Never Surrender

Grave adjusted his cuffs, thinking nothing of his choice in attire. "The material is light and makes little noise. Black is best for night travel." He didn't care for armor, his people generally did not. Following Ashes outside, he scanned the clouds above and the city in turn. "Agreed, we should move. The last target is within a city close to their capital. Utmost caution is necessary." With that, he started in flight toward the nation's final destination. Though dark and threatening, the clouds withheld their downpour.

Even by air, the two would reach the city by nightfall by their adjusted pacing. Entering was not to be simple on this of all days. The two passed the fleet who had occupied the last city, and yet another party of soldiers stood in a large formation at the city's gate. Whether they were guarding from intruders or escapees was unclear. Grave remained air bound hovering a great distance away from the armada. They would soon be joined by the oncoming reinforcements. Watchtowers lined the city walls, severely limiting aerial infiltration. "Hm. Unfortunate or intentional, this is aggravating." He kept his presence hidden, but his voice would not carry far enough to be heard by the army far below.

Rustling her hair she followed him pacing herself to keep up, she flew a little lower as well since her wings still remained tired. She perched in a tree when they stopped and looked up to him. “hello, you are dressed as a priest, they wouldn’t suspect anything fi you just walked through the gates” she said to him “Trust me, I’ve done it before, apart from I ah to dress as a nun and frankly that was not a pleasant experience” she said soundly very annoyed but spoke quietly before she son hovered beside him. She looked at the city walls spotting a blind spot she smirked “I just found their blind spot” she smirked; problem was it was in an awkward place and it required very good timing.

“This is why I don’t plan ahead” she said, they had two ways to get in because her clothes were similar to the clothes other women wore in that city she could get in no problem and Graves looked like a priest he would have no trouble either, although she would have to put up with the guards searching her which she wasn’t very eager to go through at all. Deadly would just walked through without getting noticed either, she was a ghost after all. “Well front door or blind spot, for one people have forgotten about me and my clothes are similar to theirs anyway, minus the crest of course, you’re dressed as a priest and they can’t kill a so called man of god, deadly is a ghost so she can slip through without them even noticing.” She said “also the target would not suspect anyone who comes through the front gate either”

A brief scouring of the area brought Grave to a decision swiftly. "The blind spot will be safer. Stealth is no issue. Our garments will be of use within the city just as well..." He looked to the guards. They would likely pass through with but a search and questioning, however the risk was larger under certain circumstances. "If the trapper is amongst or leading them, I would quickly be exposed. The chances are slim, but none worth the risk." Logic dictated the trapper had influence over the army, even for frivolous entrapment. The person wanted them dead and could not be far; information gathering would be difficult. The less they were seen, the better their chances of remaining undiscovered. Blind spot it is.

"Lead the way." Grave kept his presence low and his blade at the ready.

She nodded finding a path quickly they were soon against the wall keeping herself as flat to it as she could she waited for the guard to pass and quickly jumped up turning around swiftly to offer him a hand up, once they were both up she quickly got to the otherwise of the wall and dropped down signalling to him when it was safe for him to come down after she herself had emerged from the haystack that settled below. Picking bits from her hair she made her hair a little neater before folding her wings in tightly in order to hide them, that was her only problem, Grave was just lucky he didn’t have to worry about such a thing.

“They tend not to watch that wall, noticed the water around that part and no one likes to walk through the marshy ground, but due the way the wall is situated it remained fairly dry despite the awful weather.” She said “Now, care to fill me in on who we are looking for, unless you do not know yourself.” she said tilting her head back a little.

She looked to the people around her and hid the crest on her scarf but would not risk anyone seeing her seal, they would know her definatly by then and also hoped no one would recognise her eyes colour, the mixmatched pericing eyes. "hmm, wonder if that king still resides here, should be fun if he does" she said a smrik forming on her lips. Deadly stood beside her "Seclusion, be careful, you should not even be here, they'll have your head"
"That's the fun part" she said and spoke breifly in galcain, magic making her red eye turn amber. Tucking her hair back a little she looked to him" goign to answer me, Grave?"

After entering the city, Grave kept his presence slightly dimmed to repel attention. His concentration wandered as he surveyed their surroundings and route. A great number of soldiers stood near the entrance. They were either expecting an attack or readying for a small war. The city was full of guards on nearly every street. This location is largely known for the militant occupation. This did not bother him; the city's size was merely suffocating. He disliked large cities. Grave's mind was called back to reality at Ashes' inquiry. "Would it not be simpler to read the answer from me?" He said in jest.

Looking down the street ahead, he described the target. He is a general of the angelic army for this region. Currently, he was powerful and possessed great command. Unbeknownst to Grave, he was the one who arranged their trap a few days prior. Ashes would likely recognize the general from the war.

((Feel free to control the general/army in this one.))

She looked to him “I do not like to do such a thing, it comes in handy when I need to use it however, I also refrain from using it on people I do not consider foes but the opposite, in my race that shows a form of respect.” She said bluntly before she searched around through all the souls and tensed up when she found him. He had given her a nasty wound in the war, caught her as a young assassin as well and almost got hanged a few times on his orders too. She hissed a little angrily and tried to remain calm.

“Found him” she said, shaking her head and calming down, another things she hated that general for was that he killed her mother and father, while she was there. She took a deep breath “Let’s get this over and done with” she said to him picking her way through already “Seclusion, calm yourself, you must take your time, but not too long and you must remain at ease.” Whispered Deadly.

"Fair enough." He was, in a way, appreciative of her respect for privacy. Though he could vaguely sense the target's whereabouts, he decided to let her take the lead. She seemed on edge; Grave figured she and the target were acquainted. Walking along side her, he cautioned as well. "Quite unlike yourself to lose your cool. Relax." Their path woven through the streets was sprinkled with passerby and guards alike, none of whom paid the pair any mind. A large three story building housing a wide training area in its center came into view. This was the military HQ for the region. Their target sat inside on the top floor. Grave observed the area. "Infiltration from this point on may be mandatory. Civilian or not, we would not be permitted beyond this point."

She looked to him when he cautioned her “Long story, but I’ll gladly rip his head off and feed it to the hounds” she said bluntly to him before she tried calming down beforehand “hmmm, that appears so” she said nodding a little before she tried to think about a route. “Any ideas on how?” she asked him not coming up with anything at the moment. Deadly sat at her feet assessing the situation “Seclusion, sing, it is a perfect distraction and usually holds others in enchantment” a frown formed on her face “I would rather not, I have no reason to” she said bluntly and rustled her hair, Deadly looking to her with puppy eyes “Later, I want to get this over and done with, he deserves to die in my opinion” she said her tone was very angry.

"I see." Grave decided against broaching the subject further. Leaving well enough alone, he turned his attention to the structure before them. For a moment, he considered also convincing Ashes to sing, but she sounded far to angry for acquiescence to be remotely possible. Instead he walked to the building's side and closed in without detection. Grave lowered to a knee as to maintain balance during his next action. Abandoning all other senses, he focused entirely on the building and the souls within. Security was more lax within its walls. Their best bet for infiltration lay on the second floor. His senses rushed back to the surface as he opened his eyes.

"I'll make an opening. Enter quickly at my signal." He pointed to an open window on the second floor. With his presence dulled he rounded the building to it's corner. Gaining some distance from the window, a dark claw emerged from Grave's body. It was sent smashing into a stone wall, crumbling shards of brick to the pavement below. The guards near the building took defensive stances and began to cautiously approach the noise. Grave gave the signal and doubled back without being seen. Once out of the guard's peripheral, he jumped with a gust of force and silently sailed through the open window. The entrance led to a hall; momentarily unguarded.

An issue arose upon entering the building. Grave's senses hazed and he found breathing slightly difficult. Most likely a precaution taken against demonic intruders. The hindrance was minor, but enough to slightly scramble his soul sense. He could feel soldiers in rooms closeby, but no further. "Damned holy arts... Which way?" He whispered. Grave regained control of his already quieted breathing and was again composed.

She looked to him giving a nod she looked to the window and stretched her wings out quickly taking off and slipping into it swiftly while he distracted them. She turned swiftly when eh landed through the window and looked to him, she wasn’t affected by the holy magic, or the demonic hence why they were such tricky creatures to deal with at times, but her companion was on her back and she knew better than to use her, not wanting to break the blades.

Stopping she looked to Graves forgetting he would be effected by it she spoke softly, whispering to him “you ok?” sensing the soldiers she pulled him to a corner, knowing it was out of their paths, “Look just follow me, I can still sense and see the targets soul, my race is not effected by holy or demonic very much.” She let him compose herself before she read through a soldiers soul picking out the paths she planned it and kept a hand on his wrist if she could if not she made sure part of her wings touched his arm to make sure he knew where they were heading.

She soon pulled him back into a corner once more hiding since they were very close to the target, only behind the next door. She heard soldiers footsteps, she could sense their movements and hear them yattering on, the guarding was heavy around this area and she was careful.

Grave kept close, slowly adjusting to the warding spell. His sight returned to normal, as did his hearing. His soul sense was still obstructed, but lesser so. With a clear mind he considered their options. There was likely precautions against intruders, especially within the next room. Given the nature of the traps and their search, they seemed to be expecting just him; one assassin. Sneaking into the room was not an option; regardless of their actions the target would be alerted before they could get in close. The element of surprise may yet be on their side with a bit of careful strategy. There were two guards on either side of the door within the room. He felt a few guards around the hall's corner at the edge of his impeded sense. A plan formed quickly, one that would allow Ashes to release her animosity. "Stay hidden and to the side. I shall coax him out."

Moving in silent fluidity, Grave slipped around the corner and sliced the unsuspecting guard's throat. Leading him to the ground gently, he moved about to the other hall's end to dispatch the other guard in a similar fashion. The to closest guards were dead, buying a few more seconds. He stepped back to the target's door and readied himself. As he kicked the door in, two black claws shot from his body and sliced through the wall. The guards' heads were easily crushed by the blackened hands and the target was taken aback by the intrusion. Grave rushed forward, or that was his intention at least. After one step he found his body frozen stiff. A white seal at the foot of the door held him in place. It was the room's only entrance; a safe bet for a triggered trap. The general smirked cockily and raised his hand.

In a blinding white flash and mighty explosion, Grave was sent back through the wall and into the courtyard below. He landed none too gracefully, but pulled himself up quickly. Angel soldiers began pouring from the building, entirely focused on the intruder. Grave cracked a small smile. This went better than he'd hoped. He drew his sword and prepared for the oncoming free-for-all.

Back on the third floor, the target sauntered haughtily toward the gaping hole and looked down on the fight below. He began to speculate how long the demon would last, confident that victory was all but assured. An alarm blared throughout the grounds signaling an intruder.

Nodding she did as he said and kept herself hidden and to the side, she held back a fierce growl when she saw the cocky general strutted over to Graves. She had moved and used graves to hide since she was a lot smaller and she knew exactly what she was doing waiting in silence and until they turned their backs for a mere second before slipping into the shadows of the room before graves was shot out into the courtyard. She waited for her moment, she moved silently and waited for the other angels to join the fight before she moved behind him turning him around with Deadly she moved swiftly with her teeth to his throat and ripped it out letting him choke on his own blood and breathe with no throat intact. He suffocated she pushed his body from the window and smirked watching the angels turn to see their now soulless dead general, that anger she had held in her eyes faded and returned to her relaxed state.

Her and Deadly melted into the shadows the ghostly wolf tugged at Graves to follow quickly while the body distracted the angels for a few moments. “Let’s get out, I’m getting sick of them all” she said bluntly and found a way out swiftly and soon enough wiped the blood off the corners of her mouth.

Absorbing a few well needed souls, Grave dashed about in the fray until the general's lifeless body attracted all attention. He ducked back out of sight in a blur after feeling the tug. The soul demon hadn't the ability to fade from sight entirely; he moved quickly to make his exit whilst using his disguise at times when soldiers rushed by to the alarm's origin. Despite the frenzied security they would soon be out of the city.

Grave sighed and thought back on an imaginary list. Major slave trade was down and the military was damaged but not demolished. They would need reform in the least. Enough survivors were left to see his face, some of which knew he acted without allegiance to any race; fallout would be minimal if any. Each target was either eliminated or on a decent path. These were temporary fixes to the major issues, however. It was up to the people for now. "This nation's business is at an end. Unless you've business left here, the next designated coterie lie far south in Demon Territory. That is, to assume you are coming." He said calmly remembering her main reason for accompanying was for angelic souls and, presumably, revenge. The city's alarm behind them echoed dimly as they furthered in distance.

“I have no business anywhere else except with the king, my last mission was to kill all three kings, two down, only the demon to go…” she said bluntly, during that time she had left she had found herself a route into the castle and killed the angel king but let his soul control his puppet body for a little while before she ate it that night…
“However, that depends on whether he has changed or not, the human was reckless, thought little of his people… the angel was selfish horrible and only cared for glory” she said thinking back a little “I will come it is better than wallowing in the ruins of a destroyed city, only true safe place for me but frankly that is boring.” She smirked her voice trailing a little one more. “and I have not travelled in the demon lands for some time.”
She then looked to him "but let me ask this, would you liek for me to come along?"

"I don't see why not. The work has become easier with assistance and the lack of silence does liven travel. Your presence is welcomed and, vicariously, yours as well." He said with a nod to Deadly at the last bit. Traveling with her he'd had no suspicions of the Kings' deaths relating to Ashes. Royalty was something he liked to avoid. Simply having connections, of any sort, with them was burdensome. "You said that was your last mission. I take it this was a militant order?"

“No, more of a promise, to my father but also my tutor” she said “they have overstayed their lives in this world by far too long” she said softly. “And I always keep my promises even if it does take me a few centuries” she chuckled. “Anyway should be simple enough, they are idiots after all” she smirked; she had enough connections with royalty already, she was the queens assassin, but also the peoples so she would not take certain orders without consulting her teacher who wasn’t even of her race.

Raising her head a little to think back slightly before shaking her head “also it was his dying wish, we hold the death of our own very seriously, so if I do break a promise I don’t think anyone would forgive me.”

"I see. That's quite the task." He said with a bit of nostalgia. "Demon Territory is nigh two days travel from here." Assuming a flight speed they would reach their first goal in due time. "Regardless of our actions, the elimination of our targets will respectively hinder the others; killing militant officers first will bolster the king's defenses. Assassinating the king will result in the army's regroup." Considering the options, he suggested, "It would be advantageous to attack the king first. His security is foreseen to be quite formidable without interference. Are you fine with this?" Grave calculated their chances of defeating cautious guards much higher than attacking a cloistered king.

“I know that… who do you take me for Graves, I planned this out long before during the last war, think I wouldn’t remember my own plan, but that does sound fine, it would also lead him to flee the castle which would give me an opening of sorts too.” She said thinking a little “for that king is a coward, nothing more nothing less and certainly no king in my eyes” she said bluntly, not caring really what anyone thought of her. Although there was another thing she had killed the own royals of her race, because they became to engulfed by power and greed it was all she could do to try and save some of the soldiers, but alas nothing worked.

With a shrug, Grave continued along the path. It was times like these that he favored having no ties of loyalty. Politics had suffered terribly as of late from disputes of land, money and legislation. Despite being a demon, he felt no obligation to defend or assist the Demon King. Relations with higher-ups were dangerous. "The demon's army has demonstrated its lust for power and growth. The next few targets... I've little confidence in their character. They were all to eager in their attempts to cripple the angel forces. What of your people? What did your armies fight for?" During the majority of the war, Grave had watched the battlefields from afar, only stepping in to deter fighting from certain areas or free enslaved captives.

"We were dragged in, fighting techniques were simply a sport or something passed down, such as the style I use, but we mainly foughtbecause we were never a well liked race, it was a war, a perfect excuse to get rid of us, so basically we fought for our place in this forsaken world" she said not really wanying to think much about it, everything really was finally sinking in, she would still search the demon lands were the last place she had left for her mind to search.

Seclusion had been on the frontlines, an asassin general she almost got the demon king, left him with a nasty scar and he left her with one, right down her back, she had been caught when the others were dead. "Also the next targets should be interesting, demons have always been more interesting than angels, in my opinion they have more than one goal in life" she said "and they put up a far better fight in most cases."

"Indeed. The average demon's will to live and overall battle luster tend to shine. However, their methods and beliefs tend to border the... unconventional. It is no wonder why the angelic race would look down us as such." These next few days would be unorthodox if nothing else. The terrain changed drastically the farther the three traveled. The land neighboring Demon Territory was not dead, but held a distinctly dry atmosphere. They passed over battlefields of old, still riddled with rotting corpses and ancient skeletons. Towns passed were mainly peaceful but as the group neared the border, relations appeared tense. The closest cities on either nation's sides were demolished; ravaged territory simply raided for its proximity.

"...We've a pursuer." He hadn't taken notice before due to the follower's lack of presence. In fact, they appeared to be devoid of a soul entirely. One look at the follower would explain this, but only raise further questions. A small, white-winged girl silently followed them from a large distance. Her eyes seemed empty, without emotion or spirit. Her red hair flowed down to her sides; she was once known as 'Faith'. "Peculiar." Grave eyed her from afar. There was no hostility emitting from the girl, nothing much was emitting from her anyway. A body without a purpose.

She had not taken much noticed of the ruined cities, although the dry atmosphere was hard to miss after staying in one so full of life for so long. She turned her head slightly looking to some of the dead; their faded souls still remained with their destroyed shells, not knowing they were dead at all, simply thinking this was a long time of sleep. Looking over her shoulder when he mentioned the pursuer she noticed the soulless figure instantly “She means not harm, and her purpose is… she had none. Simply a lost body looking for an already gone soul” she said simply, her gaze quickly turning.

They soon passed another ruined city her mind still searched for them, any sign of them in the almost dead lands of the demons. They dryness of the atmosphere seemed almost chilling to her but she did not care. She kept searching for she didn’t want to accept... her mind wouldn’t accept that they were all gone. “Nothing” she whispered softly to herself, disappointed completely she looked over her should to Deadly briefly before turning back to follow. She did not know where in these lands they were heading at all.

Hours passed as the terrain elevated once again. A dull mist caked the mountainsides leading to the central city. Coming over the mountain's peak, the metropolis burst into view. "Here..." Grave took a moment to soak in the view. Numerous houses lay staked about the hills leading to the castle's path. The castle loomed in the distance, lit ominously by small flames.



"You may pass for demon within these walls; we could pass through the front gate easily. Aerial infiltration is possible, but risky if we are detected." He offered a few options. Considering the soldiers' constitution, he preferred not to face their guard's full force.

She looked to the fire lit city that stood before them in the darkness listening to his options “Indeed that is true” she said “It would be best not to take any risks, if we can pass through the front gate easily, then that is a far better option” she said to him. “I do not wish to take them on full force as I am sure you do not wish to do either” she scrambled the scarf on her neck hiding her family symbol easily and her seal, something that would easily give her away if she was not careful.

“You coming Graves” she said, letting the words roll of her tongue as she began to head towards the front gate. The guards there did not suspect her in the slightest and especially not Graves since he actually was a demon. She kept her wings folded on her back their dark colours making it easy for her to be mistaken for a flying demon, even those sharp teeth of hers helped to get her in.

“Now where should we start heading?” she asked, wanting to go to the castle and get to the king personally, she always found it easy to get into such places, being female did make them underestimate her and made them drop their guard and she liked to use that to her advantage.

Grave started after her with an affirmative "Hm." The gate they passed under was large as if to accommodate creatures of considerable stature. The guards stood at its ends, closely inspecting the travelers passing through. Carts and the like were stopped, but the two assassins had no trouble entering.

"Sneaking in would be expected. Demons are better at monitoring the shadows. The front door is their weakest point." Grave stated with a small scoff. In their attempts to ensure a perimeter, they left their guards down by their own forsaken pride. "It will be simpler to escape amidst the chaos." The trail was dimly lit by flaming lanterns; all of which governed by patrols. Demons traveled up and down the street nonstop. Arriving at the castle entrance, the two were stopped by the royal guard.

"Hold it." The larger guard stopped them. His silver eyes glinted in the light provided by nearby flame. Grave showed no signs of tensing; doing so would blow their cover. The demon guard scrutinized Grave closely. The other guard gave Ashes a once-over, visibly checking her with less cautiousness than Grave. "Go ahead." The royal guard was sure no assassin would get through their defenses. Foolish, if not cocky.

The three easily entered the castle's halls. They faced a heavily guarded room regardless of where they turned. High class nobles walked about conversing between themselves. Travelers and fighters alike roamed the halls. It was easy to blend in. The king's location was easy to ascertain, he was holding an open address in the castle's assembly hall. He was spouting political jargon of their 'successes' in the previous war and plans to expand with precise strategy. Grave kept his voice low. "Painful as it is, it may be best to wait out his speech."