FUNCTION DISORDER :: VOLUME ONE

11

The night was oppressive, the air was heavy and moist, and the street was lit up pink rather than the usual white or yellow. A thick layer of fog hid the stars along with the distant, hateful glare of the Pale Bastion's white spires and the shine of the highest reaches of the Lower City centre itself, leaving only a fuzzy glow that was more than enough for Kaleva to find his way along the smooth cement footpath but it was still a little disconcerting, as if enemies could hide with ease behind any corner. There was no sign of Vex yet. He must've been a little early again.

This district was just a little alien. Many fancy, looping arches of black stone and pillars of radiant red steel. The angles of the walls and the floors weren't quite right and they sometimes had twisty undulations crafted into them. There weren't many other humans here, at least not at this hour; the only other people he encountered were Hellspawned. Some of them glanced at Kaleva with what he assumed was contempt.

Soon, Kaleva spotted a silhouette in the fog of a pair of giant pointy fennec ears, in shadow against the streetlights, and stood up to greet Vex, until he realised that's not him.

The newcomer appeared to recognise him, though, and stepped out of the fog, approaching Kota with light, nimble footsteps. This demon was smaller, thinner, neck adorned with a dark shiny red collar firmly fastened around it. She had the same pale fur as Vex on the front, but slightly darker elsewhere. Same heart-piercing emerald-red eyes, too.

"Hey, um...", it called out in a light voice. "You're Kota, right?"

"I, uh..." Kota shook himself off and stood up, examining the newcomer. "I am, but, who are you exactly? You're not Vex."

"Vexxie had to work at these moody hours, so he sent me in his place.", came the reply. "You can call me Aly. We met in the depths of Jaxden's cosy beast den, but we did not speak that night, I think."

"Well, good to see you again, I guess!", Kaleva said, looking this only vaguely familiar person up and down. "How do you know Vex, again?", he asked.

"He's my big brother.", Aly explained, lightly waving her fluffy tail, eyes opening a little further, as if she thought he already knew that. "I'm in his pack, that's why I wear his name on this." She poked her own collar with a front paw for emphasis. "Anyway, tonight we venture into the heart of sorrow, the pit of incarnadine flames everlasting: Arillien's main Hell office!" Aly pointed to an imposing, confusingly warped building of stark black, partially shrouded in heavy mist, a bit further up the street.

Kaleva felt his throat compress.

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Rain sighed and lay back, face half-covered by a blanket with sleek canine snout poking out and only one eye lazily fixed to his phone screen with the other hidden.

RAIN began messaging HALLEY at 23:48.

RAIN: Heyyyyy puppy, how is life?

HALLEY: hi

HALLEY: lifes kinda meh, im bored, jax is busy and i dont wanna be lonely

HALLEY: how bout you?

RAIN: Wanna come over, like, right now :3

HALLEY: doesnt kota still hate me?

RAIN: Naw, i think he's calmed down by nowww, and also, he's not even here right now

HALLEY: sure then, ill be there! :D

HALLEY: wheres he gone anyway

RAIN: Castle Doyle i think, he's gone off with Vex's sister, to like, try to find out where Shaeyd is

HALLEY: oh ok then

HALLEY: it sucks that shaeyds still not here

RAIN: i knowww, i'm nervous about him, it's getting weird, we haven't seen him in ages