Of Leviathans and Mad Dragons

The sun shown down on a small town in the mountains of Seven. It was a rather small and unknown town. Making it just the better for a dark mage to hideout. Riku Kallabaan, had been traveling for several days now and following clues about a certain dragon slaying dark mage. A billboard from a far off town had told of a bounty on the mages head and the devil slayer decided he would take it up. He had worn a black button down dress shirt and a pair of tan khakis, using his water magic to keep him cool despite the high temperatures.

Entering into the town he found that it wasn't very active, living up to the rumor he heard that few people actually lived there. "Great place for a dark mage to hide out." He said to himself, making his way to the local tavern to try and gather some information from the locals, if any were there at all.

As Riku entered the tavern, it was desolate to say the least. Only a few couple of partrons, chugging away their worries and concerns in strong, thick ale. Riku approached the bar where the Tavernowner and bartender cleaned glasses and saw to the beverages on the desk and wall. When he got close, the tavernowner looked up to him, a deadly cold gaze as he simply asked the foreign man: "What would you like?"

Riku took a seat at one of the bar stools, matching his cold gaze with his own. From the glare alone he got the feeling that the barkeep wasn't going to give out information to a foreigner. He had to play it smart. "Just a beer for right now, and some information. I'm looking for a girl, a family member of mine that ran away. Has anyone, unusual passed through here?"

"What was she running away from?" The barkeep asked back, not answering Riku's question. "Besides, people come and go from here all the time. Though mostly go these days." He finished as he poured a strong beer for the new guest, passing it over to his new patron without as much as looking him in the eye. If Riku was attentive, he could see the fear that suddenly replaced a sizable piece of the coldness in his eyes.

The Devil Slayer took notice of the man's subtle fear. A chill ran up his own spin that made him want to question further. "An argument with her husband. She's pretty easy to recognize. She had bright blonde hair." He took a sip of the beer and let the coldness of it refresh him as he studied the barkeep.

The barkeep seemed to relax, if only a bit at those words. There was quite a difference between their current plight and the lass he was describing. "Then no, I can't recall anyone that fits your description. Might have passed through, might not. I mostly just stick in here to know whoever visits."

Riku could see the barkeep relax and understood his mistake. But he kept the man's fear in mind and decided on a plan. "Well that isn't good. She is a rather powerful mage and I would rather her not be recruited by a dark guild. I hear stories of them running around desolate places like this."

"You must not have that much faith in your family if you think she will join a Dark Guild just like that. And if she is powerful, wouldn't she be able to hold them off? Yes, we've... Had a bit of an issue with Dark Guilds the last few months. Yet as the council moved in a couple weeks ago, they have scattered to the winds, not really wanting to deal with them."

"Well that is the problem. She can be a little crazy. Quick to anger and a bit mean. Perhaps someone fitting that description has passed. Or maybe stayed." He finished off his beer and indicated he wanted another.

The bartender stiffened with his back turned against the newcomer. "I think you should leave now." He said as he pointed behind him with his thumb. Behind Riku would see the whole bar staring angrily at him, almost as if they wanted to tear him limb from limb themselves. "Just pay your bill and leave."

Riku grinned as he got the intended reaction. This answered his question, he reached into his pouch and pulled out more than enough money as a tip. "Thank you for answering my questions." Getting up he looked around the bar, not seeing his target from the several patrons and made his way out. "I'm staying the night. If you see her tell her, its time to come home."

As he made his way out, the barkeep and all of the patrons would have noticed that their respective drinks that had been sloshing around as Riku emanated his magical presence, the entire tap had also been vibrating. When he left the whole bar stopped moving.

As he left, he began to notice several companies of Rune Knights patroling the streets of the town. One of them called over him towards them before adressing him with a warning: "You should find yourself some shelter mage. Find a lodging or simply leave the town. It is not safe here these days."

"I'm guessing there is a rogue dark mage out here?" He asked, being a mage that typically took legal jobs he didn't have much of a distaste for the Rune Knights as others did. He looked the company up and down and although they seems prepared they also seemed on edge. "I'm on a job here."

"Then get it done quickly or wait until the morning. We are not certain what is causing this unease. A dark mage would make sense, but we have yet to track it down. Make sure to keep eyes on your six as you traverse the town."

Not wanting the Rune Knights to take his job over or capture the person before he could he lied. "Give me until tomorrow morning then you can look over the town. It will be a quick job I promise."

"No can do, sir. I don't doubt your skill, but if we leave, we would not only disobey our orders, but we would leave the town all but defenseless. We need to keep patroling to keep the civilians safe. If you think you can do your work in spite of that, feel free to remain. I can only warn you, not command. Good luck, sir." The officer spoke as he and his comany continued down the streets, doing their inspection of every crook and cranny.

Riku groaned as he heard the Rune Knight speak. He watched them walk off, now understanding he had a two pronged mission. Bring the girl in, and keep her away from the Rune Knights, because they might intrude on getting his reward. He turned in the opposite direction and made his way around the town.

Riku would then feel a tug on his coat, from someone trying to draw his attention. When he turned around there was a small child standing there, no older than ten at most, and a pleading look in her eye. "Are... Are you looking for the bad lady that is hurting us?"

He looked at the young child and knelt down in front of her. "Yes that's what I'm trying to do."

The little girl looked around every corner and cranny, as if expecting something to jump out at any second to hunt her. She leaned in to his ear and began to whisper: "There is a cave hidden by a magic lacrima that is buried under the earth. The cave is at a ten foot high rock in the forest. Go down there and you will find her." She said before running away, as if she was afraid of what was coming next.

Riku nodded as the little girl whispered into his ear. Memorizing what she said before she ran off. If this was gonna be a cave fight then he was out of his element and needed to prepare.

He made his way back to the tavern and toon out two large bottles. Filling them up with water before leaving. He out them in the backpack he carried and made his way to the forest. Searching for the rock the girl described.

It would not take long for him to find the rock that the girl had described to him. In the midst of the woods, some short distance from the treeline stood a mossy rock, inconspicuous to the world beyond it standing alone in the thick forest. After some digging in the earth, Riku would find a radiant grey lacrima. Once he shattered it, the pathways was revealed, a small and narrow way down through dirt and stone. As he reached the end of the stairs, his first discovery would be the numerous skeletons and corpses of the mage's victims. Broken bones and signs of stabbings were apparent wherever he looked.

He put his backpack down at the entrance to the bottom of the stairs and made his way through the room. "Not gonna make this easy I'm sure. Esma, you are wanted for a multitude of crimes and in here to bring you in."

As he spoke he looked at the bodies, analyzing everything about then and figuring out how his opponent might fight.

Riku continued down the cavernous path, things seemingly getting more quiet after his announcement. The distant rattling of bones ceased, the skittering of rats stopped and it seemed like even the air itself had grown still. Closer and closer he went, passing many a passage as he closed in on the center, and as he did, it only got quieter. That was until it started to come a sound of something moving across the stone. Steps from the front, and the shuffling of small stones from behind and around.

When Riku turned the corner, there stood something different than what the descriptions of Esma had entailed. Clad in a pure white tux with crimson trims, a golden violin on his back and a walkingstick with a carved apple on top, stood a foregin entity. Chalk White skin and slits for a nose, platina blonde hair and glistening white teeth filed to a razorsharp edge, there was no mistaking this creature for anything else than he was. A Demon. "Well! Ain't this a surprise?!" He exclaimed gleefully, his voice high and with a slight hiss in it. "Allow me to introduce myself! I am Rattler! Etherious, Performer, and Killer with bars!" He exclaimed, which only served to drown out the now slithering sounds from every direction. "May I ask your name?"

Riku couldn't form words as he rounded the corner. Why he hadn't felt the magical presence that indicated the demon earlier was beyond him, but perhaps it was because he wasn't focusing on his magic, or didn't expect to find one. Still, the minute he saw the demon, he felt his anger boil. The magic that was meant to slay the creature before him burned in his body and felt the black markings on his chest and arms ripple in anxious excitement for the fight.

Despite the demon's rather chipper attitude, Riku kept his calm and looked it over. His magic giving him knowledge over its base powers and what he could do. He was going to give a fake name, but something took over him for a moment, a darker emotion clouded his mind and he spoke. "You can call me Kallavan."