When was the last time she crossed these streets normally? At least a couple of decades. But everything was different now. The Nightmare Kingdom no longer as such.

Answer to query is before cerebral connection, unable to compute.
Oh quiet you. It was a mental taunt to the system integrated to the brain. A genuine smile broke across the perfect face acting as the facade to that cerebellum. Free of blemishes or the signs of age, the woman haughtily trotted down the most extravagant streets. Where as before, her method of travel coincided with the rooftops overhead. The before that this off limit area a dream to stroll a she did now.

This warm summer day called for the fire red hair on her head. The long length saffron dress resembled one the nobles would wear, glittering with every other step in the high heels she took. She stopped at the corner, knowing how many looks she garnered by ways none of them could understand.
"Hmm?" A familiar feeling wormed its way in the waves of joy she felt. To keep up the facade, the woman bit her lip.
Where is that signature coming from?
Two hundred yards east of your present location.

One unearthly growl left her lips, so much for a stroll...

A pentagram formed in the shadows of an alleyway, far upkept than the normal dead end corridor, but on the whole ignored by the wealthy with their usual air of indifference. The magical symbol followed by a centrifugal force not native to this world.
The woman bounded into the alleyway, displeased by this turn of events. She waited as the monitors to her vitals registering this unusual phenomenon. An overwhelming source of light washed over her.

Edges of a lengthy trenchcoat materialized through the fires and light first before the individual. Two yellow irises glanced about the entrance to this area, until they came to a dead stop on the woman at his feet.
Hmm...

"Well, I figured we would be done with you demons by now."
"Excuse me?" The stranger asked as his portal worked in reverse right back into the nothingness it once was.  

She saw the heavy bandages that covered the face except for that lone eye visible to her goddess given sight. "You do act more refined then them but it does not matter." Both went silent until a sharp crack echoed in the dead end. The demonic traveler saw two wide curved swords jut out from the bend of both elbows.
"Hold on now, I do not know what you think, but calm down."

She stood even with his height, because of the high heels worn but the material appeared fused with the bottom of her soles, the very shape and definition of them warping and altering before his eye. They resembled a pair of hooves instead of soft feet. Unfortunately for the visitor, this woman found out her life was ultimately changed by those like him. She knew what he was by the memory banks her computer possessed. A demon.

He wondered if it was the natives of the world or this individual alone. But he had no desire to fight, bounding away effortlessly until he ended up on the second floor balcony of the building at their back. Glancing down he saw the lady stopped at the base of the fire escape with a heavy glare to her violet eyes. Without another word, he turned and cleared her line of sight.

That growl deepened as she stepped back, lithely in the hoof like flippers as two human feet. She had plenty of time to get used to the GIC attached to her very lobe. Her gaze focused on the fire escapes, she did not wish to alter herself much.
That was reserved for the demon...

Angles and stability formulas of the fire escapes ran in her mind, no different than the device. The lone difference was her calculations could hold flaws where the computer did not. With deliberate steps leading back to the busy street, that mind clocked off the distance needed before she turned and took off.

Many crossed the Kingdom's roads. Only a few blocks over, two such individuals did navigated the rich sector.

"Now if I was her..." A slender blue finger pressed against the tips of their matching lips. "Where would I go?" They ignored the shocked stares they generated while standing on the corner. A low whine came from the out of place brown hat on her dark azure hair.

Her expression turned sour, but she focused on the noise. "Shh Mal. They still fear the monsters from your home." She clapped her hands determinedly, the unusual ebon markings littering her arms glittering in sunlight.

A mystical Ki'Na. A Starborne. Many things covered the brilliant soul as she refolded her blue and white wings against the relatively small frame. The young individual made sure her wings were close, because their burning tips have singed clothing already.

"Okay Nix. Back to the task at hand..." She chose an ultimately random direction, choosing to go down the connecting sidewalk instead of crossing. Eventually her steady walk placed her in front of a theater and she heard a rolling snarl overhead. The Prince of the Virtou only wanted to give them a little bit of time before they left the planet and here she walked looking for Mink. However, the Starborne had a sneaking suspicion where with the sound overhead. The blue woman caused a bigger commotion when she vanished in a splatter of light.

"Now look. I do not wish to harm you." The concealed demon's eyes narrowed, the woman managed to track him down to the theater's rooftops.
"That's just fine. I'll make it quick." Like before the violet-haired woman's elbows revealed those fierce blades but what was concealed on the ground were the manacles under the dress' sleeves two more blades popped out. She snarled once again and ran forth only to skid to a rest.

Nix materialized directly in the path of the two. "Mink? What are you doing?" Her coal eyes saw the quad-blades out in the open. "You said you were going on a walk..."

"Oh save it!" Replied the taller woman in a huff, her elbow weapons circled about easily as if on a spinning wheel. The manacle weapons however were locked like mini-scythes until she moved her arms in a certain way. "Did you even look behind you?"

Nix swung around and studied the cloaked individual, more correctly, tried to seek out their heart. However, her hat suddenly came alive and flew off her head.
Mal landed on the ground and snarled. The creature an amalgam of several native others and of foreign aspects. However, like the two ladies the little creature endured greatly. It's sleek build and dark coat bristled. His three sets of dragonfly wings flapped frantically, yet he remained bound on the ground.

"Mal stop it." Nix spoke up, shaking her head.
At least one of them isn't judgmental.

"It is a demon!" Mink hissed again, by now her mental hold over her body slipped a little. While the dress held, the flesh on her legs turned to solid silver streamed fur.

Nix got that idea beforehand for she couldn't find his heart. Only demons could leave that impression. She knew why both of them already disliked the individual only at first glance. Their electronic devices had the basic understanding for demons saved. However, the Starborne did not feel any animosity or anger toward this one. She crouched down and ticked the little animal underneath what the demon thought was it’s furred underbelly but saw next to her fingers two moving pincers. Mal purred and squealed in happily tones forgetting the visitor from afar. "If it was a bad demon like you two thought. They would not just stand here."

"Thank you." The gruff reply didn't appear to faze the blue Ki'Na at all.
"But a name would be nice." She sweetly replied. While she wasn't as mischievous or seductive as the fuming metamorph behind her wings, Nix had her moments.

"Algorath." He took the moment to adjust the cobalt trenchcoat disheveled by the mini sprint. Then found out the woman in the sunflower hued dress focused on the mark on it.

"Oh! I'm sorry." She smiled. "I'm Nix." Her hand continued to reduce the beast to docile pudding until she picked it up with both hands, holding it out as if to display him. "This is Mal." The beast growled lowly, but if his owner found no wrong in the demon, he'll adjust. It's multi-barbed tail was no sharper than tiny pinpricks at the moment far cries from a few days ago. "Mink, say hello."

"Charmed I'm sure..." Both fists settled on her hips, Mink's weapons slowly sunk back into their hidden compartments.
"Where were you heading?" The Ki'Na allowed the crossbreed to rest on her shoulder. That fact alone a new facet for their ragtag group.

"Anywhere, I only wished to look around." Algorath shrugged slightly. The demon clearly didn't know how to react with the seemingly unflappable optimism the Ki'Na had.
The fuming third of their group latched onto Nix's head, with a modest grip on the skull covered with near black hair. "Don't you dare..."

With a very wide smile on her azure face, she answered. "I'll show you around."

"HOW is it you can be so nice to everyone?! Not everyone is kind! Haven't what we went through enough proof ?!" Mink let go and in turn dropped her facade. A viciously curved dark horn shot out of her skull while the visible portions of her legs deviated from the silver fur to hard green scales. A bulge behind her eventually showed a large green tail with that unusual purple hue in it.

The demon took a step forward, "It is not necessary. I'll find my way."

The Starborne would hear none of it. "You should help out everyone you can." Her eyes focused on her unwilling companion. "Besides just because someone is something potentially bad doesn't mean all of them are. Aren't you living proof of that Mink?"

A forked tongue shot out of the metamorph's mouth then drifted back inside. "Do what you want then!" She turned, that strong tail lashed Nix's side dropping her to her knees. Mal was upended by the drop in elevation and latched on only by those pincers in its midsection.

Algorath went to check on her while Mink took off across the rooftops. The gaps between buildings did not deter her than any different than of the walking populace on the natural streets below. Her powerful legs easily cleared any distance in the way.

"That thing always hurts." That smile did not break once, even with the grip of agony in full effect. Mink's tail was capable of breaking steel asunder. "We should go..." Nix did not notice him glaring at the departing individual. That partially visible yellow iris eye did not waver or show any indication of the emotion behind it.

"Are you sure? Your friend definitely dislikes my kind."

Nix nodded, scooping up her pet. Mal licked at the puncture wounds, forgetting the dress she wore. "The past is hard for her to let go."
The demon didn't give a clue again as to his mindset but picked up the hat she wore from the ground. "It is for many of us."

The Starborne nodded, taking up her summertime cap. She sat Mal on her head again, then covered up the creature. "Where do we begin?"
"Getting down is sufficient."

Mink crossed town via her usual route across the rooftops, fuming.
How can Nix be so trusting of everyone!

The metamorph grumbled as she headed toward the abandoned section of Nightmare Kingdom, several industrial factories Mink called home after her ordeals. A Divini wrongfully experimented on, betrayed by her own brother... discovering later on demonic forces crafted the process. Trusting others was extremely difficult for her.

She slipped through a broken window with the grace of a flying dove, landing lithely on one of the steel girders hanging overhead. The fine wear she wore broke down and apart, allowing her to craft scales to cover herself up.  Another benefit of having a computer attached to her brain, nanotechnology running through her tainted blood.

Why...

Mink's violet eyes narrowed then with a drawn out breath lost the intensity. That Ki'Na was different. But to trust a demon? If anything this proved how different they were to Mink. Their little group and her. An ex-thief did not have anything to do with them.

Hunched over the girder with the over twenty-foot drop, Mink's mind did not settle. There was nothing left here on Zon for her. The other thieves no longer gathered, either by death or disbanding far as they knew. Her brother a warm memory, his life force now fueling hers. Those hiding behind the scenes, the cause of the situation terrorizing this place destroyed in vengeful retribution. Revenge was all that she wanted and now that its final, what was there? As much her mind did not wish to answer it. The answer would not be denied. Mink fiercely roared. Her radically mixed DNA the cause. This time her form altered in the sunlight. Warm flesh, mutating on numerous levels at a frantic pace, unheard of except in the deepest corners of the galaxies. That Starborne was going to be the death of her.

Algorath blinked when he found himself back on the streets. Nix standing with him with her ever happy azure face. They startled the crowd when materializing in a flurry of light.

That was definitely magic but no portal, gestures or words...

Nix didn't appear to care at the varied stares she received. Her mind locked on helping the demonic guest. "Are you hungry?"
"Not really." His response to be polite, ignored willingly or no by the stalwart happy soul.

"Well Mal is and I am a bit. So we can talk while eating." Nix latched onto his unsuspecting hand and practically dragged him off by it. Her lanky build did not show how strong the Ki'Na was. They stopped at an outdoor café and sat down. The Starborne did immediately, while her guest hesitated at first, ultimately doing so after sticking his tail through the back of his chair, one conveniently shaped for those usually forgotten limbs.

"This isn't necessary." Algorath patiently tapped his nails on the table, not wishing to be rude to one that not only prevented bloodshed and only remained polite to him. Eventually his hands stopped, as a waiter slowly came to the eclectic pair and took the Starborne's order. He declined with a shake of his covered head.

Nix made her choice of food, making sure to get some included for her pet. When the frock wearing waiter left, her soft eyes watched the demon. "It's okay. I'm not certain about this place myself." She smiled which didn't reassure the one across the table in the least.

All he really desired was to see this world, not get dragged into a woman's casual and strange day or another's hatred of demons. Algorath watched the hovering cars rush by just a few inches of the ground. But his attention diverted to the populace heading into shops and other buildings across the street.

"You have draconians here?"

Nix took a quick nibble on her salad, then peered up. The blue woman merely placed her hat down on the table; allowing her mixed beast to nibble on the other plates brought out. Mal's right eye, the shape of a honeycomb glittered and unknown to the majority of the outer world. Showed statistics and numbers its mind should not understand. Like the one that fled the group, a machine was attached to the mind. It told the little creature when it was safe to eat. "Draconians?" She turned her gaze in the same direction as him.

Algorath's hand pointed to the cream scaled Dragis hunched in the doorway of the boutique. "See the one in front of the clothing store?"

That presented Nix with a mini-problem. One that forced her to lightly tap her plate with the fork. It wasn't a Draconian, that much was true. However when the drooped tail slink about and with no edge to it, the Starborne realized which one the individual was. "No. That is a Dragis." They were just like Silvan. For her this city was a far cry from the island she called home with the other Ki'Na. She did not have a computer to help out. Nix along with the demon discovered this world as they went along. Ever respectful she did not ask about the question, knowing little about demons except the one she killed.

"What about this dimension?" It confused her again. Her face creased the telltale sign. While it remained invisible to her eyes by the bandages, the demon frowned. The Starborne had no idea of dimensional travel. "Nevermind. Can you show me more?" Algorath figured his travels would go easier if he remained with this one. Despite standing out among any crowd, it placed less conspicuous eyes on him.
Nix nodded, "Why not?"
She finished her salad, while Mal finished his fair share without being spotted once. After paying for the meal, they headed away from the eatery.

Mink landed back on the Theater's rooftops, choosing to use the easy exercise to clear her head. She stood as a beautiful Dragis; the only evidence of her original being was those violet eyes. A scale tight sleeveless dark dress clung to the strong muscles lurking underneath. Her manacles in plain view, they along with her memory the last links to her past. Thankfully none of the buildings rose higher than that of the current perch; otherwise a few individuals would lose their breath at her current blood colored guise. The red form peered over the edge briefly then scoffed; tracking still remained before the Virtou royalty left.

She had to regain Nix's position; her magical trick only left a brief echo like trail. The metamorph could not find her now that the magic finished. A scent trail also impossible, the Ki'Na did not create one unless that main power came to light. She paced along the roof. How can she find someone that doesn't leave a trail?

"I'm thinking the wrong way here..." A deep toothy smirk crossed her face. The idea did not come to light via her mouth but to the numerous connections in her mind. "Find the mutt, find Nix." Again the scents would be dispelled by now, the winds kicking up made sure of that. Instead, Mink focused on the beast at the blue one's side. More importantly with the one connection they shared.
Find any other active GIC units.
Once the information was relayed to her, the Dragis took off.

The more Algorath walked with the Ki'Na, the demon grew confident that he entered a world he did know yet did not. The reason why not surfacing not just yet. Bits and pieces Nix fed to him with their conversation only served to further tease the memory. "Many exist but you do not know them all..."

His cerulean guide nodded, a bit saddened. "I'm sorry I haven't helped you much. I'm certain if my friends were here they could help out more."
"That's just fine Nix. Every bit helps."

The crossed another street, heading a bit closer to where the only signs of degradation occurred on the wealthy side of the Kingdom. They approached the unofficial border between the haves and have-nots. Several bazaar and cart shops ran down these sidewalks. Unlike the dapper boutiques a few yards back north, the majority of the owners wore run down items and patchwork pieces. The group also noticed more ruined alleyways filled with garbage.

Mal's budding antennae lurked just past the brim of Nix's hat, the purple hue mixing well with the inorganic material and twitched a bit. He whined for a while now but now did so loud enough to draw the blue lady's attention. She turned to Algorath, carefully removing her accessory. The Kingdom Beast had enough intelligence to latch his pincers into the design on its top. The Demon and Starborne prevented all eyes from looking inside the curve of Nix's hat.
"What is it?" Nix acted like she spoke to her bandaged individual instead of her pet. Mal whined and whimpered, even cringed to get his point across. She nodded then replaced her hat. "It is okay."

Once again her slender hand latched onto Algorath's different hand and hurried ahead. "What is it?"
"We're being followed." Nix replied keeping one eye over her shoulder.

Mal's fear, contrary to the naturally fierce creature, was that of the disbanded thieves. Yet, the strange creature remained certain that was what followed them. If it was anyone else but Nix, they would not believe him.
"Trying to lose them?" The demon asked. He peered back as well, finding nothing out of the ordinary. "Why not use your magic?"

Nix turned into what she thought was an open street, only to find a dead end; behind the wall was the rundown sector. "I can't focus with Mal like this."
Algorath decided against using his magic, too many unknowns lied with the company he currently kept. "Let's move then."

They turned and started to run back, Mal did double duty to keep his hiding spot on the head of the Ki'Na. But they came to a sudden stop. Individuals came out of several buildings and clearly armed with swords crackling with electricity and a few guns. The Kingdom Beast's computer did not steer him wrong. Those that did trail them now joined the throng of at least twenty strong.

Nix's sunny personality turned cloudy. This encounter by far wasn't the first time the group ran into her. "Why can't you leave me alone?" A few of the throng was only children but they too were armed. Her feathered wings opened just a bit ruffled, yet the orbs of flame at their tips remained clear with their blue and white colors.

"Someone said we'll get a lot of money if we bring them you..." One of them spoke up. "Just come with us quietly."
The demon stepped forward, once again invisible to those around them a deep displeased look crossed his features. "Go about your way and you'll be spared."

"Stay out of this!"

The Dragis, Mink in a different form, paused on the rooftop of an abandoned building. They led her in a perpetual yet gradual circle. The GIC lodged in Mal's mind was stationary and compensating the creature's increased brain and body activity. That extra effort only helped her own computer's command given to seek out other units. Her internal device blared, giving a visual cue on the inside of her iris as to where the beast was.

She peered over the edge of the several story roof, the metamorph's sharp eyes enhanced by her life enhancing machine. Those violet lenses easily picked up the stand out Nix and that demon across the way, blocked in the dead end. Now she understood why the tracking process grew easier, certain that none below noticed the Starborne's shaking hat.

"I thought we got rid of them."