Erebus was on another hair-brain mission to fight some troubled ghostly apparitions. Not un-use to the ghostly atmosphere that plagued Oak, to Erebus this was home. Ghosts, gremlins, and goons were something Erebus had first hand experience growing up alongside. He had been robbing people's pockets on these streets for twenty one years, and counting!

After the Lich quest, destiny called the Rogue home for the founding of Eternal Nightmare; the first thing Erebus had done reluctantly though-- was quest with Ko, and after defeating him earlier decided to go on the same quest, his confidence in full marks. On his paper, the name for his partner assigned was Juni, Erebus had met her before, she was an angelic entity, and kind of attractive. But his attention was always left to professional matters first, Erebus was a Rogue. Money over bitches was a forefront on his mind, obviously.

He wanted to pick up some food but left on an empty stomach. For reasons you could probably guess, Erebus didn't have much appetite around disgusting Undead, so off without was the way to go for now. Another S-rank quest, the hardest tier of quest to go on. Equipping Phantom Dancer, no ghost was going to fuck with this rogue. Matter of fact, Erebus didn't fear the dead as normal men do, he felt at peace beside friendly spirits. Only, he wasn't here for friendly spirits.

He was here to slay poltergeists.

After Erebus beat the lich from Halloween, the Underworld's souls had thanked him for freeing them of the manipulator's control. Now they were realizing they were damned under the church catacombs. Rough life...

Now they were mongrels of the darkness, springing from beneath the church, a scorn on the backs of the town. Erebus approached the holy grounds calmly. The church had an eerie vibe at night, kind of like a Hell House. The graveyards in Oak were further west, but the entrance to the holy catacombs were beneath this dark sanctuary. The catacombs were from past wars in Fiore between Demons, Seraphim, Humans, and Elves. Humans were primarily the specters down there, but every now and then you'd come across a sealed demonic spirit-- or so the folk tales say.

Erebus wouldn't let it distract his idea of a good time, and rather loved slaying monsters, so regardless. He was seen strutting up with little worry, a spark in his eyes, the look of ambition and adventure... Royally dangerous, for anyone he let stand in his way as an obstacle.

If anything, Erebus would bury anyone who denied him, that was the level of change he had endured. Whereas killing had been hard in the early points of his journey, he no longer carried sentiments for people who weren't on his side. He was just different in that way.

Erebus awaited the brunette by the entrance, It was a safe guarded thought for himself, but he quite enjoyed that woman's attitude in the sewers months ago. Erebus was drawn to that light, which perhaps was hidden in the girl's own darkness by purpose of her own.

He raised his hand to wave at his partner, should he see her stride up on her own. Erebus was normally early, and now was no different. "I didn't expect to see you crawling the catacombs with me? It's good to see you again Juni." He spoke curiously on her nearing his location. "I'll go in first then," Erebus  moved with the nimble hop adjusted to his step, something unique about him... He was able to move without a beat to his feet at all, almost appearing as if he glided anywhere he wanted to go. Rogues had a skill for nimble and quick spins and rotations too, so Erebus was not the clumsy sort, and if he were he could save himself pretty quickly.

The Unavoidable One would go up a small flight of five stairs, and push his body weight against a door, letting himself into the chapel. Underneath an alter at the epicenter of the room, there was a chamber door. It was detailed in the quest papers clearly, though there was a few other entrances spanning the area, this was the one Erebus had been peaked off to investigate; and had investigated with Ko the night before today. So he approached without the same flair of interest he had the first time. The memory of the frightening encounter was rough, but not scary enough for him to deny the pay that place provided. Relics and jewelry could be looted from corpses, and the stolen items fetched a good penny on the black market. So of course, Erebus would be up to his old deeds.

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Erebus merely chuckled at her comment, having recalled that mission upsetting the girl, and she no doubt held no love for the mutant creatures. Erebus took that quest so many times, that before he'd left that area, it became second knowledge to him; sewer crawling. However now they were going into the depths of a catacomb system beneath holy grounds. There was a noticeable difference in design there.

"Right? Why is it that we're always in the under grounds? It's like I can't get a mission in the skies, but I'm always descending through the dark."

Erebus pled to ask the universe in general though, Juni being the only one present might take it upon herself to answer. Erebus lifted the two cellar doors and lowered his body over a step of stairs. Down below the passage ended at a door, and splintered into a tunnel. Erebus grabbed a torch and flicked a zippo lighter on. Lighting their journey.

"What you been up too in these last few months?" The Rogue questioned, so as to break the eerie ice of the ghostly environment, in exchange for a reunion chatter with his old friend.

Erebus intently listened, gathering as much information about Juni as she was willing to disclose, seemed she was having a crisis of finding a place to belong, or fit in the wall so to speak. He could almost relate, until recently Erebus suffered to the demon of loneliness. A sad, yet, arduous fate. The shrill cry of the child spirit was all too familiar to Erebus, who had encountered one much like it with Ko.

Juni was, like last time, a bit impulsive and put a bullet between that things eyes instantly. With the roll of his eyes, and the drop of his face, he watched the situation grow from dangerous to dire. The arrival of the new encounter would be a multitude of ghostly apparitions poking their transparent figure's through the walls surrounding the two.

Erebus gritted his teeth. "Let's not make haste for a quick retreat, as you can see..."

Erebus unsheathed his dagger and rocked as the force of the scream seemed to shake the undergrounds. Dusty ceilings full of sand and ash laid a cloud of smoke over the Rogue and his partner Juni. "The ghosts have come out to play," The Rogue would kick from his spot against the floor, to the cave wall, throwing his body into a rapid spin which made him a somersault of destruction heading from the form of a ghost.

As if to mock him, the creatures upper half submerged into the rock, popping out as the entirety of the ghosts came into the attacking radius of the tunnel. Sand was kicked up; Erebus moved from one side of the cavernous catacombs to the next, bouncing from one wall to the other. A smirk and look of curiosity was presentable across his face. Showing that as he attacked and deflected the monster fighting him. His real attention was tracing all of the spirits themselves and Juni's own life, should she drop her guard these fiends would eat her alive... And he'd have to clean that mess up.

No, Erebus had another idea in mind. Success. He would throw his dagger at angles, ducking and backflipping out of point blank radius where needed. His fight with the ghosts seeming to show it might be a drawn out game. Meanwhile, the ghost od the dog walker began to pick up it's speed and head towards Juni's it's maw red with blood, a bloodcurdling insanity to the eye of the fell ghoul. The stay in the catacombs was a punishment for all time, these ghosts had long since lost their own minds.

Now it wanted a bite of that young maiden, to taste the flesh of a classy woman, they snickered with their perverse hunger. Erebus couldn't let the thought of losing his partner dissuade his own defense however. He had a bloodlusted few ghosts of his own to worry about. Giving them a solid death and true reality of rest was first and foremost on this exorcist's mind. He just needed to truly get his hands dirty and this would be over soon enough.

The smell of sulfur and the splash of ectoplasm caked the gray catacomb walls. The Rogue was tracking their guts as he released it from the form of the beasts. Seemed Phantom Dancer was more than it's name, granted it could dance. The weapon was a macabre of gloom towards his undead friends persisting against the adventurers here and now. Perhaps this was good news, it couldn't be mistaken for less. Erebus ducked low, taking down down his first target finally after timing his reactions to match and parry in between the monster's frenzied pattern in striking, Erebus was happy Juni was here, her ranged spellcasting would keep these fiends blown around while he could execute them with precision and whopping critical hit chance.

This paragraph is going to be the same as the last one. Timed attacks turned at ghosts and a lot of fluff to get this quest turned in pronto. Have you been keeping up with my bullshit so far? If you have, I commend that. Personally? I believe I can only drill the fact I'm fighting these things in for so many words. We could have socialized a bit in this quest, but an early descent into the fuckery is quite okay. I just need to shred a thousand words or so and I can get that last million jewels hell yeah. As a matter of fact, there's an easy thing for me to fluff with. Jewels.

Erebus was a rogue so of course he had to steal to make an ends meet, and after these ghosts he was going to check some of their drops. Perhaps if lucky, Erebus could turn those in like last time for some extra buck. Anything to fill his coin purse, power up his arsenal, and make him the best damned Outlaw this side of Fiore. Tsk, yeah. Erebus was not a law abiding man, but so what? He helped Fiore, he just couldn't agree with the greedy merchant class. Societal pyramids for the selfish and savy. When you have children starving, you can' much blame the guy who robs the people starving those children now can you? In Erebus' mind, no, it wasn't possible.

So he figured he'd just every darn thing he wanted. So that method was his motive to live by. Ghostly heirlooms or not, if they sparkle, and fetch a dime on the black market. They were as good as his, Erebus fucking loves shopping too. He can barely keep his hands to himself, so you know these ghosts getting their shit took. These ghosts? Yeah they some fucking licks to Erebus, and he was the type to do it too. Fuck capitalism. Anarchy ! Okay, that's enough bullshit packed into this post, I can stop and put it this way one more time? Ghosts? Yeah fuck those guys, this was an easy quest, Erebus just needs words. Otherwise them basic hoes could be killed in a B-rank mission. Okay now that's it, Erebus would flip and dive some more attacking his targets...


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Erebus continued to fight off the ghosts, morbid and deformed in their monstrous opinion. He noticed Juni fall from a concussive hit to her head and knew he would have to finish this quest alone, and get her to the top soon.

Having almost been brutalized down here by less ghosts with Ko, he knew chances could honestly be assumed pretty slim right now. Alas, he did not care enough to give in and fall, timing his strikes to parry and cut, he occasionally threw a wild shot in. Erebus would roll with his momentum, over Juni's body and defend it from his spot hopping over it diagonally or vertically as seen fit to keep the ghostly apparitions off her unconscious state. Who knew what kind of hell or possession she could endure if they got her now. Erebus wasn't about to just let them drag his friend off either!

"Dang it, gonna have to endure this struggle for the both of us partner. Wish me luck." Erebus muttered into the darkness. Whereas his torch that he held seemed to be dimming up at the rapid movement the rogue was sustaining to counterattack successfully.

Erebus was clawed in the shoulder, which snapped his armor in one hit, another strike and his back would be bare to roughing up by the opposition. He had to keep his head on tight, and make sure to avoid as fit, however, Phantom Dancer was taking a lot of damage and he too worried about it's lifeline now.

Thankfully reaching his weapon mastery goals had allowed more durability in defensive type 1 stance. Thus, reaction by hand of the enemies was difficult. Finally Erebus watched as a ghst burned alive on facial slashing. Slimming the targets down was healthy for Erebus. He could focus more attention to each spirit and defend Juni from a better mental platform. Less worry, more adrenaline. Sweat slid all over the Rogue's form, the chilly air making him shiver as he fought the cold souls trapped under the church...

An hour had passed, before Erebus burned his last soul alive with damage. ".. Woo. Go to Hell for Heaven's sake." He spat tiredly. Blood trickling from his lips, and holes lining his body. His eyes glanced back at Juni, untouched and he sighed. Walking up to her body, he looted her pockets, for a million + stolen gold she must have picked up on this quest. Netting his own bounty and saving her from her own, but in the process robbing her...

He smiled at the brunette maiden. he knew he would not see her for a long time, and would miss her deeply. Before lifting her in both hands, his torch was retrieved from the ground and reignited; sat up against the wall, and then grabbed on his way out with her body in his arms.

-Quest End-

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Erebus had lingered at a manageble distance, unafraid to make it known he was going inside but rather didn't fancy speaking to other's in alliance just yet. Being a free spirit, this whole approach to his life set on by Zagan was almost antagonistic, but since he was in for the ride. Erebus assumed he'd just ride it out. He walked in the distance behind his guildmates, still fast and mute to his own thoughts, soon perhaps his mind would change. However, for impressions sakes, Erebus needed time to investigate his fellow Nightmares. Rather than fork over the entirety of his strength as a naivety.

Vivi Ramstein was here and Erebus remembered their fight, many moons back. Steel as well, Zane, a distant memory, and Odin-- the apparent lich and overseer of the new guild. Ko was still missing, and the woman, Venus was also missing. Quite the strange mix-up, Erebus wondered just how many agents this faction consisted of, and what purpose Zagan played in it's image overall.

"Change is as change does I guess." Erebus guided his emotions as he walked into the building following the disappearance of the others inside.