Re: Dancers of Dusk

by RA Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:12 am

Near the foot of the castle, she stopped and glanced up at it. It was falling into decay and it looked unsafe to travel within it at all. Rumor had it that it was cursed, that anyone who dared step foot inside the castle would be consumed by the Count himself and drained of all their blood. This was, of course, not true. At least, it wasn't the count. Inside, a single shadow moved about and, sensing the new presence, shot out of the castle, stopping mere inches from her feet. The shadow began to rise and materialize before her. A half demon, half chimera, appeared before her, black in seemingly oozing, a long jagged tail with a cobra for a head, oozing the same blackness, almost a shadow. The head of a decaying hawk, it's eyes red as the night and the body of a lion, its fur matted and black. She lifted her hand and rest her palm on the beak of the creature, slowly stroking it as it seemed to coe lightly.

She heard his question and debated on how to answer it. After a moment, she said, "It's been many, many centuries since I have last been here, I've been avoiding it ever since my adolescent years. Though, I am plague by it's memory nightly. Plagued of my father, plagued of the nightmare this castle left me, I remember it as if it happened yesterday."

Her father wasn't a cruel man, at least not to her, in fact he treated her as if she were the rarest gem in the world. Which, thanks to her bloodline between him and her mother, she was. She remembered almost nothing of her, but enough of him. That was, until the night he was killed. Fact of the matter, that was the only reason she hated Rhea, but such things would not be voiced unless it were asked.

by Fenrir Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:22 am

Ion barely reacted at this point he'd seen everything, "I missed travelling with you. You always seem to find the nicest people. Ion did not approach, his track record with animals being more or less a dark patch in his pride. "So what happened here." He didn't like this place it put him off balance. Something wasn't right here and it wasn't just the guardian. Though it did disgust him a little it didn't otherwise bother him.

by RA Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:38 am

This time, Aura remained quiet for some time after the question was asked. Her hand slowly dropped from the creature and rest on the hilt of her sword. Her eyes glanced from the peering gauze of the chimera, to the crumbling castle before them. She debated just on how to answer that question. She could tell him the truth. She could lie. She could just not say anything at all, and for the time that passed in silence, she held an inner war within her mind, a part of her still battling and fighting for control. A sort of control it would never win.

Finally, she looked away from the castle, back towards the creature and pat its head as she walked past it. All the while, simply saying, "Rhea happened." The creature then turning and following at her heels.

by Fenrir Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:20 am

Two Giants stood at mournful attention, a large metal gate towered behind them. Raal and his associate stood unarmed waiting for the stonefaced duo to notice them. “Master I don’t think their going to let us just walk in…” Raal cut his associate off with a wave of his hand and without a care he walked briskly towards the door.

The ground shook. Ah yes that's right I needed to be closer. Both giants dropped to their knees. The sound of the door’s locks grinding open sent tremors throughout the realm. There was no need for an alarm; Raal always found it amusing. The vault was opening and EVERYONE could hear it. “EREBUS WELCOMES YOU DEATH. “ The giants said in unity. Their training and conditioning caused them to act and think as though they possessed one mind rather than two.

Raal had never slowed in his pace so his companion was forced to catch up. Smaller gates opened as they passed his companion wondered if Raal knew where he was going or if the gates simply reacted to the person using them. "They’re the combination,” Raal didn’t need to be physic to read his companions wonder, “Once we have done the correct combination we will be at the room we need to be. “ The pair went door to door travelling for almost an hour before finally arriving at they’re location. A large empty room stood before them.

A holographic Dwarf fizzled and came into view. “Greetings Master Raal it has been 200 earth cycles since your last visit. How may I be of …. Understood, one moment.” The hologram was one of the few things on the planet that could filter out the voices in Raal's mind to read his thoughts accurately.

Two large metal slab dropped from the ceiling and flew across the room. “If there’s anything else? “ The image vanished. Raal removed his cloak and handed it to his companion. Raal opened the first slab. Inside sat a bright silver curass with matching gauntlets. “Master something has been bothering me,” His companion returns his cloak, “ Couldn’t we have just used a portal to get here?”

Raal laughs as he puts his cloak on over his newly donned gear, “I tried that once. Anything housed in this vault is bound to this realm and it’s master. Needless to say the time I spent ‘clarifying’ that I had looted my own deposit box was far far longer then just simply going through the front door.” The second slab opened a vicious looking scythe. It’s handle half the length of the ones he normally wielded. “Behold Death’s Scythe,” Raal grinned as he took it of its hook, “A blade capable of culling even Gods. It occurs to me that I never met the true God of Death; I doubt he even exists. My people came to hell hole of a planet long before I arrived. I was held up unfinished business, you know. I arrived a thousand or so years later by which time man was no longer the cave dwelling brutes they where when we first arrived.” Raal scratched his head, “No longer might be a little strong. The locals, at the time, refered to me as Death, mostly due to my appearance and dress, but I took a liking to the name. After all, like Death… my prey can’t escape my culling blade.”

***

Ion shuddered involuntary and couldn’t fathom why. It wasn’t Aura’s answer that was for sure. “I wanted more than that.” His armour still helping mask how he was feeling about the whole situation.

by RA Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:29 am

Aura said nothing in reply, though she thought of what to say. The creature looked over its shoulder back to Ion and let out a low growl, almost humorously. "What do you want to know? Rhea came in and did what he does best. If you want to know specifics, ask specifics. If you want generalities, ask a general question." She said once she stopped at the main entrance doors then placed her hand on it. "We'll camp here tonight and carry on in the morning. You may ask whatever it is you wish to know, or nothing at all."

by Fenrir Fri Jun 27, 2014 4:15 am

Ion's armour dispersed forming a chair for him to sit. "Did he make you watch," he said so calmly it sounded like condisention, "I mean did he force it on you or did it just occur around you." Ion's tone softened after all he had only just slaughtered a town, it wasn't like he knew anyone from there. Another seat formed for Aura and another for her....pet?...guardian?...estranged lover? Ion didn't rightly know. He settled on referring to it as Aura's Fugly. The name fit quite nicely he thought.

by RA Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:11 pm

Aura remained standing, her arms crossed over her chest and her pet moved to sit beside her. "I was a kid. Curiousity got the better of me, I was not forced to watch, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. My father, was a very proud and egotistical man, had he just obeyed like he was supposed to, none of it would have happened anyway. Everything my father was, every power, ability, strength he had was because of Rhea, he disobeyed and rose an army against him; because of me. I was the reason my father was killed."

by Fenrir Fri Jul 04, 2014 3:06 am

Ion looked up at the sky. "I think you're being a little harsh on yourself. It's not as though he didn't have a choice." His legs stretched out and a stool formed underneath him. "Your father though foolish died a free man. That I can respect. He stood up against a being he knew he had no chance to defeat but at least he stood." He placed a satchel of smoked meats on the black metal table. "Just another name I'll gladly carve into Rhea's flesh when the time comes."

by RA Fri Jul 04, 2014 1:18 pm

Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword and she turned her head away. "You really know nothing and my father was foolish. He knew well he was going to lose, he knew he could have lived and still been apart of my life, yet he chose death and chose to leave me alone, completely. What father does that? Rhea only held up his end of the deal, it was my father who didn't." She said and turned to look at the castle.

by Fenrir Sat Jul 05, 2014 11:54 pm

I sometimes wonder if it is you who really doesn't know anything. Ion rummaged through the pack for food. "You know there's an irony of sorts to that," he tossed some food towards Fugly, "I'm not dead yet I can't be part of your life. Assume he didn't die, knowing what you know about Rhea, can you honestly say that he'd have been part of your life. Seems more likely that he made the right decision this way he can't be used against you."

by RA Sun Jul 06, 2014 9:28 pm

"Used against me?" She questioned turning to look at him. "There is no way he can be used against me. We'd be on the same side, Rhea may be a rather hateful and conceded being, but he is never used anyone I fancied, against me. Except you. But you're a different story all together." she said and turned away once more.

"My father did whatever it is he did. He is gone now, not just dead but erased forever. That is was the Fates decided, so that is what happened. I cannot change their will, or the past. Nor would I want to." She muttered simply and returned to petting the creature at her side. "Everything happens for a reason, afterall."

by Fenrir Fri Jul 11, 2014 1:51 am

Ion knew he wasn’t going to win this argument so instead he switched gears. “That’s a very human way of thinking my dear.” There was a smile on his face, “I’ve always wondered though, is that everything happens for a reason or is it that something happens and later we invent or discover a reason.” Sealing his sack Ion put it away. The table crumpled inward and dove into a ring on Ion’s finger. “Have tried that amulet I gave you?” He knew the answer but it wasn’t why he asked. He wanted to not only shift the conversation to a lighter subject but also remind his love of its existence.

by RA Mon Jul 14, 2014 2:33 pm

She mused at the thought 'human' she was far from that and with everything she had done the years they were separated, she made damn sure nothing about her was human anymore. "the amulet?" She echoed and slipped her hand into her pocket where it sat, a moment of silence passed between them. "No, I haven't, hadn't a need to." She responded and removed her hand from her pocket then crossed her arms, keeping her eyes away.

by Fenrir Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:18 am

“A weapon that is never used is not a weapon. And who knows you may not be able to use it when you need it,” Ion laughed then corrected himself, “Well in your case I suppose you have no need of a weapon.” Falling back and landing on the hard dirt the man looked up at the sky. “Well think of it as the ultimate shield able to block even the power of a God.” He smiled softly, he’d never tried it himself but Pilgrim assured him it would and that man had a chilling habit of always being right. “So what is our ultimate goal here?” He closed his eyes and relaxed.

***

Raal sat alone in his great hall. His scythe slung over his shoulder. “Master it as you said. Hell is gathering forces,” A boy of fifteen entered the hall. His head shaven bare carried a mark of a three headed dog encircled by a snake. “Dark magic was at work but as you suspected the magic had no effect on us.” Raal waved off the boy. He had never liked Rhea’s method of claiming souls. Corruption and enslavement, at best it gave you an army without fear at worst you got an army suicidal lunatics. Either way they were still weaklings. He on the other hand was very selective. Mixing certain bloodlines to ensure his forces where not only well trained but also biologically superior. Occasionally he’d have a clash with a local lord and one swift bed chamber was usually to keep his neighbours peaceful for a few generations.

by RA Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:03 pm

"I don't know or generally care what Rhea does with the artifacts. All I know is that he requested I collect the item my father hid within the catacombs of his castle, so that is what we are doing. Whatever it is, will aid us in the war, I am sure of it. He would have no need for it were it any other purpose." She said and turned to look at him, eyeing him closely for a moment. She began to wonder about the years that had passed, how much things have changed, how much the both of them had changed. Well, she had changed more than him, but it was of no matter, not as of it yet at least. "Why do you choose to tag along?"

by Fenrir Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:02 am

Ion thought about the question. An unnerving prospect when you consider the question was asked by a telepath. Part of him had been wondering that for a while. He knew it was unlikely Rhea would give up his prized toy. So he had no delusions of that. It was something else. Something had made him uneasy when they reunited earlier and it wasn’t her frequent threats and dismissal. There was something about the way she carried herself. Her eyes seemed hollow despite her words. Her step was heavier and her actions seemed dulled. Something was going to happen and at least a part of her knew it too. This ‘war’ was only a screen, a distraction, meant to hide the truth from all players.

Pilgrim had warned him that Aura was far more dangerous than her Master. She was random element and because of her connection to both Rhea and himself she could sway either way. This unfortunately was merely a side thought. It didn’t correctly explain his feeling.

After sometime Ion realised he hadn’t given an answer and replied abruptly, “You remind me of a dead man on the way to the gallows. I don’t know if you realise it or not, and I don’t mean this whole transformation dilemma of yours. I’ve seen a lot of death in my time amongst mortals and I can taste yours on the wind.” His eyes closed and his body relaxed. “Don’t misunderstand me though. I understand your body count is likely higher than my own but that’s just killing. Survival trumps emotion any day. ” As his my mind drifted past the edge of consciousness and slipped into a light sleep, his mind focused on one thought, Perhaps I just want to enjoy what little time you have left.

by RA Sat Aug 02, 2014 11:37 pm

"Survival." She echoed the word and though about that for a long moment. She had thought about her survival allot, how she would get by in this world, or any world she visited. She thought about her life, what she gave up, what she sacrificed, how hard she worked, for what? For who she was now? Who she would become? Everything she did, including giving up what little of her was human, her emotions, was for her survival, for power. She felt, the more power she had, the better her chances for survival, the less of a threat anyone else could pose against her. In the time she had spent away from him, she had taken down Gods, the warrior of gods, armies, even creatures who took down Gods and armies themselves, so she had little to fear. Fact of the matter was, she made sure that every little loophole to get her killed, she filled, so good to the point where she wasn't sure exactly how she could be killed.

"Survival is important, emotions only get in the way of that. Emotions blind you, cause you to sway, forget your importance, your mission, what you are meant to do. It's better off without them anyway. Makes surviving easier. If my death is around that corner, by whoevers hand, then so be it. If fate condemns me to die, then it is my place to die and I will do so."

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