Standard Mission: Singing Bones

- Cleo -

Finally, it seemed like they were making some progress. While the villagers' initial comments hadn't been helpful, Bastion's suggestion of caves had triggered a waterfall of useful information. If there were caves in the mountains that these demons might find suitable to inhabit, that was a better starting point than they'd previously had to work with.

"I definitely think we should check out any known caves in the mountains." Cleo responded, nodding at Rohan's suggestion. "Even from the outside, we should be able to tell if any of them are currently being used by a pack of demons. That isn't the kind of presence that can be easily covered up. There would be too many tracks, even on a rocky surface."

He glanced in Bastion's direction. "If the caves are a fair distance away, it might be best to have Archangel scout them from the air. He can cover more distance than the rest of us, and in the mean time, we can try to come up with some way to avoid getting charmed by whatever demon seems to be drawing villagers out at night."

The Mountain Village - Assembly Hall

- Bastion -

"A sound plan," Bastion replied. Leaving Cleo and Rohan to discuss strategies against the demon's charms, he headed outside and out of sight of any of the villagers before summoning Archangel.

"You heard the plan?" he asked.

Archangel nodded and turned his gaze toward the mountains, sharp eyes narrowing as he surveyed the landscape. "I should tell you that my priority will always be your safety."

"Yes, thank you," Bastion replied, puzzled by the comment.

Archangel faced him and frowned. "I do not think you understand. If this demon attempts to charm you and take your life, I will have no reservations in removing you from the area and back to Chaldea.

Bastion's eyes widened. So that was what he meant. "Archangel, I can't-"

"Don't waste time with arguments," his demon countered. "If you wish to avoid such a scenario, make sure you have some prevention against the demon's wiles."

Extending his wings, Archangel swooped into the air and headed off toward the mountains. Bastion watched him go, then returned to the hall, mind buzzing. When he rejoined the others, he looked between Cleo and Rohan for any signs of progress.

"Any progress on a counter-charm?" he asked.

Mountain Village

Assembly Hall

Rohan looked thoughtful as both Bastion and Cleo immediately jumped into action.

“I know which caves they mean,” he added. “They are high up the mountain, where the tree line stops, and the terrain becomes rockier. The soil is full of gravel there and tends to be pretty dry in the summer.”

“Some of them are probably interconnected, but we’ve never gone up there to map them out. They are too far away to be worth the effort,” he explained. It was clear from his words and the previous explanations of the villagers, that the general stance of the village was, to stay as close to home as possible.

He addressed Bastion when he returned. “Can you instruct your demon to search the south side of the nearest mountain above the tree line? That’s where you might have the most luck.”

“And when Archangel does find a cave that looks promising, I can provide you one of my scouts to show you the quickest way.”

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Akio, who was trying to get his attention.

“I trust you won’t need the advice of the elderly anymore. At least for now?” When neither objected, he added “Then I will send them back to their families.” Rohan walked up to the one who had spoken before and thanked him thoroughly before escorting him and the others to the door.

Only when they were alone and it was just him and the two Vanguards, did he wave over Akio.

“You look like you have something important to tell me,” he said, his face looking serious.

His sister nodded. “Two things, she said. “Firstly, maybe I found something that connects our victims. And secondly…” she hesitated, looking worried. “The Council went to visit Vayu.”

------------------

Mountain Range

The sun had risen to full height and in the valley, no cloud was covering the sky. As Archangel rose up higher and higher, a bank of clouds became visible just beyond the first range of mountains. They were dark and thick, a clear sign of rain clouds and being the mountains, they might also carry a thunderstorm.

However, for now, they were still too far away to be of any concern. Instead, a light breeze swept down the mountain, carrying the cold air that was so typical for early fall. The forest beneath Archangel had not yet fully transformed into a fall forest, though the first orange and yellow trees could be seen.

As the top of the mountains came closer, the trees changed from broad-leafed trees to conifers. They stood tall with their pointy tops, resisting the sometimes harsh conditions.

Soon they also thinned and gave way to low brush and grassy meadows. And they soon transformed into a scree covered slope with large boulders and deep ravines. Untamed land that only submitted to the forces of nature.

Within this rocky terrain darks spots became visible. Were they shadows of the entrance to a cave?

The Mountain Village - Mountain Slopes

- Archangel -

Bastion’s voice passed through Archangel’s mind as he continued to scout, relaying Rohan’s instructions.He chafed a bit at this but made no complaint. Bastion seemed to like him, after all, and the other man did have promise. Perhaps, when the time came, he would join the Armies of Heaven. But that was some time away. For now, he had more pressing issues.

He dropped closer to survey the potential cave openings he’d seen from high above, though he still kept some height. By all accounts, neither the demon behind the attacks nor the predatory mob beneath it had any capacity to reach the air, so he should be safe at a distance if any were near. He would die for Bastion, if need be, but certainly not for this village or its people.

Archangel’s eyes narrowed. Yes… Rohan’s instincts had been sound. The gravelly soil appeared disturbed near the cave entrance, the kind that comes from large movements. There was no guarantee they were there now, but it seemed likely they’d been there at some point.

With a flap of his wings, he regained altitude to fly back to Bastion and make his report.

———————————————

The Mountain Village - Assembly Hall

- Archangel -

Bastion almost didn’t notice Akio’s arrival as he relayed Rohan’s instructions to Archangel, but as he turned back to rejoin the conversation, he caught Akio’s news and brightened up.

“A connection? Intriguing. What possible link did you find? And how?” he fired off, excited.

It was only then that the rest of the news registered when he saw everyone’s expressions tighten, especially Akio and Rohan’s.

“Oh…” He swallowed. “That’s… bad, isn’t it?”

Was there something they could do? Was there even time for it when their window of attack was slowly closing?

- Cleo -

"Of course." Cleo responded when Rohan asked him about the elderly villagers. "I believe they've provided us with the best information that they can, and I wouldn't want to keep them away from whatever else they need to do today."

As they filtered out of the room, Cleo contemplated how to approach the charm. He still wasn't entirely sure that it would work on him, but even if it didn't, Bastion could still be a target. So, they would need a more solid plan. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to produce one before Bastion returned.

Just as he opened his mouth to say as much, a warmth settled against his side, and Silky materialized with a smug look on her face. It took Cleo a moment to realize why, but after a few seconds, it clicked. "You can nullify ailments, can't you?"

Her smile spread as she nodded.

"That might be exactly what we need." Cleo grinned, looking to Bastion for confirmation.

Making a humming sound, Silky hugged him from the side and then danced in Akio's direction. She stopped short upon seeing the worried look on the other woman's face though.

After Akio spoke, Cleo now had a worried look of his own. "Vayu mentioned wanting to weigh in on our plan." Cleo said, looking towards Bastion again. "Perhaps a visit is in order before we wander off into the woods? Despite the current situation, he is still a member of the team. Besides, it could take Archangel a little while to reach the caves, even if he can fly."

The Mountain Village - Assembly Hall

- Bastion -

Bastion could understand Cleo's logic, but the situation was more delicate than he was considering.

"Is that a good idea?" he asked, directing the question to Rohan instead. "We certainly wouldn't want to impede on your Council's affairs and get you or your family in any trouble."

It would be a good chance to make their case to the Council to free Vayu so he could help them out... assuming he wasn't guilty of the charges in question, of course. They still didn't really have the information to know either way.

Mountain Village

Assembly Hall

“Well, it’s not good. My guess is that they tried to offer him a deal in exchange for the confession that they never got.” Rohan replied, looking thoughtful. “Did you try to talk to Vayu?”

Akio nodded. “It tried but he wouldn’t talk to me,” she said. “Are you gonna try?”

Rohan shook his head. “I will go ask the Council directly.”

At this Akio looked even more worried. “I won’t make it about our family. But technically they did talk to a prisoner without consulting with the captain of the guard.”

He turned to Cleo and Bastion.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect them to escalate so quickly. My hope was that they would wait until we’ve made some progress,” Rohan explained. “I’ll be at the Council building.”

And with that he turned around to leave. Akio looked after him until the door closed. Then she turned back to Cleo and Bastion and sighed.

“Um…well, about the connection between the victims…,” she said. “I talked to the wife again. From the victim that you brought back. She…well... she …” Akio lowered her voice, clearing troubled by the words. “…she suspected her husband of being unfaithful.”

“So, I talked to the wife of the most recent victim and found that she actually had, what she felt is proof, that her husband was cheating.” Akio rubbed her forehead. “I haven’t had time to talk to the other woman. Nor was there time to check all their stories, but I thought I should tell you right away.”

“What do you think about this?”
------------------

Mountain Range

As Archangel turned around in a large arc after inspecting the cave that appeared suspicious, he could see another ravine to his right.

It lead into steep down into a riverbed from a river that had dried up. However, the place where it once came out of the mountain was not just a small crevice but a large gaping hole instead.

The Mountain Village - Assembly Hall

- Bastion -

As Rohan headed off to see the Council, Bastion watched him go with a frown. He wished they could have helped in some way, but without Rohan asking, he didn't feel comfortable inserting him into the situation.

In any case, there wasn't much time to think about that either way since Akio had information for them that changed the way the case suddenly appeared.

"Unfaithful?" His eyes widened. "How could she withhold information like that? Doesn't she understand what's at stake here?"

Certainly, he could see why that might be embarrassing to her, but this was about more than just her.

He shook his head. "In any case, thank you for telling us, Akio. That does shed a lot of light on the situation."

Though he couldn't be sure, one demon did pop to mind now. In the Vanguard Archives, he had come across notes from a land in the old world called Japan about a spider demon that ensnared a woodcutter with the illusion of a beautiful woman.

"Have you heard of a jorogumo?" he asked the two, eyes narrowed.

-------------------------

The Mountain Village - Mountain Slopes

- Archangel -

Hmm? Intriguing. Archangel's sharp eyes spied a dried-up riverbed and swooped in lower to see. He surveyed the place where the river had once gushed out of the mountain, a dark, gaping hole burrowing deep inside. Certainly, this would provide a perfect habit for the demon as well.

He gazed up at the sun, flapping his wings as he considered it. They still had time, but it wouldn't be wise to wait too long, or else they might end up caught in the dark when the demon roused itself to feast.

- Cleo -

The sudden escalation of Vayu’s situation didn’t bode well for their continued stay in the village, but the man himself had seemed determined to solve this before they left. At what point did they simply cut their losses and return home?

Cleo glanced at Akio for a moment, frowning. Vayu wouldn’t want to leave her behind in this kind of situation. In fact, Cleo suspected that the other Vanguard wouldn’t be pleased with abandoning anyone in this village to their fate, even if it meant his own continued imprisonment. Once more, he found himself wondering what exactly had happened here all those years ago.

The mention of the taken men being unfaithful also didn’t sit well with him. Despite his own reputation, Cleo made sure to never promise his partners anything he couldn’t deliver on. They all went into things knowing the score. Maybe a few thought they could change him, but he’d learned how to spot those and avoid getting entangled with them early on.

“Not everyone’s life is an open book.” Cleo responded to Bastion’s confusion about the woman’s previously withheld information. “Some secrets cut so deeply that a person would do anything to stuff them away in a box, out of sight.” Looking pensive, Cleo ran a hand through his hair, just brushing his fingertips over the horns hidden there.

Bastion’s next question caused him to raise an eyebrow. “I know an Arachne in Chaldea, and I remember seeing that in a list of spider demons, but I don’t remember much about it. Do you think that’s what we’re dealing with here?”

Cleo shook his head before Bastion could respond. “How about we go run that theory by Vayu and have a chat about how we want to handle the remainder of our mission?” He glanced in Akio's direction, offering her a weak smile. “Would you like to join us?”

Mountain Village

Assembly Hall

Akio looked between the two Vanguard. She had never heard of this demon, nor had anyone she knew.

“As Cleo said, some secrets are best kept quiet,” she said apologetically to Bastion. “Especially here, where everyone likes to get up into everyone else’s business, you can only keep a secret if you don’t tell anyone.”

Akio nodded at Cleo in agreement. “Yes, I’ll come along. Even though he wouldn’t talk to me before, maybe you have more luck. He seems to trust you guys.”

They walked outside.

“I’m sorry our village drama is affecting your mission,” Akio said. “I wish this was easier, but I suppose this is a past he cannot escape from.”

Choice:
A. Try to talk to Vayu
B. Try to talk to the Council

------------------

Mountain Range

From his vantage point in the air, Archangel couldn’t see far into the cave. There were some tracks and signs of use, but it was impossible to tell if they were just animal tracks or demon tracks.

The sun was already reaching its zenith and even though the southern slopes of the mountain would be basked in sunlight until late afternoon, the valley wouldn’t be so fortunate as the sun would begin to disappear behind other mountain peaks.

------------------

Prison Building

Upon their arrival to the stairs that previously lead to the basement, they were greeted by a closed door and the guard from downstairs standing in front of it.

Akio looked surprised. Clearly that hadn’t been the scene when she left earlier.

“What is going on?”

“Vayu said, he doesn’t want to talk to or see anyone,” the guard replied. Akio was already inhaling for a stern reply, when the guard hastily added more explanation. “It’s not something the Council ordered,” he said. “Vayu insisted he wanted to be left alone.”

------------------

Council Building

Rohan stormed into the Council Building. Three elder men sat around a table, deep in discussion. They stopped when Rohan entered the room and looked up. Their expressions said, they were less than amused to see him.

“Why did you talk to Vayu?” Rohan insisted directly, skipping all the chit-chat.

One of them stood up. “This is none of your professional business. You’re Captain of the Guard,” the man explained. His hair was already white, but despite his age, his eyes were clear and sharp.

“You made it my business when you talked to my prisoner without my permission,” Rohan insisted.

The Head of Council looked at him with a belittling smile. “Oh Rohan, you’re still trying to play the hero. Even for your lost brother. It would be so much better for you and your family if you just gave it up. Vayu is the only guilty party left from five years ago-“

“It was never proven that he was guilty!” Rohan interrupted.

The Head of Council chuckled. “The facts were pretty overwhelming,” he replied. “It’s only because of his stubbornness that he refused to confess.”

The Mountain Village

- Bastion -

Bastion shook his head at Akio’s apology and smiled. “No need to apologize. We’re here to help your village, and part of that means respecting your ways and traditions. It can’t be helped.”

Was visiting Vayu was the best use of their limited time right now? It didn’t seem that way, but Cleo was insistent, and Akio seemed to support the idea, so Bastion continued along with them to the jail.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bigger waste of time than he’d anticipated. The guard refused them access to Vayu’s cell - at his own request, no less. Bastion sighed in aggravation, having no wish to argue, and turned on the guard without another word. Perhaps talking to the Council would yield better results.

When he arrived, Rohan was already confronting the Council, and it didn’t sound good. Despite how well he’d held to his duty over his personal feelings for his family, the elders still criticized and belittled his stance. That didn’t sit well with Bastion, and he politely cleared his throat and stepped through into the chamber.

“Forgive my interruption,” he said, inclining his head. “I am Bastion, a Vanguard of Chaldea sent to aid your village. We’ve been working closely with Captain Rohan here, who’s been a valuable asset to us in place of our missing squad member, who was incarcerated pending trial.” He nodded toward Rohan before looking to the Council again. “I’m sure you have much pressing business to attend to for your village, but I’d hoped to discuss with you our findings and current circumstances.”

————————————

Mountain Slopes

- Archangel -

Archangel rose into the air once more, considering his findings. They had some good leads, but it was unfortunate that narrowing them down wasn’t made more clear. Still, judging by the sun, he needed to return. If they didn’t act quickly, they’d be giving the advantage to the demon to act first.

With his wings extended, he swooped down and raced toward the village to find Bastion and make his report.

A. Try to talk to Vayu



- Cleo -

Cleo frowned at the man guarding the door, who basically told them that Vayu wasn't accepting visitors right now. He took a deep breath as frustration bubbled through his veins. Whoever this "council" was needed a serious talking to. It was already bordering stupidity for them to imprison one of the Vanguards sent to assist their village, but Cleo suspected that by meeting with Vayu, they'd also managed to mentally remove him from the mission as well.

His fingers flexed, and a cold stare drifted to the man guarding the cell. "How much do you respect this council of yours?" Cleo practically growled at the poor man. "Because so far, their decision making capabilities seem pretty lacking, in respect to the safety of this village."

Without waiting for an answer, Cleo turned and followed Bastion out the door. His gaze moved, for a moment, to Akio. "Your leaders are doing an excellent job of hindering our every action. Tell me, are their heads always shoved this far up their asses, or is this an exceptional case?" For once, he didn't take the edge out of his words when speaking to a woman, and that alone told him exactly how frustrating the situation had become.

Not surprisingly, that frustration only continued to grow as Bastion introduced himself and addressed the council with a placating tone. When did they ever agree to Vayu undergoing a trial? His eyes drifted to each of the men in the room, silently assessing them as he fumed.

Mountain Village

Prison Building

The guard visibly shrunk under Cleo's harsh words. There was some conflict in his eyes, but before he had sorted his thoughts for an answer, Cleo had turned around and left.

Akio stayed behind for a second and gave the guard a sympathetic look.

"Just try to keep him company," she said and then also followed Bastion and Cleo towards the Council building.

She was also a little taken aback at Cleo's words.

"I think the whole starting situation was very unfortunate," Akio said calmly. "You got off on the wrong foots. Aside from this one incident, they are doing a great job."

----------------------

Council Building

“You’re only saying that because it was your son that died,” Rohan interrupted him again. “We both know this is a personal vengeance for you. It has nothing to do with the truth. So, what kind of shady backroom deal did you try to cut?”

“Careful how you speak,” one of the other Council members piped up. “Otherwise, we might think this village is better off with a less hot-headed Captain for their Guard.”

Rohan balled his hands and ground his teeth. He felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

The Head of Council actually took a few steps towards Rohan, still looking at him like he was nothing more than a confused animal.

“Nobody here wants to feed your brother for the rest of his life while he’s rotting away in his cell,” the man explained slowly. “So, we offered him a quick end to his sentence if he confessed to everything.”

Rohan’s face went ashen as he stared at the Council.

It was only now that the Council acknowledged their additional company, namely Bastion, Cleo and Akio, who had stayed by the door.

The Head of Council turned to Bastion.

"Yeah, I'm sure Rohan has made sure you have everything you need. He was very insistent that we call on the Vanguards," he said. "But we're willing to listen to what you've found so far. How close are you to solving this?"

The Mountain Village

- Bastion -

The Council's lack of enthusiasm for aiding, or at least not interfering with, their case was suddenly evident when they revealed that it was Rohan who wanted the aid, not them. Bastion felt a pulse of anger, but kept it contained.

"We should have it resolved by tonight," he declared, to everyone's surprise... including his. Well, it wasn't a lie exactly, but definitely the most optimistic potential outcome.

"We've determined the demon's identity." At least, with relatively high likelihood. "And we know how they've been ensnaring the men of the village." Assuming his deduction of the demon was, indeed, correct. Which it should be. "And we've just finished scouting the location of the demon's lair." Or the few most obvious choices. But close enough.

He debated for a moment stopping there, but the Council's treatment of Rohan still continued to simmer. He was a good man - Archangel even seemed to grudgingly approve - but they still demeaned him like this. Imprisoning Vayu was problematic, but he could understanding the position, at least. This...

He sent a communication to Archangel, then smiled politely, if a touch coldly. "And now that my partner has returned from scouting, we'll be off to take care of the threat to your village."

With that, Archangel burst into the room, stopping above Bastion with a flourishing sweep of his wings that sent the robes of the Council ruffling before settling behind his partner, then vanishing into his gauntlet.

"If you've concluded your business here," Bastion said to Rohan. "We could use another able fighter with us."

Nodding to Akio and Cleo to follow, he turned on his heel and left the room. Well, he'd made quite the boast. Now it was time to back it up...

- Cleo -

Much of Cleo’s own anger around the situation dissolved into confusion and curiosity as Bastion continued speaking. Despite their differences, he’d never known the other man to lie. So, Bastion’s boast about being able to resolve the situation tonight came as a surprise. Given everything going as planned, it was a possible outcome, but Cleo probably wouldn’t have shared it as the intended one.

Even more surprising was the sudden appearance of Archangel, who the council would undoubtedly react poorly towards. Maybe Cleo wasn’t the only one feeling angry about the current situation. So far, Bastion hadn’t shown any outward signs of annoyance, but perhaps he was better at internalizing it.

Without so much as a word or nod, Cleo turned to follow the other Vanguard from the room. He had nothing good to say to these people, and insulting them would only cause more potential issues. Right now, the villagers had to be the Vanguards’ priority, since their leaders were obviously doing nothing to protect them from the threat.

Once the demon was dealt with, they would be having a conversation about Vayu’s imprisonment though, and Cleo had a feeling that the town guard might possibly be slow to react to a prison break.

Council Building

Much as Cleo, both Akio and Rohan stared at Bastion in surprise when he stated their plan and how close they supposedly were to finding the demon in question.

The display was only concluded by the appearance of Archangel who swept into the building and disappeared into Bastin’s gauntlet only a moment later.
Without another word, Bastion turned around and left, followed closely by Cleo and Akio.

There was a moment of silence between the Council and Rohan. Then the Head of Council cleared his throat.

“Well, it seems the situation is close to being resolved,” the Head of Council said. “We’ll be awaiting your report afterwards.”

Rohan ground his teeth.

“You’re dismissed.”

Rohan balled his fists and also walked out without another word.

------------------
Outside

“That was quite a statement,” Akio said when they were outside. “Can you be sure of this?”

“That’s what I would like to know as well,” Rohan’s voice came from behind them. “What did Archangel report to you?”

The Mountain Village

- Bastion -

Bastion frowned at Akio's words. "I'm as sure as I can be without us being able to verify it in person. Which..." He turned toward the mountains, bathed in the rapidly fading sunlight. "I think we need to get moving on now."

When Rohan came out to join them, Bastion turned toward him and gestured toward his gauntlet. "Archangel reported two caverns where the demon is most likely lurking. If all four of us go... we can split into two groups and cover both. The group that finds the jorogumo just needs to hold it off long enough for the other group to rejoin them after they turn up a dead end."

Mountain Village

- Outside the Council Building -

Rohan frowned at Bastion's words.

"I know the area you're talking about," he replied.

"Unfortunatley, I won't allow that both of us go," he said. "I hope you understand. I know Vayu is our brother and we owe it to you, and while I trust you to be able to take care of the demon....at the off chance that something does go wrong, the loss for our village would be too great."

He looked somewhat uncomfortable. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Akio. "You should go," she said. "You stay behind far too often to protect this village. If there was ever a situation where you should go, it's now."

- Cleo -

"That's one hell of a timeline you've given us." Cleo muttered as Bastion responded to Akio's questions. "Although the sooner we finish up and get out of here, the better."

He glanced in Akio's direction with a tired smile. "Not that I haven't enjoyed your family's company, but I'm not particularly fond of bullies or idiots, and I suspect that at least one member of your council is likely both."

Cleo didn't initially react to Rohan's words, but after Akio had spoken her own peace, he nodded. "While your sister has been infinitely helpful in our investigation, a trained guardsman will likely be more useful when we confront the demon."

With a sigh, he turned his gaze towards the building where Vayu was still being held. Leaving the man behind in his cell didn't sit right, but for the moment, their hands were still tied. Until the threat was removed, they were beholden to the town's council. After that, they could renegotiate Vayu's release, or simply remove him from his cell, although that was a less preferable course of action.

"Shall we be on our way then?" Cleo asked, gesturing for the other two men to proceed.

The Mountain Village

- Bastion -

Bastion was taken aback by Rohan's refusal, but fortunately, Akio stepped in - or rather, stepped out - to keep Rohan in the group. It was still a bit of a blow to his plan, but a lesser one than if Rohan had bowed out.

He nodded gratefully to Akio, then to the other two men. "Let's go."

Archangel reemerged from the gauntlet, leading them up the mountain toward the two caves he'd scouted as the light continued to drain from the valley. When they reached the first cave, Bastion turned to the other two.

"We should split here then." He gestured toward the cave. "Cleo, you and your demon can investigate this one. As she has access to cleanse spells, she should be able to keep you safe from the jorogumo's charms if you encounter her. Archangel, Rohan, and I will take the cave further up. If one of us gets charmed, the other should be able to get them away while Archangel flies back to get you."

Mountain Village

In the mountains – near the cave

Rohan looked sceptical at Bastion’s idea.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to split up. Not this late at night,” he said. “I know you have your demons, but…” Rohan looked hesitant.

Before any of them could react or decide on another course of action, a sweet sound rang through the air.

Once it reached their ears, it was too late.

A song so sweet, Rohan had never heard anything like it. It was like the music had an irresistible pull and felt himself forget why he was here and what he was supposed to do.

He turned around to the entrance of the cave to see where the sweet sounds came from.

A woman stepped out of the cave and into the moonlight. It looked like she was dancing on light and there was a syrinx at her lips. From far away the flute looked like it was ordinary wood, but a closer look revealed that it was actually made from bones (Parish Song).

The woman spun around, allowing the full effect of her song to encase. This revealed that she was no ordinary woman. And even though she was beautiful, coming from her back were long and thin spider appendages.

The Jorougumo was accompanied by a group of smaller spider like creatures as well as some Pabilsag and Yamachichi.

Upon her signal, the spider demons shot out their spider web, encasing the group and making them completely immobile.

Once they were encased and completely under her spell, the Jorougumo suddenly changed back into her spider form and let out a long shriek (Panic Voice), further bringing her victims into their trance.

Taking one final look around, they began carrying their victims inside the cave…

OOC: You’re not immune. You can’t fight it. And no, I will not allow you any loopholes. Payne, if you want to get out Silky, just know, she’ll be charmed as well.

Also, here are the character sheets for all the demons again:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

------------------

Prison

The door of the prison opened, and Akio walked in towards Vayu’s cell. Even though he had refused to see anyone, she would always find a way.

“When you left, it felt like our family fell apart,” Akio said, determined to try a different way than her brother Rohan. “We all lost someone that day.”

“I was 15 years old and no one in our family did anything to help me,” Vayu said, “They stood by as the verdict was read. Besides, that Councilman hates me because his son died. You think I didn’t feel betrayed? You think I didn’t feel like I lost my entire family. My home. I left because it was the only chance I had to continue living. I didn’t want to give up and go to prison.” Akio’s face fell a little. As hard as she found it admit, disregarding the crimes for a moment, the reasoning of her brother actually made sense.

“You know as well as I do, that tradition can be a burden,” Akio said, the sad tone still in her voice. “I still missed you.”

Vayu stepped up to the bars until his chains stopped him. Even outstretched it wasn’t enough to touch Akio.

There was a silence between the siblings. Eventually Vayu spoke, his expression serious. “So…” he hesitated. Did he really want to know? Did he have the courage to ask? His jaw clenched. No, he needed to know. “What happened to Sonia?”

A dark shadow crossed Akio’s face and Vayu began to fear the worst. “What happened? Tell me!” he demanded, straining against his chains. Akio cleared her throat. “Calm down. She is alive and well,” Akio said. Relief washed over Vayu, but he still felt Akio was keeping something back.

“But what?!”

“She has a son,” Akio continued. Vayu’s face drained of all color and he felt like someone gut punched him. “She…has a… son,” he repeated lamely. “He’s around four,” Akio said, looking somewhat worried when he saw Vayu’s grey face. “They live at the other end of town.” Vayu was still trying to process the information.

“Are you going to be okay, Vayu?” Akio asked when several minutes had passed. “You look kind of pale.”

“Can I talk to her?” Vayu finally asked. “Wait, does she even know I’m here?” he suddenly looked shocked and flustered at the same time.

Akio hesitated. “She doesn’t know yet,” she said softly, suddenly feeling for her brother. “I’ll tell her. And maybe she’ll want to talk to you. No promises though.”

Vayu nodded, unable to hide the longing in his eyes. Akio turned to leave.
“Is…” but he couldn’t finish the sentence. Akio stopped, sensing what Vayu may have been about to ask. “I don’t know. I never asked. You’ll have to ask her yourself.”

“I do find it sweet, that you’re still feeling for your childhood love.” And with that, she left.

The Mountain Lair

- Bastion -

Rohan's objection to his plan brought a frown to Bastion's face. Of course, there would be risk, but couldn't they see-

"Bastion." Archangel's voice cut through the air, tense. Perhaps, he had more acute hearing or could sense something approaching more quickly, but either way, it didn't help. He flinched and dropped to one knee a half-moment before the sweetest song began to ring through the air and tingle in his ears.

Perhaps the experience of being charmed in the fairy woods had him more aware of such spells now, but it didn't matter. The fleeting instant of clarity made it all the worse to realize how badly they'd messed up before all reasoning was suddenly snuffed out.

He barely noticed the other demons pouring out from the cave, only having eyes for the lovely woman from whom the singing drifted out. Even as she turned, revealing her inhuman form, he couldn't seem to care. When the song became a shriek, he fell limp in the webbing that had encased him and stared blankly up at the sky as it slowly disappeared from view...

- Cleo -

For only a moment, Cleo’s mind processed the haunting tones in the air around him, and then his world narrowed to the beautiful woman standing in the mouth of the cave. A part of him struggled, sought some kind of respite from her song, although he was unsure why. It was so beautiful. Almost as beautiful as the song of his Nightingale.

Yes, he thought. She should hear this lovely song too. His arm moved as if he were dragging his limbs through mud when he flicked his wrist, but it accomplished the goal. Silky materialized beside him, her eyes wide, horrified. Why? Didn’t she enjoy the beautiful music?

For the briefest moment, it seemed to pause, and Cleo felt the same look of horror spread across his own face as the tempo changed. Silky, who had freed him from whatever spell this was, now stood just as entranced as he’d been a moment before.

Cleo reached for his sword, but he never felt his fingers touch the hilt. The siren sound pierced his mind once more, and he was helpless to resist it’s call.

Mountain Village

Two days later

It was early the next morning, the light of the sun had just broken over the horizon. Not much had stirred in the village when Akio hurried from the healer’s house over to the barracks.

Without much regard for the proper protocols, she entered the barracks.

“Hey, you can’t be here,” the guard on duty told her.

“Don’t give me that,” Akio said, looking worried. “I need to see Vayu right away,” she added and started to walk towards the prison door. When the guard made a motion to stop her, she looked at him sternly.

“Don’t you see what happened?” she asked him. “Rohan and the two Vanguard went out yesterday to find the demon terrorizing the village and they haven’t returned.”

“Maybe it’s just taking them a while…” the guard started a weak protest. In truth, they had been worried about Rohan’s continuing absence as well.

“We both know how unlikely that is,” Akio said. “Staying outside the village during the night is dangerous.”

Finally, the guard nodded and opened the door for Akio.

Vayu was sitting cross-legged on the ground, facing the window. It looked like he was meditating. Even though he must have heard Akio entered, he didn’t turn his head.

“Vayu…” his sister began timidly. “There’s something you need to know…”
“What do you want, Akio? I have no interest in talking to you.”
“The other Vanguards and Rohan haven’t returned from their mission.”
“So what? Maybe they already returned to Chaldea.”
“No, they were specifically ordered to report back. And don’t you think Rohan would’ve returned with them?”
“Well, it’s an occupational hazard. People die.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Vayu. The Council currently deliberates whether to allow you to search for them and forego your prison sentence if you complete the mission.” Vayu made a disdainful sound.
“I’m not looking to be your town hero.”

Bastion and Cleo. They could be in trouble because he wasn’t there to support them. Because he had gotten himself into this mess. He balled his fists. He wouldn’t let them down. Not again. Vayu finally stood up and stepped up to the iron bars.

“Why should I go? They left me,” Vayu asked.
“But did you leave them?”
There was another silence. “No,” he finally said, looking down.

“Just so you know, I’m doing it for their sake. Not for this town. I couldn’t care less about the people in this town. They cast me out.”
“Don’t forget that it was your choice to leave.” Akio cautioned him
“True, but if I hadn’t left, I would’ve been rotting in that prison for the past five years.”
“That’s because as a young boy you and your cohorts ended up killing people. Innocent people, Vayu. People that had families and didn’t do you any harm.

Vayu scoffed. “Is that what you think?” he asked looking into Akio’s eyes. “It wasn’t us. It was the Head of Council’s son and his friend. They were worse than my friends and I and we ended up taking the fall for it. They were cruel, sadistic. So, we had to end it.”

Akio was taken aback, looking surprised. This was the first time she was hearing about it. The first time Vayu had ever talked about what happened five years ago. “Oh Vayu, why didn't you say that five years ago?” she asked in a low voice.

"Nobody would have believed me. And the fact is, somebody still died. I'm not even convinced they would believe me today. So if you tell them what I said, I will deny it." There was a long silence between the siblings.

“I’ll go talk to the Council again, pressing them to allow you to go,” she finally said.

Mountain Village

Prison Building

After Akio had left, Vayu began pacing up and down growing more impatient by the second. Why wasn’t Akio coming back? Now that he knew the others hadn’t returned from their trip up the mountain, he was increasingly worried, knowing the dangers this wild country posed.

Finally, after an eternity, the door opened again, and Akio came in followed by the Council.

The Head of Council glared at Vayu, who kept his face impassive.

“Can we trust you?” the Head of Council asked.

“No. But it seems you have no other choice,” Vayu replied tensely. “And you can’t afford for this demon to keep on doing what it does if you want the village to survive. So I’m your only hope.”

The Council didn’t seem convinced. “Are you going to run away?”

Vayu sighed. “No. I’m going to save my friends and my brother. Even if they may believe it, they can’t take on the world on their own.”

“Fine, here are the conditions: If you succeed, you can leave this village,” the Head of Council said, even though every word seemed to cause him pain. “But you can never return. You are not welcome here anymore”

Vayu nodded in agreement.

Satisfied, the Council left.

Akio hurriedly waved over the guard to unlock the cell and Vayu’s bonds. “Here’s what I know,” she told him while she guided him to the other room where his equipment had been stored. “Bastion said the demon might be called a Jorougumo, a spider-like creature that preys on humans, apparently it favorites men and somehow charms them. They also encountered two other types of what he said were like helper demons in the forest. One was very scorpion-like and the other seemed more like a bat.”

Vayu had been listening to his sister, nodding occasionally until he put on his gauntlet.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??!!”

Catequil’s voice rang loudly through his head. Involuntarily Vayu clasped his hands over his ears, even though that had no effect.

”I’ll explain on the way,” he tried to calm his demon down. ”We gotta go save Bastion, Cleo and my stubborn brother for now.”

They were outside now, and Akio was explaining what she knew of the location of the caves.

“Okay, thanks. I know the area you’re talking about,” Vayu said. “I better get going now.”

“Are you sure about this?” Akio suddenly sounded worried.

“Of course,” Vayu said. “That’s why I’m here in the first place.”

Suddenly she threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug before letting him disappear into the forest.

------------------

Onwards into the mountains

While he carefully made his way up the mountain, he took the time to update Catequil on his absence, causing the demon to vent his anger loudly and continuously.

Eventually, he calmed down and Vayu was able to enjoy reconnecting with this familiar nature. Suddenly he heard an out of place sound but continued on anyways. After a few minutes, he moved into the deeper brush, circled back and finally stepped out behind the person following him.

It was Akio, who stopped startled. When she recognized Vayu, she gave a light smile and shrugged.

“What are you doing here, Akio?” he asked.

“I think I could be helpful,” she said. “And it’s my brother that’s missing too.”

Vayu shook his head. Some things never changed. With a gesture of his hand, he invited her along.

Together they continued up the mountain until they came closer to the caves. Vayu slowed down, looking at the tracks and then moved them a little further away from the cave.

“I wouldn’t recommend going in the front,” he whispered to Akio. “A lot of demons or animals have been going in or out. But I know this cave, there is a dried-up waterfall further east that leads to the back of the cave.” He gestured east and they quietly made their way to the waterfall.

“How do you know that?” Akio whispered back.

“Remember, I used to explore these mountains quite a bit in the past.”

A little while later, they came to the dried-up waterfall. There were no tracks this time and they slowly entered the narrow passageway. The light inside faded, and Vayu held up his hand causing them to stop.

“High Pixie,” he called and a moment later the Pixie appeared causing Akio to draw in a sudden breath. “Will you lend us your protection?” he asked. The Pixie nodded and cast the High Protection of the Faries on them. As they continued on, they could soon see a dim light in the distance.

It was the main cave. Their small passageway ended relatively high in the cave wall just before the last bent. What Vayu saw when he took a small peak cause him to go pale. There entire cave was filled with spiderwebs holding humans, among them clearly Bastion, Cleo and Rohan as well as Cleo’s Silky. Additionally, the cave was filled with several demons, among them the Jorougumo in its spider form.

Exhaling slowly, Vayu moved back towards Akio. “It’s the right cave alright,” he said in a low voice into her ear. “But it’s filled with demons. Since it’s late afternoon, let’s hope they go out hunting when it gets dark.” Akio nodded in agreement, albeit looking nervous.

His prediction thankfully came true as the light faded, the demons suddenly stirred, and Vayu could see how the Jorougumo transformed into a beautiful woman. He could see the flute in her hands that she raised to her lips and suddenly the sweetest sounds filled the cave. Vayu felt his will fade, feeling the irresistible urge to move towards her.

A sharp pain snapped him out of it, and he blinked confused. Akio was standing before him, her hand still raised. When his eyes focused on her, she looked relieved. It was obvious, he slap had broken the spell of the song in combination with the spell of the High Pixie.

“Thanks,” he whispered.

The song ended and another look in the cave revealed that it was empty now, only moonlight shone in. Slowly and quietly they made their way down to the cocoons. With his blade, he decided cut down Silky first and pulled her back to where Akio and his High Pixie were waiting.

The High Pixie used it’s Fairy Folk’s Favor spell, but it seemed to lack in effect. Was it not strong enough? Akio pulled a small vial from the bag she was carrying and gave Silky a few drops. “It’s something we cooked up. It has a strong revitalizing effect. Once they wake up, they should regain their energy quickly,” Akio explained in a low voice. A moment later, Silky began to stir.

“If she’s feeling well enough, she should be able to use healing spells as well if you ask her,” Vayu said to Akio and Vayu left to cut down the others and carried them back to Akio and his High Pixie.

OOC:
- I'll give you a change to post your waking up before we continue.
- As far as the stacking of spells goes: two protective spells won't keep them 100% save, but it will increase their resistance to the song significantly.
- Also, addional information: If you do manage to destroy the flute, it will decrease the Jorougumo level by 1 star.