D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Chapter 2069 Imprisoned Flower Part 5

--- Kat ---

The guards upstairs had been dealt with but outside things weren’t looking as good. While the platoon outside didn’t seem to have a way in, they were clearly preparing for when Kat and Lily ca back out. They’d spread around the greenhouse, with a good concentration of power directly in front of the door. Worse, they also seed to be building fortifications. It ant there really wasn’t ti to stand around working out what the best thing to do was.

Looking around, they tried to activate the hidden door chanisms, either through the tap or the flower. This turned into a problem all by itself. The flower was there, and Kat was lucky to be the one to click it. Instead of opening up a hole and a ladder, or moving aside the central table, the fake flower button stabbed inter her finger and injected so sort of liquid. Kat flinched back as her hand started to burn... for a few seconds. Kat glanced at her finger, watching as the hole sealed up with a frown. "Ok... that’s... hmm... let check the tap just in case."

Lily nodded wholeheartedly. They didn’t know what that liquid was, but the answer was likely poison. Though maybe with Appoline here that wasn’t the case? Could’ve just been acid or sothing else similar. Lily had been monts away from turning the tap structure when this all happened so backed off majorly. Not wanting to waste ti second guessing everything, Kat turned the tap and grimaced as nothing good happened.

This ti, the ground below her feet turned into spikes that might’ve been trying to impale her. It was hard to tell because there wasn’t much of a drop. The floor just beca spikes at the sa height level and her skin wasn’t so weak that it’d break from a bit of weight on a hardened dirt spike. It did make it a bit hard to balance though. Kat carefully stepped off the spikes and glanced around. "What other entrances did Sam ntion?"

[Assuming they didn’t use new ones? There was turning the taps on the sprinklers on the roof... that don’t seem to be in this version. There was pulling the doorhandle upwards but the door handle is missing. Um... wait why are you asking you have a perfect mory?]

*I was mostly hoping to go over them with you to determine which was best to start with. The two you’re missing is that the table can simply be pushed aside while it’s still stuck in the ground to move the whole thing and that you pressed down a hidden button in one of the corners of the room.*

[Hey, I got half of them.]

Kat just smiled and did a quick check of the middle table. That didn’t seem to want to budge until she applied enough force to start lifting the table out of the little divots the legs had so that clearly wasn’t the correct option. It also didn’t spring a trap on her, so Kat moved to the corners and started tapping them with her tail. Lily reached over and tapped one with her shadow as well. The timing was a bit too close to work out which of them succeeded but the slight rumbling before the table was pulled back told them they got it right.

Kat rushed down first, ready to fight with everyone... but the guards were all back against the wall. There were three of them in view. Two standing in front, one of them a woman and one of them male, both wearing flowy robes with flowers sewn into the hems. Behind them was a guard in armour, holding a knife up to a dirty looking woman who was bound in chains at her hands and feet. The knife was already poking into her neck slightly, blood dripping downwards. "Stay back," said the guard. "You’re clearly here for Appoline, and we’ve got orders to make sure she dies first,"

"Lovely," said Appoline. "Nice to know I’m so important."

"You shut up, or I’ll push this dagger in a little further..." the guard growled, making it clear that under that armour was another male guard.

*Lily stay back. They’re watching the door a bit too intently. You might just barely be able to get away with jumping on my back or sothing? I’m not sure how to deal with this. That knife isn’t just close to her neck its IN her neck and I’m fast but... not that fast with this bracelet. Maybe even without it.*

"Alright... now what makes you so sure we’re here for... whoever that is," said Kat as she worked out her angle. It wasn’t a great plan but it was A plan.

"I just said this is Appoline, did your mory fucking leave you already?" asked the guard. Knifey, Kat was going to dub him. Oh. Um... yeah probably should’ve said sothing else but I’m panicking a little ok brain?

Kat shrugged, "Well considering my eyes can see the truth of things... are you sure that’s Appoline? Really sure? And are you sure Appoline is the one we want? We’ve already gotten a different prisoner. I’m sure there are a few of interest lying around the compound."

"I ain’t fallin for any of your mind gas. I made the rules clear. You take one more step, and she gets stabbed," growled Knifey.

Kat was wondering what to do. Her plan wasn’t going... the best. Yet, Appoline, despite her dirty looks and bound arms didn’t seem too concerned with things. Her eyes almost said ’Do It’ which... Kat might just be misinterpreting things? "Alright, I suppose I can stay here. Or I can just charge you. I an, it’s not like I know Appoline personally."

"Ha, and why should I believe your lies?" asked Knifey.

"Literally can’t lie. Part of being a demon," Kat answered.

Knifey seed unsure about what to think of this and glanced at one of the other guards who nodded back at him. Kat was about to jump in at the lapse of attention but Knifey must have seen her flinch or sothing because he backed up, and pulled Appoline halfway behind him. "Ah, no moving. I already said that."

Kat shrugged, and took a step forward. "I dunno... sure it’d be nice to have that prisoner, but once again. Are you sure that’s Appoline? She can make copies of herself now..."

"Indeed. I could be anywhere I wanted," snickered Appoline. In response, Knife kneed her in the side, forcing Appoline to let out a wheeze.

"Next ti, it’ll be the knife," growled Knifey. Even with this declaration... Appoline still seed unreasonably smug. At the sa ti, Kat felt Lily settle onto her back, having carefully lowered herself into position using shadows while avoiding the line of sight of the guards as best she could. Lily had then wrapped so shadows around Kat’s wings to hold her onto Kat’s back without making extra noise or leaving her at risk of being seen.

Kat tapped her foot a few tis. "Alright... so what’s the plan here? Regardless of if the person you’re claiming is Appoline is worth rescuing... I’m not just going to stand here forever. I’ll either give up, or make the attempt. I an, what chance do I have? Fifty percent? More? Could be worth it already."

Knifey growled back, "I think that keeping you occupied, hesitating, even for a little bit gives our allies ti. Besides, if you really want to make a deal... well you could walk into one of the cells. I promise not to stab the bitch in my arms anywhere important if you do."

"I can do that," said Kat carefully.

"The one under the stairs. You’ll get no closer then you need to," growled Knifey.

*Get ready.* Kat carefully walked down the stairs, keeping her pace steady and hands out in front of her, palms facing backwards because she knew quite well that a lot of people could cast from those palms. Kat’s plan was to jump at them once she reached the bottom of the steps but about four steps before that Knifey called out again. "Alright that’s enough. You ain’t so tall you can’t hop off the side. Do it."

Kat decided there wasn’t a better ti. She turned slightly, using her wing to hide Lily as best she could as she made to head towards the side. A step forward and down one step as her tail reached up and wrapped around Lily as she projected the idea. Just as Kat hopped down, Kat’s tail flung Lily forward at Knifey and the other two guards.

Lily stretched out two hands of shadows to grab at Knifey, trusting Kat to defend her from the other two. Kat was heading for the first guard nearest to her... but Knifey didn’t even hesitate. As soon as Kat twitched wrong, the knife went right into Appoline’s neck. As the shadows extended he RIPPED it forward, cutting out the entire front of Appoline’s throat. He let her collapse as he tried to block Lily’s attack but just because Lily wasn’t fast ENOUGH didn’t an she was slow.

Two shadow hands, now not needing one for Appoline tore into him. Ripping at his armour and slamming his body into the wall repeatedly to knock him out. Kat ploughed through the mages, accepting a bit of damage in the process.

But Appoline was still missing her throat. Bleeding on the floor.