Raiden clicked her fingers. "Space drugs boy! You're the dude with the cool hair!" she pointed at him, a large smile growing on her face. "Did you ever get some space drugs for me?"
I'm cool as a cucumber Even if I'm in a pickle
Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.
"Space.. drugs?" Casey's nose wrinkled and he squinted in confusion. "No, I... I believe you're mistaken, ma'am. I really don't- I haven't the slightest idea what you're referring to."
Lucy's attention swiftly shifted from the woman with pointed ears to Wielde, eyes growing increasingly wide when his introduction registered. She had never heard of Wyandanch before, but she and Diane had been dealing with the supernatural for ages now - why wouldn't there be a hidden kingdom somewhere out there?
"You're a former king?" she managed to get out. No wonder the outfit had looked so authentic! Oh man, this was definitely going in Di's notebook, even though Wielde currently seemed very human. "The only royalty I've ever met is Cro-"
Diane coughed incredibly loud and not-so-subtly put her foot down on Lucy's.
Oh. Yeah. She was playing the part of a normal human hunter right now. Thank God for Diane; she almost broke character there, and it wouldn't have gone over well if anyone here had even the foggiest idea about the hierarchy of power in Hell.
Gunther/der Silberfuchs: 5' 9", with short, blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes, seems to be in his early twenties. A scar runs diagonally across his face that's hidden by a silver mask in the shape of a fox's face. Twin, curved blades that are about the length of his forearm sit on his hips under his ankle-length black trench coat that leaves only his lower legs and fur boots uncovered. Diamond: Her style is best described as somewhere between biker and punk. She wears jeans, black boots, and a light blue t-shirt. She has cobalt blue eyes and her hair is white. She keeps it short in a floppy mohawk that's only just long enough to tuck behind her ear. She's got a handgun on a leg holster. At the moment, all of this is covered by a tan trench coat that's loose to hide her shape and a crystalline, almost featureless mask. Cornyx Blackthorne: 6' 5" in height, with shoulder-length black hair and ebony eyes. He wears an onyx doublet with pale gray, long-sleeved, medieval-style undershirt and a very dark, violet cloak fastened with a silver brooch in the shape of a dragon's eye that appears to be some kind of crest. He also has an ebony diadem set with a single, iridescent stone. He's very tall but skinny and his skin is unnaturally pale, an almost unhealthy pallor. He seems to be in his late-twenties/early-thirties. A pure black rapier set with a cold, purple-blue gem set in its pommel. Even the blade is the color of obsidian.
"Breathe," Diamond whispered in the ear of der Silberfuchs. "Hone your instinct, but don't let it take ahold of you. Those senses will save our life but it'll also be the end if you if you aren't careful."
The vulpine-masked young man didn't move lest he jerk the sniper rifle in his hands but she knew he listened. He was an attentive student, if a quiet one. His metallic gaze was calculating and cold: the mark of a good assassin. Ever so slowly he pulled back the trigger with a single, smooth, practiced movement.
Bang.
Even from their rooftop vantage point, Diamond could see the blood spatter across the ground as their target fell. Gunther slipped a hand into his pocket and put a note down, weighing it with a rock. It simply read "Courtoisie de der Silberfuchs." Courtesy of der Silberfuchs.
"Good," Diamond nodded once in approval and both stood. In moments, his gun was on his back and the both of them were clambering down from the rooftops and into the back alleyways.
When their masks came off, Gunther was smiling. The scar that ran down to his lip twisted in the same way his father's always used to when he had that wolfish grin after a successful hunt. The war had cured him of any kind of pleasure taken from the kill, however. The same couldn't be said for his son.
They spent the night in the car, ready to roll if someone caught them. The stars were blocked by Paris' many lights but the moon was still clear overhead.
When Diamond's eyes opened, she was gazing at more of the sky than she had in years - as though, somehow, she'd gone from Paris to some remote location in the snap of a finger.
That was the moment when she realized she was surrounded by trees.
What...?
Gunther's yelp of surprise told her that he'd just noticed as well. Both assassins got to their feet.
There wasn't a sound in the woods but for the distant voices.
"Put on your mask," she said, donning her own. The Silver Fox obeyed and the two slipped through the trees...
~**~
"Look," Cornyx Blackthorne was saying, leaning forward on his throne, "what you're failing to recognize is that I don't care. I don't give a single damn. Not one. What I do care about is the fact that I need that artifact. Get it. I don't care how, I don't care who dies, just get it, because, believe me - whatever is making you cowards afraid down there is nowhere near as terrifying as your king."
He leaned back once more, silver gaze staring down at the demon kneeling in front of him.
"Sir-" he started to try to talk sense into his lord once more and was cut off by the ice that formed tightly around his throat.
"Enough," he snarled. "I'm beginning to bore. All this repeating myself is rather droll. Do you know what I like to do when I'm bored, Zel?"
The creature shivered and clawed at the frozen substance around his throat, lips turning blue. His mouth opened and closed like a fish as he tried to breathe and failed.
"Come back here without that artifact again and you'll regret it, I assure you," he continued. The ice shattered and the demon collapsed, heaving for breath. "Go, before I'm in a less merciful mood."
His subject scrambled to his feet and stumbled from the throne room. Cornyx sighed and looked up at the heterochromatic woman behind him. She gazed back, her single red eye watching him eerily.
"Raven, darling," he said, "Do come wake me if someone else comes in here that needs my attention. Otherwise, deal with them - you're quite capable."
"Yes, master," she said with a dip of her head.
"Wonderful." Cornyx stood. "Thank you."
Once more, she dipped her head, and her master slipped into the labyrinth of halls that made up this vast building. He could use some rest.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Even before she heard the sounds of people softly - likely silently to Diane's ears - sneaking through the forest, Lucy could smell them. Something was off about it, but she knew the smell. One couldn't quite describe the smell that a demon had. Diane said that the common human interpretation was sulfur, but Lucy didn't quite smell it in the same way. It was a strong smell, certainly, but it was almost...pleasant-
Lucy stopped the train of thought. She had to focus on the demons swiftly approaching. This could either be horrible or great - it depended on what they thought of Diane, and what they thought of the bond between the two.
"Di," she said, her tone suddenly quite serious, "I smell demons."
Diane turned to look in the direction she was now staring in. "How many?"
"Two, I think," Lucy replied. It was a bit hard to tell with all of the other smells floating around this place. "Something's a little...off about them. I can't put my finger on what. But they're definitely demons, and they're definitely heading towards us."
"How many are there, Silberfuchs?" Diamond asked as they came closer.
"...Vier?"
"Are you asking or telling?"
"Vier."
"There you go," she clapped him on the back as they came into sight of the humans, then turned her attention to them and raised her hand in greeting. "Hello!" she greeted.
~**~
When Cornyx's eyes opened, he was not in his quarters. He was, in fact, in a forest.
The Arcdemon got to his feet and straightened out his doublet with a frown. This was most certainly not where he'd hoped to wind up. He brushed himself off and started towards the sound of voices. If this was anything like the last time - the last time ten years ago, with Boomslang and that strange church - it'd be a while before he got home.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Casey seemed preoccupied in his conversation about drugs (Wielde didn't understand the context, and he wasn't sure he wanted to either), but someone else asked the same question.
"Yes," he said to Lucy with a slight frown. "I am still treated as though I hold the crown, but, according to the settlement we made with our neighbors, my uncle sits on the throne. It will likely pass through his children before it ever returns to my bloodline." He smiled. "Not that I find it upsetting; it was not a position that I particularly enjoyed."
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse a persona che mai tornasse al mondo, questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse. Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero, senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.
Lucy would have loved to keep chatting with Wielde about the royalty stuff, but she had to keep her attention on the two demons - and the one that had just shown up farther away in the forest.
"Hello," Lucy replied to the woman. The greeting was friendly enough, but there was nothing to say that she wasn't sadistic - she knew how a good chunk of demons worked. Lure them into a sense false of security, and then strike. Although she couldn't possibly think of why they'd target this specific group of people. Besides randomly showing up here, none of them had anything in common outside of her and Di!
Also, those clothes were really creepy. The masks gave her an especially bad feeling. They looked ceremonial, and not in a respectful way. It was more of the "we're regularly sacrificing people to cult rituals" sort of way, and Lucy didn't exactly have the best experiences with people like that. The last time they ran into people like that, she had to hop into one of their bodies to get Diane out safe and sound. She still felt disgusting.
(Then again, that was only last week.)
Diane tensed behind her, also worried by the appearances of the two who had just shown up.
"Another is coming," Lucy whispered, hoping her voice was quiet enough for these two demons not to pick up on it. She was sure they already knew what she was - the great sense of smell/informal demon detector went both ways. "This guy smells like...no, it can't be..."
"Luce?"
She took a deep breath. "They smell almost like Crowley," she managed to get out, "but somehow even more strong. How can you smell stronger than the King of Hell?"
Even as Lucy spoke, the two newcomers were scanning the woods. They, too, detected the scent - and knew exactly who it was.
It was that precise moment when Cornyx Blackthorne stepped out of the trees and towards the group. The moment she saw him, Diamond lunged forward, only to be seized by Gunther.
"Diamond! Nein, jetzt ist nicht die zeit!" he protested. "We can't afford a fight!"
Cornyx gazed dispassionately at the vampires. "Well, I can't say I expected to see you here."
"Di, enough," he said, his voice soft as his mentor struggled. "Even if fighting was wise, we couldn't win. Let it go."
Diamond jerked out of his grasp but remained put, glaring at Cornyx.
"Now, if we're done with such a lack of civility, I feel I should introduce myself," Cornyx said, turning to the rest of the group with a small bow. "I am Cornyx Blackthorne, King of Hell and Sovereign of the Shadow Realm. But, please; just call me Cornyx. This here is Diamond and her student, Silberfuchs. It's a pleasure to meet you all." He surveyed the group and his gaze lingered on Lucy for longer than the rest; she was demonic. He could smell it.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Lucy curled her hands into tight fists at her side and tried to hold back her growing terror. This was bad. This was really, really bad. Crowley must have been overthrown. And while she obviously wasn't involved in Hell's politics, she did know that Crowley's throne would have been stolen because they didn't agree with his change in policies. Policies that were very, very good compared to what had once been, and would only be argued against by the very worst type of demon.
"I'm Lucy Mauseth," Lucy said. She threw her arm around Diane's shoulder this time - more softly than before - to clearly show she fully intended to protect her best friend if the need arose. "This is Diane Hunter. Wielde is the one dressed like royalty. Casey has the hat on. Raiden's the woman asking about space drugs."
Oh dear. None of these newcomers seemed that friendly. They all radiated energy, especially the other monarch. Cornyx had that pompous, smug, vain attitude that Wielde had long associated with Seres. They were both kind of person that both dismissed and didn't respond kindly to threats. If it wasn't for how strong Cornyx appeared to be, Wielde would have had a hard time resisting making an example out of him.
Instead, Wielde nodded in his direction. "I am not familiar with your domain," he said. "What land, specifically, do you oversee?"
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse a persona che mai tornasse al mondo, questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse. Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero, senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.
Faoilteach stood there, watching and listening. More and more people were showing up, two of them demons. While this particular thing had never happened to her before, she had been through several odd and unnatural circumstances. This was just another one, albeit the strangest.
"Those moments when your in so deep, it feels easier to just swim down"
"I'm erasing myself from the narrative. Let future historians wonder how Eliza reacted when you broke her heart
"He usurped th-" Diamond started, then silenced as Silberfuchs shook his head.
"Hell, on the world Earth, and the Shadow Realm in the world of Ethnu," Cornyx said evenly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. All of you."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"Yo, Cornyx. Nice to see you again," Raiden said, making a finger gun at the man. "Anyway, now that introductions are finished, what do we do now?" She sat down on the ground, yawning. "Are we going the route where we find a way out or do we wait for the person responsible to show up?"
I'm cool as a cucumber Even if I'm in a pickle
Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.
"We still don't know her name," Lucy pointed out, gesturing at the girl with pointy ears. She refused to take her arm off of Diane. Everything that she had heard about Cornyx only made her all the more wary about him, and all the more certain that he was a major threat. She hadn't even heard of the Shadow Realm or Ethnu! If he had done more than just conquer Hell, this guy was even more powerful than Crowley was. Then again, Crowley's power hadn't really come from his supernatural abilities - it had come from his ability to bargain, which was a very good skill for a ruler - and a crossroads demon - to have.
"I think it might be a good idea to find a way out," Diane suggested from beside her, glancing nervously over in Cornyx's direction before turning back to look at the building. "I'd normally think going out into the woods was the better idea, but we must have been brought to this house for a reason."
"I'm betting angels," Lucy said. "There's too many demons here for it not to be them, and they're still salty over the whole apocalypse."
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