[sub]in collaboration with [@Meiyuki][/sub] [h1][center][u][i]"A Forgotten Struggle"[/i][/u][/center][/h1] Sousiel made her way over to the treeline that Al was squatted in, preparing his approach. [color=92278f]"Heya lazy fuck!"[/color] She called out. [color=92278f]"Mistress has some stuff for ya."[/color] Sousiel laid a long birch wood box on the ground in front of the witch. [color=92278f]"And thus my Mistress entrusts you with her two most prized possessions."[/color] Sousiel said proudly, opening the box to reveal Hector Digard's Holy Blade. [color=92278f]"This should cut through undead and witches like butter."[/color] Alphonse raised one eyebrow as he considered the sword presented to him. It was exquisite, but there was something about that beautiful silver blade that made him uneasy. He grasped the pommel, and was immediately struck with a sense of blood lust, hatred, and self loathing. He shook himself. Alphonse whistled.[color=ed145b] "That's one hell of a profaned relic you've got there."[/color] He sheathed the blade again, donning it on his hip, his head swam a bit from the rush of emotion and strength he had suddenly been exposed to. [color=92278f]"And the second of course is me!"[/color] Sousiel patted her chest with pride. [color=92278f]"I'll be along for the ride this time 'round. Incase you get in over your head."[/color] Al smiled at her. [color=ed145b]"I'll be glad to have you, you do know how to fight as a cat, as well as a fire demon god wolf, right?"[/color] [color=92278f]"Sure thing!"[/color] Sousiel's face grew wistful. [color=92278f]"Although I will miss being a giant-wolf-monster-murder thingy. The power..."[/color] She shook her head and replaced her grin. [color=92278f]"Oh well. What's the plan Al?"[/color] [color=ed145b]"I'm going to spread out my senses around the walls, if there's any hidden tunnels going through or under them, I'll know. You're gonna sit tight inside of Steve while I check things out. There's a good chance I'll need you down there. You ready?"[/color] Sousiel arched an eyebrow. "You think? Here I was hoping for an empty castle with relics still ripe for the picking. No such luck huh?" [color=ed145b]"Not likely."[/color] With that, he gestured at Sousiel, enveloping her in the black void of Steve. Alphonse merged with the shadows himself, spanning out his awareness. He swept over miles with incredible speed, he understood the topography of the region, the rivers flowing near the castle wall, the outer construction of the castle itself. What he was truly interested in was, the void below. Specifically the intricate void of earth created by the vast and labyrinthine tunnel system the Ruvinas had evidently constructed beneath the castle. Just as he suspected, one of the tunnels lead out beyond the castle walls, ending in the riverbed of a small creek some miles beyond the castle's perimeter. What he did not expect was the squad of unbreathing forms waiting just inside the entrance under eternal vigil. If this was an escape route, what were they doing at the end? With their attention focussed back towards the castle? The undead stood at attention, facing into the tunnel, their taut mummified skin held taut over their bones, they bore round shields, and short blades, perfect for holding a position against massive numbers. [color=ed145b]"Get ready Sousiel, we're gonna break the guys up."[/color] Suddenly, within the middle of the squad of undead soldiers, were the rending claws and flashing blades of two trained fighters. Normally, the undead's dauntless programmed discipline and sturdy shields would have been a daunting foe for the two fighters, but with the element of surprise, and forming within their formation, they were able to make quick work of them, bothering them easily to the last soulless man. Sousiel shook herself and looked to either side once the last of the undead had fallen, realizing where they were. [color=92278f]"Why did we bother killing these guys? There's nothing good here."[/color] [color=ed145b]"Because their presence is strange."[/color] Alphonse responded, as he knelt next to one of the shattered corpses. He lifted it examining the runes etched into the bone. After a few brief moments turning the bones over in his hands, and examining the ribcage of one of the soldiers, he suddenly stood and turned to Sousiel.[color=ed145b] "These haven't been here long. Can't have been more than a month."[/color] He shook his head morbidly, then his face split into a smile. [color=ed145b]"Well, at least Reyna's dead." [/color] Sousiel raised an eyebrow at him. [color=92278f]"What do you mean?"[/color] she asked nervously. [color=ed145b]"These were etched by ectoplasm, a wraithly necromancer. There aren't a whole lot of people who have the skill set and the will and disposition to end up as a free willed, necromancy practicing wraith upon their death. Basically just her."[/color] Sousiel gulped slightly. [color=92278f]"Let's hope she runs across Lorelai and not us right?"[/color] Grinning again she continued. [color=92278f]"At least she's dead, too bad for any hope the twins may have had about resolving their...issues."[/color] [color=ed145b]"Yeah... I'm gonna let them worry about that. Besides, it looks like the Ruvina left this place already, I think these are primarily meant as a rear guard. Now we have to go deeper and find out what they're guarding against."[/color] Sousiel pouted [color=92278f]"But Al! There could be a bloodless blood witch in there!"[/color] [color=ed145b]"Back in the darkness."[/olor] Al said flippantly, as Steve ate her back up. With that he began strolling down the tunnel. [hr] [/sub]Further down the tunnels[sub] Alphonse spread his awareness again throughout the vast network of tunnels. Now that he was one with the darkness of these tunnels, he could sense the presence of more undead within. He destroyed several groups, most of them being smaller creatures relying on ambush and surprise to fell their foes. They were no match for the profane blade that emerged from the very darkness that hid them. Alphonse thought he was doing a great job destroying the profane creatures when he realized that something wasn't right. He swept back across one of the tunnels on his way to another branch, when he felt a familiar presence. The undead creatures were right back where they had been. Waiting for the hapless living to wander by. [color=ed145b]"Fuck. Okay, Alphonse, where do we go to find the anchor for a continual animation spell?"[/color] Alphonse muttered to himself before he struck one of the hidden undead creatures, this time watching the broken twisted green animus flow through the air, moving down one tunnel like smoke in a coal mine. [color=ed145b]"That way."[/color] Alphonse followed the trail of ashe, occasionally destroying other undead to get a sense of the direction to the center of the spell. Soon he found himself within a huge chamber, stairs leading up in terraced steps, revealing row upon row of cages. The main dungeons. Against one wall was nothing. Nothing to anyone who was not one with darkness. There, melded into the walls was a massive mummified figure bedecked in heavy armor. Between it's legs lay a massive blade, its pommel held in a relaxed stance in the giants hands. Alphonse gestured silently in a tunnel off of the main chamber. Sousiel emerged from the shadows, lying down on her side, a bored expression on her face. [color=92278f]"Are we done here yet?"[/color] she asked [color=ed145b]"Almost, this place is built to bite us all in the ass while we're trying to plumb their fortress. We need to take out that giant over there to bring it all crashing down." [/color] Sousiel looked into the massive dungeon, following his finger. She squinted, then looked from left to right. [color=92278f]"um...what giant? If you're teasing me, I'm taking it out of your blood."[/color] [color=ed145b]"It's hidden, doofus. I'll rouse it out of it's hiding spot, get ready to hulk out and help me kill it."[/color] [color=92278f]"oh, ok."[/color] Sousiel smiled in anticipation, it had been far too long since she had had a good fight. Almost more than a few hours. Alphonse cracked his neck in preparation, the sound of popping joints silenced by his sorcery. He climbed to the ceiling, if he was lucky, he could pierce the giant's skull with the profaned blade and banish this spell without a struggle. He leaped from the air, falling down on the slumbering giant, his blade poised to pierce its skull . Luck was not with Alphonse that day, as his insides were suddenly filled with a cold silver blade. Alphonse tumbled out of the air, barely catching himself on the skull of the massive giant. He looked up to see a dark shape falling back into the darkness, a silver sword clutched in his hand. Alphonse didn't even have the time to curse though, as the behemoth beneath him stirred, Alphonse leaped from its crown, trailing blood behind him. He landed roughly on the ground in a roll. Not far enough to avoid the massive blade crashing down on him. The wall of steel never quite reached him though, as the giant stumbled back, after receiving a monstrous beast directly to the vertebrae beneath its ribcage. Sousiel's scaled monstrous form clawed at the giant's bones, cracking bone, trying to focus enough damage on a single segment to sever the beast in two. As she did, the giant reached down and wrapped its hands around the beast, and its own spine, trying to pin her in pace. With the sinuous grace of a cat, or maybe a serpent, she evaded his grasp, but had to give ground. As the two faced off, their battle began in earnest. Alphonse did not have the luxury to behold the massive spectacle of the two monsters trading blows, as he was busy preventing himself from bleeding to death, and keeping an eye out for that motherfucking cock nobbling wraith with a thrice cursed silver sword...... Never mind that. The presence of the other blade didn't deaden his powers too much, though the cut in his side was preventing him from melding fully into the shadows. He kept his eyes peeled, his awareness of darkness spread out, the only light in the darkness were the flickering flames surrounding Sousiel's body, guttering and flaring with the tide of her battle. If Alphonse couldn't see the shade's next attack coming, he was done for. There. A glint of light within the shadow, the shadow's silver weapon glinting in the light of demonic flame. It was rushing at Sousiel, who was digging into the giant's neck. Alphonse couldn't get there in time. That's what Steve was for. Suddenly, the shade's earnest glide stopped, as if clotheslined by the blade it held. There, it's blade was grasped by the muscled hand of Steve: now standing manifested, his body clad in bloody armor. He threw the sword to the ground, closer to Alphonse, taking the shade with it. Alphonse didn't lose a moment, rushing the downed opponent, thrusting with his blade. The Wraith was nimble, and flowed like smoke, receiving only a glancing wound, its ephemeral flesh flaring with deep red light as the profaned blade tasted its form. It tried to skitter away, but Steve was on its other side, flanking the flighty adversary. The shade reared up, the flowing darkness that made up its body swelling outward, whirling like independent blades of its own, its skeletal limbs stretched out, giving it huge reach. Steve and Alphonse approached the creature warily, each of them eying the silver blade it held in the center of its mass, prepared to strike at any opening. Steve approached first, swinging a sword of darkness into the creature. It blocked his strike, its long limbs keeping him at bay even as Alphonse approached with the profane blade. He struck the creature, rending it deeply, but not a mortal wound, he could not pierce its defenses, always wary of the silver blade. As Alphonse tried to strike true, the shade contorted, parrying his strike with its own blade, and driving both into Steve. The shade grasped the hilt of the sword, and tore outward, splitting Steve the shade in two. The shade had to drop the profaned blade, as it hissed and stung its hand. Alphonse was forced to give ground, as the shade turn on him, the sword it still held darting out again and again. Alphonse blocked its strikes ably with his buckler, but he was giving ground all the time. Finally, Alphonse fell back as far as he could go, his back to the wall. The shade struck out with its sword, Alphonse tried to block with his buckler, but could not raise it in time, it slid past his guard and took the arm at the shoulder. Before the shade could pull its blade free for a killing blow, a dark red light, followed by a silver blade erupted from its core an inch from Alphonse's own heart. As the rest of the shade's body erupted in dark red fire the blade fell to the ground, and Alphonse could see Steve lying on the ground, a blazing stump for an arm that had been used to hurl the blade. Alphonse looked from Steve to his own arm. [color=ed145b]"At least yours will come back."[/color] Alphonses could not continue with any more quips, as a savage roar shook the wall near them. The giant's spine had finally been broken, it rested on its rib cage, Sousiel was in its grasp, roaring in pain as the giant swung her by her hind legs into the ground, then smashing her with its other hand. Trying to snuff the life from her as if she were a cockroach. Alphonse lifted up the profaned sword, and rushed the giant. He leaped once more. This time, his aim was true. His blade pierced the giant's skull, shattering it as it pierced, annihilating the sorceries holding the behemoth together. With the spell reinforcing the castle's undead finally destroyed, Alphonse took a knee, clutching what was left of his ruined arm. [color=ed145b]"Hey, Sousiel, are you okay?"[/color [color=92278f]"I-I...Lorelai..?"[/color] Sousiel coughed, a trickle of blood forming at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were glazed. [color=92278f]"W-where are we?... I-it's dark.."[/color] [color=ed145b]"No, Sousiel, it's Al. Come on buddy, you're gonna be okay."[/color] Alphonse realized that Sousiel was almost certainly not okay.[color=ed145b] "Here, have some blood, I can spare a few ounces."[/color] He tried to shake some blood from the end of his stump into her mouth. Sousiel lazily chased the droplets with her tongue. [color=92278f]"I'm dying... aren't I Al?"[/color] Her face paled as she shivered. [color=92278f]"I...Don't wanna die..."[/color] Alphonse wrapped his one good arm around Sousiel's scaly neck.[color=ed145b] "Yeah, you're dying. Sorry buddy. I hope whatever you've got waiting for you isn't horrible."[/color] Alphonse spoke clearly, his voice not cracking once, even as tears streamed down his face onto the dragon cat thing's neck.[color=ed145b] "I'll miss you buddy."[/color] [color=92278f]"That old black dark huh?"[/color] Sousiel managed a small smile as one of her hands made a fist that never quite reached Al's shoulder. [color=92278f]"M-make sure Lady Lorelai makes it out Al...It's..been good."[/color] Her eyes fluttered closed for the last time. Alphonse kneeled beside her for a time. Unmoving as her body dissolved into black smoke which flowed around him. Eventually, he stood, grasping his bad arm, he folded Steve into his own shadow, and limped down the tunnels. There was no light here to shine the tears on his face.