[center][abbr=Pit][img]https://i.ibb.co/7VzgY22/pit.png[/img][/abbr]
Word Count: 1360 (+3 exp)
[u]Level[/u]: [b]5[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 231/50
[b]Location[/b]: Dystopiascape[/center]
Pit was idly shifting his weight from one foot to the other while everyone talked and deliberated about whether to join up with the Lost Numbers or not. For him it was a no brainer, but it couldn't be the case with everyone. The decision ultimately didn't take long to come to (and wound up being an agreement), but while he waited Pit glanced up at the sky. Many of the things being casually explained were going over his head, and he wished Lady Palutena was around to make it make more sense. He didn't fret though - he figured he got the general idea, and anything super important he'd figure out sooner or later. Plus with a flying ship like this... reaching Skyworld would be a piece of cake! Palutena would get a kick out of seeing Cloud's kids, on top of getting the lowdown on everything else. 

Once it was decided that the Lost Numbers were officially allies, a wide grin split Pit's face. He was always eager to make potential new friends, and the thought of exploring such a cool ship was exciting. And they were apparently headed to a carnival now too? That sounded like an awesome way to celebrate taking out a Guardian! Of course Pit still wanted to visit Skyworld, but since he believed Palutena to be fine ([i]she just had to be![/i]), they could make that stop number two.

Once they were properly on board the ship, Dawn was enthusiastic about getting everyone feeling comfortable and showing them around. She took them to one of many maps of the Avenger's interior, one which Pit squinted at. He took in all the little pictures of the rooms, looking for anything interesting. 

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Which one's the engine room? And where are we in here?"[/color] he asked. Once both were pointed out to him, he could pretty much figure out the layout. If they were in the back of the ship now, and the off limits engine room was in the front then it would be easy to avoid. The ship's bridge must be toward the top, so he should be able to find that - and he definitely wanted to check it out. Between here and there he'd just explore naturally. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Got it, thanks!"[/color]

The angel ran off once everyone started splitting up. Everybody had different interests in mind, but Pit himself didn't have anything in mind. He just wanted to check out the ship itself. So he moved from the bay deeper into its interior, curiously peeking into any and all rooms he passed by.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/t0kMqYm.png[/img][/center]
It didn't take Pit long at all to find something that looked cool--not to mention ominous. One of the first rooms he poked his head into turned out to be a rather foreboding arrangement of terminals, screens, instruments, and apparatuses arranged around a central chamber almost like obelisks in a dark rite. The eerie purple light that cast dark shadows around the place didn't exactly help this first impression, either. The most curious machine of all, a bizarre [url=https://i.imgur.com/BSdLnja.png]mishmash[/url] of occult artifact and rather old-fashioned technology, seemed to be attached to that eerie central cell, but offline and inoperable. It looked like a component might be missing from its central port, but it would take a more technical -or perhaps arcane- mind than Pit's to make heads or tails of such a contraption.

What did immediately catch Pit's attention, though, was the room's other occupant, for the angel was not alone. In a corner of the room converted into some manner of mystical market stall with the aid of tapestries and cushions lounged a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Avt7hVB.png]demon[/url] of impressive stature, with huge horns, vestigial wings bound in bandages, fine baubles, and a noseless, skull-like face full of enormous teeth and poison-green eyes. "Oh, someone new, is it?" He spoke like a smug snake might, in a venom-dripping drawl. His eyes settled on Pit's wings. "Oho, and an angel, to boot? Isn't that something." He tented his claws. "Well, welcome, welcome! I am but a humble merchant. Vulgrim is my name, and this is my shop. I have a deal with the Lost Numbers, you see. They offer me spirits, and I sell them all manner of trinkets and baubles in return. And some rather juicy details, too. But this little sales pitch is all you'll get for free." Vulgrim wiggled his claws greedily. "Feed my hunger, and I'll feed your curiosity."

Pit's nose wrinkled. He pretty much immediately got what this guy was saying; he ate souls. Or spirits, whatever. Actually he probably ate regular souls too. It wasn't like soul eaters were unnatural or anything, but it still weirded Pit out. He found it distasteful, pun fully intended. If he were completely alone, he might have even been a little nervous (not that he'd admit that), but seeing as the ship was full of allies and he was fresh from battle the angel stepped fully into the room. The juxtaposition was pretty neat - the whole place looked both high and low tech. Magitechnical or something. He peered at the monitors, recognizing some numbers displayed but nothing else he could make out. With no clue how the machines worked or what they even did, it made the demonic shopkeeper the most interesting thing in there by default.

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Details about what?"[/color] Pit asked, basically disregarding what Vulgrim had said about only the pitch being free. As he spoke he curiously prodded at the panel beside the central device.

Vulgrim snickered. "Secrets, of course. I'm not locked up here like a certain someone, you know. Thanks to the Serpent Holes, I come and go as I please. This world is full of rumors and curiosities, but it's such a jumbled mess that it takes quite a thresher to separate the wheat from the chaff, and I'm privy to all sorts of interesting things." Idly he inspected the golden claws worn across his right hand. "So if you or your friends want a taste, you know where to bring your extra spirits, hmm?" 

[i]He's a glorified hint system![/i] Personally, Pit was the type that preferred finding that kind of stuff himself... or else being directly fed the information by the Goddess of Light. But knowing that the demon was technically the helpful sort made him sort of less creepy. Only sort of, because what the heck was a "serpent hole"? And it wasn't the only weird thing he'd casually mentioned. Did the Lost Numbers have some kind of captive?

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Okay, sure,"[/color] Pit agreed. Then quickly followed up with, [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"but what was that about someone being locked up?"[/color]

If Vulgrim had an eyebrow to raise, he might have directed it at Pit right then. "If your wallet's a little light, you'll just have to find out for yourself."

[color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"[i]That[/i] counts as a secret? Come on!"[/color] Pit complained. Vulgrim was not the charitable type, and any further prodding was met with the unwavering refusal of a seasoned merchant. Pit almost never thought to take spirits along with him after battle, so suffice to say wouldn't be able to pay the demon even if he really wanted to. But he was pretty sure most of the other Seekers were different, and some even meticulous in their spirit collecting. He'd definitely seen Princess Midna put a bunch of spirits and other stuff in her portals before. They'd be the ones to benefit most from Vulgrim's weird little 'shop,' so he would actually pass the message along to them.

Since he wasn't really a customer, Pit wore out his welcome sooner rather than later. He at least had the dignity to usher himself out of the room, continuing down the hall soon after. 

[i]I guess I should look for the brig next?[/i] he thought. If this group was on the run, wasn't it strange to keep a prisoner? ...maybe it was some kind of mutiny situation. But if that was the case, why would that unaffiliated demon even mention it? It was all pretty mysterious, though not nefarious in Pit's opinion. He would just ask about later after he got to the brig, or the bridge, wherever he made it to first.