How bad could this possibly be? (Woof)(double XP)

The faint sound of metal scrapping against bone echoed through the halls of Madeline’s castle. Thalia was hard at work in her workshop, where she was attempting to perfect her next leap in innovation. You see, while the other blacksmiths in Arcadia had the luxury of working with arcadium and using it to craft weapons for Madeline and her army, Thalia doesn't. The small demon lacks the inherent magical properties to wield them. Instead, Thalia is forced to scrounge and craft gear using other materials native to Arcadia and some found on earth. It was because of this and her job, that Thalia’s creativity and genius were born.

The small hunter’s ingenuity was about to take another massive leap if her experimentation proved fruitful. A recent hunt had lead the queens clone to hunt down a group of rogue Arcadian assassins. Beings that were once dispatched by Madeline to kill unruly champions. This job was now Thalia’s in a sense. After a tough but successful hunt, Thalia had salvaged some of the cloth and armor the assassin’s wore. When she had returned to her workshop she began the process of melting the armor back down. While it was still in its molten state, Thalia would rush over to the container of liquid metal and began running her dagger along the worn edge of her demon bone. This bone was the very same one that allowed the small demon to teleport short distances when held.

The purpose of Thalia’s new research was to determine if it was possible to mix bits of her tools into armor. Also to see if crafting armor from her targets yielded any interesting results. She had figured that if all her tools had come from Arcadian’s that had once existed, then weapons and armor crafted from her prey would hold some sort of special properties. Once Thalia was done putting the bone dust into the molten metal she’d continue the rest of the process. She hadn’t taken much of the assassin’s armor and only had enough to make a pair of greaves, one gauntlet and a half mask.

As Thalia put the finishing touches on the armor a voice called out to her from the workshop doorway. The little hunter gave a small jump as the she was not expecting any visitors. As she spun around in her seat, her queen came into view. The enigmatic demon queen wore a smirk on her face. She found it funny how impressed she was every time she visited this workshop. Thalia was ever the inventor, and there was always something new to see.

The queen slowly entered the room and began looking at all the weapons, tools, and armor bits with wonder. Her burning amber eyes would eventually reach Thalia, who had leapt form her seat and was in the process of bowing. “Thalia sweety, if I have to tell you one more time not to bow to me, I’ll have to do something mean to you……Oh who am I kidding. I couldn’t bring myself to do that. You’re to precious. But really, stop with the bowing.” Madeline said as she approached Thalia, arms behind her back.

Her metal hand would reach out and tilt her clone’s head up by the chin. She stared deeply into Thalia’s mismatched eyes and smiled. “You of all people should never bow. You are me after all. Well, a littler me, but still.” Madeline then backed up and clapped her hands together. “So, how’s it coming along?” she asked.

Thalia arched her brow in confusion at Madeline’s question, till she suddenly remembered what the goddess was talking about. A very special order. Madeline had given Thalia permission to craft a gift for a friend. Despite the queen stating numerous times that Thalia did not need permission to do things. The small demon hunter perked up when she remembered what Madeline was talking about and rushed over to a workbench. Upon it rested a long dark cloth which was folded over to conceal something. Madeline followed her smaller self over to the table and the little hunter flipped the cloth back to reveal a sword. Madeline’s eyes lit up. If it wasn’t a gift, she’d have taken the weapon and added it to her collection. “Oh my! You little magician you. I might have to request one for myself.”

Thalia’s eyes lit up upon hearing Madeline’s praise. “Y-you really mean it?” the nod of Madeline’s head and the smile on her face made Thalia’s day. She was going to need it too, as the queen’s smile faded and she became a bit more serious. “I’d hate to tear you away from your work, but I have a job for you.”
“Anything my q…Anything you need Madeline!”
“I’ve gotten a lead on our shadowy friend. I would like for you to follow it up. But listen to me very carefully. If you do find him. You do not fight. You call me right away.”
“You w-want me to track down Sulyvahn? Where do I start?”
“New York. This is top priority Thalia. You know what’s there. He can’t be allowed to linger there to long, if he is indeed there. And remember….No fighting.”

Thalia nodded in agreement with her queens request and immediately began prepping. Within minutes of their conversation, a fire portal would open up within one of the big apple’s many alleyways and out would step Thalia. Her mismatched eyes scanned her surroundings, and her nose took in the sweet smell of the human world. It was the first time she had been out of the workshop in weeks. “Well time to get to it Thalia, we’ve got an important mission.”

A clean, blindingly white room, shaped in a box, with a bed, a dresser table with a coffee machine resting atop it and last yet certainly not least, her cane. Lucian had it all in this box she tended to call home. Lost when her old world was utterly destroyed by that... Thing. The coat was planned. What the coat could create was never planned. Steven should have known better. Less in the end, Four was his plan. But it was unlikely. Just like how Ashford was unlikely.

Which led to a new addition in her white box, the coated man himself. It took her weeks to find him. This world was big, very big. And when their were not war gods around, it was very hard to sense the man. "Lucian... What do you want." He asked, for the third time, flames still licking at each of his limbs, just attached, yet not spreading, the perfect containment for him alone. Lucian had chosen to ignore him the first two times. Because she could. It was fantastic. Because while this world existed. Void walkers could not touch her. Could not command her. Sure, she still had some... Problems. Ashy being here was a sign she still had that thing instilled in her still.

"My dear Ashy. Time and time again. I've fought for my right to rule. And twice, in the hundreds of battles I have waged, you stopped me. No one, has stopped me twice. But here, I can do whatever I please... Sadly, I... Don't need to tell you." Lucian turned to look at him, a devilish smile abroad her face. Something Ashford could say was that he had never seen the elder time lord... Smile. Not like this.

"You're in luck Ashford. I don't have to do anything for you. I could kill you now.. I mean. Try. Damned coat. But your home. I don't have to send you back. As far as they are concerned. You're no longer needed. So... I'm going to release you."

"I don't believe you." Ashford was quick to respond, leaving the time lord pouting as she sauntered towards him, stopping as her foot rested atop his head.

"Hmh. Perhaps it is for the better. Anyway... Have fun." Lucian drawled as a portal opened under him and he vanished, the portal vanishing in turn as her foot found the ground. Idle for a few seconds, the time lord walked towards her dresser, brewing her coffee and pouring it onto the ground, watching as a man grew from it, her smile fading. "You know what little Hazel. Time to be evil. For all the wrong reasons."


"Oof." Ashford exclaimed as his back slammed onto a piece of debris. A loud sound, one that would almost certainly draw the attention of anyone close by. Rolling off the rock and landing with almost a dancers grace, Ashford would look up to find himself... Somewhere. He wasn't very sure where he was. Still had trouble figuring out all these city's from each other. At least now he had control of his limbs. But he didn't look thankful, only more concerned. Lucian was planning... Something. And while he'd rather be far away from whatever it was. He was wherever she wanted him. Here. But where was here?

As Thalia began to wander the streets, her nose picked up on scents she hadn’t smelled in quite some time. The warm aroma of coffee filled the air as she walked past a small corner cafe. The smell was enough to play some sort of evil temptress. It was enough to sidetrack the little demon just for a moment before she snapped to her senses and slapped her cheeks. “No! Bad Thalia. You have a job to do.” she reminded herself before continuing down the sidewalk. Normal one such as Thalia would have drawn attention to themselves, but the small hunter was smart. Unlike the last couple of times she had visited earth, She wasn’t wearing her revealing Arcadian garb. No, this time Thalia was wearing what would be considered street clothes. Her guise consisted of a graphic tshirt, a pair of fadded skinny jeans, a bomber jacket, and a cap.

She couldn’t for the life of her think why she thought the hat was a good idea. The damn thing barely fit with all her hair. With less eyes on her, Sulyvahn was less likely to be notified of her presences. The only thing that seemed off about Thalia from a glance was all that hair, but no one was going to really say anything, she looked to adorable. The little demon hunter moved block by block with her nose tilted toward the sky. For some reason she was really good at sniffing her targets out. Perhaps it was just an acquired skill she had picked up after so many hunts. The problem with her current method however, was that she had only encountered the shadowy champion once. That encounter was so hectic that she hardly had the time to catch the man’s scent.

When this thought crossed her mind she quickly brought her gaze street level and began to look around. The surroundings seemed familiar. She paused for a moment and began stroking her chin with a thick tendril of hair. Why did she had such an odd sense of familiarity right now? It finally dawned on Thalia as her mismatched eyes peered across the street and into a shop window. One of the people stood out among the rest due to their ashen hair. “Hey!” she said to herself allowed as she noticed Madeline’s unruly daughter in the shop across the street. *I should go and say hi. Oh but I didn’t bring any gifts, and I cant just show up uninvited. Maybe I should go back to the coffee shop.WAIT! What are you doing. You cant go over there. What if Sulyvahn tracks me there? The whole point of this mission was to keep Johanna safe.*

Thalia nodded as she agreed with her logic and moved on. She at least knew where Johanna was now. While that was all well and good, she still needed to find Sulyvahn. She found it strange that a being as old as that was spotted in a place like this, especially considering the location they last met. Did he find out about Madeline’s daughter and was looking for her? Or was he in the city for another reason? Thalia had to figure this out as she went along. For the meantime she’d continue roaming the streets in search of any clues as to the ancient champions whereabouts.

Cracking any bone that was willing to be cracked, Ashford found that wherever the hell he was, it was isolated. Damp. Dirty. Actually, it looked like a war zone. A cleaner one with less bodies. It both intrigued and worried him. Why was this place deserted, why was it destroyed... Who did the deed? Most importantly, which way was to the people. He was sure if he walked in one direction, he'd exit out this dead-zone and arrive somewhere... Fixed. Populated. But he wasn't in the mood for a scenic route.

That was, till he heard the crack of a hammer hitting metal. "Huh.." Ashford spoke with interest. He could tell it was a hammer on metal, the rhythm was simply too consistent. With a twitch of his eye, Ashford walked towards it, finding a half broken building and entering it, he saw it.. No. Saw him. "Cain?"

A grizzled, yet young looking man with a burn seared across his face would look up, a chisel in one hand, hammer in the other. A sword balanced on a rock, a rune craved into it. "Mr Narric. I've been waiting. Had time to quickly make this. You know the rune? Rebound metal and durability." The man spoke, softly, without hate or anger, but Ashford seemed to have his eye glued to the hands of the man known as Cain.

"No. How are you here? You shouldn't be here... Your hands." Ashford quizzed and questioned, but the man seemed only to shrug, putting away his tools in a small pouch, he tapped his wrist, a watch appearing.

"I'm here to tell you that you should stick around, not move out. Well, I mean. Hmm... Don't run. You'll miss out, and the small lass might just... Get hurt." He warned, before twisting the watch and vanishing, leaving Ashford dumbstruck. Cain was here, Cain was playing a game with him... Cain didn't play games. Which meant that Lucian was indeed, not done with him... But why did she incorrectly make the blacksmith. The man should have had scars on both hands, as bad as the scars that covered Ashfords left arm.

"Damn it. Things don't change do they... Who the hell was this lass Cain was talking about?" Ashford wondered. Small lass. At least Ashford knew that Cain still cared for people, even if that wasn't... Cain. But it meant he needed to see more then what he was seeing now. Looking for a tall building in the block, Ashford made his way towards it.


The little hunter might not have noticed yet, perhaps she would, but someone equally as small as her, if a tiny bit taller, had been following her for a small bit now. Not the strangest individual, but he had no hair atop his head, or his face. A long scar seemed to run down his cheek to his lip and he wore a almost royal looking, embedded with gold scarf. Most importantly, his arms were as black as a night sky, with their own little stars. And he was really trying to not be seen, a huge smile on his face as if he considered his act of following the small woman a game.

Because Hazel had a job. Hazel was to follow the adorable demon looking being. Till he was told not to follow her. And of course that was what he did. Because Miss said so.

The city began to deteriorate around Thalia, not quite literally, but more so in the fact that she had started her journey in the more populated and lively area of the city. Shops and people had lined the streets, but as she moved on the streets became less crowded and the shops were replaced by town homes. Not to long after that, the streets became altogether deserted and lined with rundown buildings. The small demon would eventually come to a chain link fence. Placing her metal hand on the fence and running her fingers through it, Thalia stared at the ruins of New York.

This part of the city almost seemed long forgotten save for the fact there were a few trucks nearby. Perhaps a project to renovate this part of the city was going to start soon. The little demon started at the destruction a little bit longer before it dawned on her that she basically wandered here absentmindedly. Why was she standing here? She was pretty sure she had been paying enough attention to her surroundings to not get lost. Not that she could really get lost looking for someone without any clues to go off of. Squinting her eyes, Thalia noticed a derelict church off in the distance.

The religious building stood in relatively decent condition as opposed to the buildings around it. It also looked unlike any church Thalia had ever seen before. “If I were a creepy shadow lord with a hatred for demons, a church seems like a good place to hide.” she said stroking her chin with a bundle of hair. It was only a hunch, but at this point she had nothing else. Using her hair in a very imaginative way, the little hunter would leap over the fence and land with a soft thud on the other side. As Thalia straightened herself out, she held her metal hand out and stared at a small bell that rested in the palm.

She remembered Madeline’s words as she gazed upon the bell. *No fighting.* she mental repeated to herself over and over. As the tiny demon entered the forgotten ruins of New York City, she couldn’t help but feel like she had eyes on her. This place was eerie in a weird way. This uneasy feeling led her to slid the bell back into one of jacket pockets. Reaching back into her hair, the small hunter produced a smooth looking mace. With a quick flick of the wrist the bulb on the end of the mace began to crackle as electricity circled around it. “Trying to stalk me huh? You’re in for a surprise buddy.” she whispered to herself as she crept along.

"Wow this place is a mess... At least it is a quiet mess." Ashford decided, sitting atop a somewhat solid piece of broken roof. It was not hard to get up here, by no means. It would not be any more difficult to get back down. Yet he was quite happy to entertain the idea of just sitting up here, the wind brushing by him, the sound of birds in the distant, more clean parts of the city...

Scanning the area around him, Ashford noticed little. Yet so much. The place was quiet and devoid of much life, the buildings all around him were broken an... Well, that temple wasn't as badly damaged. Perhaps a church? Ashford wasn't sure which was used more here. Sure was a weird looking thing, but that was all the attention he gave it, not when a faint glint could be seen, the sun reflecting off something.

Narrowing his eye, Ashford tried to get a better look, but his sight wasn't exactly perfect, and all he could get was that whoever or whatever it was, had hair. Frowning, he decided that whichever it was, was his best bet to figure out what was happening. That or he was going to acost some poor person who never cut their hair... Less it was Spark. She had hair. "Well.. One way to find out. Right.." Hopping off his view point towards the ground with a huff, Ashford began making his way not towards hair, but where he suspected hair would be going and it seemed hair was heading towards the church... That was the guess anyway. Seemed like the only place to go. He'll just have to meet them there. If not... Well... Bugger. This was going to be like the forest all over again, just with less dolls.


The small thing following Thalia climbed the fence soon after, trying to keep after her. If anyone noticed him, his eyes were closed, yet he managed to make every step, as if he saw everything, yet could not tell he had been... Realized, perhaps. Made so as he kept getting closer towards the small hunter, gradually getting closer and closer and closer.

Till, he might have been getting too close. But he didn't mind. After all, he wasn't to do anything but follow her, and no one said he couldn't perhaps talk to the woman. Just to wait till Mr  Price or Miss arrived.

While Thalia may not have heard her pursuer, she definitely felt a presence new by. The sound of the warping metal in the ruined buildings filled the air with an ominous moan. This place had seemed devoid of life so far. She would have thought that there would have been an encounter with someone. There was bound to be people using this place as refuge, but there was no one. It felt like this whole zone was someone or somethings turf. Something was keeping this place clear of all life. It had to be him. Thalia had half a mind to ring the bell right now and summon Madeline.

She was positive this was where Sulyvahn was. Despite her certainty however, Thalia wanted to make sure for herself. Madeline’s words once again echoed through her mind. The queen was right. Thalia was no match for the first champion. This only lit a fire within the little demon as she marched on, perhaps giving her the wrong mindset. With each passing moment Thalia drew closer and closer to the large church. The suspicion of being followed still loomed overhead. She was certain it wasn’t Sulyvahn. She figured that if he did see her, he would have attacked her by now.

Whatever was following her didn’t have any ties to the shadowy man. This raised a few problems. Was the other persons presence going to draw out the champion? Was Thalia’s? Sulyvahn had cleared this area out for a reason. He didn’t want visitors. Was he recovering from their first encounter? Thalia was determined to find out, but she couldn’t continue to move towards that church while being tailed. Thalia would have to go from being the hunted, to the hunter.

With that in mind, she stopped moving directly towards the church. She began to take side streets and alleyways. Climbing over rubble and wandering through busted buildings. She listened to her surroundings. Any shifting of dirt or crumbling of stone, she’d hear it. Eventually after zigzagging through the ruins, Thalia was sure she had put some distance between her and the stalker. When she was sure she was out of sight, Thalia began to use her hair to move around.

She may have learned how to move silently with her footsteps, but even then, they were bound to give off sound. Her hair on the other hand was perfect for sneaking, and she had used it numerous times to great effect. Her lively hair was perfect for sneaking as it completely absorbed sound as she moved around on it. Using this trick the tiny hunter would position herself up on the second level of a nearby building. The corner of it had been blown out completely and offered the hunter a perfect viewing angle of the street she had just traveled down by foot.

She sat, propped up by her hair in the shadows. Her metal hand was also buried deep in a tuft of her hair. The handle of her mace resting in it. The mace was also held completely still using her hair as any movement of it was cause it to spark back up and reveal her position. She almost looked like some sort of deadly spider waiting for her prey to walk right into her web. All she had to do was wait, and she was good at waiting.

Hazel was not exactly the most silent being. If not for the fact his second sight kept him from stepping on anything loud, he was sure he would have made the mistake ages ago. But the matter of a fact was, when the sounds died. When he could no longer hear footsteps from the one he was following, he felt confused. Then worried. He kept moving, kept trying to find her, but after several minutes, he found that he could no longer sense her.

"Oh no Oh no. Miss is going to be so disappointment in me. Keep an eye on the red one, don't talk to the red one, the red one isn't a friend. She was very insistent on that last one, which sucks." The man seemed to babble, rubbing at his star lit arms in both worry and annoyance. He wasn't suppose to fail... So he had to focus...

Holding his breath, Hazel let his second sense move beyond the small sounds to the deeper ones. He could hear heart beats from afar, and cancelled them out, right till he... No. That wasn't right. He rose a hand and pointed towards the church. "Heart beat, steady, cold. A solider... A- The hero." He paused, letting his breath out, before taking another in. He could hear another, slow, dangerously slow... He couldn't pinpoint it exactly... It seemed so close... Almost as if it was above him, which was impossible. There was no way someone could be above him, he'd know. Maybe it was just his imagination. "Must find the red one. Must... Must find. Head hurts. I miss Dream." The man seemed to ramble further, taking a step at a time as his rambles continued.


"This is a weird church. Seriously... I can feel the evilness coming off it... Might just be me." Ashford mused, inspecting the door. Seems he might have been off, the figure he saw wasn't coming soon, but while he was here... Ashford was going to take a peek inside. Or he would have, if a nearby crow hadn't landed just on the edge of a window, red eyes staring down at him.

"You too huh... Where is Lucian getting this power from.." Ashford asked as he looked at the crow, not getting or expecting an answer from her of all people. A deranged woman from his past, but ever present, as was her curse. However, if she was here, then perhaps someone else was here... He could wait a little longer for the being to come to him... If they ever came. Otherwise. He was breaking into this church one way or the other.

Thalia watched as her stalker finally came into view. He was small. Nearly as small as she was. Those arms to, what a strange sight they were. The hunter couldn’t help but be curious about this strange being. She loomed overhead and continued to control her breathing. He was mumbling to himself. It seemed frantic. Thalia could only deduce that this was because he wasn’t supposed to lose her. That told her right there that she had done her job. She had half a mind to leap from the shadows and strike, but she knew better. The kid was tracking her for a reason. She wanted to know why, but she had more pressing matters.

While she had been certain that she was on to Sulyvahn’s whereabouts before, a sudden feeling of dread seemed to blanket the area. It was certainly a strange feeling. But Thalia could feel it, and it was coming from the church. Sulyvahn was here. But what was with the sudden flexing of power? Did he know she was here? This was bad. She had been painted into a corner of sorts. Thalia was under strict orders not to fight Sulyvahn, but nothing was said about anyone who interfered with the mission.

That being said, Thalia didn’t want to expose herself to someone who was supposedly trying to track her. That kind of defeated the purpose of her sneaking tactics. The little hunter also couldn’t allow Sulyvahn to get the drop on her if she decided to engage the strange boy.

Deep within the recesses of the church, the champion known as Sulyvahn hovered over a coffin that once served as the churches alter. It was his former prison and resting place. His grip tightened around the alabaster container till the stone shattered beneath his grip. A range of emotions washed over him. Anger was the one most felt. He couldn’t believe he allowed himself to be beaten by the queen and her pets. Not only that, but he had come to New York when he learned that the Queen’s daughter was here, but he had failed to find her thus far.

This anger caused the champion to let out an inhuman roar as the darkness in the room turned into a raging inferno of black fire. The flames did not burn the room, but was merely a representation of his power. The power of Arcadia. Sulyvahn’s eyes would fall to his hand which shook. He had used up quite a bit of power in that battle, and the humans he had been feeding on were hardly able to sustain him. He needed something big. He needed a boost. He had hoped that coming to this place would provide him with that. With his freakish strength, Sulyvahn would push his coffin aside which would reveal a staircase that led down into the depths of the church.

Without hesitation the shadow champion would begin his decent. There had to be something here from the old days that he could use...

Hazel kept mumbling and moving. Bouncing and turning, breathing and pausing. Yet without any knowledge of where the red one went, Hazel was indeed, stuck. He never was stuck before. Always had a place to go, even when he was lost. What to do... What to do... His head shot up when he knew what to do. Holding his right arm out, Hazel opened up his palm and grabbed at it, pulling upwards and a hilt appeared inside his hand.

Pulling it, Hazel brought a sword out of his hand, much the same color as his arms, until it gained color, appearing as a simple long sword. Bringing it to his shoulder, Hazel cut deep into the shoulder, before dropping the sword and cupping the wound with both hands. After a silent second, Hazel pulled his hands away and bent low to the ground, writing a series of runes as his shoulder knitted itself back together, looking as if he hadn't just damaged himself.

With that done, he tapped the rune on the ground and watched as the blood vanished, a small light bursting from the ground as a even smaller woman then him appeared, a large hat fitted over her head in such a way that she could not see anything, in fact her mouth was barely seen under it. Mostly, she looked like a witch. "Hazel. I told you not to summon me till we are ready. What is it." The woman asked, her general position seeming to be able to follow the small man despite his constant movement.

"Mary. I lost the red one. I can't hear her. It is annoying. But I can hear him. He... Ahhh. He is at the temple. Should I follow the hero instead?" Hazel spoke aloud, rubbing at his head as if one of the words had hurt him, but it seemed the one called Mary was in thought. But her thoughts were quick, and she waved Hazel off, before waving in the direction of the Church.

"This day grows more annoying. Brought to this filth of a place by her. Fine. Follow Ashford. But don't let him see you. He is not the Ashford you know. This one is the cold one. He will kill you in a heartbeat. And I don't wish that upon you." The woman spoke, her words seemed to smooth over the erratic movement of Hazel, as he moved in and gave her a hug, easily lifting her off her feat.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you. I'll call you later. Say hi to Jane and Miss for me." The small man said as the smaller woman let out a annoyed huff, waving her hands about in a pattern before vanishing from his gasp. Leaving Hazel only a little disappointed looking before following her advice as he walked towards the Church.


Ashford was getting tired of waiting. He might like silence sometimes, but at times like these, he missed being able to talk to someone. He use to be surrounded by people... Now he was alone. Alone with a crow that mockingly laughed at him though the silence. He assumed anyway. Last time they spoke, she was actually helpful. Kind of. Crow was never truly on his side. But she had thought that event was rather hilarious. And she liked his mask.

He hated that mask.

"Screw it." Ashford decided, turning to the door and grabbing a hold of the handle, he had to make a choice. But it was made for him when a roar reached his ears, distant, echo like. It came from inside the temple. Something was in there. Digging his claws into the handle, Ashford pushed once, then twice and on a third... He had realized he had to pull it. Weird. That was weird. Pulling the door open, Ashford stepped inside. He didn't care much for the decor. This place wouldn't stand a chance at looking as good as the temple of the Pally's. That. That place was awesome.

Exploring deeper into the church, Ash decided he knew of a few things. Temples were meant to contain ancient artifacts. Temples were not meant to be on fire. That... That kinda seemed the most obvious. It also terrified the man for a moment, afraid he'd be caught in the fire, afraid that he'd start burning over and over until it died. The fear quickly died when he noticed it didn't seem to damage the things it touched... That left Ashford with some hope. He was still careful as he made it towards the third thing he had noticed. A open coffin. And stairs. "I've done more stupid things. Very much so." Ashford said aloud, more to boaster his argument that this was needed. He really needed to just throw himself at everything, didn't he?  With a laugh, Ashford made his way to the stairs, ready to head down them. Ready to face whatever did... This.

Sulyvahn’s metal greaves scrapped against the stone steps and he descended down into the church. Occasionally he’d run his fingers across the stone walls that lined the stairwell. A rush of nostalgia would was over him as he did. It brought back lots of memories. Eventually his journey would come to an end as he reached the bottom. The room beneath the church proved that everything was not as it seemed. Sulyvahn had entered what he’d call a workshop of sorts. It was here that the warriors of the church geared up and prepared to face the forces of darkness.

Sulyvahn let out a small chuckle at the irony of his service. Originally captured in some remote European country that no longer existed, thought it was more self sacrifice. Sulyvahn spent several years in that stone coffin with a sword buried in his chest. When the elders of the order realized the utility that Sulyvahn could afford them, he was released and made to serve. This was more his choice than anything. If he had wanted to destroy them back then, he could have. No, the church served as a spring board for his revenge. It gave him a place to think and acquire power, and the elders were more than happy to oblige.

The champions red eyes scanned the dark room. There was something here or at least there had to be. He needed to regain his strength before Madeline found him again.

Meanwhile back out in the ruins, Thalia watched the strange boy do strange things. He had summoned a sword and harmed himself with it. This peaked the hunters curiosity. She wanted to creep in closer for a better look, but stayed in her vantage point. The boy crouched down and began using his blood to write something on the ground. From the writing on the ground a small girl about Thalia’s size emerged. She to looked strange. Thalia began to wonder if this was what people thought of her when they saw her. It probably was. The boy and the girl began to speak to one another. None of it seemed all to important. Nothing was mentioned about why the boy was following Thalia, but then a name came up. The very mention of it, made Thalia narrow her eyes in suspicion.

*Ashford…here? Why?* she thought. Normally she wouldn’t let much get to her. She knew how important it was to maintain her stealth, but if this boy was now looking for Ash, and Sulyvahn was in the area, then the little demon hunter’s friend was in trouble.

Once the boy began to make his way down the street back towards the church, Thalia began to follow him. She moved silently through the ruins, using her hair to move. This allowed her to move silently and also allowed her to focus on her breathing, which in turn kept her heart rate nice and low. *I wont let anything bad happen to Ashford!*

Slowly, Ashford made his way down the stairs. Slowly, he felt his fingers glide across the wall, his metal fingers, that was. Despite the loss of his arm. Despite the curse of the coat making his replacement it's own, or perhaps because of it, he could still feel things though the metal. Magic. His own thoughts. Maybe a deranged aspect of his mind, taking what he expects something to feel like, and he, imagining the feeling and telling himself that it was his fingers that felt it...

But it was magic, the final answer. The only comfort he had when the stairs got darker, it gave Ashford pause. He could feel evil emanate from the room, a feeling he was use too. Nothing changed. There was always one that wanted to do evil. Perhaps to them, it wasn't. Ashford could not blame them, he knew sometimes, an evil wasn't always evil, their goals simply didn't benefit everyone else.

But this. This was evil. And Ashford. He was an evil that killed evil. Some called him a hero for it. But after the nightmares... He was no hero. He was an idiot. A bastard. A god damn mad man.

The ground finally came, and he was in a room. It was dark, but the presence was not unseen. Not hidden. If Ashford would suffer death today, he wouldn't not expect it. This guy. Look familiar. He looked dangerous. And Ashford was the man in the room with him, about to say something.

He was most certainly, an idiot. "Good man. I'd say you look lost but... You seem right at home."


Hazel found the door to the church left open, his sight could not enter the church, more mentally then something stopping his enhanced senses. He did not wish to know what was inside, but it was there. "Hold Hazel." Cain stepped out from no where, as if having just faded into existence. He walked up to the smaller man, patting Hazel's head, before giving him a small hug. "Been too long. But ah... Run along would you. This old blacksmith will take over." The man said, receiving a disappointed look from the small, younger looking man.

"Aww... Alright. This isn't the plan but. I trust you Mr Price." Hazel said with a chip of a smile, giving the older man a royal bow and nod and turning to leave, not before letting out a small chirp. "You're not that old Mr Price. I may only be five. But we've fought wars together." But with that, Hazel bounded away, till he was just about out of sight.

Cain watched the small man go, hands reaching for a pair of blacksmith gloves to pull upon his hands, before pulling out a hammer. Holding it, as if it was a weapon as well as a tool. Giving one last look to the broken landscape, as if looking for someone, he left with a scarred frown and stepped inside. Leaving the outside of the church dry and void of life, except for the sound of water dripping somewhere. Clearly nothing worth of note.

Not yet.

“now there is a voice I’d never want to hear in my life time….which is infinite by the way.” A voice called out to Ash. Sulyvahn clung to the shadows. It was his territory after all. He melded perfectly with the dark room. The ancient champion would move about the walls and the floor and the roof. Constantly moving, as if he was anywhere and everywhere in the room at once. “what are you doing here mortal? Did the she-devil send you to finish the job?” He questioned Ashford’s presence here of all places.

Sulyvahn sized the man up. How such a specimen managed to aid in his defeat was a mystery. At a glance nothing stood out about the man. Not back then and certainly not now. The only reason Sulyvahn had lost that day was because of Madeline’s interference, and Akhenaten’s. The shadowy figure had circled the room enough times to know that they were alone for now. It made it very tempting for Sulyvahn to strike. He was hesitant still. He wasn’t sure he had fully recovered from that fight. That was the whole point why he was here.

Back on the outside, Thalia had managed to successfully follow the strange boy all the way to the front doors of the church. The little stranger was then met by another person. This made Thalia worry. From what she heard, it sounded like they were going after Ashford. Were they with Sulyvahn? They didn’t seem like it. After all, when they first met, the ancient champion used a small army of shadowy creatures. This was bad, really bad. The smart thing would have been to ring the bell now and bring Madeline in. Thalia wouldn’t do the smart thing, despite it being against her cautious and hunterly nature.

Once the boy had vanished from sight, and the man had entered the church, Thalia made her way to the ground. She’d slowly and carefully slide her the weapon out of her hair. As she lowered it to her side, the little flakes inside the bulb rubbed against one another and caused blue electricity to arch around the head of the mace. The little hunters other hand would then slide back into her hair and produce the beckoning bell. She had a choice to make here. Summon Madeline. Summon Club. Or summon a pygmy. Her mind was already made up. She would do the stupid thing, at least for now.

She initially feared what Madeline would do to her for disobeying an order. The little demon would shake the thought form her head. She’d cross that bridge when she got to it. With a small shake of her wrist the bell would ring, though it would be inaudible to others. “Come to my side and aid me, demon of Arcadia!” she’d whisper to herself. A ball of flames would erupt at her side before a quadrupedal demon would emerge. It resembled a cheetah with bone-like plating covering its body. “Alright. Lets get going.” Thalia would nod at the pygmy demon and the two would enter the foreboding church.

Oh yea, the reaction was sudden, fast. Too fast for this Ashford to like. But it just meant that this being, whose voice was now very familiar rung out, meant he was true to his nature. A god's chosen champion. A powerful one at that. A dangerous one. And here he was, standing in the room like he was meant to be there. But if he was here... Maybe that hair. So much hair. The lass...

He may be an idiot, but he wasn't that daft. "Well, I get that a lot. And no. You're she devil didn't send me. I don't think the war goddess likes me as much as her squire said so. I got my own bitch of a she devil at play here..." Ashford spoke, aware this being could strike at any moment, aware that he was not a gloated, not someone with a ego. Someone who would kill him if he could, not a second more, not a second less.

"Honestly, if it wasn't for the whole undead creatures attempting to lop my head off. I'm sure we could have been pals. I make friends with strange people. Happens when you're someone who can't ever be truly killed." From what he gathered, the man thought himself forever. And while Ashford wasn't sure how to deal with such a man now. His arm was ready. Vocal cords vibrating. Luck... Well. Luck always was with him. Hopefully he followed him here.


When Thalia and her minion would enter, they'd find Cain, staring ahead, but his eyes would look towards the street clothed woman and her minion, a small smile appearing at his lips. "The Lass. I can't go further. Flames stop me, not because they burn, but what they mean. Dark, powerful magic is ahead. A mortal like me can not hope to survive. But Ash is simply no man. Heh." Turning to face her, he'd give her a small bow, before stepping aside and offering her the path to the room with the flames that awaited.

Yet he looked troubled, a frown creasing his features, mixed with his facial scar of a burn, he closed a single eye, looking to the red skinned lass. "I know you have more important things then me and the others. I know what I am. I have the fake soul, most of the others do not. Do not trust, any of us, but Ashford. From what I know of you lass, he likes you. So get going, Nothing like the odds being against you. This blacksmith will wait outside. Besides. I need to set up some things. Traps for when they send her in. While I still have my mind." The man finished, hammer still in hand as he waited for the little hunter to do what she needed to do.

From Ashford’s words, it sounded like he and Sulyvahn had quite a bit in common. The first champion would never admit it though. He continued to move, ever and always shifting, never staying still. He had essentially become the room itself as he kept his gaze locked on the human. A sudden air of familiarity soon washed it’s way down the stairs. It felt like….her. No that couldn’t be right. There was no what Madeline could have found him. She hadn’t been able to track him down ever since Sulyvahn had been cursed.

This had to be a trick of some kind. Ashford was lying to him. All the darknessquickly concentrated towards the back of the room, where Sulyvahn assumed his normal form. “You’re a terrible liar. I can feel that wretched demon in the air.” A feint glow of icy blue appeared amongst the shadows. He may have been in a weakened state, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have enough strength to deal with Ashford. He could kill the human now, and resume his search for a power boost before Madeline reached him.

It took Thalia’s eyes a moment to find the old man standing to her side. She had been focused on the flames that were slowly enveloping the interior of the church. The black flames had spread, but they did not consume. It was almost like an illusion, and Thalia would have assumed so, if she did not know better. Her attention would shift to the old man as he smiled at her and spoke. He spoke about how he couldn’t proceed further into the building due to the flames, but that Ash was down there and needed her help. This she already knew. She couldn’t believe that he was stupid enough to walk into the dragon’s mouth like that however.

The old man offered Thalia a bow, to which she responded in kind. As he made his way back outside he made mention of making traps and the like for when “she” arrived. Thalia shook her head. “You don’t understand. None of you people should be here. You need to leave at once. This place isnt safe!” As much as the little hunter wanted to poke and prod until the blacksmith listened to her, she had to reach Ashford. He was in deep. Without saying another word Thalia and her cheetah-like demon would head towards the alter and down the dark and gloomy staircase.

The moment Thalia and the pygmy demon reached the bottom of the stairs, they found themselves diving for safety as a cascade of ice crashed towards them. Sulyvahn had stalled long enough till “Madeline’s” presence had reached the bottom of the stairs to attack. He slammed the blade of his sword into the ground which sent the wave of ice at Ashford and Thalia. As Thalia began to stand, her pygmy let out a growl before it rushed after the shadowy figure. The cheetah like demon was too fast for Thalia to call out to, but not fast enough to blindside Sulyvahn.

As the pygmy demon leapt through the air in an attempt to tackle the ancient champion, A hand shot out and grabbed it by the throat. Sulyvahn’s eyes lit up as he stared at the struggling demon. He could see the life pulsing through the creature. It was enough to make him salivate. “Ah, how kind of you to bring me something to drink. I’ve been quite parched.” With that, his grip tightened around the pygmy’s throat which cause it to explode in a cloud of dark energy. The cloud began to swirl and dance about before it was full absorbed by the shadows. Sulyvahn had devoured the creatures very essence. That pure Arcadian energy rejuvenated him. A wave of power washed over the area as Sulyvahn’s power increased. The air grew thick and heavy, much like when Akhenaten had tried to break free of his barrier back in Egypt. Except this, this was on another level. This was the power of the first ever Arcadian Champion, and it was only a fraction of what he could do.