[b]Choices...[/b] [i]Why do we frequently question them?[/i] [b]Objectives...[/b] [i]Why do we so inherently follow them?[/i] [b]Questions...[/b] [i]Why do we always make them?[/i] No matter if you are human, demon, angel or what have you, those often come disturb your thoughts and they were no different in Baalthar's case. The ever glowing, crystalline eyes glanced upon the vast land, his expression the never changing pokerface that showed absolutely no emotion. His eyes, no matter how lively their color may be, always carried this unchanging lifeless look on them. They ran over the buildings currently on sight - and what a sight, luxury at it's finest, all under the ownership of a single man - or well, his family. Cross. How ironic that a word which meant something very delicate to those who were religious, could be understood as a sign of power and fear when it's in front of an individual's first name. Baalthar's slender fingers ran across the hilt of the Umbra Regis, the powerful shadow blade. A sigh. A blink of his eyes. A deep, unnecessary breath. The man took a few steps forward and inclined forward, resting his elbows at the balcony of one of the windows. Out of all choices Baalthar had, he took the least expected one; to offer his sword and power to a such a disgusting being - namely known as Marcus Cross. And even with his tactically thought reasoning behind such choice, questions still ran his mind - and rather frequently. Perhaps it was due to the one thing Baalthar dreaded the most; serving. As he commonly said, Baalthar would never serve, and he did state that very clearly. He wasn't under Marcus' orders, no, he was offering his aid in request of the same, all because they both strived towards the same goal. ... Or not. Baalthar's goals involved Lily Brightendale and the [i]Lux Regis[/i], the angel was a matter of petty vengeance, while the light sword, oh, now that was a true objective. This blade rivaled Umbra Regis in power, and Baalthar could still perfectly remember the words he found engraved onto a stone, right next to the Umbra Regis when he first found it: [i]"Thy who wields both light and dark, in each hand, will possess the power to reign above all."[/i] And that was what motivated his search, his desire to obtain the only piece missing to achieve the power he always dreamed with, the power to conquer, to reign... But, things weren't easy. He spent the last few years searching for any trace of the Lux Regis, but there wasn't a single clue, nothing that could put him in the right direction. So, he came to the thought that perhaps, someone could've found it - and since there wasn't any destructive, uncommon behavior, it could've been someone who was good willed... An Athalian, for example. This is the reason Baalthar sided with Marcus, if he attacks Athalia and someone retaliates with brute power - the kind of power that belonged to the wielder of the Lux Regis, for example, Baalthar would finally know, and he'd finally know where to strike to obtain what he desired for so long. Baalthar's weakly slammed his hand down - it was a mixture of frustration, for once more spending so much time [i]thinking[/i] about his goal, but having yet to take action that brought him close to it. "And who, pray tell, told you that you had permission to stand up there?" A feminine voice rang from below Bael's perch. "Come down at once, demon." She barked, turning back to walk to the center of the tower. The woman was none other than Lauren Cross, the wife of the owner of the mansion. She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she waited for him to come down. [b]"Hm?"[/b] Without actually looking back to see where the voice was coming from, the young man simply stood where he was; not moving his body with the intent to leave, at all. All he did was roll his shoulders, giving the woman a scoff. [b]"Demon? You're selling me short."[/b] Slowly, Baalthar's body became a mass of shadows which dissipated into nothingness, reappearing directly behind the woman - with his back turned to her. [b]"And the day I need... [i]permission[/i] to be somewhere has yet to come."[/b] "[i]Riiight[/i]." She responded, drawing out the syllable. "Regardless, Marcus would like to speak with you. I'd head there at once, you know... Should it please you're... 'demon'ness." She continued, raising her brows in a carefree manner. With a shrug, she wandered down the stairs, short white hair bouncing as she did. Marcus meanwhile, stood in his study, pacing too and fro, grumbling about the incident with the sea serpant. He sighed. He really hoped she'd explained that he needed to go to the meeting room to meet him via com rather than for him to come directly to his study. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the demon's 'better than thou' attitude. He just wanted something done. [b]"Very well."[/b] Baalthar replied, when it was stated that Marcus wanted to speak with him. Without further ado, the demon began making his way towards the meeting room and once there, he simply stood still, leaning his shoulder against the nearest wall, his arms folded in front of his chest. He said nothing, yet, as it wasn't him who wanted to chat around. With a sigh, Marcus walked over to the com unit, a computer with a camera that linked up to the other room and pressed the 'Play' button on the front end. In both rooms, the screens lit up revealing either side, though Marcus' was hazy as best. "I need you to go and spy on my dear old sister for me. Should be easy enough and you're probably already curious about her. Don't let her see you but keep an eye on her. Report to me using the stone on the desk near you every afternoon. If you don't report after two days, I'll send someone in after you. Is that clear?" He spoke, not stopping for plesantries or explanation as to why he wanted her spied on. All Baalthar did was listen intently, not saying a single word, as he found it a waste of time. After the man was done, he simply made his way over to the desk, picking up the likely magical stones that would enable him to comunicate with Marcus, then left the room. It took a few seconds for him to become a moving mass of shadows that instantly left the Cross' mansion. [i]Now, let's see what [b]I[/b] may find useful about his... sister.[/i]