Welcome to Gaia! ::

((I'd love to wait for the ladies to react, but they don't seem to be here and I'm anxious to find my Hearrte already...))

Aer gave a start at finding himself aboard a gitacr, and another at realizing Tekira was riding behind him. But at Wraith's request, he willed the thing forward, through the islands. Now that he was in charge, he felt no need to go slowly--he could just follow the pull. It took him over a large island that sported a huge mountain and an equally vast lake, around which was situated a bustling metropolis. Aer avoided looking at it: Newgate. He continued, and realized the pull was in fact coming from Massilia--a barren rock pockmarked with holes and caves. The best he could hope for was to set down near the right cave. Of course, they all intertwined and intersected, but he didn't want to get lost in one. He inched around the rock until the pull was strongest, e.g. nearest, and dismounted the gitacr, taking Tekira's hand to help her off of it, and looked over at Wraith. His boots ground gravel underneath them, and he stood in the mouth of a massive cavern.

"It's in there," he said. "I can only hope this entrance will take us quickly to it. For all I know of these caves, the quickest entrance to reach my Hearrte could be miles from here... But I have no way to know. My father said that these caverns used to be populated, but by whom, no one knows. There are signs in the Old tongue, he said. I think I will be able to read them well enough to suit our purposes."

Aer stared at the card for a moment, and pocketed it. Unless he was on the brink of death, he thought he would probably avoid using the card. After all, what would it say of his own weakness if he opted for a 'quick escape' at the first sign of danger? He nodded, a bit nervously, to Wraith, and entered the cavern.

Almost immediately, there was a turn to the left. Regretting the loss of a direct line of sight to his companions, Aer following the cavern in a ways. The instant he could no longer see the mouth, however, a cloud of black appeared and swirled around his feet. He yelled and stumbled back into a wall, but the smoke, or whatever it was, didn't harm him. It rose and took the shape of a man. He was a bulky, muscular man, and a serpent's tail coiled around his feet. He was dressed for riding, but there was no horse.

"So you are the son of the River," the man said. He smiled. "You need not worry about getting lost in this cave. Solving a labyrinth is not your challenge. All you must do is answer my questions, and you shall have what you seek, and perhaps more."

Aer looked back, but the light had vanished. He didn't bother to look around the corner to see the mouth of the cave. He didn't want to know what he would see if he did.

"Ask your questions," he said, "and I will answer them as best I can."

"This is not a game, mortal," the man said. "I am not asking trivia questions. These are more important. If your answers satisfy me, you shall pass. If they do not, you will never leave this island... and you will never die, either."

"I said," Aer said loudly, "ask your questions."

The man smiled grimly. "What is your name? Speak carefully, for your words determine your fate."

"My name is Aer d'Mors," Aer responded. "Wind of Death. Son of the River, as you have pointed out."

"Yes," the man said, "so you know what your name means, at least as far as tongues are concerned. What is it, mortal, that you seek within this cave?"

Aer levelled his gaze at the man, whom he had come to decide was a demon. "I seek my Hearrte, and perhaps more," he said in a slightly mocking tone. "Perhaps answers as to why my father's and mine are in the same place. Demon, will you ask me questions to which you do not already yourself know the answer, or is your only goal to waste my time?"

The demon only smiled. "Mortal, are you willing to pay a price for your Hearrte?"

Aer swallowed. "Yes."

"Are you willing to pay a price... every time you use it?"

Aer bit his lip and swallowed again. "Yes."

The demon was abruptly right in front of Aer. He grabbed Aer by the throat and held him against the cavern wall, raising him several feet off the ground. The demon leaned forward and took a long, nasal breath.

"Why do you so long for your Hearrte?" the demon asked finally.

"I long for it because I must have it," Aer said around the demon's hand on his throat.

"Why? Because an ancient ward tells you you must have it?"

"My reasons are none of your concern, demon."

"Oh, there, you are very much mistaken... But your answers have satisfied me. Pass unhindered... and pray that you do not regret finding your Hearrte. You will pay no price to acquire it, but be wary of using it..." As the last of the demon's words echoed into silence, it vanished and Aer fell to the ground, rubbing his aching throat. Aer stood up, and realized that a new path had opened. Before him lay a chamber filled with gold and sparkling gems, even the smallest of which would have made a king drool with desire. But Aer's Hearrte was so close, so close, that he saw nothing but the one thread that connected it to him. He walked through the chamber, stepping on gold coins and necklaces and rings until finally...

There, half-buried in gold, sticking out of one of the many piles. A simple black box, barely large enough to Aer to have put his fist inside. He pulled it out of the pile and stared at it. It was wooden, and looked as if it had been badly burnt. Completely black. He raised the hinged lid, and looked inside. There was a slip of paper inside, with a very old-fashioned scrawl written on it.

"A river may be dammed, and though it seek another path, it does so predictably. The air cannot be stopped, only diverted, and it seeks indefinitely. As Air surpasses Water, so shall the Son surpass the Father. Beware, though, the power that lies within your Hearrte, Air--for it is only in selfish gain that you may use its power freely." As he finished reading, it burst into flame and he dropped the paper. It was gone before it hit the ground. When Aer looked back to the box, there was gold inscription all over it. The words seemed to be names. "Bael Agares Vassago Gamigin Marbas Valefar Amon Barbatos..." and they continued. Aer counted them--there were 72 names. He looked up and realized the entrance to the cave had vanished, but behind him he saw light, and spun to see the cave mouth, with Wraith and Tekira and Janika waiting. He hurried out, clutching the black box in his hands. He only looked back once. When he did, all he saw was a dark cavern, with a left turn just inside. He shuddered and looked back to Wraith. He held it up with a weak smile.

"This is it," he said quietly. "This is my Hearrte."

((I'll wait for Faey before I respond with Satsujin.))

Aer spent the entire trip fingering the Hearrte and reading over the gold inscription. It created a strange effect, the box--old wood, horribly burnt and blackened--and the delicate gold inscription. Bathin. One of the names on the box was 'Bathin'. It seemed familiar, somehow, but he couldn't place the name. For some reason, though, it brought up images of his father. Rivus, and Bathin. Somehow connected, but how?

Sitting in the sand, oblivious to everything, even the two unfamiliar travellers, he opened the box and peered into it, but it was as empty as ever.

"Bathin," he murmured musingly, and almost dropped the box as a familiar swirl of black smoke erupted from it, and the demon from the cave stood before him.

Bathin went to one knee and lowered his gaze to the ground. "You have summoned me, Master. Your wish?"

"You!" Aer breathed.

"Yes," Bathin said without looking up. "I. It was my name that you spoke while you held your Hearrte open, was it not?"

"I--summoned you by saying your name into the open box," Aer murmured.

"Indeed," Bathin replied. "It seems this may have been unintentional. Do you have a wish that I may fulfill, Master?" It was as if he had forgotten the cave episode. Aer was about to say no, but then paused.

"What can you do?" he asked.

"I know the virtues of all herbs and precious stones," Bathin recited promptly, "and I can transport you anywhere you desire." He looked up and smiled. Aer shuddered. "For a price."

"What price?" Aer asked.

"Master, I am quite generous with you, but I am not bound to answer your questions. I am bound only to render my services to you. There are other demons that you may summon who are bound to speak truthfully the answers to your questions, but I am not one of them."

"Who...?"

"Touch the name of a demon on the box," Bathin said impatiently, "and you will know his powers. If you do not wish to make use of my services, then I will take my leave of you now, Master." He stood up straight, and paused. "However, Master, if I may make a suggestion..."

"Yes?" Aer said, looking up from the names on the box.

"Do not summon us if you do not wish to use us. I understand that this time was a mistake. But there are those of us who are not so patient, and there are those of us who exact a price for the summoning as well as the service."

"Ah--I'm sorry," Aer said to Bathin, who only smiled, reverted to a cloud of black smoke, and was whisked back into the box, which shut with a clap. Aer stared at it, and resolved not to open it again unless he had to.

((Bard has gone to bed, and I think I shall do the same, soon. My apologies to Tekira and Janika for carting them around like this. *bows* Pray I shall see you all tomorrow.))

((As far as I know, we're just in the desert, near Faeandra and my other character, Satsujin.

I was hoping to keep Satsujin apart from this storyline... stare

I wrote all this just because I was bored.))

Aer ran his fingers over the inscription, finding that he did indeed know what each demon's powers were as soon as he touched the name.

Paimon. Yes, Paimon would be able to tell him what he needed to know, but did he want to know what the price would be?

"Bah," Aer muttered. "I will pay his price." He flipped open the lid, peered into the curiously empty box, and said, "Paimon."

Instead of in black smoke, Paimon simply erupted from beneath the sand in front of Aer. Before two seconds had passed, Paimon was there, and he chose a rather more spectacular entrance than Bathin. Seated atop a camel and wearing an elaborate crown, as Paimon rose from the sand, he was accompanied by the sound of trumpets and cymbals, from nowhere Aer could see. He leaned back his head and gave a great roar, which silenced the fanfare, and looked down at Aer.

"Gem dirnas berne tte gre, ge dada." he said, and his voice shook the very ground beneath them, even though the sand should have muffled even the worst earthquake.

Aer shook his head a bit nervously. That was in no language he had ever heard. "I don't understand," he said. "Can't you speak Common Tongue?"

The demon sneered slightly. "I can, at that," Paimon said. "I prefer to use my native tongue. Perhaps you can someday learn it, and I will not be forced to stoop to this human tongue."

"Perhaps," Aer said, remembering that Bathin had said most of the demons were not very patient. "You can tell me of the nature of this box?" he said, holding it up. "My Hearrte."

"I am bound to teach you whatever it is you wish to know regarding any arts, sciences, or other secret things. That box falls within the boundaries of what I am able to teach you. Because you use me now to better yourself, there will be no price."

"What?" Aer said, and remembered the warning from the cave. '...it is only in selfish gain that you may use its power freely.' He looked up at Paimon, who only looked down at Aer patiently. "So you'll do whatever I ask for no price, as long as I am using you for... 'selfish gain'? All right. Then tell me everything important about my Hearrte."

Paimon inclined his head respectfully and dismounted from the camel, patting it on the side of the head before turning to Aer and bowing deeply. He rose from the bow and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Your Hearrte is a box from which you may summon any of the 72 fallen angels--demons--captured and bound by King Solomon in ages past, of which I am one. The inscription that covers the outer faces of your Hearrte names every demon in the order that they were bound, beginning with Bael. Every demon will exact a price for his service if it is used for anything other than selfish gain or self-betterment, but some of us are more generous than others, and some of us are pickier than others. I, for example, consider myself rather generous in my judgment of what 'selfish gain' is. Another, however, in my position, might tell you that by teaching you these things, you may go on to help others, and so it is not purely selfish gain at all. I, however, will exact no price."

Aer nodded. "All right, I understand."

"Some of us, in fact, have powers that coincide with others. You would do well to learn to discern between the personalities of, say, demons that speak of things past, present and to come, for there are many of them--though I am not one--and some of them are kindlier than others. Some demons, however, as Bathin has told you, will exact a price simply for summoning them, regardless of the purpose for which you intend to use their powers. Again, neither I nor Bathin work in that manner."

Aer nodded again and looked at the box. "But the inscription only tells me of your powers, not your personalities."

"Correct," Paimon said. "Those, you must learn through practice of summoning us, and you will simply have to remember."

"Is there a convenient way to store this box? I only ask out of curiosity. I mean, it's small, but to have to carry it around with me..."

"Some of the demons bound to your Hearrte are capable of creating familiars for you," Paimon said with a shrug. "I myself can create familiars. Perhaps one of them can carry it for you. Other than that, I am sorry to disappoint."

Aer nodded. "That's fine. I wasn't expecting much anyway."

"I have taught you all that I believe is important concerning your Hearrte," Paimon said. "Is there anything else you wish of me? Do you, perhaps, wish for a familiar?"

Aer regarded the box for a moment, and then shrugged. "What can you make?"

"Anything you desire, Master. It need not be an Earthly creature."

Aer nodded. "Then... Something that can fight, and that will also carry the box for me. Something loyal," he added quickly, "and something that I can trust."

Paimon nodded, and out of the box itself sprang a strange ball of purple and blue, with tendrils of electricity snaking across its surface at any given moment. Two red eyes regarded Aer, and he curiously held the box out to it. It shot upward suddenly, touched the box, and Aer's Herrte was sucked into it. Though the creature was transparent, Aer could not see the box within it.

"Will this serve, Master?" Paimon asked. Aer looked up at him and nodded.

"Yes, it will serve," Aer said. "Thank you, Paimon."

"Then I will take my leave of you," Paimon said, and he and his camel sank back into the sand.

Aer stared at his new familiar for a long time.

"Can I have my Hearrte back?" he said experimentally. What happened next, he did not expect--The box flew out of the familiar and hit him in the head, and the next thing he knew, everything went dark.

Aer fell backward in the sand, the box sitting on his chest, and the familiar hovering placidly near him, waiting for another order.

((Hey Bard--It's Volt! And he's speshal! rofl ))

((Well, Bard got it into his head to stop the ship near Satsujin and Faeandra, for some reason. You might not have been reading that storyline, since it didn't really affect us until now. Anyway, we're near the lake; Faeandra is tending to Satsujin, who is severely debilitated at the moment; Aer ought to be near the lake as well, and Janika and Wraith, I assume, are still on/near the ship.

((OOC: Thanks, Ikken. I'm getting bored of introspection so I'm going to find you now.))

Tekira halted at the edge of the dried-up husk of a forest, looking back.
She immediately turned around and hurried back until she reached Aer, who was apparently out cold. "Aer?"
There was a box...his Hearrte, wasn't it?...sitting beside him, and a bluish-purple thing hovering nearby.
She eyed the thing dubiously before kneeling down next to Aer, wondering how she was going to wake him up.

A loud crack sounded across the open expanse as a pellet of energy stuck itself in the gellatenous thing menacing Tekira.

"What the hell is that?" Wraith shouted, stroling towards the two figgures, a smoking pistol in one hand and another, glowing at the barrel, in the other. "Back away, Tekira." With another loud crack, a second ball of energy was sent hurtling towards the creature.

Wraith eyed the thing anew. "I don't care who the hell's it is, It's not coming on my ship! All that blob and slime! It'ld probably leave tracks everywhere, more work for me to divert energy to rather than smashing things or going somewhere. Not on my ship I tell you!" Wraith turned and stomped off towards the lake to wash some of the dirt that had collected since they began this expedition.