Welcome to Gaia! ::

"This is my home.." He told Inukai. Even if he wasn't the best person to talk to he was being a polite host, "Welcome." The moment he kicked off the serpent-like pattern of his dragonboard and landed on the ground, the flashing images of the battle with the Hell Demons quickly sped through his mind. It wasn't the first time - it always happened for some odd reason.

The ground was barren, lonely without any sort of plant life. If Mother Earth had a sense of talking she would be crying within this mountain, not that it had roses and thornbushes before. The ground didn't even have dirt but had become exceptionally hard over the years. This was no romantic scenery or place to live. Though it couldn't be seen or felt, the gate at the far back protruded an ominous aura, as if it was containing one or may possible entities behind its rocky walls. "I guess you could stay here for a while, but don't go into the mountains. It may look like there's only animals but there's also anaconda-sized demon snakes, Naga's, harpies, and a couple or terrifying species. It'll be a shame to have you killed.."

"..Who knows.." Was his reply to Inukai's question. Many times he contemplated in moving, but with Sanctum south of here..well, it was more convenient.

He let feet guide him to the empty and blighted huts almost subconsciously. Dark was alert despite his calm and easy going face, if not bored. Coming here he always felt the tension and now it was practically unheeded to him as he inspected each house. Though confident in the Hell Gate now being less active he could not help but explore just in case. What was that saying: 'Better safe than sorry'.

"It could be because I feel uncomfortable in Sanctum," He added, "Being in an economy with different species isn't what bothers me, but the fact that I'm not alone. I haven't traveled for years now, secluding myself in these mountains and only paying visit to Sanctum when needs seem to arise - both personal and external. By external I mean that the mayor bothers me about social matters in the city.." He further explained, recklessly stepping into a pitch black hut. An unseen presence beckoned for entry, and Dark allowed himself to enter. "Also, long ago I was the cause for this city to be destroyed. Maybe I feel guilty, I don't know. But this is my first home..after my travels...this place called for me."

I can't see through this darkness..even with my vision. His eyes were a luminous blue, but in this darkness he could not even see the straw-structure of the walls, or any pots that should have been left scattered on the floor. This darkness was not because of nature; it was a power. "..."

To be alone had its ups and downs.

When you were alone you weren't bothered, and were allowed to do as you please without worry of being interrupted. In the same time the loneliness grows and it grows on the heart, most of the time. He wouldn't lie to himself..he enjoyed being alone and sometimes even felt sad from it.

Even as Inukai tugged on his leg and begged to leave Dark remained unphased by its plea or the now crawling presence of what he assumed to be a Hell Demon. Low in rank, but still dangerous..if Dark wasn't his opponent.

"You said back when we were with Dawn that you were lonely. After I left this village to burn and be plagued by demons I lost my entire clan, or so I assume at least." He continued to scan through the room, still not being able to see. His instincts would have to do. "I was cause for my loneliness but I don't know your story. Look out.." Dark warned, pivoting on a foot and brooming Inukai away from a deadly sweep. Though he couldn't see he heard the powerful crash and slash of claws scraping the floor.

Rapid footsteps scraped on the walls of the hut, and moved above them in desperation. Not long after he could hear a whiny and disgusing snarl of a demon. It sounded like a simple Imp who allowed its demon nature to rule its mind and body. To support his assumption it cackled above them, and the sound grew closer.

"I can't just let these things rule over my home.." Dark finally said, his Aura spreading from both his and Inukai's feet and arcing upon both of his sides to cover them within a luminating sphere of his Aura - a barrier. Still shrouded in the darkness the only thing that could be seen was the ripples of impact that came from above them where the imp crashed. "You ever have anything to protect?" He asked Inukai, once again pivoting before using his aura to burst and blast the Imp outside of the hut. With it the darkness followed in a wispy curtain.

Outside of the hut the low-ranked imp stood upon its legs. It was thin to the point where the bones were prominent on its ribs. It screeched at both him and Inukai with intense red eyes and sharpened canines that could crush bones to dust. The darkness protruded from over-sized spores the size of marbles on its head, arms and legs. Its pointy ears twitched and gazed upon Inukai, and stretches its lips to its bony cheeks with a fangy, hungry-like smile.

He should have been suprised. More so than the dumbfounded look that he now wore. "Impressive.." Dark commented as he saw the wings spread and fold not too far behind him. They were relatively large, and he mentally pictured the devil-like wings that Inukia had before. These were not the same.

The imp itself tilted its head in curiousity as it saw Inukia's change, but logic and understanding was the last things on the demon's mind.

"Very well, Inukai. If you insist then by all means." Dark was in no worry that Inukai was in harm's way, given that this was a low-ranking demon it was facing. But if it truly needed help..

Dark took a couple of steps back, and the Imp for some reason took steps forward. It probably thought that Dark was retreating. It's head bobbed was it cackled, it's tongue whipping out and hanging loosely at the corner of its mouth. With no time wasted it charged towards Dark, completely ignoring Inukai was the darkness moved seeped through the holes on its body.

"You're very fast." Dark complimented as he saw the Inukai pin and entrap the Imp. The Imp snarled and screeched, the darkness fuming out of the holes of its body in a harmless fury. It arched its belly, and swang its arms wildy out at Inukai. Over time as the imp's eyes began to darken from their red shine darkness leaked out of the bite from its neck and its arms were losing their livelessness.

"Without mobility the fumes that it protrudes are useless. It's only meant to blind its prey so it could attack and feast within the dark. You've already won this fight. Kill it." He sounded rather demanding, or bossy but it was the only way to fight a demon like that Imp. "Demons like that should not be let go."

The imp was already far too gone and weak to struggle anymore. In fact it had already been dying but Dark wanted to see if Inukai would go for the kill. A part of him was questioning it, which was why he let the demon take the kill. Dark did not even turn away as the imps head was cut clean off, but was impressed by the sharpness of Inukai's claws.

Dark. In the tavern. You must hurry! The mayor shouted in his voice.

The tavern..Mayor, I'm sure it's nothing Heyen can't handle. Don't continue on bothering me for things that can resolve themselves..

Safety precautions. Please hurry!

Dark sighed. "..Sad." He whispered, turning to look at Inukai. Now that the imp was extinguished its life in this plane was fading. In thin trails of darkness it began to dissolve. "Inukai..Come on. I have to make a visit back to town. You can stay here, or come along. It's your choice." Dark offered, his Dragonboard once again breaking out of the ground beneath his feet and lifting him a few inches off. He would wait for Inukai to either hop on his shoulder, so long as he turned back to a puppy, or follow him with his wings if he could fly. Not ten seconds later Dark took off towards the Dragon's Nest