Together...To the Abyss

[Uni IceHeart]

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´Uni Demonheart`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´

The two horses made to settle down for the night while their new Mother took care of Nightshade's rider, after her announcement of taking Keeper back when he was on his feet again, there wasn't much else they could do. After laying back down herself, Uni's merely watched her adopted kids as she waited for sleep as well, though before that black abyss claimed her Keeper's question brought her to again and she became thoughtful. It was a question she hadn't thought he'd ask and one she had heard before between hopeful couples, it almost seemed like beating around the bush to ask which form was more attractive to who they were pursuing. She knew she had to be careful with how she answered that, it wouldn't do to give anything away, however, as she thought of how to best word a response something Shiro had advised her to do came back to mind, remembering the first time she had come across Keeper. Both forms then had caused her grief, Shiro had asked her if she could look back now and overlook all that, knowing what she knew now, that answer seemed obvious.... it wasn't Keeper... it was his Mother. Martha had been pulling the strings behind everything Keeper had done before and forced his change of forms to force her hand and strip her of her title as Soul Guardian, leaving thousands of souls for demon fodder. Actually, Martha's own title came into play, the Angel of Knowledge, though she seemed to know things... she knew nothing... For would it not have been by her word that the Angels turned their backs on the Demonhearts while they were being slaughtered? Would that not mean that she herself believed the rumors against the entire race? Solvek may be to blame for Martha bearing Keeper, but that Angel was to blame for her being the last of her kind. Uni had to check herself from seething, that Angel dare say that everything would be alright for the Demonhearts? How dare Martha even show herself after what she had caused, all but the extinction of an entire race and now doomed the race again to eternal oblivion, to cease to exist, to be, entirely. No, if anything Lyrica had been right about one thing, Uni had misunderstood Keeper at the beginning, but not because of the words of a foolish Sprite, Lyrica hadn't helped matters any either, she too, and by Martha's guidance it seemed, had only made things worse for the Soulguard... none of it was Keeper's fault at all......

Uni was only just able to bring herself out of her strayed thoughts before any of her mounting anger at the Angel came to the surface enough to show and instead tried to focus on Keeper's question Every form has its advantages and disadvantages. Humans have not the physical strength of a demon and are more susceptible to fall to illness, however, when need be they can prove to be a throne in even a demon's side when they work together. Likewise those with human forms, who don't resent having such forms, find it easier to blend in to avoid certain unwanted attention. Demons and other such creatures, while their strengths evident when you face them, also have their weaknesses, be it elemental or something else, if one takes the time to find it, in your case the source of energy you Soulguards need if not bound to one you can draw power from. You are a Soulguard, be whatever form you are in, and that won't change unless some hand changes you into something else. In any case, even if that did happen, form is of no concern to me, we are what we are born to be, we did not choose it, we can either chose to deny it or accept it, so I suppose the real question is, which form do you find more bearable? in a sense she was sending his own question back at him, but she wasn't going to ask straight out which of her forms he preferred, Demonhearts were like Shiro in that sense that they didn't always ask or say certain things directly, but rather indirectly.

The Demonheart couldn't avoid the yawn that escaped, pearl white fangs flashing in the flickering firelight, none marred with the crimson of any she had fought with and used those fangs against. If it was one thing one might care to notice, was Uni's always pristine white appearance, some demons were known for killing just for bloodlust and getting covered with the red that they drew from a living being, but the Demonheart kept herself free from it, any blood she might come to draw never stained her person, fur, feather, clothes, nothing. Stars and Moon above, she had even made to wash herself after dealing with the Naga the first time that snake had caught Keeper and with the Soulguard on the bank. Uni curled like a cat beside the fire, head resting on hands she kept her gaze on Keeper waiting to see if he responded or not.

Hiro_Syzame

[The_Goddex_Jayy]

Uni IceHeart

†† Keeper ††
"The Spirit Demon of the Monastery"

Keeper didn't answer right away..he looked up at t he ceiling and thought for a second...he hadn't thought of it before. After a while he looked back at her..."Well I can't really answer that..because I never really saw you as anything but Uni...I never really paid attention to your change of forms..I am aware you have more than one but either way you're Uni to me...So I guess it doesn't matter to me..." he said. He decided that it would be best to just tell her what he was thinking instead of struggling to try and figure it out...He turned back to the ceiling and stared for a while until he drifted off to sleep....

Keeper had a dream that night..one he had had before...He had just fought Solvek, he was grounded, dying in the middle of his fathers falling castle...He's looking up at the sky as everything is going dark..but a light seems to cut through it all..He looks around as something seems to be pulling him from the castle, something saving him from being crushed...He tries to see who or what is saving him but a bright light blocks the view of who it is...He slowly fades out as he hears his mothers voice..."Do you think you can save him...?" he doesn't hear the answer up jolts up out of his sleep...He looks around breathing hard..He holds his heart is beating extremely fast...He looks over at Uni then at the ceiling...He had never had the dream end that way...he always died in the castle...things had changed...? The vision he was used to was now more hopeful...He might live thanks to someone...but who..?

His eyes fell on the only person he could think of...Uni...was it possible she would save him from the death he was destined to face?...He closed his eyes and relaxed his body trying to keep himself calm in his weakened state...He stared at the ceiling and thought about what Shiro had told him to imagine...this was deeper than that..this was something that he knew since he was young would happen...and now suddenly it changed...he was saved...He remembered the stone would be broken...but now something in him felt different...he didn't see it being broken as the end....but he wasn't sure what to call it...maybe a detour...he sighed laid there for the remainder of the night, unable to sleep...

[Uni IceHeart]

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´Uni Demonheart`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´

Uni was floored by his answer and was glad he looked away again after he spoke before he saw that, giving her time to reschool her expression in case he looked at her again. It was the last thing she expected him to say and it had her thinking for a while even after he was asleep. She hadn't really spent a lot of time around him in her human form, though her true and Demon forms would have been the main issue anyway, but he had said he saw her as Uni not a Demonheart. Her Beast gave a purr of approval and wanted to go over to where the Soulguard lay, but Uni stayed where she was. It had been a while since her Beast stirred this much in a very long time and it seemed to have a lot to do with Keeper, the first time it came to the fore was when the Naga had caught him, then when the Grand Soulguard had, during his training this time around, again with the Naga, and now. The Beast was not a separate being from her, it was her, the Demon form she took, one soul in half, though not many outside the race came to know this other then the mates Demonhearts had taken before the massacres. Uni hadn't had a lot of time to read the Book of the Monarchs, but what she did read told her that there was a way for her and her Beast to merge, become a complete being, one soul, not in half but whole. The book referred to it as a Demonheart becoming an Awakened being, though there wasn't much detail about it since not many had been able to achieve this and live, for if the Awakening went wrong or something happened it could kill the Demonheart. She sometimes wondered if that's what she needed, if that's what Shiro meant by her destiny, for to become Awakened unleashed a power locked within Demonhearts, but that power was dangerous if she couldn't wield it, the scrolls would make sense then, obtaining them increased her power and what she was capable of handling. However, she wondered if it would change her, and if it did, what Keeper would think of her then.....

Sleep came late for the restless wolf, but she was out before Keeper's dream woke him, though he wasn't the only one that had strange dreams that night and hers woke her before the sun peeked over the horizon. However, she didn't wake with a start like he had, it took her a minute to get her bearings, but when she did she noticed that she wasn't the only one awake. She moved over to where Keeper lay and sat there so they could talk without waking the horses Trouble sleeping? her voice low, but just enough so he could hear. By his aura he seemed to have been awake for a while and though his scent was getting better, something seemed a bit off about it this morning. Noticing that the Carrion vine was now wrapped around his arm to stay in place instead of laying there confirmed that something was off, something must have made him forget the vine was there if he jerked his arm enough for the vine to wrap to keep from being dislodged. She stroked the snake-like vine for a bit until it loosened up and unwound from his arm to lay on the ground again, once it did she looked back at the Soulguard.

Hiro_Syzame

[The_Goddex_Jayy]

Uni IceHeart

†† Keeper ††
"The Spirit Demon of the Monastery"

Keeper wasn't sure how long he was awake before he heard Uni stirring...He didn't look her way for a while, until she got closer. When she spoke he shook his head..."I been up for a while..." he said before returning his gaze to the ceiling. He sat there calm thinking about the dream...He wanted to tell her about it...but he kept it to himself. It may have been a premonition of the future but then again with all that was going on, it could have just been a hopeful dream. For all he knew nothing had changed at all. He sat up a little and yawned..."What has you up so early...?" he asked her using one hand to move hair from his face...He could tell she sensed something different...he could feel it himself...his aura had changed a bit...

[Uni IceHeart]

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´Uni Demonheart`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´

That confirmed Uni's suspicion, though his yawn was a tell tale sign as well, and she was wondering what had woken him up when he seemed to think the same thing and voiced that question aloud first. She debated on what she should tell him for minute, then decided to leave her dreams out of it, not sure what to make of them as of yet, so instead she settled for what she saw not what she dreamt It's the Shade, it seems when he's in his most foul and vindictive moods, I catch.... images of him.... he's up to something, he has a "pet" that's usually always with him, a female snake youkai, but he..... he killed her... he.. said something about needing the space for someone else.... more then one.... I never thought he would, or that it would be the snake one, but he's never looked for a bride before... but two? she had a feeling who he was after by what he said but she wasn't entirely sure so she didn't voice that at the moment. It was just as well that Keeper would soon be returning to the Grand Soulguard, if the Shade was about to make a move then Uni had to stop him and she had to face him alone, she wouldn't risk what Ganon almost pulled off again. However, this was bad, the Shade was one thing but she had said that she would deal with the Dark Hand as well. Things suddenly seemed to be stacking against her and fast, she only saw one way out of it and that was just as dangerous... She still had two scrolls she hadn't used yet and one more still to find, however... using more then one scroll at a time was a lot of power, but with two entities to face at the same time..... it was starting to seem she didn't have a choice.... She would have to deal with the Dark Hand fast then find the Shade and stop him, basically using all excess power from the scrolls before she lost it...

It was the only option she had, but she blocked that thought when Ebion stirred, she didn't need him knowing right now what she planned to do. She waited for the stallion to settle back down before returning her gaze to Keeper again You should try to rest, you'll need it she said as she got up to go on her usual patrol. Her voice didn't have that hard edge it usually did when she pulled teacher on him, there was a hint of something else there but her voice had been to soft to make clear what. It was some time later, both of the horses were standing outside the cave looking up to the top of it, some other forest creatures were too, all had their eyes closed and lightly swaying as a strange melody carried on the breeze..... Oracion
On top of the cave, the Demonheart sat there with a small leaf held against her mouth, though aware of the gathering creatures below her, her eyes were also closed as she played.

( This tune seemed to fit her to well with how she's in tune with nature )

Hiro_Syzame

[The_Goddex_Jayy]

Uni IceHeart

†† Keeper ††
"The Spirit Demon of the Monastery"

Keeper looked at Uni...something was different about her as well...he couldn't quite place it but he knew that she wasn't really herself...or it seemed...Something was troubling her deeply about this with the Shade. He wanted to ask but he didn't want to worry her more than she was already worried. He nodded when she told him to rest and laid back down. He looked at the ceiling for a while then closed his eyes...He couldn't sleep so he just focused on keeping his body still and at ease...He could hear the song and wanted to go and see about it but stayed still...He took a breath...things were weighing heavily on him and Uni...with no one to help...He sat up and looked up...He knew who could help...but she wouldn't even hear his cries for help..He stood up, shaking a bit and walked to the back of the cave...He leaned against the wall and let out a sigh...walking took more out of him than he expected, but he wanted to be sure the others wouldn't hear him...He knew they probably would not approve of him calling on his mother of all people for help...but this time he wasn't asking for guidance or direction, he needed her help, point, blank...He needed her to actually put action to her word.."You always say you would do anything to help me...but so far you haven't...Right now I don't need the Angel of Knowledge...I need my mother's help...I don't know if you are listening or if you care...but I am your son...and I need you now..." he said in a low voice, he used his finger to make markings in the cave wall, the summoning markings of his mother...After the marks were made they started to glow dimly...it seemed the portal would open..but nothing...

Keeper scoffed a bit...He should have expected it...He shook his head, feeling like and idiot for trying...He gathered his strength and went back to where he lay before..."On my own again it seems.." he said to himself before closing his eyes

In The skies, Martha was restrained...Two angels had grabbed her to stop her from going through the portal. She knew one of them. The youngest brother of her old partner. The one that had died long ago. He was always a bit sour towards her...but it wasn't his call. His brother who had become an Arch, he told the others to stop her. Going through the portal would be defying her code as an angel. He told her she was not allowed to help Keeper any longer, for he had far strayed from the path he was set and was now a dark being...She didn't see that in her son..if anything he was being cleansed of his darkness...But he insisted his time with the Demonheart was corrupting him...She was not informed about the beings known as Demonhearts...even being the Angel of Knowledge she was restricted to know some things, and the case of the beings were off limits to her...She begged the man to let her at least speak to Keeper, but he denied her this and told the other to take her back to her room...her prison. She sadly went back not aware that the men keeping her from her son, did so for their own agenda..for the Brothers were still plotting the boys death...

[Uni IceHeart]

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´Uni Demonheart`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´

The Demonheart and horses may not have been able to hear what Keeper was doing, but Uni felt something going on within the cave when the markings lit up and the music stopped abruptly. Jumping down from where she sat, landing as if the fall had been no more then a few feet, her face was set as she entered the cave, and though she saw Keeper laying she felt something coming from deeper within. Making her way back the markings still shown on the wall, an unanswered summon that hadn't been sealed back off, which could have allowed anything to come through as far as she knew, and only one there that could have done it. Had she been anyone else her first instinct would have probably been to destroy the markings to break the summoning portal, but she took a closer look instead. She couldn't make out the words, but knew all to well which language it was and a sudden sense of betrayal and anger washed through her before she could check it. Keeper must have been trying to call his Mother, though by scent and presence she clearly hadn't been there, which was odd for her not to come when directly summoned, it didn't help quell what Uni was feeling now. Why call his Mother? She had only seemed to have caused trouble for the both of them since the beginning and now she didn't even come when called by her own son, which meant one of two things: She didn't come for whatever her own reasons were or they were up to no good just like Solvek, the Dark Hand, and the Shade. Thankfully Solvek seemed to have been checked for the being by the Whites, but the fact that they were letting these dark forces run free like this made no sense. What could they gain by letting the world come to complete ruin? Well she wouldn't allow it, her kin had taken an oath and code that she wasn't going to forego just because the Heavens stood against her. She would not let these forces go unchecked, even if it wasn't her fight she would see to it that Keeper didn't lose against Solvek......

However, at the moment she wasn't to happy with Keeper and after a few furious claw swipes against the markings that killed the portal she went back to the front of the cave where they were camping. The first thing she noticed once back was that the Carrion was off Keeper and waiting for her, but she didn't let the vine to her arm this time, instead she sent both vines off, even though she said there needed to be at least one more transfusion. She had told Keeper he might be able to be up a bit, but if he was going to burn himself out before fully healed attempting something like a summon portal then there was no more she could do.... Even if she was still his Alpha for the time being, attempting to summon Martha, without at least consulting her first, cut her to the core. Nightshade and Ebion could tell their Mother was upset, though she said nothing about it, only told them to make sure Keeper didn't try to overdo it again, and left the cave without saying another word. The horses could only wonder what "again" meant, but Ebion found the link to his rider blocked, she clearly didn't want to talk or even be found at that moment, at least not by them. There was one she knew she couldn't hide from, so didn't try, and she found herself yet again at the Ivory Tower in the hidden land of Elysian. She found it amusing... in a sad irony and sarcastic way, how she had avoided this place so much before, though after meeting Keeper, found herself here more often then she would have thought. Shiro was like a second Mother in a way, but like Keeper, she now found herself wishing more then anything then that her own parents were still alive.... and not just souls that couldn't really even talk to her....

Uni didn't return until Keeper was well enough to get back on his feet, the horses had been worried, but glad to see she was ok, only to grow concerned again when her demeanor seemed completely different then before. She Shadow Jumped them back and while they were waiting for the Grand Soulguard Uni handed over another package to Keeper, which turned out to be the sword and sheath he had found from the shipwrecks, though had been worked at the Dragon's forge. The book hadn't been her only detour it seemed when she had taken Eva back, reforging the sword into a Demon Slayer as a sort of graduation present for when Keeper completed his training. It looked no different then it did when he found it, though perhaps polished up a bit, which gave the illusion that it was just a show blade, until you got hit with it that is. However, Uni seemed to have no sense of a teacher's pride when she handed it over, her words and explanation of the blade was as dead as the look in her eyes, and again she didn't answer when the horses actually grew bold enough this time to ask what was wrong, instead her gaze drew away when she thought she felt something coming in their direction.....

( Let's see if we can't get Keeper really thinking, lol )

Hiro_Syzame

[The_Goddex_Jayy]

Uni IceHeart

†† Keeper ††
"The Spirit Demon of the Monastery"

Keeper could feel something from Uni...but it wasn't rage...anger it felt different..Something he hadn't felt from her before...He heard her words, but didn't respond...in fact he didn't talk much at all for the remainder of his time there..Not because he was depressed or he felt chastised like usual, but this time it was because he wanted to say things he felt like he couldn't...So much was going on within him...He wanted to let everything out...but He did not want to make things worse than they already were..

When Uni returned he was better, almost 100% and ready to go...not really ready, but the time had come. He would just have to accept it. The sword was a nice surprise...He had actually forgotten about it with all that had happened. He was glad she gave it to him....but still a cloud of gloom hung overhead...He looked at Uni and finally decided to address things, but was interrupted....

A portal opened and the Soulguard along with his companion arrived..."Hey..you're actually back a tad early..." the Maxius said looking among them. The ghost who was a bit better at sensing moods, said nothing... She looked at the two then at Maxius, who was telling them he would need a day or two to get things ready..."The Dark Hand has not been around much lately...So I was able to get most of the work done, but I need some time to find Starcore...I'll need it to make a new stone once we break the old one...I can teleport to the cave where I can get it but its very rare..it'll take a while to find it..If you can spare a few days, there are some free rooms at my home. You can rest there...Tomorrow Keeper will have to be tested again, then we can break the stone.." The Soulguard seemed a bit urgent himself...as if something needed quick attention, he left before even getting an answer, leaving behind the ghost who was a bit frazzled...she bowed and went through the portal back to his house...

Keeper looked at Uni.."Um...Are you going to stay?" he asked. His voice was lower, and quieter than usual, for once it sounded a bit timid, something that was totally out of character for him..but at this moment...everything felt out of character for him...He looked at the portal..it seemed like stepping in the portal would be the end of it all..he wanted to prolong it just a while longer...

[Uni IceHeart]

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´Uni Demonheart`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´

Uni hardly paid attention to what Maxius said after mentioning something called the Starcore, nothing after that really mattered, because that was all she needed to know that she wasn't needed there and her gaze turned away until Keeper spoke up. She didn't fail to catch the note behind his question, but it did little to change her current state No was all she said in response, before leaving instructions with the horses to stay and let her know when Maxius would be ready to deal with the Dark Hand. It had already been made clear that she wasn't needed around for when the stone was broken and she still didn't trust Maxius after the trouble he had caused her, having decided back then not to step foot in that Soulguard's house for any reason. After that there was only one thing left to do.... denounce Keeper as a packmate... there was no longer a reason for her to be his Alpha.... That stoic mask was back in place, her voice once again a cool monotone as she spoke, but even as the words came that dead look never seemed to leave her eyes, and before anyone could say or do anything to stop her after that, she Shadow Jumped away.... Leaving Keeper completely in the Grand Soulguard's hands now and the horses to carry out her instructions, though it was with grim spirits that they did so....

The next days after that found the Demonheart a hunter, tracking down the Shade's movements with some help from Shiro to try to stop whatever his current plan was. On the day the stone was broken she felt a pain in her chest and though she didn't know what had happened she had a guess. She knew it would be bad and had been ready for it, but it hit her harder then she thought it would and she couldn't fathom why, though considering what she was about to face was far worse, didn't dwell on it long. The Shade hadn't been expecting Uni to try anything, which gave her the slight edge when she jumped him outside of Jailen while he was trying to use his aura to break down the barrier to get to Syren. Uni lead him on a merry chase to get him away from the village, managing to hide long enough to use both Earth and Fire scrolls before their fight began, of course, this brought the Shade to switch forms to even be able to face the now power raging Demonheart. The power coming from these two seemed to make the very air and earth itself tremble, though Uni noticed something now with each time she barreled into him to knock him down, it felt like she was crashing into something else, some kind of barrier that started to falter as they fought, but she paid it no mind. For if she had, she would have seen that it was this barrier keeping even the Heavens above from knowing he was there, but Uni could see him thanks to having the Dark element as well. It was for this reason that she thought that they were letting him run loose on purpose and making her pay for his deeds just because they hated her race for whatever reason. However, she wasn't the only one not paying attention to his barrier..... which could very well prove a costly mistake on his part....

Hiro_Syzame

[The_Goddex_Jayy]

Uni IceHeart

†† Keeper ††
"The Spirit Demon of the Monastery"

Keeper got the answer he suspected...but still fell a tinge in the pit of his stomach...He wanted her to stay but it seemed she would have to go. He again didn't speak..He simply went into the portal...The rest of the night, the next day, all the hours he said nothing. Keeper had went completely silent. Something that worried Avia...but unlike Keeper she did not have to guess what the feeling was..she had seen the look before...When she was dying...Maxius had the same far away glance...losing a loved one was something that was hard on the heart, and whether he knew it or not it took quite the toll on the boy.

When Maxius returned the next day with what he needed, Keeper was indeed tested, but this time, the boy passed with little damage. He channeled most of his emotions to anger and was able to use that to power through the little test...Then came the harder part...The stone breaking...Before hand he was warned..."There will never be a greater pain than what you will feel when the stone breaks...To the reciever the pain may be nothing, for you two are only soul tied, breaking a bit of her soul shouldn't hurt her much...but for you, it will be equivalent to squeezing your heart...I will have to rip most of your soul lines from you.."

The boy didn't really listen...his mind was elsewhere...He just nodded when the man asked if he was ready...The process took hours...Keeper was laid on a stone slab with ancient markings written all around it...Maxius and Avia stood over him, Avia chanting some incarnation and Maxius, with glowing hands holding the stone...After a few minutes Keeper could feel what felt like fire going through his veins as the stone started to glow brightly...The boy tried to move, but whatever Avia was doing was holding him down to the Slab making sure he didn't move and mess with the process...

It felt like he was torture for hours before a loud shatter could be heard and shards of the stone flew everywhere...Slowly Keeper's body started to cool off...the pain faded and he passed out...He could feel it...the empty feeling without his stone...and that was not all that Changed...His eyes, his hair, had turned completely white...All color and life looked as if it had drained from him...Maxius would need time to make a new stone..He and Avia took the unconscious Keeper and laid him to rest in a room in the house...

As promised before he left the boy, Maxius plunged both of his hands into Keepers chest, and released a great deal of energy...this would give him an ability he would need...The ability to self heal...Then they left him to rest...

In the skies the two angels smiled...Martha locked away and now the boy was alone and weakened...It was now time..Of course they both couldn't go..It would seem suspicious...The younger of the two decided to go. He was more hellbent on Martha paying and since Keeper was weak he thought he'd be easy enough to take one his own...He just needed to get him to a dark area so the heavens couldn't watch...He opened a portal to make his way down to him...

Keeper woke up way before expected...Maxius expected him to be down for at least 3 days, but he was out for maybe 3 hours..He felt weak and empty, but he found the strength to stand..but it wasn't long after he had awoken a portal opened. At first he expected Maxius, until he was grabbed and pulled in...It happened so fast...before he knew it he was dazed on the ground...In what seemed like a black forest...The place was consumed by darkness..Before him was an angel..one he had not seen before but he already knew this was the man who brought him there...

The angel had a wicked smile...he could end the boy right there...he was far too weak to actually fight back..But instead of killing him right off the back..the angel decided to torture him...He began to beat a already tired and beaten Keeper..The boy tried to defend himself, but in this state he was no where near ready to fight...His body was weak, but his energy was climbing...If he could just defend for long enough he could fight back...

[Uni IceHeart]

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´Uni Demonheart`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´

The horses felt helpless to do anything during this time and they didn't like it, but there was nothing they could do except stay as close to Keeper as they could until the stone was broken.... Both horses could feel their rider's pain, Ebion more so then Nightshade since he had a stronger bond with his rider, though he couldn't help but notice that there was something else in the pain their Mother felt, but couldn't place it. When all was said and done, they lay where they were, trying to recover themselves, but it wasn't over for Nightshade it seemed when she suddenly felt her rider taken away, it became worse when she realized she couldn't follow and could do nothing again but watch as this time, an Angel had him, and seemed to be beating him to death slowly. The mare was in such a state, feeling so worthless to her rider compared to Ebion to his, that blue flaming flickers ran down her eyes.... she was actually crying, while Ebion seethed beside her with a growing rage at her agony, that he didn't realize how open his mind was with all of this.... and that his wasn't the only rage coming close to the breaking point...

Near Jailen, Uni felt it before she saw what Ebion was seeing... The Demonheart felt a painful tug on heart and knew something was wrong... very wrong... for each time she felt that tug the pain grew and for some reason Keeper kept flashing across her mind... then she felt Ebion's rage and saw an image of Nightshade.... Her own rage coursed through her, worse then it ever had before, it felt like her very blood was on fire, the power she had unleashed on the Shade seemed to come back with a vengeance, and she let it happen without knowing she did.... The next tug she felt she let it pull her and she Shadow Jumped... she couldn't see where she was going, but felt something guiding her through the jump and she followed it with no resistance. Next thing she knew, she landed someplace dark, and felt a strike causing her roar with such fury that it shook the ground under her feet....
Coming from the Shadow Jump the great white beast had landed right between Keeper and the Angel, practically standing over the Soulguard like some living fortress. Having appeared so suddenly the wolf had taken the Angel's next attack instead of Keeper and sent a roar skyward before turning her large head to the offender. The Beast had no clue who it was facing, but it didn't care, roaring again at the white clad being before suddenly looking behind her. Again, without really thinking about it, something just told her what to do, the wolf lowered her head, catching Keeper up by the back of the collar, she jumped away with the Soulguard just as another creature landed out of nowhere where she had once stood. This creature, to the Angel, was flickering in and out of view, until a back kick from the wolf finally seemed to break whatever barrier was on it, revealing the beast for what it was....

The Shade was caught off guard by the kick, having not had enough time after coming out of the jump to get out of the way, but he was so fixated on his target he didn't realize what the kick had done. Standing there, in a form he favored and had used long ago when fighting the lot of Demonhearts who almost beat him, was the image of chaos and destruction himself, the form of the dark Dragon Lord... Ragnarok. It was a well known fact that after Ragnarok's downfall many had tried to bring him back and tame him, but that never worked, the Dragon always killed the one who brought him back and then went on a rampage, having to be destroyed all over again. This clearly wasn't Ragnarok and the Shade was the only known being who ever dared take on such a form. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the Dragon realized that he and the wolf weren't alone, seeing that she was now carrying someone and that there was a presence to his side, to which he turned glaring red eyes to see who it was. However, he didn't seem fazed to see an Angel, not one so weak, and merely gave a scoff before turning back to the other white creature there...

Ebion's rage suddenly died when he saw where his rider now was, he was both surprised to see her there and horrified at the creature she stared down. Nightshade took a little longer to notice, but notice she did, and her reaction was similar to Ebion's though at the same time she felt something of a relief with the knowledge that her adoptive Mother seemed to have showed up with the purpose to stop her rider from being finished off. However, like the stallion, that relief was short lived and replaced by horror at seeing the Shade for the first time, though knew that's who it was without having to ask or getting a confirmation. Both of the horses were now wondering how on earth their Mother was ever supposed to face such a monster alone, but now she had another problem as well, with that Angel there it seemed a huge gamble as to rather or not she could get both herself and Keeper out alive.... though by her rage and spiking power, even the Angel and Shade combined would have a heck of a fight on their hands.... at least they thought she was now faced with both as opponents as she glared at both equally and seemed ready to take them both if that's what it took to get her and the Soulguard out of there....

Hiro_Syzame

[The_Goddex_Jayy]

Uni IceHeart

†† Keeper ††
"The Spirit Demon of the Monastery"

Keeper was fading in and out of consciousness...all he could do was cover his face with his hands and tighten his body so the blows would not have as much effect, but this angel had fury and power behind every strike...He didn't want Keeper to die yet, but he wanted to make sure he felt every single blow, every ounce of pain...He was enjoying seeing him suffer, it felt like he was avenging his fallen brother...And Evil smile crossed Michiles face...There was no false virtue, or misdirected vision of justice at this point, he knew just what he was doing and that was getting revenge. He brought down his hand for another strike, but this one was received by something else...A white beast had appeared between him and his target...He looked and took a step back when it roared...it took him a second before he realized it was the Demonheart...Above Salin watched through a personal portal...no one else in heaven could see this...He watched as the Demonheart appeared and grabbed his lance, ready to go to battle...He couldn't let his brother perish to the beast..but the next sight froze him and Michiles

When Uni kicked the being and he appeared clearly..Michiles all but fell to his knees..."It...Its...He's...." He backed away shaking his head..It was impossible...Salin eyes were wide..."No...that's impossible...he's dead..he was destroyed long ago...or..no it's a trick..she's tricking us..I...I..." he closed the portal..he knew what he saw was no trick..but he refused to accept it...He should have told the high council, but then he and his brothers plan would have been revealed...He just had to convince himself it was all fake...but in doing this..he had to turn his back and let his brother go at this alone...He had damned his own brother...He closed the portal between heaven and earth, stranding his brother there..He couldn't risk him coming back..

Michiles shook his head and turned back to the girl and Keeper...Keeper..that was his target...but with the being there...everything they knew was a lie...He couldn't focus anymore..he still was seething with the need for revenge...but he couldn't fight..He tried to go back, but he found the small connection he had shut..He looked up.."What...what are you doing Salin?" he said seeing him and his brother were no longer connected and he was stuck..

Keeper could feel his power returning...He pressed himself against the tree behind him...He opened his eyes to see Uni...He had a mix of feelings, happiness for a second, surprise...relief but then he saw two beings...one he recognized as the angel that brought him here...the other...he wasn't sure what it was..or who it was..but it warranted a certain feeling...He looked among the two as his scars started to fade and he felt himself back to a good strength...He looked at the angel, not forgetting the other being...The angel for Keeper represented an ultimate betrayal...For all he knew he was sent by Martha...The beings that were supposed to "Protect" him were now trying to kill him..? He could have growled..His skin was still a pale white, but read markings appeared on him, where his usual tattoo like marks were...He stepped up next to Uni and stared at the two as well..

The angel, Michiles, angered by his brother turned to see the damage he caused the Soulguard had faded away..."How in the....Grr...this some kind of trick?..Whatever...Shade or no Shade..this guy is dying today.." he said to himself and opened his wings flying up and then flying towards Keeper. Keeper jumped back and used a tree to launch himself at the angel, much to Michiles surprise. He struck the angel and brought him from the sky to the ground below, landing behind where the Shade was...

[Uni IceHeart]

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´Uni Demonheart`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´

The Beast stood growling at the Angel and Shade, but Uni saw through her Beast something it wasn't taking into account since it was bent on protecting Keeper, though her intention was the same, she did. Fear.. fear and recognition was on the Angel's face, sounding in complete disbelief at what he was seeing, also the fact that he seemed to look up calling to someone only to get no answer. It was then she realized something important.... all three of them now seemed to have been abandoned by the Heavens, so Uni did something she didn't think she would do... The Demonheart reigned back in her Beast as the Angel and Soulguard jumped to fight again, taking in the full hit of the power surge she was now suffering, but she gritted her teeth and bore it. Keeper and Michiles were now behind the Shade with their struggle and the Dragon decided to deal with two pests at once, but before he brought his tail down to bury the two six feet under, Uni flashed around him swiping the two up and Shadow Jumping away from there. She brought them back to the field that she and the Shade had been fighting in before and quickly dropped the two as the Shade soon followed behind. Turning quick she caught the black beast and threw him, forming a shield to keep him trapped before the Shade stood and forming another shield near it. As if it was planned both shields were suddenly reinforced by a stronger power of Light and the second shield opened in time to catch the Shadow King as he was thrown into it then closed again. Uni thought it was a daughter or son, but when she looked up, even she was surprised to see none other then the Mother herself landing by the shields Shiro? But why....?

What the Demonheart didn't know and what the White explained to answer her confusion, was that when the massacres started Shiro had tried to council the Heavens to get them to realize what was going on.... but without being able to see the Shade... they didn't listen... There had been little Shiro could do to stop the killings and though she had tried to hide some of them, the Demonhearts had been found and murdered... Realizing her failure the Mother had hid Elysian like the Shade was hiding, behind a barrier, and it was why she never left it... until now.... her shame for letting the Demonhearts down kept her from showing her face... everyone believing she had been lost and her children left orphaned. When she had learned that there was still one alive Shiro had vowed not to let the pup fall like the others and with Uni now managing to expose the Shade, the Mother decided she should hide no longer either... The Demonhearts had been wronged, deeply, and it was time to fix that... After she spoke she reared high and piped a long noted skyward to call the High Council... Uni wanted the attention of the Heavens to realize what they had done and she would see it so, since chances are that they wouldn't heed the words of the pup, this time, she would make them listen to her. Uni watched the White Mother, for the moment forgetting anyone else was there, she had never known Shiro's story, and at the beginning when Shiro first sent for her she had been nothing but angry at the Dragons for trying to do nothing but stop her all time, never seeming to really help her, until after she had meet Keeper. The Demonheart now felt guilty for that and when Shiro landed from her calling, the wolf walked over to the larger female with ears, tail, and wings drooping and head down, dragging her feet, though she didn't need to say anything, the Dragon seemed to know, like she always did, though like always, never scolded or lectured the pup. However, Shiro did need the wolf presentable, so like any Mother would, she fussed over the Demonheart until the pup straightened up and looked like she hadn't just gotten out of a fight.

As for the other two there, Shiro also fussed over Keeper a bit and moved him to stand close to Uni, but with eyes slightly narrowed she actually scolded Michiles and left him to straighten himself up as she went back to stand with her two charges by the shields. The Shade was putting up a fight, trying again and again to either Shadow Jump or portal out, only to have no such luck between the two powers creating his prison and Solvek would find himself with the same dilemma, even attacking the shields to try to weaken them would not avail them much with Shiro so close and the Demonheart helping the Dragon to keep the shields up. However, Uni had her doubts about this, them just seeing was one thing, but actually coming down was another matter entirely and she was pretty sure it wasn't Angels in the same rank as Martha and she couldn't help but glance down at the Soulguard to see how he was taking this.

Hiro_Syzame

[The_Goddex_Jayy]

Uni IceHeart

†† Keeper ††
"The Spirit Demon of the Monastery"

Keeper was grateful for Uni's involvement...but he couldn't really show the emotion..Without his stone, no matter how he felt, his body showed nothing...He watched the things unfold, tensing up when his father appeared...He was ready to fight, but it seemed he was thrown into a barrier, trapped...He sat on the ground watching everything and the Angel who he had just fought stood in awe of it all...The Shade was alive...this dragon...and the other being..He didn't recognize him but he had a certain amount of urgency about him for some reason...

Keeper listened to Uni and looked at Shrio and towards the sky when the call was made...He couldn't help but wonder who would show up...The beings that turned their backs long ago...was his mother among this council? Did she agree to turn their backs on the Demonhearts...beings that did nothing wrong...He sat on the ground as his spiked power started to fade and the red marks faded away...He sighed..there was a feeling of..non-belief...how the angels could just leave the Demonhearts to die...

It seemed like forever before the call was answered...but it was only a few seconds...Symbols appeared in the sky and soon four armor clad archangels flew from the portal to the ground, followed by a man dressed in gold armor, He looked mightier than any angel Keeper had ever seen...He was large with 6 wings, most of his face was covered by a helmet...He looked around at the beings before landing and looking...

Keeper looked among the angels and was a little relived to see his mother was not among them...Still stone faced he looked to Uni to see her next move..The angels moved back when they saw the captives...more so when they say Shade...All were shocked all could not believe it...except for the leader of the council...He seemed calm...knowing almost as if he saw this coming...He looked at them..."For what reason have you summoned the High Council...?'.

[Uni IceHeart]

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´Uni Demonheart`•.¸¸.•´´¯`••.¸¸.•´´¯`•´

When the Angels arrived Uni's gaze turned up at them, her attention almost instantly going to the one with six wings, and just looking at him she suddenly got a bad feeling before he even touched the ground. She didn't fail to notice how, unlike the other Angels, this guy showed no reaction to who was in the barriers, in fact his words made it seem like he didn't even see them, or just acting like the Shade and Solvek weren't there. This only completed her impression of the fact that Angels had indeed let this all happen on purpose just to get rid of the Demonhearts for whatever reason they could possibly have for doing so. Uni didn't even try to keep her thoughts out of her expression, believing now that this guy had only answered the call to come down and condemn them all to a one way trip to the Underworld and didn't care one bit what they had to say. She turned her head to say something to Shiro, but seeing the look on the Dragon mother's face, had the words dying in her throat before they ever reached her tongue. Anger... pure, but surprisingly controlled, anger, that she had never seen Shiro show before, as if all the regret she had been suffering all this time had turned into that one emotion, and as far as Uni knew the Dragon had never showed her anger if she had ever been angry before. The Demonheart's aggravation towards the Angels was suddenly replaced by fear towards the Dragon, she knew full well the wrath of a vengeful mother, but couldn't fathom that of a Dragons, especially one that was as old and powerful as Shiro. It was only with the Dragon draping her tail over the wolf's back that she stilled, though for a moment Uni's gaze didn't leave the White, before finally returning her attention to the Angels, waiting to see what Shiro would say....

Shiro waited for the pup to settle beside her again, before her eyes narrowed slightly and she spoke Zurok, I believe it's quite clear what the reason is, or is your pride more important that you would once again refuse to believe the truth even with it now right in front of you? Was it also by your order that Michiles here came down to kill this Soulguard? her voice was level, but cold, and she didn't wait for answers You're brethren falls to the Demon Solvek, cleverly tricking everyone before he struck, yet you blame the Angel that suffered from his actions and could do nothing to stop them, equally, you blame the child born from these actions and condemn him to death before he was even made aware of what actions he was being blamed for. Likewise, the Demonhearts fought gallantly, and yet the Demonhearts reward for their valiant effort and numbers lost was to be blamed, condemned, and seen to death, for the simple fact that no one likes believing that they had been tricked her head tilted towards the Shade who still struggled in his prison and Solvek Pray tell, you think we are tricking you now, with nothing but poor innocents being used as illusions for what you are seeing in those barriers? Perhaps then we should, let them go?

Uni was surprised by Shiro's words, some had been Uni's thoughts for a long time now, and some more recent given events, but this seemed unlike Shiro, or perhaps that was just because this was the first time Uni was seeing her like this. However, she had a new respect for the Dragon, Uni herself probably would have been raging at the Angels, but Shiro stood there, her voice never breaking from her normal pitch, though every word she spoke made her anger at the Angels foolishness towards the two beside her evident. Yet at the same time, she seemed to fully except Zurok to completely deny her claims, which she made clear with the threat of letting the two trapped dark beings go, giving Uni the impression that these two usually didn't see eye to eye about anything. It made her wonder how on Earth Shiro and the Angels ever came to a conclusion or agreement if this was the guy the Dragon always had to deal with before, though this time Shiro seemed far from willing to let this guy turn a deaf ear or play ignorant. Uni couldn't blame her there, ignorance wasn't always bliss, in fact it had near killed an entire race and so many innocents.

However, there was a question that Uni had and was having to bite her tongue not to ask it, but gave Shiro a look, wondering if she would know, and just managed to catch the Dragon's glance in her direction before the question was asked Why don't we ask your wisdom? She has all the knowledge, she could tell you if it be but a trick... couldn't she? it seemed less a question and more an accusation, her eyes for the moment going skyward with a still angry and disapproving gaze as if knowing what they had done with Martha Yes, bring her, and let us ask her what the wisdoms say about all this this time not a question in any sense, as her gaze came back down, her authority, doubled by her anger, brooked no refusal, and a quick glance in the Shade's direction before going back to Zurok, threatened worse then a reckoning if the command went denied.

Hiro_Syzame