Ivan shifted his armor about irritably and growled at the tension in his fingers. After resting his body was running with lightning again. His mind and thoughts were almost blindingly clear, and idle moments once restful were suddenly agonizing to sit through. Ivan got a hold of himself, but still wondered about his strange dreams, and what was going on with his magic. There had been that other him talking too, the him that wasn't him exactly.

Was that what was happening before? Was it his demon side? Ivan had no idea, and after letting Penelope back in the Shroud all he had really wanted to do was sleep. That or wake Myrn up and go another round.

Servicing Penelope after summoning and binding Quixla had left him in a state. An agonizing state. Ivan felt the deepened bond with Penelope after using nothing but his hands and some kissing yet again to please her, but his body had its own demands as well. If Myrn hadn't been so willing to accommodate him he didn't know what he would have done, but it probably would have ended up with Penelope dodging his advances on her before time.

So he was fine. Sort of. His magic was still bursting, he couldn't keep his eyes off Myrn's backside even now, and his thoughts were roaming about his mind trying to find out what the hell had been happening to him. He kept spending mana on inspecting vague concepts, but even when he thought of something helpful Basic Information only granted him so much. He needed to study. He needed to fight. And by the Gods he wanted to bed Myrn all morning.

Ivan slapped his palms over his eyes and tried to scrub out the hormonal fires burning in him. That spot above his left eye, right near his hairline, ached like mad. It didn't matter what he did exactly, but if he didn't start moving, pushing himself, and expending mana he thought he was going to explode.

“Are you really sure you're alright?” Myrn asked, coming close, and smiling brightly at him. Her eyes flashed, satisfaction burning somewhere inside that only burned brighter when he met her eyes and held her gaze.

Ivan nodded reluctantly all the same though and let out an explosive sigh. Myrn bit her lip and took up his arm to stride along beside him as he picked up the pace yet again. Marvin and Andy laughed with Davian trailing behind.

Davian had his nose buried in a book, another acquisition from the shops that was helping him develop some sort of new magic to use with his sound spark. Everyone had done a little shopping after their boss kill, and picked up a little something extra. Andy had upgraded his helm and convinced Ivan, Myrn, and Davian to all pick up at least some kind of light helm. Ivan could only agree with that as head wounds were the hardest for him to treat. With just Simple Surgery his Hedge Doctor made tonics and potions that would allow him to repair almost any sort of light wound given time. A bad head wound was another thing, like a bad chest wound; there were just some things he couldn’t heal or even properly stabilize yet.

“Not going to hold back today Isaac?” Marvin asked, with a big grin.

Ivan turned a sour gaze back at his friend.

“I'm not sure what you mean.” He responded.

“Oh you know what I mean. I expect you to pull it out once we're inside.” Marvin said with a big grin.

Ivan gave him a curious, but still somewhat irked look.

Marvin laughed, and Davian looked up from his book. If Ivan wasn't wrong, part of why Davian had been a little separate from the group was from his recent success playing music in Meeda's Inn. By the end of the night Davian usually had some girl or another charmed enough for her to approach him after he stepped down from the stage.

That was good. It kept the normally observant man distracted, but some part of Ivan found it darkly practical. Ivan frowned at that thought.

“Warrior Incubus are like pack hunters. They understand instinctively that to grow and thrive the clan they control–or fight for– needs to reproduce and have children. For most it comes with strong paternal instincts too I'm told.” Penelope told him.

Ivan frowned at his feet, concentrating his displeasure on Penelope.

“What? Isn't that what you were thinking? You looked at him and were feeling proud that he was getting laid, and then got all curious and musing while staring back at him. I just thought I'd share some knowledge!” Penelope complained, giggling as he shook his head.

“We don't have to go today if you're not feeling it Ivan. I know we planned for today, but after what happened last night maybe it's better that we wait.” Myrn insisted, picking up on something of Ivan's interchange with Penelope.

Ivan met her with a gaze that made her lose a step, and blush besides, but he quickly relented.

“If I don't kill something today I'm going to lose it. That or...” Ivan growled, trailing off as he forced his mind away from sexual pursuits yet again.

In the brief moment he had imagined having Myrn and Penelope both at once and it lit such a fire in him that he dared not let the idea come alive in his head for more than a moment.

“Um...okay...” Myrn said, her fingers finding his own.

She radiated a jubilant sensation as his fingers laced into hers automatically though her cheeks turned about as red as her hair. Ivan realized with a small shock that in thinking of her and Penelope he had incidentally focused and aired his desire upon her.

“You okay bud?” Andy asked, about as amused as he was concerned.

Ivan wasn't sure what he sensed or heard, but didn't let it bother him. He kept Myrn by his side, and slowed as they came down the main avenue. People stopped and cheered them again as they headed toward the Dungeon gate. Ivan acknowledged the first of them with small waves, just as Myrn and the others did.

“I'm fine. Let's get inside.” Ivan grumbled.

He glanced at Marvin meaningfully, and the man smiled and nodded reassuringly, elbowing Andy to indicate that he had talked to the big guy. Both their gazes landed on Davian before returning to their silent conversation.

“It'll be fine.” Marvin assured Ivan.

Ivan frowned at him.

“What? What will be fine?” Davian asked.

“Guys?”

Myrn dug out her Dungeon Pass, and they entered the gate without preamble, having checked their gear supply at the Inn. Once inside everyone formed up, got weapons ready, and stretched a little.

“So?” Marvin asked.

Ivan sighed at him. Myrn gave Ivan a wondering look. Davian looked confused, and Andy, ever alert inside the Dungeon looked to the sky and stars above before looking out over the maze ahead.

Ivan met Marvin's gaze for a number of long moments before allowing the Shroud to flare. Its watery movement acted like a curtain as Azalea stepped forth. The flame of her ghostly lantern came first, and her mostly translucent form after. The iron rod and gaping spiked lantern looked as real as good steel. The lantern flared as Azalea took a breath of the dungeon air, and took up her lantern in a ready position, wielding it as a two handed flail.

Davian gasped and Andy's eyebrows shot up. Marvin gave an appreciative nod.

“Is that it?” Marvin asked, holding up a hand to prevent Davian from exploding with questions.

“'It'--” Ivan growled, “-is Azalea and you will treat her as you would any member of our party now that you've more or less forced me to bring her out.”

Myrn clung to Ivan's hand, nervous energy flitting over to him through their contact and distracting Ivan. He squeezed her hand and fingers trying to urge confidence. It seemed to work and Myrn's aura settled.

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“Greetings Young Master Andrew. Greetings Marvin. Greetings Davian. Greetings Mryn.” Azalea said, speaking with little hesitation or concern, but remaining within her hooded rags. Her eye flames flared and she seemed to be taking deep breaths of the dungeon air through her nose.

“The mana is rich in the air here Master. I will have advanced recovery while inside this place I think.”

“This is the secret then?” Marvin asked.

“If you were some kind of summoner then you should have told us Ivan.” Davian said, his face painted with concern. He shot curious looks to other members of the team as he spoke, and kept glancing back at Azalea.

“You're right in that if he was a summoner he should have just told us. But he's not a traditional Summoner, are you Ivan?” Marvin's voice was cool, not threatening or demanding, but quietly confident.

“No he isn't....” Penelope whispered from the Shroud.

Shadows began to flicker and lap at the moonlight about Ivan. No matter when they entered the Dungeon was always set to ten o’clock when a group came in, the turn of dawn resetting the progress of anyone who had gone in the day before.

Myrn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding, and she was nervous, excited, and frightened, all made clear to Ivan by Taps Upon the Web. The others felt some of the same, but it came through a haze of confused and disoriented emotions.

Ivan watched each of the men as the effect of Penelope's voice rolled over them. She began to chuckle as she stepped from the tendril like limbs of shadow coming out from under the Shroud. Her wings shielded her for a moment as she stepped forth, and then her horns began to eat all the moonlight that dared touch her. She appeared as a lover in the depths of a dark room, her skin luminous, but buried within the shadow of the night. Where her claws or wings passed close to her body the pale reflection of her flesh was subsumed by utter darkness.

Ivan felt his own jealousy fueled wave of gratitude for Penelope shielding her form from their eyes. There was part of him that wanted to keep her, every aspect of her, all to himself. It seemed wrong for even his close friends and companions to look upon his beloved guide without reservation.

Ivan shook his head trying to shake off the jealous fury that threatened his mind.

Meanwhile Penelope had turned and faced Myrn. Her hand clamped onto Ivan's as Penelope ran her clawed fingers over Myrn's flushed cheeks and lips.

“You've taken good care of him Myrn. I thank you for that, but you Marvin...you do not know your place, and though my master would have made good our introduction in time you are not ready.” Penelope said, never facing his direction.

Myrn meanwhile stirred, and twitched under Penelope's gentle caress.

“You need not be afraid, girl. You have my favor for taking care of my dear master.” Penelope whispered to Myrn.

Marvin was having a hard time or so it seemed, but managed to gather his thoughts.

“Ivan...this is it then? You're a warlock? Is that the other job you're hiding?”

Ivan nodded, and gently reached between Penelope and Myrn to turn the shadow cloaked succubus around. Marvin couldn't keep his eyes from the Succubus though she was shielding her body with her wings.

“Occult Ritualist is the other job I'm hiding, and you saw it yesterday. With a little more work it will turn to Cultist or something, not Warlock, but I would prefer the latter if I had the choice. So much of what I've done has been made with limited choices...” Ivan admitted, battling with himself as he spoke so that his voice rose and fell in intensity and tone.

“How long have you consorted with demon kind?” Marvin asked.

Andy seemed to stiffen, not quite moving to draw his weapons, but moving as if he had been about to. His eyes glittered, but they too were drawn to Penelope. Each time Ivan noticed he wanted to shout at them, and force them to pay attention to him.

“I'm fairly surprised no priests or any other have sensed you. It's sort of amazing actually. I can feel it myself if I'm not mistaken, my magic being new as it is. I would thank you for that, if not for that it might mean I've been corrupted myself.” Marvin said, his voice cold.

“You don't understand.” Ivan tried to explain, but his head lanced with pain, and violent magic pulsed through his limbs, nearly as bad as before. His mind was flooded with images.

Images of fighting, little snapshots, frozen scenes of blinding rage, each filled with the burning of his limbs and lungs, and the stinging grip of his hands upon his shield and weapon. Ivan shuddered, stomach rolling, as he saw Jen's body, twisted and broken laying on the stone floor before the first pew. Ivan very nearly staggered and fell as he remembered the fight turning on him, outnumbered, out matched, and overwhelmed.

He remembered taking wounds, losing fingers, being stabbed, beaten, and taken to the floor, only to have a burning magic race through him and regenerate his flesh with every beat of his heart. Scarlet lightning, pure wild magic in the form of condensed fury was exploding from his flesh, the gifts of Istania gone, but his will to fight in her name, and protect their family just didn't care.

“Ivan!” Myrn cried, but her voice, and her hands on his body seemed so far away.

“IVAN! LET IVAN GO! IVAN!!” Tanya's voice.

Ivan rose again, his limbs moving as his self, his mind, the very core of his spirit, was forced into his flesh yet again. Something further beyond was pushing him, forcing his body to regenerate, filling him with energy and power. Ivan roared, or screamed, or maybe it was just something in between. Either way it was an animal sound of complete and utter fury.

Ivan ripped the weapons from his body, the blades burning and melting under the touch of his hands and the energy in his blood. The soldiers of the Militia of Light began to panic.

“He won't die! He won't die! Theadus! Lord Hear Us!” The men cried.

Ivan rose with terrible speed and power, tearing at the first men with hands covered in writhing tendrils of blood, lightning, shadow, and other terrible wild magics. Their armor twisted and buckled, and their flesh came apart under his hand until he could manage his weapon and shield again.

The Commander backed away, his eyes filled with terror as Ivan cut down the last of the two dozen men under his command. Tanya tried to get away. Ivan's vision filled with screaming red agony. The frightened Commander turned, trying to take up Tanya as a hostage, she fought, and in the struggle and fright the man ran her through with his blade in a panicked effort to control her struggles.

Ivan leaped at him from more than twenty feet away as Tanya fell to the floor, her wounds weeping blood, his hands, weapon and shield in hand taking the hated man by the head and wrenching...wrenching until flesh tore and bone snapped and shattered…

“Ivan....”

“Ivan, dear darling master...” Penelope's voice.

Ivan blinked, and struggled to keep his balance between Myrn and Penelope. They each had him by an arm. Azalea was holding his head steady, her ghostly fingers cool against his cheeks. He was panting and sweating, his arms, face, and chest, and legs all having to appear to have broken open with wounds caused by wild uncontrollable magic that healed shut as soon as they appeared.

“What the hell was that?” Davian asked, appearing panicked, and continually casting his gaze out over the foggy maze awaiting them. “Why are we doing this here?”

“So that if Marvin decides to try to kill my master he has an excuse. But it won't be so simple will it Young Master Annatel?” Azalea asked, her back turned to the warrior-smith.

Andy's face was grim, but determined as he watched and waited for Marvin's reaction. Marvin meanwhile was watching Ivan with interest, noting Myrn at his side still, and considering Penelope.

“No I'm afraid not. If it were just you Azalea maybe I could still manage it, but with whatever demon that is at your side I don't think I'll have the chance to even run. Do you own him, Demon?” Marvin asked, his voice steely.

Penelope chuckled, but shook her head.

“Ivan is his own and so is his sweet lover. Ask your next question, the one that really matters.” Penelope prompted.

Marvin tried to glare at her, but ended up looking away before he could speak again. Ivan could easily sense the amount of focus it took for Marvin to collect his thoughts and resist Penelope's allure. Their minds and thoughts felt like steel blades, all sharp edges and hard material. What didn't block his senses was already pointed right at him.

“When. When did you summon these demons? When did you sign your first contract with them?”

“After...” Ivan growled, but somehow managed to calm himself though he felt mana surging into him like the racing beat of his heart.

“Why?” Marvin asked next.

Ivan turned a sudden and furious glare upon Marvin, but his own thoughts betrayed him.

His mind turned back to when Myrn had asked the same question and left him speechless. He hadn't had an answer then, and if he was being honest with himself he had been avoiding answering the question. If only for his own knowledge and self reflection. It was something so terribly obvious now.

He thought about Ral and Jen. He thought about Tanya, and though it pained him terribly he thought about the terrible power that empowered him at the moment the Goddess must have died. He could just hear her words on the edge of his thoughts, and through them a crack of some kind, nearly sealed shut in the back of his mind. Something waited there, lurking, patient and aware. Just turning his attention to it was difficult, like it went against the normal flow of his own thoughts.

“Power.” Ivan found himself saying.

“What?” Marvin asked.

“Power is why.”

“Power? Just power?” Marvin asked, his tone scornful, but he didn't seem to have his full heart in his words. He was scared. He was hurt.

“Yes. Power!” Ivan growled. “Power and knowledge, and guidance I didn't readily have for myself. Power for others! Power enough to shake Theadus and his light damned followers in their beds!”

The group shifted as Ivan's outburst caused a reaction somewhere within the maze. A single owl let out an ominous hooting call of warning. A few cautious glances were turned about their surroundings before everyone settled. It seemed as though they may have alerted something they weren't spotted as of yet.

“Alright. Alright...” Marvin said, motioning with his hands and moderating his tone to something more friendly.

“Still Ivan. Demons? You have to understand how this looks.”

Andy and Davian both looked to each other and nodded before turning concerned gazes back to Ivan, and Penelope.

“How can we even tell that she isn't affecting your mind or decisions? How can you prove that she hasn't affected us already?” Marvin said, his voice low and insistent.

Ivan was at a loss for words, but Penelope tapped his arm getting his attention. She smiled at him when he looked up at her.

“May I?” Penelope asked.

Ivan blinked, but nodded.

Penelope grinned, tossed her shoulder length hair back, and then smiled at the three men.

“Come.” Was all she said, but she did said it without holding anything back.

Ivan watched in stark amazement as all three men went glassy eyed, and started forward toward him and the demoness. They barely held onto their weapons as they came on, each of them slack jawed, and dragging limply.

“Sit.” She said next as they came close.

All three men sat, with that same dull eyed look in their eyes. Myrn wavered next to Ivan, but Ivan clamped his hand into her own and squeezed to keep her focused. Myrn took but a breath to gather herself and frowned over at the Demon.

Penelope was grinning like a woman possessed of some terrible forbidden delight.

“Beg.” She commanded next and the three men variously reached out their hands or prostrated themselves as they were both drunk and blinded by Penelope's presence.

Without another word or more sensation than that of Penelope's presence becoming slightly less, and contained about her form she stopped. Each of the three men started blinking, all of them dazed, and one by one, with Davian being the fastest. Each shot their eyes up to Penelope in white faced terror as the realization came over them.

Penelope grinned at them, and retreated to cuddle against Ivan's arm affectionately.

“So...boys...let that be a lesson that in having doubts at all you have at least a majority control over your minds. Keep it together now, we're inside the gates of a Dungeon unless you forget. Our time is limited, and there are nothing but deadly foes to listen in on our conversation.”