***NEED WORK

Fatigue and weariness overtook her as Mivian rested against the wall. She breathed heavily and shut her eyes tight, trying to get her heart rate to go down. She leaned her head against the wall, sighing shakily. A sudden image of her leaning against the demon's body floated to her mind and she cringed, pulling her head away from the wall. Tucking her body forward, she placed her head in her hands. She felt different; strange in a bad way. She lifted her head and stared down at her hands, and saw that they were shaking.
She immediately understood why.

Why was my Energy Pulse fading so fast?!

She was well aware that her Pulse was fading, but this was unnatural. She was losing Energy without casting any Wards or Incantations.
It's like getting blood drained out of my body... her dark thoughts haunted her as she clenched her hands into a fist.
Mivian took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind.

That was when she felt it.
A stinging sensation stabbed at the back, pulling at her skin as if the wall had suddenly grown needles under her back. Her back was going numb, the dull needle-like sensation spreading fast. Her hearing and vision started to grow dim.

"What the hell is---"
Mivian didn't even get to finish her sentence. She felt a familiar sensation coming from behind her. She immediately dove to the side, dodging the attack. She rolled out of the way, just as two arms shot out from the depth of the shadows, barely missing her head. She watched in horror as the arm pressed down on the ground, pulled out of the shadows a head, torso, and then legs. The shadow made a sick, sucking sound like slime as a body emerged. It snapped its head towards Mivian and stared at her with its silver-blue eyes.
It was the demon leader.
Mivian glared at him with all the smoldering hate she held inside of her chest. The demon walked out of the shadows into clear view, chuckling to himself.
"Dear Divine!! That was such a rude start! I beg your pardon," he said cheerfully, his tone bitingly sarcastic.
"Let's start anew, shall we? Good evening, madam. My name is Valton."
Valton gave a sweeping bow, mocking pleasant gentlemanly mannerism. He looked at her, obviously expecting a response. When none came, he let out an exasperated sigh.
"It's usually polite to respond to someone who'd introduced themselves," he said smoothly.

Mivian continued to glare at him, refusing to feel intimidated. Valton chuckled to himself and evenly gazed back.
"Well? Come---"
"Sorry, but I'm not the type of being who gives their name to any given thing. Forget it." Mivian cut him off, making sure he got the message that she loathed him with passion.
Valton shook his head slightly, an amused smile playing at his lips. Oh how she would have loved to go over and kick that smile off that face...
"Oh my...if looks could kill..." Valton chuckled.
"Then I would have made sure you died a thousand times," again, Mivian cut him off, spitting back an answer with disgust.

Valton looked at her blankly and breathed out slowly. He closed his eyes for a moment before he snapped them open, revealing a different emotion than before.
"You will learn to respect your superiors," he growled, his eyes flickering anger.
Mivian scoffed, rolling her eyes at him.
"Who said I was inferior to a wasted existence like you?"

Valton smirked darkly and flashed out of view.
Mivian was caught off guard. She didn't even have a chance to get into a defensive stance. The next second she saw a sudden shadow looming over her and something collided with the side of her face, the impact drilling deep into her skull. She shrieked out in pain and surprise as she was thrown aside, landing roughly on her back. She gasped out in pain as the air was knocked out of her lungs at such a brute force, leaving her dazed and weak. Carefully, she sat up, her left hand pressed against her stinging left cheek. It took a moment for her to register what had happened.

"You bastard... you did not just bitch-slap me!!"
Mivian shot up to her feet, furious.
"You son-of-a---"
Her outburst came to an abrupt end as the shadow reappeared in front of her again.
Valton grabbed her by her trench coat collar and yanked her towards him as he slammed his knee up into her stomach. She doubled over, pain searing into her abdomen. She gagged, unable to inhale against the pain. Before she can regain her composure, she took another blow; this time, a kick to the side of her rib. A weak cry escaped her lips as she was thrown back yet again, this time colliding into a wall. Her head snapped back and cracked against the wall hard. She came down on all four and coughed, trying to breathe. She gritted her teeth against the pain, not wanting to give Valton the satisfaction.

Mivian felt her body groan in protest as she tried to get up. When she noticed footsteps coming toward her, she froze. She cringed even before the shadow reached her. Suddenly. Mivain was grabbed up by her hair and forced to stand up. Her breath caught in her throat in reaction to the pain as she was forced up.
Valton looked at her with his dark smirk before slamming her head into the wall. A metallic taste filled her mouth and pain rippled through her head and down her spine. Mivian forced her eyes open, fighting against the sudden heaviness of her mind and eyes. Something glinted behind Valton, distracting her for a split second--- and then she felt all the strength and fight leave her body.
She had lost her dagger. She was practically defenseless.
... no, she still had her pistol. If only Valton was patient enough to let her draw it---

Mivian didn't bother trying to catch herself from crashing into the ground as she collapsed in a broken heap. She couldn't breathe. She laid there shaking in pain, trying so hard to keep herself conscious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Zavius trailed behind Ava as they rushed their way through Stranaglastre's sleeping streets, not making a single sound as they went. He looked up at the stars as they ran on the rooftops of the common dwellings.
"Hang in there, Miv... We're coming," he whispered, the sound lost in the gust of wind that blew against their faces.

Suddenly, Ava stopped dead in her tracks. If Zavius did not have the reflexes he would have crashed into her, throwing them both off the roof. Standing behind her, he couldn't see her face as the wind blew her loose jet black hair, sending it whipping around in the current.
"Ava," he called to her, not knowing what to say.
Ava raised her left hand, signaling Zavius to give her a moment. Few seconds went by as he waited patiently, growing tense.

Suddenly, Ava started running again, veering off to the right and off the roof. Caught off guard, Zavius hesitated a second before following her lead. Ava gracefully leaped off the flat stones on the roof and onto a nearby lamp post. She kicked off, back-flipping in the air and she landed softly and silently on her toes.
Zavius watched from the edge of the roof with his arms crossed.
"Show-off," he muttered.
Ava stood up straight and peered up at him expectantly, waiting for him to get down.
"Working on it, chief," he said and jumped, grabbing onto the lamp post.

He slid down and around, his methods not as graceful as his partner. He stopped before Ava and gave her a sweeping bow.
"Was that fancy enough for you?" he asked.
"It was efficient," she answered dryly.
She then turned her head to her left, instantly focused on something. Zavius followed her gaze and a vile creeping sensation came over him from that direction. He saw why Ava had stopped.
The pair were in a small market square, the buildings and houses all standing around the circular area. In an alleyway in between the two houses they were running on just moments ago, there were two shadows lying in noticeable lumps on the ground. There in the shady damp alley was two dumbfound demons, obviously Warded. Zavius peered closer, his senses reaching out to feel for their Flame.
"They're still alive," Ava told him. "In shock, maybe, but nevertheless, alive."

Zavius cautiously approached the closest one to him and kneeled next to it. It was apparent that it had taken on a disguise as a human for some reason. But half of the disguise was melting away, showing through 'his' original form. Zavius looked away, disgusted. It was not pretty. Ava, however, didn't lower her gaze. she walked over to the half dissolved creature, bent down and put her palm against its side.
"Solvo," she murmured.
A dark purple ring floated around the body's frame, revealing a Ward. The glowing ring snapped and the Ward was erased under her counter Ward. Ava got up without another word, a grave look on her face. Zavius stood up, brushing off his cargo pants.
"Corpus Necto, or Body Bind, a Dark Ward," Ava said.
Zavius nodded, already aware of the fact.
"Cast about thirty minutes ago." she added.
Zavius looked at her, worry kicking in.
"But then that would mean---"
"That she could be absolutely anywhere by now, if she wasn't already in the hands of the demons." Ava finished.
She turned away and started to scan the area for any leads or hints to suggest the direction Mivian had gone from there. Zavius cracked his knuckles anxiously and looked up into the sky, hoping to get a glimpse of some kind of good omen suggesting his friend's safety. Ava seemed to noticed the tension and the visible stress he was in and went over to him. She patted his arm gently as if to sooth him. Zavius looked down to see Ava with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes,
Why does she do that? he thought, despite his reeling thoughts. Her smiles never reach her eyes...
"Don't fret so. Our Mivian is strong. Besides, these guys are not half the pain of what we deal with on out missions," she said.
Her voice was soothing, but also with confidence that reassured him. He didn't know what to say but he felt himself grin. She had that effect on everyone; knowing what to say and how to say it, despite the fact that she can't make herself smile genuinely. He trusted Ava and her words. Mivian is strong. He believed in his friends.

He was about to say so when he sensed a sudden chill in the surrounding atmosphere. Zavius looked up, all senses alert.
"Looks like our party hosts found us," he said.
Ava, too, sensed the change in the air and dropped her hand from his arm. Her eyes scanned around for the invisible enemy, her senses prying around. Swiftly, she wheeled around behind Zavius, facing the other direction. She dropped to a kneeling position to the ground, setting her weapons down beside her. Then, she started to undo her trench coat, swiftly shrugging out of her sleeves. Zavius kept an eye out for her. He knew this routine of hers all too well. She was prepping for combat. Her trench coat now hung loose at her waist by its belt, revealing her black halter top mission gear that bared her shoulders. Her black glovelettes covered most of her arms, only showing her fingers and upper arm. She stood up and tied her hair up in a high ponytail. The whole routine was done within half a minute. Ava readjusted her sash, grabbed up her sai and jabbed them into her sash. She picked up her katana and kept it out, leaving it sheathed.
Zavius took out his black dagger and took on a comfortable, calm position. He thought out the situation they were in.
If they both stayed, it would only be a waste of time. Maybe that was their plan---to delay them.
Zavius glanced around, and back at Ava. She, too, looked relaxed, yet slightly annoyed. She must have thought the same about the situation too. He turned to her, his height looming over her by a good foot and a half.
One of them would have to go ahead.

"Ava, go on ahead. Miv probably needs you more than I at the moment." he whispered to her, loud enough so that only she could hear.
A startled expression came across her face and she blinked. She turned to face him.
"Are you sure?" she hissed back.
Zavius nodded.
"Positive. I'll catch up after I clean up here." he reassured.
Ava turned to him fully, studying his face. Zavius smiled at her. She just nodded and took a few steps back.
"Be careful. And... thanks."
And with that, she disappeared into thin air.
Zavius smiled to himself.
"My pleasure."

He looked around the square and saw shadows pulling away from the buildings and houses. Howls and groans echoed from nowhere as the shadows wrenched themselves out of the dark, solidifying into their original form. Zavius counted them out loud.
"Three, four, five. Five... that would have to do," he sighed, stepping forward. "Don't you guys know it's rude to keep a guest waiting? It's only common sense."

The demons snarled and hissed menacingly, diving right at Zavius all at once. Zavius tossed his dagger up into the air. It glinted sharply in the moonlight, as if it was eager to cut.
Yum, party, Zavius thought to himself. Let's make this sweet n' clean.

He flew into the air as the demons collided into the ground where he stood seconds before. He snatched his dagger out of the air and dove after the mangled pile on the ground, laughing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ava found herself sprinting through the shadows on the rooftops, leaping from house to house yet again. Her muscles were starting to tense painfully but she did not allow herself to rest or slow down. Silently and slyly, she crept on through the dark. Trails of Mivian's Energy were found on the Ward-bound demons, and she was following that trail in hopes to find her. From what she could gather from the trail itself, Mivian was losing Energy and her Pulse was fading away at an alarmingly rapid rate.
It's as if she is pouring out her Energy... Or getting it sucked dry out of her...
Her dark thoughts haunted her with dark theories. The trail was noticeably thinning, adding to her conclusion as evidence.
I must be close.

Ava gripped the tsuka of her katana, prying her mind from her ever growing fatigue. Her mind wandered back to Zavius. His ridiculous smile flashed into her mind.
That fool, she thought, smiling slightly despite herself. He's probably enjoying this.
She continued on in her full sprinting speed, leaping over another alley and onto another rooftop. Midair, she was struck by a sudden chilling sensation. Immediately, she brought her foot down into the roof below her, skidding into an abrupt halt. A Flame flickered angrily not far away from where she stood now. She peered down the dark alley, trying to sense where the source was. Not getting anything, she jumped down into the dark depth of the alley.
The fall was short and sweet.
Ava landed on the the ground on soft, bent knees, her uniform trench coat flaring up. She bent down and pressed her palms down to the moist stone surface. She felt the skin-crawling sensation of the Flame travel up her arm.
So close, but where?
Her mind raced rapidly as she focused deeper. Somewhere... somewhere ahead of her, the flame flickered and twitched with mixed emotions as it grew slowly. Its aura was vile and dark. But it was not alone. A little further away, just few feet apart from the Flame, was a faint Pulse, the vibration of it shot through Ava's arm warmly. Mivian.

Ava shot up from the ground without hesitation. She looked ahead of her, down the alley. It was dark and cold; the smog prevented her from seeing her footing. Not giving that much concern, she broke out into a sprint. Staying lightly on her feet, she sped through the dark, the smog swirling at her ankles as she brushed by. There was a dim light of the six moons leaking in from the alley exit. Wind pressed into her face as she raced closer and closer... and she was out.

Ava found herself at the Southern Plaza of Stranaglastre. It was a great ring, with a great public water fountain in the middle. She looked around, searching for her targets. It wasn't hard; the whole plaza was deserted except for two shadows on the other side. Neither of them noticed as Ava crept around the edge of the plaza, making sure to stay in the safety of the shadows. As she crept closer, she saw that Mivian was more torn up and beaten than she had hoped to see. The demon opposing her roared into laughter about something, and Mivian looked absolutely dumbstruck.
The demon reached into his jacket pocket and pulled something out...

"Oh, Vardavit," Ava swore under her breath.

In his hand was Mivian's pistol. In the other hand was her silver dagger. In other words, Mivian was defenseless. The two exchanged a few more threatening stabs of words at each other.
Ava stared in shock as the demon raised the dagger. She didn't wait another second. She flashed forward, hoping to make it.
"I wasn't truly giving you a choice, love..." Ava heard the demon say, right as he flung the dagger.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mivian laid on the ground in a rather uncomfortable position, heaving for breath. A little distance away from her Valton paced, staring at her. He was obviously enjoying himself. He sauntered over to where her dagger had fallen and picked it up casually. He tossed it in the air and caught it, teasing Mivian. He smirked at her weakness.
She wanted so much to jump up and kick his face in so it cave in his skull permanently. Mivian tried to stand, not without struggles. Valton clicked his tongue in amusement, his eyes never leaving her shaking form.
"Look at you. So shaken... so torn. So..."
He paused in mock thought, bringing his hand to his temples.
"...so pathetic."

Mivian bristled, anger surging through her with new life. She forced herself to stand, ignoring the screaming pain of her muscles. She stood shakily on her feet, pulling herself up to full height as best as she could. She glared hard at Valton and reached for her pistol.
Her fingers grabbed at an empty holster. Valton roared with laughter at Mivian's shocked expression. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out into his hand. It was her pistol.
At that moment, all hopes and anger drained out of her body. She sank to her knees, defeated.
"How... When..." she stammered, her mouth unable to form the question.
Valton looked down at the pistol in his hand innocently.
"Oh this? Surely, you remember. Remember, when we first got together in the alley..." he said, toying with the pistol. An image of her head leaning against Valton's chest flashed in her memory. She cringed mentally and looked away, wanting to forget. She heard him chuckle.
"Even though you won't tell me your name, I want to thank you," he said.

Mivian glared, not knowing what he meant. He went on.
"I found that I enjoyed myself tonight."
Valton smiled darkly, his evil intentions visible in his eyes.
"Just wait until you see what I have in store for you. We're going to---"

"Who the hell said you were going to take me anywhere?" Mivian cut in, anger raging insider her chest.
Valton frowned, his eyes turning dangerously dark.
"Being female and inferior to me, you have no say in that matter"
"The hell I don't!! Apparently you haven't had a real girlfriend to tell you otherwise." she spat back.

Valton sighed tiredly and shook his head. He took on a casual stance in attemps to hide his anger, but his eyes betrayed him.
"After all that, you still haven't learned to respect your superiors. So pathetic." he growled.
This time Mivian laughed, earning a death glare from Valton.
"After all that, you still haven't learned that you are just a pile of shit. So stupid." she said, reflecting his words right back at him. "Face it. I'm no inferior to you. You can't make me go anywhere I don't want to."

Valton's angry frown curled up into a menacing smirk.
"Oh really? Who is the one beaten to shreds? Besides,"
Valton lifted Mivian's silver dagger.
"I wasn't truly giving you a choice, love..."

And he flung the dagger right at her chest.
Mivian shut her eyes and looked away, waiting for the cold blade to rip through her skin and into her heart. She waited for her blood-curdling scream, the pain and the warm, sticky blood.

But none of them came.

Confused, she opened her eyes slowly and saw the dagger, just millimeters away from its target. It took her a while to notice a slender, pale hand on the hilt of the dagger and a shadow that was cast over her. Mivian let her eyes wander up the black glovelette of the arm and pale skin of the bare back. Black hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail blew gently in the breeze.
Mivian's eyes widened with shock but her chest swelled with an overwhelming flood of relief.

"Hello Mivian. Having a rough night, love?" Ava inquired, breathing heavily and with the dagger stopped in her hand.