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 Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:45 pm
Prologue of Cat I: Circle Endless
Crunch.
The rat's back snapped in half in Nebula's paws, and she heard it squeal its death agony... felt it writhe as the nerve endings fired off panicked, garbled signals, felt it fall still and lifeless... felt its warm blood on her tongue as she tore into it savagely.
Felt its hot, wet flesh slide down her throat.
Her eyes glinted as she licked away gore from her lips and claws. Surely this would be the last time... surely...
A high-pitched squeak rang-out across the abandoned warehouse from where she crouched, half-eaten rat on the floor in front of her.
No!
It was impossible. Absolutely impossible... but even as Nebula watched, incredulous, a rat tore across the warehouse, moving between two splintered crates. Though the size, markings, and features were different, the squeak and the movements were the same. Absolutely the same!
Maybe she was going insane. Maybe she always HAD been insane, from the moment the plush cat had turned inside out and birthed her.
But right now, Nebula was willing to swear on Tien Lung himself that the same rat, killed over and over a dozen times at least, was both filling her stomach and running away. Again. And here it rose again in her mind, unbidden - the urge to run, to chase, to kill. Her tail began to lash back and forth, slowly, without her meaning to.
What is happening to me?!
Driven by a savagery she did not understand, she took a step forward towards the fleeing rat, and gathered her power to leap at it. Leap again, as she had so many times over the past week. How far away had she gone? She had no idea. The rat had been in the walls of the Pantheon at first, and Toki had been fretting about it. Then one day she had seen it, and felt the bloodlust...
Ever since then, it had been madness.
Nebula leapt, and missed the rat. Her exhausted legs simply did not have the energy for a great leap, and she fell flat onto the dust-covered concrete and lay there, still, her eyes wide. Every instict was telling her to run, chase, kill... run, chase, kill...
I'm tired of doing this! Why can't I stop?! "WHY?" she yowled aloud, her voice echoing among the splintered rafters. The corrugated tin roof of the warehouse had deteriorated in places, and her cry sent a few spindly-looking bats spiraling up and through the holes. "Why...?"
She could hear the rat leaving, but she could still feel it in a way she couldn't explain, couldn't understand. She would know exactly where it was in the morning, or however long it took for her to recover, and the bloodlust would begin again.
Nebula had no idea where she was, nor truly of how much time she had spent on the chase. How many times had she killed that rat? A dozen times? A hundred? How many of the last rats she had devoured had been that one? How much of the meat in her belly was its flesh? All of it?
But that isn't possible...
The Aoide curled in on herself, drawing her knees up to her chest, twining her tail tightly around her body, and shivered herself to an uneasy sleep.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:47 pm
Prologue of Cat II: Glimpses in the Night
Nebula slept, curled tightly into a fetal position on the hard concrete.
And Nebula dreamed...
Mist. Endless mist... and a voice?
"A banquet, yes - and those I invite into my halls are to come." The words were spoken with a rich joy that made the Aoide shiver slightly. She knew that voice.
My lord Tien Lung...
The dream sideslipped.
"I'll wake you up in time for the banquet, my dear." Another voice, this one high-pitched and cheerful. A low growl escaped from Nebula's throat, and she swatted vainly at the mist with her claws, trying to hit the source. Rat. Rat. I know you. I know you...
Traitor.
Sideslip.
A frantic run, leaping from roof to roof in desperation; they were leaving, the sky-boat was leaving! She had overslept, she was late, there was no sign of the Rat she had trusted -
The Cat skidded to a stop at the end of the last roof. There above, mounting on the River of Stars, was the sky-boat, lit brightly, moving upwards to the banquet.
And she was lost.
The Cat threw back her head and screamed, one long yowl of pure pain.
Sideslip.
"It was an oversight, I assure you." The Rat, clad incongruously in silk, bearing the sigil of their Lord. Her Lord... once. She had no place among the favored now. "An oversight. My apologies, my dear."
"You lie," Cat hissed, tail stiff and puffed out like a bottlebrush. "You lie!"
"I have no time to lie to you," the Rat replied, with an affected yawn.
"You lie!" Cat screamed, crouching, leaping - but a guard jumped in front of her claws, knocked her away, and she had to retreat. "One day! One day, Rat!" she shrieked as they dragged her off by the tail.
One day...
Sideslip.
What is this...?
Mist again, but this time, there were eyes. She whirled and barely saw them before they vanished; they flickered at her again from the other side. Whirl, vanish, whirl, whirl, whirl - and then suddenly they were there, huge and terrifying, and she screamed and slashed at them with her claws.
The right eye burst in a flower of blood and, strangely, gold, but the staring left eye held a glint of obscene joy in it. For a long moment she was caught in its gaze, staring into the blue-green depths, nearly iridescent...
It'sonlyadream...
Nebula shuddered convulsively and woke up.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:48 pm
Prologue of Cat III: Turning the Tide
When Nebula opened her eyes, she knew. She was aware beyond doubt that the rat she was pursuing was located two miles from her location, and heading back the way they'd come...
Even as she lifted herself from the concrete floor, preparing to renew the chase, one part of her detached mind registered a sense of relief. They were moving back towards her Master and Lord now - perhaps he would be able to break the cycle she couldn't seem to interrupt.
She leapt forward, shifting easily into a smooth gait, running four-footed. There was a rumble of hunger now and she grinned. Being able to home in on your food was not entirely bad, creepy and bizzare as the situation might otherwise be...
Except for the day when she'd found the colony, and rat after rat had become the one she was chasing in such rapid succession that she had eaten to full very rapidly, then beyond it until-
Nebula shook her head quickly, as if to snap the unpleasant memory out of her brain by force. Oh, my lord Tien Lung... rescue me...
See me...
Please...
She had reached the door now, and shoved it out of the way. A pause for her eyes to adjust to the light; dim and mottled as it was, it seemed blinding after the darkness of the warehouse. Parched fields striped with cracked asphalt loomed in front of her.
One point seven five miles ahead... in a small copse... moving... How do I even know this?!
The movements of her own limbs were automatic, as if she wasn't even in control, and she was very nearly beyond caring about it. There would be much less crying, many fewer days spent running with her face streaked with dust and tears.
She would just run, and be numb, and catch, and eat, and repeat, and help me, my Lord, help me! Someone!
Anyone!
For a moment, Nebula thought she heard the echo of a laugh, but she shook that off as well and lost all her thoughts and mind to the endless rhythm of the chase.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:49 pm
Prologue of Cat IV: Cold Trance
How many ways can you kill a rat?
Break the back or neck over your knee, between your hands... screw the head off with a little pop noise... bite the head off. Bite any number of limbs off, bite in half... claw great streaks of red down the back and leave for an hour, somehow very satisfying. The angry predator in her most preferred scraping the guts out of the abdominal cavity and waiting, watching, tail twitching ever so lightly as the rat writhed...
This isn't me! It's not! It's not-
Nebula crouched over another rat corpse bare moments after the breath had left it - and with that breath the cycle began anew. The flame of the rat's life flared in her mind again, this time several miles away. It seemed to go to whichever rat was closest.
She was learning. She wasn't that stupid; the insane amount of repetition left patterns that she could see even in her dulled state. How long have I been doing this? I can't remember... Several times she had realized it was nighttime without being truly aware of even waking up from the previous night's sleep, let alone the day's chase. Time blurred together in her mind.
She was tired of eating rat.
But he deserves it. He deserves it-
Nebula sagged, waiting for the moment when whatever was compelling her decided that she could not go on any more, that there could be no more running. She took one step forward, then fell. Parched grass this time, she thought, dimly, as the stalks prickled through her fur. It was better than concrete, or asphalt, or gravel. Worse than carpet or leaves. Acceptable.
Not that she had a choice.
Her hope was the knowledge of Tien Lung that glowed in her mind like a beacon. They were drawing closer to the Pantheon again, though every zig and zag away from that path that they took terrified her, made her heart chill like ice. What if they missed it all together? Was she doomed to run forever?
The idea of suicide had come up once or twice, but thus far it had been repugnant. It might not always be so.
Please...
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:50 pm
Prologue of Cat V: The Reflection Outside of the Mirror
After days of continued chase punctuated by messy deaths, the gates of the Pantheon at last loomed ahead of Nebula - and now was the penultimate moment of her fear. Would her quarry veer and enter the place of the gods, or would it run and her chance be lost to her? So close, yet so far? She looked at the building with abject longing, despite its forbidding aspect.
The instant when the rat veered up the main path and vanished through a crack in one wall was the greatest of Nebula's short life, or so it seemed to her. She bounded for the door, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. So close, so close...
She saw it ahead of her, scurrying frantically up the stairs ahead of her, and for the first time in weeks her chase turned joyful. Perhaps this would be the last time; the rat had returned to where she had found it. Maybe it was the end of the cycle and she would be free...
The door to her Lord's quarters was, miraculously, half-open - and, amazingly, the rat darted through it. Nebula gasped out a short prayer of thanks to Tien Lung before staggering to the door herself-
And stopping.
"My Lord-" came a sudden shocked voice, one she did not recognize, echoed immediately by a frantic squeak. Her claws creaked against the stone floor, but something held her in place, stopped her from going through the door herself.
More squeaking, and then, suddenly - words. The high pitched sounds resolved into something she could understand, and her ears abruptly flattened.
"- oh, my Lord," came the gasping voice of the rat, followed by a long silence.
"This is..." Toki's voice was uncertain, as it usually was, and Nebula reached out for the door as she saw him through the opening, but she lowered her hand slowly as the other Aoide bent to pick the exhausted rat up and hold him up, offering it to...
M-my Lord? Nebula trembled all over as a tall figure with a dragon's tail and wearing elegant robes entered her field of view and accepted the rat, cupping it within his hands with a look of pleasure on his face. He had changed, but it was surely him... and yet...
Why is he holding that rat and smiling at it?!
One of Nebula's claws snapped in half, losing the battle with the stone as her feet dug in. She ignored the sharp pain, instead staring at the tableau before her with a strangled longing.
"Lao Shu - you have returned. I can't believe it... at last, another of my Stars," her Lord said, in a tone of joy and wonder. The tone he'd never used for her-
Far away, something laughed, and there was no doubt in her numbed mind that whatever-it-was was laughing at her.
"Shartha, we must feast our new guest," her Lord went on, and then she saw the owner of the voice she had not recognized. A dragon...
A cascade of envy swept over her, immediately followed by a shock of terror. If this rodent was one of her Lord's cherished - and she had eaten it how many times...?! Nebula took a step back as the bloodlust abruptly drained away, and the shock of its sudden absence was so intense that she nearly fell.
As if echoing her own thoughts, there was a sudden squeal of terror from the rat - Lao Shu - who scurried up onto her Lord's shoulder. "Lord!"
"What is it?" He put one hand up to lightly touch Lao Shu's head.
"I was chased by that terrible creature for... months, weeks... so many days, so many deaths... I only just escaped." The rat swayed slightly, and Nebula took another step back, her tail bottlebrush with fear.
To her surprise, Tien Lung's answer was a laugh. "Nebula? That's impossible."
What....?
"She's been here the whole time."
And Nebula stared as a black feline Aoide - her same fur, her same eyes, her same clothing, her same everything - curtsied before the Rat and her Lord. The same smile was on her face...
Who-
Nebula stumbled backwards, abruptly, and let out a strangled cry that tore through the silence.
That's.... me?
No! I'm me! I... no...
Replaced me...
No!
She caught a single glimpse of startled faces before turning tail and running, her broken claw leaving streaks of blood all down the hall.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:52 pm
Prologue of Cat VI: Rhythm of the Run
Nebula was running again - but this time, she had no target, no goal other than to get away. Get away from that place where that rodent was being greeted, welcomed... where that other Nebula had stolen her face...
But I am Nebula... aren't I?
The Aoide limped slowly to a halt. The torn claw was hurting her now, and she had a vague thought that she should bind it, somehow. The ruined city that held the Pantheon loomed all around her, and it didn't take her long to find a broken shard of glass. A bit of spit and a few swipes of her paw made it reflective enough for her to see her face.
Same face she'd always had. More haggard now, mussed, wearing a horrified, numb expression. Still. Same face.
The Nebula in Tien Lung's rooms had worn the same face too...
She turned away from the makeshift mirror and kept moving. Exhausted, she had no destination, no plan, no nothing.
I have to go back. I have to get rid of the other me. There was a vague thought of exacting vengeance on the rodent, but it held no excitement and no compulsion now. The sight of her Lord welcoming it had torn away the bloodlust. It was clearly under her Lord's protection now and she could not violate that.
But why?
Thus vulnerable, Nebula drifted aimlessly through the streets, following nothing - or so she thought. At last she came to rest near a large building with what had once been an impressive facade, and she blinked blearily up at the sign. A museum?
Well. It was as good a place as any to rest and regain strength and sanity before returning to the Pantheon. She limped inside, shoving aside the tangle of doors that someone else had already ripped away. It was obvious the place had been looted at first, but after a while even gold and gems became useless. They only bore the value people gave them. They were more useful than paper money now, but you couldn't eat artifacts either.
Once she had walked far enough into the museum that she judged it safe from any vagrants or other threats, Nebula settled down gratefully, yanking a tapestry from the wall and piling it into a nest without regard for its ancient craftsmanship. It was soft, and that was all that mattered.
Sleep came quickly-
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:53 pm
Prologue of Cat VII: Voice In The Night
- as did dreams. Almost immediately the eyes were upon her, staring at her, their blue-green depths huge and mocking.
But Nebula was tired enough that she hardly cared. "Go away," she mumbled, and flipped something soft over her head, burrowing under dreamstuff and seeking dreams of nonsense instead of portent.
Usually it worked, but the eyes flickered in the shadows under her 'blanket' too, and she snarled at them. "Go away." She hissed this time, and her tail puffed out a bit. "Leave me alone."
No.
Nebula blinked. What was that?
Whatever-it-was chuckled, a low, throaty sound, and the Aoide stiffened. That she recognized. It was the laugh she'd heard when facing the other Nebula-
"Are you me?" she demanded, sitting up and pulling the 'blanket' off of her.
Not yet, the voice purred. Poor little lost kitten.
"I'm not lost! I'm just... misplaced," Nebula mumbled, looking down. The mist swirled around her and the eyes shifted, blinking here, blinking there.
Unwanted, unwelcomed, unneeded - you've been replaced. Surplus. Whatever will you do?
Nebula got the distinct impression that whatever-it-was was amused by her situation, and she snarled at it, swatting at the eyes and missing. "I will go back and kill it! Her!"
Like you killed the rat?
"No! It won't come back! I'm me! It's not!" Nebula curled in on herself, pulling tufts of dreamstuff around her, building a barrier between herself and the eyes and the voice.
And what about when your lovely Dragon King finds out who was eating his little rat friend, hmm? Then what? He'll kill you with his own claws. Squash you in his coils. Do you know what happens to Aoidei who betray their Lords? The voice turned rich with predatory glee.
Nebula shuddered. "No..."
Burned and frozen and flayed inch by inch, layer by layer, peeled like an onion-
"Stop!" She hugged herself, her tail flailing wildly back and forth. "Shut up!"
You'd better bring him an offering. Get back in his good graces. He is a dragon, after all - what do you think he'd like? Impress him and... well... you've always wanted his approval, haven't you? All your life? The voice became soft, almost gentle.
Nebula nodded, mutely.
Good. Very good, the voice purred. Listen to me. There is a vault under this building that hasn't been breached yet, and it's full of the most beautiful things. So beautiful that your Tien Lung won't even think to punish you... he'll lavish praise, even kiss your feet. Wouldn't you like that?
"I..." Her claws dug into her shoulders. "... yes."
Good kitten.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:53 pm
Prologue of Cat VIII: The Last Doorway
Nebula woke up feeling dizzy, disoriented, and she kicked wildly for a moment before remembering where she was. She'd apparently tossed and turned so much in her sleep that the tapestry had wrapped up around her like a cocoon, and her claws tore great rents in the embroidery before she managed to free herself.
Panting, she picked snags of ancient thread off of the tips of her claws. "Vault. There's a vault. Downstairs." Her voice sounded strange to her, abnormally loud in the empty, echoing hallways of the museum. "Beautiful things. Beautiful..."
She would bring him back a treasure, a prize, and then everything would be okay. Everything would be okay...
Nebula stood up, stretched, then dropped to all fours and padded towards a door labeled 'STAIRS - EMPLOYEE ACCESS ONLY'. It took several hard whacks with all her body weight to get it to open, but at last it gave and moved with a horrible screech of rusting hinges.
She paused for breath and to let her eyes adjust, then moved carefully down the stairs. Here and there a few emergency lights still burned. Fortunately the door at the bottom was easier to open, and Nebula found herself in the dark basement.
Where's the vault? She groped along until she found a light switch - even she wasn't good enough to see in complete darkness - then winced at the harsh buzz of fluorescent beams that greeted her. The bubs flickered erratically and made it difficult to see, but not impossible. Vault. Vault vault vault... She didn't even look in the offices, making her way down the hall with single-minded intensity.
At last, at the very end, was a huge metal wall with a wheel in it. There!
So close- The breath of foreign thought was so quiet that Nebula nearly missed it, but she took it to heart. If the mysterious thing that had directed her here had said that... she must be on the right track.
"Let me in," she hissed at the door, and pounded at it wildly. Sharp clangs echoed through the basement, followed by silence as she searched for more effective measures than just her bare hands. A few minutes later the banging resumed, louder this time as the Aoide beat on the door with a metal office chair.
Most thieves had to be subtle, silent and swift in their theft - but the former owners of the museum were beyond caring what Nebula did. At one point an alarm system wailed at her, but it quickly died with a strangled, off-key wail as it lost power. The lights continued to flicker worryingly, but they never went out.
At last the door was battered and dented. Nebula had smashed every desk chair in range into it, and several small filing cabinets and rolling dollies. She was panting, tired - and angry.
"Open!" she snarled, spitting at it as she threw her weight into pulling the wheel one last time-
And it opened.
Nebula stopped and blinked dully at it, then clenched her fists hard enough to pierce the heels of her hands with her own claws. "Okay. Okay. It's open."
It's open.
Yesss.
Nebula took a deep breath and stepped inside.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:55 pm
Prologue of Cat IX: Underwater
The lights inside the vault flickered too, but there were more stable emergency lights that flared to life as Nebula stepped inside, staring in awe at the metal shelves that lined the walls. Everything was encased in glass, labeled with precision.
And, as promised, it was beautiful - and all hers for the taking, if she wanted it. Her hands shook as she browsed the shelves, trying to decide. What to take to him? Of course she could bring him back here later, make the entire vault a gift to him, but to get his attention... to distract him from her crimes...
Over here, kitten.
Nebula turned as a particularly sharp, buzzing burst of light from the fluorescents flashed off of bright facets. One of the labeled cases had jewels in it. Beautiful jewels, some the size of her fist, the largest she'd ever seen. The label read 'GEMSTONES RECOVERED FROM SITE NEAR TENOCHTITLAN / MEXICO CITY - ALLEGED CACHE OF CORTEZ'. Then there was a string of numbers, dates and identity codes, but Nebula didn't care about those.
"Beautiful..."
She turned quickly back to the hall and picked a chair leg up off the ground, one that had been smashed off by her efforts to break the vault's door. It served nicely to break the case, too, and as before the alarm that screamed at her died quickly.
Nebula quickly brushed the glass shards off the jewels, examining them one by one. The largest one was bright red, but what caught her eye was a smaller golden jewel that nestled comfortably into her hand. There was a soft shimmer to it that she couldn't stop looking at.
And if I can't stop looking at it, imagine how much my Lord will love it! Nebula smiled and held the golden gem between one thumb and forefinger, raising it up to catch the light, bringing it up to her right eye so she could peer through the golden depths. Even the harsh fluorescents brought bright flecks and swirls to her view.
It's so pretty...
Good kitten.
What-
The view was beautiful for one instant more before Nebula was blinded by pain as the jewel sank into her flesh. The eyeball resisted for only a moment before it burst in a wave of agony, and the Aoide screamed as she felt blood and vitreous fluid pour down her cheek. She fell to the ground heedless of damage to the rest of her body and clawed at her face, but even the pain from the frantic scrape of her claws was nothing.
Relax, kitten. The voice from her dreams rode atop the pain, and it was rich with triumph and joy, far louder than it had ever been before. This won't take long.
"Who are you? STOP!!" Nebula screamed, loud enough that her voice broke. "Stop... make it stop..." She could hardly think, hardly move other than to scrabble uselessly at the gem that had rooted itself in her eye socket, its cold surface now slimy with blood and vitreous humor.
Make it stop? Why should I suffer this pain? No, this is all for you, dear kitten. You wanted it, didn't you?
Nebula shrieked as the voice's laugh echoed through her mind, indolent and triumphant, and it seemed far too long before unconsciousness took her blessedly away.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:56 pm
Prologue of Cat X: Taking Over
Nebula woke abruptly, flashing with a shudder from unconsciousness to full awareness. As she moved, pain shot through her face, and she let out a hoarse, wordless cry. She raised one hand to the right side of her face, trembling, and found the cold surface of the gem there, surrounded by raw skin and caked fluids.
It hadn't been a dream.
Ithadn'tbeenadream...
The world was distant, skewed, strange, and she remembered hazily that she only had one eye now. The realization was also distant, buried under the dull throb of pain, as if it belonged to another person - someone very far away, like a character in a storybook.
Slowly, she raised one hand up to her face and peeled back her eyelids enough to get an uneasy grip on the edges of the jewel with her fingertips.
I don't believe you want to do that, kitten.
The sudden voice made her jump so badly that she nicked herself with her claws, bringing a small flow of fresh blood to cover the old and dried. She whirled, frantically trying to focus, unable to make out much depth with her single remaining eye. "Who-! Where are you? Show yourself!" Her tail lashed back and forth, puffed out, bottlebrush.
Her answer was a chuckle, slow and languid. Don't you know? Such a foolish little kitten. A gem set in flesh... where, oh where, have we seen that before? I simply cannot recall.
An image floated in her memory - that of Crispin's back when she'd tentatively tried to offer him a massage, that one time. The soft, opal-like surface set into his skin where his neck became his back... where her Lord's essence resided...
The realization burst through Nebula's mind like an explosion, and she reeled. "No-"
Yes, yes, yes. There was a definite tone of predatory glee in the thought. You are mine, kitten. All and forever mine.
"No!" Nebula scrambled to her feet and moved back until she was pressed flat against the wall, as if she could escape that way. "No! I'm an Aoide! I belong to the Dragon King Tien Lung!"
The Aoidei are the servants of the gods - I simply chose another form of servitude for you. As for your Dragon King, I believe he will concede that my claim now overrides his.
She shook her head frantically, then had to stop as the movement made the pain scale up from a dull throb to a series of sharp stabs that threatened to knock her unconscious again. "No! No, no, NO!"
Do you know any other words, kitten? I do so dislike that one.
"No," Nebula whimpered, and pushed away from the wall. She banged into the doorframe, then readjusted and began the slow stumble down the hall. She had to get back. She had to return to her Lord...
Then everything will be okay. Everything will be okay. She kept repeating it like a mantra, trying to override the golden voice... yet knowing, in her heart of hearts, that nothing would ever be okay again.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:57 pm
Nebula and Ixa: The First StepsSosiqui It had been a long, hard road even up to the museum's first floor. Nebula staggered up the stairs on all fours, afraid to stand upright. When she tried, the world wobbled alarmingly. It all looked so different through only one eye. Her head hurt like crazy, and she could still feel the dried blood and fluid caked on the right side of her face. The gem itself felt huge and cold in its resting place. She knew if she removed the jewel, it would be her death. She was almost willing to do it. Almost... But you won't, the goddess purred. You can't."Shut up," Nebula panted, and shoved the door open with titanic effort. Prolixity There were still things of worth in the museum, things that the looters had overlooked or simply been too stupid to recognize as valuable, and things that were only valuable to the correct, trained eye. Ixa casually broke the glass on an untouched case of lumpish clay statues, sat back on her haunches, and unfolded her fingers so that she could reach in and pick up the blind-eyed figure with a cicada's folded wings. She held it up to the skylight's dim illumination. Yes. That was what she had been looking for. She folded the tiny artifact into a square of chemically neutral cotton for padding and tucked it into one of the two pouches on the belt she wore slung low around her hips. The rest of the display contained nothing she was interested in. She scanned the floor for stray fragments of glass and lowered herself to all fours again, picking her way between the shards with care. A seven-year-old display catalog had directed her to this museum. A jade spoon, delicately carved and figured, was her other target here; it resided, or had resided, in the Far East portion of the museum. It might no longer be available. Jade had more visible value than clay. As she padded out of the room, she heard a scraping sound. She froze, her ears swiveling forward. It had come from ... over there, yes. Around a corner, down a short hallway. She consulted the map she had memorized. An access stair lay that way, leading downwards into the lower levels. Another opportunist like herself, most likely. There were no beings left in this museum who would stop her from her aim. Unconcerned, she resumed her pace, glancing down the hallway to assess the threat level of the other intruder. What she saw gave her pause. The feline woman was clearly not meant to walk on all fours, unlike the sphinx. Add that fact to the sound of the woman's rasping breath and the scent of blood that wisped down the hallway, and it was quite plain that the other female was injured and in pain. Ixa stood still, studying the situation for a long moment. What remained of her conscience pricked at her, and a more practical impulse reminded her that the Wheel would turn someday, returning her assistance or indifference to her. She sighed and altered her course, making sure her footsteps sounded on the cool tile. As she approached, she called out in a low voice. "You need help." Sosiqui Nebula jumped and tried to shrink into the nearest corner, but the goddess surged forward and knocked her aside. Not all the way, but the deity abruptly had a vise-grip on her mind. Listen, kitten. I can see this one has an eye for quality - obey what I tell you, or you will suffer for it.More than I've already suffered? Nebula shot back, defiant. Oh, kitten. You think this is the limit of what I can do to you? How... sweet.Nebula shuddered. Good... now. Straighten up. Greet her. She did as she was told, like a good kitten, a good Aoide. "H-hello. Thank you, I... I'm going to be okay... I bet I look like hell..." She laughed, shakily. Prolixity "That you do," Ixa agreed, sitting down and looking up at Nebula critically. The woman had a jewel in her eye socket, a huge golden thing; the flesh around it was raw, and rivulets of blood and humour were drying on her cheek. "You look and smell weak. You'll be picked up by some predator if you're not careful. Have you a nest you can use while you heal?" She unfolded a square of clean cotton from one of her hip pouches. "I've no water, but you may clean your face if you wish." Please, she added mentally, and refrained from stating that to her nose, the blood smelled quite tasty. If she was intent on providing assistance, it would be easier if the other female didn't smell quite so much like prey. Sosiqui "Thank you," Nebula said, and her gratitude was genuine as she took the cloth. "The bathroom downstairs wasn't working, no water..." Instead she spat on the cloth before wiping at her face, wincing as the crusted blood resisted, clung to her fur, and then finally released. She couldn't get truly clean, but it was much better than nothing. The area around the gem was inflamed and painful to the touch, and she winced as she dabbed at it. "No... no nest," she said, after a moment, partly to distract herself from the renewed throbbing. "I slept in a tapestry last night." You what? Plebeian. Honestly, the goddess sighed. Inhale. Nebula obliged with a deep breath. Hmm... she smells likely. I wonder... well, you were going back to the Pantheon anyway. I must see my Emperor, after all. Let us travel together. She chuckled, voice thick with desire. "I... there's a place not too far from here where I live..." Prolixity "This place is dead. No water, no lights. I wouldn't stay here," Ixa said. She watched impassively as the woman cleaned carefully and gingerly around her injured eye. What had happened to cause the horrifying injury? The nature of it almost seemed to suggest that the gem had been forced into her eye socket, and quite recently, too. Had she done it herself, or had some tormentor decided to so adorn her? "I will help you there," Ixa decided. "Lean on my back if you can." She stood again, offering her broad shoulders for assistance; her back rose to about waist height for an average human. She disliked having her fur and feathers ruffled, but she suspected that this woman would fall at least once if given no support; that might mean Ixa would be forced to carry her entire, and that would be far more awkward and uncomfortable. Sosiqui Nebula blinked, then winced, newly aware of discomfort as her right eyelid scraped over the exposed facets of the gem. Before, it had been so masked in the cacophony of pain that she hadn't noticed. "R-really? Are you sure? I... thank you!" Aren't you cute - you really are a kitten, running under the hands of anyone who will pet you.It's more help than you're giving me. "It's only about half an hour away, I think - I was walking really slowly when I came here. Looking for treasure. Like you?" she hazarded, seeing the pouch at the sphinx's side and remembering the goddess' comments. Prolixity Ixa smiled a smile that wasn't entirely kind. "I couldn't just leave you there, bleeding and tired. Someone would pick you up. Better it be me." Her karma, and her self-restraint. She had met hunters less altruistic than herself recently and often. "Yes," she agreed. "I think it's likely that I have everything I will get from this place, so I have no particular regrets in cutting my hunt short." She paced forward a step, bracing herself to receive the girl's weight on her shoulders. She might return later, she omitted to say; particularly now that she knew that the access stairs were clear enough to trace her way down. She was more solidly built than the other female, but not that much bigger. Unless there were thick piles of rubble on the stairs, she should have no problem getting down to the basement. Sosiqui As if I'd let anything happen to me, the goddess scoffed. Nebula noted the 'me' and made a face. "Well, thank you, anyway... I'm Nebula. And there are treasures in the vault below that haven't been touched, except for one case. You should go look, later... it's been hidden long enough that nobody else should find it between now and then." She immediately felt the goddess' anger, and then a stab of pain radiated outward from the gem and made her shudder - but she smiled through it. So she'd made her mad. Good. Prolixity "You may call me Ixa," the sphinx allowed. "I appreciate the direction. I will return later. I have a knack for hunting out the hidden." She smiled faintly. So there was further treasure down below. It was good to have information. "For now, let us go. I don't care to have you faint on me. If you faint, I shall have to carry you, and I do not enjoy that." She lifted and unfolded a hand to brush her curls out of her face, then put her knuckles back on the floor. Sosiqui "I won't faint," Nebula said, with a sigh. "I just spent a long time doing that and I don't want to do it again." She stood up two-legged and had to immediately reach for the sphinx's shoulder. "Sorry. I'm not... used to this yet. This jewel. What it does to how I see things." It will come in time. What do you need depth perception for, anyway?You know, it'll affect you too. Later.I've looked out through that jewel for eons, kitten. It's nothing new. And this, by the way, is for disclosing the location of my hoard...Nebula's legs abruptly crumpled below her, and she staggered and fell, banging her knees hard on the floor. "Ow! Dammit-" Never do that again, the goddess said, her tone as sickeningly sweet as honey. Never again, kitten. She paused as Nebula struggled back to her feet. But wouldn't it be amusing...What?Nothing. The goddess chuckled, though, and Nebula twitched. "Sorry about that," she said aloud, finally. "It won't happen again." Prolixity "A new - acquisition, then," Ixa stated. She braced herself as Nebula's knees gave out on her, taking part of the impact of the fall with a soft grunt. The girl was heavier than she looked. She must be quite tough, though, Ixa decided. To the promise, she gave a soft neutral hum, not responding either way. Instead, she began to pace carefully towards the exit, keeping her steps slow and her balance firm. "I saw no others here today," she said aloud. "We should encounter no trouble on the way out." Sosiqui "Yes, it's new," Nebula said with a sigh that very nearly ended in a sob. "New." Please don't ask me to explain...Oh, you don't want to introduce me? I'm terribly hurt.Shut up! Nebula put one hand on the sphinx's shoulders again to steady herself, then nodded. "I'm ready. Thank you. It's out and to the... east?" West! the goddess snapped. "West. Sorry, it's to the west. A large dark building that resembles a temple. With, um, lava around it." Prolixity New and traumatic, Ixa amended her mental assessment. Damn. She probably wouldn't be finding out about it just yet, then. She reined in her blooming curiosity in a well-practiced reflex, and simply concentrated on being a sturdy means of support. "To the west." It was understandable that Nebula might be mixed up, given her pain. Hopefully west was indeed the correct direction. She did pause at the last part of the directions. "Lava," she said neutrally. Interesting. A temple surrounded by lava, and this feline girl called it home? Was she a devotee of one of the fanatical cults of the end days that had sprung up in these dark times? Sosiqui "Yeah. You don't have to take me all the way if you don't want to, though... it's okay. Even a little help is wonderful. Ixa." Nebula tried the strange name on for size, and hoped she didn't mispronounce it. "It's kind of scary looking on the outside... well, and in most of the inside... but my, um friends live in there. It's just really hard to explain..." Friends? Tall words, for a Dragon King who barely acknowedges your existence, a rat you ate a hundred times over, a half-crazy Aoide... hm, what's this... and a woman you've been jealous of since you first laid eyes on her? The goddess' amusement twisted in the pit of Nebula's stomach. Are you- She flushed. Are you meddling in my memory?Dear me. Crinolines? How gauche.S-stop it!! Walk, kitten. You remember how, don't you? Walk!Nebula swallowed her objections and walked. Prolixity Most likely a cultist. On one hand, some of the temples were quite dangerous. On the other, she had never been inside one. Curiosity, her fatal flaw. Ixa sighed inaudibly. The route back was not overly difficult, but it seemed longer than it was, with the ash sifting down out of the sky and Nebula swaying and resting her weight on Ixa's shoulders. By the time the temple came into view, Ixa was genuinely grateful to see it. It was an imposing structure, tall and dark, underlit by the bubbling pools of lava, surrounded by shimmering waves of heat. Ixa appreciated the theatricality of the presentation. This cult must be well-funded. "I assume this is it," she said dryly. Sosiqui "Yes... you don't have to go inside if you don't want to," Nebula said, catching the look in Ixa's eyes. She'd never really thought about how the Pantheon looked. It was home, where the gods dwelled, that was all. It looks so scary now. Was it always this scary?Magnificent. My Emperor does house himself well, doesn't he? Though the lava is a bit excessive, it is an excellent effort overall, don't you think?Prolixity "I won't dissolve," Ixa said, a slight smile quirking her lips. She picked her careful way along the causeway, up towards the door. It seemed a small door for such a large and imposing building. "I can't open it without sitting down," she told Nebula. The catgirl would either have to open it herself or take her weight off off Ixa's back so the sphinx could sit up. So this was home for Nebula, was it? She wondered idly why the girl had chosen such a place for her nest. Perhaps whatever false god she followed made alluring promises. Once there had been real gods, but that had been before Ixa's time, though she was ancient. He could remember the temples falling to ruin, the stories her mother told of real miracles. Sosiqui "Okay... but don't go looking for treasure here," Nebula said, a little nervous about admonishing her new 'friend'. "It's all under the care of the gods." Oh, so you'll warn her off the hoards of other gods but lead her to mine? Tacky, kitten.She steadfastly ignored the goddess and stepped tentatively away from Ixa, cringing a bit as she waited for retribution. When none came, she stood up more confidently. "I just have to get up the stairs to where my Lord lives... then I'll be fine..." Everything will be fine.I'm sure you'll get his sympathy if nothing else. Poor little lost kitten.Prolixity "Very well," Ixa said gravely. She was not stupid enough to attempt to steal from the temple of an active cult; at the very least, not after she had walked in the door with one of its acolytes. Or priestesses, though Nebula didn't seem to have the confidence that usually came with such a station. She sat up and unfolded her fingers so that she could push the door open more easily, then took a step forward to put her shoulder against it and keep it from closing. "Come along, then." The interior was dark; she could make out a huge throne at one end of a long room, surrounded by twisting, gracefully grotesque statues. She revised her opinion of the temple's wealth upwards again. Sosiqui A long sigh of pleasure twined through Nebula's mind at the sight of the throne, flanked by its dragon statues. Ah, my Emperor - but he's not here to greet me? Nebula got the distinct impression that the goddess was pouting. No mind. He will be there soon enough. I must learn about the others as well. Why do you know so little, kitten? How vexing.I'm not here to be your reference material, Nebula snarled mentally. "Up the stairs - oh." She looked at them and gave Ixa an anxious glance. "Can you climb stairs?" Prolixity "I can, given that they are not too narrow." Ixa glanced around, spotted the sweeping double staircase ... above what looked like a kitchen? How very odd. She chose not to comment, simply supporting Nebula towards the structure. She could climb stairs quite well; however, she hoped silently that the room would be empty when she returned. Going down a flight of stairs was generally something of an awkward production. Sosiqui "I'm sure my Lord will reward you for your kindness," Nebula said gratefully. They were so close - so close. But then she'd been close before, just outside the door... No running this time, kitten. You can't run from me, anyway, and I quite want to meet your Lord. The dragons ever were my devotees, whether they knew it or not... as is your friend here. The goddess' tone was smug. Nebula stopped, turned, and gave Ixa a strange look. "You... um... do you follow any gods? Goddesses? Anything at all?" Prolixity Ixa made a noncommittal noise, and wondered whether Nebula was speaking of earthly reward or some imagined blessing. She certainly seemed to regard her Lord as a being immediately there, available to her; either she believed very strongly, or there was a priest or avatar of what she worshiped residing above. The sphinx wasn't entirely certain which option she would prefer. She helped Nebula carefully up the stairs; when the catgirl stopped to ask her question, she paused and considered her response very carefully. If there were gods, I would worship them. "The temples I would have worshiped at crumbled to dust long years ago," she said finally, hoping that was diplomatic enough. Sosiqui "Oh... I'm sorry. Maybe you'll find one of them here, though? There are many, many gods being reborn in this place." Or just outside of it. The thought of one of those divine beings coming back to new life within her body was still foreign and strange. She was an Aoide, a servant... not a host... Was the gem in your eyesocket not clear enough for you?Perfectly. "That door." Nebula raised one hand and pointed at it, the celestial dragon in silhouette against the stars, and then let that arm drop to her side. How could she face her Lord like this? What would he say? Now that she was actually here again, the prospect of going inside was almost terrifying... but the prospect of leaving was as well. Lesser of two evils... Are we going to run again? How dull.Prolixity The fur on Ixa's spine rose with a sudden atavistic shudder, a thick and primal frisson of fear that came from nowhere to strike a deep and unreasoning chill into her gut. There are many, many gods being reborn in this place. That was nonsense. Wasn't it? Reason said it was. Instinct yowled at her to get out, get out now, hide herself away in some deep place where no light came. She conquered it, shaking herself slightly to settle her hackles. Nonsense. Nonsense, indeed. This was the age of reason, and even an undying monster must bow to its precepts to survive. But the skies are ashen, and the world is falling to pieces. Nonsense. The door Nebula indicated was ornately decorated. Ixa approached slowly, trying to ignore the leaden ball of dread suddenly inhabiting her stomach. Sosiqui The sphinx's movements made up Nebula's mind for her. After the kindness and effort Ixa had expended to get her here... she wasn't going to turn around and leave, wasting everything. Nebula steeled her nerves and opened the door, even though her hands were shaking. "M-my Lord?" Her tail lashed back and forth, once. There was a rustle, and then a sharp voice. "Nebula, what are you doing back here? I told you - the nearest cache is a good five miles away, and to get it and return before evening you need to move-" Toki strode into the room with towels in his hands, speaking brusquely - until he saw her. The towels slid out of his hands, and he stared. "... Nebula?!" "Toki," she hiccuped, a sob suddenly caught in her throat. "Help." "What's happened to you?! You were only gone a few minutes!" His gaze searched her face, then his expression froze as he stared at the gem. Then, slowly, he moved to his knees, bowing before her. "I see. Be welcome in the house of Tien Lung, avatar." He rose and took her hands, guiding her into the room with a kindness he'd never given her before. Part of her, she had to admit, was obscurely pleased... See what a gift I've already given you, kitten?"N-no. No... I wasn't gone for that short a time... it's a long story... where is T-t-tien Lung?" Nebula let herself be led over to the couch and sank onto it gratefully. "Oh. Ixa..." "A guest?" Toki turned and bowed to the sphinx, though not the full obeisance he had given Nebula. "Welcome to you as well, Lady. One moment while I speak with Tian Yue." Tian Yue? It was Shaiming, wasn't it? Maybe she was remembering wrong. But the goddess seemed equally puzzled. What Dragon King bears the name Tian Yue? Tien Lung is Shaiming, I remember quite clearly.Prolixity Ixa sat on her haunches, watching with curiosity. Perhaps she should leave - her nerves were still stretched taut with unreasoning dread - but she wanted to see who it was that lived here, who inspired such loyalty. the man with the rabbit's ears seemed to be a servant of some sort, perhaps a priest. Rabbit's ears. How very strange. This was certainly no ordinary temple. When he knelt to Nebula, Ixa was briefly startled. Something had occurred. Avatar? She railed silently against the instinct that held her back from asking questions; just now, she wanted to ask. She rose up to a sitting posture and returned the bow courteously. She would wait. Perhaps she would get her explanation. Sosiqui Nebula bit her lip and waited awkwardly in silence, but after a moment there was movement in the other room... The robed man she'd seen before snapped the dividing curtain aside and strode out to meet her, his eyes bright with worry behind his glasses, his tail lashing back and forth. "Nebula? Is it really-"Then he too stopped, and stared, but this time it wasn't at the gem - he was looking past the jewel, past the goddess, right at her. She looked back, breathless. "... You're one of the Stars," he whispered, so quietly that she was the only one who could hear. "Nebula. How long?""I-I've always been me... Tian Yue?" The new name stumbled off of her tongue. "Why not Shaiming?" "You know why, unless..." Tian Yue tilted his head to one side, then shook his head. "I think we need to talk - no, later," he added as she opened her mouth. "I take it this... er, young sphinx... helped you back here?"She nodded. "Ixa. Ixa, this is my Lord, the Dragon King Tien Lung, Worldshield." Tian Yue nodded to the sphinx. "Thank you for your kindness in bringing my servant home. How can I reward you?" He smiled, though it was obvious he was a bit preoccupied with Nebula's situation. The realization sent an odd thrill through the Aoide's mind. Pet me more, my Lord - pet me more, the goddess chortled. Prolixity Ixa watched in silent, fascinated confusion. There was far more going on here that she understood. The dragon-tailed man who carried himself like a lord - no, like a Lord - wore an aura of power around him, power so palpable she could almost taste it. Ixa understood, quite suddenly, why Nebula could believe so deeply and completely in him. The cold ball of dread in her stomach grew weightier. "I would claim an explanation as my reward," she said quietly. "I don't understand what is happening. Though I will return, if you would tend to your servant first." Sosiqui "An explanation..." Tian Yue nodded, then turned back to Nebula. "Shall I do this now, or later?""Now is fine," Nebula said, nearly breathless. He was paying attention to her, asking her opinion, looking at her with such concern and- The goddess laughed again, but at that moment, Nebula hardly cared. Tian Yue's expression shifted, almost imperceptibly, and then he nodded again, a small, sharp movement. He turned back to Ixa. "Now, then. Ixa, is it? What is happening is simple - the gods are returning. We are being reborn and rising again. You may find it strange, or hard to believe, but it is true nevertheless." There was a hint of pride in his words, in the way he carried himself, and Nebula thrilled to it. We, we, we, she was part of we now, right? Prolixity Ixa tried to keep the skepticism from her face, and mostly succeeded. The gods are rising again. She had heard it a hundred hundred times, and it had never happened. But something in her whispered, truth, truth. That little kernel of belief frightened her more than she could measure. "I see," she said slowly, and rose to her feet. "I thank you." She looked to Nebula, still sympathetic to the girl's pain, still unnerved by her devotion. "Be well," she said, quietly simply. She wanted out. Now. Sosiqui "You are welcome here - some of the rising gods would not welcome intrusion, but I'm not sure those sentences are enough repayment for your help. If you wish more in the future, you have only to ask," Tian Yue replied. Nebula turned to Ixa, bit her lip, and bowed her head. "Thank you. I... hope I get to see you again. If not - thank you." The goddess was silent, for once. Prolixity "I may return," Ixa allowed. Her curiosity might yet drive her back. But an irrational fear was ruffling her fur, and she needed space and time to think it over, to get herself under control. She rose to balance briefly on her hind legs and give a proper bow, then fell back to all fours and turned to beat a hasty retreat.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:58 pm
Nebula and Tian Yue: The Chosen Confusion
After the sphinx left the room, there was a moment of awkward silence before Tian Yue stepped away from the door, shaking his head. "All this time... so close, and I didn't notice..." He walked slowly over to Nebula, and she followed his every movement with her one-eyed gaze. "How did this happen?"
"I-i..." Nebula swallowed, hard. "I... there was a... a rat..."
Toki looked guilty, abruptly. "The one in the walls that I was complaining about prior to the full rebirth of our Lord? ... that, er. Was Lao Shu, the Rat of the Zodiac..." He wrung his hands. "I apologized profusely for the mousetraps!"
"And he forgave you, Toki," Tian Yue said, patiently. He moved to pull one of the armchairs closer to Nebula's seat on the couch before sitting down himself. "But he also said Nebula had been chasing and eating him... which she denied..."
"I... I don't know who's been here, but it wasn't me, I swear it wasn't, because after I found out about the rat I had to chase it, and I've been chasing it for I don't know how long, honestly I don't, because every time I killed it it just reappeared, only it looked like a different rat, and I was so angry and I didn't understand, just like how I don't understand why... why I always felt drawn to care for Tien Lung... and... then the rat finally ran back this way and... I saw you greet it and... I ran... and..." The rush of words finally dissolved into racking sobs as Nebula curled in on herself and cried, the wounds around her destroyed right eye stinging powerfully under the flow of tears that moved despite the absence of the eyeball itself.
Through the haze, she saw Tian Yue look at Toki, who shrugged, and then turn back to her. "So who was here in my service, presenting herself as you?"
"I don't know," Nebula cried. Someone else had taken her place, and they hadn't even noticed until now?
"I thought it was strange, how suddenly she was compe-" Toki gulped as Tian Yue shot him a glare, and he backed away. "I'll, um. Go.. clean. Elsewhere."
"Nebula. This is important - have you met me before? Not me-Shaiming. Me-Tian-Yue." The Dragon King reached forward and put one clawed hand on her knee, and she trembled at his touch.
"N-no... I didn't even know you changed your name..."
Tian Yue leaned back and raised both his hands to his temples, rubbing at them. "No wonder I didn't notice before that you were a Star. Tien Lung had not truly been awakened the last time Crispin and Shaiming saw you, and the Nebula I know is... not you. No wonder. Stars above..."
The urge to lean forward and throw herself into his arms was very strong, but Nebula forced herself to stay still. What she had found here was too precious - even given the gem in her eye socket - to destroy now by messing up as she'd done so many times before. "Star... what... does it mean, to be a Star...?"
"The feel of it is not as powerful in you as it is in Shartha and Lao Shu, too - maybe that's another factor. I wonder why?" Tian Yue looked thoughtful.
"I don't... don't know." There was a soft swirl of hazy memory in Nebula's thoughts, mixed in with elements from the dreams she'd had while chasing the Rat, but the pain from the jewel and her need at having her Lord so close obscured all detail. "I... f-found this." She gestured at the gem with one shaking hand.
"Yes. Yes, I see that." The gentleness in his voice nearly broke her - but then, at last, the goddess within the jewel uncoiled, catlike herself, languid and lazy.
Offer him my greetings, kitten.
Nebula stiffened, then looked down. "S-she offers you her greetings."
"She - a goddess, then. Which goddess? Tell me everything you know. And I return your greetings, Lady. Be welcome to the house of Tien Lung." Tian Yue nodded, acknowledging the presence of the other deity.
My, so formal. Very well, then - my name is Phaedra, but you may call me Imperatrix.
"S-she says that her name is... Phaedra... and that you can call her Imperatrix...?" Nebula relayed the message haltingly.
He raised one eyebrow. "An interesting way to style yourself... but I know of only one Empress, Gaia the Mother of All, and as a Dragon King I will give the title to no other. Phaedra, then."
Oh, he actually knows what it means? My, how dull. The goddess - Phaedra - actually sounded disappointed for a moment. It is vexing to have to speak through your slow mouth, kitten.
Nebula was thrilled at how her Lord had bested the goddess so easily. "My Lord, can you... can you do... something about her...?" she begged, clasping her hands, pleading.
But Tian Yue shook his head, and she slumped back. "The Pantheon must be reborn in its entirety. I would be a hypocrite to try and stop it when my own ascension began in the same way. But I hope Phaedra will be kind to you." His eyes narrowed slightly.
I will tend to my own as I will, Phaedra replied, impishly. I hold claim to this one now. Deny it if you can, Dragon King.
Nebula relayed that in a mumble.
"I cannot deny it. I merely ask for your kindness in memory of Nebula's service to me," Tian Yue replied, then rose. "Nebula, your room is open and clean. I'm sure Lord Harmodius will be able to find you a suite of your own soon - you should rest. I'll send Toki to tend to your wounds."
"Thank you, my Lord," Nebula whispered, one last tear tracing its way down her cheek to fall into her lap as hopelessness claimed her.
Within her mind, she felt Phaedra purr.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:59 pm
Solo: Catching Breath
Nebula had allowed Toki to lead her to the Aoide bathing room. She'd perched dimly on a stool as he drew a bath for her, occasionally catching snatches as the other Aoide talked to himself, as he often did. His glances in her direction were respectful, and a little fearful. When he was done, he bowed low before leaving the room.
How nice. It is terribly inconvenient that you're the only Aoide I have, kitten - once I consume you, I shall have to fend for myself. Terrible, truly.
"How awful for you," Nebula muttered, sliding out of the rags she'd worn for - how long? Weeks, easily. They were tattered, stained, and stank. She kicked them to the side gladly before slipping down into the water. Usually she didn't care for baths, but there were some messes you just couldn't clean with your tongue.
How gauche. Let's not take the felinity too far, kitten.
Nebula sat down, leaned back against the side of the tub, and scooted downwards until the water was lapping at the base of her chin. She ducked under, briefly, but it stung at the wounds on her face and she sat up again with a yelp.
At least your Lord has good taste. His chambers are excellently furnished. Truly worthy of a Dragon King. The goddess - Phaedra - purred slightly as she spoke. Surely my Emperor will bestow chambers worthy of one of his own Seven Domains upon us. Would you like that, kitten, as you've liked being served? Being... touched?
Don't talk to me, Nebula snapped mentally, ducking her head again and gritting her teeth against the stinging. She scrubbed hard at her face and felt the rest of the blood and muck loosen. The jewel picked up on the heat of the bath water quickly, and the sensation was very strange.
You've always dreamed of the finer things, haven't you, kitten?
The Aoide surfaced. So what if I have?
I can give them to you, if you'll only cooperate. I'll get what I want regardless of what you do, mind, but it would be so much simpler if you'd submit... as a good Aoide, a sweet little kitten, should. Phaedra's tone was honey-sweet, sticky.
Nebula twitched. I don't like you.
More's the pity. How many of the poor saps caught in the reign of my Emperor would sacrifice their children to be where you are? How many are sacrificing their children?
What- there's no way anyone would do that, Nebula snarled.
Phaedra laughed. You have no idea what my Emperor does and receives before his Throne, kitten. No idea at all. Ah, to see the blood flow and the riches poured out...
Nebula ducked under the water again, and tried to make the roar of the water in her ears drown out the goddess within.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:00 pm
Nebula and Tian Yue: The Second Step
Nebula stumbled down the hallway towards her Lord's chambers, though not so much because of Phaedra than because she was tired. Her journey home had been immensely tiring even with Ixa's aid, and the backlash from the jewel's fusion had knocked her out the second her head hit the pillow.
The pillow had smelled, she remembered vaguely, like someone else. There had been relief, then. Similar face and smile, but not the same smell. It really was a different being entirely who'd been pretending to be her, and not some kind of nightmare, doppelganger, or worse.
And that one isn't fortunate enough to have me, Phaedra purred. While Nebula was still half-asleep, the goddess was fully awake, and had spurred the Aoide from her bed with some plan in mind.
What do you want, anyway?
To go back to the place where you found me. Oh, I know you're too weak, don't bother making your feeble protests, she added as that thought moved through Nebula's tired mind. I'm sure your lovely Dragon King would be only too happy to take you. You are such a poor little kitten, so abused, so... damaged.
Nebula twitched. I am not damaged, except by you.
Is that so. Phaedra's tone was amused, and Nebula frowned as she pushed open the door that led into Tian Yue's quarters.
He was sitting at his desk right across from the door, and he turned with a quizzical expression as she entered. "Nebula? I wasn't expecting you awake so soon, after..." His voice trailed off.
She smiled. "I'm okay. Mostly. Really. Um."
He returned the smile, and it cut through her like a ray of sunlight. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Is there anything you need?"
"Um. Not me, but... Phaedra wants to go to the place where I, uh. Found her." Nebula bit her lip and looked at the floor. She really didn't want to go back there, revisit that place and the stains of her terror, but...
But you've already learned it's best to obey. Such a nice kitten you are. Tractable.
That rankled. "It's a treasure hoard, and I thought you might li-" The words cut off as Nebula stumbled hard, and she cringed waiting for her bruised knees to strike the floor - but instead, she felt hands catching her, and melted into them.
"Careful," Tian Yue said, mildly. "Are you sure you're okay to be moving around? The fuse is an exhausting experience. Trust me, I know."
"I-I'm fine." Nebula blushed furiously under her black fur as her Lord gently set her back on her feet, his hands lingering in support until she'd found balance again. "Thank you."
It's MY treasure hoard, Phaedra spat venomously. I thought I had made myself quite clear on that fact.
You told me to offer it to my Lord when you lured me there, Nebula replied, emboldened by Tian Yue's presence and support. "An old museum. You might enjoy it?" she offered, tentatively. Try and knock me over again. He'll catch me.
A wave of anger met that assertion - but there was no physical reaction, and Nebula smiled to herself. She had bested the goddess there, at least.
"A museum?" Tian Yue grinned. "That does sound interesting."
"There's a vault that's not really been bothered... except by me. It has a lot of nice things in it," Nebula continued, smiling back, her ears upright.
Her Lord nodded. "Very well, I shall fly you there and we'll have a look. Let me go and transform - are you ready to leave now?"
"Yes!" Nebula was beside herself with joy. She was going to fly on her Lord Dragon's back? It was more than she could have hoped for. She beamed as he moved into his own room and pulled the privacy curtain between the two chambers.
I am going to make you suffer for this, Phaedra snarled. Later. When you're not expecting it, dearest kitten.
You got what you wanted - we're going. What are you complaining for?
And Nebula sat on the couch, serene even as Phaedra sulked in her mind, her mind captivated utterly by the thought of the flight to come.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:01 pm
Nebula and Tian Yue: The Cold Tide
Nebula clung to Tian Yue's mane as he flew in dragonshape, soaring high over the ruined city that surrounded the Pantheon. The height was dizzying, as was his scent and the feel of his movement under her.
Honestly, you'd think he was bedding you, Phaedra sniffed disdainfully.
Don't ruin it, she retorted.
You do realize you owe all this to me. He feels so sorry for you, so sorry, poor little kitten, the goddess crooned. Tien Lung was ever so, terminally distracted by everything around him. The Dragons have so very much to care about... sometimes tiny kittens slip through the cracks. So terribly sad.
"Which building is it?" Tian Yue rumbled, and Nebula leaned forward as he turned slightly in the air.
"Um..." She squinted at the buildings below them. "That one, I think. The one with the fancy front."
He nodded. "Hold on." She renewed her grip on his mane as he slanted into a dive that drove her heart up into her throat. When he landed, she was breathless, for several reasons.
Phaedra snorted, but said nothing as Nebula slid off of Tian Yue's back. "This is the place," she confirmed.
The dragon tilted his head back and examined the battered facade, his nostrils flaring slightly as he scented the air. "This place must have been magnificent in its heyday."
Inside, inside, Phaedra urged.
Nebula rolled her eye. "Phaedra wants us to hurry." She half hoped Tian Yue would linger, just to annoy the goddess, but instead he nodded.
"I will remain in this form unless it becomes a problem," he said, lifting one claw and moving some of the rubble and twisted metal that partially obscured the doorway. "It has been looted?"
"Yes," Nebula confirmed, walking tentatively up behind her Lord and peering into the dimness beyond. "The vault was, um. Untouched."
Let us hope it remains so.
Tian Yue twined through the new, larger opening, and she followed quickly. He paused in the foyer and sniffed around again before lowering his head to the floor. "Blood."
"Probably mine," Nebula mumbled.
To her surprise, he sniffed again, then shook his head. "Some of it is yours, but not all of it..." He followed the trail to the basement door, then turned to look at her. "Someone else has been here, and suffered for it."
Phaedra roused for a moment, then settled again, silent and brooding.
Tian Yue shoved the door open and slid down into the darkness, Nebula following after a moment. She really didn't want to go back down there -
But you will for him, won't you?
Shut up, Nebula snarled, picking her way down the stairs in the dragon's wake. There was indeed blood on the stairs, and some of it was fresher than the other. She forced herself not to look.
The hallway was nearly as she'd left it, flickering and dim, but Tian Yue had stopped at the end. She hurried to catch up.
"Someone else has been here," the dragon rumbled, stepping away from the door to reveal a puddle of blood. It was dried, but obviously fresher than Nebula's own trail - and the vault door was now closed. "There's writing..."
A chill ran up Nebula's spine as she looked at the waxy letters. "Cursed..."
Somewhere in her mind, Phaedra purred, low and dangerous, and Nebula got the impression of a fanged, predatory smile. She quickly moved to Tian Yue's side and dared to put one hand on his shoulder. "D-don't go in there."
"I can't do that," Tian Yue replied, firmly. "It would have to be a powerful curse indeed to affect a god. Stand back..."
She took a few steps back, then sensed a gathering of power around the dragon. After a few moments, he nodded to himself, then reared up to put both foreclaws on the wheel that opened the door. The gears within the door ground, but the wheel moved, and the door clicked open.
Immediately the scent of blood and bile met Nebula's nostrils, and she clapped her paws over her nose reflexively. Tian Yue twitched as though a fly had landed on his skin, then stepped forward through the open door. "Vomit. Don't step in it."
"I'm not going in th-"
Oh yes you are, Phaedra said sharply, and Nebula stumbled forward.
The vault stank of blood and vomit, and there were signs of... a struggle? A few cases were broken, but nothing appeared to have been taken...
Turn, the goddess ordered, and Nebula moved her head. The case that had held Phaedra's jewel was sitting there, as she had left it... No. Something's missing.
The crushed velvet had two empty indentations. One had held Phaedra's gem, the other...
Jahara, the goddess hissed, and a wave of pleasure flooded Nebula's mind. Cursed, indeed, sweet Poison.
Nebula's tail puffed out, bottlebrush. "Jahara...?"
"Hm?" Tian Yue turned from his examination of the scene, his expression wary.
Caged together so long, she and I, Phaedra continued, her tone honey-sweet. How very kind of you to offer up that monster to her cause.
Every hair on Nebula's back stood up. Ixa... "M-my Lord... I think there was another jewel in there."
"Another jewel?" Tian Yue's eyes narrowed. The vomit and blood did not indicate a friendly scene. "Who?"
"She... she said the name Jahara," Nebula said, and shuddered. Had she sent her benefactor down to suffer the same fate? If the sphinx had been the one to label this place cursed, Nebula had to agree. She took a step back from the treasures.
What are you doing? Phaedra snarled, making her jump. I want that treasure!
Nebula shuddered. "I want to leave," she whispered.
"Then let's go," Tian Yue said, quietly. "I know your intentions were honorable, but I cannot in good conscience take anything from this place. Not now."
I am your Imperatrix, Phaedra hissed in a low, dangerous tone dripping with bile. Get. Me. The. Treasure. Or I swear by the seven tails of my Emperor that I will make your short life hell and the moment of your devouring an instant of eternal agony.
Nebula clung to Tian Yue's tail, abruptly. "She... wants them," she whimpered, shaking as the goddess' rage roared through her. "Help..."
The dragon gave Nebula a suspicious look, then seemed to think. After a moment, he nodded reluctantly. "Loot as you wish - but do it on your own terms. You'll have no help from me." He stretched his head upwards, asserting dominance.
Take care, Dragon - you and yours were ever beholden to me, no matter what pretty face you placed upon your need, Phaedra said sweetly, before a snap in Nebula's mind pivoted her to face the shelves. Now, dear kitten... the gold, and the jewels, as much as you can carry, and we'll be back later for the rest of it...
Nebula moved blankly, following the goddess' orders.
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