Riverside 16: Turn and face the strain

[Ashen Lilies]

[Vigil Safehouse, Westside]

The flight from Vigil had been uneventful, save for that one stop. The demon had recognized what the destruction of the spire had meant, seen with its eyes the brilliant point of light that had flown off, as well as the much smaller flaming streak that had landed far off. It had seen the trajectory, it could calculate the destination. And so it had gone, skimming lightly across the surface of the lake, into the dark woods. It did not take long before it had found the sword, resting in a charred patch of grass, by the foot of a great pine. The hilt and wrappings had been burnt all away, leaving only the metal parts of the blade, grip and pommel behind, blackened by soot. For any human, an uncomfortable weapon to wield, but it readily retrieved it, lifting it up with a small clump of the crystals that surrounded it. The demon pondered its next destination. It felt... weakened, and a mysterious hunger that it had never felt before. Instinctively, however, it seemed to know what it might need, and its memories gave it an idea of where it might find something to satisfied its odd craving. Skyside was too unsafe to reach, in the demon's current state, and it wished to avoid Inside if it could, for there were certainly forces there that would be hostile towards it. That left Riverside, and it flew there forthwith.

As the demon approached the walled city, it changed, body altering to a less ostentatious form. The capelets dull in color, fusing into a hooded cloak, and the clumsy hooves elongated into clawed feet, horns shrinking in kind, until they were mere thorns, extending an inch each from the forehead. Gold and black patterns faded, color dulling to a more utilitarian charcoal color. The face too shifted to a more familiar configuration, eyes remaining in place, but a slit on the lower part of the face opening and widening, forming a fanged mouth. More drastic changes beyond these, the demon did not attempt. This form had utility enough: it did not wish to resume any identity that may make it a target, and any disguise would be an unnecessary effort with little benefit.

It noticed evacuations. Curious, though an investigation that would need to wait. The demon snuck over the wall, relying on darkness to hide it as it drifts down several back alleys, making its way to the decrepit building that had once been bought and secretly modified to serve as a safehouse. The door looked to be barely on, hanging decrepit on rusted hinges, but of course this was only a facade. The demon shoved the fake door aside, stepping into a hallway that ended in a second door, this one of steel.
"Please identify yourself." Said a voice.
The demon grabbed the door, wrenching the heavy steel out of its housing, before throwing it into the street, where it landed with a heavy crash. No doubt now there would be a silent alarm, alerting all Vigil communicators of the break-in, assuming any were still active to receive it. No matter, the demon would be quick. There were supplies of all kinds in the safehouse; food, water, bed pallets, though the demon passed all these by, making its way to the closet at the back. Here it found its prize: detonation spheres, elemental orbs, magical items of a variety of sorts. Potent weapons, but that wasn't what the demon intended. It could sense the magical energy lying in wait inside the devices. Latent for now, but ready to be called forth, activated to unleash magical destruction. A suitable energy supply. The demon grabbed several. It retrieved a scabbard as well, a plain leather one that it belted around its torso, crystals carefully sliding the sword it had retrieved safely within. Then it left.