.~Edelsteine~. - Ankou's Journal by Zero Dream

[Zero Dream]

Prologue 1 - The Cat Alone

"...Mya..."

In the beginning, there was only a small, black plush cat - a child's toy, discarded deep into a dark alley, possibly after some kind of tragedy, given the traces of dried blood on nearby walls. This world hosted the abode of destruction, after all. Whatever had happened there was unknown - bodies had long since vanished, and the plush had remained there, it's low value making so it had been ignored by looters.

It seemed like forever ago that she had managed to push her own hand out - freaking and driving off the friendly hobos in the process - and now there she was - a big thing having come out of so small of a thing, perfect black fur still stained in blood that was slowly washing out, dripping along with the rain as she stayed still on her knees, doing her best to catch her breath as she stared at the pavement, somehow willing the feeling of nausea left over from her birth to fade away.

The cat girl was cold, naked, soaked, and most of all, alone. It had felt like death in there, for so long. Where was her lord ?!? He had to be somewhere, somehow, if she was there. It had been her will not to walk this world unless her lord has returned. A world without her lord was not a world worth walking on. She remembered that rather clearly and shook her head. No, it was no use thinking about that.

She pushed a heavy black bang away from one of her ruby red eyes, not minding the soaked red bow that felt against her back, mostly undone in her traumatic birthing. Well, if he was not there, then she would just need to find him.

But first, she needed to dry, she needed clothing, and she needed to make herself presentable for her lord. It still felt like her legs were asleep as she dragged herself to the nearest house, entering trough the broken door.

The house was obliviously abandoned - and as obliviously looted, the cat girl noticed with a small frown - making her best to avoid the broken shards of glass and wood littered on the floor as she headed for what seemed to be the bathroom. It was - but was that blood ? Caked and old, thankfully, but the black-furred cat still got chills up her spine as she looked around in an hurry. Towels ! She took as much as her arms could carry and was out of the stained room as fast as she could, heading to what seemed like it could have been the master's bedroom. It had been looted bare - only the carpet remained, and even that, some of it had been ripped out in places - and various objects, possibly deemed worthless by whoever looted the room - on the ground, some broken, and some clothes. Right now, Jinx did not care to see if they fit her. Instead, she let her bundle fall down and she sat on an intact shard of carpet, drying herself off as much as she could with the towels, then slowly, patiently, groomed her fur and hair back to perfect smoothness with only her tongue at her disposal, a task that took a few hours before she was completely satisfied with what she could see of herself. Thankfully there had been little to no blood left on her form.

It was only when that was done, and when the now dry bow had been retied - that she took a look at the assorted piece of clothing scattered on the floor. At least, she figured it was clothing - some just seemed downright bizarre and all was unlike anything she had ever seen or worn before. But it would do until she found better, namely some decent leathers and chains for armor. It took a few pieces before she finally found something that both fit and did not hinder her movement too much - and such she was the new owner of a pink tanktop and jeans, worn low to accommodate her tail. The cat then finally yawned, curled into a ball, and fell asleep right there, not caring about how dangerous it might be - her rebirth had been so tiring, and she needed to gather her strength for the search that would come the next day.

Hopefully it wouldn't be too hard - all she had to do is find where the crows gathered, no ?

[Zero Dream]

Prologue 2 - Fading Flames

Nothing felt like it mattered anymore.

A few days ago, he had lost the only things he had left. Almost all that he owned. His parents. Lyra.

Lyra...

Her fair face, stained in her own blood. The pure look of pain and panic on her face. Snow white hairs stained in red, even her own clothing ripped to shreds, traces of melted water, that had once been ice, the only sign that she had attempted to fight. He doubted he would ever forget it. He'd given her one last kiss before making makeshift graves and leaving, not even bothering to clean the blood from his gloves. The rain did it for him.

The man walked, aimlessly, eyes still puffy and red with tears that never stopped to come. His anger had left long ago, drained as he had set fire to many broken buildings and watched them burn down to nothing, but the tears would not stop. He carried a wand with him - the only thing that had not been looted, for some reason - he had intended to sell it off, but yet, he found he couldn't do it. It was the only thing he had left, beside the clothes on his back. A few flames trailed after him, but they were weak, quickly dying to embers and fading away.

That was all he felt like. A dying ember. Why had he been the one to be gone, the one to survive ? Had he been there, he would have be able to protect them... He was, after all, Adrian Kitan, the Pyreflame. The most skilled fire mage of the academy, skilled to the point of teaching tricks to those set to teach him... but that was all gone, now. The Academy had been destroyed long ago. Many had died. Some had broken. Some had fought.

It just all did not feel like a life worth living. But then, what kind of honor would he bring to his family name, to the memory of the woman he had loved, if he just ended it all now ? But yet, what was he supposed to do ? It just seemed worthless to rebuild for a second time, if he had no one to bother rebuild for but himself. Maybe he will figure out someday. Or maybe he never would.

At the moment, he couldn't care less. All he did was wander, find food, and then find some safe place to sleep. As if his mind was gone and the only thing driving him was instinct.

Maybe nothing had ever mattered.

Eventually he stopped, and ducked into an abandoned house, as it had started to rain. Adrian sat on the floor, leaned against the wall, and observed the wand he held in his hands. It was definitively old, yet sturdy. The museum description had said it had belonged to a god... That was kinda silly. Yet it was pretty... And well-crafted. Maybe it was why it had lasted so long.

He finally let the wand into his lap and set out to stare at the rain from the window to the other side of the room. It was partly broken, and there was a pool of water forming inside, but he didn't care. It was far enough that he wouldn't get wet. Adrian had never really been a fan of water - water was for drinking or a shower and that was it. Idly his hand went to rest on the wand again as he slowly gave in to sleep, half-hoping he would never wake up again.

[Zero Dream]

Before The Fall

Summary : Melanctha meets Adrian in her visit of the nearby town near her temple, and sets off to help him. They run in trouble on the way, but attain their destination, The Golden Laurel, and he finally opens up to her. Adrian's first contact with the gods.

Here

[Zero Dream]

Time Is Running Out

Adrian was the first to wake that morning, and thankfully, when he did, Alimus seemed nowhere near - however the shadowkin was most likely near, still watching over him like a hawk, fact that he thankfully was ignorant of. The pyromancer simply watched her for a moment, completely still. She looked so oddly peaceful as she slept, and for the first time in a long time, he had gotten a peaceful sleep as well. Maybe it had been her presence - so much like her, yet so different.

He still wasn't sure if he believed this whole goddess thing, but she might as well have been, at that very moment. He slowly sat, then stood, careful not to wake her - again, this was one thing he had picked up after years of living with Lyra. The redhead was surprised to see his clothes, clean and folded on one of the pillows. Well, wasn't that handy. As the lady was sound asleep, or at least that was what he believed, there was no hesitation into stripping out of the bathrobe and back into his clothing, reaching on the same desk for an hairpin, quickly tossing the back of his smooth red mane up and pinning it. It was a pretty feminine hairdo, but it seemed to suit him very well, all things considered. He turned and gave the woman another look - she hadn't moved any... He probably should have waited for her to wake, at the very least - it would be the proper thing to do. Yet... Who knew what would happen then ? Would they go their own way, two strangers, as if nothing had ever happened ? Would they stick together some more ? How far would it all go ?

What if he got attached to her... and what if she would be the next to die ? And most of all, he did not want to have to admit her that the melancholy was back, that everything she had done seemed to have been in vain, that the ache in his heart once again threatened to swallow him whole.

No, he could not have that.

And so, his decision was taken. He wanted to come close, give her a kiss on the forehead. The urge was oddly, unsuspectingly strong, but that just might wake her. And waking her meant having to explain himself, and it was much easier to be a coward at the moment. So he settled for leaving a note thanking her, taking the strange wand he had carried all the while the night before, attaching it to his belt, and then he fled, like a stranger in the barely setting sun.

Adrian still wasn't quite sure where to go from there, or what kind of future stood for a broken man like him. Maybe he would just have to figure out. He knew he wasn't exactly helping himself, but at the moment he did not honestly care. It seemed like the spark that had been ignited the night before had already died.

[Zero Dream]

The Cat Comes Home

Zero Dream

Her search had proven much more difficult than she had thought. It had been days already, and the black feline had traveled, yet there was no signs of her lord. No tell-tale gathering of crows, or the feeling of souls floating nearby - nothing.

However, now, she stood in front of a mighty building, the raw power that came from within made it clear, without a doubt, that the true gods took residence here. She could feel it, deep inside herself - after all, she had been born to serve them.

Maybe her lord was among those gathered there ? Silently, she opened the door and peeked in. No one was downstairs, and so she slid inside, black tail waving back and forth. The first thing that caught her attention was the ash - the second was a display with gemstones inside. What where those doing there... ?

Overcome with curiosity, the catgirl - wearing the same tanktop and shorts she had found soon after her rebirth - padded her way to the display and stuck her nose against the cold glass, glancing at the stones trapped inside.

They had an aura of power of their own... but it all felt so faint.

Ivynian

“Instinct serves well the beasts lain beneath its embrace. Your master lies asleep in that very chamber. “

The word came from the other edges of the room, the source walking calmly over from one of two great stairs that arched up from the first room of the shop where the display was kept.

Zero Dream

Jinx knew this voice - of course, how could she not ? It was engraved into her memories, mind and instincts, along with many other voices - it was the one of the god of all gods, the creator and the destructor

The catgirl's first reflex was to straighten up from the display she had been peering into, and the next one was to kneel with some kind of cat-like elegance, furred head hung low and staring at the floor, as his steps became closer and closer. The aoide did not dare look up, at least not yet.

"Lords of lords." It was one of the few times she shifted conscious effort in her voice, doing her best to steady it and avoid cat-like slips. "I have come, as I have come in ages past, to again offer service and loyalty to the true gods." If some aoidei longed of freedom, or went rogue, during the time when all but one had fallen, this one was none of such. She had tasted freedom, but what was life without her being to the side of her master ? Nothing, and not worth being lived.

With the pledge of her loyalty given, she could now focus on other things. One ear perked in curiosity, but she did no move to rise. Not until she would be told to do such. The only outward sign of her nervosity was her tail, which batted wildly and moved the ash behind her. Asleep ? Was he ill ? Was she late ? Was he going to once again fade into nothing, leave her and everyone else behind... ? No, inconceivable. "I have come in search of my master of old, as you already know... mya... If I dare ask, what would you mean by asleep, lord of lords ? Is it anything I may remedy ?"

Ivynian

“As so thou swearest unto me, thou reappropriates the post at thine master's side. “ He reached out, sliding his hand through the panel of crystal that covered the display case as though it were water, trailing it with a wake as he went until he stood with his palm splayed over a delicate rod of cold stone formations like ice. The claws closed about it and he drew it forth into the world's air. “He was dead, Jinx, dead as dust and rivers dry, but now gathered he unto this stone by my hands and made seed for mortal bearance bright. Take your master's stone and seek the Pyreflame. To this simple mage your master must be introduced, must by planted in, and he shall live again. Do this, cat, and you will be whole again yourself. “

“Present the stone to crows you see, and they shall bow to him as thee. Those oldest doth remember their post and can help in searching for his host. “

Zero Dream

She couldn't help but peer up when he spoke again, entranced both by his form and the ease from which he retrieved one of the stones as if there was nothing in between them and he. To be truthful, the news of her master's demise did little to shock her. It had been the only reason she could think about, the only thing that would have kept him from coming back to her, to everyone really. He left one day to find her and simply did not come back... Some had thought he had abandoned them, but the cat always knew he wouldn't have - perhaps this was the reason she was standing here, and not another servant of old.

She listened in silence, shock running trough red eyes at she realized that the gem held before her was her lord... the only thing left of him. This wasn't what she had expected - she had expected him to be alive again, at the very least, and while the sight of the jewel did little to lift her spirits, she knew what she needed to do. One hand raised to receive the rectangular gem, but she remained kneeling.

"I will find the man known as Pyreflame. I will make my lord live again." No hesitation in her voice - the cat's loyalty was absolute, and she would track the man to the end of the world, and even to the end of time, if it was what it took. She probably would have sacrificed herself, if it had been what Harmodius had asked of her.

The crows. Yes, she remembered them. It was a good thing that they had not forgotten, else she would have had needed to make them remember.

Ivynian

“Take note, this mortal be in a delicate mentality that you may be able to make use of; that Pyreflame should amicably take on the jewel. Violence does have its place, and trickery, but the jewels have their own magic to them as well.....and the willing host is often the less troublesome. Or at least the less tedious.“ He chuckled. “Watch him, woo him, make him yours master's. But.“


“If all else fails, let another misery be heeped upon his head, and his tears be added to the thousand guided by Ankou's sure wings.“

Zero Dream

Well, that was sure some nice things to take knowledge of. She filled them all inside her memory in the greatest details she could manage - surely it would come in handy. Already a plan of action was forming inside her mind. Yes... that would probably do nicely. If the jewel would entrance him, all she had to do was get them close together. The mortal's lack of will would do the rest.

"I thank you for the knowledge, lord of lords... mya... I have but one question, if you would allow me such : After I have found him, after I have given him to my master, what should I do with him ? Should I bring him here, will there be a place for him ?" It was quite obvious that the cat wasn't going to leave the man out of her sight for long, and would rather do so in the only setting in this time period that was remotely familiar to her. After all, once you had met one fire mage, you had met them all - impulsive hotheads, they were, and she doubted time had changed that any.

Ivynian

“Should he seem of an agreeable enough temper, please, do bring him back for his presentment. At that time I will make for you both your apartments here at the Pantheon. They will serve as a shelter and starting place, at least, until you find for yourselves your desires in housing. There is no rush, for that, though. All of the gods are welcome to use their apartments here as much or little as they desire for all the ages to come. “ He gave a pleasant, self-satisfied smile. “I don't expect you will have too much trouble. Hunting and catching mice, even fire mice, should be a simple task for you, catling. Do your master proud.“

Zero Dream

The cat aoide's smile was almost feral as she finally looked up. "It shall be done, lord of lords."

The boy would be theirs indeed, sooner than later, and then everything could be alright again. Her and her master could then stabilize their own places in this new lives, and seek answers to the question that would likely preoccupate both of them.

But for now... The cat had much to do. She have a respectful bow to the Elder, and left.

The hunt was now on.

[Zero Dream]

Following The Crows

Jinx wasted no time. She had no time to waste. With her lord's gem safe with her, the next step was to find that one mortal, the one among millions that her lord had chosen. It looked like a fairly impossible task, but Jinx wasn't too worried. She had help, or would have soon enough.

And for that, she had to find crows. Only one would do. If she found just one, the rest would come... It wasn't really too hard to find, actually - she had been looking for a gathering, so they hadn't stood out - now that she was looking for a lone bird, she found it perched on a dead tree a few streets away from the pantheon. She stopped and red eyes stared up at the lone bird, tail wagging behind her. "Come on down." She said, in the best voice of authority she could manage. She wasn't used to order the birds around. Her master had been the one to do so.

The bird only looked at her, apparently amused that this cat was trying to order him to do anything at all. Jinx's ears flattened on her skull - she didn't have time for this bullshit. "Come on the HELL down, when I talk to you, mya, else he will probably let me eat you." She took the jewel out of her pocket and let the beast see it. The crow cocked his head sideways, looking the stone over. "That's right, mya. The one we serve will soon come back, and for now we need your help. Gather your brothers, and tell them to make haste. We have no time to waste, you and I."

She did not need to say anything more, as the bird let out a shrill, almost painful shriek, and it did not take long for others to flock to the tree. Five, ten... all those that were in range of the call, possibly. That would do nicely, for now. It would be a big enough mass in the sky to stand out and allow her to follow easily.

"The lord and I call upon your service after years, centuries, and ages - just as I have again pledged my loyalty to him, it is now your turns, mya. We are seeking a single mortal soul, the one known as the Pyreflame. He is the chosen one, the one who will carry on the rebirth of the one we call master. Your task is to lead me to him - my task is to make sure he accepts his destiny. Lead me to him !"

The ravens looked at each others, letting out caws. Jinx wasn't too surprised that there was not an initial take-off - they were talking, each having a clue as to where the man would be, trying to figure out the way to go, and the quickest way to get there. One of the birds flew down to a lower branch to stare at her and jewel both, letting out caws that apparently were destined to her. One eyebrow rose, as the cat did her best to pay attention, but these were not her lord's personal creations, so she couldn't really understand them. The crow seemed worried about something, but she couldn't quite tell.

"Have you forgotten ? I am not the one who can understand you. Our lord cannot translate." Her tail gave an irritated flick. She was sick of standing here doing nothing. "I will have to trust your judgment. Take me wherever you believe he may be, we will look up the locations one by one, from closest to furthest - we will only stop for rest and food."

The raven nodded - a pretty eerie motion, actually - and the pack took flight. The cat followed the birds, but they flew fast - she soon found that she had to drop on all fours to run fast enough to keep up with the winged ones. Jinx was inwardly pleased. Good boys.

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Jinx had given no mind to the passerby who were quite openly staring at her, an anthropomorphic cat on all fours chasing down a bunch of crows. But as they got closer to their first destination, people grew fewer and fewer until there were none at all. She found herself at the doors of a museum. What would a fire mage be doing here ? Yet, the birds all entered by a broken window, and she had no choice but to follow them - the old fashioned way, as there was nothing to allow her to climb and enter by the same opening. So, switching to once again stand, she pushed the heavy door open.

She wasted no time with the lower level - who had apparently been looted away - as the birds had quite obviously wanted to lead her somewhere on the upper level of the building. This proved not to be the highest level, so she climbed once more. One there, it was obvious that the looters hadn't bothered going this high all that much - heavy, bulky objects that would have been difficult to take down without breaking - and broken objects held no value. One of the birds had waited patiently, perched on one of the statues, and took off once he was sure the catgirl had seen him - to the back room. Again, the cat perked one eyebrow in curiosity, and carefully stepped inside. The mass had gathered here, perched on... ancient armors from time pasts, forged weapons...

"Myaaaaaaaa...." Her eyes grew wide, and the one crow that had attempted to talk to her earlier was preening proudly. "That wasn't entirely needed, mya." After all, it took more than one lone mortal to scare her ! But... those "clothes" were honestly bothering her. The shorts had already ripped in places. Hrmph. How did mortals wear those things ? "But I must be presentable once my lord lay eyes on me for the first time in this new age, yes. Let us see what's in there..."

Too bulky. Not flexible enough. And who the hell wore this ?! It was quite easy to see that some of what used to be present had already been looted. But then her hand trailed on some chain mail, matched with soft black fabric.

Oh yes.

The gem was put aside for the moment, and the clothing was discarded without another thought - she slid the cloth on her form, the chain mail following soon after. Now this was more like it, she looked much more presentable - her only regret was that she hadn't found this prior to heading in the pantheon.

"While we're here, we might as well just rest." She told the crows, sliding the gem back in an hidden pocket the skirt processed.

[Zero Dream]

Chasing You Down

The city housing the pantheon was a big one indeed. That was if he was even in the city still... But the crows seemed certain the fire mage had been there recently.

Still, they did just as the catgirl had said - look up all possible locations in detail, stopping only for food and rest. Given that both her and the birds had a decent night vision, there was little reason to stop for the dark. It all retrospect they were doing much faster than expected, but it would be lying to say that Jinx was happy. No, the more time passed, the more restless she was growing to be. She needed to find that mortal, and NOW !. Her lord needed to be reborn, the sooner the better. She remembered the sorrow of his absence much too well, and that had to change.

But, the birds were tired. And even Jinx knew better than to push them too hard, so they had taken residence of the roof of what probably used to be some commercial building. A nice, flat surface, where no one would bother to look, and where she could overlook things. Just because the birds were resting their wings did not mean she couldn't be on the look-out.

In retrospect, she would be glad she did. Most of the passerby did not catch her eyes - thieves, gang members, those who used the cloak of night to do their bidding, most likely. Black on black did not stand out, and any mortal with half a brain and bad intentions knew as such. Yet, a red made in the sea of black caught her eye, and she padded her way toward the edge to get a better look. The man seemed to be looking for a place to sleep. There was something at his side...

.... !!!!!!!!!!!

That wand !

Jinx's fur stood up in surprise, and one of the crows flew to stand on her shoulder, instantaneously letting out low caws in her feline ear. The aoide let out an almost predatory smile.

I found you, Pyreflame. There's no escaping me now !

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A plan had found it's way into her mind rather quickly. He'd moved away since then, but one of the crows followed him as she removed the chain mail part of her outfit. She needed to be as silent as possible for this. No, Jinx was not planning to give him a choice, or to directly trick him - the lie would be undone eventually and it would make it hard for her to stay in his presence. But if she played her card right, and was never ever seen by him... he wouldn't even know, and even if he had doubts, he wouldn't be able to blame her. Oh, it all seemed to be so perfect. Have you cake, and eat it too, wasn't it what the mortals said ? No matter.

She let herself fall on the sidewalk, and followed him, as silent as she could be. She was but a shadow in darkness, and it was pretty easy to do so. Closer, boy, closer... He was going straight where she wanted him to go, right to the alley where the crows were hiding.

There was an heavy sheik, sounding oh so very close to a woman screaming, from that alley just now... Jinx was VERY pleased. I see time hasn't changed much in your abilities, featherballs.

If this mortal had any kind of wannabe-heroism running in his blood, he'd fall for it. And even if he didn't, the sound would distract him, will allow her to go closer... She would lack some of the protection of the darkness, but she was confident.

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He had spent all day looking for some kind of job, and now he was looking for a place to sleep. Of course, the few that offered living places that were still worth inhabiting wanted money up front, so until he had some, he had very little luck into finding some secure place to sleep. Oh well, he'd done so once, he'll do so again. At least he had managed to loot some clothing and a backpack from a closed store, so he wasn't exactly as bad off as he used to be.

Locked... locked... obliviously a bad idea... He did not quite know the buildings in this town, so he let his instincts guide him. Then, suddenly, a scream, almost inhuman, coming from the alley he was standing in front of. It made him freeze in place for a moment, but then instinct took over and he ducked inside, trying to call out his fire... but it obviously was not listening to him beyond a few sparks that night.

"Damnit..." He muttered under his breath. Still, if someone was being attacked, he had to do something !

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My, my. It seemed like someone was having issues. More the better for her, she thought, if her fur won't get singed off in the process. He's almost right she want him to be, she can find her heart racing. Ah, the thrill of the hunt... She was gaining ground, and he just needed to go a little deeper inside. Just a little deeper, boy...

He was exactly where she wanted him to be. The feline lunged and pushed the jewel in the exposed part of his back. You're his, boy.

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Suddenly, there was something cold in his back. He resisted the urge to scream, and he turned to face whatever had touched him, but Jinx had slid off along with him. The second she felt the gem loose in her hand, she let go and backed away, ears pinning down when he started screaming.

And scream he did. There is the distinct feeling of something sinking right over his tailbone and it was extremely painful, so painful in fact that it knocked Adrian straight off his feet. It felt like something was rippling inside him and threatening to rip him into pieces. He locked in the rest of his screaming, but his pain was oh so very evident... even more so to the cat - her lord was giving her her chance to escape, and she did, climbing the side of the building by the water chute - he was much too preoccupied by his pain to notice a thing. Perfect, oh so perfect, it could not have possibly done better ! The aoide was filled with glee as she rejoined the masses of crows, the one responsible for the sheik landing on her shoulder and getting a soft petting of feathers in reward. Was she ever glad she hadn't eaten him, now ! Now she just had to wait for the boy to calm down, and she could once again decend and be his savior.

At least, that was what she had planned... but plans do not always follow their planned course.

[Zero Dream]

Cat and Mouse

Summary : Melanctha finds Adrian some time after the implantation ended - and winds up bringing him to her temple, and the hard news are broken to her. Mel also gets a chat with Ankou, who hasn't quite "left" the confines of his stone yet, and is not yet aware of his surroundings trough his host.

Here

[Zero Dream]

Im Not Breaking Down, Im Breaking Out

It took a surprisingly short time for Adrian to fall asleep after he'd been left alone inside the room he was assigned. In fact, he hadn't even followed his thought of inspecting it. It had been simply like his body gave in as soon as he hit the mattress - and in his sleep, he could finally let out the tears he had been keeping inside..

And while it all looked calm on the outside, inside was a different story... As he felt into dreams of fleeting crows (distracting him from his usual nightmares), the god inside the stone started stirring again. This was time, now that the boy was asleep, otherwise distracted, and would not feel a thing. Just in case he could even feel the whole as is - he wasn't ready to take the risk, after how the merging had gone - he had been forced, and if he wanted to work himself into the boy's good graces, it would take work. Better not to wage an open war in between them for the time that they will co-exist, after all. There was no good to be gained in that, from either of them.

Now was the time to break out. In retrospect, it wasn't that hard, Ankou would find out - the earlier moments were rather inappropriate, and maybe it was the only thing that had stopped him. After all, he had full intention of keeping his promise. The Spirit Guide's promises were rarely ever broken, after all, and he had no intention to start now.

The boy's weakness, both physical and emotional, probably helped a great deal. Soon, he felt himself pushing forward, out of his cold prison, the impression being to him almost like jumping trough a glass window and shattering it in the process - and at last their mind hovered right next to one another. When the boy would wake, he would see trough eyes not yet his own, but for now he saw something quite different. He saw his soul as a red flame, dim - his own a cold gray. Two separate things... for now. He did not will the body to open it's eyes, or to move - likely he could not do that anyway. He was not strong enough for that, but he was strong enough for what he planned to do now.

This was all well and a good thing, but now that this was done, the god found himself with another priority. Maybe it was intruding his host's privacy, but he had to know. General knowledge, landmarks, the state of the world, and more personal knowledge, what had caused the wound upon his heart and soul.

So many disasters... Floods. Earthquakes. Sicknesses. Death. Destruction.The eldest, he had felt him clearly earlier in dispice being walled and asleep. Harmodius. With the world like this, doubtless the Twin Crown balanced toward destruction. While he considered neutral in all this, his own powers dwelling in life and death, he could not help but wonder why. A response that Adrian's mind was of course unable to give him. He had never been near Harmodius, at least he figured a meeting like this would stand out, but nothing. Only one person had been filed as a deity in his mind - Shadow. So not even he knows her real name, hmmm ? Seems like we will have to earn it. If his curiosity hadn't be picked, it now was. He would figure out more about this one, directly or indirectly.

Pain sadness anger shame death... The next thing he looked for created some amazing backlash - he hadn't been ready for it, and lost contact with his host's memories for the moment. So this was what... He did not sympathize with his pain, but he of course realized this was an horrible thing to go trough - and it explained everything he saw on the boy's soul. And if there was some place this one mortal would be weak, it was on his own soul... Still, he could not say he had seen one such as him live so old for quite a long time. Quite surprising, and a bit ironic. If he had been left alone, if he hadn't been so emotionally wounded, he might even have ascended... But it would be impossible now.

Adrian stirred from within his dream, and Ankou let go, watching carefully and in silence. Let him have a few hours of true, good sleep, and then perhaps the young mage will want to seek answers. Maybe he could even find Jinx - now that clarity of thought had come back to him, he was certain that the cat had something to do with this - this was perfectly her style, but this, she would not let the boy know. Better not to cause undue chaos, after all. Things would go smoother this way. After all, he hadn't promised he wouldn't keep himself in the right to give a little white lie or two...

For now all he could do was to wait, but that wasn't a problem. Next to being stuck in non-existance, this was more than bearable. And the Spirit Guide had always been patient.

[Zero Dream]

Cat and Beastmaster

Zero Dream

Everything was at a standstill now. In retrospect, the most important thing was that she had succeeded - her lord was implanted, but he had been carried away where she could not go - after all, it would be useless to be killed over infiltrating the goddess' temple to take him out.

There was little she could do now but wait and see what developed out of this - and that had never been something she had been good at. She leaned against the side of a building, the crows that had followed her into her little mission scattered in nearby trees, beside one who remained perched on her shoulder, which she sometime rose an hand to scratch at lazily.

For now, all she could do is wait.

Thabara

Ishum didn't look up as he prowled the abandoned streets, one hand resting lightly on the back of the huge black beast which accompanied him. He wasn't in the spirit for company today, and the hound's presence effectively guaranteed that no one would dare to bother him.

It was rare to encounter the usually cheerful and chatty aoide in such a foul mood, but it was not without reason. This morning, his Lord had left. Alone.

He was worried, but far more than that he was angry that his and Priya's insistence to accompany him had been scoffed at, that their presence had been considered a burden. They'd only slow him down. While he hadn't said it that way, it was definitely what he had meant.

With a scowl he kicked a small stone out of his way, his gaze following its path until it hit the trunk of a nearby tree, promptly startling a flock of large black birds in its crown.

Zero Dream

The crows apparently did not like that - and their loud vocal protest was what made Jinx look up and tilt her head toward the tree. Hm. One ear tilted back in forth as she watched. Three hounds... they seemed familiar, but she could not place them.

That is, until she saw who followed them. Was it really... ?

She stood, her only sound being the sound of chains as she trailed after him, peering over his shoulder the best she could. "You ought not to do that - ill be the one to have to deal with them afterward..."

Thabara

Ishum was way too distracted gaping at the countless black birds cawing angrily at him and wondering why there were so many of them to take notice of the black feline's approach - so when she finally spoke, he jumped. Literally.

Zero Dream

Jinx just watched this unfold, tail swishing back and forth with an amused look in her crimson eyes. It was hard not to just laugh, but somehow, Jinx managed it.

"My, my, Always so jumpy, mya. Calm down, I won't let them peck you." She said with a grin.

Thabara

"You.." Ishum searched for words, still pale and wide-eyed from the scare, his heart practically beating on his tongue. Why the Hell had the hounds let her sneak this close without alerting him? But Cerberus (one of them at least) was merely panting happily, apparently not in the least considering the unknown aoide a threat. Come to think of it, she did look kind of familiar, and not only because she was the spitting image of Priya (only dipped in black paint).

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Zero Dream

"Yes, yes, puppy, I missed you too, nya, nya, who's a cute puppy~" Her attention had flipped to the happily panting hound while he recovered from his scare, scratching under his chin with no fear howsoever that she could wind up eaten.

"Good to know it's still beating then, no ?" She looked back to the golden-winged one, worry on her face replacing amusement, a mix of worry and perhaps even a tiny bit of hurt. "Ishum... You do not remember me.... ?" Had she been so unimportant, while she could have recognized him among millions ?

Thabara

"Re.. member..?" He stared at her blankly. There were so many of the kittens lately, and while he certainly could make out enough tiny differences to tell them apart, they still all looked very much alike. And yet.. she obviously remembered him and there was no doubt Cerberus was familiar with her, so she must be in the service of someone close to his Lor--

Crows. But of course!

"Jinx!" Ishum called out, his wings fluttering excitedly as his memory finally clicked in place. "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you right away," he added hastily, his face having flushed deep red with shame and embarrassment, "you must forgive me, it's just been so long. The ravens.. I've been wondering.." His tongue was practically stumbling over his attempt to get out all words at once, so he simply did the one thing which seemed sensible in this situation - he hugged her.

Zero Dream

She seemed to accept his apology quickly enough, burying into his arms and letting out a low, but steady, purr. "Ill'd be lying if I said I hadn't missed you." Even if most of her time had been spent asleep inside plushes, she has had a few moments of clarity inside it all.

"What happened to him ?" She asked, an eyebrow rising, one hand still petting one of the Cerberus.

Thabara

In that moment, with the cat girl happily snuggling deeper into his arms and purring, Ishum's world was alright. "Uhm," he said, "are you talking about Him him, or did you mean Cerb?"

Zero Dream

"Well, mostly of puppy over here, but now that you mention it..." Jinx seemed to grow pensive, and overall refused to move an inch from her spot. "I am not quite aware what happened to your lord. I had myself sealed before then." There was no doubt that the king of the starless hall would also have fallen... Things weren't going too well when she had chosen to leave.

Thabara

"I don't know.." Ishum's dark eyes rested on the black hound for a while, his expression guilty. "I left when I was ordered to, and released all the beasts when I did - 'cept for my Lord's steeds, should he decide to.. want to.. you know? But 'puppy' here was still diligently guarding the gates when I left." Ishum sighed. "When I returned.. Much, much later, there was nothing left to guard and he was gone. When I found him again last year he already was.. like this." He petted the mighty skull of the fearsome beast absently while his other hand slid down to rest comfortably on Jinx' hip.

"As for His Highness.. he was gone, just like everyone else, but--" He paused, wondering if she actually knew the gods were reborn. But how could she not know, with their mana running so strong within the vicinity of this city? Surely she must have already been to the Pantheon, met the others.. "Jinx, if you were unsealed, does that mean, your master..?"

Zero Dream

Red eyes went wide. Nothing ? Nothing ?!? How was that even possible ?! The only way she could think of...

...After Nergal's death, everything fell. It was a good thing she knew, even if it brought ache in her heart - the Underworld had also been her home, or at least one of them, after all. And her master would want to know... would need to know.

"Well, then... We can consider him lucky that he's still alive, mya." Fearsome beast or not, Cerberus was such a good little puppy when he knew you. A black hand continued to pet one of the heads.

"Not yet, not truly. But soon. I made sure of it, with my own hands." Jinx seemed little bothered by his hand on her bare hip, or even by what she was saying. "I found my way to the pantheon, mya. The Lord of Lords gave me the stone." Her voice wavered. The shock of figuring out just where her lord was... Her tail gave a twitch. It was like her blood had turned cold for a moment. "I lost track of the boy." She finally added, grumbling. "One deity took him to her temple, and I cannot step there. I will need to wait."

After a pause, she looked up again. "I figure your master has returned as well, mya ?"

Thabara

He saw the shock in her eyes upon his words and stopped petting Cerberus' head, instead moving up his hand to gently stroke aside a few of the fellow aoide's bangs. "Yes," he confirmed her worst fears, "nothing remains of the Underworld but its Lord Himself and countless lost souls which have nowhere to go. He will have to make it anew, from scratch, but He still lacks the knowledge and strength." He sighed.

"He is struggling, very much so - I can tell he'll never feel at home within the Living.. And as usual, he's trying much too hard. It's a good thing perhaps that your Lord has been reborn so much later. One death god driven almost to the brink of madness by frustration is enough to handle, really. At least Echo is here to help him.." He paused, wondering if he ought to tell her about the mistress' fate. But no, not unless Jinx asked for the information, the kitten seemed upset enough as it was.

"It is a good thing to know that Lord Ankou will be back."

Zero Dream

"That is horrible..." Her ears flopped backward unhappily. A fate worse than anything, beside maybe the Abyss itself. "All those souls... We will need to go and find them, guide those who have not descended into madness back..." This was... quite a task that awaited her and her lord. And by the way Ishum was talking... His lord was nowhere near as powerful as he used to be - would it be the same for her own ?

"My lord is used to be traveling in between worlds. I do not think it will bother him - as least not as much as it bothers Lord Nergal, I presume." At least, she hoped so... or the situation might get... interesting.

Thabara

"Not only those.. All of them. After all it's Nergal we are talking about - if you remember my Lord well, you know he will settle for no less than Perfection." Ishum gave the black cat a lopsided grin and rolled his eyes. "But.. that has time, at least until there actually is something to guide the souls to," he added, his tone more serious now. "My Lord's powers grow, but they do so very slowly.. And to remake a whole realm - that's a huge task I'd guess."

"Lord Ankou.. He'll need your help, Jinx. When 'They' are reborn they are not much more than a voice and a will within their host's mind, unable at first even to take control of their new body. Weak." It felt sacrilegious to speak in such a way of Those Whom They Served, but Jinx needed to know what she was dealing with if she had been unsealed only so recently. "Perhaps even without memory. My Lord, he.. he hasn't even mentioned Ankou as much as a single time ever since his rebirth."

Zero Dream

Again, shock found her way on the feline's face. "Nothing... Not even once, at all ?" This was definitively worrying her - to forget something like that... And would Ankou be in this situation also ? The urge to just run off now and get to the host, bedamned all the consequences, was strong, but somehow she managed to stay put.

"...What should we do then ? Should we... at least tell them of each other's existence and leave them to figure it out again ? Or should we tell them everything we know... ?"

Thabara

"Not once," Ishum confirmed with a slight nod of his head. "Even of the Mistress he remembers barely anything. I.. thought it wise to not mention anything until I knew more of what fate had befallen them, but now that I know Lord Ankou has returned for sure.. Nergal must know. Even if he doesn't remember, he will probably be relieved to hear that there will be someone to share his burden. And once he knows, he'll march straight to--" He broke off with a slight frown on his face once he realized he actually didn't know Ankou's current whereabouts.

"You said another deity took him to her temple? Who, and why?"

Zero Dream

"Even of the lady herself ?" That seemed... simpely unbelieveable. "...I do not know who, or why, mya." The cat answered with a slight frown. "I know where the temple is, from the crows... But it probably is not the best time to present myself there."

That would be, in fact, quite stupid, she dared to think.

"The host, however, seems to wander around. He might not end up staying there for long... He might go to the pantheon for answers, mya. At any rate, I have one of the birds following him. Wherever he goes, we'll know." She nodded. "Or your lord may have a better chance at getting to him than I, a mere servant, can go, mya."

"But... I agree." Again, a nod. "They need to, at the very least. know the other is around. They may remember then, mya ?"

Thabara

"The crows.." Ishum glanced up at the black birds, dozens of beady eyes meeting his gaze. Birds of the battlefield, their feathers were shining like silk and they looked well fed. Doubtlessly there were more than enough carcasses around for them to feed from and thrive. "Faithful little creatures.. Even after all this time they haven't forgotten about the old pacts."

"Once my Lord knows, they will guide him, I think. They have assisted him before.. Guided his host, covered his tracks, saved him once even, I think. But.." He eyed Jinx curiously. Why was she so damn sure she wouldn't be welcome in that stranger goddess' temple? Unless.. Unless said goddess had laid her eyes upon the host, claiming him either as her follower or her lover. Inwardly he winced, and found himself seriously hoping this wouldn't develop into a situation similar to the one between Nergal and Kishara.

"Jinx.." he said slowly, hesitating for a moment. "You haven't forced the jewel upon the host, have you?"

Zero Dream

"They're smart birds. Even if sometime they make you wonder." There where various caws of protest, and the cat tilted her head toward them. "Allright, allright, take a joke ! Seesh, mya !"

Black lips formed into a pout. "And so what if I did ? Lord Harmodius told me that he was the one soul in millions. Even if I hadn't, it would have ended up the same. This was quicker. That and I had no idea about that." She pondered, tapping her chin with a clawed finger. "Neither have seen me actually, so I might have a chance, but ill'd rather not risk it."

Thabara

"So rash and inconsiderate.." The aoide's jaw muscles worked. She'd only done what she'd thought to be the right thing to do, no doubt, but still.. He let go of her rather sudden and took a small step backwards, away from the black kitten, his gaze filled with regret. "I do understand why you did it like this, but.." He shook his head slightly. "There are other ways, kinder. There is a good number of hosts who have accepted their fate willingly, without struggle. I know Lady Echo's did, and Nergal's as well. Certainly, the outcome will be the same.. But because of what you have done the host might resent your Lord now, making things harder for him than they need be."

Ishum sighed. He felt bad, scolding her like that. He wasn't exactly a shining example of someone who thought before they acted himself. "That, and.. Lord Ankou's always been a kind one, I don't think he would have approved. I sure as hell don't." Ow, that had sounded harsher and more angry than he had originally intended to, but he was upset. To take a host by force like that, it always ruffled him the wrong way whenever he heard about it. "If only you'd have waited a little.. The goddess you spoke of might even have assisted your purpose, and Lord Nergal most certainly would have."

Zero Dream

"MYAAA !" Anger simmered for a moment, her ears pinned against her skull, rage in those ruby eyes as he spoke. As if he was a shining beacon of righteousness himself ! She could feel her fur bristle out, but she did not lash out. She remained perfectly put, frozen. Her balled fist shook, and she could feel the claws sink in her palm. She didn't care. It kept them from being inside him.

"Like you've never done anything wrong, am I right ?" Her voice was cold as ice. "For the love of..." no, better not use some poor deity's name in vain. "Ishum... So maybe I did a mistake, maybe. But if you only knew..."

Emptyness.

"Without him I can't think. Without him I can barely BREATHE, Ishum ! Without him... Without him, I wonder if I can even be kind" She turned sharply, trying to save what was left of her dignity and to keep him from seeing the tears forming in her eyes. Hurt... Even after he'd been judged, she hadn't lashed out to him like that, even if she knew he had done a mistake.

"I need him... I couldn't wait. Couldn't... wait."

Thabara

"As if I wouldn't know about waiting," Ishum shot back angrily. This was hardly fair, she had been sealed and only recently woken up whereas he had spent years, and years, and years..

His fingers went to touch the tiny punctuation scars at his lip out of reflex before he realized what he was doing and let his hands drop back to his side, clenching them to fists instead - he knew all too well what kind of 'wrongdoing' Jinx had been referring to.

"At least I," he said, raising his chin stubbornly, "have never tried to hurt someone." That was, undeniably, the truth. Whatever trouble his loquaciousness might have caused, there never had been the slightest trace of malicious intent to it - Ishum seemed, by all means, to be simply unable to hurt anyone, except for self-defense. He was, in a sense, innocent as a child though he did have a streak of mischief running in his veins. "You should go apologize, to both of them."

Zero Dream

"You're not making me want to." She shot back. "So they can hate me like you do, maybe ?"

And then that was it. Silence, only a twitch of her tail. He did not understand, couldn't understand. Even if she explained, she doubted he would even want to hear it. The pain... it hurt. The tears felt freely, but she remained with her back to him, stubbornly. The mass of crows watched in silence, as if not believing the scene that unfolded before them. It all started with an happy reunion and now... this.

A thing as ugly as the one she used to be.

"But then." The emotion had drained out of her voice by then. Her words sounded empty, drained. "What do I know ? You're right, and I am wrong. Isn't how it always is ? I've always been an abomination."

Right now she almost wished she had remained an unnamed horror in the dark. No one could yell at her in the void in between worlds, nothing could have hurt her then.

Thabara

The way her shoulders trembled.. He hadn't made her cry, had he? He forced his hands to relax and quietly tiptoed to Jinx' side so that he could get a good glance at her face. Indeed, he had. Words, it seemed, were always the thing he could cause the greatest havoc with.

And the greatest good.

"Idiot," he said simply, thwapping his flat hand over her forehead. "I don't hate you, and I never heard anyone calling you an abomination. If I ever do, I'm going to sic Cerb on them." The hound seemed to agree with him because there was a short, encouraging bark from him just in the right moment, as if he wanted to confirm his master's words.

"Still. If you make a mistake, you've got to try and make up for it. I should know.." He gave her a lopsided grin, which seemed to be tinged a little with sadness. "Apologizing is the one thing I've gotten real good at. And even our Masters.. sometimes do something wrong." See aforementioned trouble between his Lord and Kishara.

Zero Dream

The only part of her that moved beside her shoulders was her tail - it darted back and forth, nervously.

"...I can't help myself, I swear I tried... But it never seems to work." One hand went up to dry one of her cheeks. "This is how I am. I don't think I can change it..." In retrospect, she had changed so much since then... Her lips twitched into a smile for a moment. "There is much you don't know about me, mya. Maybe... it is better that way."

"But what will I do if the host gets mad at me ? It's not going to get me anywhere. And what if he..." No, she didn't want to think about it. Ankou barely bothered to punish, but when he did...

But then, maybe her lord would understand.

Thabara

"Ya, just like I never seem to be able to keep my piehole shut, despite the punishment I have received.." Ishum rolled his eyes in mock despair. He didn't touch on the matter of what he supposedly didn't know of her - he sensed that it was something rather personal and private so he'd try his best and not pry, though he did wonder.. She was an aoide, just like him, wasn't she?

"Well, if you don't mind.. My Lord will definitely want to pay him a visit, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind you accompanying him.. So you could meet him while being under Nergal's protection? With some luck the goddess who took him in will already have explained things to him.." In a sensible manner, he hoped, unlike the implantation of the gem had gone.

Zero Dream

"Maybe... But I think ill'd rather... apologize in private, without anyone else to intervene." After all, if there were too many gods around, she probably would not even dare speak.

"I... I don't think I've ever done this before." She looked a bit sheepish. Well, at least not trying to make up for something this big. In reality, the only guilt she had, even now, was from Ishum's lashings. In her mind, she had still done what she needed to do, period.

Thabara

"Well, at least that way you'd be able to meet your Lord and his host without having to fear to be ripped apart by the goddess who's offers them her protection? Besides.. Ankou will understand, I think. I know Nergal definitely will, he even might have pulled the same stunt - he can be so damn impatient. But the host.." Ishum sighed, wondering if she'd actually understand. "He may not seem important to you except for the fact that his existence allows your Lord to be reborn, but all too soon he'll be swallowed up and vanish. There is no afterlife, no rebirth for those who bear the god-jewels. They'll just.. cease to be."

Zero Dream

"I know, but ill do what I need to do in private, still." Granted, she hadn't really thought what would happen to the host. The movement of her tail had slowed down some, but it still moved back and forth, almost like a metronome. At the very least, the catgirl was listening.

It was a sad thing, a sad truth. It was easier for her to see his point of view. If he had taken the time to explain it to her just like he had done now, instead of lashing out... But she didn't mention it, no - she had no want to restart the hostilities anew. "...I think I understand, now, why it makes you react so strongly then." She did not admit guilt, but this was probably the closest she would get to.

A sad thing, but it would have happened all the same, with or without her intervening. She could apologize for sending the mage off to this fate, but not for her own hand in it. This would have to do. Trough now she could clearly see why Harmodius had said willing hosts where less of a hassle. Damnit, if only she had listened... But it was what seemed best at that time. This was definitively a mistake, now. In her hurry, she had gone for the most oblivious solution in her mind, the one that had felt right. The one she wished to carry out, but not the best.

The only thing that would betray her inner thoughts to the golden-winged aoide would be a small frown. She might not quite have understood it the way he wished, but this was an improvement.

Thabara

"The gods must be reborn, there is no arguing with that fact.. It's just.. the way it's done.. It's not fair." Ishum looked down, clasping his hands together behind his back. Now that he had vented his anger he seemed rather sad. "I'll never be able to think of them as being 'only mortals', I guess. I wish I was able to keep my distance, just as my Lord does, but I simply can't."

"So," he asked, after another stretch of awkward silence had passed, "would you like to tag along when my Lord seeks him out, or rather go on your own at another time?"

Zero Dream

"I figure, if it is so, it is because there isn't any other choice, any other way." Jinx answered, one black hand sliding on her shoulder. After all, if it was at all possible, it would have been much easier for anyone involved to skip all this matter altogether, but she did not speak out loud.

"I don't know... I don't really have anywhere to go right now, not without him anyway, mya." Weither she meant the host, or her lord, or even Ishum's own lord... She did not say. If anything, she longed to go home, but of course she could not go back to a place which no longer stood.

"I... Do you think your lord would mind if I stayed with you ? Just for a little bit, until everything clears up and the dust settles ?"

Thabara

"I know that, but.. I still don't think it's fair." One human shouldn't be more important than another, but gods were, of course. It still ruffled him the wrong way and one day the resentment he felt would probably end up to be his downfall.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind. The house is kinda small, but there's still more than enough room on the ground floor. You'll like it, I think - as long as Nergal is around it almost feels a little like home. It's.. like something in the atmosphere changes.."

"Oh! And there's another aoide who looks just like you, down to that silly, oversized bow in your hair," he winked, obviously back to teasing her now, "she could be your twin, really. Only that she's completely white."

Zero Dream

She decided to let the subject drop, seeing that the only thing that popped in her mind would do little to make him feel better at all. Things can't always be fair.

Then, with a smirk on her face, she quite obliviously played along. "You're just jealous, really, myaaaa.... because my bow is so gorgeous. Don't worry, ill find you one someday, maybe even small ones for those pretty little gold feathers of yours." Her tail swished around in lazy circles. But this was curious. "Just like me ? Well, I can't really blame her. It's a nice form to have, mya" Better than what she used to be, she dared think. But she better shove that back into the corner of her mind that it had come out of. Resentment would do herself little good, and it was a past she would never return to. "I take it she's new ?"

Thabara

He nodded. "And she's not the only one.. I've seen more around, calicoes, and black ones, just like you. That's.. why I wasn't sure at first who you were." He blushed, feeling definitely embarrassed about that little mishap. And yeah, she's new." He eyed Jinx curiously. Come to think of it he didn't remember to ever have seen a single catgirl among the servants of the gods but her, but then again he hadn't been around much..

"She's a born fighter it seems, so she serves as his guardian and bodyguard. Just.. be careful of what you say to her today, she's pretty miffed our Lord set out without her. Honestly, I'm too." Nonetheless, he hoped he would return save and sound. And soon. A little revenge for being left behind, however, had to be. "Did you know," he asked with a mischievous grin, "that some gods ended up having hosts of the opposite gender?" His grin broadened even. "Methinks it isn't me you should get some bows for."

Zero Dream

"Definitively odd..." But it could have its advantages, she realized. Easier to blend in if there were many of her around...

The catgirl rolled her ruby eyes then. "Seems like little do change, does it, mya ?" But then he said it, and the look on the catgirl face alone probably would be worth the punishment if Nergal ever found out. "Are you serious..." And then, if she had meant to say anything else, it was lost in her laugh. "Then they fit. The host's surprisingly girly for a man."

Thabara

"Oh, things do change, they do. He still wont take advice from anyone, but.. If you remember the time before the Fading so well, just think.. Back then, when did he ever leave? And now he's sort of traveling all the time."

Jinx face was priceless, and so worth the trouble his blabbing might get him into - hopefully she'd be able to keep her mouth shut about this in his Lord's presence. So, Ankou's host was girly too? But for a male host, there was a limit to just how girly it could get. "You haven't heard the best yet," he chuckled and bent forward to whisper something into her ear. Their previous argument was all but forgotten for now. "Boobs."

Zero Dream

"Oh, really ?" She asked, but that was all but forgotten when her ear flicked, picking up the whispered word. "Oh my...." And again, she laughed, seemingly unable to stop at all for a moment, the mental image too strong.

How the hell was she supposed to be serious in front of him now ?!

Thabara

"Well, actually it isn't that bad," Ishum added with a smirk. "You barely see them since they are usually wrapped flat. Just.. try not to stare when you meet him and, for the Twin Crown's sake, don't laugh."

"Well," he said, unclasping his hands and motioning Cerberus to follow them as he started walking, "I guess I'll better get one of the rooms ready for you.."

[Zero Dream]

The Morning After

When Adrian finally woke up, late in the next day's morning. confusion was the first thing that hit. Where was he ? But he remembered, quickly enough. Perhaps too quickly, as one hand wandered down to his lower back.

So it hadn't been a dream, after all.

The second thing to hit was surprise - most specifically surprise as his eyes met with a furry ball of fluff, and the small, discontent meows he heard as he shifted to sit down revealed that said feline was not alone in its nesting. He gave them all a pat absentmindedly - how had they gotten inside ? After all, he had the quirk of not being able to sleep with an open door - quirk that had, in fact, driven his fiance crazy. It was impossible that he would have forgotten to close the door. So how did the cats get in ?

Then, suddenly, as he moved to stand, his hand brushed on a part of the sheets that was definitively cold, and he couldn't help but feel his lips curl up in a smile smile. Well, there was his answer.

First things first, he had to get dressed. Thankfully for him, there was something there already. Wasn't half bad, also - black pants and a red tanktop, long enough to go down and hide the gem... There was still an ocean of emotion lurking under the surface, so overwhelming that it almost felt like he was going to drown in them. Anger, self-pity, shame, sadness, loss, longing...

...Longing ? That surprised him. But then, maybe that wasn't quite his... But this was definitively awkward. He was all alone, standing in a room with only a few cats, yet there was definitively a presence. He would never be truly alone again. The deity, his deity, Shadow had said... wasn't quite asleep anymore, it was easy to tell. Yet he wasn't speaking either. And neither was he, come to think of it.

...

They were trying to tiptoe around one another, neither of the two knowing clearly how to handle this, how to make sure this wouldn't degenerate into something worse than it was now. It was almost hilarious. The way the implantation had gone, he expected the deity would be bossy, that he would force things on him immediately - but there was no such thing. If it wasn't for the fact the stronger emotions bled over, he wouldn't have even known the other was there. A longing, and a bit of deep thought. There's been enough wrong already. He will have to fix it. He will have to... Whoa, he was dizzy now. The fire mage shook his head, attempting to bring his focus back into clarity. "You're projecting." He pointed out, his tone an odd mix of anger and amusement.

Oh. Erm. Sorry ? Adrian hadn't honestly expected an answer, so he almost jumped in surprise, did nothing but blink for a moment, and then he just laughed. The laugh was a bit hollow and bitter, but it was there. At least now, he knew it was a god and not a goddess.

...It would have been a bit more freaky otherwise. Oh, why was he laughing ? This wasn't even funny... well, it kinda was. Great, he was most apparently going crazy. "Damnit. Someone please tell me my old friend Jack Daniels is somewhere in the building." He announced to no-one in particular - wait, were the temple cats looking funny at him now ? Probably not, it had to be all in his mind.

"You know, I am pretty sure that it would be better if you stopped acting like I was going to eat you."

I had thought you would have preferred to be left alone for now. The god admitted, not liking this too much. Adrian was like a bomb that the first wrong word could set off, and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

"That isn't quite that bad of an idea, but, I think I would rather have answers right now." Adrian started rubbing his temples. Man, he had a killer headache... he must have cried his fill while he was sleeping. He was hungry, but he wasn't willing to head outside and have to face god-know-who or god-know-what just yet. "You know, like a name. It could help."

My name is Ankou, then. I... I trust you have been informed of what I am ?

"You mean you don't know ?" Adrian pondered out loud.

I was not quite awake yet last night. Came the answer in his mind. Well, wow. But then, Shadow hadn't really given him any details on how long it took for these things to happen. She couldn't tell him how long he had left, even. Damnit, he didn't want to die, but it was moot now.

"Well, then, yeah, I got the jist of it. You are a deity, I happen to be your host, and I am going to die. ********] The redhead muttered.

I am honestly sorry that it all had to go this way, Adrian. Well, the voice sounded genuine. And it was genuine. This could have gone so much better, and now he had to pick the pieces up. Still, somehow, the god felt like it wasn't the first time that he had to do such... and it might be why Adrian hadn't told him to ******** off yet.

He could feel the boy think. "...It's not like you grew a hand out of nowhere and shoved yourself inside me. You don't really sound as much of a jackass as I expected."

There was a moment of hesitation, the deity carefully trying to figure out weither or not that was supposed to be a compliment. Quite honestly, you have not yet given me a reason to be a jackass, as you so lovingly put it, so why should I ?

"...Well, ill be damned, but I think I am going to like you." Heaven forbid the thought of him getting attached to the parasite that was going to eat him alive, but... He wasn't exactly planning on spending his last few months of life bitching at something no one else could see. "So... What the hell are you ?" After all, what kind of deity would chose him ? Fire ? No, the gem's colors were all off. He wasn't sure if it mattered, but Shadow's gem had matched what she was.

I am the Spirit Guide. I oversee the travels souls must take on through their life on the living realms, and then I take them... ...Where ? He took them where ? Damnit, this was important !!! To their final resting place.

"You don't quite remember, do you ?" What the hell. Little amnesiac soul god in his head. Cute. But then... if they were in need of stand in-bodies to be reborn, wouldn't it mean they had died ? Hrn. There was so many questions in his head now. There was no answer, so Adrian took that as a yes. It was a start, at least.

Also. Again, Adrian almost jumped as the deity spoke again after his bit of silence. You do not need to speak aloud, just think out what you wish to say.

"Oh." Well, that would be quite handy. Does that mean you can read my mind ?

Somewhat. Only what you want me to hear - I have to concentrate on it otherwise.

Then please do me a favor and don't. Now... There HAS to be some alcohol in this place, and I think I bloody well deserve it. Hungry, also...

And so, the fire mage wandered off. Well, that hadn't been so bad, was he ? But they hadn't really gone deep just yet, to the things Adrian had really wanted to ask. But for now, alcohol seemed like a much, much better idea.

[Zero Dream]

When a Cat stalks a new God...

David Wolfenbrother

Calum stalked the halls, but it was in a form that no one would recognize. He appeared as a small tom cat, black with white points, and his right front paw was an off white. He had green eyes, and a tousled look, as if he had come off on the worst end of a few fights. He was looking for something. He didn't know what yet, but there was something. Or maybe it was nothing. Didn't really matter now, did it?

Zero Dream

And Adrian was still on his holy quest to find food. And alcohol. Alcohol being slightly more important than the food. If there was a moment in his life that warrented getting hammered, that had to be it.

He's had quite a few of those lately...

Of course, he stood out like a sore thumb. He had no mark of following either deities that the temple were dedicated to - no blindfold, no mask, no robes of either purple or black - only long red hair, twisted and pined up, a red tanktop close-fitting enough to reveal an odd shape at the small of his back, black pants and boots. The only thing that secured his gender as male to the passerby was the total lack of anything remotely close to breasts.

Damnit... he should have asked for a temple tour. If only he hadn't been so damn tired last night...

David Wolfenbrother

Oh ho! What was this? He spun in place, planting all four paws like a kitten as a flash of red caught his attention. This one was new and interesting, and something about him gave off a sense of power like the dancer did, but different at the same time. Well, this should be interesting....

He crouched, tail up in the air, behind shaking back and forth as he waited, waited, and then charged from behind, full force, leaping first to a chair, then a nearby table, knocking over a metal cup, leaping up to a bookcase, and then out into the air towards the new ones head, all four limbs outspread, as if to get more distance, or give a four limbed hug...

Zero Dream

If the fire mage hadn't been so locked in his thoughts, he just might have noticed the harvoc that was being unleashed around him. But unfortunately, he was too busy trying to think about where in the temple he was, and where he needed to go, to notice.

Adrian...

The deity's warning came a little too late. Suddenly something warm and furry collided with his head. "...Mrrrrrrph ?"

He was lucky that he hadn't been knocked flat on his a**, as his unstable balance pointed out, one hand raising to try to remove cat from face and try to be able to see again.

Oh, and breathe, also. Breathing was a very important thing. At least for now.

David Wolfenbrother

Sucess! He let himself be removed easy enough, though he was sniffing a little to catch the scent of the new person, and looking him over, as if thinking. He instinctively started to purr as he curled up in the arm of the man, stopping a moment to think, and watch. surprise was over, now time to put his skills as an information gatherer to use

Zero Dream

Adrian gave a few quick shakes of his head, as if trying to dislodge whatever leftover fur could have stuck behind, and then yellow eyes glanced down. The cat was definitively attached to his arm, but his arm was better than his face.

"My, what the hell are you, a speeding bullet ?" Amusement crept into the man's voice, as his other hand went to give a pat on Calum's head. His attention then again diverged. Damn, he lost the trail of his thought. Wait, didn't he pass around there last night ?

David Wolfenbrother

Ah, so he was the sort of person that took well to cats. Giving a plantive meow, he'll drop to the floor with a thud, circling a few times and looking up at Adrian. What was he looking for? He'll give another meow, waiting, head tilted to one side. He was assuming this person was a friend, but if it was foe, well, he had his claws if he had to use them...

Zero Dream

Adrian's yellow eyes followed the cat as he circled him, and he pondered for a moment. "...You don't happen to know where I can find some food in this place, do ya ?"

....You are perfectly aware that you are talking to a cat, yes ?

Oh, hush. It's not like there's anyone here to see me make a fool of myself. Adrian replied to the deity in his head. And cats can be smart sometimes.

David Wolfenbrother

The cats form will shimmer, then expand quickly to the size of a panther, though it still looks like a house cat, just bigger. After a moment, its form will shimmer, and crouched there will be a young man with flaming red hair, pale skin, and freckles, wearing a Flogging Molly T shirt and a pair of worn blue jeans, with steel toe work boots capping his feet. "I'm an Irish man, of course I know where the food, and the drink, and the women too, though I wouldn't recommend bugging them." He'll give a wink as he stands to his full 5'8" height, brushing off his knees, waiting for the reaction he'll know is coming...

Zero Dream

If there is only one thing of Adrian that will be remembered in this temple long after he is no more, it will probably be how many priceless faces he can pull off in one day. And at the moment, the look of pure shock on his face is indeed a priceless one, but he finally gets enough of his thinking power to close his hanging mouth.

Waitwhat.

No matter how priceless his shock it, it seems to fade rather quickly. Honestly, he has seen weirder back in the day. "A shapeshifter, are we ? Well, you can keep the women, but I am definitively very interested in the food. And the drinks..."

David Wolfenbrother

Giving a chuckle at the face, he'll stand up straight, and shrug. "Shapeshifting, Moon Called, Bastet, I answer to all, and none, depending on the dance i dance. So, food for the mystery guest, thats easy enough, but drink, for a drink, I need a name, if you have one. For names, like drinks, are both important, and when both meet, power forms. So, I am Calum O'Roark...."

He'll wait, hands in his pockets, watching and waiting. That feeling again. Power wrapped around this one, but in a different way then his Shadow Dancer. He sniffed the air, waiting. As he did, his shadow shimmered again, and part of it started to move up his leg, like a small animal creeping upwards, though Calum didn't seem to notice it, his eyes locked on Adrian, gaze seemingly trying to see through him...

Zero Dream

Man, did he have to stare at him all funny ? What was it with that trend and people here ?! It's not like they could tell... right ?

It's a good thing Adrian isn't focusing on the irish man's shadow, either...

"Name's Adrian. Adrian Kitan." And now please stop staring at me like that, it's creepy.

David Wolfenbrother

What? Oh, right, Stare. He'll grin, and as he does so, the shadow will reach his shoulder, snapping off the tail it has to his shadow, and a little black and grey chipmunk will peek over his shoulder. Turning, Calum will stride down the hall, not looking to see if Adrian is following, humming a little tune under his breath. The chipmunk will turn to chatter at Adrian, cocking its head to one side, as if studying him...

Zero Dream

Well, now it was kind of hard to miss.

But still.

Shadow chimpmunk. Staring at him. What. the hell.

Apparently it was better to leave one's sanity at the door of one's room around these parts, but the fire mage honestly doubted he would care after a few drinks.

...Still, while he does follow well enough, he can't stop staring at the little critter. In fact, it's almost hard to resist making faces at it.

David Wolfenbrother

Calum will stop at a door, and open it, revealing another bed room. "So, food or drink first? I've got both stored here, and there's a little alcove around the corner with a table and chairs for two." He'll turn, and blink. "Now who's staring. What, something on my a**?" He'll spin about, trying to get a good look at his butt, looking like nothing but a cat chasing its own tail

He'll stop, leaning against the door frame, and as eh does so, the chipmunk will dive off his shoulder, and into his shadow, which actually splashes as the chipmunk disappears. Recovering, Calum will grab two bags, and a solder rucksack that clinks of glass bottles, and step out again, closing the door and striding into a walk again, humming slightly, this time a jaunty little ditty that seems to ramble on and on.

Zero Dream

"What ? Uh, no, not really..." Only a damn chipmunk that just took a dive in your shadow, dude.

...I don't think this one is... quite all there.

Ya think ?

"Drinks. Definitively, The strongest stuff you got." And now he just felt like he needed it even more.

David Wolfenbrother

Calum will take a left, seemingly going to run into a wall, but instead there's a doorway, big enough for only one person, skinny at that, that leads back to a rough cut alcove that seems more cave then room, complete with a table made from a broken stalagmite. Setting down the bags, he'll take a seat on one of the stools, digging around in the clinking bag. "Name your friend then"

Zero Dream

Thankfully, Adrian is no problem as far as the skinny department goes, sliding in after the werecat with relative ease, revealing that he's a great deal more agile that he looks like he could be. He's quick to take the other stool and peer down in the bags.

Hm... Hm... Ah ! There. Trust an irish man to know all about booze, as Adrian fishes out a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Exactly what I was looking for."

David Wolfenbrother

"Ah, my good friend Mr. Daniels. Tonight....." He'll stop as if thinking. "Do I go for a Walk, or do I Fly like a sparrow? Decisions, Decisions...." He'll drop his head into his hand, looking at the bag, as if pondering the meaning of life for a moment, before reaching in. "Start with a walk, then take wing." A square bottle with rounded corners comes out, and he uncorks it, smelling it a moment before smiling. "Definitely a walk first." Out as well comes two glasses, one put in front of Adrian, as well as two plates loaded with small sandwiches and other foods, small and meant for eating with fingers and in one or two bites. "And a little buffer. Can't drink you under the table to fast, or I can't pump you for information after all...s**t, did I just say that?" He'll grin and give a chuckle.

Zero Dream

"Oh, pleaaaase. I've drank more than one irishman under the table." He wasn't about to get too worried about that, as he carefully pours himself a glass. Really, he should have been a bit annoyed, but it wasn't the case. He wasn't quite reacting as he usually did - feelings too muddled, the shock too great, perhaps ?

"As for pumping me out for info ? I don't think you're supposed to reveal that part of the plan until I wind up drunk off my a**, isn't that how it goes ?" He answers with a grin on his own. "Not that you'll get interesting or useful things out of me, im afraid." He raises his glass for a moment before draining it all in one shot.

David Wolfenbrother

"Ah, but you havn't drunk an irish Ceilican under the table yet." He'll pour his own drink, matching Adrian's downing of the drink with his own, and pouring another glass. "Sides, I don't need info on you, not yet at least. My Sgáile Dannsair hasn't said she wants any yet, so no need yet." He'll smile, and take a sip from his glass, leaning back a little. "So Adrian, what is it you do for a living that finds you in this place of whispered secrets, where the shadows and the wind trade information as if it were life itself?"

Zero Dream

"Im sure ill't prove to be an interesting experience nonetheless." He's quick to follow with the drinks on his own. Damn, that really hit the spot.

...Wait, his what now ? Oh well. But keeping in mind the little shadow tricks this one pulled of... "Oh, trust me, if the lady Shadow needs any information, she knows well she can easily gather it herself with little trouble." He swirl his glass for a moment, watching the liquid slosh around a bit before glupping it down.

"The fact that I apparently have caught the attention of more than one deity, it seems." He reaches for one of the sandwiches. Hmmm, ham. That was also a very good thing. "Well, as of a living I don't really do much, not anymore at least. I was gonna teach pyromancy, but the school closed down a few years ago." A damn shame... This place has held more than one of his happier memories. "Now it's pretty had to find any job that doesn't dwelve in the illegal, thanks to the shitty state the world is in."

David Wolfenbrother

"Indeed. So fire within becomes fire outside. And teaching is a goal to strive for. More then one? So that explains the feeling. The hair tingles, and raises with your passing. Lighter then she who dances in shadows, but still there, none the less." He'll stop a moment to take another drink, eyes closed a moment. "This world is as broken and crazed as my own mind, and it breaks and breaks again. Something has happened. Someone struck the mirror, and the spider webs that spread affect all that they touch..."

Zero Dream

The redhead did look a bit surprised. "You can actually tell ? Well, that makes things easier then. It's not... quite how I wanted my life to go, but it's not like im the one who decide those things." He gave a shrug. "I was pretty damn angry and upset when Shadow told me. Now ? Im just empty, I guess. It's not like me being pissed off is going to change anything." He chugs down, then peers down in the bags to see what else the werecat might be hiding. He could make a damn mean Sex on the Beach with the proper things...

"There is definitively something wrong. Almost like if the world is ending. Heh, at least im not gonna be there to see it ?"

David Wolfenbrother

"What? The pale rider with the hands of bone come for you? You don't look sick. Do you mean to take your own life upon the blade of the scythe that reaps the souls of those that fall then? When you are a power still growing into his own power? This is foolishness if this is what you look for in the bottle, and I will not let you do such if that is what you mean to do." His eyes will narrow and his body tense, ready to move at a moments notice. Someone killing themselves with drink? Why that went against his Irish heritage! You drank to be merry and celebrate!

Zero Dream

In retrospect, it's a good thing that the alcohol hasn't really started to settle in. Still, he quite clearly chokes at the werecat's announcement, and spends a few seconds coughing it away before he can answer.

"The hell you're talking about ?" ...Maybe he didn't quite get the whole situation after all. "Oh, no, you got it all wrong." Should he tell him ? Would it shake the man's faith, knowing the truth of how his lady had come to life once more ? "It's a complicated story. Im not quite a deity, even if I did get a few choice individual to call me God." He says with a smirk. Maybe the booze is starting to have its effect, after all. "But nahhhh, forget I said anything. After all, do you seriously think Shadow would let me drink myself to death ? I think she would be already here ready to kick me in the a** if I even had a thought of that."

... "Beside." The pyromancer pokes one of the bags with his foot. "...Im pretty sure I drank more than that in one evening. I can't say it was pretty, but if that hasn't pulled me under, heh, I don't think this will."

David Wolfenbrother

Raising one eyebrow, Calum will start to pull alcohol out of the bag, in bottles, and mason jars, of all sorts and sizes, and continues to pull, even after the bag looks like it should be empty, and the bottles have covered the table and some are on the ground. "Still think so. Somethin's bugging you m' lad, and i'm going to find out what it is. You said something in front of a cat, and now cat is curious, and will stalk the trailing strings of conversation until it comes undone and the whole of the matter lies at my paws like the guts of a slain mouse."

He'll sit back down, and take up the bottle of scotch he'd been drinking before, forgoing the glass this time, just watching the man across from him and drinking from the bottle, arms crossed when he isn't drinking, a frown on his face, as if contemplating a dire matter.

Zero Dream

Adrian raises an eyebrow, and can't help but peer down the bag, as if he was curious himself. Damn, where did it all come from ? "Okay, I take that back." That could probably kill a whole damn army. "But ill assure you the rest still stand. Hell, if you think im going too far, smack me. Makes ya feel better ?"

Hm, now that's a good idea, and Adrian seems to give up on the glass himself. "You probably won't like what I have to tell, that's the problem." And honestly, he liked Shadow too much to stirr s**t. "It's my bad. Pandy seemed to know, so I thought you did, too."

David Wolfenbrother

"Nope. No Clue. And i've heard a lot that I don't like. I've lived in a world that was poisioning itself slowly, while the incarnation of corruption and destruction coiled in her bowels. I"ve fought in war, and lived in peace. Sometimes, you just have to hear the truth..." He'll stop, taking another drink, still looking straight at Adrian, eyes not wavering.

Quote:

"Jeez, guess it's not going to win a world of the year award anytime soon, it is ? Then, it's not like this one is any better."

...Oh well, he damn well tried. He puts the bottle down, and moves to stand, trying to watch out for the bottle, but while he does knock a few, thankfully none wind up breaking. The fire mage turned to face the wall, tugging his tanktop to reveal the stone. "Well, see this thing ? That's the deity you're sensing. Not me. Not yet." Hopefully not soon. He turns and sits again, face serious. "But look, I don't want you to think differently of her just because of that. Shadow's been a stone too, long ago. She told me." He stops, to take a sip. Oh, wrong bottle. Still tasty however. "I know it sounds odd, but ill probably be dead already if she hadn't found me. She's... important to me. If none of the bullshit had happened, hell, I might as well be following her too, who knows ? I don't want to stir any s**t in here, you gotta understand... I thought you already know, because the other one obivously did."

David Wolfenbrother

Calum will blink a moment, then take a long pull at the bottle, draining it, eyes closed, and he then tosses it against the wall behind him, shattering the thick glass. "Is that so? Interesting. I'll have to talk to her about it sometime...." He'll give a small, grim smile, then a chuckle. "I've seen a lot worse in my years kiddo. Still, its kinda odd, I have to admit." He'll pick up another bottle at random, getting a bottle of mead this time, and taking a long swallow from it. "How'd you end up with the stone, by the by?"

Zero Dream

Well, it seemed to have went over kinda well ? Still, what a waste of a good bottle. They could have used it to hold the stuff in the jars. It's easier to drink that way.

"Well, it was yesterday really." He took a long sip itself - the painful bit, most of all. "I was looking for a place to sleep when I heard a girl scream from an alley, and of course, being the idiot I am." Topped with rolling of eyes. "I duck in said alley like a good little hero, only there's no lady. There's nothing, actually, and someone sneaked behind me and shoved the stone inside me. It hurt. Like a freaking b***h. Believe me." Adrian seemed to bristle at the mere thought.

"So I thought the god would be a complete b*****d by how the whole thing went, but he's not honestly half as bad. Still ? Being told you're going to die and have a deity take over your body ? Not cool. Honestly not cool."

David Wolfenbrother

"Yeah, that I can see." He'll take another long pull from the bottle, and dig through the stack of bottles for his plate, getting a sandwich and snacking on it. "Still, there are worse ways to go, I guess. I've seen some of them. Impaled on the claws of one thats betrayed you. Burning from the inside as your blood turns to silver. Raped to death by a pack of fallen werewolves..."

Zero Dream

"Well, yeah, I guess there are. I always said I was going to give one hell of an explosion when I was going to die. Catapulting a god back to life might come close enough. It's not like I have much left anyway." Another sip. Damnit, the bottle was empty. It was put aside, and he pulled another one randomly from the whole scattered across the floor. "My parents and fiance were killed, what..." A pause and a few hazy mental calculation later... "A month and an half ago, I guess ? I don't bother with tracking time anymore. That kinda saps the will to live out of a guy. I wasn't kidding when I say Shadow saved me." He ponders a moment. "They look so alike too. Same body type, different colors. My Lyra was a bit more white, Shadow's a bit more black. When she's touching me I have to watch it, or I start thinking she's her... Enough to drive a man crazy, that."

If Adrian's aware he's starting to sound a bit jumbled, he doesn't really shows it.

((Unfinished.))

[Zero Dream]

Always by your side

One could really turn an irish man... cat... thing... to have the good stuff. It all came out a bit confusing, but eh. It was all much more fun before the hangover set in, of course. Now, the redhead was in "his" room, trying to forget that his head wanted to roll off his shoulder and that his stomach wanted to abandon ship.

Well, that was rather... particular. And you needed to inflict this to yourself because ?

A little coping mechanism. Talk when im not busy feeling like s**t, please.

Adrian hadn't noticed the head that had peeked out of his shadow then, almost shyly, being too busy talking to the spirit god and with his own little monologue to notice even as the blue shape slid her way up on the bed beside him, nesting on his pillow and moving her hand down to massage his temples. At any other time, he might have questioned this, but right now it was too much of a welcome attention for him to question it, that is until a voice chimed in.

"Adrian Kitan, I swear... Seems like you can't go a second without me watching you without getting into some short of trouble."

Well, THAT did the trick, as a very startled pyromancer basically sprang in a sitting position, wincing at the pain it caused to his head, and turning to look the form over. It wasn't quite anything like he's seen before. It looked like a shadow, but blue, with long white hairs tipped in purple, and purple eyes... It did not look like the form had any gender, but the voice had been quite familiar... But that was impossible, right ?

"Adrian..." The blue shadow seemed a bit shy still, as she slid down to take residence in his lap. It spoke right into his mind, but in a way that was different than Ankou, who was now being quiet. "It's me, I swear..."

That did it.

"L...Lyra..." This was impossible, wasn't it ? Lyra was dead, yet... the way the shadow looked up at him, with her head cocked to the side... how could it not be her ? She was somehow alive, and he... "I..." Something sliding on his cheeks. Was he... was he actually crying ? Of pain, of relief to see her here before him ? He couldn't tell. She was there, but he was just going to be gone, another problem to the list. But how to tell her ?

"Shhh... rest." She gently pushed him back into a laying position. "You've wound up hurting yourself again. I... I wish I could have been there in time. There's no need to explain me a thing, I know. But... I think this may be better for you... Adrian, there's nothing after death. Nothing but endless wanderings in a world that no longer sees you. Maybe the one you bear will be able to change it..."

Something is wrong then... This is not how things are supposed to be, this is... The deity trailed off, back in his own thoughts, and poor Adrian gave a silly smile.

"My poor head is getting so crowded now. I think I know what you mean, love, as silly as it sounds, this wasn't an end for me... I guess." He shrugged, kissing her forehead once she slid beside him. "Always said ill'd go with a show, and I guess that's a good one as any. I don't think my heart quite accepted that yet, but it's not like I can change it now. There's worse ways to die, I bet."

"Indeed, there are." Lyra answered. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." One hand rose to dry off his cheeks. "But... what happened to you ?"

"I was trying to follow you. I wanted to watch over you, but eventually the lady took you here and I couldn't quite follow. I wound up in some place... It was horrible. Everything was breaking apart, I panicked, and I couldn't find my way out. Turns out I was trapped in a realm of shadows. The lady was trying to make you a present, and called one of the shadows that lurked inside the realm, but I answered instead. I woke up like this... This is very odd, but it beats not being able to talk to anyone. She hadn't quite intended it this way, but here I am." There was a small giggle.

"So... you've met Shadow then ?" A bit of uncertainty crept into his voice, and the blue-skinned shadow watched him with a certain sense of amusement.

"Well, yes I did. Quite a charming lady, I might add. Oh, you act as if I've ever been the jealous type. Even if I was, things are obviously quite different, so ill't be a bit silly for me to go on in this bitchy valley girl tangent when you took the help you needed when it was answered. You just have to deal with twice the protective women now."

Adrian smiled, and let out a small laugh - a genuine one, for the first time ever since she had died. "Have I mentioned that I love you and your analogies recently ?" The yawn that followed betrayed his inner fatigue. No, he wanted to stay up and talk to her... !!

"Seems like you just remedied to that, haven't you ? Now, you should rest. I will still be here tomorrow, I promise. Sleep, I will make sure no one wakes you up unless it is important."

Eventually, he gave in, and sleep overtook him. Lyra stayed put, watching him for a moment, before nuzzling her forehead with his own, the only kind of kiss she was able to do without a mouth. He hadn't taken all of this well, she could tell, but it seemed like the worst of it had passed and that things may get better. She would cling to him the longest he could - when the inevitable happened... well, if either deities wanted her, she could still find some sense in her new life. Adrian was always quick to mention when people irked him, so that god couldn't be so bad to put up with... And she had done her own "mourning" a long time ago, when she had given her last breath.

With that in mind, she let herself once again become one with his own shadow.

[Zero Dream]

The Realm Of Shades

Summary : Nergal finally travels to the Temple Of Shades to see the goddess of shadows once more, and meets the host of his brother.

Here

[Zero Dream]

Letting Out Steam

Well, that had been quite boring. And annoying. This was a whole new curveball all together - who the hell thought deities had family units ? - and.... Bah, he didn't want to think about it. He needed to get away for a bit, to nest somewhere alone without having to act as a stand in for everyone and everything.

And damnit - Lyra would probably deep freeze him alive if she figured out, but he'd damn well deserved a smoke. Beside, he was dying anyway, who gave a s**t ? He always had some on him, if only to test his own resolve before. He'd slid his way out of his room, and headed toward the gardens.

Quitting hadn't been too hard. He was what his mother had deemed a stress smoker - he had no urge, no want to do it unless things got out of hand and it was too much for him to cope. Depression didn't do it, stress did. And boy did he have alot of the latter and surprisingly little of the former right now. This was one hell of a situation. If asked how he thought he would die, this would never have come to mind. Never even had come close to it. Add to that Lyra... He hadn't thought she'd somehow come back like this. What would she do after he was...

What a mess.

He finally was out in the gardens, and once making sure no one was there, he cupped his hand and let one flame out. It was small, but it was there - all too easily when he took the time to think about it, compared to how it had been. The god must have had an hand in that, too. That was a bit scary to think about, to think how he could affect him... and this was only the start of this whole madness. It would get worse. If he had the strength to be angry, he would probably be screaming. But he didn't, and it was probably better that way.

The small flame danced in his palm, then moved upward to the tip on one finger as he settled on the stone edge of a fountain, using it as a fancy lighter before waving it out of existence. He would have liked to keep it around, but there were too many flammable things around. Leaves, trees... Bad idea, really.

Yellow eyes fluttered closed, and he did his best to relax. The sound of the fountain helped, as ironic as it could be to everyone else. It wasn't the sound of water he disliked, it was the feel of it - it just clung and the only way to get rid of it quickly was basically to erupt into a supernova of flames. Which was not always doable depending on the flammability of the surrounding environment. He'd been yelled at for setting more than one towel on fire as a kid. Come to think of it, it was a miracle that he hadn't burnt down a building or two.... Well, his mind was wandering like an headless chicken, and that meant the nicotine was making it's effect. Good.

"Adrian ?"

Suddenly punted back to reality, the fire mage's eyes snapped wide open, and he noticed belatedly the cigarette wasn't in his mouth anymore. It was... He sent a dejected glare at the water. With his smoke in it. It went downward before he could even think about graping it back. Like he would, anyway. Water. Ick.

Damn.

"I thought you said you've stopped that." Lyra's voice was stern, as she coiled loosely around his waist to glare up at him.

"I had. I was doing a good job, too..." He scratched his head. "I just..."

Her glare left, her smooth face (so odd and alien without a mouth, he couldn't help but think... And yet still so beautiful...) losing the traits of anger. Really, what the hell was she doing, acting like this ? Things weren't as they once been. They would never be as they once been. She was a creature of darkness, not dead but not quite alive anymore. He had a stone in the small of his back that would lead to his own downfall. He probably wouldn't get another chance like she had.

And knowing her fiancé all too well... She doubted he would willingly stick around to be available for one, even if it was possible. And there she was, bitching about something so completely irrelevant in all this. "Love... Im sorry, I..."

"Shhh, baby." He whispered, leaning to touch her. He needed to feel her right now, the coldness of her skin on his own. Anyone else, he wouldn't have cared. Everyone else he would have colorfully told to shove it. Bur Lyra... He'd had many lovers, some less involved than others, but Lyra was always different than anyone else. He would have moved mountains for her if it had been in his power. He would have done anything to see her smile, make her laugh...

He'd never quite believed in soulmates before she came along - but that had changed when she had.

"Im the one that should be sorry. I know you hate seeing me like this." The fire mage looked weary, rather than angry - around her, all his emotional walls came crashing down so easily. "I know this is hard... for the both of us. It's okay..."

The shadow clung on a little tighter. "But I can't even imagine how this can be for you, love... It's just... The stupidest thing I could pick on right now."

"We're not creatures of logic, baby. It's okay if we don't make sense all the time." His smile was tired, weary. "Stay with me."

"Yeah..." She moved to slide out, but one arm stopped her.

"I said, stay with me." He repeated, working her shadowy tail around his waist once more. It felt not quite solid, but not quite loose air, either. It felt like some short of mist that somehow stayed suspended in one whole. It was an odd sensation, but not a bad one.

"You'll get cold, love." She tilted her head to peer at him once more, and he shook it in answer.

"I don't care. Just.... stay." He sounded pleading, so oddly desperate. She stayed put, only moving to nest her head in his lap.

Maybe he wouldn't need that cigarette, after all. Sometimes, the cold could numb more than just body - he was happy to let everything but his love and care for her freeze up, and not to worry about anything anymore.