Well, at least she'd managed to rekindle some of Lovisa's good graces. While she still doubted that the demoness was as straightforward and honest as she attempted to portray herself, Lenalee believed that she owed the demon knight at least a little bit of trust. The trust that Lovisa displayed in her about dealing with Casilda only reinforced that belief, and she offered the knight another smile and one last parting comment before returning to her other companions; "I'll do my best."
When she got back to the group, breakfast was her first order. Thankfully that particular need was taken care of quickly enough, though the odd looks that Ren received weren't missed by the lightning witch. She had her suspicions as to the source, but she held them in, and only after she'd had a bit to eat would she say; "Ren... are you feeling alright? This seems a bit unusual for you." She gestured toward the meat that the redhead had consumed for emphasis.
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine.
The redheaded rabbit tried to say something in response, but her mouth was so full of food that it came out completely unintelligible. After finishing chewing and swallowing, she tried again. "What?" The question carried a confused tone. "Is it because I'm eating hare? It's not like this is a long lost cousin or anything. I mean, I wasn't even born with these," she ran a finger across one of her own ears. "Not my favorite meal but a girl's gotta eat, especially with how our schedule is looking today!" The girl's expression suddenly shifted to one of deep thought with no warning shortly after her comment about the schedule, however, and she raised a pensive finger to her chin. "I never thought about it before but I bet I'm going to get all sorts of looks and silly jokes if I ever visit that bakery near the academy for another carrot cake..." This apparently didn't bother her overly much though, as a few moments after her comment she made to finish off her portion of the meal.
Lenalee quirked an eyebrow as Ren tried to speak through a mouthfull of rabbit, and opted not to interrupt her as she starred explaining herself. The rambling explanation quickly took a turn for the comical as she woefully mentioned the looks she'd get if ordering carrot cake, and the lightning witch couldn't help but chuckle softly at that. "You are adorable, you know that?" she said, shaking her head, and then went back to finishing her own modest meal.
Once it was done, however, Lenalee was out of stalling tactics. Decisions would need to be made about who to leave behind and who to bring along into the perils of Casilda's tower. Thankfully, she'd had long enough to think on it, and after clearing her throat and awkwardly climbing to her feet, Lenalee calmly said; "Alright then, it's time for us to get on with this.... And I've got some news that some of you may not like. I'm not bringing everyone in with me."
She had opted to blurt out the bad news quickly and simply have done with it, but once the reactions to that had settled she turned towards her walking aid and said; "You're staying with the wagon and the people staying with it. Protect it from anyone that you don't see around here right now. Otherwise, you listen to Ren. Understood?" She opted to point toward the rabbit girl as she did so, and it was she whom Lenalee looked to next. "I'm sorry Ren," she began, "But you're a healer, not a fighter, and as useful as I know you'd make yourself in there if things do devolve into violence, I don't want to put you into too much danger if I can help it. Plus, you're the only one that I trust to take care of her," she gestured toward her hermaphroditic child, "And him!" she gestured toward her mindless servant. "You're in charge of looking after things.... And planning the rescue attempt in case we all get captured."
Finally, she turned to Jan with a smirk, and finished; "You're staying too... For two reasons. One, she's going to need feeding, and two.... I don't want some succubus "taming the bull" and turning you on us. No offense meant to you, but you've got some impulse control issues where that thing between your legs is concerned.... And I want a turn at that first~ Plus, if we screw up we'd need someone out here who can actually fight."
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine.
Ren, with that same look of confusion she had initially held, only shrugged at Lenalee's comment about her being adorable.
She proved a bit more vocal when Lenalee announced her plan. "Okay then," she replied with a shrug. "I was hoping you'd have another trick up your sleeve, but I had guessed that barring that somebody would have to keep an eye on the little bundle of joy, and if you're not back by tomorrow we'll come in for you," she continued easily enough. The rest seemed to be of about the same opinion as the rabbit mage with the exceptions of Jan who was amiable enough to simply nod and leave it at that and the mindless inquisitorial servant who obeyed with the same lack of emotion and back talk as he did everything else with. Mari, despite a quick smile at Lenalee's comment about taming the bull, and Edmund both obviously didn't like the idea of not bringing their full strength into the tower but also apparently lacked any better plan of their own that would counteract the issues that Lenalee had pointed out. "And besides, after the axe to my stomach I'm quite fine with sitting this one out."
"That may be for the best," Mari's stance on the plan quickly changed after Ren's reminder of what had happened during the encounter with Dreadbeak. "Feh, it's not like I've got any better ideas on how to end the demonic bitch," Edmund shrugged. "And if leaving them out here to take care of the kid saves us a few annoying hostage situations in the future then I'm all for it. I just hope you have a better idea of what we're about to walk into than I do," he gruffly finished. Mari seemed to want to make a retort, but in the end remained quiet.
"The alternative was summoning a demon to take care of her," Lenalee confirmed soberly, "And.... well, much as I like Magdalen, I wouldn't trust her to work as daycare." Once everyone was agreed on that note - Lenalee shooting a grateful smile at Ren and Mari for their easy agreement and offering what she hoped was a reassuring nod to Edmund - the sorceress announced; "I think that's everything then. Say your goodbyes, and we who are about to go into the depths of greatest peril will be off!" She had already done so as far as she was concerned, but waited patiently for the others to say what they would before leading Mari and Edmund over to Lovisa.
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine.
Edmund had no goodbyes to give, and Mari obviously preferred to say hers in relative privacy as she pulled Jan and Ren aside to give what, at a distance, looked like a very platonic farewell. When that was done and she returned to Lenalee's side and Ren and Jan had done the same in order to offer more general farewells to the group at large, it was time for them to head into the heart of the priestess's power.
When the sorceress explained to Lovisa that her group was ready, the knight rose without a word and made to lead the three into the tower. She led them swiftly up the hill, and then into a set of double doors which were situated between two of the many columns holding up the balcony of the second floor above them, giving the group their first glance at the interior of their enemy's stronghold.
Several hearths lit with magical fire which produced no smoke lined the interior of a grand, circular room, and made the surroundings quite warm and cozy despite the size. Columns lined the interior in a pattern similar to the ones on the outside, and they were each decorated with a banner consisting entirely of a field of deep purple pointed toward the exterior of the room and a torch pointed to the interior. A massive chandelier hanging over the center of the room ensured that the few shadows that might have been left by the torches and the hearths were vanquished. The floor was made up of marble tile arranged in an almost hypnotic pattern, and parts of the wall which weren't covered by something else were decorated with a similar pattern. Were it not for the armed ogre in the middle of the room, it could've passed as very homey.
The massive demon stood aside as Lovisa led the group through the room, however, and she paid it no mind. The four made their way to the other side of the circular room, where they moved up a staircase which led to another set of double doors which in turn led to the second floor balcony. They followed it around to the set of stairs which had been visible from the bottom of the hill, passing yet another set of doors as they did so. "The living quarters, you may use and visit them as you please for as long as you choose to remain here," Lovisa remarked as they passed. Their trek next took them up to the third floor balcony. "The kitchens and dining area, you're welcome to anything you might like to eat after you meet with Casilda," she noted as they passed more doors, and then as they moved up the stairs to the fourth floor balcony she spoke again. "Casilda's... workspace. It's restricted."
Their journey eventually brought them to the fifth floor, and a final pair of doors. "Casilda is waiting inside, she already knows you're here and will be waiting for you.... Good luck," she continued uncertainly after a short pause, before gesturing for the three to go and enter the room without her. And when Lenalee chose to do so, whether or not it was after additional comments to Lovisa or plotting with or toward anybody or anything present, she would find herself in a small circular room.
The room, despite being less than half the size, was much more lavishly decorated than the first that they had entered. A sitting area was to left of the group as they entered the room, consisting of a long bench padded with red velvet cushions and an ornate back and two chairs of similar design heavily padded with the same material. To the right was another sitting area, but it consisted of two chairs in front of another of the magical hearths. Further along the right wall was a grandfather clock -- the ticking and tocking of which was the most persistent and noticeable noise in the room -- and further still was a writing desk and stool. Along the left wall were a few items which, by all appearances, looked like bondage equipment, and beyond them was a red folding screen and a wardrobe. The patterned marble tiles were present as well, along with the smell of burning incense.
Against the wall directly opposite the doors was a circular canopy bed, with white curtains pulled back to reveal that it was clad in red sheets, and that a single demon sat on the edge of it wearing white robes which might have been considered modest even for a nun of the Star God along with a cowl and mask to cover most of her face. The only thing that Lenalee could really make out about the figure were the deep purple eyes peering at her from beneath the hood, not that she needed to see anything to know that the woman facing her was the same one she had been tracking down. And when all three among Lenalee's group had finished examining their surroundings and looked toward Casilda, she rose and took a few steps toward them.
While it was impossible to see her physical features for the robe she wore, the seductive sway of the woman's gait all but marked her as demonic, and if the Badarian sorceress needed anymore evidence to know what she was dealing with then Casilda's voice would confirm it. "Welcome," she greeted the group, and even though it was but a word it was spoken in a tone that was all too easy to get lost in. Her voice was a perfect blend of song and kindness and hope and promises all at once, and a less prepared group might have been lulled into a false sense of safety in a single sentence. But none among the mage's group were unprepared for dealing with a demon, and Mari and Edmund's resolve seemed to be holding strong. Lenalee herself was the most able when it came to being ready for any trickery Casilda might play, and quickly realized that the woman's words carried a passive aura of power in them which would be dangerous to any who might completely let their guard down. Moreover, there was something strange about their surroundings, and no matter how foolish an idea she might know it to be something in the room was, thankfully unsuccessfully, tempting her body to simply shirk her cares and relax. Whether or not she was ready for what the self-proclaimed priestess would reveal, however, was another question entirely.
"It told me that you would come, you know. It told me that you were the missing part in my plans," she continued, her voice taking on an edge of weariness as she did so. "Years of work, and finally an end in sight.... But we must handle other business first, I imagine. I am Casilda, and I believe it's only polite that I allow you to speak your mind before we go into what I will offer you to join me."
Lenalee followed after Lovisa without making any comment initially, saving her quips for when they entered the place proper. "Nice digs," she remarked casually after a sweep of the entrance hall, the surprisingly well lit room fairly expansive and more pleasantly furnished than she'd expected... Though in truth, she hadn't really been sure what to expect upon entering this place. She took notice of the ogre and of the oddly hypnotic pattern worked into the marble but offered no comment on it, trusting Edmund and Mari to keep their wits about them without her having to tell them now that they were in the stronghold of their enemy.
The oversized guard stepped aside for Lovisa, prompting Lenalee to smirk snidely at it as they passed it by but otherwise ignoring the creature. Climbing up the stairs, Lenalee nodded at the mention of the guest quarters, offering another quick quip; "Ooooh, balcony suites! Do I get a personal butler too? Or maybe a maid? If I have a maid, she has to wear the slutty version of the outfit!" Leaving the balcony of the second floor via more stairs, thus leaving the slightly pudgy mage winded, but she still managed to gasp out a one liner as they passed the kitchen; "You'd better... Have... Vodka!"
By the time they made it up the fourth set of stairs the mage was wheezing for breath, a condition she'd had since she was a child making it difficult for her to breath. Her difficulties prevented her from doing more than nodding at Lovisa's instruction not to go near Casilda's workspace, and likely wouldn't have bothered to do more than that if she could anyway. When they reached the fifth floor, Lenalee's knees were shaking with the effort, and the panting lightning witch managed to gasp out a statement before nearly keeling over; "Gods... Damned...... Fucking... Stairs!" She stood there half bent over, heaving in breaths while trying to keep her now jelly-like legs from folding underneath her, and were it not for her distraught state she might have looked as if she were striking an alluring pose, bent over and displaying cleavage through her thick black dress with her face flushed and her breathing heavy. Lovisa's wish for luck caused Lenalee to wave at her and nodded in acknowledgement, and after a moment she started for the door.
It probably wasn't the state she would have been best served to face Casilda in, but if anything it might put the woman off her game a little to see her so flustered. The lavish decoration of the room that Lenalee and her companions found themselves in was somewhat lost on the winded woman, though she did take note of it at least well enough to use it if things came to violence more quickly than expected. Directly across from them, seated on the bed, sat a woman whom Lenalee needed little more than a glance to confirm as Casilda. The modest garb spoke nothing of her nature and hid any signs of her immediate heritage, but even before her senses detected the aura put off by the unhinged demon priestess Lenalee knew it was her. It was the eyes. She recognized those glowing violet orbs from the vision she had been shown by the Heretic, and the seductive sway and the hypnotic tone of her greeting only reinforced that feeling.
"Hi!" Lenalee gasped in response, still barely able to control her breathing, but managing a quip nonetheless, "I'm an adventurer, and I'm here to beat you up and take all of your stuff!" It was a stupid line, and it would be obvious from her tone and from her grin that the lightning witch was anything but serious. At that point it was something of a defense mechanism, a way of disarming the priestess of her seductive aura and putting her off balance. "Not really of course!" she grunted quickly, "but by the gods do you need to lose some of those stairs! My knees are killing me! I'm only human you know!" Of course, it wasn't like she actually NEEDED to be a smartass to resist Casilda's allure, as she'd been dealing with temptations from demonic sources for most of her life. Hell, she KNEW the kind of pleasure that a demon could bring if she gave in to those temptations, and she knew that as good as Magdalen might be given her sheer familiarity with the mage's body, Casilda could give her experiences worlds beyond what her favored succubus could. That siren call of mindless pleasure was as tempting as ever, but Lenalee had already seen to sating those urges more than was necessary the previous day, and thus had little trouble in resisting the more subtle efforts to put her guard down... For the moment.
Then, as she found the ache in her legs fading and the spasms of her lungs easing, Lenalee realized that there was something else. Some power in the room was calling to her, easing her, and trying to do the very same thing that their demonic adversary was attempting on a more subtle level. It was a very insidious magic, the sort that made the witch furious at the mere thought of it and would normally inspire her to bloody fury, but as she recognized it the force became easier to resist, and thus Lenalee cooled her temper on her own and straightened to face Casilda squarely with a cocky grin on her face and her staff clenched tightly in her right hand.
"So, Casilda, I assume you've been given my name at some point or another, yes? Regardless, I think it only polite to introduce myself properly!" she began brightly, and then bowed as she said with a grand air about her; "I am Lenalee! Orphan, demon lover, runaway from the Inquisition, illegal magus, and general pain in the ass! At your service!" Rising from her bow, the lightning witch conversationally continued; "Since we're being polite and just so we're clear, I won't ever say that there aren't any hard feelings between us. I may not really be one to judge on the moral front in the grand scheme of things, but you've been some responsible for some pretty horrendous things under my watch, certainly more than enough to earn you a sound disintegration after you made it personal... So if you're going to try and sell me something I'd advise you to sell it hard. You want my help? You'd better tell me what you want, and why you want it, honestly. Skip the tea and pleasantries and get to the point, if you will.... And preferably do it without the mind magic, if you can even turn that off."
Lenalee is going to be using Full Defense in case Casilda tries to charm her or do something of that sort.
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = Fine.
"You may choose a retainer if you opt to remain here," Lovisa would reply to the winded sorceress's request for a slutty maid. Despite the joking manner of Lenalee's own commentary, the demonic knight seemed completely serious in her answer. "After what Casilda has proclaimed, I'm sure there would be many here willing to take on a role as your personal servant." After that suggestion, however, her lips did turn upward into a small smile. "But as much as I admire your taste in the matter, you'd have to see to the acquisition of the outfit as the ones we keep are far too modest." Later on, after they had passed the kitchen, the Lovisa's expression would become one of obvious concern. "I can carry you the rest of the way, if you'd like," she offered. If the mage rejected that offer, then she would instead suggest taking a few more breaks along the way. "We can take as long as you need to recover, there's no need to rush."
Regardless of how she made it up there, though, she came face to face -- or, rather, face to mask -- with Casilda eventually, in one way or another. At the end of Lenalee's first series of comments and the clarification that followed them, the priestess's eyes seemed to light up, not with magic but rather metaphorically. With Casilda wearing a hood and mask as she was, however, it was impossible for Lenalee to make out the expression that accompanied it. Whatever it meant, it was the only noticeable shift in the way that the demonic woman looked at the mage, even as she listened patiently to the rest of the Badarian's words without interjecting any of her own.
"I cannot say that I knew your name before now, but I am glad to finally learn it, Lenalee," she started, once the mage had finished speaking. ""And I fear I can't. My words have carried this weight since I gained my power, and this is as weak as I can make the effect." While Lenalee pointing out the magical effect of Casilda's words already had Mari and Edmund on guard, having the demoness herself note that her voice was reinforced with insidious magic managed to put them even more on edge. Their preparations seemed to match Lenalee's own in regards to warding off any potential succubus magic that the self-proclaimed priestess might employ. "I fear my countenance carries a similar effect, which is even more difficult to control. I would not be wearing such concealing robes in my own bedroom otherwise." she admitted freely. "You may take a few moments to cast protective boons on yourself and your companions if you desire. I won't take offense."
"As for what I want.... If it hasn't become obvious yet, I want you, Lenalee." The magical emphasis on the word 'you' was strong enough that the sorceress could feel it reverberating in her body, even if it still didn't seem to be actively trying to overwhelm her mental defenses nor anywhere near strong enough regardless. "It has told me that you are the missing piece that will finally allow my efforts to succeed. It has said that with you there will be no more mistakes and tragedies, that I will finally have the power to raise everyone into immortality and equality without risking their lives and souls in the process. I need you so that together we can usher in an age of paradise without repeating the horrendous mistakes that claimed the human village" Through her explanation, her voice retained that same unnaturally soothing tone regardless of how zealous it became at times.
"I am not asking that you do this for me, but for those who will be the denizens of the eden that we can bring forth. And if not for them, then consider doing it for yourself. You will be welcomed here and be given the choice to live in the lap of luxury, or to pursue whatever interests your heart desires without restraint or judgment. You will be risen to immortality and freedom from the ailments of age and poor health. You have experience with my kind, and you have surely seen how I can change and empower even them. I am no charlatan and can provide all of this and more for you. And I would provide you with so much more, if you'll accept and join me," she finished. Lenalee's companions looked alarmed at the offer and when they regained their wits they would surely reject the proposal for the mage and probably add in a few choice words directed at the priestess for good measure, but if the mage herself chose to make the first response then they would cede the opportunity to her.
The demo knight's opinion of her choice in retainer and her explanation that she might be able to acquire a maid, and in return she quipped; "Really? What would I have to do to acquire your services, hrm?" Later, Lenalee simply shook her head at Lovisa's offer to carry her the rest of the way, and soldiered on as best as her winded body could carry her. She didn't take any breaks longer than a few moments at each level either, having no desire to prolong the climb more than she had to.
The admission that Casilda hadn't yet know her name caused Lenalee to quirk an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed impossible, but the lightning witch found herself believing the demoness anyway. Casilda's further explanations about the inability to suppress her aura any further received a short nod, but when she mentioned that a similar but more potent effect resulted from seeing her without the coverings she wore Lenalee offered a broad grin. While Casilda hadn't interrupted her, Lenalee didn't have the will to offer her the same courtesy, and following her offer to cast some protective spells if she so wished the sorceress quipped; "Oh my.... Forbidden fruit! I might have to make a return visit on my own later to see what you're talking about in person!"
Taking the presented offer despite believing that it was largely unnecessary, Lenalee turned and unleashed a boon upon Edmund, then on Mari, and finally on herself. Once her spellcasting was completed, Lenalee nodded for the demoness to continue, which she did in short order. What followed was more or less exactly what she'd expected, and Lenalee had surprisingly little trouble in keeping from being swept up by the demon's impassioned speech. It was just personal enough to be appealing of course, but still applied to a more general sense of morality that sounded... Well, it sounded nice. But Lenalee knew better than to think that it was anything other than a fool's dream that Casilda could actually achieve what she desired, and in the long run immortality didn't really sound all that appealing. While she was no druid by any means, Lenalee understood the role that death played in the grand scheme of things, and living forever wasn't as inately appealing as it might have been to some others even if it might end the threat of her asthma and the back problems that her ample chest was inevitably going to give her.
Of course, Mari and Edmund lacked her diplomatic reserve, but before either of them could reject the demon out of hand she tapped her staff against Edmund's foot and poked Mari in the side. Hopefully they would get the hint to keep silent, and after a moment the sorceress would clear her throat and reply; "Well... I must admit that you'd certainly make a good door to door saleswoman!" Her comment was delivered in a bright tone, but she became serious again a moment later as she continued; "I hope you'll understand why I can't simply take your word on it and say yes right now. You've made a lot of claims and offered no support for them, so if you don't mind, I think I'd like to look around for a while. I've had a pretty long couple of days, and I'd like to unwind a bit and take a closer look at what you're doing here. I've seen a few samples of what you can do, and I've got a few questions about it if you wouldn't mind me prying a bit." As calm as she was trying to keep things, Lenalee couldn't help but offer a bit of a hook for the woman to see how she might react to it, and so the sorceress added; "It's good to see that Lovisa wasn't lying about you, at least."
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = FLUFFBUFF Mk. II
"Tempting though it is, my duties to Casilda prevent me from following such interesting lines of thought," she returned with an exaggerated frown. When she continued, however, the demonic knight's lips lifted in a lighthearted smile. "Of course I'd still be willing to try on the outfit for you if you can find one, though I think I'd really like to see you in it~"
~~~
"A desire that I would be happy to fulfill," Casilda offered in the time that Lenalee took to magically empower her companions. The spells did little to combat the effect of the priestess's words. The magic in the demoness's voice was so repressed that there was no real threat of it overwhelming the trio's resolve in the first place, especially while they were on guard, and it was difficult to say whether or not they would've been of much use if Casilda decided to let loose with her powers. Lenalee's magical precautions did, however, offer improved defense against the insidious effects at work that seemed to be spawned from the room itself. With her magically enhanced willpower she discovered that the unnatural desire to relax had been warded off completely.
Their new-found resistance didn't cause the mage's companions to ease off of their guard in the slightest, apparently, as the jabs from the lightning witch's staff seemed almost like they startled the two out of giving whatever flat rebuttals they might have intended. Edmund cast Lenalee a dirty look and opened his mouth to say something before apparently thinking better of it and returning his gaze to the priestess. Mari was too busy keeping her eyes on the demoness to cast the mage any sort of look at all, almost as if she was afraid that the woman might disembowel all three if they didn't keep their eyes on her at all times. Still, the mage succeeded in keeping her companions silent in order to practice her own brand of diplomacy.
Casilda once again waited patiently for Lenalee to finish before speaking at all, which happened to follow the mage's comment about the knight. Her modest garb and concealed face did much to hide her immediate reaction to the mage's mention that Lovisa had spoken of her, but no amount of garb could hide the lengthy pause that preceded her reply. "Nothing bad, I would hope," she finally commented in a manner which was caught somewhere between an attempt at humor and an awkward breakdown of the facade of a woman who had moments ago been talking about ushering in paradise. "But yes," she attempted to recover, "you may have time to look around and relax and think about it, and you may ask me any questions you might have."
Grinning at Lovisa's outspoken desire to see the witch in a skimpy maid's outfit despite how winded she was, Lenalee nodded, and closed off on the conversation by saying; "I find one... And you'll get to see me in it.... For a minute."
~~~~~~~~~
Later, that she had so obviously put Casilda offer her game caused Lenalee to smile brightly, the expression perhaps a more satisfied inwardly than she allowed to show on her actual expression. She quickly tried to cover for Lovisa without being obvious about it, however, not wanting to bring any trouble upon the demon knight. "Nothing bad at all!" the lightning witch replied evenly, "she just gave the same schpiel about your operation that you just did with a bit of different wording, plus a lot of glowing praise for you. She wouldn't divulge any juicy secrets either, no matter how I tried to pry~ Good for you though, it just means I have to try and weasel them out of you instead. Giving you plenty more opportunities to try and convert me to your cause! ...Or maybe just get under my dress, which I guess for a demon might reach the same goal."
Letting that sink in and carefully watching the veiled woman's reactions, Lenalee paused for a few moments, allowing Casilda to speak some if she wished, before making her desires plain; "I'd like some time to think it over, the last few days have been a bit tiring, and fighting through your legion of stairs hasn't helped that any. I do have one question, however.... Why would a demon desire to do any of this? And how? It doesn't fit with what I've known of the behavior of your kind, and it seems like a person like you might not make it for very long if placed alongside the type of demons that I'm used to." It was an outwardly innocent question that Lovisa had already supplied the answers to, but it would be a telling moment now to see how Casilda reacted to them, and if Casilda answered earnestly she'd be able to use that information a little more freely than she would if it were kept secret.
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = FLUFFBUFF Mk. II
Casilda's composure returned much more quickly under Lenalee's reassurances regarding Lovisa. To that end, when the lightning witch verbally commented on demons and their natural talent for gaining allies by taking them to bed, she didn't need to watch the priestess particularly carefully as the demon seemed content to announce her abilities and opinion regarding the matter. "I would like to believe that the answers you wish to weasel out of me will be the very things that convince you that your joining me is the right choice to make. And it is something I am capable of, yes, but it would hardly be fitting. I want you to join me freely and of your own will, not through trickery or enthrallment." Unfortunately her eyes remained neutral enough that the sorceress would have no bodily clues on how honest Casilda was being or whether the demoness's might have been considering adding a 'but' to her statement, and she ended her interjection there.
"Mm, why pursue most things?" The demon would later begin to answer the mage's question with a question of her own. Her voice seemed to flit about between lightheartedness and introspection as she continued. "I have a stake in this. I was an outcast. I was the meekest and was weaker than those around me, and my kind preyed on me for it. After so much abuse and so much time at the bottom of the ladder I did what any of my kin would have and sought power so that I would no longer be at the mercy of others. The only difference between my kin and I was that after I obtained that power I chose to do more with it than to protect myself and take others for my own whims and amusement. I chose to remember what it felt like to be on the other end of the whims of the more powerful."
"I do not believe that the culture of my kind benefits from its current level of brutality, nor do I believe that even the least powerful of my kin deserve to be used as pawns and toys for those with martial or magical power and removed from the opportunity to ever pursue their own happiness. And after extended time around mortals, I believe that they deserve the same innate gifts that my kind inherit upon birth along with the same rights that I would spread and I wish to grant both to them. It's as simple as that," she concluded before waiting for Lenalee's response.
Having hopefully avoided getting Lovisa into any trouble, Lenalee allowed herself to relax a little on that front. She suspected that the powerful demoness might question the knight anyway, but there likely wouldn't be any backlash for it for her regardless of how their conversation went. The witch made no secret of her skepticism at Casilda's insistence that she would only take her loyalty willingly rather than resort to enthrallment, but she doubted that Casilda would be much surprised or put off by that.
That skeptical look turned to a flat one when the priestess answered her question with another question, ironically one of the very sort that the Inquisition's trainers had used to deconstruct her and the other children alongside her. Then it became skeptical again as the woman went over her motivations, going over the same things that Lovisa had told her earlier almost completely. Lenalee very carefully made it seem by her expression that she was taking the information fresh, however, and allowed traces of some genuine empathy to show on her face for good measure.
"Deserve?" she began to reply, "I don't think anybody "deserves" to be used as a pawn, but it's going to happen anyway." Her tone was cool, and it only grew colder as the lightning witch started drawing on her memories of her time with the Inquisition. "I wouldn't be so sure that what you're offering my kind is a blessing, either. From the way I understand it, Hell is pretty well covered in immortals with amazing power, and it doesn't seem to have turned out well for you guys now has it? Demons might be a bit better at it thanks to all the practice, but we're not exactly all kind to each other either. You might not have a choice but to live forever with your memories, but I'm not sure that I do."
Lenalee's words were blunt, and for once when speaking to Casilda she was being completely and utterly earnest with what she said. She shook off her apparent seriousness slightly, albeit not much, and after a brief pause she continued without allowing Casilda time enough to reply with more than a handful of words; "Anyway, you still haven't said exactly what you want of me beyond my help. What, precisely, do you need me for?"
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = FLUFFBUFF Mk. II
As before, the self-proclaimed priestess's choice of garb hid any changes that might've occurred in her expression at the lightning mage's bluntness, and she was either cool-headed enough or simply not bothered enough to reply Lenalee's reproach. Instead, she allowed the Badarian to speak in full and saved her only verbal response until after the sorceress had repeated her earlier question. "That... remains to be seen," she admitted.
"The power I am using has not revealed that quite yet. In most things I have full control of it and full understanding of how to use it, but I must've misinterpreted something when attempting the village ritual happened and something went wrong.... It was after that when it showed me to you with promises that you would be the key to avoid repeating such a tragedy." Edmund's expression became a deadly glare at the priestess's latest mention of the corrupted village. He was well past the point of wanting to say something or offer a retort though, now, if one were to judge by the way his hands were gripped near the handles of his weapons, it seemed like he just wanted to shoot and stab her. Fortunately, he did at least hold on to enough restraint to realize that the moment wasn't right just yet, at least for the time being. "It could simply be that you have a better mind for the organized magics than I do, as I've never been adept with them, and that such would be the key to perfecting the rituals. The only thing it's been fully clear on is that it specifically needed you, but I believe that the rest will come in due time."
"Ahhh," Lenalee said, her voice somewhat skeptical, but internally she wasn't surprised. The rage she felt emanating from Edmund was, thankfully, something that she didn't need to try to control, as he held himself back without her intervention. "Well," she continued, "why don't we start with what power you're using exactly? Maybe then I'll have a better idea of what you might need of me." It was information that she already had once again, but letting Casilda tell her that would make it that much easier for her to gain more information later.
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = FLUFFBUFF Mk. II
"Mm, my mistake. I don't know why I assumed you knew what it was," the demoness replied, almost absentmindedly. "I call it the Gem of Eden, but in truth it is a minor daemon's prison and gives me access to all the power that such entails. I've only begun referring to it as such because the idea of Eden has become something of a rallying point for those who follow me," she admitted plainly. Lenalee wouldn't need to follow up on her first question in order to get more information out of the demon, however. "I was half-dead when I found it years ago. I don't know if Lovisa explained this to you, but I was one among the many of my kind who invaded your world such short few years ago. I was also one among my kind who had the misfortune of meeting an angel in combat."
"I've no clue how familiar you are with them, but being on the receiving end of an angel's wrath is... unpleasant." The demoness winced. "In truth, I never even saw the angel in full. I heard the sound of wings in the air, and I looked up to see those terrible, pure-white appendages holding that messenger of my oblivion in the sky and then the next thing I knew there was an explosion and everything went black. When I regained consciousness, I was buried in a pile of my dead allies."
"But that was when the gem called to me. The daemon inside the gem knew my thoughts, and knew my goals, and promised not only to save me but to help make them a reality, so long as I took its gem from its resting place. My left arm had been burned away by the blast, and my legs were both shattered and useless, so I had to push the dead off of me and crawl to retrieve it. I don't know how far away it was from where I had nearly perished, but at the time it seemed like it took me hours of crawling." The priestess abruptly paused in order to return to her bed and sit down on the side of it. "And, of course, I'm a demon, so I was well aware of the dangers in accepting such deals. But I had no choice at the time."
"To this point, however, it has never failed me or betrayed me. It saved my life, gave me my limbs back, allowed me to take revenge, and allowed me to accomplish decades worth of effort in furthering my goals in a mere two years. It has been an admirable partner. It has never asked for anything in return, either. Not freedom, not power, nothing." She shrugged. "The village has been the first time it's ever erred. But even in that, it directed me to you with promises that your presence was the solution."
Well. Lenalee was actually fairly surprised that Casilda admitted that her power came from a daemon, and allowed that expression to show comfortably knowing that such information would likely be surprising regardless. "So... The Eden stuff is basically just a label? Where do the smaller pieces come from?" she asked, sounding more curious than genuinely concerned about whatever the veiled demon's answers might be.
She remained impassive as Casilda went over her tale in more detail, shaking her head briefly when the demoness asked if she was familiar with angels. In truth, she wasn't, at least beyond believing that they existed and were extremely powerful. The rest of it bore no outward reaction from the lightning mage, but inwardly she imagined that Casilda was lying about some of that.
It was the subject of the daemon that Lenalee had the most interest in discussing now, however, and she would keep her curious tone from before while offering her most recent, and most likely final query; "Nothing? The daemon has asked for nothing whatsoever? That seems... Odd." It was hprased ultimately like a statement, but Casilda would know doubt pick up on the request for more information inherent in the mage's words. If she didn't... Well, Lenalee wasn't about to ask her directly, and if an awkward silence followed Lenalee would start trying to look for a way to excuse herself and her companions. They needed more information, but Casilda obviously wouldn't be the source of what they really wanted to know, and if she wanted to win this particular fight she'd need to disable the demon's access to the Heretic first.
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = FLUFFBUFF Mk. II
"It is," she answered casually enough. "My plans and dreams are grand ones, and around some they require such a facade," she admitted. "After so many years of raping and pillaging and servitude at the behest of my kin, many of my followers would not have converted from continuing their practices without that little added dose of mysticism and spectacle. I think it's a fitting name for the thing that I'm trying to create, anyway. As for the smaller pieces, I must confess that I have no clue what you're talking about. What smaller pieces?" She asked, matching the amount of curiosity in the mage's tone in the process, although obviously she might have just been acting. It remained impossible to discern what expression laid behind her veil.
When they had run through the rest of their conversation and Lenalee inquired again about the daemon, the priestess echoed her earlier sentiment; "It is. I understand your skepticism, and had I not been near death I don't know that I would've made an agreement with a daemon, especially after the horrible tales of the one that killed my people's god. But thus far all it's asked is that I continue my work, and as I've said it's been an extremely helpful partner and continues to be as much. After two years of this arrangement, I'm no longer paranoid about it. If it does have some other desire, I'll cross that bridge when it requests it or seeks it out of its own volition."
"I'm surprised that you would be honest about that," Lenalee admitted freely after Casilda clarified that she did indeed feed a bit more of a story to her followers than was really there. "When I killed some of your followers for being in my way, they dropped small shards made up of solidified magical energy, not dissimilar to what we call darkhearts. I had wondered if you might tell me what they were, but I had to sell them for... Reasons... And don't have any of them left," Lenalee explained casually, having no qualms whatsoever about admitting to causing the deaths of some of the demon's minions in such a cavalier manner.
On the subject of the daemon Lenalee gave only a noncommittal grunt, having nothing further to say on the subject at the time. After a moment of silence between the lightning witch opted to clear her throat, and then said; "Well then... I will need some time to think about this.... Turn of affairs, I guess you would call it. I trust that putting me and mine up for a day or two while I make my decision won't be a problem? And letting me look around, and maybe get to know some of the other people that work for you?"
Lenalee: HP = 50, PP = 70, EP = 80, Status = FLUFFBUFF Mk. II
"You're a brighter one than that. Or perhaps just a more cynical one," she would offer in reply to the lightning witch's admission of surprise. "Would you really have believed me if I had replied in any other way?" Regardless of whether or not Lenalee decided to offer another reply to that, the priestess would pause following her admission that she had slain several of the woman's followers and that she no longer possessed the shards she wanted to inquire about. "I would ask about the circumstances that led to their deaths, but perhaps it's best if we save that for later," her tone was much less pleasant than it had been moments prior. She recovered quickly enough though. "Without seeing them, I'm afraid I can't tell you a thing about the shards you discovered."
"Time does not mean much to me, though I would prefer a decision sooner rather than later. You may stay as long as you need and may go anywhere where the doors are unlocked while you stay here," she later replied to the Badarian's request to stay for a few days. "Lovisa will show you to your guest quarters," she concluded professionally, the tone of her voice giving the trio permission to leave as directly as any words could.
If the mage had nothing else to say or that she'd like to do, she would be allowed to open the door leave the lavish room with her allies in tow. The perfumed smell of the room and persistent ticking and tocking of the clock would vanish behind her as the door was closed, giving way to fresh air and little noise beyond what was caused by gusts of wind and birds flying overhead. Leaving Casilda behind would also relieve her mind of those constant tugs and nudges at her mind that bid her to relax and let herself fall under the woman's sway, and remove the rest of weight of the priestess's aura from her as well, which would surely offer as much of a relief as the change in noises and smells.
Lovisa was waiting there for the group as well, a bit of concern playing across her normally cheerful place. The knight wasted no time in addressing the mage. "How did it go? Should I show you to a guest room?" She added the second question without hesitation, causing Mari, at least, to quirk a brow at her. Edmund was still fuming from the meeting too much to catch whatever it was that the olivine rogue apparently had.
