[Zerlina]

The smoke filled the air, and so the demons seemed to come out of nowhere, appearing before their victims like phantoms and in the same way, stealing away their lives. It was a terrifying and gruesome scene; the heavy air, the sweat and heat beneath the cheap layers of armour, the feeling of dirt in one’s already dry throat, and that last terror filled sight as an un-fathomable monster raised its sword before you and turned the world to nothing.

The carnage was unbelievable, and as Malice watched, his mind was flooded with images that had burned and seered their way into his brain- the torture and death that had befallen Gracia, and that no doubt had grown in the months passed. There’s no time he reminded himself, pulling his daggers out from an aggressor.

Surviving would prove to be great enough a challenge, and yet while they all tried to do this, they all could see the truth- that they had failed before they’d even arrived. No matter how many enemies they slew, there would always be those who could not defend themselves. And as a reminder, these people fell around them, only the luckiest being able to emit a scream before the darkened blades plunged through their chests.

Titania ran up the steps to the ramparts of the city, kicking a demon in the chest as he tried to follow her. With all the speed of the phoenix, she hurried to the cloisters. An idea had hit her, and she was determined to see it through.

Too scared to turn and see if there was anyone behind her, she flung open the wooden door which served as a poor guard to the bells. Without so much as a thought, she ran in, crashing into someone who had beaten her there. Whatever it was, it wore the colours of the side, and so she brought up her hands, letting a surge of magic hit the creature. It made a muffled noise, giving away its shadowy cover and letting her know of his demon heritage.

“Get out now…” she said to the creature which stayed in the corner “Get out or I’ll push you from this tower…”

The creature seemed to sulk, and raised itself from its spot, revealing its large build. It was no use running at this point, and so she kept her composure, but left plenty of room to make a path to the door.

Arrogantly, the thing laughed, but still she did not strike it. Slowly and confidently it slinked away, using its posture to show that it was truly not scared “You are so predictable.” It muttered and was gone.

The creature sent a coldness through her body and even as the thing left, the feeling did not dissipate. Shakily, she resumed her work, quickly pulling up the ropes which held the bells to the roof. She looked up at the rafters, observing how there was a gap just large enough near the top.

Her plan was cruel but effective. With some difficulty, she climbed to the top of the building and threw the ropes along the rafters to create a pulley. With as much strength as she could mustre, she pulled at them until the bells tilted upward. That finished, she carefully, slipped through the gap in the roof, and took hold of the gutters which, given the technology, had been designed to save water with the idea that it would later be used for bathing. She turned the gutters, letting them spill into the bells, and then –once that was finished- she used her fire to heat the objects. It was not long before the water began to bubble and steam.

“Perfect…” she mumbled out loud.

It all made sense in her head. The stairs were curved downward and the tower lay just at the top of them. All she had to do was lure the demons onto the steps and they would be done for.

"Hey!" she called out loud from her spot on the roof. It was true that the others would be able to hear her, but as demons were the only ones who could see through the smoke, they'd be the only ones who would be able to find her. Not only did the smoke help her in this way but it also disguised the steam which rose from the boiling water in the bells.
"We will never step down!" she cried, pretending to be from the town "So long as I hold the treasure of our country you will never truly defeat us!"

There. That should do it.

To make the deal more enticing, she drew a random stone from her pocket and held it out to them, before faking a quick loss of balance. Steadying herself, she looked at them with an arrogance that burned at their tempers.

"Think you can defeat me?" she laughed, staring them down, while preparing her feet to flee for the awaiting bells.