Death and Pestilence

Dabria Bellatrix Abdul—the Death's Handmaiden—stepped inside, her black cloak trailing behind her like a living shadow. Her arrival brought a tangible chill to the room, a darkness that seemed to seep into the walls and floor, as if her very presence absorbed the light. Her pale skin seemed to glow with an ethereal luminescence, and her fingers—long, adorned with delicate obsidian rings—clutched a small vial filled with swirling, smoky darkness.

The Crimson Lions held their breath, the tense atmosphere sharpening as they watched her. She scanned the room with a gleam in her eye, as if she were seeing more than just the people and maps surrounding her. Her gaze, sharp and unsettling, landed on Visha, and in an instant, her face lit up with childlike glee.

"Wifey!" Dabria squealed, her voice lilting and sweet, like the melody of a warped lullaby. Without hesitation, she launched herself at Visha, arms outstretched in a gleeful, over-the-top embrace.

Visha's normally impassive face registered genuine surprise, her pale-green eyes widening as Dabria's arms wrapped around her. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she instinctively braced for the impact. The infamous Pestilent Sovereign, accustomed to dread and decay, was momentarily taken off guard by the unexpectedly joyful chaos of her former companion.

Dabria's hug was tight—uncomfortably tight—and she gave a delighted, breathy giggle, her eyes wide with unbridled excitement. "Oh, I missed you, Wifey! You're still as deliciously gloomy as ever!" She pulled back just enough to look into Visha's eyes, her own expression a disturbing mix of fondness and something far darker. "Isn't this just a beautiful reunion? Fate, hmm? Like a dark, twisted fairytale!"

Visha's smirk returned, tinged with the slightest trace of warmth and nostalgia. "Dee…" she murmured, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "It's been a long time."

"Oh, I know! Too long, too long!" Dabria cooed, her fingers still clutching Visha's arms as though she might vanish if she let go. "Do you know how I prayed we'd meet again? I left little signs in the dust and shadows, calling for my darling wifey! And here you are… all grown up and just as gloriously haunting as I remember." She let out a shiver of delight, her tone dripping with eerie affection.

The rest of the Crimson Lions looked on, unnerved by the bizarre dynamic unfolding before them. Gregor "Ox" took a small step back, clearly unsettled, while Talia couldn't decide whether to laugh or cringe. Kade merely raised an eyebrow, and Elias adjusted his glasses, analyzing the two women with the curiosity of someone watching a particularly dangerous experiment.

Ryker, inwardly screaming, cleared his throat, attempting to bring order to the room. "So… you two… know each other?" He kept his tone measured, though he had a feeling he wasn't prepared for the answer.

"Oh, we go way back," Dabria sang, still holding Visha close, her voice lilting with a bubbly creepiness that set everyone on edge. "We were little lab rats together, you could say… prisoners in a beautiful nightmare. I was d4514, and she was my precious v1247," she finished, her voice thick with an unsettling sweetness.

Visha nodded, her gaze briefly darkening as she recalled the facility where they had endured endless experiments, surrounded by white walls, harsh lights, and the cold, detached faces of the scientists. Visha remembered watching Dabria's power blossom, a child capable of killing anything with just a touch, who wielded death with an innocence that was both terrifying and tragic.

"Dabria was… unique," Visha admitted, her voice softer than usual as her eyes took on a faraway look. "She could kill with a touch, and the scientists were thrilled, of course. They eventually transferred her to another facility… I thought I'd never see her again."

Dabria giggled, a sound that was somehow both joyous and chilling, and tilted her head, her dark eyes shimmering with a twisted light. "They tried to separate us! Can you believe it?" she murmured, almost to herself. "As if they could break the bonds of such a twisted little fairytale…"

Visha's smirk returned, sharper this time, as she met Dabria's gaze. "And yet here we are," she said, her tone equally dark. "Back together to face some monsters."

Dabria gasped theatrically, her eyes shining with delight. "Oh, it's so poetic, don't you think? The Pestilent Sovereign and the Death's Handmaiden, together again! Basilisks, beware!" She clapped her hands, her tone disturbingly cheerful, a contrast to the sinister meaning of her words.

Ryker took a steadying breath, glancing at his team, who looked somewhere between mesmerized and deeply uncomfortable. "Right," he said, trying to inject a note of authority into the room. "We have a mission. Both of you bring unique skills, and we'll need that to handle what's waiting for us in Crisanto Forest. So let's focus."

Dabria turned her attention to him, her smile widening to an unnatural degree. "Oh, don't worry, little Ryker!" she chimed, batting her eyes innocently. "I'll be ever so cooperative! I wouldn't dream of causing trouble. Not with my lovely Visha here to keep me company!" Her voice dripped with a saccharine sweetness that made Ryker inwardly wince.

Visha gave a dry chuckle, folding her arms as she looked at Dabria with a mixture of affection and exasperation. "Just don't go overboard, Dabria. We're here to deal with basilisks, not turn the forest into an apocalyptic playground."

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" Dabria purred, tilting her head to the side with a wide, unsettling grin. "I was hoping we could make it a little party… play with the basilisks a little."

Ryker cut in before the conversation could spiral further. "All right, that's enough," he said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension. "This isn't a game. We're dealing with real threats. Save the theatrics for the basilisks."

Dabria sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes but nodding all the same. "Fine, fine… but only because wifey is here." She gave Visha a playful caress, her gaze lingering on her as though the two were sharing a private joke.

Visha smirked, returning Dabria's look with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Then let's make it worth the trip," she said coolly.

The uneasy tension in the room shifted as everyone gathered around the large wooden table where the maps and reports lay spread out. Ryker cleared his throat, glancing warily between Dabria and Visha before pointing to the marked areas on the map of Crisanto Forest.

"This," he began, indicating a cluster of black Xs near the forest's center, "is where the majority of the basilisk sightings have occurred. The fog and twisted mana are densest here, and reports say that the basilisk venom has tainted the land, leaving acidic pools that dissolve nearly anything that touches them."

Leah, the Crimson Lions' Wind Whisperer, leaned in closer, her sharp eyes darting between the map and the two eccentric women beside her. "If we're moving through this area, we'll need protection from the acid pools and fog. I can try to manipulate the air to disperse it in places, but it's thick and volatile. Visha, Dabria—any input on keeping us from being burned alive?"

Dabria gave a gleeful clap, her eyes gleaming with delight. "Why, of course! I've brought a little something special just for that." She pulled out her small vial of swirling black mist, holding it up like a prized gem. "My latest concoction. This baby neutralizes acidic venom and dulls necrotic energy for a short period. Just a little dab on the skin or gear, and it's like a cloak of shadowy protection! Deliciously useful, wouldn't you say?"

Kade raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "So… that vial can protect us from the acid?"

"Indeed," Dabria replied, her tone sing-song. "Though you'll feel a bit tingly! It's perfectly harmless… unless you touch it too much." She giggled, the sound like wind chimes, sweet but unnervingly sharp. "But we'll keep the dose light. Can't have my new friends collapsing, can we?"

Visha's gaze lingered on the vial with a faint smile. "A smart concoction, Dabria. And as for the fog," she added, her voice taking on a more practical edge, "I can summon a protective miasma. It'll act as a barrier, shielding us from the basilisk venom, though it may weaken the further we go. The pestilent energy should counter the acid somewhat."

"Between the two of you," Ryker said, cautiously optimistic, "we might actually survive this." He looked around the room, eyeing each member of his team. "We'll form two groups. Kade, you'll take Ox, Talia, and Leah with Visha. Elias, you're with me and Dabria. We'll circle the main den, keeping the two of you close for maximum coverage."

Dabria clasped her hands together, an excited glimmer in her eyes. "Oh, I can't wait! All of us, together, in that lovely, cursed forest… I can practically taste the fun we're going to have."

Visha chuckled darkly, the glint in her golden-green eyes matching Dabria's twisted enthusiasm. "We're on the same page, then."

The rest of the Crimson Lions exchanged wary glances. Ryker, however, seemed to make peace with the inevitable. With a deep breath, he set his jaw, the lines of his face hardening as he accepted the risk of what they were about to do.

"Good," he said, his voice firm. "We move out within the hour. Gather your gear, apply Dabria's concoction sparingly, and be prepared for anything. Visha and Dabria, you'll lead the front as we navigate the fog. I don't need to remind you both how dangerous this is."

Dabria gave a dramatic bow, her voice soft but full of playful menace. "Oh, Guild Master, we wouldn't dream of being anything but prepared." She shot Visha a conspiratorial smile. "Right, darling?"

Visha inclined her head with a smirk. "Naturally."