|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:44 pm
"I will have my revenge."  "Welcome back," Demetri said quietly, looking from the corner of his eye at the dragon. "I think we'll introduce ourselves, now," The block the warlock stood on moved down to float behind the one the fairy was on, and he stepped across the small gap to the other one. "Yes, that's a long fall; I wouldn't advise testing it." If everything were as it seemed, life would be a dream.  Anya jumped at the voice behind her, turning on her heel and taking a step back, before replaying what he'd said. "Who are you?" she asked warily, eying the gold dragon behind him. "And what is that?" she asked before she could stop herself. The darkness that seemed to surround the two was engulfed in the black surroundings, and she decided immediately that the illusion was built by neither of them; they were contained inside it. If this is a prison, why am I here? What did I do, and who put me here?" She knew that Jethrow would be able to tell her just what was going on, and she wished instantly that she was back home. "Who are you?" she repeated. There is much to learn in this world. To learn it, you must realize you know nothing.  Jethrow jerked awake, repeating the word of the last character of his dream. "Demetri!" The wizard, forgetting his old age, leapt from his chair and moved swiftly from the study, rushing down the stairs. He'd seen Luke and Lunora in the garden, and he quickly reached them, out of breath, as he waved his hand, creating another bench that he could sit on. "You....were right... I doubted....Anya.....She was....taken," he got out, leaning his elbows on his knees.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:53 pm
As Demetri talked, Fester floated around his master and Anya, giving a playful hiss at her before returning to Demetri's shoulders.
Luke watched as Jethrow panted out the urgent news and he went to calm the wizard. "Do you know who she was taken by?" he asked concernedly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riding_The_Stars Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 11:17 pm
"I will have my revenge." Demetri smirked as Fester hissed before returning and he took a step towards the girl, testing her to see if she'd flinch. "Either you're braver than you look, or you just don't want to topple to your death," he taunted, patting Fester's head and beginning a slow walk, extending the block so the girl was standing in the center as he slowly circled her. "Clearly, you don't understand patience. We'll have to fix that; I can't stand rude children. As for who we are, I am Demetri, your new teacher. Fester here, well, he's a friend of mine. You'll get to know him well as time passes." Chuckling, the warlock finished his circle, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow at Anya. "You on the other hand, are much more interesting than another warlock and a creature he's befriended. A fairy for a mother, and a demon for a father. Not just any fairy, either. A direct descendant of the royal line, which is why you tend to be more fairy than anything else. You've been sealed many times against your demon powers, though that leaves very little for your true potential, considering you have but one true fairy talent. Healing isn't something you can learn from a warlock, now, is it?" If everything were as it seemed, life would be a dream. Anya warily narrowed her eyes as the man stopped talking. "So you've followed my life's story, have you? All the way down to who I learn from. You clearly have a lot of free time," she said, watching the dragon from the corner of her eye. She couldn't exactly say it scared her, after all she'd had Searan staying in her room for weeks, but she was slightly fascinated by it. Blinking, she shifted her attention back and crossed her arms in imitation of Demetri. "If you're just going to tell me things I already know, then why am I here? Is this some sort of sleep-experience thing? If it is, can I please wake up?" There is much to learn in this world. To learn it, you must realize you know nothing. Jethrow looked up at Luke with a grim face. "I know all too well who she was taken by." Solemnly, he stood again, passing his hand over his brow and turning to face the young man. "It's not safe for you two anymore to participate in this search," he said, with a sigh. "I lay all blame for this predicament on my shoulders, as I should. You and Lunora are welcome to stay here at the castle, just stick together. I'll leave for the recovery of Anya." Jethrow looked off over the gardens, thinking hard. It was without a doubt his fault that Anya had been taken, after all, his brother had no reason to despise anyone but him. All he needed was somewhere he could leave this world for the next dimension, the dimension he'd trapped Demetri in long ago.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 11:26 pm
Fester just grinned a golden fanged grin, hissing softly at the fairy-demon. He gave a look to his master as if to say Anya had no idea what she was in store for.
Luke looked to the wizard in shock. "B-But we can't just sit here and do nothing!" he said concernedly. "I-I don't want to just do nothing."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riding_The_Stars Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:11 am
"I will have my revenge." Demetri caught the eye of Fester and nodded in agreement. "You're quite impertinent, aren't you? We'll have to train that out of you, as well. Now, why not begin such training?" He held his palm out, and black snakes began to swirl around the block they stood on, moving towards the fairy. "They're not real. Just an illusion, but they hurt like hell if they bite or squeeze you. Burn them all." Quickly, he stepped back onto another block with Fester, just as the spot they'd stood in a moment before swarmed with snakes. They floated out of the area the snakes could reach, and Demetri looked over at Fester, smirking. "We'll see how our little student does, won't we?" he said darkly, creating a large, black, throne-like chair and sitting down, crossing his arms. If everything were as it seemed, life would be a dream. Anya yelped, jumping away from a snake as it launched itself at her leg. "Burn them?! How am I supposed to burn them?!" she yelled after Demetri, and in the moment she was distracted, one of the snakes latched itself to her arm, wrapping around it. Within five seconds, the snake was squeezing her arm, and she winced, pulling on the head of the creature to get it off. Stomping on it once it was off, she skittered back a few steps, looking around frantically. Fire wasn't an element fairies could control, but demons could. Another snake flew at her and she batted it away, yelping at the sound of its teeth snapping. This better work, she thought, closing her eyes. She pictured the sealing that had been placed on her when she arrived at the castle, and she imagined the potion spilling, the candles sputtering, and the markings being off-kilter...anything that could ruin the seal. Opening her eyes, she gulped and watched as another snake came at her. "Burn," she whispered, watching as purple flames engulfed the creature, a keening scream emitting from the air. There is much to learn in this world. To learn it, you must realize you know nothing. Jethrow faced Luke and shook his head. "If you want to live, you must do nothing! As I said, this situation is mine to handle, and mine to be responsible for. Dem-" He stopped himself. Telling them anything would be too much, even just his brother's name. "This situation is far out of control. It's quite possible that in my efforts I won't return from-" again, the wizard stopped. "The likelihood of my surviving this is slim, particularly if Anya does not cooperate." Tiredly, he sat back down on the bench. It was possible Anya was already dead, but no, that wouldn't be enough for Demetri. He would turn the girl against Jethrow, and use her to annihilate him, just as the wizard had forseen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2010 6:08 am
Fester coiled around the top of the throne, watching the fairy closely.
Luke looked to the wizard and just sighed. "Fine. What are we supposed to do if you do not return?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riding_The_Stars Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 3:53 am
"I will have my revenge." Demetri put his fingers together, a satisfied smirk creeping across his face. So, she has the capability after all. He continued to watch, thinking over what he'd observed of Jethrow's treatment towards her demonic powers. He'd sealed them off, been extremely careful to never have her use spells that were potentially dangerous, and all for what? Clearly, the seal wasn't complex if she'd broken through it so quickly, and the powers weren't overwhelming and destructive. She even seems to be able to stand listening to the shrieks of dying creatures without the bat of an eyelash. Either my brother grossly underestimated her, or this is the peak of her powers. But as she continued to fight the snakes, Demetri leaned back, silently deciding that these were just the beginnings of what the fairy-demon could do. Once he'd had time to properly train her, she would become the greatest weapon; strong enough to break the dimension they were in and allow Demetri to return to Earth where he could finally exact his revenge on his brother. If everything were as it seemed, life would be a dream. After the first snake burned, Anya winced. The sound of it dying, though she knew it was an illusion, was horrible. But as the creatures began launching themselves at a faster rate, she didn't have time to think. One by one, each caught fire, falling to the ground and surrounding her with purple flames. The screams began to entirely fill her ears, and she shut her eyes, trying to block the sound out. It's quiet now, she thought, opening one eye. Sure enough, all that was left were black ashes, and those soon scattered across the block she stood on. Unsure of what else to do, she looked up at Demetri, narrowing her eyes as he smirked at her. "What? That's what you wanted, wasn't it?" she demanded, crossing her arms and attempting to ignore the creepy dragon-thing. There is much to learn in this world. To learn it, you must realize you know nothing. Jethrow shook his head and put a hand on Luke's shoulder. "As I have tried to make clear, you shall do absolutely nothing. This has absolutely nothing to do with you; it's my own fault that Anya has been pulled into this, and it will be my responsibility to get her out." Taking his hand off Luke's shoulder, the wizard began to move back towards the castle. "I must take responsibility for Anya's life should it be lost; her family is likely to never forgive me. If your life were to rest on my shoulders, as well, I would not be able to face your sister." With a sigh, he started up the stairs and into the main hall. There was much to be done if he would be traveling to his brother's prison, and there wasn't much time. Anya wouldn't be able to access her demon powers, because of the seal placed on her years ago, and Demetri had always had a short temper. Without her powers, Anya would be utterly useless and nothing but a nuisance; he would dispose of her once he discovered this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 7:36 am
Fester nuzzled his golden snout under Demetri's chin. He was begging for some time to mess with Anya's head like he had done with his favorite toy, Luke. He wanted to mess with her sanity a little.
"You wouldn't have to worry about facing me if he died... Because I would be at his side." Lunora said bravely. Luke was her brother and she had to stay with him, or she would be all alone. And that was the thing that scared her most.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riding_The_Stars Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 7:50 pm
"I will have my revenge." "Patience," Demetri called out to Anya, giving Fester a look that told the dragon that his statement applied to him, too. He would need time to think. The test's goal had not been merely for Anya to burn up a few dozen snakes. The test was to see if she could break Jethrow's seal; and she had managed to do so. Knowing his brother, the seal was strong and powerful. For someone who's not only young, but has a large amount of royal fairy blood, the demonic powers are stronger than anything else. Does Jethrow know just how much she could achieve were he to release the seal? Either way, the seal is gone. Standing, Demetri vanished the throne and created block stairs, walking down them with Fester to stand on the block before Anya. "Now, what do you know about your demon side?" If everything were as it seemed, life would be a dream. Anya raised her eyebrow in confusion at Demetri. "What do I know? I know my dad and that's it." Crossing her arms, she watched the dragon instead of the wizard, giving no other explanations. Truthfully, she didn't know anything else. Jethrow had never let her use any of her powers except healing; she didn't even know she could use fire the way she had. Lunora has control over fire; maybe when I get back I could learn something from her. For a moment, she wondered if she'd even be able to go back. Hell yes; I'm not sticking around here until I die. There is much to learn in this world. To learn it, you must realize you know nothing. Jethrow turned with a sigh and leaned on his staff, staring at the two. You'd stand a better chance if you had help, he told himself, and with another resigned sigh, he closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead before opening them again. "If you two are serious about this, what makes you think you can help?" asked the wizard. "What can you two do that would save not only a fairy-demon who may or may not be in a critical state, but the three of us, from an alter-dimensional prison in which a powerful wizard will be waiting to kill at least one of us, as well as whatever creatures he may have to defend him. Can you two handle that?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:17 pm
Fester hissed to Demetri. He wanted to play with the new toy oh so badly.
"We can handle it." Lunora snapped viciously.
"We've survived worse. I think we will be a threat in our own rights." Luke said, patting his sister's shoulder to calm her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riding_The_Stars Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:56 am
"I will have my revenge." Demetri sighed, rubbing his forehead with his fingers as if relieving a headache. Slowly, he extended his arm out towards the girl, looking at Fester through one opened eye. "If you can, try to retrieve some information from her. Anything involving those demons, Jehtrow, or her own powers would be helpful. If there is nothing to be found, not one scrap of information nor a single trace of anything more than healing or fire, dispose of her; she's no use to me if she can't do more than burn a few illusions." Turning, Demetri vanished into a black door, leaving the dragon to play with the fairy. The door led him to another black block, lined with mangled black thorn bushes, wilted black roses dropping their petals on all sides. He continued to knead his forehead, eyes closed in thought. He'd expected a big burst of power, had the child thrown the seal off. Had Jethrow merely not found fire to be a threat? Or was that the extent of the child's powers? Or, perhaps she is powerful enough to have contained the monumental release of the seal through her fairy blood. He paused for a moment, thinking that through with a cocky smirk on his face. Yes, that was just as likely as anything else; Fester knew not to kill her should he discover her true potential. If everything were as it seemed, life would be a dream. Anya frowned, perplexed by the short speech from wizard to dragon. Upon the sight of the dragon before her, and the wizard gone, however, she stepped back as far as she could, before she found herself at the edge of the block. The situation was clearly no favoring her, and she wanted out. Immediately. "Do you really expect me to start spilling my guts about stuff that, in my opinion, really isn't that crucial? I mean, what great secrets could Luke, Lunora, and Jethrow have, huh? Anything you could want to know, you could figure out for yourself. They're all powerful, two are demons, one's a wizard, Luke and Lunora teach weapons stuff, Jethrow's a magic teacher, end of story. What else is there?" With the end of her spiel having come, she bit her lip nervously, narrowing her eyes to watch every movement the dragon made. Odds clearly weren't in her favor in this strange world, and she disliked it greatly. No; she hated the disadvantage. There is much to learn in this world. To learn it, you must realize you know nothing. Jethrow almost smiled. Of course the two were loyal. "Then I suppose you two shall hear a story, now, to understand the gravity we've been circled into." Sighing, he sat down on the closest bench, looking up at the siblings and closing his eyes. "Now, in my past, there was only ever one mistake I regretted making, from the many I've made in my years. I left home at a very young age, leaving behind a little brother to grow up in my shadow. I'm not sure if you've experienced the pressure of acting under an older sibling, but Demetri certainly did. Every time I came home, I was given a cold shoulder and sneer after sneer. Finally, he gave up trying to rebel against my path; he darkened it. He found a dark wizard who was quite willing to take on my brother as an apprentice, having heard my own prodigal achievements. Our parents, naturally, could not tell the difference. I could. Upon my next visit, I felt the darkness that had seeped into him. I chose to ignore it. Several more visits passed in the same manner; his darkness, my ignorance. Finally, the day came when he thought he could exterminate me. He nearly managed it, but something stopped him, and I took the opportunity. For almost three thousand years he has been contained in a dimension I created, made of the dark power he himself had collected. There, he has all the power in the world, but as long as the prison is intact, he cannot control anything on earth. Which leads me to my perplexing problem: How he kidnapped Anya. I would understand the method if her body was still here, and her mind merely taken, but she herself has disappeared altogether. Therefore, one or more of us must travel to this dimension, and bring Anya back with whatever battles may come with this sentence."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:17 am
Fester grinned a fanged grin. The gold dragon changed into the black serpent, which made him completely blend in, rendering him invisible. He flew at Anya, going to use his best trick for extracting information. Go right into the mind of the toy. Fester phased into her mind through her forehead, going straight into the deepest depths of her mind.
Luke and Lunora listened to Jethrow's story in quite amazement. They didn't know what to make of it, but they were still determined to fight by Jethrow's side against his younger brother.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riding_The_Stars Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:40 am
"I will have my revenge." Demetri knew the moment Fester entered Anya's mind. Satisfied that the task was being taken care of, the wizard waved his hand, creating the same black throne as before, and sitting down in it, facing a small pool of liquid silver, watching what Fester witnessed as he delved into the girl's head. There were quaint memories, those of picking herbs with another little girl, and those of cooking dinner with her mother. Her father, the character Demetri was most intrigued by, rarely flitted through her mind, more of a vague shadow than an actual presence. Her mother certainly had the appearance of a fairy noble, the diminished royal family clearly still flowing through their veins. Finally, a glimpse of the father brought Demetri from his reflection on the destruction of the fairy kingdom ages ago. The man was, as to be predicted, black haired and coal eyed, a typical lower demon. Yes, he must have been a lower demon to have found such kindness in his heart. Having interacted with many dark creatures, demons were on Demetri's list. He'd seen the way the parents would treat their children, and clearly this demon must have something else on his mind than impressing his fellow species. There were no extraordinary powers exhibited, nothing of the sort really. Then why go to all the trouble of sealing the child to prevent this from leaking out? If everything were as it seemed, life would be a dream. Anya wasn't sure what was happening. She was watching her memories scroll by, as if being replayed, and she knew that the dragon was watching as well. Childhood memories were the first, some things she didn't remember, well, remembering. Simple things, such as cooking when she was five or six. For some reason, the creature seemed restless, looking for something specific. Then, another presence: clearly the wizard, Demetri. He was studying a memory of her father, coming home from a business trip. Anya remembered that homecoming well; she remembered it because of the event that followed it. As her memory scrolled on, it slowed perceptibly for the clearer details of that night. She rounded her siblings up for bed, on her mother's orders, and was tucking the last one down under the covers when there was a sharp rap on their door. Curious, a little ten-year-old Anya tip-toed to the top of the steps, staring down through the railings. There was somebody who looked exactly like her papa standing there, looking grave. Her mother was pale, her father looked angry, and this man...he smirked. Anya strained her ears to catch what her father was whispering to her mother, what made her dash to the kitchen so quickly and not return. The front door was shut, and as usual, the guest was led to her father's study. But something was off about this guest, and quickly, the little girl ran down the hallway, opening the little vent top that she knew was directly over the study; it was the best spying method. She couldn't hear them, though, even though she pressed her ear down as far as she could. It seemed as though her father was yelling at the man. Finally, frustrated, Anya gave up and went back to her room, brooding about the mysterious guest all night; she'd forgotten that memory, since she'd never seen the him again. Is that the kind of thing he meant to know? There is much to learn in this world. To learn it, you must realize you know nothing. Jethrow opened his eyes as he finished, inspecting Luke and Lunora's expressions. "I see you two are still on board with this. Now, I'll bri-" the wizard stopped. Behind Luke, on the same garden wall that Jethrow had shown the young man his vision to, that same portrait was fading out of the bricks, as though seeping like a sickness through a vein. This image, though, was different. Instead of the mere forebodence of three somewhat obscure figures, it was a closer view of the three. Again, the center one was revealed to be Anya. But there was something off about her. Her eyes, usually amber, were black as night, and her hair was chopped to her shoulders, down in a similar style to the man who walked to her left. The man looked young in years, though Jethrow knew it to be different. Unlike Jethrow, Demetri had chosen to spend his years in youth, his long black hair and ice blue eyes keeping their young gleam. And finally, the other character of the scene was revealed to be a man, looking only a few years older than Demetri. Shorter cut hair, yes, but similar countenance with his coal-black eyes boring out of the image. The scenery, itself, had changed from the last time Jethrow had had the vision. The grass of the lawn was scorched, small embers still glowing under the boots of the three. The enchanted forest, to the left in the mirage, looked as though it were sick and strung with deadly poisoned webs, waiting to catch innocent prey. "The situation has changed."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:59 am
Fester lurked around through Anya's memories, giving Demetri what he needed. He then asked if he could mess with her mind and sanity a little. To bring down the mental resistance to his master.
"What's happening Jethrow? What's wrong?" Luke asked gravely. He needed to know what was wrong with Anya so he could plan on how to save her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Riding_The_Stars Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 11:27 pm
"I will have my revenge." Demetri smirked as Fester sifted through repressed memories from Anya's far-back childhood, seeing the continual appearance of her father's mysterious look-alike. Time after time, the girl was unable to hear the angry conversations between the two. Finally, the wizard's patience was stretched. He narrowed his eyes, looking in at the silver pool. First Jethrow, and then me. What is it about this child that makes others underestimate her? "Fester; try not to kill her. We need the information being blocked from those memories. If she continues to resist, show her....the future." Demetri had seen just what his acquisition of Anya would bring him, and had eagerly shared this vision with the dragon. To have the power that he'd foreseen, though, he needed more than just a fairy-demon with untold powers. He would need that second demon, the one that Anya was quite obviously protecting. "Have fun." With that, the wizard disconnected all links with Fester, except of course the option for an emergency. He wasn't quite the sadist that his friend was. If everything were as it seemed, life would be a dream. Anya tilted her head as she watched the memories again. Truthfully, they weren't that old to her; she'd seen them again and again in her own head lately. Maybe I'm still stuck up on how this dragon got into my head, she wondered as she realized she couldn't hold a single idea straight in her head. Various random subjects flitted through her mind, from the battle with the snakes, to what she was doing to get home (nothing), to why she was being mind-searched. Anything that could come across her mind, did, and with no abandon. "You done yet?' she questioned the dragon, crossing her arms and waiting for a response, wondering when she'd be able to see it again. There is much to learn in this world. To learn it, you must realize you know nothing. Jethrow sighed, shaking his head with a bitter expression. "First, Demetri has it appear that Anya left of her own accord, trying to turn her only allies against her. Then, when that facade is seen through, he sets the stage for a new scene. Whatever we do, we must do so soon and effectively; we have little time before our friend is lost to the forces of evil forever." Jethrow stood and began to move towards the castle again, determined. There was still a small percentage of a chance that, backed by the demons, he could defeat his brother. I've never been one to bank on risks, but I suppose this time I'll have to do just that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
