[color=ed1c24]Ah, the streets of west end. Archivald did not frequent these streets as often as his superior, Azura did. In fact, he usually kept to north end, his home, and east end, where more rebellious activity took place. One of his spies, however, managed to uncover that there was a small cell in west end. Normally Archivald would just send some soldiers, but he was feeling in the mood for some slaughter himself today. He was donned in his signature black armour. His horns and tail were armoured as well. The armour added an halberd-like feature to the end of his tail. With him were two soldiers, because you could never be too sure. This cell was only about ten insignificant people at most - far too easy for the powerful warlock - but if there was anything the warlock disliked, it was surprises. If anything major happened, the soldiers could deal with those rebels while he solved it. The warlock eyed a small building where these rebels were holed up and extended his arm towards it. Within a second an enormous surge of fire came forth and engulfed the house. The building only had two exits, and both were located at the front. Archivald could hardly believe they had been so folly to not include other exits. As the survivors of the fire ran out, Archivald formed his bound sword in his hand. This was a black longsword with several wicked features and infernal runes and was coated in a dark essence.As the man cut through the rebels, a strange white substance in their image emerged from them and was absorbed into the blade. Archivald’s laughter was audible, nearly maniacal. There were few things he enjoyed as much as killing humans stupid enough to think they were above their station.[/color]

[color=ec008c]Kharlee liked the streets around the bookshop, which tended to curve around themselves and then curve again. Endre had talked about it as roundabouts, and entirely useless unless you had made a mistake on the way to the destination you desired to go. There was no need for motorised vehicles for her. She lived close enough for it not to matter. On the other end of the giant circuit from the bookstore was a lone coffee shop. It was a pop up where, a human, generally sat there growing his beard and making coffee. At least she assumed him to be human. She couldn't tell the difference sometimes. For this occasion too, she had worn no clothes. The proprietor knew of her and her ways didn't mind very loudly, even if he did a little. She enjoyed coffee whenever she needed a break from the wine. And she was out of wine at the bookstore. She generally had two different wines for the bookstore and for her house, and didn't like them mixing. 

A sudden explosion from a nearby room caught her by surprise, and she moved to it, wondering what was going on. She stared wide eyed and a little helplessly at the slaughter that happened in front of her. The humans who were already singed by the fire taken down by a man with a sword. The last one was younger, and she flew in front of him, stopping the sword from striking him, but unable to stop it from striking her till the last minute, where she managed to pull her wings inside to not get crushed. She may not have had much dexterity but she had speed. The younger, burnt child fell to the ground, but unable to cope with the damage from the burning died right in front of her. 

“Why did you do that? He’s gone now.” She said, turning to him. Not much noticing his sword or his maniacal laughter. [/color]

[color=ed1c24]As the sword struck the harpy, the dark essence seeped into her body. She could feel an intense pain spreading through her body before Archivald had the chance to extract it from her. The harpy had gotten into the way at the very last second and he had not been able to still his blade in that time. “You imbecile. It was nearly you who were gone! You should not stick your beak in businesses where it doesn’t belong, harpy.” He had noted the bookstore on his way here. He knew Azura liked the place and had asked him to not harm the harpy and drow in that place specifically. He had once before joked about burning the place down after Azura and he started squabbling, she did not take nicely to it. (before you ask pree, yes koku and I did RP that :P) He wasn’t sure, but this might as well be that harpy. Then again, if she turned out to be a rebel sympathiser, not even Azura’s word could stop the warlock from ending her. The law was above even the elder’s word, after all. He made a motion to the soldiers behind him as the fire dissipated by his will “Into the building, check for survivors.” He turned back to the harpy “Who are you.”[/color]

[color=ec008c]She didn't much respond to the strike of the sword or even the dark essence in her body. It seemed as though she couldn't care any less about it, and just looked at the man as he didn't answer her question. Was it common among men to do this? Not answer a question they were asked. She just stared at him as he hurled insults at her. When he in turn at the end of his rant asked her a question she moved to him and knocked on his forehead. “Anyone in there?” She asked frowning at his forehead as if she really believed it to be empty. “Why did you do that?” She asked him again. He would see her eyes transcend a shade of blue, suddenly get much lighter and make him aware of the fact that he was not just dealing with some other monster. She was what nightmares were made of and her ancestors formed lores of banshees and witches. Even in his warlock books he would know harpies were not common enemies, and that was mainly because their enemies didn't survive long. Her eyes went paler but her eyes still inquisitive, as the dark essence suddenly began dripping out of the wound. When he didn't answer her still she turned to one of his soldiers, “Is he stupid?” She asked them this time as they ran to the building.[/color] 

[color=ed1c24]As the soldiers went ahead into the building, he could turn his full attention to the woman. Although her actions clearly tried to intimidate him, he wasn’t going to just back down from that. Although he would have to be wary. He could feel she was at least hiding something from him.After all, what would people say if the well-known Archivald bel, right hand of the first elder, would back down from a staring contest with some harpy? That would tarnish his pride just a little too much for comfort. Maybe he would have to confide with Azura at some point. Ask her what she knew about this woman. He wondered if she knew more. If not, than he would make her aware that he wasn’t keen on her friend protecting rebels.”You are interfering with the rebel extermination ordered by the first elder of enigma, Azura Blackthorn. I am Archivald Bel, second in command of the first elder’s forces and her right hand. I will ask you again, who are you and why did you interfere?” The woman may have her scary ancestry, but Archivald’s own wasn’t anything to scoff at either. That was nothing he would ever tell her. A half-demon did not disclose his ancestry to anyone outside of his own kind. He stared at her, anything but pleased with the current situation.[/color]

[color=ec008c]She stared at the poor dead human, and as he was speaking understood this was something they did. Rebels. Had she ever seen this one before? Had he come to the store? Did he deserve this? She bent down and stared at the corpse, it’s eyes wide with fear and anguish, before she shut them. She didn't need any more information from the man though, and began moving away as he started introducing himself. Whoever he was it didn't matter. There was a person forever lost into the abyss. This wouldn't have happened if there was no hierarchy, a chain of command, a food table that benefited one and not the other. She sat back down with her coffee again and stared off into the abyss almost. She had been there, death, and it wasn't something she wished upon most. To have their lives cut off short as if it didn't matter. Books she read spoke of some Karmic sorting out where it would all work, but it never seemed to work quickly enough for her liking. There were rules here, that made it alright to do this, and she had been told as a person who lived here, she must follow the rules. [/color]

[color=ed1c24]Gods and demons alike had determined the fate of humans. Both them had done so on separate accounts and found the humans worthy of no fate better than this. The little human was simply a victim of his parents’ folly, Archivald was sure. The harpy should not blame the executioner for carrying out the sentence that was put upon the people. He followed the rules, albeit with a large grin on his face. The harpy should blame the parents of the child, who were probably other victims, because they dared risk their child’s life in their selfish convictions that defied the will of the gods. Archivald did not revere the gods, but their opinions on the matter aligned, so he liked the gods as he liked a good acquaintance. Ultimately,.the harpy seemed to give up despite Archivald’s answering. But Archivald was not the type that He walked over to where she had taken her seat, sipping her coffee as if nothing happened. “You do not get to walk away from this, harpy. You shielded a rebel from harm. The punishment for rebel sympathisers in this city is the same as for rebels themselves. I shall ask you again, who are you? And also, did you shield that child knowing of his charges?”[/color]

[color=ec008c]“Uh. No.” She said, offering him a coffee. She didn't know he was a rebel. “He didn't quite look human to me.” She said, tilting her head at the dead boy being carried away. “He quite looked like me.” She of course had grown up a little aloof of her busy parents, and assumed for the longest time that she looked like Endre, her half drow caretaker. Endre was taller than most people, and she had wings, she assumed it all to be the same. “He looked exactly like me.” She said, in a singsong voice almost. The violence was unnecessary. She knew violence. Her entire species always being fought by humans, and those people called Gods. Her elders were old enough, when they did tell her stories, that one day just normal people started calling themselves Gods. That power was not the sign of the true Gods. Gods were just another set of monsters and deserved as much worship as she did. Kharlee read about Gods in books, and none of the real Gods could do that. Not even ones other people called Gods. She made a mental note to make Endre explain the rebels to her. She looked at the other man, not much noticing the anger in his features. Her eyes had returned to a normal colour, the wound still remaining but then it obviously didn't hurt as much. She stared at the creature for a second or two before she tossed a packed up fruitcake at him. “You look a bit stressed. Have a fruitcake, tart.” She said, in almost a scary flirting manner, before she decided to fly away from him. [/color]

[color=ed1c24]“Well, turns out that this bird doesn’t have eagle eyes.” He laughed “It was a human, definitely. Not that the race was the decisive factor in the murder, it were the ideas.” As a mixture of two races, he had enough to prove to the purebloods. And he had. He had shown his fellow demons, his father and all that doubted him that he had the power and ferocity of a true inhabitant of the infernal realms. He had been allowed to discard his human last name, as was commonly done among the proven half-demons, and was treated as a real demon despite his mixed blood. Humans, all they had were numbers. They were nothing but simple breeding machines, resource hogs preventing the thrive of the stronger races. After their subjugation to the other races, their role as simple cattle and slaves suited them perfectly, the bottom of the food chain. He had been in this city for thirty years now, keeping the humans at bay. He wasn’t about to change his ways now. Preventing former rebellions before they started was what had brought him his position in the first place. Archivald couldn’t give a damn if the gods were real or not. They reinforced the rules that helped him, and therefore he would use it to his advantage. He slapped aside the fruitcake that was thrown at him. He wasn’t really angry, more incredibly annoyed at this creature’s lack of… sense. He didn’t respond to the creature. At this point he was just going to assume this was the bookstore owning harpy that was Azura’s acquaintance. Even if it wasn’t so, he’d find out with a simple inquiry. He turned his back to her as she flew off. “Azura will hear of this.” He muttered under his breath as he walked off to find his subordinates. The bitch commander may have explicitly told him not to harm these two, but that wasn’t going to stop him if she turned out to be their enemy at a later point. And he had the means to find out. He just had to convince her… somehow.[/color]