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Journeys of a Demon's Daughter // Nobody x Cherubian //

RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

From what she could see, the building was exactly what it appeared to be; a high-end, classy brothel. Verialyn found herself unable to pick out anything that cast doubt on that image; even the cilentele appeared to be rich merchants and noblemen rather than anything more illicit.

"Oh, excuse me, mistress," the girl said politely, bowing her head towards Verialyn. Her path gently shifted, their new path taking them towards the stairs. "Madame Torona is not available right now, but if you would like to follow me than I can bring you to a room where you may comfortably wait for her. If you please, mistress."

Verialyn was led up the stairs and taken to the second floor, a long hallway leading away from the stairwell with numerous doors on either side. The rooms beyond seemed to be of varying size and, judging from the doors, various decors. As she was led down the hall she could hear numerous male and female moans from behind the doors, the occasional slap of leather on flesh. They were forced to pause as a nearly naked girl ran down a connecting hallway, merrily laughing as she was pursued by an elderly man with a wide smile.

Finally the girl opened and door and stepped aside to allow Verialyn to enter. The room seemed to be a combination between a sitting room and a bedroom; a few comfortable looking chairs were arranged in the front of the room with a large bed behind them. More of the tastefully nude portraits adorned the walls, including one that was unmistakably of the girl beside her, standing with her back to the viewer and looking over her shoulder, clutching a sheet to her chest.

"Is there anything you would like while you wait, mistress?" the girl asked, once more in that soft purr.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

As they entered the bedroom the image of the young girl playing tag with the older man still lingered in Verialyn's mind. It really did seem like a lot of fun to her, in particular once she was caught and punished for being naughty and running away. She had to grin at the thought, surely an idea to keep for later use.

That distraction was of a fleeting nature, though, and her thoughts returned to her own present situation. And her musings about what occupied madame. Asking about it was out of the question but she had to admit she was curious whether Tarona still entertained clients personally. She likely would, sparsely, if she were in her position, a special prize to be earned, an extra sweet carrot to dangle high above and motivate potential suitors to particularly intense efforts to gain it.

"No, thank you for asking, but I am fine" the reply came with genuine friendliness. Considering the nature of the establishment there surely was some fun entertainment to be had during the waiting time, but again, right now this was out of the question.

So instead Verialyn lowered herself onto one of the chairs, one leg casually slung over the other as one elbow came to rest on the backrest, facing her host. "How much longer do you estimate Madame will be occupied?"
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

"I could not say, mistress," the girl answered, the purr mostly vanishing once it was clear that Verialyn didn't intend to have her perform any of her more usual duties. In the meantime she did move towards a small cabinet beside the bed, reaching inside to pull out a bottle and a small silver tray with a few cups upon it. Quickly putting all but one of the cups away she poured the wine, bringing the tray over to Verialyn and offering it to her.

Whether the drink was taken or not she set the tray down on a small table beside the chair, nodding slightly towards her. "Then if you will excuse me, mistress," she said before turning away, being sure to put a seductive sway in her step as she vanished out into the hallway and shut the door behind her.

For the moment at least Verialyn was left alone, a wait that grew into several long minutes. Beyond the chairs and the bed there were a few other cabinets in the room, mostly containing either food and drink or various bits of 'equipment.' The only oddity she could notice from her seat was a curtain blocking off one corner of the room beside the bed.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

At first Verialyn sat completely still, the glass of wine resting untouched on its tray while her gaze was mostly fixed onto the entrance door, her ears peaked to make out any signs heralding the arrival of Madame. All they did pick up, though, were the muffled sounds of passion coming from the adjacent rooms.

The minutes passed and with them a slight boredom began to set in. Unsure how much longer the wait would be she finally rose from her seat and began to traverse the room, casually peeking into the various cupboards. A smile rose to her lips at the sight of the 'professional' equipment, and she even briefly lifted one of the collars out of a drawer for closer inspection.

Eventually, though, she was drawn towards the semi mysterious delimited corner of the room, and she found herself standing right in front of the curtain, one arm reaching out and one index finger hooking around the edge of the fabric and carefully, slowly, pulling it to the side.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

All of the equipment seemed to be very well-made, the work of artisans and professionals rather than some back-alley dealer. Even the collar was well made with a generous lining of fur and silver thread etching out a long design around it. Everything seemed design to display wealth and prosperity without flaunting it, a wonderful lifestyle for rent within the building's walls.

When Verialyn rose to pull aside the curtain, her first thought was that the area had been set off as a place for the girls or patrons to change clothes; a large mirror was hanging upon one wall with a closet against the other, a quick inspection revealing it to be full of various and increasingly skimpy outfits along with a few costumes and highly impractical uniforms.

Perhaps it was serendipity, perhaps it was dumb luck, but the wall briefly shook as the sound of moaning briefly became louder, a rhythmic thumping coming from the room on the other side of the closet's wall. The motion made the mirror swing slightly, just far enough to reveal the thin seam in the wall; Verialyn had dealt with enough secret doors to recognize one when she saw it.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

Now that was a surprise. Maybe it should not have been, but assuming that Madame Tarona had equipped each of the guest rooms with a secret door would have been a bit of a stretch.

Verialyn paused, froze, and instinctively turned to look towards the door once more, verifying that indeed no one was about to enter the room, before she relaxed just enough to proceed. While her ears continued to be at peak attention, fueled further by her desire not to be caught nosing around her finger tips slowly traced the edge of the mirror, gently pushing here and there in an attempt to find the mechanism that would open the door.

It were times like these when she regretted that during her long adventuring career she never had found the time for a professional burglar education. Detecting secret doors was one thing, but some of them had rather complex mechanisms to open them.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

About halfway down one side of the mirror, she discovered a small piece of the ornate framework that was loose, a bit of gentle experimentation showing that it could be turned. Carefully she turned the bit of wood, and something clicked behind the mirror just as a sharp pain appeared in her finger, a needle emerging from the wood to prick her. Almost instantly her head began to swim, her legs suddenly buckling beneath her as she fell to her knees. Dimly she became aware of a door opening, her vision fading in and out as someone put their hands upon her arms.


Dripping water slowly brought her back to the world of the living, a spot on her side almost numb from the slow, steady drip of cold water upon her. Verialyn found herself lying upon a cold stone floor, her bare skin covered with goosebumps from the chilled air. Her dress, shoes, everything she had worn was gone.

Her mind recovered fairly quickly, enabling her to realize she was lying in some sort of stone cell, with no windows to give her a hint of where she might be. The only light came from a half-open doorway, leading out to a torchlit hallway.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

"Shit"

The silently murmured word gave a pretty accurate summary of her current state of mind. She should have known better. With some real training she might have. As it was they had gotten her, whoever exactly "they" were. And to add to the mystery they had not locked her up for good, unless again she was missing some important aspect of that half open door.

Slowly Verialyn began to stir, fingers and toes first, probing, testing how much of the poison was still in her system inhibiting her. Not much apparently, as her body precisely followed her commands so far. Time for a real test then.

She pulled her arms towards her and pushed against the ground. And indeed without effort she got back to her feet, herself surprised by the fluidity of the movement. Seems her tough little self had overcome the poison completely. Slowly rubbing that cold spot above her right buttock she took a few tentative steps towards the door, scanning the frame and what she could see beyond for anything out of the ordinary – Anything hinting at a second trap.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

Verialyn couldn't see anything on or around the door frame; it was obviously designed to be a proper cell to keep people in the cold and dark for a long time, but the purpose was defeated by the door hanging open. With the only visible light coming from the outside, it seemed more of an invitation than anything else.

Carefully opening the door a bit wider and glancing outside, she could see a long hallway. It extended out in both directions, and there seemed to be a few other heavy doors on either side that must lead to more cells, but the torches were only lit off to the right, a trail of light leading down the hallway and up a flight of stairs at the end of the hall. She couldn't see anyone, couldn't hear anything beyond the dripping of water and the faint crackle of the torch flames.

She had stood in the doorway for only a few moments before she saw the shadow move across the steps, someone at the top of the stairs moving away from them.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

Ahh, so her awakening had been noticed, and now the messenger was off to whoever was expecting her. Or something along those lines. She could not be sure, of course. Too unfamiliar was the environment. She did not even know whether she was still in – or rather beneath – the establishment of Madame Tarona. Or Ael Morish proper, for that.

Even though she was not particularly happy at the thought of having been stripped by a stranger whoever had placed her here had had the opportunity to do far worse, though. Therefore it seemed unwise, counterproductive even, to try something silly for the sake of it. Better to first learn as much about her situation as possible as she could.

At least her body handled the cellar’s – was it even a cellar? – damp chill well, and so she began to calmly stride down the corridor along the illuminated path. Compliance however did not mean her attention was wavering, eyes and ears were at peak performance the whole time.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

Slowly she ascended the stairs to arrive in a large, circular chamber, the stone walls bare of any adornment. Torches hung upon the wall, forming a ring of light that illuminated the stone room and drew attention to the floor. Lines of silver ran through the floor, glinting softly in the light, forming a huge symbol that from here looked like a mask with no decoration save for a pair of silver slits where the eyes would be, something about the shape giving it an undeniably feminine look.

There were two figures in the room, both women and both wearing the same, blank white mask that covered their entire faces. The first, a woman with long blonde hair, stood in the center of the room, dressed in what Verialyn had learned were typical Ael Morish street clothes; a tunic and leggings, with sandals that tied up to her knees. The other, a brunette, was at the opposite end standing before a door, wearing a full evening gown.

For a moment there was only silence, neither of them moving. Yet suddenly the blonde was moving, going from stillness to a sprint in an instant as she darted towards Verialyn. In a matter of seconds she was directly before the nude woman, her long hair swirling around her as she pivoted to bring her knee up towards her stomach.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

It was not the first naked brawl Verialyn found herself in all of a sudden, nor would it likely be her last. Knowing herself well – her urges, her preferences – she had a long time ago taken precautions for the case that one of her endeavors went wrong and caused her to end up in a situation just like this, unarmed and threatened. The main precaution being an intense training regimen focusing on bare handed fighting techniques. If all she had was her bare body, that body had to be her weapon. There was quite an impressive bit to learn if one had travelled as far as her and met the right teachers, and she had proven to be an extremely receptive student.

As the blond girl was about to find out the hard way. Her knee thrust was halfway complete when a sudden explosion of pain radiated out from her own stomach. Verialyn’s left leg had transitioned almost seamlessly from an idle standing position into one where it was stretched out, every muscle taut, the extended toes embedded like the tip of a spear into her flesh precisely where her solar plexus lay. The lightning fast kick had ended the attack midway, aided by the assailant’s own momentum which increased the force of the impact even further and caused her to fold like a paper doll around the organic pillar pointing into her direction, all air driven from her lungs.

Verialyn did not stop there, though. There was a potential second enemy in the room and she ended this one as fast as possible. As rapidly as it had extended her leg withdrew, the backswing of the same motion bringing her left elbow crushing against the faltering girls temple before her right fist connected with the jaw for good measure. Slender limbs collapsed under a blond cover, and except for a faint twitch or two the beaten heap of the young woman remained perfectly still.

Once this threat – trial – test – whatever – was solved she began to move again. She was starting to grow annoyed at the endless games Madame tarona seemed intent on playing with her, since what else could this possibly be? The upwelling of anger was short lived, as she immediately and resolutely suppressed that aggressive urge to remain calm, cool and concentrated. Emotions are the surest path to failure she had been taught repeatedly, and this was not over yet.

At a measured but steady pace she approached the brunette. By now adrenalin was flushing her body, all her nerve ends on maximum readiness, her senses fully alert. There was a myriad of tricks that could hide in the folds of that expansive dress. From a simple knife to a throwing dagger, a poisoned hairpin – she had enough of poisons for a while - or even a blowpipe. And not only that woman, the whole room could still hold a multitude of surprises, hidden in a well concealed niche. Trying the difficult balancing act of continuing to observe the other woman while also taking in her surroundings she shot glances to both sides, down, and most importantly up towards the ceiling. The approach from above was an easy way to dupe a fighter all too focused on the apparent threat ahead of her.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

If the brunette woman in the dress had any reaction to the sudden and brutal takedown, there was no sign of it. The mask gave her a blank and unchanging expression, her posture not even slightly changing in reaction to her companion being so easily downed. The blond's mask remained firmly in place, not even the quick strikes to her jaw and temple dislodging it. Whatever Verialyn was looking for, she could see nothing waiting for her beyond the brunette.

The woman stood still and calm, her posture completely relaxed with one hand on her hip with the other held loosely at her side. There was no reaction as Verialyn approached, until the two were roughly ten feet apart. Calmly the woman reached up to run a hand through her hair before flicking her hand at the approaching warrior in a quick, almost casual motion. A flash of pain flared in Verialyn's thigh, a long metal needle suddenly embedded in her bare thigh. After a moment of uncertainty she decided this one must be unpoisoned, nor had it struck her anywhere important. But if the woman's aim was good enough to put one of those needles in her eye or throat...

"Why should I let you pass?" the woman asked in a calm tone, as if she were speaking with someone at a party.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

Her hands… Keep a better watch on her hands Verialyn told herself while she slowly plucked the needle from her leg, lifting it up to have a closer look at the drop of blood at its tip. She felt duped that very moment, not something that sat very well with her. How exactly the other woman had done it she did not know. What she did know was that she had to keep close taps on where those fingers went, not to be fooled twice.

“Maybe because you like my tits?” she finally formulated her first reply, taking another slow half step closer to the brunette, while her shoulders shrugged with demonstrative casualness “But more likely so whoever is setting up the next test behind that door” one arm raised, finger pointing towards the doorway behind the other “does not have to wait too long? If you really wanted to keep me locked up here, you botched it in a big way, with the open cell door and all the illumination.”
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

The woman was still and silent, the mask sealing away any hint of how she might feel about the response. The silence stretched out into several long moments before finally the woman moved. Calmly she turned, the door opening by itself as she stepped through. The door remained open behind her, an obvious invitation for Verialyn to follow.

Beyond the doorway she could see a remarkably well furnished sitting room; the stone walls were covered with bright tiles, torches replaced by enough candles around the room to keep the whole area brightly lit. An image of the by now familiar mask was etched in silver tile upon one of the walls, partially obscured by the two comfy looking chairs in the center of the room. The brunette had stepped to the corner of the room and stood there quietly, still watching Verialyn, while another masked woman sat in one of the chairs, pouring a steaming liquid into a pair of fine china cups from a silvered teapot.

"Ah, do come in," the woman said, Madame Torona's voice recognizable. "Would you like some tea?"
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

Verialyn hesitated in the dooorway for just a second, taking in as many details of this new room as possible. As she did so she used the moments to also once more remind herself to stay calm and composed. She might be angry at the way she was brought here against her will, but letting any of that ire show would do her no good. Instead she would have to try to be as unreadable as possible.

And so as she finally moved again her face was almost as motionless as the two masks facing her, only graced by a noncommittal smile. Apparently accepting the invitation she stepped up to the table in a measured pace, pulling back the empty chair just enough for her to sit down comfortably, and then replied in a tone matching Madame's as she looked straight at her. "Oh, I might. What brands do you have to offer?"
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

The mask made it impossible to read the woman's expression, yet her voice was light and calm as if it was just another day. "I tend to prefer the diralim leaves, they have a very light, soothing flavor that calms ones soul. I understand you are from across the sea; perhaps you would prefer some imported irisun for a more familiar flavor?" She pushed over a small tray, several small containers with varying types of tea upon it.

The room connected to several others, with at least three other doors besides the one she had come through. All of them were closed, making it a complete mystery as to what might lie beyond. One of the doors, opposite the one she entered from, had some sort of fairly bright light within the area based upon the shine coming from the crack beneath the door.

"I do hope you have found our fair city enjoyable so far," Torona continued, her head tilting slightly in what might have been inquisitiveness.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

"Ahh no, I think I will try the local brand. It's no good to be forever stuck in old habits." Verialyn replied with equal pose as her fingers dug into the indicated box, picking up a few leaves only to drop them into her cup of hot water. Taking the saucer in one hand and the delicate handle of the fine porcelain vessel between thumb and index finger of the other she lifts her tea off the table and leans back comfortably into her chair, slinging one leg over the other, clearly unashamed of her complete lack of clothing.

"Oh,that city. Well, I am still too new here to really tell, and still in the process of getting acquainted to the local customs. Like those of hospitality, they differ slightly from those across the ocean." Considering her recent run ins with Billingsley, the Azdaks, and now this kidnapping that was one big understatement.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

"Yes, I'm afraid many in our lands have a much more mercenary approach to life, even when it comes to simple things like common courtesy," Torona said with a faintly disappointed sigh, plucking some of the local leaves out of the box to put into her own cup. "They rarely see the benefit of doing anything unless they foresee some sort of immediate benefit.

"I must confess myself guilty of this at some times," she added, a hint of self-deprecation in her voice. "Had I not believed you would be an excellent addition to our little organization here, I would not even have bothered to extend the invitation." She rose the cup to her lips, and though the mask completely covered her face she was nevertheless somehow able to take a small sip. "Would you care for anything else? Something to nibble, perhaps?"
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

Ahh, they were getting to the heart of the matter, albeit slowly. Not that it had been a surprise for Verialyn at this point, but hopefully the woman across her soon would reveal something she did not already know, or had not already guessed. But For now she would just wait and let the other speak, restraining herself from being too inquisitive. Which was no trivial feat as she was well aware of her curious nature.

Doing her best imitation of that featureless mask as she tried to keep her own expression calm and unmoving Verialyn finally lifted the cup to her mouth and took a first sip of the hot liquid. "No, thank you for the offer. Nothing right now." Well, maybe her dress, and a guide out of this labyrinth? She did not voice that snippish retort, though, instead waiting for her host to make her next move.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

The idle chit-chat continued for a few more minutes, Torona doing little more than speak of meaningless little things and ask her inane questions; how did she like the tea? Did she prefer honey or sugar to sweeten it? What were her thoughts on the best material for cups?

But at last the madame set her teacup down and settled back in her chair, the featureless mask watching Verialyn carefully. "Now, I do believe that it is time for us to cut to the heart of the matter. I must apologize for the rather abrupt method in which you were brought here, but I'm afraid that to maintain secrecy, civility must sometimes be temporarily set aside.

"You have been brought here to see if you are suitable for inclusion into a certain group. This group does not have a name, nor will you be made aware of many of its motives are workings until you have proven yourself capable of true understanding. For now, simply know that we are the unseen hand that guides those whom we have chosen to protect away from danger. Being a part of it would require you to do dangerous, difficult things, but the rewards are countless." The madame fell silent, waiting for the woman's reaction.
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

Somehow Verialyn could not shake the feeling that Madame enjoyed to revel in her own mystery and secrecy, even though purely objectively speaking the application of both were warranted at the current stage of her application, or rather examination.

She briefly leaned forward, placing saucer and cup onto the table before reclining again, both hands meeting in her lap, fingertips pressed against each other. Those motions were executed rather slowly, and only when she was in position did she speak again.

Skipping over the rather obvious part with the danger and the rewards she immediately came to her main concern "You expect a lot of trust from your inductees, then, that your motives are in alignment with theirs. Assuming the inductees have motives beyond the acquisition of riches. Now protecting people is a noble goal – in general. But protecting and furthering the wrong ones ..."
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

"Well, not as much trust as you might think," Torona said, and Verialyn was prepared to swear she could hear the woman smirking beneath the mask. "Before the drug we used put you to sleep, it made you very talkative. We had quite a pleasant chat about various things, enough to accept that you may be suitable to join us. Had we decided you were not suitable, it is very doubtful that you would have woken up."

Calmly she rose a hand to gesture slightly towards the nameless woman who still stood in the corner, the woman nodding slightly before vanishing through one of the other doors. "In a general sense, you could say that we have chosen to protect Ael Morish," she continued. "Some rulers and influential people and good for the city and her people, while others are not. Some are able to fend for themselves and can tend to their own affairs, while others may require some assistance. But perhaps you would like to see for yourself."

The other woman returned, bearing a scroll. "A final test," Torona began to explain as she accepted the rolled up paper. "To see if your ideals and ours align, as well as whether you are able to perform as we expect. The woman took the tea set away as Torona unrolled the paper upon the small table, revealing a detailed charcoal drawing of a man in roughly his late fifties, an imperious expression on his face. "This man belongs to the council that makes many of our city's laws. He intends to put forth a proposal that would permit the children of those in debt to be seized until the debt is paid. We would like to see that the proposal is never made."
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

This was even worse. Not only had that thrice cursed drug apparently made her babble freely, she herself had no idea which of her secrets she had spilled. Time to assume the worst, again. Her sympathy for Madame and her organisation was starting to wane, despite their supposed good intentions, and the veiled death threat did not help, either. A big show of anger, however, would not help her either. And likely neither woudl rejecting that invitation at this point.

"So the man want's to excaberate what is already in place?" All too prominent were her memories of the visit to the Azdak's, and the eventual outcome. Unless she missed some crucial part, that proposed law simply allowed to perform that seizing even earlier. "My assumption then would be that since he is ready to make that proposal he is not the only one with that agenda."
 
RE: Journeys of a Demon's Daughter

"In a sense," Torona said after a moment. "As it is now, the seizing of anyone is a last resort that the law refuses until other options have been exhausted, something that only the ruthless and unscrupulous make regular use of. This law would make it a matter of course, a requirement rather than an extreme.

"What we know suggests that he is the only one truly in favor, but he has purchased or manipulated enough votes to succeed." She leaned back in her chair, picking up her teacup. "Your means and methods we leave entirely up to you. The only requirement is that the proposal not be made, and that our secrecy is maintained. You could of course choose not to take part," she added, as if she had sensed some of the woman's growing trepidation, "and that is fine as well. Know only that if we believe you have or are going to compromise our organization, you will be removed."
 
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