A cloaked entity stood beside Nana, roughly a foot— maybe two feet taller. He remained quiet, the entirety of his arms covered under a wafting cloak, composed out of his covet that magically altered it’s appearance to match his cape. The fabrics swayed with the wind as he listened to his pupil guide herself, he needn’t speak to the man— who carried a cajun-fioran accent and a penchant for alcohol. As he hiccuped, Erebus removed his flask from under the cloak, pouring a half pint of schnapps into the brown mug he was holding.

From one drinker to another, it was a peace offering. Erebus had only warded the waters off once before in these parts. Much to his surprise, it really had been infested with large monsters that required he and Caius plan something together. Giant Eel—bastards, with faces more hideous than great white sharks— they even looked like sharks that made love babies with with serpents. The whole joke was that he and Caius take one back for the guild and make a moat, though without a second thought Caius told Erebus to destroy it and it’s god forsaken children. Though, he reckoned there could be eggs elsewhere. Erebus never much looked back.

Today the pay grade was dropped, which meant the severity had to be too. He assumed it was a good middle ground for Nana. Who was beginning to show resolve and talent that peaked his attention. He first hoped she might find herself absolving from crime and merely working on her strength, but as another child from Oak’s trenches, they simply couldn’t escape the life of outlaws. He had to respect a fellow Rogue when they raised themselves up. The world of magic was naturally against their breed of fighter, and passing his own wisdom down to the next actually helped him feel good about the hundreds of people he’d massacred in the name of anguish and aggravation.

There was two sides of Erebus. The Anti-Hero, and the War God’s Warlocke. Depending on the day, his mental would slip from being gentle, to callous. He knew it, but simply asking Jin to medicate his monster was out of the question, it was divine intervention that made him what he was. Before that? Erebus was constantly conflicted, doubting whether he wake up to death and hunters out for the fame he gathered stealing that fucking book. Zagan had already damned him for it and brought him back from ten years of torment, only to realize his entire reality would change forever. That no more than three years ago and Erebus had become the top criminal in Fiore. Bringing oneself up through danger that way made you inhuman. For Nana, she was already a daemon, and merely held onto her humanity through a code of honor. Erebus tried to help her hold it as long as possible. There were plenty of Daemons that made for powerful fighters, but having empathy made your work special. It gave one the appreciation to themselves when they paid their self extra against the capital elite. Robbing and looting, with a due cause— a revolt against the Nobility was always sweeter. The capitalists preyed on folk like themselves; misunderstood adventurers. As opposed to simply taking from the hands of the weak and leaving them to hunger in their lonesome. Erebus was the kind to spread his wealth, he just didn’t care how he got it in the first place.

Perhaps her mentor would never admit it. But he was soft in that way, like an older brother. Wanting the best for his sister.

When they were finished Ere waved a hand to follow— as if motioning Nana towards the docks. Erebus then approached a man, and removed his hood as he began to speak. “We have a job— Eternal Nightmare business, what would you say if we borrowed some of your jet skis?” Spoke the dagger master, the charm of his voice edging the man with a persuasion that both intimidated and erased tension on it’s sound alone. Of course, it didn’t always work. “... I would, but that’s gonna be el negatory. These bad boys are the top of the line— they’re rent outs, about twelve hundred jewels a piece, and that money doesn’t grow on trees.” Erebus stretches his arm over the outside-shop’s counter-top, discerning the value in this man’s life. He turned to look over at the blue and yellow watercrafts floating there unused, they weren’t bad lookin’ at all. He concluded finally with a short sigh. “I’ll put down fifteen hundred jewels— we only need them for an hour or so.” Erebus reached to his back with his spare visible arm, shuffling through his hidden satchel. He tossed a brown pouch tied across its hem onto the counter where red rubies fell to reveal it’s containment was legitimate. After all, the money he was putting down was minuscule next to the kind the fishing company was paying to rid these waters. Besides, the display alone prompted the locals to trust the cause. The first step to getting what you want out of people, was to flatter them. Erebus could very well sell these back to someone up the street for double the price, if he felt generous, he dealt honest.

“This is Nana,” Erebus followed up. He nodded in her direction, craning the jet ski rental guy’s attention to her. “Now give her the keys. I won’t ask you again.” Erebus removed his arm from the bar, straightened himself up and went around the building to unhook the watersport vehicles from their docking, when Nana would get around to him, his face would depict curiosity in the boatercycles. “Ever ride one of these Nana? Let’s have some fun shall we?” Erebus hopped onto the blue vehicle. He stretched out his arm for her to drop the key in.

980/1500

Erebus zig-zagged on the jet ski, creating waves that would come into surface contact for Nana and send her through the air. Meanwhile, he laughed it up and made fun of her for not knowing much about the rides. Finally, a short thirty minutes away from the docks and across the waters— they were at the beach to the lonely isle cove. Nana was right about one thing, the waters were completely see through right up until you reached the cave. In which time the creatures he and Caius faced were intelligent enough to lurk in the shallow darkness. However their sizes were much too large to keep them hidden for long.

Erebus quickly spotted the girth of a tree trunk about fifteen feet away. Except it was a tree, it was a green serpentine monster.  “Well looky looky, those creatures me and Caius found must be spawning in this area. They aren’t apart of this ecosystem, someone put them out here, or something.” Erebus reaches back for his satchel once more— pulling out a few sticks of dynamite. He began taping them together and twisting their stems. “Nana— step one. When you don’t have magic, or a gun. Get resourceful.” Erebus reaches around his waist again, pulling out his matches, he swiped once— and nothing. Twice... nothing. Damn it... it was so much easier when you had a fire mage around, but oh well. There could be nothing to slow the rogues down now— they were in the feeding grounds of carnivorous eel sharks. The ones in the water were no where near the size of the ones Caius and Erebus saw anyways. These had to be fresh children. Which begged the question, how deep was this cave, were there tunnels that the monsters were using to live beneath the surface of the cove’s exterior?

Pop!

Finally the match was lit. “Alright Nana, I’m gonna throw this dynamite and kill one before it has a chance, the rest are likely to raise their necks out of the water and inspect you. They can’t see very well, but they have sense of smell and hearing like nobody’s business. You ready?” Erebus smiled. “I sure hope so. Bada bing— bada boom.” Ere had already lit the stem, and it was burning in his hand, at the last possible moment, he tossed it about twenty feet into the water. Causing a huge explosion that lifted the waters through the air and pissed off whatever creatures were under them. Causing ripples to roll around and shake the very scene. Erebus revved his Jet Ski up; and began to laugh maniacally as the monsters showed themselves. Using his Lerzar’s Glove and his Lightsaber he took their heads off and used their backs for ramps. Showcasing the funner sides of being an absolute madman. He had instructed Nana to do some fighting herself, and if she had fallen in the water— his job was to protect and save her. But overall, they were just slaughtering the entirety of the threat.

Right here.

Right now.

The truth was, when Erebus took these jet skis, he enjoyed them far too much to just return them to that prick of a salesman. He instead gave the yellow one to Nana, so that she could sell it or enjoy it in her free time, and he kept the blue one until it finally broke down later that day. After which, he parted it out to some scrapyard. He’d definitely have to find another someday. These actions however, undoubtedly raised his bounty. But the money he made overall was starkly better than if he had gone without.


All in a days work.

-End & Exit-

1592/1500