[Jaykobell]

The remains of Lya Pointa were truly something grim. Stones that used to be worshipped, that used to, supposedly, protect those who stayed within them. Buildings made out of those stones were something to behold, grand and beautiful in every sense of the term. Now, those buildings were only shattered stones, moss growing on them and bits simply disintegrating into the ground slowly, as the years passed.

Truly, what used to be a holy ground was now a simple abandoned area for masterminds of any kind, from petty thieves to cunning gangs to truly fearsome minds.

Among the debris, two peculiar characters were roaming about.



A man and a small animal, which was reminiscent of a fox. The man was in his late twenties, with burning red hair that stood upright literally like a flame. He was wearing a typical black and red shirt and dark red pants. The little fox following him was patterned with leopard spots, and carried colors very unusual for a fox, with beiges, oranges, and tans all over the body.

"Doctor, this place is very unsettling," the fox said to the man, her speech flawless as if a human were talking out of her.
The man nonchalantly waved a hand at her. "Leo, what could happen? This place is deserted," he assured the fox, putting his hands back in his pockets. "We're gonna find our man in no time flat. For sure." He grinned with overconfidence, hands not on his hips.
Leo — or Leocardia, as was her full name — rolled her eyes.

[Thunder]

Ah, solitude. There was nothing better. Away from society, away from those who would dare call themselves human when they could not treat others humanely. The dark, fallen walls of the Lya Pointa Cathedral were the perfect getaway for Tai. Here he could contemplate his existence in silence, and if he was really angry, perhaps crush one of the rats scurrying around the place with his bare hands...

But then again, Tai was never truly alone.

You seem irritated. The demon who shared his body spoke directly into his mind. Tai didn't know the demon's name, and he didn't care. All he knew was that the demon was his closest companion, almost able to be labeled as a friend. Tai snorted out loud.

Of course I am, Tai mentally hissed back. That missionary needs to shut his holy mouth up. If God exists, he's not my friend. Stupid old man can't take a hint and go away. Besides, an artificial human with a demon inside him would be the last person to follow God.

His green eyes narrowed in the shadows, looking menacing behind his dark, almost purple-tinged hair. Tai pulled his black jacket more closely to his bandaged body, as it was rather cold. He was just leaning against a crumbling wall, staring into the eerie gloom, accompanied by no one other than the demon inside him.

[Jaykobell]

The place barely had any buildings left. If any building still stood, only a very small part of it had withstood time, with moss and cracks littering it all over. Most of those walls looked like they could crumble down any minute, tidbits falling off now and again as time continued to flow. Villains flooded this place like rats flooded dirty kitchens. And sometimes, it attracted curious ones looking for criminals, like the two characters walking around the deserted, destroyed ground of Lya Pointa.

The man was walking nonchalantly, looking around, alert, whereas the fox was simply following quietly, keeping an eye out as well, but not for the same thing. While the human was busy looking for their "goal", the fox was busy watching out for anything that might want to stop them from reaching said goal. She was the "bodyguard," the one who would protect the human if something tried to attack them.

As they walked past one of those buildings, Leo stopped suddenly in her tracks when she felt a strange presence. She was used to people having a different feel to them, considering who she was with; however, that one was entirely different. After taking a look around, she finally rested her eyes on Tai, leaning against a wall. She did nothing besides staring at him, wondering what the weird presence was.

Noticing the fox wasn't following so closely anymore, the man stopped as well and turned around. "Leo? What's up?"

[Thunder]

Tai shut his eyes and listened to the silence of the cathedral. Then, suddenly, he could hear a soft pattering...footsteps? He opened one eye narrowly and gazed around. A man had arrived on the scene, a strange looking fellow with red hair shaped like a flame and black and red dress. Following him was small, fox-like creature with spots. Their presence did not necessarily bother Tai. If they weren't going to nag him, he'd let them on their merry way. But then the fox stopped in its tracks and turned to face him.

Tai stared right back at the creature, his frown hidden by the shadows. What's this thing looking at us for? he mentally hissed to his demon. He felt a wave of discomfort come from the evil spirit.

I don't know, the demon replied, but I sense some sort of power coming from it. I cannot describe it, but we might do well to be wary.

Tai shifted slightly and kept leering at the fox. With any luck, it would leave with the other man.

[Jaykobell]

When Tai shifted his glance at Leocardia, the fox didn't move, nor did she flinch. She kept on staring back, as if the two were playing some sort of staring game. Slowly, her fur started rising up, as Tai's presence continued to unsettle her further. So much so that she hadn't heard Talbot calling to her, forcing the man walk back the way he'd come to go back to her.

"Hey, didn't you hear me? What are you looking at?" he asked indignantly, like a child forced to wait on his sibling to follow along. He had his arms crossed, and when he noticed Leo wouldn't even look at him, he followed her gaze until he also noticed Tai. He blinked and tilted his head. "So what, you found someone," he commented, not really negatively, but with a hint of confusion, since he didn't understand why Leo was so very fascinated by this man.

"I sense something, Talbot," Leo eventually replied, fur raising some more along her little back, ears slowly curling over her head backwards. Her mouth wasn't forming into a snarl, but the lips were slightly raised up as she kept her eyes peeled. "This man is dangerous. It's unlike anything I've sensed before." Considering they were both looking for a dangerous person, the fox assumed perhaps Tai had a lead. "Who are you?" she called out to Tai, never mind the fact she was a little animal who could speak with human beings.

[Thunder]

Oh great, the pesky fox had alerted the man to Tai's presence. He let out a low growl, almost inaudible to the human ear. He could see the creature's fur rising up, a disturbed reaction, and to his surprise the fox commented that he was "dangerous". That was an understatement. Tai could be more than dangerous...he could be deadly when irritated, and right now this fox was being irritating. How the little animal could sense his power- or more correctly, the demon's power- he didn't know.

What should we do? he questioned the demon in his body.

Well you can't run, the demon replied, so you may be able to talk them off. However...I am curious about this little fox. I'd be interested in investigating it, if you don't mind. Unfortunately, Tai did mind. He didn't want people nagging him about his strange powers.

"That's none of your business," he hissed back at the fox, a clear threat in his tone.

[Jaykobell]

Leocardia's ears twitched when Tai grumbled, something barely audible. Her fur continued to rise and her mouth formed into a snarl. When Tai refused to reply to her question, she got even more uneasy. She didn't want to attack Tai so directly. Despite his voice clearly threatening them to get lost, what she was sensing from him wasn't normal. Considering who they were looking for, she didn't want to let Tai go so easily.
In order to appear a little more menacing, Leo changed sizes. In a flash, the fox bounced, and after spinning like a wheel, turned into the same fox-looking creature, only much bigger, going from a house cat to a wild feline, much like a lion. "We're looking for a villainous man," she growled at Tai, bouncing his threatening tone back at him. "Something inside you is dangerous. Who are you?"

Considering he wasn't a fighter, Talbot wasn't mingling in the discussion. Instead, he made a questioningly face while scratching his head. If Leo wanted to fight, that wasn't his business; nor was he going to interfere. Still, maybe Tai was worth analyzing, considering Leo was sensing something inside him. In any case, for the two of them, it was a lead, and considering how hard it was to get any, they didn't really want to let it go.