With that said she ran off down the path and disappeared out of sight further down the way.

At a later point, after having spent a small period of time detouring around the surrounding land filled with many long since forgotten amusements, Bavol soon found herself in the heart of the far right section of the amusement park as expected. Hm... I haven‘t found much. This part of the amusement park seems untouched by the little demons that we are after. Perhaps I ought to move on from here and--

Pulled from her thoughts at that moment, suddenly, the young female could have sworn that she had heard a vague yelp of some sort coming from somewhere only a short distance from where she stood. It hadn’t sounded pleasant in the slightest but from what she could make out the cry of pain was from another younger female - the uncomfortable cry exhibiting something rather unusual throughout it that Bavol quickly picked up on.

“Hm. This feels just too weird to simply ignore,” Raising an eyebrow the demon momentarily pondered over the sudden oddness that she sensed - unable to confidently put a finger on what exactly the unusual aura that she sensed was.

“Better check it out.”

Following the noise the demon gradually made her way over towards the carousel that stood nearby; blindly assuming that the cause of the disturbing cry was nothing more than some little incident that she could easily pass her time over with. However, within seconds of arriving at the abandoned ride the girls attention was quickly directed towards the lesser demons that she could hear on the other side of the carousel. “Wha--” Instantly placing both hands over her mouth to avoid letting out any further noises escape her lips Bavol promptly maneuvered around the carousel to get a better grasp of the situation. Immediately she made note of the two lesser demons that stood opposing each other; both equally as ugly as the other, not to mention equally as menacing too. Of course, though evidently surprised and unnerved, the girl had expected to come across the lesser demons at some point during her duration in the human world. Though at the same time she hadn’t expected two at once, on her own.

Taking refuge at the side of the booth in the centre of the ride Bavol studied the two lesser demons quietly, avoiding their attention for as long as she could. Yeu would probably have a plan about now if he was here… But alas he is not. Besides I did say I ought to show more initiative as a Prince. Maybe now would be a good time to try. Bavol was about ready to strike out at the lesser demons until feeling a tight restraint originating from her right wrist almost instantly when attempting to use a more powerful attack. Ah. I forgot about the limiter. It really does prevent me from utilizing my fuller power.

It was at that moment that another shriek of pain erupted in the air suddenly, causing Bavol to drop all matters of thought once more as she peered round the edge of the booth and into the direction from where the painful cry came from. It had seemed that the young girls cries had been going on for a while, and yet whilst distracted by her thoughts and the lesser demons Bavol had somehow zoned out all noise altogether for a brief moment of time. Getting a better view it was evident that the human was in dire pain and her screams were only attracting the lesser demon towards her; not to mention it seemed that the weird presence that Bavol had sensed was coming from the girl also. But why?

Who is that girl? Doesn’t she realize the danger she is in? Her screams are only going to draw more lesser demons to this area… unless the ones already present don‘t put an end to her before that happens. Narrowing her gaze ever so slightly the female demon bit her lower lip in thought - doubtfully pondering over how to act in the given situation. I don‘t understand why that girl seems so strange to me - she‘s just a human. Albeit a rather pretty one. I‘m a little jealous… and I should not care at all but I can‘t help it. I must intervene.

Hurrying over without another moments thought Bavol made her way over to beside the distressed girl that hid behind one of the benches attached to the ride; whilst doing so avoiding the attention of the two lesser demons that were currently more occupied with each other and the possibility of inflicting pain on one another at that moment.

Placing a hand on the humans shoulder Bavol tried to stop the girl from fidgeting too much, hoping to comfort the girl in any way possible in the little time they had, even if it seemed unlikely. “I know you are in pain but you must cease this endless cry,” She pleaded with a rather concerned tone of voice - something not particularly associated with a demon, though given that it was Bavol it was somewhat acceptable. “Think of something painless. A happier time that will heal your wounds and overcome the pain that you bare just now. If you do not the lesser demons will only continue to attack.”

Bavol could not fully understand what it was that drew her to the human. The aura which surrounded the human girl was bewildering and mysterious and nothing like the other humans that the demon had saw prior. And yet, this young girl was the first human that Bavol had made contact with regardless. The first human she had touched, heard, and even spoken to despite how meaningless each brief moment shared between them had meant. Upon staring at the human the young girl appeared so fragile and helpless, perhaps even scared which was understandable. Bavol could not stop herself from aiding the human in whatever small way she could.

“Breathe easy, think slowly. The pain wont last.” Whether it was humble advice, a mere thought or simply something randomly spoken, Bavol couldn’t think of much to say as the young girl gasped desperately for air whilst clinging to her own being as the discomfort from within herself grew.

Getting to her feet the young demon emerged from behind the rickety bench as she proceeded to approach the two lesser demons. I better make this quick if possible. I don‘t fancy dragging this out - especially not with a human present.

One of the lesser demons seemed rather confused and uneasy - perhaps the unusual vibe that Bavol detected from the human girl was also affecting the other demon. Whatever the cause, though, it was apparent that the other lesser demon was summoned in aid of the girl and thus the cause of her current state of displeasure. In a way it was rather surprising that the human actually managed to do such a thing, and yet even with this, things weren’t in the favour of Bavol either way.

Coming forth, almost immediately, the hound-like demon sprang forward towards Bavol with intent to cause harm. Clearly the creature’s desire for destruction had clouded it’s own, albeit little, intelligence and ability to see who it was that the mangy beast was aiming for - the Princess of Air no less. Even with her limiter the girl ought to be capable of handling such a demon regardless.

The fierce demon snarled and growled as it sprung forward, it’s movements fast and well placed as the shadowy creature began to circled round the young demon in preparation of initiating the first strike. With little time to think Bavol quickly resorted to what she knew best and used the air that surrounded them to her advantage. Raising a single hand to the sky the demon summoned what power she could at that moment; swiftly constructing a small though effective makeshift barrier of air around herself. Seemingly oblivious to this, though, the lesser demon began it’s charge and rammed hard into the barrier - taking on gradual injuries as it continued it’s attack in hopes of breaking through. With enough attempts the beast would eventually grow weak enough to finish off directly, and only then could Bavol turn her attention onto the other lesser demon, a weird boney monster of some sort, who’d likely pose to be equally as annoying.

Wrong spot v.v S-sorry~

Aura Thorne

Blinking back the blur, the tears a product of her pain, Aura vainly attempted to focus on the lesser demon standing guard in front of her. With it’s decaying body and boned hackles raised, one might remark that this new creature was, indeed, far more horrendous than it’s opponent… and a visible offense such as that should be eliminated, correct? Briefly, the searing flash was tuned out as the Tamer applied pressure via her palm on it’s origin, the location where the spine ends, interest consumed by the new player to enter the ring. Flickering her narrowed crimson hues down to the unknown glyph etched with her own scarlet into the carousel's metal tiling, confusion hummed in her conscious. D...did I….summon it..? Is that why...it isn’t attacking..me? Lifting her gaze to rest back on the snarling lesser, it soon became apparent that it was guarding her, that it knew exactly the state she was in...both a terrifying and comforting concept.

Opening her mouth to give this peculiar ‘summon’ a command, Aura barely had any time to recollect her poise as another wave of burning sensation hit, far more intense than the last few. Unable to contain her agonizing discomfort, another shriek erupted in the silence, the summon releasing a warning snarl at it’s foe in response. Sinking her canines into her lower lip, the palm spread across her spine now balling into a fist, the Tamer made vain attempts to quell her suffering wails. Of course, vain should be noted as the keyword, the inner struggle pinning any sense of rationality on the losing side. Faintly registering in her mind, Aura felt a thin trickle of her life essence trail down her chin, the pain of the delicate skin being broken not even close in comparison to the greedy invisible flames licking her skin. That’s when she felt a hand on her shoulder, the cries briefly ceasing.

It appeared to be a comforting motion, a gesture to indicate that someone was here to habor her through the torture, but it had the opposite effect. Eyes widening in startlement, Aura retrained her rubies to connect with slate grays, the latter containing a pleading urge. “I know you are in pain but you must cease this endless cry,” whispered out concerned tone, the volume at a whisper, “Think of something painless. A happier time that will heal your wounds and overcome the pain that you bare just now. If you do not the lesser demons will only continue to attack.” With a hard swallow, this woman’s words resounding with the detached, logicalistic portion of her person, the tamer went through the motion of sending the vaguest of nods. “Breathe easy, think slowly. The pain won’t last.” Drawing in a shaky breath, lungs wavering, the human attempted to follow the demon’s instructions, with a small yelp soon ending the peaceful session. It...surely feels...as if it’ll last bit out her snippy inner thoughts, knowing all too well that her words would have been lost the second she summoned them. Curling in on herself, Aura’s tapered fingers grew even tighter into fists, her pain only expanding in discomfort.

In fact, she was so preoccupied with trying to block out the venomous sting, that the tamer didn’t even register as the woman stood from her guardian position. It wasn’t until she heard a growl of annoyance that she lifted her gaze, a small inward gasp given in response to the scene awaiting her. This woman, this god only knows what she was, created a barrier to block out the original attacker, the dumb mutt who was currently ramming the entirety of his body against the force. It wasn’t until she turned to the summon, the one beast that was protecting her, that a flash of alarm resonated. After all, Aura had felt as if she owed the creature some form of life assurance, as she owed thanks for shielding her. Lips parting, her frail voice floated out, so delicate as if it would be carried away in the wind without a second thought, ”Do..n’t...hurt...him…” Unclenching her right fist, the human reached two fingers, her pointer and middle, before dabbing them in the fresh blood of her busted lip. Taking the crimson painted digits, she sluggishly smeared the glyph she had made earlier, the summon effectively vanishing into midair. As soon as that mark was erased, Aura felt her body slump, darkness swarm in on her line of vision and her conscious slipping into nothingness.

((Wrong Location.))

Bavol

---

The shadowy beast showed no sign of retreating - the prolonged assault made against the barrier that kept both Bavol and the lesser demon at a safe distance from one another continuing as the lesser demonic creature stubbornly threw itself hard against the force field surrounding the young Princess. Blindly, if not stupidly, the beast charged into the barrier with little thought.

”Do..n’t...hurt...him…”

From behind herself Bavol could only just vaguely make out what the fragile human had said at that moment; the female demons attention refocusing momentarily in the direction of where the girl hid herself before drifting over towards the other lesser demon that shielded her. That creature? The girls words both intrigued and surprised Bavol - she could in some way understand the young humans desire to protect the creature that was defending her from harm; and yet at the same time she could not so easily spare the life of a lesser demon in the heat of a battle - not to mention eliminating the lesser demons was more or less the sole purpose for her presence in the human world at any rate. Should she opt to act out from her task would not please Satan in the slightest. Protect that which protects you. It makes perfect sense but I cannot merely assume that the lesser demon will likewise spare me. Bavol thought just then, evident doubt expressed as she lowered her gaze with raised eyebrows. I‘m suppose to destroy lesser demons - that is all.

Before she knew it though the lesser demon which had consumed many of her thoughts had vanished just as easily as the creature had appeared. The Princess could only conclude that the girl had intervened and found some form of strength within herself to gain control over the beast once more, thankfully. I‘m glad she managed to overcome that demon of hers - I feel better in knowing that the responsibility does not fall onto me. Promptly returning her attention back onto the other lesser demon Bavol forcefully used the barrier to push back the beast and create some distance between them. In the passing moments the princess used another wave of air to bring the beast down to the ground- the little demon wasn't that powerful to begin with - as it’s shadowy body hit the surface hard as the burdening weight of wind came crushing down upon it.

When enough pressure was applied the lesser demon could not take much more as it’s entire being - quite literally - burst into pieces from beneath the mountain of air forced down onto it; a shadowy mist left in it’s place briefly before evaporating soon afterwards and floating away in the breeze.

With the battle - if it could be called that - coming to an end Bavol took a small step back as her entire body slumped down tiredly onto the ground to sit for a moment. “I am sure glad that is over with!” She sighed, relief evident in her voice as she took a heavy breath. “I ought to thank you.” With a heavy puff of air exhaling from her lips the young female gradually got to her feet before curiously approaching the mysterious human that she knew to be remaining hidden behind the bench.

On closer inspection however the human did not even seem conscious.

Settling herself down closely beside the girl Bavol gently placed a hand on the humans shoulder once more, as she had done previously, before giving the girl a light shake. Her keen eyes watched over the human female whilst doing so in hopes of catching even the slightest glimpse of life - if any - that may have still stirred within her. “Little girl… can you hear me?“ Bavol called quietly with the hopes of receiving a similar response from the girl that lay slumped in a motionless state. “The demons are gone now… the amusement park is a little safer now thanks to you. That is quite impressive, eh?” She whispered with a hint of amusement. However, when she did not get an immediate reply from the human the young demon could not help but grow rather concerned over the girls welfare at that moment - the demon becoming somewhat anxious over the situation that she found herself in. What do I do? What would other demons do? …I don’t really know. I don’t want to just abandon the girl out here… After all who’s to say that more lesser demons wont appear? Gazing warmly towards the unconscious human Bavol found an unusual sense of contentment developing somewhere deep within herself at that moment; the reasons behind the confusing emotion left as a mystery for the time being.

Maybe I will stick around for a bit. Couldn‘t hurt. Then the princess got an idea.

“Heeeey. I know exactly what to do - I can be the Yeu to you; as Yeu is to me! I can be mysterious, cunning and wickedly cool! You‘d be in very safe hands then.” She said in a rather excited tone of voice as a sudden sense of enthusiasm filled the demon. She even tried to replicate the same charming yet menacing stares that her subordinate typically gave - not to her of course - but she knew plenty that received such a stare. “I‘m pretty sure I could pull off that I couldn‘t care less look that he usually gives folk…”

All the while as she spoke Bavol could only hope that the girl would eventually regain consciousness. The demon didn’t really know how else to approach the situation; not to mention the lack of actually conscious company didn’t seem to bother the demon either. She was perfectly use to chatting to herself now and again - it was rather fun in many ways.

“Don‘t worry little girl I‘ll watch your back till someone turns up. You wont be alone, especially with those demons out there…” She mumbled before casually glancing over the side of the bench that the pair kept hidden behind. “If you can hear me, my name is Bavol. You just keep relaxing there - I‘ll keep watch.”

Aura Thorne

“If you can hear me, my name is Bavol. You just keep relaxing there - I‘ll keep watch.” shattered the inky vastness that Aura had been experiencing a few moments prior to words, threads of consciousness leaking back into the forefront of her mind. Slowly lifting her eyelids, a certain drowsiness to them that was doing all but urging the action along, it took a few heartbeats for her crimson orbs to focus on command. Wha… where...am..I? questioned her sluggish thoughts, confusion apparent at the memory gap in which her location was masked. Taking all of the time in the world, the tamer allowed for her surroundings to settle in before giving the command for her body to stir. Apparently.. I’m laying on a grubby carousel… at...an amusement park…? How...peculiar… Attempting to sit upright, a sharp pain radiating from her low spine effectively induced a small inhale of shock to be emitted, her stature immediately freezing. Oh deary… thats...not...good.. Keeping rigid at the waves of agony, her conscious quickly flitted over the various options and routes in which she could take. Out of all of them, it was most appealing choice to lay with her stomach heavenward, as she was before. Bloody hell….what did I do..?! following the resonating inner voice, Aura pursed her lips in concentration as she thought back on the woman’s comment.

”Bavol…? I’m Aurorali… though… most call me Aura… Thank you for watching.” whispered out her feathery tone, a wariness keeping her on a visible guard. Lifting her gaze to take in this stranger, her savior, the human couldn’t help but have her lips part in a shock response. Perhaps it was her white hair or her ethereal appearance but something wasn’t quite normal about the newcomer...something not human. Without really meaning to, her thoughts somehow bubbling out, Aura locked gazes in a clash between crimson and slate before speaking, curiosity giving life to the words. ”What are you, exactly..? I-I don’t mean to be rude or anything...but...” Attempting to switch positions once more, a quiet gasp was given once again by the golden-haired girl as the pain, from the exact same location once more, flared. Groaning out in defeat, eyes screwing shut at the discomfort, the Tamer finally muttered out in a rhetorical question, ”What..happened…?”

God..first Julius then me..before you know it, we will all be out of commission- Oh my! Suddenly, the girl’s eyes flew open in a mix between shock and concern, the events up to her fainting spell occupying her attention. My teammates… where are they…? More importantly...did they make it...to safety? On instinct of thinking about every negative scenario possible at the current moment, Aura bombarded the woman with question upon question, her tone flighty and breathless. ”B-bavol-! Have you seen others, like me, around!? There was..um… let’s s-see.. 2 boys and a girl?! What else….o..oh..they were loud too! One had a lion, the other had a sword and the girl, the girl was wearing gloves…!”

Bavol

---

”Bavol…? I’m Aurorali… though… most call me Aura… Thank you for watching.”

Upon hearing a voice and sensing life within the girl at last Bavol turned and faced the human with evident contentment and relief. Truly she was pleased that the young girl was seemingly alright and functioning once more - and that perhaps the pair had gotten over the worst of their current predicament.

“It‘s nice that your finally awake Aura. You had me worried there for a moment.”

The princess smiled warmly to the girl before slowly raising an amused eyebrow to the human.

”What are you, exactly..? I-I don’t mean to be rude or anything...but...”

Sooner or later the demon expected something of the sorts from the human, though despite somewhat expecting it the female was still unprepared on how to exactly answer such a thing. To reveal her true origins would be a mistake not worth making at the current moment in time, and therefore, she simply laughed in mere response.

“Well… I‘m just like you, silly. Why would I be anything else.”

For the most part everything seemed settled between the pair. Occasionally the girl let out a momentarily wince of discomfort - which was understandable from what she had just experienced - though that certainly didn’t prepare the demon who was a little caught off guard by the sudden overload of questions that the human unleashed upon her.

”B-bavol-! Have you seen others, like me, around!? There was..um… let’s s-see.. 2 boys and a girl?! What else….o..oh..they were loud too! One had a lion, the other had a sword and the girl, the girl was wearing gloves…!”

Bavol remained fairly quiet for the first few minutes that passed, saying practically nothing at all whilst her mind slowly adjusted to all that which blooded her thoughts just now. A lion… a sword… and gloves… How humanly these weird things sound. I cannot imagine what they must look like up close… but they do sure sound interesting. I mean I know what a sword looks like. We have those in Inferno. Gloves and animals too… but to see such things in the Human World… that‘s just unimaginably amazing to think about. Snapping her attention back to Aura just then the demon quickly refocused her thoughts. I have no idea who these “others“ are… I can only assume that they are like Aura and due to the lesser demons attacking have probably gotten themselves separated around the amusement park. If that‘s the case then I can only assure the girl that they are - probably - alright.

“I’m sorry to say but I have not seen anyone except you around here... But if your friends are as loud as you say they are then I‘m sure you will find them easily enough.” She said with hopes of attempting to assure the girl of her, presumed, friends welfare. “I have friends out there too, you see. I can understand your need to seek out their safety, but rest assured I do believe that your friends ought to be alright. After all, your doing good aren’t you? So why shouldn‘t they.”

Sitting back down beside the human Bavol took on a more laidback approach to the situation, seeming more like her usual carefree self as she crossed one leg over the other and lazily closed her eyes momentarily.

“That was quite impressive what you did back there. Summoning that beast like you did… it was rather impressive to say the least. I‘m just glad you stepped in when you did.” She casually spoke. “I don‘t think we need to worry anymore this place seems safe enough for now. I doubt those demons would dare come back this way ~”

Away with her thoughts once more the demon gave a heavy sigh. It’s odd… in this realm I am considered no more than a girl and no one seems any the wiser - and yet back home, I am the Princess of Air and struggling to maintain any level of respect from my peers and Princes alike. Perhaps pretending to be human is more appealing than I first ever realized. This world is much more open and freer… Looking to Aura she asked, “Tell me. Out of all the places in this big world, why are you here, in this old abandoned amusement park?”

(Ignore please. Wrong spot.)

Cerbin Hiberion

A little bit before the present. (Dual written by Damioa and KuroNeko)

Cerbin ran quickly to the area where the other groups were. As he feared, the smell of even more demons was getting stronger as he approached closer to the area. He began thinking that if he wasn't able to reach his destination in time, he would have definitely failed his mission. Although, it might have been a failure ever since he had decided to enroll as a teacher in the academy. It didn't hit him until the last battle he had, but now he was certain. There was no way he could fight to his full potential in front of so many demon hunting exorcists. Nor could he guarantee the safety of the one he was ordered to protect. Heck, he couldn't even guarantee his own. He would have to consult Satan after the incident settled down to see what he should do next. Upon running, he had something hit his nose. It wasn't the vile smell of a lesser demon. He was never able to tell what kind of smell it was in the first place. However, it was a smell he had recognized. "Tch. I can't deal with this too." He said to himself before looking around for a place to hide. He wasn't too keen on being seen by this person. Not yet at least.
Looking over the area, Cerbin found a public stall. It was a usual private one that fit the amusement park fittingly. There were two openings and a wall that covered the middle of the small box. Quickly, he jumped over the wall and hugged the inner walls it bore. Closing his eyes, he sniffed the air and listened carefully for the sound of approaching footsteps. He hadn't thought about what he was going to do from there. True, he could just ignore this man and continue to his original target, but that would mean having to put up with being seen later by him. Even worse, if he was attacked then he would have no choice but to give up his true identity in countering him. There were too many loose ends with just letting him pass by. On the other hand, or respectively, yet another reason to deal with him now, there was a question. "What if he was the one who brought the lesser demons here?" It was a long shot, but it did seem possible. Having been on Earth for so long, Cerbin had no idea what was going on in Inferno. Would the mans position still be the same? Or maybe, there was a coup d'etat and now personnel are being dispatched to find him and Satan's offspring. "So there is only one thing to do. I have to attack him. I have to make him disappear." It wasn't certain at all. It could have just been an act of coincidence. However, Cerbin couldn't chance anything. Not when it came to his mission.
Like a predator he waited for the footsteps to come into range. It wasn't long before they had. The smell seemed to match. With all the senses declaring that his target had been acquired, he hopped back over the wall and ran in front of the man, about ten meters to be exact, and pulled out one of his double barrels. He wasn't one to shoot someone in the back, even if he would have ended up regretting. Even after the pull of the trigger, even Cerbin didn't think the conflict would end there. He was ready for a fight.

Thus far Astaroth had seen very little in this place that lived up to the promise of 'amusement'. He had expected the failure, but a faint bit more effort on the part of the creators of the space would have been appreciated. The sounds of his breaths and footsteps added further to the dull ambience sounds of faint creaking rust addled mental swaying in the disinterested breeze. Lesser demons proved even more of a rarity in his chosen section than something amusing, He had seen faint signs that Lessers had moved through the area and thought he heard suspicious noises coming from the distance, and he was beginning to think he had chosen the poor path. No matter, he would clear the border first then push in once the area was secure.
In such a dead space unblinking eyes detected the quick-moving discrepancy near immediately. Seconds are a tight space in which to confine thought, but he manages to slip in vague wonder at the intent of the human before him. Things pointed by strangers are rarely a kindness, and while he shot to the side in avoidance an unfamiliar form of noise affirmed to him negative connotation. More thoughts choked in seconds – what was the purpose of defending this place, or attacking on whim one walking quietly. Then thoughts of how to respond, weapon choices flitting by and vague wondering if it was worth the time. It had been some time since he robbed someone of their intestines…
Final decision is that he would like a closer look of this bit of amusement. In a flowing act of return, he darts back across the path once more, movement to avoid further pointing of small noisy things. While slipping through the air, pulling up small dust clouds from where his feet hit the ground to propel him on, a hand moves to the side to be consumed in ruddy mist from which is pulled his demonically warped katar. It barely had time to settle into his grip before it was launched towards the enemy.
The blade was but a distraction to allow him to jump to nearby and leap his way from foothold to foothold to close the distance between them.

Cerbin watched as the bullet slipped past his target and shot more in his targets direction. Those too seemed to miss, but Cerbin wasn't all that surprised. Not even he would have gotten hit by such a human-esque move, but at the moment that was what he was limited to. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to move away from his first destination. He didn't need any of the exorcists in the area seeing the fight which was about to take place. If they had, then he would have to lose the fight in a horrible manner. Not only was his adversary in combat a superior demon, but he was one of the three subordinates. In Cerbins head, the ladder of hell, if being written out on a tree would be his Satan Azrael, the three princes, and then himself along with the three subordinates. After that he didn't bother making name categories. It was obviously just superior demons and then lesser demons.
To top it off, not only was he fighting a subordinate, but in his eyes, the most dangerous one. No he had never seen Astaroth fight before, but he still had his attention. For one, he seemed to be the most to himself. Another thing would have to be the fact that the Demon Prince of Earth had been his master. The same demon who was taught under Satan. The connection itself made him dangerous. Lastly though, and this in itself could be the main reasoning behind Cerbins caution, but Astaroth had the presence of someone strong. It could have just been the mans imagination, but seeing just the way Astaroth carries himself was enough to have Cerbin know that he might be outmatched, even if he could use his full power. However, Cerbin had decided that if he just had a small advantage he might be able to best the demon in front of him. The first step was getting Astaroth to think him as weak, so he continued to fight like a human. However, he began to back step towards one of the coaster attractions. He did so at just enough speed making sure to sway to different corners of his counterpart in order to slow try to slow his engagement. To look on the outside, it would seem as if he was trying to cross him over while backing into the attraction. He only had his enhanced speed to rely on when it came to keeping a hairs distance away from Astaroth, which allowed him to jump up into the sky and land on one of the bars. He quickly reloaded his guns and began shooting down to the mans direction.

Missing its target, Astaroth’s katar dissolved into the same tarnished mist it was drawn from. Speed and agility that he could not deny to be at decent levels kept him from getting close enough to look at the face of this distraction. From the distance it held some faint curiosity beyond the norm, but as the chase went his interest faded with the assumption that it should be no more than a human, fast or not.
As the movement took them to the distance he wondered on the possibility of some form of ambush, but the area seemed quiet and there would be little motivation. Closing in on a mangled sort of structure, one of the decaying roofs he leapt to betrayed his footing and caused the necessity to return to ground level. When his eyes moved from catching himself back to the creature of interest, he was slipping through the air to a peculiar and mangled sort of structure. An aerial advantage was the plan then. That could be easily topped with the use of wings if only… Astaroth glared at the limiter on his wrist and suffered the temptation of removing it. Gun fire drew his attention and he launched backwards. His distraction cost him a bullet grazing the inner side of his right calf.
Maintaining constant movement as unpredictably as manageable in the space and growling angrily over his injury, he reached into one of the satchels at his waist and felt for the shape of the vials he desired to use. Two seem adequate for the job and are drawn free. The substance selected is a potent acid milked from a particular variety of snake-like lesser demon and he targets them in two quick throws at the beams supporting his enemy. Darting towards the structure, the mist returned around his hand and this time produced his battle axe, which was driven against the supports in hopes of aiding the acid in knocking his target down to a more simply attackable range.

As Cerbin hit his target he ceased fire temporarily to reload his double barrels. He widened his gaze a little in awe at the fact that he was able to hit him at all. Thinking about it, it could have been because of the mans limiter. That had to be it. He didn't take into account that the battle at hand would have a full change just because of an item. Although, remembering the guns in his hands, he realized that he should have never doubted this fact. If it wasn't for the limit on power, he would've probably never picked up the gun.
It seemed his opponent was more prepared than he was however, seeing as he ditched his first weapons. Of course Cerbin knew better than to think that any higher being, scratch that, not even most humans would give up after one little graze. Astaroth threw something like a whip, no it was too shiny in the remaining light of day to be a whip and also didn't come back to him. Whatever it was, it hit the structuring of the coaster trail Cerbin was perched on. It didn't take long for it to crumble and before the man had something good to jump off of, he was swallowed in the demolition. Stuck under under what felt like tons of steel and wood, and with his body feeling like it had just been hit by a train, Cerbin almost passed out. This easy to faint thing was yet another thing he hated about being in human form for so long. He began to think maybe being the way he was now for so long was making him exceedingly weak.
No.
That's the answer he gave himself as he dug himself out of the dubree. He basically crawled through a small gap he happened to move and squeezed himself out. He looked up at the being in front of him. He felt like almost laughing at his luck. Of course his next weapon would be a huge axe. Slowly standing up, Cerbin looked ahead straight into the eyes of his adversary, a trickle of blood falling down his forehead to accompany his demonic red eye. Not wanting to use the power of his eye due to the side effects, he decided to stick to his guns. However, this time instead of running away while firing, he had decided to take a more frontal approach, but first he just had to know, "Why would you release demons to attack this place? Is this his new will?" By saying "his" Cerbin was referring to Azreal, but as far as he was concerned his master hadn't mentioned anything about an attack of any kind on the human world. Still, it was good to take out possibilities. He had to know why things were happening the way they were, and why one of the demon subordinates were here in the first place.

The attack was more effective than Astaroth had hoped and as he skidded backwards to avoid being caught in the debris he was momentarily disappointed by the possibility that the neglected old creation had stolen his kill. To his vaguest relief, the disappointment was premature. He raised his axe to rest on his shoulder and met the gaze of his opponent. At this range he noted the peculiarity of his eye and realized that it was not a simple human he was fighting. The question struck him as rather peculiar, particularly the latter half. What would Azrael have against a place like this? It took little thought to answer the accusations of using demons, “It would be pointless to release demons to do what I could do better myself,” but he took some more cautious consideration on what to reveal of Azrael’s intent. Uncertain what kind of demon would be wandering Earth uninformed, he decided against sharing what they were doing and instead gave his earlier thought as replacement. “What would the Satan gain from destroying this half-decayed park of amusement?”


Not understanding the question to his own question, Cerbin just sat staring at Astaroth in silence. The man did say that it would be pointless for he himself to send lesser demons to do his dirty work and knowing him, Cerbin wouldn't doubt for a second that if Astaroth did want something done in the human world, he'd do it himself. The other familiar smells also told him that the situation called for something different then what he had thought in the first place. However, the evidence that calmed his nerves the most was the mention of Azreal. Of course there wouldn't be a life threatening task that he would hash out that would endanger his or Aura's life. So there it was. Proof that he may have just jumped the gun by being a little too over protective. A strange tendency found in most of his kind. Still, he didn't want anyone to know about his location. Though, knowing the demon in front of him, if he didn't know who he was by now, then maybe he wouldn't mention it if he found out later. Cerbin smirked at how oblivious Astaroth was and lowered his guns after returning his face to his calm bland look. "I see. Then it's my fault for starting this mess between you and I. Well then. I should probably tend to something important instead of wasting time." He said as he turned away.

Astaroth's axe grew heavy with impatience as moments passed in silence. Considering the possibility of more interesting fights with more creatively designed lesser demons, the temptation to end this distraction was increasing. As fantasies of splitting the skull before him with his axe grew almost inescapably enticing to alleviate an increasing sense of boredom, lowered guns stayed his hand. The brief smirk and admittance that this was all a waste of time earned a high amount of irritation, but as the uniformed demon turned away, he decided that enough time had been wasted and watched him go without offering any reply.

Current time

Cerbin kept moving without even the slightest sign of looking back. Sure, it had crossed his mind that Astaroth would attack him from behind, but with his acute hearing, he could tell that he wasn't the target of Astaroths path. This was most definitely a good thing indeed. Now all he had to do was focus on finding Aura and making sure she was safe. As he ran he felt the same strange presence he would normally feel when a link between him and his brother was created. Most of the time however, he would be the one to open the link. His brother never talked to him on his own. If a link was open then that would mean that Azreal, his master, would want to speak to him. He stopped running, just so he could focus, and looked up at the sky. It was getting pretty late. Usually he had made the connection and given his daily report, however, because of his new trade and distractions, he hadn't been able to do his daily ritual.

Indigo was lying outside Satans chamber when he heard the whistle. Getting up he walked inside and walked towards Azreal. He didn't know what his master looked like, but he could smell him perfectly. He could also hear him and, judging from the tone of his voice, he wasn't happy. Feeling a pull at his muzzle, he whined at the sudden movement and opened the link between him and Cerbin.

“Cerbin! What the hell are you doing? Why haven’t you given me your report yet? What goes of my daughter?” Azreal asked, sounding rather aggravated.

Cerbin sniffed around the area before answering. "She is now a part of the exorcist school. I have infiltrated the campus by posing as an instructor here in order to stay close to her. However, it seems that during the initial test some lesser demons started to roam the area. I killed one, but I smelled more around the other group area. As of now, the smell of rot is in the air, but it doesn't smell human nor of Aura. I believe the demons are dead or injured. However, there is another circumstance that bothers me. I have ran into Astaroth just recently. We had a little scuffle, but nothing to care about. However, I smell others, even one who smells like the Prince of Wind. I suppose the other one is her servant. I also smelled two dog like demons and some other type of smell. As of now, I'm headed in Aura's direction. That is all I have to report at this time." Cerbins voice was bland and clear, however, the words were repeated through Indigo's mouth. It was hard to talk with Azreal's hand over his mouth, but he didn't show no sign of minding. However, once the marble fell onto his paw he couldn't help but to whimper. It wasn't so much of the pain as it was the wonder of what had fallen on his paw. After he was done he raised his ears to hear Azreals reply to Cerbin's message.

“Damn. I wouldn’t have thought they’d attack her let alone be anywhere near her. You said you encountered Astaroth, which means the rest of them are will be in the vicinity. Cerbin listen good, do not under any circumstances let them find out who you are. And do not let them anywhere near Aura. Trouble has been brewing in Inferno and news of my daughter living in the human realm will do me no good. Not right now. I’ll have a messenger call the expedition team back. On the other hand if you can, try to get rid of as many Lesser demons as you can, if there are any left, simply so they no longer have a reason to stay. That is all.”
After that Indigo waited to see what would happen next before being pushed back. Taking that as a sign, he left the room.

Cerbin was paused, he didn't know how he could get past any of the others with his eye. Even if they had forgotten what he looked like, the eye may stir back their memory. If that were to happen, he'd probably be targeted or the secret that he bore would be loose for public knowledge. Thinking of what to do next he felt a nudge on his leg. It was no other than Malice who had come back after dropping the kids off to safety. That's when Cerbin got an idea. If he didn't show his eye then he would be able to hide himself. "Malice, grab that rock by your paw." He ordered. The demon dog did as he was ordered to and picked up the rock with his fangs. Handing it to Cerbin, he looked at his younger brother questionably. With two swift shots to his face, Cerbin had swollen his eye enough to keep it sealed for a good amount of time. Now that that was taken care of, all he had to do was find Aura.

Following his nose, he had decided to go around the long way. There was no chance that he was going to waste time with other demons and humans. Especially not since he had just received orders. It didn't take long, but soon the smell of Azreal's daughter became more apparent, along with a smell he didn't quite agree of. As he walked he over heard some talking. He quickly took hiding along one of the walls and peered around. He saw a carousel a few feet away and two figures. With his now blackened eye, he only had one eye to focus with.

"Malice." He called, "I need you to gaze over in that direction for me."

Upon hearing Cerbin's request, Malice showed his teeth and looked around the corner. Making a link between them, Cerbin could see the area perfectly. Apparently the smell he had feared actually was something to fear after all. He had little contact with her, but seeing the long stands of pale white hair that almost looked grey, he could confirm along with her smell who she was. Looking closely, it seemed that Aura was lying right next to her and listening closely, the two were having a conversation. Malice pulled back and severed the link with Cerbin. Looking up at his brother and licking his lips, as if to mock him, he sat next to Cerbin waiting for the next move.

Cerbin, on the other hand was a little distraught to say the least. Not only had he came into contact with Astaroth, but now he would have to come into contact with the Prince of Air as well. Although, in the big picture of it all, that wasn't the half of it. No, after Azreal had ordered him to keep Aura away from the demons, he finds her talking to one of the top demon's one could talk to. It wasn't looking good at all for him. However, as he looked up trying to think of a plan, one had easily flown above him. It seemed the messenger birds were working pretty fast today. As he kept his eyes on the lesser demon, it did some movements and made some noises before darting toward her.

"That's right." He said, thinking aloud, "Get your message and leave so I can make sure Aura is safe." Waiting for the right time to move, Cerbin gazed around the corner with his one good eye and waited.

Bavol

---

Hey. Raising her stare Bavol quickly eyed up the small darkly creature that beckoned for her attention suddenly; so much so that the annoying little thing dived right into her head! This ought to be good. Turning away from Aura momentarily the princess focused her attention on the creature as it passed on the words of Satan.

So he wants us to return at once, eh? How unfortunate. I was beginning to rather enjoy my time in the Human World… I don‘t really want to leave just yet. But… if Satan summons us we must do as our leader commands - what a chore. It doesn‘t help that everyone is a little out of touch at the moment. We‘ll need to regroup.

Once the messaged was delivered and understood the princess motioned with her hand for the creature to leave her presence whilst she faced the young human once again. “Sadly… it appears that I must be moving on. I had forgotten that there was something I needed to do whilst out here you see. It‘s rather urgent.“ She said softly with a gentle sigh escaping her lips. “However. Whilst I‘m gone do me a favour? Stay out of trouble. It‘s a much easier way to live.“ The demon playfully laughed and got to her feet just then, checking that the area was still safely secure before stepping out from behind the old bench that the pair had settled behind. “Farewell Aura. May I see you again some time.“ With a warm smile the girl looked to the human for a quiet moment before finally turning and taking her leave. As Bavol hopped off the carousel and began walking along the ground she soon found herself with a slight skip in her step as she proceeded to venture further through the area and disappearing out of sight.

Let’s see… my best bet is probably to find Yeu and Astaroth. We can return to Inferno together and find out what Satan wants. That sounds like a plan. As she began to make her way through the abandoned amusement park Bavol thought it best to head in the direction of the entrance of the park - seeing that area as one of few most likely places to be best suited in finding the other demons. Come to think of it I wonder why Satan is urgently requesting our return like he is. Has something happened whilst we were gone? Doubt it. I can‘t really imagine why we must return so soon… buuuuut… perhaps upon my return Satan will praise my good work! That would show those other two Princes who‘s boss!

Upon finally arriving at the entrance of the park Bavol scanned the area carefully for any signs of the other demons, however, she quickly concluded that neither Yeu or Astaroth were nearby. If I remember right Yeu was exploring the bottom half of the park… whereas Astaroth was searching around in the left area. She thought, attempting to remember the layout of the park as detailed on the map she viewed prior to separating from the other demons. Wished I still had that map. With a light shrug of her shoulders the demon continued on her way and proceeded to travel around the abandoned park in hopes of finding the other demons, despite somewhat unsure of which direction she was actually heading in, the princess was certain enough that she’d run into one of the two demons.

“Well… I‘m sure they‘ll find me soon enough - I‘m not that hard to notice.“ Looking to the starry sky above her the young princess sighed tiredly before dragging her feet along the ground. A feeling of displeasure forming within her gradually. Who would have thought it was this easy to get attached to a place… to think that I may actually miss the coolness of the air in this realm… the oddness of the way in which the humans react to the world around them… and the many things I have yet to even see. Oh why must we leave so soon!

Aura Thorne

“It‘s nice that you're finally awake Aura. You had me worried there for a moment.”, floated out the strange woman’s relief-ladened words, a warm smile playing on her lips in suit of the tone, “Well… I‘m just like you, silly. Why would I be anything else.” was the next sequence of voicing. A tug of her mouth’s corners settled on Aura’s expression, the Tamer not quite missing the hesitation and uncertainty within Bavol’s response to her question. What could she be possibly hiding..? mused her inner voice, that wariness resurfacing once more. However, that wariness was casted off as the young girl unleashed her questions onto the stranger, a new side surfacing. “I’m sorry to say but I have not seen anyone except you around here... But if your friends are as loud as you say they are then I‘m sure you will find them easily enough. I have friends out there too, you see. I can understand your need to seek out their safety, but rest assured I do believe that your friends ought to be alright. After all, your doing good aren’t you? So why shouldn‘t they.” Feeling disappointment wash over conscious, Aura let her propped elbows collapse from their supportive position, her back coming to rest flat, once more, against the metal tiling. Of course, an inward wince was immediately given as that heated sensation flared from her lower spine, the movement, apparently, not quite welcomed yet. God….what did I do…? As if reading her mind, Bavol’s voice immediately piqued once more, the settled atmosphere between the two being only slightly ruffled. “That was quite impressive what you did back there. Summoning that beast like you did… it was rather impressive to say the least. I‘m just glad you stepped in when you did. I don‘t think we need to worry anymore this place seems safe enough for now. I doubt those demons would dare come back this way ~” Immediately, Aura’s eyebrows knitted in confusion, that frown deepening as the woman’s words sunk in. ”Summon….? So I really did that…… but…..how….?” Stuck in her metacognitive state, the Tamer nonchalantly began to gnaw on her lower lip, every possible scenario replaying. It doesn’t make sense… Rin or Kota should have come...not...that thing… Apparently, the counterpart to this conversation wasn’t quite content with the silence as Aura was, Bavol’s words immediately drawing her back to the present. “Tell me. Out of all the places in this big world, why are you here, in this old abandoned amusement park?” Giving the slightest shrug of her shoulders, Aura merely sighed before musing out, ”We were sent here on an exam to become Exorcists… but.. looks like we failed..”

Without warning, exhaustion and fatigue swept over the small girl. Glancing over at Bavol, Aura allowed a heavy sigh to escape its confines as she delicately allowed for her hands to overlay on her chest, eyelids fluttering close. I think..it’ll be fine..for a few...seconds.. lied her inner voice, awareness deteriorating as sleep cradled her. In fact, Bavols’ farewells just barely registered in the back of her mind, exhaustion outweighing the stranger’s departing importance.

“Aura, we’re heading back now, are you hurt anywhere?” shattered the blissful daze, the voice one that she recognized immediately. Miss Shosuke….ah...they finally found me.. Allowing for her eyelids to groggily lift, it took the teenager a few moments for her focus to hone in on the fiery haired woman. "You look like you’re in pain, can you walk?” Eyebrows knitting once more, Aura was unsure how to respond...in fact, she hadn’t even tried walking..but part of her already knew the answer to that. Merely giving a shake of her head, the Tamer was about to say something when Ryuu suddenly turned away, defense rippling through her stance. After demanding who was there, the teacher raised her hand to her mouth in order to summon, if need be, her willingness to fight evident. Crawling out from the bushes was another teacher, one that Aura only vaguely recognized, hands raised in a good-natured peace. As Ryuu and the male teacher were exchanging plans, Aura couldn’t help but narrow in on Cerbin, eyes holding a wariness to them. I..I think I’ve seen him around before….maybe..thats why he seems familiar...but…. there's something off about him..

"Don't worry. We'll be home soon." Blinking in surprise, the time elapsed from her inner assessment apparently going over her head, Aura’s lips parted in a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. ”O-oh…..right….” Grasping his outstretched arm in a rather weak manner, the Tamer managed to shuffle herself onto his back, a soft hiss of pain being her outlet of emotion. My god...what happened…?! was the address to the root of her discomfort, her spine’s base, disbelief colouring the words. Clutching onto Cerbin’s back, she tried to distract herself through conversation, mind wandering. ”So..um…. did the others…? I mean..are they ok…?”

Cerbin Hiberion

Cerbin walked slowly towards the park exit with a heavy feeling. No, it wasn't the girl, whom he hadn't carried since her infant year. Surprisingly, it was the after effects of the two fights that he was just in. The superior demon had to admit the fact that he needed to start training. Being undeniably rusty wasn't something he could get away with for long. So, at that moment, Cerbin decided to start a training regiment. One that would make him a much greater adversary in the future. He hoped it would at least.

Half way to his destination, he felt some squirming on his upper back. ”So..um…. did the others…? I mean..are they ok…?” Aura's voice asked from behind him.

It took awhile for Cerbin to answer. He raised his head only to sniff the air a little, making sure it was a quiet sniff. He wouldn't want to tell the girl a lie should one of her new peers have blood on them. Sure enough, the only smell of blood in the air were those that were already there. Nothing.... too human? He couldn't tell. At the very least he knew that the kids were okay. "They should be fine," He said quietly.

Without saying anything else on the whole walk Cerbin waited until they arrived back at the bus to let the girl off. His eye was beginning to loose swelling so he was only able to open it a little, however, not wanting to answer any questions, he kept it shut as much as he could. "Are you hurt anywhere," he asked. "If so, you should rest inside where you can take a seat."

Cerbin suddenly noticed a vibe of energy and with it came an opening, almost like the ones the demons use to travel long distances, but different . Out came the remaining students, Ryuu, and the other teacher. Cerbin had to ponder his name for a moment before remembering. It seemed that he too was hurt. Well, that's if you could sum his condition up in that small phrase. Once they all appeared the opening closed and so did the surge of energy.

Noticing the man was trying to reach the bus, Cerbin walked over to him. "Let me help you," he said taking off his button shirt, leaving him with just a t-shirt. " You're shivering. The blood on the shirt should keep you warm." Cerbin then tried to help the man, whom he now remembered, was named Nathaniel onto the bus. "When we arrive back at the school, you and the girl should probably see a nurse," Cerbin said pointing at Aura. He then stepped outside and went over to Ryuu. "There are two injured. One teacher, one student. The other students seem safe. We shouldn't have had any injuries." Cerbin lowered his head, feeling as if he had failed. "I blame myself for the injuries. I was too far away. There won't be a next time," he said with his eye opened now, and the red strictly on her. If the woman in front of him were Satan, he would have said the same thing. No matter his current position, she was the one in charge and he, as her subordinate, was suppose to make sure everything was okay. Not only had he failed in that, but he failed to keep Azreal's daughter safe. With all these failures of his, it was easy to tell that he had felt hurt. A hurt that dove deep into his pride.

Ryuu

What happened next surprised Ryuu. With a simple swipe of his hand, a crack appeared on the ground before them. A pale light seeped through the crack until it widened enough to show them an image of the bus. A look of amazement shown on her face but Ryuu quickly steeled herself and dismissed Night before they were pushed through the rift by Nathaniel himself. Ryuu managed to catch him as blue mist left his lips, forming an ethereal orb and then smashing it to pieces at his feet. All it took as a few steps forwards for Ryuu to be standing upright in a completely different location. The students who were there already gawked at the sudden appearance of their peers but more so at Nathaniel’s appearance. Shaking her head at those who looked ready to ask of Nathaniel’s condition, their curiosity was stifled for the time being.

"There are two injured. One teacher, one student. The other students seem safe. We shouldn't have had any injuries." Ryuu looked over at Cerbin taking note of his words, a frown on her lips. "I blame myself for the injuries. I was too far away. There won't be a next time," Her eyes widened slightly at the hurt that displayed itself prominently across his features but more so that he blamed himself for all that had happened. “You’re not the only one to blame Cerbin. I’m a teacher just like you and I wasn’t able to protect a single one of my students.” Ryuu did take note of the change in eye color of his other eye, the one that had been swollen shut not too long ago. Odd was the only thought that passed through her mind.

Ryuu walked forwards, towards the bus when Julius spoke making her stop. "I'm not riding that bus with Mr. Buzzkill, if the option's still on the table, I'll take the dragon. Hell, even dealing with Aja's trying to run wild or just walking back would be more pleasant." Rolling her eyes, Ryuu couldn’t help but snicker a bit at hearing Nathaniel’s new nickname. Hmp you’re not the only one kid. Originally she had planned on giving them a ride back to the bus but Nathaniel had beaten her to it and sent them through that rift and so here they were. “The option is still open Julius but you may have to stay with me for the night.” Seeing Evangeline approaching them both, Ryuu could see who it was the younger girl intended to talk to so she took a couple steps back to give them room.

While the both of them conversed Ryuu walked over to Cerbin, “Alright Cerbin, I’m going to leave you in charge of getting them back to the dorms. It seems Julius wants to go back home on Night. Also I’ll be taking Aura with me; I have some elixirs that should help with her pain.” With that being said, Ryuu entered the bus and gently took Aura into her arms. Leaving the driver instructions on how to proceed without her being there, she was careful not to jostle Aura too much as she descended the bus steps. Ryuu then placed her on the ground and summoned Night, who lengthened to his fuller length. “Let’s go Julius.” taking Aura back into her arms, Ryuu carefully climbed onto Nights back and they were soon up into the dark sky.

They flew in relative silence but they reached their destination quickly. Night slowly began his decent above a small enclosed estate, to the right side was what looked to be a temple and a few buildings scattered here and there. However Night did not land inside the temple grounds but just outside them. Sliding off his back, Ryuu was careful with Aura’s body and dismissed Night once more. Walking through the archway, Ryuu led Julius into a courtyard that was set before a traditional Japanese home. “Here is where you will be staying for the night. If you need anything just ring this bell here but be smart about it. Also the baths are just to the left of the courtyard over there if you want to wash up.” With that being said, Ryuu left Julius to tend to the girl still in her arms.

Ryuu walked down a hallway and slid open a door to her left. Inside was a pre-made mattress, the room was lined with shelves containing a few things. Placing Aura on the mattress, Ryuu began to tend to the girl’s wounds moving her body so her back was open. After tending to Aura, the redhead stood up stretching and headed straight to her personal quarters.

Next Day||Early Morning||6:00a.m.

Soft warm light flooded into the room, making the paneled walls pop in certain places. As the lighting changed with the movement of the sun, its rays burst into a flame-like color upon being absorbed strands of hair. The color shifted to a darker hue as the body underneath the blanket began to move about accompanied by the sound of grumblings. Slowly propping herself on an elbow, Ryuu glared at the little light that shone managed to reach her window. Normally with it being so early in the morning it would have taken another hour or two for the light to come out, Oh right that tree’s gone. Ryuu remember there had once been a tree that blocked out the light until a certain time of day but now with it gone the light came in at an earlier time than she was used to.


Looking around her room groggily, Ryuu laid back down with the covers pushed to the side and stared up at the ceiling. She could feel the stiffness in her bones from her fight last night, more like a play fight. Rolling her eyes at the remembrance of the demon, Ryuu finally mustered enough energy to get out of bed. Slipping into a simple robe over her undergarments, Ryuu began to walk about her home with quiet footsteps; she made sure not to wake up her guests, at least not yet anyways. Eventually RYuu found herself standing in the courtyard that led to Julius and Aura’s rooms. Stretching she could feel her body pop and creak. With one hand she felt around for any bruised places and found one around her hip. With a sharp intake of breathe Ryuu cursed quickly and quietly. Drawing out a small bit of blood from her finger tip, Ryuu brushed it against her arm along the dragon tattoo. Soon enough the result came out just as she wanted, with Night slithering off her arm and waiting for her command.

“I want you to take a look around. Make sure nothing followed us home or anything. There’s something odd about Aura and I need to figure out what it is.” Nodding his massive head in compliance, Night flew into the already brightening sky and disappeared. I can only check if she’s awake, can’t exactly examine her while she’s still out of it. Sitting down on the platform of her home, Ryuu crossed her legs and started to think about what she was going to do for the day. I can’t exactly leave without giving them something to do, especially not Julius. Who knows what the boy is capable of by himself. With a slight frown on her lips, Ryuu got up and walked back to her rooms to get ready for the day.

9:30a.m

Now dressed in a sleeveless top and loose pants, Ryuu let her hair flow loose for the time being. Going into her kitchen she began to prepare a small breakfast for her guests. Once done, she headed towards Julius’s room first and slid the door open. Making sure not to make much of a ruckus, Ryuu set a tray, which contained tea and a hot plate of food, down beside Julius’s sleeping form. Kneeling beside him, Ryuu couldn’t help but stare at him. A smile slowly curled the corners of her lips; however it didn’t reach her fiery eyes. With thinking a hand reached out ready to stroke his dark hair but she managed to stop herself. The smile she once had was replaced by a dull look of pain. With a sigh Ryuu stood up walking over to the doors and sliding them open thus allowing the morning light to stream into the room. Keeping her back to Julius she glanced at him over her shoulder, “Time to get up sleepy head. Sleeping in isn’t allowed in my house.” her tone took on a slightly more cheerful tone but it was obvious it was forced.

“You can find some clothes in those draws, although I don’t think they’ll fit you well. Come see me in the courtyard, I want you to try something out that might help you in the long run.” Not waiting for a response or to even see if the younger boy was awake, Ryuu left the doors ajar and stood in the courtyard waiting for Julius. As she waited for him, Ryuu tended to the shrubbery around her making soft cooing sounds to the trees.

Julius was more than a little surprised when Ryuu appeared to go along with his little tantrum and summoned her dragon. It wasn't until he actually caught a glimpse of Aura in her arms that any real form of understanding took place. Julius still hopped on and rode along after the woman had announced what was going to happen. He couldn't exactly offer much of an argument in his current state. The flight itself wasn't as smooth as he'd expected, mostly Julius kept quiet for fear of biting his own tongue. By the time the dragon was landed he'd long since lost the urge to talk.

“Here is where you will be staying for the night. If you need anything just ring this bell here but be smart about it. Also the baths are just to the left of the courtyard over there if you want to wash up.”

Julius simply nodded in response, his body hurt and he was tired. I'll shower later...bed first, the thought groggily drifted through his head before he just threw himself upon the provided sleeping area. He normally hated sleeping, but in this case...that hatred could go jump off a cliff. However, when Ryuu woke him with her usual unreasonable lines, he felt sick- the kind he only experienced when he slept.

"Then why have bed, or even give me the option before?" Julius snapped back at the exiting set of shoulders.

"Even evil needs to sleep sometime you know!" His stomach wouldn't last anyways, so the young man simply ignored the meal that had been prepared to instead take chase. He also ignored the remark on clothes, there were nothing wrong with his own. That and he secretly hoped something about their smell was bugging the woman at the time, he didn't appreciate being ordered around. He was rooted to the spot at the notion of Ryuu's having him meet her in the courtyard, she hadn't done something like that before.

" What, are you actually going to show me a decent circle?" He just as quickly realized that the instructor had ignored him and stormed after her, only to succeed in catching her acting well...somewhat girly for once.