Sauriel looked at the lodestone with a bitter expression.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt trying that again. Although it looks like we have a few more distractions this time around..."
Taking a few moments to concentrate, he summoned a somewhat large group of light clones around himself to distract the oncoming horde. Then he turned his attention back to the lodestone, charging his sword with light.
"Let's try this one last time, shall we?"
He held his sword in front of himself and stared intently at his target. He intended to focus his attack into a barrage of quick, powerful slashes to do as much damage as possible in a short amount of time, hopefully creating enough of a shock to break right through the stone. Letting out a yell, he charged forward and started his attack. A long series of swift and powerful strikes fell on the stone in just a couple of seconds, which he finished off by thrusting his sword directly into the stone with as much force as he could, hoping to pierce right through it.


Tybalt shook his head slowly.
"It really is a shame. The worst part of it all is that there really is no reason for angels and demons to hate each other. This is just my own assumptions, but...I think that this war is only happening because people fear anything that is different from them. Even beings such as angels and demons can give in to this fear, and war begins again."
His expression, which had now become quite dark and melancholy, slowly changed back into a smile.
"But that's something we can worry about later, I think. For now...well, do you want to explain your plan, Noise?"
He looked over towards her, not wanting to propose the idea himself.

Decoda looked at Tybalt. "It's not as simple as hate." She said. "Demons act on orders of Lucifer, and the angels...well, we generally follow the orders of the Arc Angels." She lowered her head slightly. "No one really knows where they get there orders from." She sighed heavily, as the previous statement from Noise sunk into her head. "Wait....my mixed blood?" She looked around the room. "I'm an angel...a fallen angel. I'm not a mixed anything."

Siren folded her arms, with a blank expression on her face. "I think that's our answer."

Maraud bopped her gently.
"No, Amelia. Demons are why we have to fight these demons. You are merely a part of the whole, a butterfly in the cocoon. You have great power, but what you don't have is the ability to control it. Now is probably not the time for a lesson, so all I can hope is that you find the way, because we are not going to have any peace for quite a while."
He broke off, still holding her, as the lodestone finally crumbled around Sauriel's blade.
"JOKAN! NOW, PLEASE!"

Jokan concentrated, and his hands started flying.
Something started taking shape. A portal of some kind, glowing a reddish orange as it hung in the air, large enough for a bus to fall through without any effort.
"WHERE IS THIS TO!?" Jokan yelled.
"JUST TRUST ME," Maraud shouted back.
Then he leaned in, whispered "I'm sorry, Amelia," kissed her on the lips just briefly, then dropped her off into Cryth's arms again as he ran through the demons back towards the portal.
"SEMIRA! SAURIEL! THAT PORTAL WON'T LAST VERY LONG, GET EVERYONE HERE THROUGH IT NOW!"

Amelia blinked when he bopped her on the head
"but..."
before she could say anything Maraud was yelling to Jokan. A few moments later he was kissing her then dropped her in her brothers arms. Her cheeks were flushed when she glanced up at her brother. She then quickly looked away remembering what had happened.

Semira stretched out her black wings
"Well it looks like this is our ride"
she looked at Sauriel and nodded before catching up to him
"Lets find out about our child"
she held out her hand towards him
"together"

"Power tripping bastards." Noise said angrily. Rail giggled, this got her a slap across the face. Rail electrocuted Noise, the young demon lying on the floor, all burnt and crispy. Noise's body healed but she didn't reciprocate. Instead she just laid on the floor, as though she were sleeping.
"The idea is simple. Whether your blood is mixed or not. If we leave splotches of blood it should mess up their senses. Giving us time to escape."
still think we should kill her
"Llits kniht ew dlouhs llik reh."

Lullabye wrote:

"Are you hungry, Little One?" Newi asked the girl. She gestured towards a small table set against the wall. A plate sat there with something on top of it. "I know it isn't much, but your welcome to it."
She waited for the girl to take a seat in the chair she held out for her. "Do you have a name?"

OOT: I'm too lazy to come up with what kind of food was on the table =P

Lela nodded her head and went over to the table to take what was there. Truth told, she was too scared to eat but she felt that if she did eat something it might help her calm down a little. At the table Lela noticed the food the woman mentioned and took a bit of it and ate it. It wasn't great, but it didn't taste to bad. After Lela ate what she could, which wasn't much, she walked over to the chair the woman pointed at and sat down in it. "My name's Lela." She told her hesitantly.

Still confused, Decoda looked at Tybalt. She touched his hand, looking at him as if she really needed him. "What do you think I should do?" She asked him in a quiet tone.

Siren walked over to the window, lightly dusting off some of the dirt so she could clearly see out of it. "I can see them in the distance." She said, and looked at Noise and Rail...she had changed her eyes to those of a cat's eyes, and pulled off her hood. "Whatever your choice is, I recommend you make it soon."

Sauriel nodded at Semira and took her hand.
"We'll find the answers we're looking for. I have no doubts about that."
He spread out his wings, preparing to take off.
"Come on...we've left our child waiting for far too long already."
Together, they took to the air and flew straight towards the strange portal in front of them.


Tybalt was a little shocked at Decoda suddenly grabbing his hand, but he soon regained his composure and tried to speak calmly.
"Well, as much as I don't like it...if what everyone is saying is really true, then I think Noise has the right idea. We, uh..."
He hesitated for just a moment.
"We need a quick way to draw your blood. I...don't suppose anyone has any sharp objects laying around? Cutting your hand and letting the blood spill on the floor would probably do the trick, I would think."
His expression was clearly one of great discomfort. He knew that they had to do what was necessary, but the idea was still very...unpleasant.
"I could, ah...help you, if you don't want to do it yourself."

Maraud rolled his eyes, and watched as the soldiers thundered through after Sauriel and Semira, both of whom passed straight through the portal. After all the soldiers passed through, Jokan went next, with only Cryth, Amelia and Maraud left.
"We're done here," Cryth said, turning. "Come on Amelia, we're going -"
"I am so so sorry," Maraud said apologetically as he picked the pair of them up and threw them through the portal like rag dolls.

On the other side, every single person, Semira and Sauriel included were ensnared in cursed demonic binding chains that instantly manacled them like prisoners, preventing any of them from using their powers. The moment Amelia and Cryth came through, the chains instantly bound them up too.
A large horde of demon guards stood there smirking and jeering at the helpless flies who rushed into the web.

Maraud came through, and the chains flew into his hands. With a mere tug he made the whole army stumble helplessly, and the demons whooped and cheered.
"Perfect arena fuel," Maraud said darkly. "Complete with cannon fodder, crowd pleasers and showstoppers..."

Decoda shook her head. "No. I know how hard that was for you to say, I couldn't ask you to draw my blood too." She spoke, as she rose to her feet, summoning her weapon to her hand. It crashed through a back window...Decoda reaching her hand out and expertly caught it before it could strike her in the back. She pulled the weapon close to her, and held her hand tightly upon its blade. Her blood slowly flowed down the blade, sparkling slightly in the dull light...only hinting at the holy power within her own blood. She then removed her hand from the blade, pointing her spear-like weapon towards the floor, her blood dripping from the tip of the weapon and to the floor, as the wound on her hand glowed softly while it healed. "Don't touch the blood." She warned, as she looked at Noise, then to Siren.
Decoda began to walk around the abandoned house, leaving a trail of her blood as she walked around.

Noise stood up, the char had vanished from her flesh. Staring off into space for a few moments she snapped her fingers and a small void appeared in front of her. Without nay hesitation she reached into the inky depths and drew forth a long sword.
"Rail?" Handing the weapon to her sister she snapped again and the portal before her closed and then reopened. Instead of a weapon, this time her hand contained two medium sized flasks.
Holding her arm out she nodded to her sister. Rail put the blade against Noise's forearm and cut a deep groove into her flesh. Blood flowed from the wound, light pink in color. Tilting her arm so that the blood fell into the flask she waited until the liquid rose to the brim before closing the flask.
Rail handed Noise the sword and the process was replicated. Rail's dark brown blood was somewhat more viscous than her sister's. The two flasks filled with angelic and demonic blood, Noise returned the weapon into the void and the two wrapped bandages around their arms.
Opening another void, Noise drew two more flasks from the dark and held them out to Decoda and Siren.

Newi smiled at the girl's cooperation. The child's fright was understandable, but irksome. "I know this isn't the best of situations you could have found yourself in. But I just want to help you, Little One. Now Lela, other than the light. What are you afraid of?"

Sauriel stared intently at Maraud, unsure of what to make of this situation.
"From first glance, it looks as though he's betrayed us...but is that true, or is all of this part of his plan? If it is, it would hurt his credibility if I didn't act like he was betraying us. So, either way..."
His face contorted in anger and he shouted at Maraud.
"What is the meaning of this?! You...you filthy traitor! What did the demons offer you to buy your loyalty?! I will never forgive you...take these chains off and fight me properly, you coward!!"


Tybalt could only stare blankly at what was happening around him.
"Well, this is certainly...unpleasant. Yes, that's the word I was looking for. Um...if you need help with anything, please let me know."

Siren took the flask and looked at Rail. "You want me to fill this with my blood?" She asked.

Decoda turned slightly, and tilted her head, staring blankly at the flask. "What's this for?"

"And risk getting more blood on my knuckles?" Maraud replied to even more jeering and cat calling from the demons.
He tossed the chain to one of them. "Take them to the cells." The demons instantly started pulling them along towards a dark cell block, poking those who resisted with tridents.

Semira pulled against her chains trying to get towards Maraud
"You betrayed us"
when she was poked by one of the demons she kicked it across the room
"Don't poke me with that thing, Do you have any idea who I am"
she hissed. She then looked up at Maraud
"you will pay for this"


Amelia clung onto her Cryth, she looked up at him
"Brother what do we do?"
she looked at all the demons around her in terror
"W-what are they going to do to us? do something I'm scared"

Maraud gave Semira a cruel smile.
He stalked over to her, and in one contemptuous movement tore the garments away from her, rendering her completely naked.
The demon's insults quickly turned to whoops of enjoyment and attempting to egg Maraud on.
"Watch your tongue," Maraud said in a voice that would make anyone below the age of fifteen cry upon hearing it. "If I decide to give you to Moloch as a concubine, you won't need your arms or legs to serve him. So if I catch you giving me or your jailers any of that attitude, I will take a finger. Threaten me again, and I will take an arm."

A demon was looking hungrily at Amelia, and was leering at her when Maraud brought his hand through it's neck, decapitating it. As the body fell to the ground, Maraud turned to the now alarmed jailers.
"Know this, the lot of you. These prisoners are for Moloch and myself to share. If a single one of these prisoners has so much as a bruise before they are sent to the arena for our enjoyment, I solemnly promise I will devour your flesh and drink wine from your skulls."
The demons shrank back - Maraud may have looked like a young human male, but he was still a centuries-old vampire capable of tearing through bone without turning a hair. With that in mind, they started dragging the prisoners towards the cell block -
"Ahem."
- that is, they started politely and carefully guiding the prisoners towards the cell block as if they were tour guides.

Maraud's eyes met Amelia's, and he winked before turning on his heel and leaving.

The army was split up into groups and (gently) placed into cells. Cryth, Amelia, Jokan, Semira and Sauriel were all placed in the same block, still chained to each other, powerless to act.
Cryth held Amelia's hand the whole time.
"Don't worry... if they were going to kill us they would have done so by now..." In truth, he was also terrified.

Semira shrieked when he stripped her of her clothing
"How dare you"
she quickly tried to cover herself up. Semira was seething the entire way to the cell. She walked over to a corner and sat with her knees drawn up to her chest.
"If any of you try anything you will regret it"
she snapped at the others in the room with her
"How is it that he is controlling those demons like that, I've never met him and yet he is controlling them like his puppets. I wonder if Lucifer knows anything about this"


Amelia screamed when the demon started towards her. When Maraud decapitated it in front of her, her eyes grew wide and she looked up at Maraud. When he winked at Amelia she gasped and hid behind her brother. Then quietly followed as they were taken to their cell. Amelia held onto her brothers hand tightly. when she reached the cell she sat close to her brother. She then looked at Jokan hoping he would have some answers, she spoke in a quiet tone
"W-what do you think they will do to us, is there anything we can do?"

"T'nera slegna desoppus ot eb trams?" Rail asked Noise with a laugh.
"Please put some of your blood in this vessel. We can use to to throw them off our scent more effectively. I doubt making this place a beacon for them would be all it'd take to rid ourselves of them." Noise told Decoda, a faint smile on her lips at her sister's words.

Lela sat there in silence for a bit before answering. "I'm afraid of demons and angels." She said looking downward. Lela had a fear of them for as long as she could remember. They were the reason she was alone. After helping her family with something the angels blinded her mother and killed her father as payment. The help was only temporary. The demons attacked them again and again after that. Her mother could no longer take the punishment God gave her and she slit her wrists.

Cryth held Amelia close.
"What was that he mentioned about an arena...?"

Jokan swore, tugging at the chains, but to no effect.
"WHY THE HELL DID WE TRUST A DAMN VAMPIRE!?" he yelled in frustration.

"To answer your questions in a very formal fashion, for your information Semira I am just very terrifying and Lucifer knows about all this, I realise this isn't a question Sauriel but you will NOT go straight to Moloch, that is for me to do and you to wait for, the arena is where you are headed boy whose name I don't know and as for you, Jokan, I would very much not recommend doing so."
Maraud was leaning casually against the bars of their block. "I'd like to say that I did what I did to keep up appearances and to gain their trust."
His eyes had a cruel glint. "However, I'd be lying. Moloch doesn't trust anyone, and he knows I've got my own agenda. He's just waiting to see what cards I play, that's all."
He opened the cell block. "Now then," he said as he took the ends of the chain, and tugged them all out, "three ground rules: 1) you do not speak unless spoken to when we are with Moloch. 2) If he asks you to jump, you say how high. 3) Semira and sadly Amelia, this one is addressed to you - Moloch has a fetish for human females. Do not attempt to hide your bodies from him, as it will only annoy him or worse - excite him."
He tugged again, leading them towards a flight of stone stairs.
"Do come along. We best not keep our host waiting."

Semira gave Maraud a look of complete shock hearing that Lucifer knew about this
"When you say about this you mean...everything?"
Semira stood up and walked as they were being tugged up the stairs, making sure to stay behind Sauriels wings


Amelia hid behind her brother when Maraud spoke of Moloch getting annoyed or excited if she hid her body. She held tightly onto her brothers arm as they were being led up the stairs
"I want to go home, I don't want to be here anymore"

Siren took a deep breath, as her right hand turned into a tiger's paw. She cut the palm of her left hand, and filled the flask with her blood. Her hand turned back to normal, then handed the flask to Noise. "Not sure how effective my blood will be. Most Angels don't bother with half demons."

Decoda took the other flask, and re-opened the wound on her hand. She filled the flask, and handed it to Rail. "We should leave soon, if we want to mislead them."