What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Fetching some of Hell's natural currency in the form of sparkling, raw energy, what appeared to be a glass sphere the size of a bowling ball with what one might consider a tiny white glowing sun inside was delivered into Syn's hands. "That is also compensation for whatever she drained you for." the succubus declared. "Thank you for your assistance, lady dullahan." she said with respect, before simply letting that be that and going back to attend her cages.

Syn wouldn't be unfamiliar with this. The ball itself would be considered a meal to most. Twas raw energy extracted from an unknown male, most likely a slave, to be used as food for the supernatural. Syn was best to keep it on her person, as eating it was fairly simple. Just put it to your mouth, and 'drink' the energy in all it's glory, letting the good feelings and sweet taste overwhelm you until you felt reborn yet again.

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Syn was actually a bit surprised to be compensated for her stolen energy. She supposed it was good to ensure repeat assistance by not taking advantage of your clients, but it was still out of character for Greed's domain.

"No problem. It was fun, draining aside, so if you need another hand I may lend it.," smiles Syn, "Good luck with your business."

She slipped the currency into her pocket, carrying the orb. She'd stop briefly into her room to eat, she didn't want to get all giddy in public from the rush of energy.

The plan after that would be to go see the witches again. If anyone had some ideas on her... Magic problem it'd be them. Plus they might be able to rig something up to deal with aerial opponents. Maybe some sort of enchanted net to drag them down to punching level or something. Or to just buy a decent bow. Course she'd have t learn to use a bow then.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

After indulging in some nutritious soul food, Syn went back to the witches, who seemed hard at work. Still, the ones she saved had a few words to share. "You'll want to learn how to use magic quick if you want to be considered worthy. However, there is a quick fix to your problem. Plenty of witches enchant objects with the ability to automatically weave spells for them, which is great for when you're under stress." The witch said, before taking off her leather glove with a red amulet on the palm and tossing it at Syn. "Just charge magic into that and it'll blow up a ball of fire in your hand like a bubble. I hope your throwing arm is good though, it needs to impact something hard in order to detonate." she explained.

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Syn found the witches, if not sympathetic, at least helpful. "Worthy? Heh, worthy is not how I;d describe me for anything really. But I do need to figure it out. Barely have any memories as it is, magic just isn't something that stuck with them."

Syn caught the amulet, looking it over. "Great, just one question. How do I charge magic into something? Throwing is not a problem, I sorta... Well I've thrown a few big rocks at targets at times. Threw a tree once. Gotten pretty good at it. It's just the actual nuances of how to magic that evade me. Completely. But thanks for the help, I really do appreciate it. Don;t suppose you know someone I can learn this stuff from? Um, how much for the amulet anyways? I can pay and all. Probably. This strikes me as expensive."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

"Just close your eyes and focus, babe. Not that hard." the witch said simply. "Don't worry about payment. Consider us square after doing what you did. If you want to learn more, Sparkle can help you." she declared.

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

"Oh. Thanks. Sigh, yeah nothing like having my boss see me as even more incompetent, but I guess it'd be better to start fixing it than to never do so...," sighs Syn embarrassedly, "Well better get to it. Who knows how long it will take. Maybe we can do something later? You know, without all the job usual stuff. I imagine you guys know this place better than I and chances are I'm gonna need to lose a mood by time it's over. If you want anyways."

Syn slipped the amulet on either way, before heading back to go see her boss. She really wasn't looking forward to this but... It was in Sparkle's best interest too right? Least she hoped she saw it that way. She really couldn't read that woman in the least.

How badly her memory was missing bothered her though. She knew Dullahans lost some memory sometimes when they changed. But was hers this pervasive for a reason? What on earth had happened before? She had to find out. And that meant getting better. She'd have to in order to be able to find out just what these memories she did have meant.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

The witch shrugged. "Yeah, I don't see why we couldn't party together if you're around." the witch accepted Syn's idea.

That left Syn leaving to go find her employer, Sparkle, once more. Looking for Sparkle, she wasn't in her office as she had just recently left it. A few passerbys indicated Syn towards what one could only describe as the 'fun' room. Seeing for herself, Syn went to the end of the second floor and found a large room with a lot of pillows, futons, and random tables and chairs strewn about. A mass of people were inside too, a lot of men and women as well. The men seemed at the whim of the women, often on their backs or with their head between a woman's legs while hands stroked their hair, both long and short depending on which man one looked at. Sparkle could be found deep in the room, over several prone bodies enjoying sexual company as she sat on a chair, a youthful man massaging her shoulders from the back while she focused on one in front of her, bouncing his sack in her hand lightly while his erect length stood on attention in front of her. The youth held his hands behind his back, not moving as Sparkle got a handful of his manhood.

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

"Sure, I'll check in once I'm done and see if you're done your shift.," smiles Syn, "Assuming I don't explode or something heh."

Sparkle wasn't in her office. Darn. Chances were this was going to suck more for it. Still, someone of her prestige couldn't go anywhere unnoticed by someone.

Sure enough, asking a few folks let her track her owner to some sort of harem room of sorts. Plenty of men at various womens mercy. Just another day in hell. Syn was far from above dallying with men of various stripes but she still had a preference for those who could be considered warriors and such. After all, you ate to live, but there's always that one meal prepped by a master. And what could one consider a master warrior anything but?

Regardless she found Sparkle being massaged by one man and toying with another. Great, course she would be interrupting her fun. Like this wasn't humiliating already. Well, one could hope.

"Um, is this a bad time? I can come back later.," says Syn, looking to Sparkle. She tried to hide how nervous she was. She was a screw up, they both knew it. She wanted to get better but well... It was a question of did she consider her worth the effort to do it...

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Sparkle laughed. "The worst time would be if I was in my office having a conversation with Avarice. I'm just relaxing, girl! Come and join me!" she invited Syn, while gesturing to a few others in the room, resulting in a pair of male youths coming up to Syn and taking one arm each, both wanting her to sit down near Sparkle so they could give her a massage.

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Syn chuckled a bit, making a face at that thought. "Oh that'd be bad, yeah. Less I see of one of the sins the better. Though honestly, I just like feeling like any time I can be mulched."

Syn smirks a bit as she was lead over to the chair, and let them sit her down to massage her, her fairly tense. "Not really used to relaxing truth be told. So this might take some getting used too. No neck massage, guys. Don't want to risk any unfortunate accidents."

She sighs and once situated she looks over to Sparkle. "...About earlier. I wasn't kidding about not remembering anything or how to do magic any. I'm used to disappointing people and being a mockery for that stuff... I know, pathetic right? But I'm trying to find a way around it. One of the witches gave me a focus to huck fireballs with, and I'm pretty good at throwing things... But they mentioned you might be able to help more."

Syn sighs and leans back, "I'm hardly in a position to ask you for any favors, and you'd be fully in your right to brush me off as a waste or something, but I want to get better. Hell, I want to remember. It's there. Whatever went missing it's just locked down. Dying shook some of it loose. I've got someone I need to talk too. And that means getting better, and paying my debt to you so I can track her down."

She shook her head. "Eh, I digress. I'm asking for your help t' try and get this magic working, figure out however this is supposed to work. It's your call though, as always. If not, I'll just keep figuring out work arounds til I find a way. I mean I got this far on sheer brute force and panicky tactical decisions. And lot's of mistakes."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Sparkle shook her head. "You were a disappointment? I hope you know why I don't believe you, considering that to be transformed into a dullahan you had to have been specifically beheaded, because it's the quickest way to make a soul depart the body so as to avoid us demons transforming you into one of our minions. Your power isn't weak either, being what you are. So I won't accept that excuse. You wouldn't have been given the position of Hero unless you indeed knew what you were doing, and could handle various mamono." Sparkle criticized her. "Disappointments aren't elected as Heroes by angels." she stated simply.

"If it's lost due to dying, then you merely only forgot how to start. Your soul should remember." she stated, before taking Syn through the process. "Close your eyes, and focus on the threads. Being a magical being, it should be relatively clear to you." she stated. "Once you can see them, practice moving them. Remember, all the threads flowing out of your body are controlled by you. Just move them and weave them together and create first, a ball of fire in your palm. Tis the easiest thing to create." she stated.

(Due to the trivial nature of this feat, Syn is easily able to do such magics.)

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Syn listened raptly to her lady, musing a bit. "Was that why it's beheading? To be honest, I don't remember the beheading either. Oh it happened, I can definitely attest that my head comes off. Much to everyone's detriment ever. Wonder if the two are related. Wait, why would demons be worried about that... Does someone else do the beheading?"

She frowns a bit, trying to think, before shaking her head, "Ugh like a fog wall. Well I'll see what I can do then. See if my soul is in the communicating mood, see what it remembers."

She closed her eyes and concentrated, reaching out and tried visualizing as Sparkle said. She reached out and felt with her soul the various weaves. It came easy to her, easier than she expected. It seemed like muscle memory, soul memory was indeed a thing. Next thing Syn knew, she was holding her fireball.

"Huh.," blinks Syn, before unweaving the fireball and reweaving it a few times in her hand before letting it go out completely. "What do you know, I guess I can do it. Well, just makes me feel all the dumber for not knowing to do it before. Ah well. Hopefully that means I can be of some actual use for you in the march coming up. This thing I got given let's me do the whole weave thing real quick without going through all the steps, so it should help."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

"Demons aren't worried about beheading. The people being beheaded should be worried. I'm not in fear of being beheaded, but as far as their practices go, it's what helps make sure the soul departs quickly without being found by demons." she explained.

Sparkle didn't comment on the rest of what Syn said or did, leaning back in her chair and enjoying herself without a word as Syn explored her expertise.

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Syn ponders this, looking confused. "Okay, something is not following. I was beheaded but now I'm a dullahan. So obviously I'm missing something. I'm technically a demon right? I mean I'm an undead but... What am I missing here?"

She sighed a bit and laid back into the massage. "Sorry, I don't mean to bombard you with what are probably stupid questions, but I've never been in a position to ask and actually receive an answer before." She decided it was best not to mention how she felt like she was missing things, important things. How seeing that angel made her feel like she was half a person somehow. It struck her as potentially dangerous to mention such a thing. Maybe it was just paranoia, but she;d leave it for now. Sparkle was strange for a demon but she was still a demon after all. Just like her.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Sparkle blinked. "Beheadings are what's done to mortals to ensure they die immediately so as to kill the soul as fast as possible. Beheadings are always done to Heroes, which you were, in order to stop you from becoming a demon sympathizer, which you did. It's a process used on mortals, by mortals, to kill mortals." she stated firmly. "Neither of us are mortals. We have not a brain nor heart of organic weakness to destroy. That is why we are feared. We're durable."

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

"Though popping my head off seems to put me on a clock.," chuckles Syn, "So basically after getting cut off I was found by someone who did the deed before I fully spilt out. Alright. Pity that happens, can think of a dozen things I could do if losing my head didn't cause... Incidents."

She sighs and leans back. "Well. Least I might actually be worthy of the title of my species some day. Getting there slowly, heh. So, who you figure is gonna huck an imp swarm at us? Anyone in your positions bound to have a thousand folks eying your throne, but you must have a few who are confident and or dumb enough to actually try in mind? Figure it might help me know if I need to worry about someone trying to mind control someone compared to turning the ground into lava."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

"I've been swindling Avarice out of her money. Part of why I have you. You see, whenever Avarice notes that you owe her any kind of money, she posts a wanted list with your name on it and how much you're worth. Like that she pays people who bring in the one who swindled her without needing to pay anyone up front. If a group attacks me and fails, it costs her nothing. There's a price on me because I kind of told her I'd pay for you. Instead I got the mark of Avarice removed from your soul and killed the one seeking to collect!" she laughed.

"I'm broke." she said with a sudden flat tone. "I can earn nothing without warriors, and I figured a fresh fighter like you who came just from Gaea would be strong and powerful enough to earn me what I need to pay off my outstanding loan." she said with a smile. "So, if you don't straighten up and become useful, you can rest easy knowing we'll both die together!"

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

Syn looked at Sparkle blankly as she listened before bursting out laughing, holding her sides. "That is rich! Oh man... So you can't even actually pay for my armor to be repaired then? And here I was worrying I was going to actually live long enough to see this through, ahaha!"

She shakes her head, wiping a tear away, "Ah man, so you got broke and gambled on that bringing me back would be worth getting even deeper into the hole if I was tough enough to keep em off and get you paid. I guess I can see why you'd think that."

She stretches, "Well I really appreciate you being honest with me. I guess you could be lying but it'd be a weird thing to lie about. So where are we REALLY going? If you're broke, going to Avarice strikes me as... Suicidal. And you aren't worried the others around here aren't gonna turn on you? Or is that why you're bailing out?"

Syn muses a bit with a shrug as she flops back. "Heh... Well, you don't need to worry about me abandoning you anyways. I seem to have some sort of problem bailing on people I should have. That seems to be how I got here in the first place. Don't regret it though. So. I hope you've got some sort of plan because if it's to go into banditry I'm gonna advise otherwise. I tried that before in a few places, it never works out how you want around here."

She glances about then shrugs with a smile. "I'm not gonna die again, I refuse. Experiencing it once was enough to know that such non existence is not something I'll ever desire. And I won't let you drop into it either. So, I'll get better. And when you've got your debt paid, I've got some unfinished business with someone back on Gaia. So I hope that getting Avarice off your back will be enough for you to perhaps allow me to indulge these personal matters when things are settled."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

"I'm not broke-broke. I'm just without a backup fund, and that's dangerous." she declared. "I just need to make more money so that I can expand. This is normal for us demons. It's a very cutthroat world we live in. I need to make a lot of serv... Allies, in order to truly stand on my own feet. Unfortunately, times have been rough what with the war in another world. People here have been at each other's throats in order to earn a ticket to that world and the bounty of resources it contains. The dream of lesser demons is to go there and become royalty by absorbing countless souls of humans, a resource rich and surprisingly weak race." she commented.

Then, she smiled. "We ARE going to Avarice. Or least into her territory." she replied. "We're going to anonymously rob her, and then pay off our debt without her knowing we're the ones who stole from her. She's too great a foe to leave constantly wanting us dead, but at the same time she has exactly what we need. We'll rob her, use what we steal to pay off our debt and keep the extra." she chuckled.

"Welcome to Hell~"

 

[Zilrax]

Re: What you Could have Been (Syn;Zilrax)

"Capitalism at it's finest. Heh, and the pipe dream of an easy advancement. Yeah, most humans aren't too impressive, but when you have heroes and angels camping them, well... I suspect more demons die on that dream than get big. I should know.," smirks Syn.

Syn raised an eyebrow at Sparkle's plan then laughs. "Let's hope she keeps unmarked souls in her vaults. And that you've got a hell of a thief squad with you, because I'm betting her vault steals the souls of thieves and uses their expertise as a means of counter measuring itself against future attempts or something insane like that! Fuck, it's what I'd do anyways."

She sighs, just shaking her head, "Well I'm in for the long haul I suppose. Having someone hunting me everywhere is starting to become a theme as it is. Still, outright thievery is something new to me. I did the highwayman deal, bank robbery is a whole different bag of beans. Guess we'll be the muscle. And once we get the debt clear, are you and me square?"