The Palace of Ruin

[Emperor of shadows]

The witch was accepted by Mortem in a mixture of appall and appeal.
“Witch-- Piper-- Ms Fray, I bring you here because of your actions against me in the forest.” He stared at her for a moment. “Your anger was inhospitable, and your statements against demons are simply racist.”
He spoke his last words with chill, his eyes narrowing into cool slits. With a moment of this, he warmed up slightly, “But I feel like you can do good for us, and your human companions.” He began to nod, turning to the vampire. As he heard her name, he knew that there was something familiar, and as he studied her he could remember her face flashing among the Citizens of Ruin.
“Ms Ashcroft,” He spoke with a tilt of his head, some amount of his drawn back hair falling into his eyes. “You seem to be avidly capable.” He smiled, a white grin illuminating his face. “But you must get along with all manner of guests here.”
Mortem looked back at Piper. “Including you. In fact, I have a particular task for you. Spend some time with a Citizen of Ruin, and try to understand how connected you two are.”
“Now, I'll leave you two about your business-- I'll be back to see how things have developed between you two.” Mortem grinned again, and turned away, back to the door, he opened it to reveal a long hall, stretching onehundred-step forward. “Pick a room.” He called, raising a hand, and journeying forward. “Your belongings are in there.”
 

[Emperor of shadows]

The Prince continued to walk to the end of the hall until an ornate glass door loomed high above him.
It creaked open to reveal the empty throne room, a dusty chamber that Mortem hardly retired to, I only if, he had to.
The demon scanned it's greying surfaces with a mixture of derision and wonder, feeling for the first time in many years, the legacy that his father left behind. Fading tapestries, dusky windows, a shadowed throne: This was all that remained, and even memory of his father was fading, as colorless as the walls.

“Always ask the right questions, Mortem, for you will never know where the answers will be found.” His father's ancient and wise voice rung through the fabric of time, clear, but distant.
Mortem stood where he stood years before, with the same face, but with younger eyes, betraying naivety that shattered once his father spoke again.

“Son, I am dying.” Mortem looked to his father with confusion. The demon looked as healthy as ever, his silver eyes as brilliant-- but no-- they were somehow softer, dimming.
“My power wanes, and I feel that Chaos will come upon us. I have taught you well, Mortem, and now it's up to you to return this to the world. Rewrite the Palace of Ruin, help bring about a new era of peace, for I feel that chaos will not stop, until it's course has been completed...”
The man's voice trailed off, as did Mortem's memory, the colorless film stopping to resume reality.

“I will bring peace, Father.” Spoke he, quietly, reverently.

Mortem paced the room, going to a large trunk in the back, withdrawing all inside-- a jeweled great-sword, a golden and black regalia, and his father's spiked Mythril crown.

He exchanged these items for the human crafted leathers, embracing his role as Prince.

Now he would search. The Palace of Ruin was not dead yet.

With a flourish, Mortem left, feeling older than words could describe.

*~*~*~*

The Palace was a City.

It's labyrinth of doors led only to more rooms with more doors. The place was equipped with all a city needed, gardens, courtyards, bedrooms, bathrooms, wings alike.

But this all changed once the Black Radiation set in.

Now, the parasitic magics ate away at all that kept the Palace together, and the demon could see this hurting his dear Palace.
The fully established prince, now, Mortem, strode from the Throne room, looking all that a Prince should and opened a door to the refugee room.

Once again buffeted by scents, the Demon strode to the creaky, black stage and spoke, his presence bring the room to a hushed quell.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the palace. I've come to you to tell you of our dissolution.” He began, his voice rising above the frightened, or merely intrigued eyes. “The Palace is dying, yes, but there is something that we can do.”

Smiles greeted him. He smiled in return, speaking louder and with more command, “We must make use of all of our abilities to find the Parasite of the Palace and destroy it.”
The crowd broke out into an excited murmur.
“If all able-bodied Citizens would come with me, we shall journey into the darkest Wings of the Palace to face this threat. The Black Radiation devours all-- it changes the nature of all things magical, please be warned, it is dangerous, and deadly. “
He sounded curt, not at all waned by this fact. “But if we stick together, we can understand it and allow the city to Florish.”
Mortem stated at them all, a sea of hopeful faces, looking on their leader-- their Prince.
He bowed and turned away, he wasn't sure if he was ready for it all.
A roar of approval met back with him, and as he exited, he could see many capable Sentients following him out of the high glass door.
As they crossed the threshold, a group of perhaps fifty folk were behind him, with more filing in.
Mortem was surprised, to say the least.
“We are going to coordinate a search from all three Cardinal points. I needs you all to split into four sections: North, South, East and West.”
I'll be heading the North division,” He gave out the orders for the remaining, and waited before leaving for Piper and Kira. They would be crucial to his mission.
 

[Emperor of shadows]

“Ladies, please.”

Mortem returned to the two in his new regalia, straightening out an imaginary hair that fell on his epaulets.
“If you'd please, we're going to venture into the north wing of the Palace. This place is particularly dangerous-- you'd have a mind to watch your step.”

The Prince strode forward, with his new entourage of 15 men and women, and headed over to the great hall's many doors. As he tried to open it, it gave an unsightly groan before shuddering open to reveal an inky darkness.

Mortem frowned, a gesture to mar his usually handsome face, and raised his hands up into this darkness.

A horrid symphony of screams came back at him, and his hands, in the darkness, twitched to react to the screams. In a moment, the darkness was cast out, retreating to the far ends of the room. Candelabras flickered into ginger flames, pushing all shadows away.

It was a dungeon hallway. The dark stone arches collected a black grime upon them, their surfaces both wet with mold, and dry with age.

Iron bars cast into the walls, the flames a reminder of what horrors touched these bars.

Mortem walked in, feeling at once that the floor was not as stable as it should. It sunk in slightly, like it was made of foam-- no doubt the magics keeping the room together had their fair share of stress.

Mortem chuckled at the odd sensation of rubbery floor, then remembering with it's fragility, he or another could fall right though.
The demon laughed at this aloud, but understood the problem.

That wouldn't be very good, nay, not at all-- they'd fall into the Space around the Palace, or maybe into another unknown room or dimension. That always complicates things.

“Follow me, please-- and from here on. look out for anything that would be suspicion of parasite.”

They began their dark descent in silence.  

[Milpheeo]

living-doll-goth

Emperor of shadows

Piper was walking as light footed as she could. When she saw a demon walking onto a weak spot in the floor. She ran as fast as she could. She pushed the demon off the spot just as the floor gave way. She began to fall, but luckily she catch the edge of the weak floor. "Oh come on! This is just not my Day!" She said with a strong voice that was just barely covering up the pure fear she was feeling at the moment.