Long way down

The girls walked forward step by step in sync together, joined by one of the red knights who placed a led box into Raz's hands. Nodding, the knight along with another followed carefully behind the group, now taking over as the silver knights exchanged words and parted ways. It seems like their is a heirarchy among these followers, Dimyri noted as within this castle, no this temple, only red knights in fancy robes were positioned within. Opening the box, the young man held a similar pink gem above his head for the girls to see. There eyes glanced up and stared, and as he began to lead them away from the much larger fragment embedded into the wall the girls mindlessly joined him a few paces behind.

A strange aura was amidst the small group, in fact they could feel a tingling presence surrounding the tiny hairs in their bodies. Definitely a supernatural presence, the walls echoing with each individual footstep, however what concerned Raz was the fact that he and his men were the loudest with their clanky metal and stomping heavy boots. The Nekomata girls, why they hardly left a presence with each gentle step they took, which did nothing to remove the knowledge of the many eyes staring hungrily through every shadowy angle. If the ceiling appeared black and endless well... to stare up above would leave you met with an unfamiliar depth unlike the blackest night you could ever bare witness.

At last, the hallway had led him to their precise destination as they now entered a large circular room fit enough to house a party. Within it's center was a large hole cut, with what seemed to be rather large ropes shooting straight through and moving far up until sight of it was lost. Raz entered first, waiting patiently as the other girls followed slowly yet eagerly without thought. One of them stumbled and nearly slipped before regaining her posture. He raised an eye as these women crowded behind him, staring up at the small pink stone in his raised hand.

Clearing his throat, both red knights looked up at Raz as he caught their attention as was intended. "I can take them from here, you may leave."

"Sir, Father Perdilius tasks us with securing the delivery towards its destination without failure." A rather suppressed voice responded back, concealed under the dense metal visor.

"And I am grateful, but I wish to take them alone if I may?"

Both soldiers glanced at each other before facing him, retreated in their steps until they stood beyond the entry. Raz swallowed and smiled, reaching to his left to pull a large lever. In a moment, the room shook without warning, causing one of the girls to gasp. Again, Raz had heard but kept his posture, looking forward as suddenly the sound of gears clinking roughly emerged from beneath their feet and both ropes at the center began to move in opposing directions. At this proximity, Dimyri mocked herself for not realizing that these were not ropes either, as now the floor began to descend.

Dimyri looked forward as both red knights began to rise up before being out of view, now abandoning them in complete darkness with only the shine from the stone granting them vision. In a few seconds, you could hear the sound of running water soon accompanied by sudden piercing of light shining through uniquely carved slivers into the stone walls. It allowed one to peek at the outter world from what looked to be the interior view into a narrow, sheltered waterway. A stream, pouring down the moutain side and joining into the wildlife which appeared for a drink. Too soon was the sight lost as once again, all they could see was pink.

Raz grunted and raised his neck, feeling something pull him back and reach for his blade, pressing it to him. The other girls stood still, not once wavering or making any expression, only following his hand as it lowered down during the surprise. Dimyri gripped hard, tighting her arm around his neck and shakily keeping his knife aimed to his face.

"You know what to do, break it."

"Too soon."

"What?"

"You made your move too soon, better to have followed along rather than make a move here of all places~uhn." Raz winced, feeling his lip twitch as Dimyri flexed her hold around him tighter. The sudden movement made him meet his blade, dipping its edge into his neck like a brush requiring a touch of red paint.

"I think you should be more careful, I'm the one with the weapon here."

"Yes, but what do you have to gain? You're trapped, lost, and isolated. Your family won't help you anymore, and you're far from home to recognize much down here." He swallowed, admittedly rather nervous. Antagonizing a woman like her in such a position could prove fatal, he knew this. It wasn't confidence, he could not display such under his voice, he preferred to describe himself as rather crude. Honesty in it's most honest state.

Dimyri squeezed her eyes, repeating his words in her head and endlessly debating what to do. No, she had to fight, Mother would want this! Keeping the dagger in its place, she glared at this boy and leaned in to whisper in a rather hoarse voice. "What makes you so damn confident, like you know how this goes?"

"Because, your hand is shaking the way mine would." He admitted, keeping both of his raised to show a lack of struggle in his part. At last, she relented and pulled away, cursing at herself and looking around. Somehow, they kept going further below. She reached for her Mother's arm, shaking her, then repeating this action with her other siblings to no avail.

Raz rubbing his throat saw what was happening. "Don't bother, they're under the influence of the Demon's Eye. It stimulates any creature that houses demonic magic within, yet somehow you're resisting." As he said this, Dimyri looked up to meet him with a sharp glare.

"As if I know the reason why, probably has to do with the spell Dad put me under. But he couldn't bother sharing that detail, crud."

"He... did do this to you, intentionally?" He saw she wasn't interested in responding, busying herself with the hypnotized state of her family. "I'm sorry."

She scoffed. "Sure."

"I'm sorry about your father, I didn't realize... of all the hunters he could have assigned-"

"Don't be so modest." She intruded, combing her hair back in frustration. "Unless you don't see it, this was planned."

He looked up at her with wide eyes. "How?"

"Well he seemed too eager to listen to the story, too excited as if he had rehearsed the words himself. It felt a bit like knowing a secret others aren't in on yet, it was a bit obvious really. You read into that when you're stuck babysitting two little sisters."

Raz looked away to think when she now aimed the dagger to his chest. He froze.

"Take it, before I change my mind." She muttered, eyes diverted from his. He moved carefully to her, his trembling hands reaching for the handle and prying the weapon away from her, their fingers brushing gently. He was right, his hands do shake like hers.

Dimyri sighed and sat down, hugging her knees. Raz kneeled down to meet her, sheathing his weapon in doing so. Here lies a woman, a supposed Monster, on the verge of tears before him as she sat down, defeated. Her lip was quivering but she refused to shed a single tear, sobbing did nothing to help her before when Leone had captured her. She abhored the feeling of powerlessness then, of being inadequate just as she feared. Watching Nityri fight back, that was quite a display for her then, a spectacle of seeing a Monster fight back. It made her resent herself more, she had always opposed the idea of running yet when placed into battle she became prey.

Weak, pathetic, hopeless prey.

"I can't. I can't just lose again, not when they need me most." She whispered to herself, pondering and hoping for a scheme, a way to somehow break free. "Everything is going wrong, and I feel like it's just getting worse."

Raz stayed silent, empathetic to her struggle.

"Sometimes, the best way to handle a loss is to stand strong under defeat and accept it with pride. That's something Dad told me once before, I don't know if you Monsters understand but it reflects the pressure of being in charge. Having so many people depend on you, not realizing the gravity of your decisions and how much it affects their lives."

He lifted his head as that lingering thought re-emerged. "What did you mean when you said this was planned?"

She shook her head, speaking to him like a condescending mother. "That priest hasn't stopped smiling since we turned ourselves in, and he only sent my father to find us. He is planning something and it's turning to his favor, I would imagine it is going exceptionally well. I'm just afraid of what will happen now."

Raz stood back up alone. She followed and stood up, realizing the momentum of their platform was fading slowly. They were nearing their stop.

"Whatever Father has planned I am sure is for the best." He spoke to her, looking up ahead. She made no attempt to talk back, no sound or noise. Was she beginning to accept it, he wondered? He couldn't say, for the first time this was someone he could not read. She was unpredictable, perhaps the most dangerous person to him and yet, the most intriguing. A dangerous line to stand on.

This platform at last began to hinder in its slow pace, filling the cat girl with dread. They have certainly gone a long way down.