The roar deafened many demon troops that were not prepared for this ambush. Following that was that this creature began full of life and at it's time to strike, thuds massive dust in all directions and fell as clumps of stoney fragments. As if she was riding the back of the head, she hops down with removing the horns in her own weight force and use of momentum by its fall. She inspected the large piece, not in a care in the world for the scared demons behind her. She made a cloak cover over the horns and then swept this cloak on. The whole head vanished from the beast.
"Who are you?" The command of these troops asked. She draws out a handgun of them approaching to casual towards her. The surrendered hands but equally she be out numbered with the bullets from the troops. She softly partly lowered on just showing she has a distance of personal space, "Your a clever kid and quiet the survivalist for this living realm. Guts even. I don't seek interest from you but we do own a small debt for you saving us this hassle."
"Give me a new gun with ammo or swap weapons. We call this even. You can have the rest of this caucus. I have no soul to sell and no names to give. Call it a demon using another. We both can understand that."
"No strings, no paper and no nasty surprises. But your a human. You just saying this. If you were a demon, it would have been fine."
"Look it's not going to be a problem directly from me. At best maybe some humans could be looking for me or some undertakers. But I want nothing from you and you want nothing from me. Discretion is advisory. You really think that a lonely human like me would here if someone cared? I should be locked up in fencing like the rest of the cattle." The demon thinks it over and he waved someone over. They removed the spare gun and ammo, placed to the floor between. She circles in giving space for those approaching the monster corpse. She gets rid of the guns she has no ammo or that were broken. She takes this new one, she worked out the safety lock and she pockets the spare clips. She puts it to her empty holster with the lock back on. She softly gave bow in indicating her leave. The commander does the same. Small talk among them but they leave her alone. She treks back to the building she been using as shelter. Back to the floor she looked down upon the pathway. A large hotel complex that has a lovely veiw of the main sand dune roads and damaged bridges. She worked out a while ago that she was stranded on this side of the sand bars. She would risk a lot having to get herself into one those fancy camp settlements of survivors, and eventually if she pretends good enough to be take back over that bridge. They have been shooting boat crossings and jet ski traveling. Anyone with a brain was trying to cross back to main land Florida. The boaters of the sea coast have long set sail and weren't returning. Main land has just as worse monsters than those of the coast. So there was people trying to escape main land to be here instead, she figures that just staying put was good enough ground until next storm warnings. She makes it up the fifth floor and settled back into the bed she made by the window. Watching the demons at work extraction of materials they deemed worthy. Little dot ants at hard work. It was soothing to watch nature, even worlds apart was no different. She directed back to sleep as she was before that mo steroids woke her up. She plenty covered in cloth and blankets that it was just a messy pile of stuff by the window. As she sleeps her dream manifested form explores the complex in the dream clips. Seeing the sort of connections this place gained over its years as once a high end hotel, places have recorded history tapped into the bricks and often it is through dreams that you can see these memories. She began alone in walking these corridors exploring, minding her own business. But it was that she was soon followed around by strangers. She doesn't take to kindly, even in dream walking, of being followed. She loops around places she already navigated and gave them opportunity in exits for them to take. She leads then far from her body as possible, not wanting to deal with them in her living body. She circles for now a deadend as it was apparent they follow only her to seek her. So she takes a stance, waiting for them.
"Clearly your something of intelligence." She hissed of when they were to close and that back a step. She glares them both, looking at who they are properly and the likely business they have, "If your a smart one for conversation then you will do trades." She finds a crest mark on each their shoulder, twin cross swords with a snowflake behind. She seen this as a marker for undertakers whom have internal influences. Most times a Duke or duchess that rules an area but follows commands of a king. Their system is very medieval practice. Relying on Lords and lady to have majority in being a monarch. They have a dueling rank system blending with this practice of culture. She has read about it in the guides she found with ash piles but nothing substantial knowledgeable in use to her. At least until now. Who know reading books from corpses has a pay off?
'Trade?' she used in court gestures she learnt watching other undertakers. Often used when language of speaking is a brick wall for both parties, 'No names. No souls.' She makes very clear of her grounds. She glares waiting for the response. The partner shakes the guy doing all the talking to speak up.
"Trade of information or at least a close look at that meaty monster head." So they knew she killed it but she doesn't hide that fact well anyways. She rather wear fear like armour in such situations. Being deadly and meaning it are decisive things.
"You look nothing like a little human girl. Do you wear that illusion or are you wearing this illusion before us?"
She frowns in disliking this dig. She holds close to drawing the guns out if she must.
"We just would like to trade the monster head. It be better to take that hassle from you." She used reflections of objects to see behind them. These undertakers aren't here to be nice about taking this head. They want the claim for themselves or to disprove that she a innocent child. She not stupid at all and now both sides can tell the other isn't in this game. So weapons are drawn and she thought fast of spraying the floor in salt. As she knows salt in the presence of demons and bad acting undertakers acts like holy water does. Purification or even a tell for lies if nothing else.
"You must be a child to have choosen to throw dirt at us over using a gun to kill. You clearly need someone to protect you. Come with us. Take my hand and I will promise to give you a place." Sweet lies. She was more direct in her salt throwing this time and used the nearest shadow to dive through. She surface back, awaking as her human side. She got herself ready and hide under more cloth. She posed ready with weapons.
"If we can figure out the process that makes these creatures, we be a step closer at understanding the very laws that dictates the boundaries as we know. Why some quality is visible and what isn't through veils. It's only the recently that the break through of care for our own has jumped. That we can now see how we are able to act in our shells." The steps of several folks climbing the stairway she holding under. It's clearly an undertaker in how they speak monotone words, no variation of levels to indicate emotion and no echo from air travel of the stairwell. If she moved her foot or something, this would carry in echo. That undertaker talking will not echo. There is some sounds they can hear and others they are oblivious from. Like a car horn, cries of animals or a river bubbling nearby.
"Just great." that should have been ungrateful moping sounding but it was dead tone. It was anyone's guess of context, "The Lords across the pond have decided to take credit." These two were chasing her before. They weren't allies but not enemies.
"The credit to taking out the monster is to a human which all of us are searching for. The demon commander that passed through here swears it and that no deal was broke between them. That she left with head without a word." Glasses pushed back to nose and the fact of them trying to disprove she existed was now no longer at play. But it's the human part they frown to.
"I doubt a human goes around wearing a clay face and expresses emotions through it." A loud thud of building inside echos. She jumps a little freaked of the sound where this was something they will not bothered with. Following another louder breaking of something and the sound of glass. A room above is being thrown about. She can't hear the conversation of the undertakers but was totally focused trying to work out what that was and why.
"Outlandish!" Being the last word one those undertakers said as they are now broken up from a fight suddenly. She got out of hiding and sneaks around trying to evade attention of more things. She of course freeze on the spot of whatever sort of bird that was meant to be, sitting along the banister. It spied on the undertakers conversation and now it noticed her as she seen it. They both stare deeply but it broke sight with driving down with talons out. She doesn't welcome it and shot it dead. It bubbled in its own guts on the floor, beak out and closing. She kicked it for good measure with broke it from whatever corpse twist that was. She collected a neat little stone from the fleshy chest area. She was in the midst of taking the talons and scales. As now the battle of undertakers has sprayed down the stairs, the guy with that crest laying with head backwards from fall with the dog like beast. She a quick shot to aim and care later for anything else. The beast looked at her now keenly that she was fleshy and meal worthy deal. She thinks fast and tossed the bird thing and it splits across the dog beast face. It inspected this meat toss and blinks several times stunned of her action. She wastes no time diving out of potential way and taking to hide behind any wall or object to put space between her and it. It clearly is satisfactory in this meat before it. It scampers taking the corpse with. The undertakers pick themselves up from this. She steps out with not trusting anyone here. But she did overhear that they looked for her. She might as well deal with what they want and cut ties of any responsibilities she has gained from the heroic action of monster trade.
"Kills a god eater and fed it to another." The crest guy huffed in straightens his twisted head and limbs. He held no care about himself or his body, he was not tightly bound to his shell. She can't help but stare about the things they can't see. Her eyes working overtime in all word places. She doesn't let them approach her with threatening to shot if they got close.
"So that gun isn't human make, which explains how a human can do such feats like killing monsters. She indeed got what she traded and thus we don't actually need to speak to her or ask her anything." She used to the ignorant they have toward her hyper awareness. She cares not for passing time.
"Didn't we have a sort of promise?" That jerk again with his posed hand towards her. In fitting for the lack of self love this undertaker carries, she shot them in that hand. Breaking fingers and grazing through the forearm. They don't act human, no recole in pain and no blood falling. The finger dropped onto the floor which sprays app sorts of places.
'No enslavement. No name. No souls.' She gestures with her left hand and backed away from them a little for personal space, "Chasing shadows is unwise in this land. You could have been hunted down and ate." The guy freezes up in how she is exactly as that mask was, "I don't want your vague and unbelievable lies. I throw salt at you to see through that. Even now, you still attempting my patience. You not going look after me or give me a suitable place. No... you want a pet dog." She makes aim, "So go away. You with that twin swords snowflake not welcome around me." They at least gave her the most space they can away from her. But they are still in ear shot and still an active threat. She doesn't relax while the glasses one pushed his lens to his eyes again. He studied her a while with eventually a soft clap. She jolts confused of the air and sounds around dying down. She had even stepped away slightly more.
"You must have the bloodline of some family of humans. There are plenty of those with abnormal histories who have powers to act among my kind unlike normal humans." She softly lowered at this being a harmless test and felt about the energy of space around them. She respected not tampering with the undertakers, "Unlike most times that I am against this. But you have trade. We accept you don't deal with souls, enslavement or any curses. Nor do we ask of these things."
"Well you want to accept the time bind seals on certain objects in order to keep them in preserved."
"Yes, and you know how to do that?" She removed a copy of book guide she found among asb piles. Often failed missions of other undertakers, "That a reasonable explanation without words." She puts it away, "That head of the horned being."
"I didn't intended on taking the head. I just didn't have the moment of safety to saw the horns." She does her cloak trick, "The horns makes for valued trade which was my only intent." She posed, "A gift on telling me I have family. You undertakers don't choose words like that unless there was suited something attached about it. I will reconsider my lifestyle when I am ready." She softly gave them space to the head but goes to the window. Looking upon a frozen moment of time. Watching the living realm in the stillness. She worried about herself when time will return for her. She sits down at the floor waiting for them.
"Your a good harvest hand." The undertaker with glasses lowered to her level, "You removed a stone."
"I need them. I am not ignorant of what they are but I don't get a choose but to take them. Just as grim reapers shepherd souls. When I take them, they leave from these book to further distances. It's often that those souls come back here wiser and plenty ready in their part of widened horizon." Sitting comfortably beside me, "What is more scary? The fear within ourselves or that beyond the unknown is other places of laws. That there are alternative timescapes. Meaning your dreams are often you spying in with the other live you could be." She tilts in how he offered his hand, "I am a living person, I shouldn't cross to the other side."
"But you can hold soul stones?" He is that same depth of tone for this entire conversation and not in a place of silence. That made sense.
"I have a nickname that you lot call me by. I am quiet famous when I do start bothering things." She sees him retract and slowly move away.
"Lady Marionette by chance?"
"However there started become those that fake my names. They stolen fragments of my dust and used me in excuses for their crimes. A part of me dies each time they use me in such ways." She sunk her hand through her stomach and back out with many stones of souls. She softly lines them along the window as she watched.
"These stones are not mine to give but I am sure they are fully able to make thier own chooses. They will return back if you get them to trust you. This what has become the biggest issue. There is no way I know to prove myself. Prove in trusting me. There no ways of me to test to trust you. Forever will we be afraid of each other, even while working hand in hand. Trying to fix."
The undertaker brushed each stone and is able to lift certain ones. He has other undertaker of his trust to do this same thing. Stones lifting in replacing the ones they take. No longer was it questions. It is simply who can carry how many.
"It's impressive that all these varied souls can be carried by just you alone. It must have been a burden." The twin swords guys took part of taking soul stones. She ignores them for the sake of peace.
"Aren't you tired?" Their partner added in.
"My pride in my duty is all I need in love. I will not fault if I enjoy the tasks given to me. I didn't want to return here but these souls must come back now. My obligations in being human and alive will only carry me so far. I have things to do then the continue this existence of being hated and unwanted." She picked up one with a nasty break in it, "Leave us be strangers. You're not trustworthy of those more fragile." Lifted away from her and click clock hands of time moving forward. The stones left behind returns back to her pockets. Fragments of dust used in drifted back to her as they leave, letting them go for good. She knows they were back into the local tomes while she still isn't even recorded in the index. The undertakers turn away with all they can hold, some staggering steps as the disbalance of burdens adjusted. She noticed that there was only one undertaker who didn't take part in picking stones up. Rather instead, he bows softly marking leave and guarded those struggling. She doesn't need to take back the head anymore as she collected what she could from it. It was picked through by those undertakers but here it will stay as it faded into the existence of living land laws. Melting as molten stone and left as an art installation of a obsidian. She collected her things as this wasn't a stable area anymore. She walks her way out of here. Looking back at the route the undertakers face to choose. She noticed the murder gathering and that all those raven eyes followed souls. Not a single bird bothers her way. She studies the skies of dim moonlight, this wasn't ideal time to be moved off. But there wasn't a choose if she wants to live. Creaks of floors giving way was any second, damage from the fighting and whatever that creature was up to before it ran from her. There a soft septal clicking like wind chimes of pipes in a breeze. There gave a thundered groan and the clatter that followed. There was a swaying notion about the tall hotel complex but it stops stiffen eventually. She makes it every effort to run far, plenty away from the coming next. There crumpled and pulled backwards into the ocean. Another large collapse of neglected maintenance to sea front hotels.
"The hard rock, the ocean deck and holiday Inn are the last standing. For how tall they are. The tiki and now the ocean spray suites are nothing but rubble." She rambles to herself looking back at the collapsed structure, "It's hard to imagine the buildings that were here in the 1990's. Let alone 3 years ago, before the tornado hit through." She adjusted her backpack and moved on. Following the road foe hope of another spot.
"Ocean view is full of trade stalls. Humans and spirits." She wasn't alone then, followed. But she gives a warm smirk of seeing him here, "Why not leave the country?" She certainly was already considered it, "There is a recruiting stand. Pay them a visit. You know them instantly." She looked out for sensing direction. She still can't quiet keep locating things any easier. He pointed the way and she takes a while sensing. He isn't wrong, there is a mass gathering of people that way.
"Some things never change." She crossed her arms in sort of hugging her front together, "Do you reckon someone of my family will try to abuse the authority of duty?" He frowned at the odd question adding to the weird way she sort of knew things and doesn't. He could work our why she know but how she doesn't know her names.