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The Penitent's eyes widen as the demon clutches at him, wiry muscles cording in exertion.
Howling, the Penitent takes hold of the demon's arms, lithe muscles bunching beneath his inked and scarred skin. With a massive effort, he pulls from the demon's grasp, reversing its grip on him and wrestling it into his own control once more. Savagely pulling at the creature, he tries to position it for his comrades to strike a blow that will finish the demon. "Strike now," he yells through gritted teeth, "show this...demon...Truth!"
Howling in exaltation, his eyes are fever-bright as the Penitent lunges for the creature. His momentum carries him into the room as he grasps at the demon, wiry muscles bunching.
"Your touch is filth, demon!" the Penitent cries out, "I will find your corruption and pull it from you!"
The Penitent howls in jubilation from near the doorway, "DEMON! Unhand the angel, you now face redemption!" He springs forward into the fray like a hound loosed upon the hunt.
The Penitent cocks his head to the side at the words from the scarred warrior. He watches the hunched figure on the bench intently, padding slowly closer to take up a wary position adjacent to the angel.
"Evil wears many disguises," he parrots softly, watching.
The Penitent freezes in place a few steps behind the angel. His smile widens, though his visage appears more reminiscent of a dog baring its teeth, rather than an expression of joy. "Demons," he whispers, his tone carrying an undercurrent of excitement. His gnarled and scarred hands curl into fists, wiry muscles cording beneath tattooed skin.
The Penitent moves toward the basin, seemingly ready to enthusiastically plunge his hands into the water. He pauses, however, at the words from the angel.
He frowns for a moment, still eyeing the basin. After a brief moment, he shrugs and slips through the doorway in the wake of the angel, seemingly intent as well on examining the hunched figure on the bench.
The Penitent follows the angel man and the wounded woman into the room. He tilts his head curiously as the woman speaks, a motion curiously reminiscent of a dog hearing the voice of its master.
His ever-present smile slips for a moment. He begins to approach the woman tentatively but pauses at the words from the man near Trézsia. He listens to the exchange between the man and wounded woman and after a moment his eyes fixate on the man. The Penitent's smile returns but the humor inherent in the expression does not reach his eyes. "When you turn from them, when you forsake them, you always feel their gaze upon you," he murmurs, dropping into a low crouch, "you will wither under their judgment for all your years and you will plead for forgiveness that you will never find..." He looks up, his smile a pulled rictus of bared teeth, his eyes fever-bright. "...while nothing you do from then on will ever end the shame and regret." He looks around the room, warmth returning to his smile. But that is no matter for those of good hearts, yes? I am in the company of- He pauses, looking around the room.
"I forgot what I was going to say...but I will keep watch for these thieves and thugs, instead."
The Penitent nods solemnly. "Cautious, yes," he murmurs. He then brushes lithely past the angelic man, gripping the door and attempting to wildly wrench it open.
The Penitent looks back, slowing as he realizes that his companions seem distracted by something. "But...but there are more demons to find..." he calls out, sounding slightly disappointed. He gives one last look down the dim passageway he had been navigating before finally jogging back toward the others. "Is this the way?" he calls out happily, smiling once more, peering toward the door from over Trézsia's shoulder as if noticing the potential passage for the first time.
The Penitent looks at Trézsia with wide eyes and an even wider grin. "Yes, there are more! More that will face our holy redemption, more that will be shown Truth! There is no time to waste!" With that, the Penitent springs forward, moving happily forward into the encroaching gloom of the leftmost tunnel. "Follow me, I will find the way!"
The Penitent laughs from his crouched position as Xion's blade whistles past him to decapitate the creature. He looks up at the young woman with a wide smile, his face spattered with viscera. "And now you have come to my aid, in return!" He scratches at his beard, auburn tinged with grey, then shrugs. "It does not feel so long..." With that, he springs lithely to his feet, looking around happily at the rest of the gathered party. "We are victorious once again, in the face of the demonic hordes!"
Tightening his grip on the squirming creature, the Penitent savagely twists at the creature's head. "Repent, and you will be spared, demon! Speak your Truth and absolve yourself in the Dawnflower's Light!" he cries out as he squeezes and pulls, "Repent, or return to your foul dominion!"
Bbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzz!
The Penitent meets the demon headlong in mid-air, clutching at it wildly. He wraps his wiry arms around the creature, seeking to trap its buzzing wings in his grasp as they both crash down to the floor of the passage in a tangle. His grip tightens down as he and the creature struggle and thrash, the Penitent howling in glee as he wrenches the creature violently in his grasp. "Strike now, angel!" he roars to Cassander, "Show this demon what its lies have wrought!"
The Penitent springs forward, his eyes wild and fever-bright, meeting the flying creature in mid-air as it dives down toward them all.
Grinning, the Penitent looks up toward the sound of the buzzing.
He raises his gnarled hands, curling them into fists. Wiry muscles tense as he briefly crouches then springs toward the creatures. "I told you it was demons!" he cries out in glee, "I only speak Truth!"
The Penitent comes to an abrupt halt in front of the carved symbol. His smile fades as he takes it in, the expression replaced with one of melancholy. "It is the one who does not understand us, the one who lacks forgiveness," he murmurs, seeming lost in thought. After a brief moment, his smile returns. "I forgive him for not forgiving!" he crows happily, seemingly to no one in particular.
Looking up at Trézsia from his crouch, the Penitent grins, his eyes fever-bright. "I already fell," he says, his voice sing-song, "you all have not and this is joyous!" With that, he is off in a heartbeat down the narrow off-shoot tunnel where he heard the sounds, his laughter echoing.
The Penitent cocks his head to the side as if listening, though he does not look up at Trézsia. After a moment, he begins to hum, low in his chest and in random intervals. Finally, he goes quiet, looking up and smiling. "Is it demons?" he asks, his voice taking a note of excitement, "Shall we show them Truth?" His gnarled hands curl into fists, his grin becoming one of pure joyous anticipation.
"Sounds sounds sounds, ahead," the Penitent murmurs, loud enough for those around him to hear. He goes still, dropping into a crouch, grinning and looking to the others in the group in turn.
The Penitent grins, dropping into a restful crouch at the conclusion of the conflict. His eyes settle on Xion's claws, his grin widening as he springs to his feet. "Strong minds, strong strong strong," he calls out to no one in particular before springing forward, his steps light and agile. "Let us continue in one piece until there is no peace once again!" With that, he is already making his way further down the passageway.
Dancing forward to attack, the Penitent howls in glee at the blow struck to the creature by Trézsia. "We will pull the Truth from you, Demon, you will confront your lies and you will see how awful your countenance truly is! Leaping at the demon, he swings wildly with a scarred, gnarled fist...
"You only delay your time of redemption, demons," the Penitent howls, "You cannot hide from the Light of Truth!" The Penitent side-steps behind them as the creatures continue to attack Trézsia, his movements oddly similar to the martial training the woman displays. Setting his feet, he drives a fist toward the head of the unwounded demon...
The Penitent's eyes grow wide at the sight of the creatures. "Demons!" he howls as he springs forward into combat, "Your redemption is at hand...my hands...two hands! Two fists, even!" Moving with a swift and lithe grace, he dances around the wild melee, maneuvering directly across from Trézsia and her whirling scythe. With the creatures writhing between them, he strikes, swinging a scarred and gnarled fist at one of the demons.
The Penitent grins at the restored light, looking happily to his companions before following in the winged man's wake.
The Penitent calls out from the darkness ahead, "All puzzles lead to Truth!" His jovial laughter echoes through the caverns.
The Penitent cries out happily at the confirmation of the end of the conflict from the warrior woman. "We are victorious, the demons are slain!" After a moment, he calls out again from the darkness, his voice still quite enthusiastic. "I see nothing, along this way!"
The Penitent grins as he emerges into the light near the winged man. At the panicked cries coming from behind him, however, he whirls back the way he came and pauses to listen. He starts first back into the darkness, then looks to the other tunnel where the woman with the dual-colored eyes dashed off. He moves to follow her, then looks back to the darkened tunnel from which he originally emerged from to reach his present location. Finally, he stands in place, crying out and shaking his scarred fists. "You vex me with your puzzles, demon, but I will defeat this conundrum you have set before me, the light of Truth will prevail!"
The Penitent moves forward carefully, smiling as he walks into sudden light.
The Penitent hears the curses and shout from the dual-eyed girl. "Yes, rags and favors, hags and labors!" he shouts, stumbling forward in chase.
The Penitent growls in frustration as the creature slips from his grasp. "You are slippery, demon, but you only delay your journey to the Dawn's Light!" Cocking his head slightly, the Penitent edges forward, his steps careful and measured. He listens, hands raised and ready, for any sound of the skittering enemy.
As the light disappears around him, the Penitent freezes in place, listening to sound of Trézsia's warnings and her song. He smiles, taking a short step forward, keying in to the sound of her voice and keeping her to his right in the absence of light. His own voice takes on a sing-song tone, as he calls to the darkness ahead of him. "Come to me, Demon, come to me and we will dance to this tune," he calls with melodic words, "We will dance and sing until one of us has had their fill of revelry!" He tilts his head, listening for the sounds of the creatures. He raises his hands, gnarled and scarred fists clenching over and over.
The Penitent stands near Trézsia as she inspects the pile of bones. "A bounty of riches," he says, "We are blessed to find such abundance in our time of need." He looks around the remains of the makeshift lair, his face creased by a warm smile.
Pausing, the Penitent cocks his head as Cassander's light shifts, illuminating the further corners of the room. A few lithe steps through the rubble take him toward a glint amidst the destruction. "Gifts?" he murmurs, leaning down, reaching for something buried in the rocks. Straightening up, he smiles, holding a scale similar to the ones already possessed by the others. "Gifts," he confirms, still smiling, though the expression holds a tinge of melancholy as he looks at the scale in his hand. Still looking at the scale, he once again proceeds down the unexplored hallway, mumbling something unintelligble.
The Penitent smiles, nodding. "Gifts, I understand," he murmurs, still peering around, though with the gloomy surroundings it's unclear how he could possibly see anything. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm seems undiminished as he continues, "A gift such as a warm bun, or a candle." Still mumbling to himself, his face creased in a wide smile, he begins to move off down the unexplored passageway, fading into the growing darkness with each step.
The Penitent cocks his head curiously, the motion oddly reminiscent of a canine. Watching the two women in their search, he nods, murmuring "mohnstraight" over and over as he peers around in the dim light, trying to help.
After a moment, he pauses. "What are we searching for, apart from truth?"
The Penitent laughs jovially at Trezsia's comment. "Silence is golden!" he booms out, his voice rich with mirth. Looking to Xion, he adds, "And silver, as well!" Nevertheless, his posture is still angled toward the unexplored passageway, his hands balling into fists and relaxing, over and over.
The Penitent grins as Trezsia passes by, the scarred woman seemingly intent on checking the other passageway. He follows in her wake, shaking the remnants of the watery deluge from his hair.
The Penitent watches, his mouth slightly agape, a smile spreading across his face as the angel takes flight. "These are blessed times," he murmurs, almost to himself.
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