Hellsea Bastille, one of the most carefully guarded places of Fiore, there where some of the most wanted criminals dwelled within the deepest floors of the underwater prison. Some believed that the Hellsea Bastille was exactly that: A place where these too dangerous to kill were locked away, hopefully for eternity. But that concept in itself was perhaps a foolish notion, for a prison full of dangerous unsavory criminals was exactly that: a hotpot of chaos and danger waiting to overflow.
Such darkness couldn't, and wouldn't be restrained. Even if the law thought it was possible. Perhaps this encounter was a testimony of just how flawed that logic was.
It all began during the time she had spent wandering around Oak and Baska, and over time there was a particular series of rumors that drew her curiosity. The story suggested that a very dangerous and powerful criminal had been captured. The people were not entirely certain why he had been taken to the Hellsea Bastille, some even voiced their opinion it might had been better to kill him right there and then, rather than locking him away in some underwater jail and pray the fishes would get him instead.
Nonetheless, it was clear this man had left his mark on Earthland, and as a result she could feel the presence of the demon stirring deep within.
Erebussss, I wonder what type of face he has.
The demon chimed softly as the ferry was taking its next prisoner to the bastille. It was a grim sight to say the least, the figure was cuffed, tied with ropes and their heads covered by some sort of magical sack that restrained both their vision and their magic potential.
"So you're saying this guy is a Phantom?" A masculine voice chimed from the guard who was stationed at the front of the ferry, to which the guard at the back responded curtly. "Yeah, got a life-sentence after they butchered an entire village. A true sicko, can't wait for the knights to finally raid Oak again."
Grumbling in agreement the guard at the front pondered for a moment. "Still, I hope we get there soon." The man spoke, adding with a hint of worry in his voice. "It is getting misty tonight."
The other guard laughed weakly. "What, you're not afraid of the dark, right?"
The guard at the front laughed softly. "Hah! nah, just don't like navigating in this weather-"
Yet as he turned to face his companion the guard's eyes suddenly widened in disbelief while a hand reached for his stomach where he found a cold metal blade plunged into.
"You should be~ the dark is very~ very~ scary~"
The guard staggered backward, collapsing onto the deck as he looked up at his fellow warden who stepped over him. "w-why?" The warden smiled mischievously at the man as he was bleeding out beneath him. "You hold the highest authority here~ Meaning that if I want to meet Ere-nii~ I'll have to become you~"
The man was about to let out a panicked scream but before he could even let out a sound the warden muffled the noise with his hand. "shhh~ Don't worry~ Koh-chan will know how to use you the best~"
The man's eyes frantically darted around as he saw the body of the warden slowly melt away. Coiling around his body the demonic centipede was truly a sight from a nightmare, its twisted face smiling sheepishly at the man as it opened its jaws slowly, slowly engulfing the man's head as the muffled screams soon faded among the mist.
Once at the bastille the guards quickly approached the boat to make the horrifying discovery: The prisoner had broken free and while the guards tried to detain him, he lashed with monstrous magic at him, the magic had been so violent and twisted that not even a sign of their facial features remained.
Meanwhile in retaliation, and hope to save his companion the lone survivor of the ferry had tried to behead the prisoner, as was evident in the fact the body of the inmate was headless.
After everything was reported the lone guard was excused for the moment to rest and recover from the ordeal. However, their interests were elsewhere.
Wanting to show a good example the senior warden offered to go on patrol already, and that led to their current situation.
"According to the logs he should be somewhere.... ah there, in the isolation ward~"
Approaching the door to the cell the warden gazed inside, a hand shifting in their pocket as their unlocked the key to the cell.
"Aha~ there we go~ now to make sure I finish before the next shift."
Taking a few steps forwards the warden gazed around in the dimly lit cell. "Ere-nii~ I came aaaaaaaaaaall this way to meet you~ And since I like to win this bet with Koh-chan... can you show me your pretty face please?"
The childish playfulness and the body language of the warden were clearly unnatural now as their eyes sparkled with childish excitement.
Careful now Kana, there is no guarantee that this Erebusssss is as hospitable as you hope.
The demon chimed softly to which the warden grinned from ear to ear. "Nonsense~ If the stories are true about him then surely he will be happy for some company that doesn't want to gut him for once~"
The demon scoffed at the joke upon which the warden continued. "Pity we didn't get to meet the big boss of the Rune Knights, then again... doubt we could even handle someone like that on our own.... but now that is a face I want to snatch someday~"
A mischievous giggle followed as the warden wiped away some drool from the corner of their mouth. Certainly, thinking about delicacies was one thing, but today's special guest was an entirely different treat~