Still looking at the file, Ray sat back down at his desk. he carelessly tossed the file back into it's heap and folded his hands together. "I must say, this is truly perplexing. we only recruit people who are talented and are willing to join us. and although you appear to have a very good understanding of your powers, you desire to be elsewhere. personally, I've never met anyone who wanted to get away from this place. I've seen people cry because they couldn't be allowed admittance. who can blame them? free food and shelter, clothing on there backs, and the best training gifted individuals like yourself can receive."
Ray reached into his desk and pulled out a receipt. "I'll make you an offer. if you can pay for that door that you broke down right now, I'll let you go. but if you can't, you'll have to stay here until you become a lieutenant, and then you'll have the option to leave. such a process can take years. here's the original receipt, that particular door can only be made by 4 spell smiths." when Natasha looked down at the paper, she saw the number 3 with enough zeros to bankrupt a country.
Natasha laughed, but her face looked so terrible the laugh might suggest that she's in pain.
"You have got to be kidding me, the door that weak and you're charging me this? What, the gears are made up of pure silver?"
Mumbling something about seeing a better door with a lesser cost, she took the bill and looked at it as if wishing the zeros dissipates itself. She cocked her head sideways, then glanced at her teddy bear; showing it the piece of paper.
"Can you believe this, Basilisk?" there is a short pause. "No? Hell yeah."
She turned towards Ray. "Okay, you win. I ain't got money this much ...in fact I have nothing.", she uttered reluctantly. With a sour face, she crossed her arms tighter. "You might see people crying to get them butts in here, but I'm nothing of that sort. So okay, you may have me, but I'm not entirely of this guild. In fact, I only work for YOU and YOU alone, therefore anything that happens to this guild are the least of my concerns."
Looking away for a second, she took a deep, demanding and confident breath. "I might do things...for the guild - but I won't obey other orders which are not from you."
Suddenly the toy bear turned its head towards Natasha. It seemed like they were having a conversation together, but Ray could not hear anything from the bear.
"Okay okay so I am too demanding...what? I don't like this place! No no...that's too much. The fact is that I am owing him, not this guild! Come on...! Basilisk I hate you!" She turned around and rolled her eyes in anger.
Ray couldn't help but smile at the woman's frustration. he had to admit, she was right, a door that costs that much should be stronger, and it was. the receipt he showed her was for the one in the main entrance, not the one to his office. but he was sure the simple writing on the receipt would deceive her into thinking it was his office door. "You should follow the lieutenants orders as well, as they carry on my word to you. but at any rate, you are lucky, because I sent some people on a task, and promised them all that they would be promoted to lieutenant when they accomplished it. so, if you'd like, you can help them hunt down three demons, and you'll be a lieutenant in a matter of days, rather than years. It's dangerous, but you look more than capable. again, it's your choice."
"I said I don't follow others' orders, and that's that."
She stared Ray with two eyes that shines in confidence. If this man wants her, he had to listen to her. She could always run away or even kill this man to get off the debt; or try a rather longer alternative of collecting the money up herself. The idea of being enslaved to a guild is something that she had despised for years!
"I want to go for a lone hunting." Somehow her childish radiance had gone completely away. Her voice was of a matured lady. "You have to risk me dying and the debt unsettled, but I want to go alone. Your 'people' will only slow me down."
Natasha crossed her legs, and played with her fingers while her eyes bore into Ray's.
"I have to say you're pretty lucky to get me into a real tight spot and I had to obey your orders."
The toy bear stood up, looking at Ray with a pair of gleaming black eyes.
"You see, boy, the last guy who wanted to employ her were dead." The toy said with a deep, demon-like voice. "And is stuck in a stupid, broken toy bear." He laughed. Looking at the streak of confusion in Ray's eyes, he walked up and shows his fluffy hand at Ray.
"I am Basilisk, the snake demon. Nice to meet you." It cocked its head sideways, a behavior probably picked up from Natasha all these years. "I'm lacking the demonic look, I know. Blame her." Basilisk turned around to look at Natasha's blank glare. There's something in the glare that sends it a cold feeling inside.
"Well, that's interesting... " Shaking off the look of confusion, his gaze returned to the woman. "You are in no spot to make demands young lady. until you prove to me that you can work with others, you won't convince me that you can work alone. any advice my lieutenants give you will be for your benefit, and was likely provided by me. they aren't the type to have people direct fire or do other cannon fodder-like things. you will have plenty of freedom. besides...if you fight the demons alone..."
Ray leaned his head towards the lady, and spoke quietly.
"You won't last 2 seconds..."
Suddenly, the weapons rack came to life and spit out various blades, all which hovered around the woman's neck at every possible angle. it would probably be easier to say they "appeared" there, rather than moving into place. This wasn't Ray's style, but he wasn't going to let this woman walk all over him, thinking she suddenly ruled the place just because she was sitting in his office." Even with powers like this I couldn't conceive fighting them myself." The blades quickly returned to there spot, spinning the rack as they did so. "But if you desire, you may fight by yourself, but you must camp with the others. If you try to run, I have plenty of people who are more than capable of hunting you down." The vampire then looked over at the demon. "I'll have you know I don't trust demons very much, even if they look like teddy bears, but I'd like you to keep her out of trouble. and second of all, don't call me boy, as I'm several thousand years old..."
*knock knock*
Isk, the Valkyrie, had knocked on the wall, as the door was kind of out of commission right now. she had a stack of papers under her arm.
"Is that the progress report on the demons, Isk?"
"Yes it is."
"care to give me the short version? as Gail's writing style has a tendency to be very wordy."
The girl and her teddy bear suddenly became second priority when Isk stumbled threw the door.
"Vega has been slain, our data was correct and he was controlling the bandit's all along."
"Any casualties?"
"Yes..."
Ray groaned as he covered his face with one of his hands.
"who and why?"
"Tobias was slain on the Dutchmen, his body seemed tired, it's plausible that he just didn't get enough rest. Afonos had become Vega's unwilling host, but is actually ok as of now."
"Damn it..."
"That's not all, Gail let D fight Vega by himself, his choice. so he perished sealing away Vega."
"so he killed 2 people on the spot? what's the progress on Divagro and Storm Crow?"
"The ship was brought down over a desert, and it would appear Might is missing, it's believed to be Storm crow's doing."
"and why where the other's spared?"
"From what I've gathered, Gail made several announcements to leave the ship . it would appear that Might didn't hear one of them.
"Humph..."
"What?"
"All the deaths where due to carelessness." Ray gestured with his hand.
"Does that make you feel better about not being there?"
"... Isk, this lady wishes to join the team. perhaps you can escort her there once we're done here?"
"sure, just tell me when your ready ok?"
Isk stepped outside as Ray propped up his head with his arm. "Anything else, false decedent of Vlad?"
Her eyes turned jet-black.
"I am not the real descendant, but I don't assume her existence at will. So stop calling me a 'false descendant'.'"
There is this unseen aura all around the room; which has the class of its own - neither a demon nor anything. Nonetheless Basilisk could feel anger in it.
"Boy, she definitely could go alone." Basilisk uttered, keeping his eyes on Natasha; who is now approaching the weapon rack.
Natasha pulled out a razor-sharp machete, and swung it dangerously around.
"He's right." She replied. Her voice were rather deeper than it was. "Okay. I'll go and camp with the others. But don't blame me for being 'overly kind and heartwarming' to your lieutenants whenever I do. I repeat : I go alone." She sneered at Ray with her black orbs gleaming.
Suddenly she passes out, collapsing to the floor. Basilisk quickly transforms into a tall, handsome and well built man clad in brown coat; and carried her.
"Whoopsie daisy." he whispered. "Oh don't worry she does this every time heh. She'll wake up in a few minutes. And yes, she'll go with your party - you don't have to worry, I'll make sure she will - but she has to hunt alone."
"If you insist, she can hunt alone... But I'd prefer she battled with the others. I'm sure I'm wasting my breath telling you this, being a demon, but Storm crow and Divagro won't be as easily slain as Vega." Ray turned his attention to his computer, but not before giving a final warning. "She will die facing them alone, she has to learn to cooperate with others. If you care for her at all, you'll make sure she starts learning to trust. "
Isk leaned into the room, giving a friendly wave. "Alright, you guys ready to go? It'll just take a second!" The Valkyrie put one hand on Basilisk's shoulder and another on Natasha's. she then closed her eyes as her wings surrounded the new Silvermyths and herself. her wings even covered the ground, beneath their feet. once encased inside, Basilisk could feel the ground shake as they passed into the next dimension. before long, Isk's wings opened up, and they where in the desert right outside Mary's house.
" I'm going to notify Gail that he has some new friends now, I'm sure he'll be happy about that. if you have any questions he's the one to ask, as he heads the mission. we probably won't meet again for a while, so good luck. " With that, Isk strode off towards the house's entrance. how did she know where he was anyway?
Basilisk could not stand the excruciating pain inside of him; he could not help but to change back into his stuffed animal form.
"Uhh.. Isk," he uttered, letting out a deep laughter. "Can you help me with this?"
If one man slay another of set purpose,he himself may rightfully be slain. -Sun Tzu,'The Art of War'