As much as she preferred to distance herself to her old life, her bonds to the arena were an old home she could not ignore. Especially as of late. Her brothers and sisters have been in agony as of late, blood red eyes battering each other ruthlessly like never before. She had not them punish each other so much. It was as if they lost the thought to spare each other… or at least their owners have never pushed that idea. After all, from what Eden had learned over the coming times, they were considered "goods" to them, and rarely did they want to lose them. But not as of late. No, the blood curdling cries for these vials and needles of a red liquid drove them beyond their limits. Some of them… she knew.

Whenever she saw these matches, she  could not sit idle. Sure, the chaos and calamity being drawn excited the crowds, but she could not let her family suffer. One by one, she fought off her crazed family, the power of steel keeping her foes at bay, and with each victory, she denied the injection offered. It was that substance that drive them mad, so instead, she took the needles before dropping it on the floor and smashing it with the flat of her blade, each and every time, before leaving as the crowd went mad. It felt wrong to beat them down into unconsciousness, but to Eden, it was for the better.

However, the more she acted like this, the more rumours spread about her. She was an easy case to spy, after all, with her beast-like features, metal collar, and massive weapon. It was at her latest event she fell into a trap to try and catch her, but used her power to force an escape route. She was given chased by men who were drawn mad with violence into a shipyard, her eyes seeking any type of refuge. One boat stood out, veiled in a strange fog, though honestly, any fear that would have caught any other man from it went by as her instincts told her she could hide in the mist. Diving into the ship, she hunched down her her weapon near her, holding her breath as she hoped she had lost her pursuers. However, what she had not expected would be the small boat to drift on its own into a godly plane until the ship began to sink into the endless abyss.

She dared not leave the boat until it had stopped and hit land. After all, with her previous experience with water, she knew she was not much of a swimmer. It was only after the boat stopped did she leave, taking weapon in hand as she explored the dark depths with caution at hand.

–CIRCLE FOUR: GREED–

Her eyes were blinded by the walls of glint that covered the mines. So many shiny round disks and gems filled the region she found herself in, walking passed through as she looked down. They looked like the kind of disks she had seen people trade for items, but their shine  were much more pristine. However, before she could even think about picking a single coin up, the pile soon sank down into a pile of burning liquid.

"Well, well, well," a familiar Orcish voice rang out, catching Eden's ears as it flicked towards them before her head followed suit, eyes growing wide to what she saw. "Never thought I would find you here. Then again, I should be able to have all of my good property… Even if death." Before her was an Orcish man, dressed well in a fine, yet bloodied suit. However, what was noticeable was the simple detail of half his face being missing, where Eden had struck him down. "Don't think I can't tell your walking pattern. After all, I had  you for so long. So then, how are we doing, my murderous bitch?"

Adeluna had devolved into chaos and pandemonium in the past weeks. As people were still recovering from the fallout from Gifre's Vault, a new calamity took place. She had heard the rumors, of a new apothecary who opened shop. From what she heard, they were selling some sort of narcotic drug that those who were curious or lacked sense bought and experimented with. However after its use they had to deal with the consequences. And it didn't stop there; soon innocent people were being dragged into it through the sudden outbreaks of violence from the users. She herself had bore witness to one instance where a man was being beaten by those addled by it. There wasn't much she could do, aside from knocking the assailants out and attempting to have him down a swig of a healing potion. Ultimately she had to call the city guard to assist. It was a terrible sight.

When the Reaper gave her 'solution', Shiloh did not hesitate to grasp the opportunity. She had been at death's door more than once, but this madness had to end. She knew she wouldn't be missed, but there were many people who would be. And so she made the journey to enter Purgatory. The first three circles posed little difficulty. The Second circle was littered with the charred remains of incubi and succubi who had gotten in her way. One incubus in particular tried to grab hold of her, and as she looked into his eyes she felt…nothing. The next moment was punctuated by a scream cut short as he was reduced to burnt cinders from her phoenix blade. Others tried, ending with the same result as she moved onto the Third circle. 

The circle of Gluttony was disgusting in an entirely different way than the previous one. It was both pathetic and disgraceful, seeing how the accursed souls were punished. There was a saying that you could never have too much of a good thing. Well they were wrong, on all accounts. The stench of bile and vomit overpowered the aromas of food, and it was this contradiction that kept her focus steady. The three-headed dogs were fearsome, but somehow she found a way to circumvent their vigil and flee to the next level.  

She entered the circles under a mask, both as protection and as a disguise. With her new blade from the Vault, little could resist her progression inward. The Fourth Circle, Greed was now in view. The glint and shine was distracting, but more like lights being shone into her eyes than from a desire for them. She instead closed her eyes and used her ability to sense the presences existing in the plane to navigate. There was more noise, but not as much as the past two circles. There were misers and bankers, and merchants possessed by gold fever in death as they had been in life. It was cathartic and laughable how the glittering riches would be thrown in to be melted down by the lava. After all, those items were assigned value by people. Their value was a fabrication from desire. 

The brightness became too harsh on her eyes again, so she closed them and continued. As she walked she heard a voice speak to another. It was a voice tinged with disregard for anything other than itself, and heartless to the core. From his words, it was clear he was a slave owner. Only slave owners spoke of others as possessions than people. She didn't have to guess why he was here. She watched from a distance, keeping low. There was another being there, this one alive. She could sense the negative emotions coursing through it: fear, anger, and others. So that was the man's slave. Part of Shiloh wanted to strike the man down, but there was no point. He was already paying the Reaper his due, and that itself was enough. He would never leave for his crimes until his sentence was finished, and that would be an eternity. She watched the other woman wielding an over-sized weapon, seeing what she would do next. Was she another who wished to put the bloodshed to an end?

Eden's mind could not believe what she was seeing… It had to be a nightmare… it had to be… But Rhea had taken care of that, right? When she swam into her dreams to understand the tiger-kin… Then again, this man was shrunken down to her size, not the towering demon that played her like a puppet. While she could not understand why, she did know this was the same man from before, not any simple illusions.

And yet, all the orc did was laugh, "Your eyes were screaming, 'But I thought I had killed you,' like some pathetic  stage show," the half-faced man cackled while speaking in his native tongue. He knew very well not to expect much reaction from her anyways. "Well guess what, you did. Welcome to beyond the grave. I will be your host, guide, and master throughout the rest of your eternity down here!" He even bellowed out a hardy laugh as Eden raised her weapon, eyebrow twitching in fury. "Oh, going to kill me again? Well, you stupid bitch, that won't really matter! Kill me, and I will end up back here! After all, I am already dead!" HIs cackles echoed through the chamber even louder as he enjoyed the spotlight before brewing down and tilted his head down at Eden, as if attempting to stare her down.

"You were quite the catch, you know that? Such a sexy body you turned out to get, all while having such strength. People thought of me as dumb to not sell out your body for easy cash… but I knew what I was doing. I knew you would rise to the top, ever since you picked up that Metal Log with ease." His hand even pointed up towards the weapon she held in her hands. "Of course, once you could no longer fight by, say, a broken limb, only then I would have sold out your body. To prostitute your body out to society… or treat you like a breeding pig for children with your strength… A decision I could never make before you CAVED IN MY SKULL AND MURDERED ME!" His body was still seething in rage before he composed himself once more.

"But no matter. That is all in the past. You are here, and you are mine. That is all that matters. No one can argue that fact, as that collar is all the proof I need of your ownership to me. Now then, come over here to me and beg for forgiveness. Who knows, I may be forgiving and treat you nicely.."

The air was still once more before Eden let out an angry cry, charging forth once more and sending her metal weapon into the orc, tossing him into the pile of coins.

It was clear from what she could sense, that the living woman was feeling outrage at the condemned soul's words. The tone of the dead man's speech was mocking, intimidating. Not that it'd do much for him, seeing as he was the one in chains now and she was the one with freedom. The next sound she heard was the unmistakable cry of rage and the sound of something hitting a pile of coins. The trickling sound of metal tinkling against one another told Shiloh that something sizable had disturbed it. Should she intervene? No, the proper question was did she need to intervene. The answer to that was no. Unless there was a way to make the dead doubly so, it would be futile. She didn't look down on the woman's outburst though. She needed to vent, to blow off steam. Here she no longer had to cower under him and could express herself as she saw fit.

Stepping out from her hiding place, she tapped her swords together to give the woman an aural signal to her presence. There was no need for keeping her eyes closed, so she opened them. Her mask concealed her face, blank and plain–just how she liked it. She put her weapons away and held her hands up to show she held no ill-will. Shiloh read the woman's body language from where she stood. Tensed shoulders, increased rate of breathing, visible traces of anger in the eyes. Posture is defensive, though likely to change depending on how the other interpreted her presence. Humanoid in structure, bipedal with non-human ears. Feline tail and ears with a lithe yet muscular build. And that weapon, far too large to be used practically unless it was a one-on-one fight. It was a marvel how she could hold it, let alone lift it. The conclusion of her assessment: the other party was some kind of beast-like humanoid and possessed great physical strength. No doubt her other senses were as sharp as a beast's as well. 

The ringing of clanging metal that did not belong to the chains caused Eden's ears to flick backwards, attracted to the sound before her head followed suit. Eden's eyes were sharp in rage as she fought to catch her breath and calm herself. It was rare to feel this emotion swell up and wash over her so suddenly that she had to pause and catch her breath, embedding her sword into the ground next to her as she grasped the couple chain links on her collar, silencing them as she took in breaths to try and relax, eyes closing to zone out the madness around her. After all, the newcomer shared no malice towards her, meaning she was fine to be with.

A laughter shot out from the pile of metal, causing her eyes to open up once more and turn back to the orc, laying in a pile as it slowly melted down into the lava. "You should be weary of this one!" the orc called out to the other, this time in a more common tongue as it was riddled with laughter. "All that bitch knows is violence! After all, that was all she was taught! I bet she got through the other rings thanks to her simple ignorance!" His cackle grew louder as he thought of the incubi trying to flirt with her, but the only kiss she gave him would have been one from her steel. He did even care that he body was sinking down and turning him into a pile of flames. After all, what worse could happen to him? He was already dead…

Shiloh watched as the dead man gave a mocking taunt as he was being sent along the glittering metal pile slated to be melted down. Half of his face was missing, but she had no pity for him. Clicking her tongue she shook her head in disdain. He was all talk, and no substance–just like all the treasures here which would eventually be thrown into the fire. But unlike the metal, the lava wouldn't be able to purify the dross from his soul. With her weapons withdrawn, she walked slowly towards the beast-like woman. Turning her head slowly to the condemned orc, Shiloh remarked dryly. "Who cares how she managed to get through the other Circles? At least she can always leave whenever she wishes…unlike you. Why should I believe the words of a condemned prisoner?" 

Ironic, isn't it? Now everything's been turned on its head–the master stands in chains while the one who was once a slave walks freely. He's here because he deserves it, without a doubt. I suppose there's no harm in letting him laugh. He's only trying to make himself feel better about spending eternity paying the Reaper his dues.

The thought whispered itself from the back of her mind, and once it was finished she pushed it away. The Circles must be starting to get to her. As Shiloh had begun to make her way deeper into the Nine Circles, those whispers were becoming louder and clearer. Was it a trick of the mind, or a heat-induced hallucination? She wanted to say yes to either, but she knew better than to pretend. She knew what they were and where they were coming from. Those errant thoughts had come from herself. Her attention returned back to the former slave. Holding her hands up again, she addressed the woman. "…Hey. Are you here to ask the Harbinger for mercy too? There's five more circles to the Infernos after this. I'm guessing you're heading towards the end yourself." Unsure if her words got her intentions across, she stretched out her right hand towards the beast woman. "If you want, maybe we can work together to increase our chances of making it to the Ninth."

There was safety in numbers, and here in the depths of the realm of the condemned it would be difficult to go about this alone. She was half-expecting her offer to be ignored or rejected. Her words weren't honeyed and her tongue was one of flesh, not silver. All she had to offer was frankness and honesty.

Her breath was still heavy when the masked other addressed her more vocally. Turning her head over, she listened to her sounds, though mostly tilting her head in confusion. Ask? Harbinger? Circles? … Infernos? What… what was she talking about? She knew nothing of the challenge the Goddess of Death had called forth. All she wanted was to save her brothers and sisters being tormented by the tubes she had crushed. She had no idea of a source, so she merely went around eliminating what she could get her hands on. She had only found herself in this strange land after making an escape from her pursuers…

A hand clasped her head as she tried to understand it all, but it only gave her more of a headache. She wanted to help them, but didn't know how, and now she was here, and her head was swelling with strange thoughts. Just what was even happening?

Thought it took longer than normal, she did see the extended arm, offering a team up, just like how things were under the orc's control. However, it was also a sign of what she had gone through as well. Ever since leaving, she had met others who had their own plights and struggles as well as willing to aid in hers. She took another deep breath to concentrate herself once more before her hand left her head, moving over to take the mask one's accepting her offer, whatever it entailed…

Just as she was thinking of pulling her hand back, the beastly woman took it. In turn, Shiloh grasped the other's hand in a firm handshake. But before she let go, she said quietly: "It's an agreement then…Let us see it to the end." Though unintentionally, these circumstances brought back memories of a life long before Shiloh had set foot in this world. The act of taking one's hand in striking a pledge, an agreement between two parties–all of these were strongly familiar. The only difference was this wasn't the same mask she had used and this wasn't a contract. The Circles must be playing with her memories. If she wasn't careful, they could bring out either the worst of the best in a person. That was their purpose.

There was something that had been bothering her ever since she entered the Fourth Circle of Greed. Here it was obvious she'd be seeing mountains of gold and precious things, but she had yet to see the guardian of this place. She had seen the three-headed dogs back in the Third Circle of Gluttony and the lustful fiends in the Second. There was no way every Circle would follow the same pattern as the others. So far she had to fight her way in, but now she was worried about situations where the most straightforward method wasn't the solution. Everything so far was solved by doing the opposite of what the Circle presided over, so she had a hunch getting past this level's guardian wouldn't involve combat. Momentarily absorbed in her own thoughts, Shiloh remembered she wasn't moving alone anymore. Right, she had a partner now–even if it was a temporary alliance forged from mutual goals. The other woman didn't seem like much of a talker, which was fine with her really. But before they started leaving they should probably work out some sort of plan of attack regarding how to pass through the remaining Circles.

She started with something simple. "So…I know this is a dumb question, but you wouldn't happen to know what the next areas after this one are right?" From the looks of the beast-woman's reaction she figured that was a 'no'. "Ok, well let's start from the beginning. I don't really know how you got in here-" Shiloh motioned towards the Circle around them in a general way. "–But there are nine distinct different areas before we can reach who we are looking for. Ten, if you count the last area where the goddess of death resides. Since we're both here because of the mess caused by those vials of that goddess' blood, we should both know what we are getting ourselves into. The goddess who runs the show down here gave everyone a series of hints on how to make it through safely. There are ten lines, and there are nine Circles before the goddess' temple. Each line is a hint for the Circle it describes. The nine Circles are: Purgatory, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Ruin. We're in number four. After we leave successfully that leaves us with four more levels to go down."

She hoped what she was saying wasn't going over the woman's head. Shiloh thought she did a fairly good job in summarizing the most important points that they needed to know.

Most of what she said made very little sense to the tigerkin, however, some sounds did ring familiar. "Vial" was being said very often in the arenas as it connected to the prizes her brothers and sisters fought for. Apparently, she found herself in a place connected to where the contents were coming from. Even though she found it through blind luck, she found it fortunate she came to a position to save those who were driven mad by the substance.

Next was "Blood." Such a common word for a gladiator to hear when being mended, and enough experience to link it to its actual substance. However, never did she think it, too, was linked to the chaos. In fact, it was only now did she think about the color and smell that was inside the vials. It was very similar to what she had connected to blood. Did… did that mean people were taking this blood and going crazy over it? The idea was maddening.

However, while the other talked, her senses could not stop her from getting a bit on edge, tail fluffing a bit has her eyes scanned the region. There was something there… watching them. No one at their level even minded them, so her eyes moved more upwards before locking onto another pair. One that was connected to a massive sphinx!

It was hard to tell at first, as it donned golden decorations and gems just like everything else in the area, and it had moved very little. It would have been easy to mistaken it for a statue. However, its eyes were the main catch. Instead of staring blankly straight, they were moved towards them down below, even if his head did not move at all…

She noticed the woman suddenly began to tense up, and be on high alert. Was she looking to see if that dead orc was coming back to harass them again? No matter where she looked, everything was the same gaudy metallic yellow of gold with the occasional spot of color from gemstones. She would've preferred a cold stone burial chamber's walls to this. They were very distracting, and weren't easy on her eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked. When she received no reply, she followed the beast woman's eyes upward and froze. Shiloh had been wondering why she hadn't seen this Circle's guardian yet…and now she was sure that this was probably it. The creature was covered in glittering ornamentation and at a first glance looked like another fixture in this circle of the Infernos. No wonder she didn't notice it earlier. The thought that all this time it had been watching and waiting, looking down from above was chilling. Normally in this situation her legs would be ready to run, but instead they felt like lead. This feeling, it was fear–wasn't it?

No matter how I look at it, there's no way I can take down that thing. Even ogres can't even hold a candle to the sheer size of this creature. We definitely won't be able to win if we try to fight it. This has to be the guardian…nothing else in this area holds such presence. How are we going to get past this monster? Think, Shiloh, think. This is the fourth Circle–what does the fourth line say? 'Ignore the treasure, and handle wisdom with care'. We've done the first part, but the second…what are supposed to do?

She didn't think her partner had any more of an idea on the solution than she did. "…Ignore the treasure and handle wisdom with care." She repeated aloud to herself. For some reason there was an awful knot forming in the pit of her stomach. What was it about this statuesque beast that was making her blood curdle? Part man, part beast with the beastly portion being from the neck down. It had wings and the body of a lion, but that wasn't what was bothering her. She had heard something about a creature like this but it was on the tip of her tongue. Turning to the beast-kin woman, she leaned closer and whispered while keeping her eyes on the sphinx. "…What should we do? We have to get past it."