The endgame

For @Baal <3

It was in the early hours of the morning. Her training had taken longer than expected, but somehow Simeon had decided to keep her alive as well. As they got out on the streets, the birds were chirping somewhere in the distance, oblivious to what was about to transpire. Even the hybrid, still stiff and yawning from sleep rubbed her eyes free of crusties as she followed the bald daemon down the street. The sky above was still dark, and she could hear whispers around her in the alleys they passed. It seemed as though the world was somewhat at peace, but it was all a façade. Yawning again, she tried stretching her body, a few pops came from her aching bones. Simeon had worked her to the bone, and she wasn't quite sure what the plan was for today. Well that was until it dawned on her where they were heading.
The tall pillar of darkness was barely visible in the dim light, the sun not even touching the horizon yet, and yet she could feel the pull. It was huge, but not emitting as many shadows as it used to. Simeon had spoken some nonchalant words about this world having changed and adapted, but somewhere deep down Saoirse knew that with the portal still open, it was making this world more unstable. The longer it was kept open, the bigger the damage if no-one would act on it. It seemed that Simeon knew the same, with his stoic face she had started to notice little things in his expression. Like the cleft he got between his eyebrows if he was so deep in his thoughts that even she couldn't seem to bring him out of. "I've never been this close to it; Are we just passing?" maybe she sounded a bit hopeful, but she was dreadfully terrified of the massive pillar. It was visible from most area's in Southern District. Hell, she had even heard rumors that it was visible in Central!
Her eyes scanned up the large pillar, and although you could barely see it, it was a clear feeling that it was there. It was ominous in a way, as if it had sprouted eyes and were watching this world hungrily. Simeon made a sharp turn, and Saoirse almost missed it, if it hadn't been for the extensive training. Okay, so they weren't just passing, because the daemon was making his way straight for the pillar now.
Passing through the old rotting gate of what used to be the cemetery, she gulped, seeing how the earth had been unraveled and tombstones tumbled over. It was a sad sight. She thought of all the mourning families who hadn't been able to come here for months now. But what she thought mostly was how many who had had to suffer from what had been done here. Of course Simeon had filled her in, told her about what her father had done, but standing here in front of it, it seemed almost daunting to imagine her father's strength. If he had truly opened this, then what else was he capable of? Maybe Amos had been right when they had talked about going away together. Maybe the closer she was to her father, the more in danger she was. Her hand moved up, touching the scars that had formed on her delicate neck from when the beast had chomped down on her. Her green eyes a mixture of sadness, regret and hurt.
The closer they got, the more she felt the pull from the giant portal beneath the pillar. Her neck hairs stood on edge, goosebumps rising on her arms just to show that her body certainly didn't like this place. What were they doing here?
Her eyes scanned the location, squinting in the dark as she tried to make out figures. Most of them seemed like decoys, as they were angelic sculptures with recognizable features. Her breath was shaking a little bit. This place didn't only feel scary, it looked the part as well. Opening her mouth to ask Simeon out loud, she stopped in her steps. A female daemon stood not far from them. She had only one arm and her whole body looked bruised.
"Seems like you've made her your pet, brother," the daemon spoke, her eyes black but with a golden brown hue to them. Saoirse knew better than to talk unless spoken to, so she remained quiet as Simeon and this stranger exchanged a few words. And by a few words, it was more like a paragraph from Simeon - as he did like the sound of his voice - and some nods and agreeing sounds from the female. Saoirse tried to look distracted, not wanting to show that she was clearly listening, but then again, she was not looking to get in trouble. Simeon had looked at her with his eye before, and she was not willing to experience that again just yet.
"Once this is done, that'll be it, brother, I won't do more," the female sounded almost defeated. They didn't really look like siblings, but then again knowing that Simeon had died and come back, it wasn't that surprising. Tilting her head to the side, she looked up at the pillar, her green eyes glistening a bit as she tried not to let herself be too scared. At least not visibly. "Come over here, kid," the female said, which seemed to make her snap out of her daydreaming. She knew how to obey orders, Simeon had barely had to lay a hand on her, and she was by the daemon pair in an instant.
The golden eyes looked her up and down, examining her down to the smallest detail, and it made Saoirse pull down on her sleeves. It was just some sort of habit or maybe even a safety blanket to her. It was something she could control in this scenario, so she did it. Holding her breath she waited for the daemon to speak, but she was just met by a scoff. "She barely looks like she has any daemon in her," the daemoness spoke, almost in a vile tongue, her words sounding more like acid or poison than a compliment. How many times had Saoirse not heard praise for looking like her mother's side of the family? How her green eyes had made the Elior line quite proud, even if they didn't agree with what she was, the traits were still there. The daemoness turned her eyes back on her supposed brother with a slight nod, "I hope you're right about her."


What Saoirse didn't know on this particular night was that her family was heading this way. Buffy held a small ball of light in her hands, guiding them through the streets and keeping the shadows at bay. With her she had Baal. His arm was bandaged up, a strap of linen around his shoulder and behind his back so that he could rest it in a sling. Reaching down, she took Baal's good hand, holding it firmly as she could feel her heart beat in her throat. They had gotten the message, and instructions were clear; If they wanted their daughter, they would have to show up at the cemetery this early hour.  
"I just want her to be safe; That's my only wish," she muttered under her breath, merely stating what she had been thinking since reading the message. Of course she didn't expect an answer, in fact she was so much in her head that she would barely react if she in fact was spoken to.
Alyssa was clutching on to a cane. She was pretty stable, but Amos had insisted on supporting her. He was a good kid, she thought to herself, sending him a small nod in the darkness as they walked a fair few steps behind Baal and Buffy. "Remember that she's stronger than she looks," the empusa said under her breath, almost as a reminder to herself, but also her son. Every day they had gotten to hear from Amos that the hybrid was in fact still alive, and every day the hope got stronger. "Simeon wants to make a big deal out of this," she said, just loud enough for the two in front to also hear her. The sun was slowly starting to rise as the sky was changing color. The night was slowly fading and a new day dawning, but that also meant that they had to hurry.


The sun was barely visible in the sky as the two groups met not far from the pillar. Saoirse's eyes widened, looking confused from Simeon, to her parents and then just briefly at Amos before looking away. She felt ashamed. And why were they here? She had gone with Simeon to keep him from hurting them, and now they had decided to come by? The daemoness grabbed around her arm, making her frown as it was much firm and would leave a mark. Gritting her teeth she tried not to react, but it was hard when emotions were starting to bubble up.
"How the mighty have fallen," the daemoness said, frowning and wrinkling her nose as she looked at the two that had started this whole ordeal; If it hadn't been for Buffy and Baal's little defiance then nothing of this would've happened. Not that the empusa was guilt free, but it had all come from one thing that led to another. One giant game of dominos. "I'm not playing in to your games, Raziela, hand our daughter over," Buffy spoke and Saoirse had never heard her mother sound this. Demanding? She sounded fierce, like a proud lioness protecting her cub. Only problem was that the cub was already sticking it's head in to the mouth of a hippopotamus.
The daemoness, Raziela as her mother had called her, scoffed once more, gripping harder around Saoirse's arm. The hybrid ground her teeth together, wrinkling her nose as she looked ahead, trying to avoid eye contact with her family. "At least you're not as chatty as your mother," the daemoness whispered in her ear, making her turn her head away from the empusa. Saoirse couldn't understand. Simeon had spent so much time and energy training her and for what? Just to give her back to her parents? No, this sounded strange and too good to be true. With her green eyes she saw as Simeon stepped in between the two groups, speaking lavishly and with words that Saoirse wasn't sure she had ever heard uttered before. It was simple really; The pillar was unstable and if they wished to keep the world they would need to close the portal, along with the smaller once that had started to pop up.
As Simeon explained, she could feel her eyes water, turning her head to look at the pillar. She really wanted nothing to do with it. But she knew she had to. The undead daemon and her had discovered her true potential. She was almost like a key, unlocking doors and portals like it was nothing. Only she didn't feel confident in her powers yet. "What exactly are you saying, Aelius?" Alyssa budded in, trying to make heads and tails of what Simeon was explaining. "You guys wanted this, and now you don't?" It was clearly confusing for the experienced empusa.
"What we are saying, Loviatar, is that the portal has served its purpose, and now it is time to get rid of it," Raziela said, the hatred of the opposing empusa so clear in her voice that even Saoirse noticed. The hybrid swallowed, looking to Simeon with conflicted eyes. "I can't do this ... I'm not strong enough," she pleaded. One thing was unlocking doors at his hideout or making small portals to get them to another room, but this was a giant portal to another realm.

Buffy honestly didn't know what to think about all of this. Simeon was the enemy, that had always been clear because he had made himself the villain. But now he was seeing her daughter interact with the daemon who had set out to never even let her be created. It was a strange twist of fate, but alas, here they were. She didn't react to Simeon calling her a fenix, because maybe it was better if he didn't know what had truly happened. Baal gave her hand a squeeze. He had made up his mind, and of course he wanted to make amends to the pain he had caused. Closing her eyes she whispered some sweet words to her love. It wasn't easy to say goodbye, but she felt like they had done it so many times over that at this point she felt like she knew he would come back to her. And even if he wouldn't, she knew she could be comforted by the fact that he would be with their daughter, protecting the embodiment of their shared love. "Be careful," perhaps a redundant plea, but the light felt the need to say it out loud.

Saoirse watched as her father approached, Raziela gripping around her arm a little harder. She was clearly trying to control the situation, or perhaps she was getting possessive already? However it seemed that a firm nod from the undead daemon made the empusa loosen her grip. Stepping forward she looked at her father's hand. How many times at this time in her life had she wished to just go back to being the his little girl? Not that he had been there much in her growing months, but she could still remember good parts about him. Like how he would scoop her up when she had fallen asleep on the living room floor, too tired to move after playing all day. Or when he would take her out to the little garden and her mother would watch on from the kitchen window, smiling as if she needed nothing else in the world.
Amos' words brought her back to reality, a bit sheepishly looking towards her brother. No, he was so much more than that, and now she knew better. Looking to Simeon, she saw his smile, but she didn't condone hurting him further. Although she knew this could be risky. With the permission from Simeon, she walked past her father and directly to the curly haired daemon that she held so close to her heart. She was struggling with eye contact, and she could see he was still sick. She could practically feel it. But it didn't make her hesitate, her hand reaching out to cup his face, finally committing to looking in to his familiar and soulful eyes. Opening her mouth it was clear she found herself at a loss for words, her eyes turning more sad as she looked at him. Couldn't he see that it was why she had to do it? Yes, it was dangerous, but it would also be their only hope of trying to rebuild the world.
"I'm a big girl," she said, her lips pulling up in a half smile, a tear running down her face as she looked at her brother. He had been her protector for so long, cared for her and never waivered in his support. Now it was her time to protect him and their family. Leaning in she pressed her lips to his forehead, closing her eyes as she breathed in his scent. In her head she was praying to anyone that would listen, be it Verity, Bael or perhaps one of the Old Ones. Bring me back to him. In all honestly she probably couldn't get away with lingering much more, letting go of his face, wiping her face quickly and putting on a brave face before turning around to look at her father, her eyes serious this time around.

Alyssa placed a hand on Amos' shoulder, holding him back from moving any further. They were all at fault here. Had they really been foolish enough to think they could simply pick up the hybrid and that would be it? Her eyes went to Buffy, seeing through her calm demeanor, seeing how absolutely terrified she was in this moment. Everything the former fenix had fought for was on the line and she could lose both her love and her only child without having any say in it. It was awful really. Alyssa's eyes went back on the Aelius siblings, seeing that a few were missing. She had actually thought most of them had disbanded, but Raziela was hanging on still it seemed. What a pity. That girl had never had the chance to step out of the shadows and be a real person.
"If you think for a second that any fanatic is willing follow your lead, you're crazier than I thought," she said, holding on to her cane. She wasn't in any fighting shape, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. She was indeed a beast to behold once she had something she wanted to protect.

Saoirse rejoined her father, reaching out to take his hand. Singular. The other he had lost in much the same way as Raziela it seemed. The Abyssus was no place to play around in, it was dangerous and filled with tortured daemonic souls, not to mention the beasts that the summoners drew upon. Together, hand in hand, they walked towards the pillar. Her grip tightening around his hand as they got closer. "Don't let me down," she whispered, lifting her free hand up, letting Baal channel his powers through her.


It was as everything happened at once. The growing sunrise above them slurring together, creating a stretched and marbles look, like the kind you saw on a tie-dye shirt. And then suddenly everything went quiet, before her ears started ringing and she came to slowly. She was laying on the ground, her father not far from her in this great vast of darkness. In the distance she could hear cries and screams of tortured beings. She could hear a familiar growling, like the one the beast had had, and the tearing of flesh from bone. Shuddering she scrambled to stand up, turning around to see the large gash in reality. The portal from this side was far from what the surroundings were. It was colorful, filled with light and the colors of the dawn they had just left behind.
Prying her eyes away from the portal she looked at her father, helping him up from the ground if he needed it before adjusting herself a bit. "You're the portal expert here ... What's the easiest way to deal with this?" she asked, but maybe it was more about feeling it out. Being in the Abyssus seemed unreal, she had read about it in the countless of scrolls that Simeon had brought her, but never had she thought she would ever see it with her own eyes. It was terrible and yet scarily comforting. Like she knew her way around without really knowing it.

Amos swallowed his objections and instead looked to his sister with pleading eyes. Was this really the way? Maybe it was, but Amos didnt want to believe so. It felt better to be stuck in the belief that this was too unsafe, not well thought out. The kiss on his forehead felt more bitter than comforting, watching her as she went back to their father.

Baal had no idea what to expect but he would always have his worries. But there was no need to give Simeon more things to use for his own advantage. Because no matter how gut wrenching this moment was, Simeon's eyes were always open for analyzing. He felt his daughter's hand in his and gave it a small squeeze before they went on. Her whisper made him sigh as he normally would have said some words of assurance, but he wasnt even sure how to deal with this head on. They went through the rift between the worlds and Baal hated it. It just felt like an overload of negative energy being released at once and there was nothing to be done about it.
He needed a moment to collect himself as they were in the Abyssus, not answering his daughter's question at first. He eventually got to his feet and unwrapped the bandage on his arm. It seemed that when he did, his arm was slowly replaced by something of a dark deep energy. "We find the ruler of this realm's residence. Which may not be as easy as it seems."

She knew it wouldn't be easy, but to be fair she didn't quite feel prepared for this whole ordeal. Mostly she had hoped that it was just to wave a hand and then they could head back, but it didn't seem as such. Her mind went to Amos, how defeated he had looked once he had realized that there was no other way. Her father finally spoke, words that made her wrinkle her nose as she looked ahead. The Abyssus was no mere playground, that was for certain, but to think there had been life here once and not the hollow screams from afar was hard to imagine. Even for her, having read so many scrolls, she still felt a certain lack of knowledge in this area. The darkness was vast, stretching on further than her eyes could reach, and light was not really a thing here. That was when she noticed her marks were lighting up, frowning as her gaze turned to inspect her hands and arms. Her heart started to pick up pace, fearing it might be the infection or perhaps a new sickness, but she did not feel the fever or the weakening of her body. In fact she felt just as strong as she had outside this realm.
Her father went ahead, and she followed behind, watching his would be hand with a careful eye. She knew better than to trust the darkness as it gathered around his empty wrist. It was as if it morphed, became a part of him, but uncertainty of how and why she kept her mouth shut. Her father had been consumed by darkness once, and if she saw any hint of that, she knew she would have to keep her distance. That much she owed Amos. "To think that this was once a realm of life, of balance? ... Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath, trying to break the silence between her and her father. Luckily for them, the path ahead seemed mostly clear, well unless you counted the shadows always lurking, but that was a given in the realm. Shuddering she felt the cold sneak in to her bones, walking a bit closer to Baal, although she wasn't too sure if that would even help.
Her green eyes were looking around, widening and narrowing as she tried to focus on the shadows and ruins that surrounded them. Were they walking through what had once been a village? It looked like ancient ruins, but there was a clear structure to them. Roads and paths between each ruin made it easier to imagine what it might've looked like. "Do you know the way?" she asked, because it seemed as though he did, moving along the would be pavement with such ease, as if he had walked here before. Soon enough her gaze went ahead, looking up to something in the distance up high. Was that a mountain?



The training she had undergone was severe. It had challenged her to change her perception of everything. Her body had gotten stronger, her senses had improved and she felt more mentally capable than she ever had. Though being here beside her father she felt it as a sort of hindrance in a way. Did he still see her as a little girl, perhaps infantilize her even though she herself saw how capable she truly was? They had started their ascend upon the mountain, the ruins of a once great castle barely visible, but the road was narrow, and certain death seemed on either side of them. Though she could not see the bottom of the dark pit, she assumed that survival from this height was very unlikely. Swallowing she looked up and ahead, and that was where she saw the glowing eyes. Red as blood and so familiar that had she not been in control of herself, she might've lost her balance.
A large hound stood guarding the road, it's growl making Saoirse feel cold sweat down her back. Would she ever conquer this fear she had gotten of these hellish beasts? Her hand was shaking as she reached for her belt, grabbing two batons, one for each hand as she readied herself. The hound sneered, showing its teeth as it barked. The sound traveling came out almost as a roar that echoed down to the bottom of the pit below, only the two travelers would not hear it reach that far. Soon it was upon them, pouncing on to Saoirse and as her body hit the ground she grunted, her head dangling off of the edge. Her batons were keeping the gnarly teeth from biting her face off as the hound snapped its jaw at her. Gasping for air she was shaking. In this realm the beasts were much stronger, as their connection to the darkness was kept intact.
Baal however would not have time to help her as a swarm of skullies came cackling, flying around his head as they waved their pointy weapons at him. Their laughs piercing, like that of the scream of an hawk, making Saoirse squint her eyes together as she tried to ignore her sore eardrums.

"The balance was fragile enough to be manipulated." he mumbled, unsure how to explain it as it seemed to just be something he knew. "I do." he admitted a little toneless, sighing deeply as he looked around. It was a little blurred in his mind but he was sure he would recognize it when they arrived. Though it seemed to know that his body knew where to go regardless. He was unsure if it was the darkness around them or inside of him. This damned realm was so chaotic and the energy was wild. He almost felt like his mind wasnt his own, and yet it was.
He barely looked at the area around them, it wasnt necessary for him. He wanted to get it over and done, to return back home and deal with the rest of the problems that were hanging over their heads. He saw the hound as well, lifting his hand that would have been marked, had it been there. He only saw the darkness form out a new hand for him. But even if he had tried, he was soon busy dealing with the cackling skeletons flying around him. "Begone!" he demanded in ancient tongue, waving the hand of darkness around. "Saoirse, throw it over the edge!" he told her, though with the wailing cries of laughter from the entities around them, it wasnt to say if she would even hear him.

This was bad, really bad. She could feel the hound's weight pressing air out of her lungs, and its deadly jaws were slowly coming closer to her face. Its breath was that of the scent of death and sulfur, and she took a split-second to wonder if it was this way because it had eaten the deadly foes within this realm or it was like this by nature. However she couldn't spend much time in her head, as the world felt like it was closing in on her. She could hear her father yell, but the words she could not make out, but her mind was tickled to think of an idea. In a quick move she grabbed harder around her batons before wrapping her arms around the neck of the hound. Letting her head fall back she along with the beast tumbled off of the cliff, only Simeon had not trained her to just give up so easily. Letting go of the beast, she didn't have time to watch as its snapping jaws and deadly eyes fell towards the bottom of the pit, as she was busy ramming one of her batons in to the side of the cliff. Gasping for air, she felt her body shake, but in her head she could hear Simeon's voice, telling her to get up, to fight more, to be better.
The relationship she had gotten with the undead daemon was hard to describe. He was a mentor, a caregiver in some regard, but she knew her place with him. Even if he had started to care for her, she also still knew that at some point he had wanted her gone from existence. But it was hard to think of when he was training her, feeding her and bringing her scrolls to let her know more about her own species. He was cruel and violent, he was scheming and evil, but was he really such a monster when he had clearly taken her in? Taking a deep breath she started climbing up the cliffside, happy that the batons could pierce the hard darkness. Getting up to the edge her arms were shaking as she pulled herself up from the ledge, laying back against the ground, breathing heavily as sweat was accumulating on her skin. She could hear the skeletons cackling as the flew away, and she could imagine that perhaps they were the birds of the Abyssus. But maybe it was only because they seemed to travel in a flock.
"Everything good?" she gasped, trying to sound tough, but she was losing the battle with that as she had to cough. The prospects of getting up from her current position seemed daunting, but she managed to sit up, wiping her forehead with her arm. Her eyes moved around, feeling her vision a bit blurry, but soon focused on her father not far from her. If he started to wanting to help she would deny him, getting up on her feet albeit a bit shaky at first. However she had been strong enough to fight off the beast and crawl up the cliff, she would be strong enough to continue. "I can't wait to get out of here," she muttered, placing her batons back in her belt, rubbing her sore hands together who seemed bruised, but perhaps it was just the shadows around them making it seem as such.


The once mighty castle were soon ahead of them, its gates long since turned to rubble, but the main castle along with some towers still remained. Leaning her head back, Saoirse took in the massive construction. If you took away the darkness and ruin, she might've called it a fairytale castle. She was half imagining that a princess might be kept in one of the towers, releasing her long golden locks to let a brave knight climb the tall build. Shaking the fairytale of Rapunzel out of her head she reached out and touch the ancient stone. It was almost vibrating, and she wondered how many stories these walls kept within them. Stories of times that had passed so many years ago, stories that it was yet to see in the future.
Sighing she looked around, not really knowing exactly where to go, as it seemed that most of this building was infested with a creature of the Abyssus. That was when she had a thought, "perhaps we need to go underground," she said. Somehow she had a feeling that what they needed were below ground, and maybe her father knew of some underground passage. "Was there like a secret altar of worship in a crypt or a small library?" maybe she was just spewing out ideas, but she knew that this castle was special. The more time she spent here, the more she felt like she knew the place, even if she had never been here before.

Once the skeletons were gone, his immediate reaction was to look for his daughter. Luckily she not soon after crawled back up over the cliff, letting him sigh in relief. Her question made him hum in a simple reply, though he didnt seem to mind that she couldnt uphold her tough facade. He wanted to help her back up but she seem quick to deny him, making him sigh as he made a small nod. The mutter however made him raise his eyebrows slightly as he wasnt sure what she meant. "And go back to Simeon?" he asked, because he wasnt sure where she would go. It wasnt like he hadnt noticed how Simeon hadnt killed her as he otherwise had promised to so many times. He decided to let it go, shaking his head if she wanted an elaboration.

He looked to the castle with an indifference in his eyes as they got there. A part of him could feel the dreadful and lonely energy that seemed to be looming. He was unsure whether it came from within himself or it was just a feeling that had manifested in the walls. He stood deep in thought as she seemed to think of where to head to. The question of an altar made him chuckle. "There were no gods in this realm." he said a little distant minded, looking around for a bit before he began walking along the castle. There was a well nearby, broken down now, but he started moving some of the rubble. "It should be right under here."

Gritting her teeth, his question did hit a soft spot. Not to mention leave a bitter taste in her mouth. Her inquiry about what he meant didn't give a lot of answers. On that part she could actually see the similarities between her father and Simeon perfectly well. Both always seemed to assume to know better. Sure, her life had been short thus far, but she wasn't going to let others walk over her like that. Not anymore. She had changed, gotten more secure in herself, although she still seemed to pull at her sleeves when she got flustered or were deep in her thoughts. Some things you just couldn't change so easily. He of course ended up dismissing his own words. Right now she could kinda see where Amos was coming from when he got frustrated with their father. It was just annoying that he stated something that clearly had a lot of meaning, but he kept it back as if he was trying to spare her innocent ears. Groaning she just went ahead.


Her question had been valid, at least if you asked her. Simeon had brought her a lot of information about the Abyssus and her own kind, but not once had she considered that there might be no gods. What a world, she thought to herself, a world where nobody has to follow stupid ancient rules set in place by narcissistic creators. However his chuckle made her frown. Was he mocking her or simply finding her amusing? However she followed him closely, watching him move around these ruins as if he knew the place in and out. Only how could he? Trying to shake the logistics out of her head she looked at the rubble in front of them. It was the remnants of what she supposed to be a well. Not that she wanted to find out whether or not there was still water at the bottom, but as he started to move the old ruined stones covering it, she sighed. Giving in she decided to help him, three hands were better than one - although she wasn't sure if she needed to count his weird dark hand as a limb as well.
Either way, soon enough she could see what looked like marble. White with black streaks, some of the only thing in this realm that actually seemed to light up a bit. Getting eager she moved more of the rubble, unveiling in the end a grand staircase leading down underground. Swallowing she squinted her eyes, trying to see down in to the deep, but alas, she knew there was only one way to find out what was down there. However, there was no shame in trying to light up the passage ahead. Grabbing a small red flare, she lit it, making it break the darkness around them as she descended down the marbled steps. It was hard to see much of anything, but she had a feeling that her father knew the way, so she let him be the lead, following behind. The flare wouldn't last long, but it was long enough for them to get safely down the many steps. As it was snuffed out, Saoirse simply dropped the empty shell on the ground, letting her eyes re-adjust to the darkness.
"How come you know so much about this place?" It didn't feel like it was herself talking, and she was sure that if anyone had heard them, they wouldn't think it was a daughter talking to her father.

Saoirse looked around at the walls. Familiar. She felt that too, but it wasn't like coming home. It was like wandering around a graveyard sensing the bonds that had been between her and whatever was in the ground. Or in this case, this world. Her green eyes glanced around, narrowing until she stopped at a strange door. Her father was occupied with another door, but her eyes fixated on this one. How come? Maybe it was because it wasn't really a door, it was more like an archway, closed off by bricks and yet in her mind it was a door. However as she heard her father unlock something, her attention was drawn away from the non-door. Her body moved calmly, watching as the door got opened and she followed her father inside the room. Was this a joke? This place seemed to have been kept intact for so many years.
In the middle of the room was a giant map carved out of blackened marble, white streaks making out what she guessed was territories or maybe specific areas. She wasn't too sure, but as she went further in to the room she noticed more strange objects. In the corner was something that looked like a scrying bowl, decorated with intricate carvings down the sides. Not far from it was some old scrolls, that she was afraid to touch at the thought of it crumble at her fingertips. It looked like a study, or perhaps a meeting room from medieval times. Moving closer to the map in the middle of the room she studied the old figures lined up. It looked like preparations for a giant battle. A battle that it seemed hadn't ended in this realms favor.
Her eyes went to look at her father. He had spoken about familiarity and she felt that too now. "Flying hounds," she muttered picking up a figure of a hound that indeed had wings. This was absurd. And yet she felt like she knew this. "No, not hounds, wyvern," she said, looking a little stunned but also was there really anything that could surprise her at this point? Her eyes inspected the figurine, feeling as though memories exuded from this small piece in her hand.
She thought of herself as a small child, sitting in this room and playing with the many figurines on this giant floor map. She could hear the rustling of the world upstairs, the loud yells of workers and servants. Of majestic beasts screeching and women chattering. The clinks of a blacksmith somewhere in the distance, but all of that was now silent. Only the screams of tormented daemons being heard in the far distance, reminding her more of crows chatter than actual beings. "Where are we?" she knew, didn't she? But it was like it wasn't real until he said it.

Old home? What was this, some mystery show on TV? No, she couldn't remember living here ever. Besides, there clearly hadn't been occupants here for a long time. But then a thought came to mind, her eyes looking to the small wyvern figurine in her hand. Her mother had been a fenix, born in to different lives, so was it really so strange that perhaps they had had former lives as well? Blinking a few times she inspected the old walls, the stone still strong after all these years, and yet she could smell the dampness. "I don't understand," she muttered, but what was there really to understand? Thinking about it made her head hurt, but soon enough she seemed to remind herself of why they were here. "Have you found anything that might aid with us closing the portals?" she was sorta hoping that there might be a trick to it. Perhaps a way to close all at once when they returned to Gambion.
Joining her father's side she watched the box he had crouched down to touch. "Dad, there's so much about this place I don't know ... But have you found what you were looking for?" she didn't try to rush, but their family were waiting for them. She couldn't help but feel as though there were a certain urgency to what they were doing right now. For all she knew Simeon might've lost patience, or perhaps Amos had tried putting up a fight. If that was the case they needed to head back. The box was old, maybe even older than this room alone, and she thought of all of the possibilities that the box might contain. Besides that her mind hadn't completely let go of the doorless door she had seen outside in the corridor.
Was she naïve to think of herself exploring these ancient crypts? Find its secrets and unveil whatever had been hidden from everyone for so long would be an adventure in it of itself. She was drawn to this place, she had felt it back when Baal had guided them, but her mind had been too preoccupied. Now she was feeling it. That inner pull, like a child reaching up to grab her hand and pulling her to where she needed to be. Most people might've been scared of this place, found it creepy or haunting, but she found comfort. The marbled floor's pattern so recognizable to her.

Oh so he was clueless after all. She felt a little better then, at least he hadn't picked up on something she hadn't. However his words sounded almost dismissive. As if she needed permission from him to go exploring. She had to scoff, shaking her head as she left the room. Her emotions towards her father was straining, she could feel it, but it was hard not to when this was such unknown territory. Her hand ran across the walls, closing her eyes as memories of ancient times echoed in her mind. A child's laughter filling the castle, chatter climbing the walls and she swore she could feel the heat of torches along the corridor.
Opening her eyes it was as if waking from a dream. She was standing in front of the doorless door, her eyes curious as her hand reached out to touched the sealed arch. Her fingers tracing the stones, as if she knew every crack, every little rubble and bump. And then, then she felt it. Someone whispering in her ear, telling her how to open this area. The key is to know that everything wants to get unlocked ... You just have to guide it, feeling it run through your body and then gently ... Her hand moved, as if she had found the handle, passing through the arch and through the stone. It was a weird feeling, because it hadn't felt like phasing through it. It more felt like walking through a real door, but there was none.
Looking around she could feel the presence of peace. She was in what she could best describe as a small waiting room, pictures on the walls of rooms and places. Places that seemed so fat away, rooms that couldn't possibly be real. And yet she knew them. Somewhere deep within her she had been here before. Her hand moved over a picture of a study. Or rather library with a desk. It looked as if it was something out of a fairytale, the books stacked from floor to ceiling. There. She wanted to go there. And so she did with a mere flick of her hand.

The library seemed to stretch on forever, many mystical books of plant life and sewing. Books about maps and languages she wasn't even sure how to pronounce. How long she had spent there she wasn't sure, but she had stumbled upon old books in a language that she had a hard time deciphering, but the pictures that went along with the words told the story well enough. At least she got the gist of it. It was a story of a king and a queen who ruled
this place once. Seeing the illustrations were weird, but the two main characters were from different families that hadn't always gotten along. At first their love had been ridiculed: how could two star-crossed lovers ever be together when the prejudice was this indescribably toxic?
It felt like she was intruding on some secret love story, but she couldn't keep herself from reading and looking at the pictures. She was reaching towards the end of the story, looking at the image of the family that had blossomed. Two sons and two daughters by their parents side. Or she guessed they were the kids of the king and queen, although she couldn't be sure. Each face was beautiful, and yet so different while still sharing family traits.
She heard something break not far from her, turning around fast. One of her hands going to grab a baton. She had been attacked once, and she wasn't risking it further. That was when she noticed what she could best describe as a golden rat. Roughly the size of a fat house cat. Even it's eyes were golden almost like fluid metal. How had it survived down here? What did it live off of? Questions that she would've usually though of first, but right now she was trying to figure out if it was planning on attacking. Instead it sqeaked, running off and Saoirse followed soon after.

He decided to let his head brood on what he had learned from the few words he had managed to decipher, but it was a difficult language. It didnt seem to be anything from the world he knew, it was just different and yet some words he knew. It brought up more questions than answers but at this point that was the norm. He left the room to go look for his daughter, though the dark halls did not offer much aid in the search. He had to go along the walls, feeling with his hand as to know where to go. "Saoirse?" he called, looking around in the dark. He found some stairs leading up, but the voices from above didnt sound like good company. He decided to go anyway.

While she rarely strayed much from her set goal, this library was something else. But besides that, this golden rat thing was so strange that she had to know if there were more. And how it had survived? So many questions. And it made her wonder, as she ran after the scurrying animal, if something or someone might've survived here as well. If a rat could, then surely some other being could, right?
She managed to corner the poor thing, it was looking around, its little beady eyes frantically looking around for a place to run. But there was nowhere for it to go. It was cornered, and Saoirse got closer before squatting down. The golden rat fell to the floor, stretching its neck as it whined and cried. A bit surprised, she reached out, touching the golden fur. Petting it felt weird, like a spikey cat, but it soon seemed to relax. Sitting up on its hind legs, turning its head as it looked at the trybrid. Its beady eyes looking at her intently as its pink snout sniffed her hand. Saoirse couldn't help but chuckle, making the rat retreat scared, but it soon realized that the strange sound wasn't a sign of worry. However as soon as it looked behind Saoirse, its eyes widened, wheezing before running off and hiding beneath the desk.
This action made her frown, getting up on her feet, looking at the golden rat with confused eyes. "Hey, don't worry lil guy, I'm not going to hurt you," she insisted. At least not if it wasn't attacking first. While Simeon had shown her how to fight, she wasn't about to be an attacker. She was much better defensively, but alas she would fight if she had to.

"He's just surprised to see you alive. We dont see many like you down here." a voice said, sitting in what was once a windowsill but not anymore. At least there was no view to be seen. His dark hair a mess, his eyes grey and dull. He turned his head and leaned down to place his palm on the ground while muttering a few words to the rat, calling it back to him. "Why are you here? Are you dead?"

Her eyes flickered as she heard a stranger's voice, turning around to see a guy. The golden rat scurried off, weary of Saoirse, as it crawled up to the guy in the would-be windowsill. The trybrid took some time to gather herself, being quite stunned by the fact that there was someone else here. Her hand hesitated, resting on her baton as she couldn't quite believe there actually was someone here. "Do I look dead to you?" she asked, looking down her body with a frown before turning her green eyes back to the grey dull ones. "But you ... How are you alive?" she asked, maybe a bit bluntly, but she felt like she needed to know. "I mean, this realm hasn't really been thriving for the last thousands of years," she said. One thing was sure, however, she wasn't trusting him. Anyone who could survive in a dead realm was practically dangerous by proxy. "I'm Saoirse," she introduced herself. The last thing she needed was an enemy in an unknown place.

"Some of you look alive when you first come here. And then the darkness starts consuming you over time." he explained, looking at his rat in his hand before her question made him sigh. "What does that even mean?" he just returned her question as he found it a little ridicolous of her to ask. He drew in a deep breath and leaned his head back against the frame, making a small shrug. "I was born here." he said like it was the obvious answer. He looked to his rat again, rubbing it's back gently with the back of a finger. "What's a Saoirse?" he asked, looking at her again with his eyes narrowed a little.

"Born here?" she exclaimed rather surprised. If he was born here, was that why she couldn't find any traits that she could recognize from the races she knew? Trying to reclaim her composure she watched as the rat crawled from the guy's hand and up on his shoulder, laying down like a lazy cat, stretching its paws as it yawned. "Saoirse ... It's my name; A name my parents gave me when I was born," she explained, a crease appearing between her brows as she looked at the guy rather puzzled. He surely knew what a name was, right?
Taking a slight step away from him, keeping the distance just so she could watch him fully. He was a bit odd, wasn't he? Her green eyes studied his, how dull the color of grey could truly look. It reminded her a bit of her father's eyes. "Do you have a name?"

"Yes." he confirmed to her exclamation, biting the inside of his cheek a little as he kept scratching it's back before letting it go. She explained her name and he nodded, turning to let his feet touch the ground. "I do have a name." he said before he said something that definitely was the odd language that resided in this realm. It didnt even really sound like words, at least not to someone from Gambion. He moved off the sill and went somewhere to fetch something from the desk. "So why are you here, Saoirse?"

The crease between her brows grew ever deeper, especially as he said what she presumed to be his name. Only she didn't really understand it. "Could you say it a tad bit slower?" She asked, because she felt like she could make out something, but she was too scared to try and pronounce it either way. Also, how was he understanding her? It was a bit weird, but nothing so far had made a lot of sense. Then the big question came, and she watched as he took something from the desk. "Well I'm looking for a way to close the portals," she confessed. Maybe he knew something that might help her. "My world is falling apart slowly, and the last thing I want is for my friends and family to suffer," she explained. Wow, she really was out here telling the truth. But perhaps it was because he hadn't threatened her. In fact he seemed rather passive.