D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Chapter 2062: Chapter 2062 In the Garden of Fleurs Part 2

--- Kat ---

Apparently, everyone in the damned compound wanted their own private alcohol collection. Some were more filled out then others, in fact many were almost empty, but they were certainly trying. Kat had assumed that dried herbs would be more common considering the fact that the Fleurs didn’t make much alcohol personally from what she could tell... but that really wasn’t stopping them. It was almost funny how many hidden cellars had another basement below them with yet more alcohol. Though many of those were just as empty as the rooms above.

On the more useful side of things, they still hadn’t been targeted by guards and nobody seemed to realise they were looking around. In addition to that they’d managed to confirm that at the very least some prison cells did exist underneath the greenhouses. The one Lily had found actually had a unique way to access it. Someone had finally moved away from the same fake flower everyone else. To get into the hidden prison you had to turn the tap towards the off direction. Notably, not the ’valve’ part that controlled the water flow but the actually tap part of the system that let the water out.

Lily had almost missed it, but had managed to accidentally turn it when trying to turn the valve extra hard to see if that did anything. It instead turned the whole apparatus to the side somewhat, and Lily had been willing to test it to see if anything happened after that. Instead of just revealing a ladder, instead the main table for plants in the middle of the room was moved backwards to reveal a complete set of stairs.

Climbing down them revealed three prison cells. One on the left, one on the right, and under the stairs that only had about half the amount of room as the other two, for when you were feeling extra petty Kat supposed. The end of the corridor had a guard outpost though it was lacking in any guards. The room itself seemed to be sealed off but if you went into the guard post and shut the door the walls became see-through. Lily suspected they were one-way but without Kat to double check that was more of a guess.

With no real success in finding a lead for Appoline so far, it was time to take a bit of a risk. One of the greenhouses had people working in it. A few of them did actually, but this one was a target for a reason. Unlike the other greenhouses, this one had been worked on consistently since they’d jumped the hedge. Kat had been keeping track of the gardeners’ movements to be useful for something at least and noticed that odd detail.

Of course, things were going to be more complicated then normal due to this. *Ok, so before we start anything. Should we go back to another greenhouse and test to see if you can open the doors for me? I’m sure you can fight these guys, there’s only four of them and you have the element of surprise, but fighting them finishing them off before they can alert anyone, especially someone in the possible prison below them is a much harder task.*

[I think you’re forgetting something. If I have to open the door for you, they’re going to see you come in. Plus, the charm to keep the humidity levels from changing probably aren’t tied to the door being closed. You’d need to walk inside and the attack.]

*Oh that’s a bigger problem. In that case do you think you can take them all out?*

[I don’t think so. Or rather, your guess seems about right. I don’t know that I can make four shadow constructs powerful enough to take out all of them in one hit... unless I just straight up kill them.]

*I... well I suppose it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. That’s easier?*

[Yes. For incapacitating I need to either be really specific with my application of force or choke them out which is probably a lot safer. Specific application might work... but I have no idea what the appropriate amount is, and it would change depending on their rank. Something I can’t really feel with the greenhouse in the way. It’s the only magical thing I sense in that direction because it’s so magically ’bright’ I guess?]

[On the other hand, if I just wanted to kill them I could make four shadow spears and take them out either through the heart or the eyes. Slicing their throats would also work eventually and stop them screaming but they’d take longer to die.]

*Surprisingly brutal.*

[Well, we do need to consider our options and for all that I’m a tiny kitty at the moment I am still a beastkin with a predator as my alternative form. Pouncing and killing my prey is fairly instinctual. Luckily Memphis, or maybe just Memphis kittens don’t really have the sort of bloodlust to push me into that line of thinking out of nowhere... but in situations like this I can see what’s going to be the best way to go about it at least.]

*Alright well... do we test the doors first? Or more seriously consider what to do. This is mostly down to you even if the door works. Sadly.*

[Let’s test the doors. With the risk of death on the table, at least for our combatants, I’d rather it not be in an ambush. Feels... fairer and less morally reprehensible.]

*If you say so. Though I’d counter that evil people you can’t hold in jail should be put down.*

[Yes but we’ve not seen these guys do anything but tend to plants. We don’t even know if they’re jailors, let alone evil.]

*Point.*

Kat and Lily moved back to the greenhouse they just left... and then decided that it might be best to move a bit further away. They were just right next to a populate greenhouse after all. Kat was probably going to need to walk through the door as well. After they were a couple of greenhouses away, Lily carefully cracked open the door... and nothing happened. *Do you think it’s because you technically have the token on you?*

[Dammit maybe!?]

Kat sent her amusement down the link as she tried to float in without transforming back... only for the same wall that prevented her sneaking through the cracks in the doors to actually be quite solid. Kat spread out to cover the entire area of the door but there was no gaps. Kat mentally sighed and reformed her body while crouched down as low as possible. As soon as she was back to normal she was able to push through the ’wall’ as if it wasn’t even there. If she hadn’t been ramming her ’face’ against it for the last thirty seconds she wouldn’t even know there was anything to avoid.

*Alright. So I can get in that way. Now we have to decide if I should help you out or if you can do it yourself... or if maybe it would be best to explore more. There are plenty of greenhouses we haven’t checked. I don’t think we’ve even covered half of them. Considering we’re still on the same side of the main house, I’d call it extremely likely.*

[I don’t even think we’ve gone through a third... but this one seems more likely then the others to have Appoline. A lot more likely. I don’t think we should just ignore the chance. Especially when the closest greenhouses don’t seem to have people working in them at the moment unlike earlier. We might not get a better chance.]

*Ok. So what’s the plan?*

[I’m wondering... if I open the door, just in case it’s me that needs to do it. Then, I wrap my shadows around the heads of all of the people inside, focusing on trying to prevent them from making noise as the main thing I’m doing. From there, you run in and either choke them out, or if you’re comfortable, knock them out with a blow.]

*Sounds good to me.*

Kat moved her mist to the ground, ready and having decided that burning a bit of extra demonic energy to reform herself without gathering all the water was worth it. Lily snuck in just fine, there were plenty of pots to hide behind, even right next to the door. The four people inside didn’t even look up at her intrusion. When the door clicked open though? Everything changed.

Despite no sound going out, every single person turned to the door at the same time, indicating something weird was up. This distraction, while somewhat of a worry, was a boon in the moment. They never noticed the deepening shadows on the roof, even as they shot down to cover their heads. Muffled screaming was audible as Kat sprinted in through the door. She wrapped her tail around the first ’gardener’ to start choking, then moved onto the second and third, with one on each arm. With Kat dealing with three of them, Lily could focus more mana and shadow to the fourth and final one, with hopes to bring them down.