~Kana is currently disguised as a senior Bastille warden.~

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~

When Kana’s hands shuffled for the key, Erebus stirred, from his place in the light-ambient shadows; shades of orange caught only his eyes as he stared through the darkness. Poking his head from the single bunk, lofted over the ground by two steel chains. His eyes scanned the narrow walkway, seeing an older character, a warden— but their jovial disposition told him so much more. They might well have been a psychopath, likely another resident of this prisoner’s domain. This place was filthy, long forsaken by the attentive. Yet— ever so empty.

“Have I stepped on your toes again, doing so much nothing?” His voice was deeper, thunderous and yet perfect against the stillness of the air-locked containment. “You should leave me be, you’re fanatical. Imagine what your colleagues would think, consorting with my name… Besides. I have no interest in doing anything for you, showing anything to you, or anyone else.” He finalized to the character, a warden dressed invasive entity. Questioning what kind of creepy behaviour a warden could want with him in his imprisonment— far removed from the light of day , and the answers only grew stranger as he pondered it. “I guess you should just— take a hike, yes?” His warning came without aggression but sung for violence all the same, a notable vibration that was enough to make many men in his time question their hopes and aspirations, so then— escaping the caverns of his belly, he rested his head back against the hard bed matting, the closest thing to a sofa this realm offered. He hadn’t been fed good here and the wailing souls often kept his eyes open, obviously, one could run dry of their energy here, but to support being awake, Erebus had managed to stay exercised— and perhaps, thanks to that, he wasn’t completely drained even after months of torment by the hands of this Kingdom. Had it not been for his endless workout regime, his body would’ve surely sunken down with atrophy.

“Since I don’t know you, or whoever it is you speak of. I’m amused.” He laughed, his tone seeming to reach all the way into the deepest parts of the girl’s mind, and then further, like traveling through her. A wraith, hungry for escape, for carnage. “Nothing in this world comes free, what did you bring for me? I assume you know the costs of such wagers— with no gift?” The crime lord finished, half-sarcastically and rather amused at the same time. He’d never been asked for something so weird— the mystery as to why, might have provided an interesting conversation in this damned facility.

The warden tilted their head to the side in bewilderment. "A hike? A hike is supposed to be exciting and entertaining, yet in this place only you fulfill such conditions."

As the grin faded away from the warden's lips they were left with a most peculiar situation to resolve. The words spoken by the enigmatic prisoner seemed to reach deep inside her mind, leaving the warden to ponder about the statement as they turned their gaze sideways, audibly conversing with someone, even if none was visible.

"Oh! Koh-chan! We didn't bring him a gift!"

In her mental perception Kana could see the giant centipede curled around her, its head towering high in the space between her and Erebus. "That would be the consequence of seeking an audience with one you know nothing about yet."

Koh's words made the warden pout visibly as she raised a hand to the side of her cheek, tapping it lightly. "But then what do we do? If we don't have a present for Ere-nii, then he won't show his face!"

The centipede couldn't help but groan softly. "Fine, I'll entertain the notion for a moment. Relinquish control of your body to me child."

As the centipede finished speaking the warden closed his eyes, and perhaps in this occasion it might had been a good idea that Erebus had not been looking directly at the warden. Why? Because the stranger's body seemed to swell and distort, as if something inside it was starting to break free. Some might had compared it to a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon, but in this case the body of the warden was the metaphorical coccoon, and the butterfly was in fact a ten meters long centipede that uncoiled itself from its fetters like a snake.

"Your statement is quite correct Erebussss, yet for one to bargain a trade, one needs to know what both parties desire."

The head of the centipede tilted itself to the side. "So what it it that you seek? In our case what we can offer right now in return is companionship and a chance to spread your wings once more. At least in due time... It is still a bit too early for this child to be able to aid you in leaving this place."

Koh's voice was calm, clearly unaffected both by the environment and situation they were in. "Do not concern yourself about our encounter being untimely interrupted, precautions were made to ensure none shall enter this place for at least the next two hours."

Meanwhile Koh couldn't help but notice the presence of his host, the child-like Kana's mental projection at his side trying to get his attention. "Ah, and while I doubt you'd pay any heed to such things, my vessel desires to follow proper etiquette, so... You may call me Koh, it is the closest thing mortals might provide me with as a name. And the little one you saw parading as a warden her name is Kana."

Erebus couldn’t see much of anything in the darkness, perhaps those shadows were more beneficial than one might think. Even so, he was aware as the demon Kon made it’s appearance. “Interesting. It’s always fascinating when I meet an old one… In our recent times, it has been daemons, evolving into demons— takes all the fun out of killing your kind, when there’s so many of your number still growing through the use of ours, no dismissals however... I understand what it means to see a goal achieved, even over a lifetime.” He stated with a little further interest in what the age could do for different species, like demonic entities for example. “So then...” Erebus thought about it some more, his hands were laid stretched behind his head, crossing as he relaxed, perhaps this was the most relax he could get. But the calm and the information spearheaded to him, were already plenty to work with.

“Two hours you said?” He grinned, that euphoric adrenaline was just starting. “And you’ve left my door open?” He thought about this for a moment. “Well I’ll be, I suppose that counts as enough.” He thought about it a little longer. “The girl is responsible for bringing you to meet me? What’s special about Kana then? You must know this child well, so what kind of review would you leave for her Koh.” Erebus lifted himself up forward, a hood was slung over his head, but the light moved from his eyes over his mouth, and one would see his smile at the back end of the room, a lone mercenary before the monstrous centipede. “In exchange for my face, Kana will sign a soul contract. Binding her to the Akudama Syndicate.” He said, closing out his end of the deal. “Companionship will only take you so far, I don’t need that anymore. What I’m looking for is a soldier.” he assumed this would be a life changing event for Kana, who’s quest here must have not been the easiest.

Even if it had, that really didn’t concern Erebus. “You will seek out Zariya, and assume a command over a portion of our legion.” He decided. “You’ll be back here when you’re ready, I am sure. In the time being, why don’t we explore the prison, I have two hours— and at the end of this venture, you will see my face.”

Koh couldn't help but chuckle softly at Erebus his words. "Like aged wine, I'd be lying if I said the state of the abyss and its denizens interests me. When you spend such a long time into the void you come to perceive things in a different way.

"Indeed, the next patron in this ward won't start till two hours from now. The guards are having a briefing currently, and only once you reach the higher levels will there be 'some' presence of security again."

Yet the monstrous centipede's gaze lingered on Erebus as he spoke. "Well, you could say that we share a similar sort of greed. When one has lost everything, and there is nothing left to be taken, the greed that is born in such an individual can be appetizing. Although one could say her time in the void also warped her in certain ways I find it intriguing."

Koh went silent as he listened to the deal was proposed by Erebus, to which Koh laughed briefly. "That is a deal that would end up in you being conned. Not every mortal has a soul left to bargain Erebuss... Hers was long defiled by one much more dangerous than either of us. But one could say that I am intrigued by your idea."

The centipede unfurled itself, towering higher above Erebus. "Very well, as long as you live, I will play the role of your monster. A fiend for yours truly to further your ambitions, as long as you and yours continues to entertain me."

The demon withdrew itself, coiling itself up like a serpent as it hummed softly. "Until then, until the embers of life and ambition fade from you I will align myself to this 'Akudama Syndicate'."

As the centipede finished speaking it seemed to sink into itself, its body melting into a pool of black goo that slowly allowed a small humanoid figure to emerge from it. At first it seemed like a child was forming based on the outline and frame of their body, then the clothes formed and finally her features became visible as the child hopped onto the back of her heels.

"A hike~ A hike~ Did Ere-nii and Koh-chan finish their 'business'? If so we can take a hike~ Where do you like to go?"

The earlier jovial and cheerful nature of the warden was clearly reflected in the child now as she looked at the hooded Erebus with a hint of childish excitement and curiosity. "Tell me more about this Akudama Syndi-something! Are they fun? what do they do?"

It seemed she was really curious and interested in the matter, yet for the time being she was simply waiting for Erebus to start accompanying her on the hike, more than willing to let the man be the one to lead her on the trip. At the same time he would likely notice the earlier shed skin of the warden was already dissolving into a similar black goop that Kana's body had reformed in.

Erebus nodded, clearly revving his engines of enthusiasm. “Akudama is the surviving Underworld; as it exists today, but in this age, no criminal can hold a candle to my governance & control over this invisible body. My years of networking and personal hand in pushing this network along. In one hand, taking over the media was like the spine, a foundation for my vision. Something for this body to stand on, and in another— my personal power was grafted, designed and the status and reputation I worked for gave me the authority to determine, and decide, what cities are spared and which are erased from this world. Fiore is so far behind my ghost, my fading footprint, that it’s only now realizing that killing me will bring them no change and instead provoke a conflict of my design— the pieces are now in place; should they hope to kill me, it will martyr Erebus, and then a lengthy civil war will segregate the common man. With this new Void, I am after something special — the magic which displaces two points, two worlds, that does intrigues me. I must obtain this power at any cost, in order to collect on the loot promised to me by the Fiends.” Demons… They weren’t like himself, demanding and instigating— but they were correctional, so maybe Koh would whip Kana into shape for this mission… If he could reach a negotiation with the centipede, the foe would likely follow the lead of both their influence. Something he had need of— if he wanted to ensure he could exploit his own warrior and not be used by the old one.

Back in her form as Kana — and with the disappearance of Koh. Erebus stood up, and stretched his arm, cranking his elbow to the side as he bent to left and then right. “I want to test a new trick that I’ve acquired while being in these walls, a sacrifice regarding another dark mage was in part how I got it, we can begin when you’re ready.” He then thought for a moment, placing a finger to his temple. A lightbulb going off, “It’s time we built you a troop— every young ruler needs advisors after all,” smiling, his lips curled to huff and snicker with mischief. “Let’s see what’s on the floor above shall we?” He obliged himself upon the doorway, his shadow, making his literal form from his validate alone levitate across the room and grow the cover the last light that was breaking in from the outside building, buried under the force of their great depths.

His head bounced as he looked first towards the entrance at which she’d walked, and then— the greater unknown that was heading down the opposite direction.

It just wouldn’t be as fun to take a safe route, in his experience. The opportunist in the rogue made him lead the way. Into the darkness of the hall, he carried his self past different doorways and frames, until he was at a stairwell, ugly beaten and dirty— this place seemed all too similar to a hell scape. Quiet, only the dripping of liquid somewhere above could be heard— Erebus turned back, catching the realisations that Kana was still with him— and in turn, so was Koh, the centipede demon. “Go! Get up there!” He shouted with a hostile jump to his movements, tossing his tone around like a madman, was just one of the more psychological weapons Erebus had learned to manipulate, to others— he may have just seemed crazy, or rather obnoxious and hard to believe. But it was something between an act, and a joke, that came with results in the form of observation. He could read and find the holes in one, see if they would underestimate him, or — if his behavior could inflict emotional damages, not first seen as direct punishment — but an invitation to haunt the foe.

That — in question— was perhaps exactly what was crazy about his act, because in pretending, he had also really became the predatory monster. Scouring to use the naivety of the young possessed to his own fabrications. Who found such great amusement in the flare of conjuring fear, but Kana was different, and so Erebus figured this wouldn’t scare her— maybe if it did, then he’d have his laugh, but if she enjoyed his loud and proud shouts of bursting— he just might get upset. “… My latest consort, ay? Then tell me— what could you be after, in this great big world Kana, at your age, you are a lamb waiting to be torn apart by the darkness— if not for Koh, that is.” Ere drove the words into the air— cutting and slicing it as his voice echoed between the corridors, cheekily: he would have to omit his side of support for Koh, regardless of needing Koh’s help, such was the way of the dark. So he knew the demon would understand, and more important than that. He would make Kana admit that Koh’s influence may truly have been paraystic rather than symbiotic to her.

Ere’s only interest in Kana currently was this creature, yet still— he knew that to save her loyalties, at least for now, he had to build the rapport in order to string her along in this insipid’ magus adventure herein, or yet after. Erebus was paving a blackened road for the ones who did not walk with the sun, but instead with the moon at their back.

Erebus would turn down a corner that was long and narrow— stopped at one end, his eyes came upon what he realized was a key-card locked gateway, maybe a chamber on the other end. Blasted… He hadn’t seen any knights, but maybe…

“Kana, did you kill before you reached this ward?” Ere said, attempting to put together where he could get his special quest-item, these doors, while anti-magical, were still extremely thick and impossible to punch through. “We diverge from this path, I have no way past it.” He said, lazily turning and aiming his open palm towards the locked door.

Kana had gone silent, seemingly attempting to pay attention to Erebus his explanation. Perhaps it was the enthusiasm with which he spoke that made her all the more curious. She had never heard about Akudama before. Although she had to admit she didn't really pay that much attention in the past to the social aspects of Fiore's underworld, yet the way Erebus described how he had secretly been controlling and shaping the underworld in his design. It sounded exciting in a way. The idea that one could truly control others without even directly interfering... As if the puppetmaster's threads had truly gone invisible.

"Umu... So they sealed you here instead of killing you because they realized too late that should they act they will provoke a conflict between you and underworld that would become too much for them to control?"

A slight tilt of her head followed as she attempted to comprehend the explanation, but on the topic of the void she seemed a bit more wary. "Void is dangerous... It might give you this power, but it will take something in return, what I don't know~ The void is even more silly than I in such a regard."

Yet even as she spoke, a fragment of innocent childishness seemed to make way of a more mature mischief, at least in terms of vocabulary choices. Noddid her head as a signal to showcase she was ready, Kana pursued the path alongside Erebus

Her gaze lingered, clearly not concerning herself with the thought of a potential guard or escapee being in hiding waiting to ambush them. Perhaps it spoke telltale of her confidence and courage when a child like her was marching so carefreely in a place like this.

The sudden shout that came with their arrival at a stairwell brought confusion to Kana initially as Erebus disappeared from her sight, his scent still lingering but his visual presence gone. At first she had thought he had seen something, but when she took a hop and a skip and landed from a pile of crates onto the top of the stairwell the child growled in mild frustration: there was nothing of interest there.

The whispers came from all sorts of directions, meant to distract and confuse her. For the briefest of moments she closed her eyes. "A lamb goes down without resisting..." The small shape amidst the shadows seemed to twist and distort, ever so slightly as the childish appearance of Kana became distorted, at one hand she seemed to grow larger, the hint of fur coating her limbs as her she opened her eyes and gazed straight at Erebus. "I'm a wolf clad in a sheep's coating... and I'd prefer for you to let me play the role of a lamb. But it is only fair I entertain you in return for that outburst just now~ What I seek is everything, the wealth others have, the power, the beauty. I wish to make it all mine. Why? Because it isn't mine, and I desire it~ When I have nothing and desire everything I use whatever means at my disposal to claim it."

She gazed down at her outreached claw. "For isn't that what a thief does? Do not make the mistake again to think you and Koh are the only monsters in this place."

As she finished she stepped out of the stairwell and gazed around the corridor Erebus had guided them into, but they had arrived before a locked door, to which the little werewolf hummed softly. "Nu-uh, door was open when I passed here, and the other knights were on break in their room over there." She gestured absently at a nearby corridor. "They don't expect trouble, so they don't go outside seeking it either~"

A playful chime followed as she brought a hand to her chin and pondered for a moment. "Although I only killed the warden whose face I took, then there was the one whose body I gave to the fishes and the prisoner's body, who the guards took away~"