Humphrey awaited a response from Illo, after offering him a cup of coffee but he got nothing. 'I guess he really is asleep' Humphrey thought to himself. Not realizing the desperate struggle that was taking place within Illo's mind, Humphrey simply walked away and began drinking the coffee that he had once offered Illo.
"Don't forget you signed the waver form, so your death is not my problem." Zoey replied in the same dry tone as Blake.
With the thick fog settling in Zoey reduced the speed of the ship. Careful navigation was now needed. At first Zoey ignored the question that Blake asked but she hated the awkward silence. Zoey took a deep breath and continued to focus on steering the ship.
"So you what to know why?" She asked in almost a defeated tone. "It's because we need her strength. Trust is something that develops over time and I honestly don't know what to make of Fleur as yet. I have never heard of a kind kishin but so far she has not posed any threat. I'm sure she would have liked to keep her secret a little longer. It's not like she could have introduced herself as a Kishin and join this expedition. Especially a kishin that posses her strength. But like I said we need her strength. Blake to be honest with you my research allowed me to discover Atlantis several years ago. I never attempted to travel there because it was a guaranteed death trap plus I lacked the magic tools to gain entry. Do you know of Sea Serpents? As you may know 75% of our world is made up of water and long ago Sea Serpents were the rulers of this world. Just like the dinosaurs and dragons Sea Serpents were on the top of the food chain. Luckily for us they are long gone and extinct now. According to the history books the last of the Sea Serpents joined forces and sought to rule over this world. Among the Sea Serpents the three most powerful, who were also known as the Sinister Sirens launched an offensive but they were killed by Lord Death. That was the last time that the world has ever seen a Sea Serpent. Truly if the history books are true these creatures are a terror. Now you ask why I allowed Fleur aboard. Well Blake the legend says that Atlantis is guarded by one of these very creatures. I hope that this particular legend is false but if It's true we are in trouble. Look at the Blue Cruise its not meant for battle. not a single cannon is aboard this ship. If Atlantis is guarded by one of these creatures we will need all of the help we can get. Blake this trip is very important to me. I'm willing to risk my life for the success of this mission. We have to have to reach Atlantis."
A sudden faint roar from the distance frightened Zoey. Obviously something was within the fog. Zoey's fear quickly shifted to anger. Zoey left the controls and ran to the side of the ship for a better view. She stared of into the fog as if she was searching for something.
"Dam that woman." Zoey cursed.
The mysterious blue eyed girl stared at Fleur with an unemotional face. The girl remained still as Fleur crept closer. Ignoring Fleur's questions the girl continued to watch her movements. The mysterious girl took a sudden breath as if something had shocked her.
"You're not supposed to be here." She repeated.
A sudden jolt of lightning crackled along the girl's hand. The girl raised her hand in Fleur's direction. " Mother says you have to leave." The girl's stunning blue eyes were replaced with a bright yellow glow. A concentrated beam of lightning fired from the girl's fingertips like a cannon. The beam that was fired was fast and strong that girls long and silky hair was blown back from the wind. Surprisingly even now the girl gave off no power reading, soul, or emotions.
Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:32 pm
XV_Xarso_XV
Sabrewolf123
VibrantGoddess
Illo
Meanwhile, in the chamber of incense, Illo was working on yet more demons, having defeated the six-armed demoness. Now the terrain itself was transforming into a kind of demon. They sprung forth mutagens and assailed the monk with haggard sickle claws and the strength of a struggling beast. Illo readied his "body" with his chi and fortified in ways he would have normally done on the outside and took the abuse best he could.
A few scratches appeared on the monk, but the trick worked as claws and bone alike broke as cracking, unsustainable waves reverberating through the throng of demons. The pieces rained down, the cackling crackle-demons of forlorn earth fell back to their ephemeral birthplace to grow anew; and Illo was as the sun, harshly shining to destroy the darkness along with anything else that stayed in its presence too long.
Then there was another. This one was like the ninetailed Kitsunes of old, and as it goes without saying it would not come easily. The power of the beast was choking, sickening really, and turned the world around Illo into a paradoxical maelstrom of chaotic illusory magic. The old adage was an insult compared to this demon's nature, and it regarded Illo as nothing more than a fool seeking to touch the sun.
Hubristically Illo stood tall against the raging night of the ninetails' aura. This creature wasn't directly Shiroyasha, but even a novice psychologist wouldn't be so ignorant as to say the Silver Fox hadn't had some kind of influence on the creation of this demon in his head.
It charged at Illo with otherworldly speed and accurately dissected his first attempt to defend with claws that shone moonlight in their blurry movements and legs and tails that stirred thunder in the air as they twisted and winded in, oddly enough, seductive arcs and stabs sewing a crosshatch of pain into the heart of the monk.
Illo doubled back and strengthened his aura, to no avail. The beast had an answer for this in its illusions. Once this was happening the conscience of Illo was under assault by a myriad of fallen thoughts and agonies which made him lose his most powerful weapon: his focus. Through all his life, at least in the fighting portions, Illo had retained a steely lock on his opponent, even when not able to see them visually. This was the first time Illo had known fear---alright, no it wasn't, but it was the first time Illo knew it from this angle: you'll not always be in control; sometimes you do not, little monk, know what's best. Amid the energy blasts and physical-not-physical pummeling a terrifying thought occurred to Illo: "what if there is no path to enlightenment; or worse yet what if enlightenment itself is a madness, a chaos?" He sunk, falling deeper... Deeper... Deeper... And soon, there would be no stars for the Phoenix called Illo.
All there was now was darkness. This was not the void he'd surrendered himself to before. No, that was frightening only to the heathens. This terror was indelible, and it bled its way into the soul of the monk one memory at a time until the ephemeral mind of the mortal became broken; from which it could be rearranged and re-purposed into a conduit to amplify the dissolving energy poured out of his mind, his final haven, into his soul as an acid. Soon the faces of the brothers he'd come to love were shown to him, and one at a time were warped to show him just how pointless his attachment was; it was a punishment for denying his own blissful release from this torturous cycle! Melanie stopped all sound and feeling for the monk, now being torn asunder by the ninetails' blasts. Her face was a mixture of sadness, anger, longing... Pleasure?
The mind and spirit were in misalignment now, and the body of the monk was showing the signs of empathy: a blotching of bruises dotted his exposed skin, his facial hair was singed by an invisible fire in places, and blood spilled from his lips in two uneven drips. Back in Bardo, Illo had been nearly swallowed by the void, leaving the ninetails to be disappointed. The visions he saw were his last, and now he'd given up the idea of finding them again. But in that ubiquitous void there was... Heat. A warmth coated and pervaded his being at the thought. What was this? Illo studied it anew, as if it was the first sight out of the womb; the taking giving him a fresh start across the void. It felt right. It was the only thing he knew now. Soon he held it as sphere in his hands, and it smiled back at him in the rays in spilled out. The monk knew this was it. He had to protect this. This was his Truth, and he'd be damned if he'd let any paradoxical creature take that. That warmth, it was anger; this sadness once called loss was of no concern to him now for this was the undoing. Mistakenly, Illo pledged this to himself that those who seek enlightenment must, as it is expressed in tradition, seek it out in their own way, and holding his world together would be his... For now.
Illo was immediately snapped back to health. His wounds in Bardo shined out power and light of glory unimaginable, in reality they had disappeared as mysteriously and quickly as they came. Now empowered, Illo thrust himself back into battle with the ninetails. It was close, for a while, but Illo's new strength was simply undeniable. The confidence was renewed, the focus, inescapable. No matter what the demon did Illo was three moves ahead, and nothing could shake his gaze from his target. Punishing the solar plexus, Illo began sealing the chakra points of the ninetails in order from middle down and then back up to crown. At the end the demon smirked that same hubris back at Illo, but Illo did now mind this at all and sent it to oblivion.
Examining the ship's design Zoey's words we're legitimized. The only battle power she possessed were the fighters currently on the ship. Strength? Earned Trust? Sea Serpents? You really have allot on your plate lady, but yes I'm well informed. I've even had the pleasure of being tempted by such an existance. Speaking from experience, Sea serpents aren't to be ******** with, but you have a kishin along this journey. Do you honestly believe the voyage will run smoothly if you can't even trust a member of your crew. If Fleur were to somehow screw up any plan you had formed beforehand then what? Silence fell over Blake the moment a loud groan came from a pack of fog before the ship. Hoooh? Looks like the just began... The moment Zoey left the controls Blake hopped up, scanning the panel's various instruments before steering the ship. With the loud speaker near his hand the meister gave it a tug. Asses up people, we're still on the clock. Any able personal worth their salt should prepare for the worst. Everyone else I don't know, give me eyes on the Kishin traveling with us. Blake's voice would travel throughout the ship, waking anyone conscious enough to hear. He was curious if the groan from before belonged to a sea serpent, if so he'd have ample time to prepare the ship for an assault.
Fleur continued walking slowly towards the strange woman. "You're not the first person to say that to me. It's never stopped me before," she replied. Her eyes quickly shifted to the electricity that crackled across the woman's hand. She had some kind of power. Fleur spread her wings slightly as the woman raised her hand, her crystals brightening as she sent more power into them. She was ready when the woman attacked: she'd definitely telegraphed it enough. Fleur's wings whipped in front of her and the crystals shone brightly as they flowed together into a translucent, colorful shield that seemed to ebb and flow with pure light. It was beautiful to look at but that wasn't its purpose. The bolts of electricity slammed against it, ripping and crackling over the solidified crystal light. Fleur grit her teeth as she felt the sting from the manifested lightening. Several of her crystals shattered and the shield dissipated slightly but it had done its job. The strange woman's lightening hadn't gotten through. The crystals that had shattered slowly regrew from her wings as she unfolded them and stretched them out wide. She bit back the urge to start blasting the impudent air-headed bimbo into ashes right then and there. She wanted to make sure she wasn't about to destroy anything valuable. Or that she herself wasn't valuable. "Well why doesn't she come out here and tell me herself?" Fleur replied acidly. The woman was strange and the fact that she wasn't giving off any kind of power reading or soul was very disturbing. What was her power source? Fleur's red eyes glowed slightly as she stared at the woman. Just then she heard Blake calling for someone to find her on the loudspeaker. "That slack-jawed Neanderthal," she muttered angrily. "Why can't he just sit on the deck and peel bananas like a regular Chimpanzee?" She had no idea what was going on outside; all her attention was focused on the woman. "Well? Where's your mommy?" She asked, somewhat mockingly.
And in the end, all will kneel before me
Abilities:
Crystal Shield - Fleur folds her wings in front of her, causing the crystals to come together and give off a kaleidoscope of light that forms itself into an ever-shifting shield able to reflect most projectile attacks. (This attack is stronger in her 2nd form and final form)
Zoey was surprised to learn that Blake actually encountered a Sea Serpent. She was not sure on how true the young man’s story was, after all it was reordered that Lord Death kill the last of the Sea Serpents and made them extinct. Zoey would have questioned Blake about his experience but upon hearing the distant roars in the fog took her mind off of the boy. There was no telling what laid within the fog but Zoey seemed to have an idea. She had been focused on the sudden noise and stared off into the horizon as if she could see through the fog.
The sudden jerk from the ship snapped Zoey back into reality. Zoey immediately snapped her head towards the ship’s controls and of course Blake was to blame. A curse escaped her as she stomped her way to Blake. It took a lot of restraint from Zoey to not crack, Blake’s skull open. Instead of striking the boy she simply snatched the radio control from his hands.
“You idiot what do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to ring the dinner bell for whatever’s out there? We need to remain silent and try to sneak pass whatever made that noise got it?” Even though she wasn’t yelling the anger and frustration was fresh in Zoey’s Voice. “Blake leave the controls to me. You should gather the others just in case something happens.”
Below deck things were heating up in the freezer. Despite the mysterious girl’s powers Fleur managed to defend against the girl’s attack. The mysterious girl raised her hand again and took a step forward but stopped in her tracks. She froze as if she was afraid of leaving the three boxes. Without a second thought the girl took a step back into the same spot where Fleur had met her.
Even though Fleur was digging for information the girl gave the kishin not a single reaction. The mysterious girl just continued to stare into Fleur’s eyes emotionlessly. While Fleur continued to mock and taunt the young girl prepared her next attack. The woman held out her hands out to her side, as she did several orbs of pure energy, which crackled like lightning, formed. As the girl raised her arms towards the heavens the orbs of energy grew with power. It should have been clear to Fleur that the girl was preparing for a very powerful attack. Once the girl dropped her arms down the orbs of energy released streams of lightning towards Fleur. The streams of energy were fast, compressed, and precise because they were made for piercing.
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:03 am
XV_Xarso_XV
Sabrewolf123
VibrantGoddess
Illo
After the sealing of the fox Illo went on to keep fighting with renewed resolve and strength for some time. About four hours to be exact. There were times when creatures that were seemingly indestructible came at him, or rather refused to budge when Illo came at them. It was maddening; the unstoppable force had met its unmovable objects; and as they say, great friction followed.
When it came to that an unimaginable heat and a concussion the likes of which this world's men of science and war haven't been able to recreate since rang through the infinite plains (planes) of Bardo. It could be closest compared to the legendary meteor strike which cause the Popigai crater some 34 million years ago. And that was just one collision! Each time the monk and the demons collided in this way a similar explosion tore through the godforsaken wasteland of Bardo. This was known as the Hall of Indestructibles.
And it lived up to its name on both sides, as the demons had virtually no attack strength. Illo could more than fend them off--well, not really, but the monk wasn't going down anytime soon. The energy itself could be best compared to a Soul Menace (I'll give you all a moment to let that sink in. A Soul Menace large enough to cause Popogai level destruction in every punch!). The aim was to tire out the monk, for the demons held that no one had unlimited offense: folly; no one could have the ultimate defense if ultimate offense did not exist. The demons did this to all who came into the hall. After the champion grew tired they would absorb him and possibly add any power it had left to theirs.
Neither one wanted to acknowledge the other as being equal and opposite to himself, so this went on for quite sometime. New days came and went, disappointed like ravers without enough orange juice to sustain a good party--or sustain themselves through a so-so party, however you want to look at it. The destruction was so short-lived that it ended up offsetting the length of the battle, for the world in which they fought was constantly building itself according to the perceptions of those there. As soon as there was a crater it was closed like an inverted bubble bursting.
Finally Illo had enough of this. He was willing to try anything to get through this obstacle, even quit. He flew down to the beasts and looked at them in long silence before they said,
"Do you concede, human?"
"...Yes." As soon as he said this the Indestructible in front of engulfed Illo with its massive maw. There was only a bizarre gray, fuzzy light inside. Illo could feel it lapping at his skin. He didn't understand it at first, but he came to see the sensations he was feeling right now were entering through his eyes; and they sapped of his energy until he had nothing left.
Then he was at the center. There was a reflection of himself that was only an outline filled in with that curious moving gray he saw everywhere else. It slowly filled in as his energy, and eventually consciousness, left him. It wasn't long before Illo saw himself there, lifeless, and a perfect reflection of himself. The monk realized how those before him feel to such a trap, but with time he figured out what he needed to do. The only thing he could do was let go.
He gave his ego to the beast, and all went black just as it did before. A moment passed with no consciousness whatsoever: an eternity; and Illo awoke anew as the reflection. This was the copy that could not be killed by the Indestructible: the Invincible Born. Illo burst out of the demon as if it was another patch of lonely fog and turned to face his ephemeral creator.
"But... HOW!" The thing said through blood-laden coughs.
"You have created yourself to be invincible, and indeed you are, but that also means whatever you create is endowed with the same qualities." Illo was readying a blast now that was several times larger than what fired off before. "Your goal was to create a me that is part of you, and therefor invincible, and you have failed. You have, however, given birth to me; and so I am as you are, but I am not a part of you..."
"You! I...! I'll kill you all the same! You think you can separate from me and still be invincible? That just means you're how you were when you came here." The beast came at him again with a gaping mouth, but Illo remained steady.
"No... This is the end for you, Creator." And with that a bright light rung out through the land. When it was over Illo hovered gloriously shining and alone, unmatched.
Aahchoo! A sudden sneeze rocked Blake's nose with irritation. However, he wasn't aware his sudden spasm would cause the ship veer slightly. Yet the slight veering would cause many to stumble, which sounded the return of Zoey. Snatching the radio from his hand she'd promptly chew him out. Dinner? Specking of which, when's dinner? I hope you don't expect me to fight when hungry, starvation isn't cool. He kept at the controls, steering the ship before she told him to assemble the others. Me? I'm not paying these peole, why should I? Then a thought crossed his mind. Never mind, I'm going. Heading to the lower deck he spotted Illo. Meditation, huh? Grabbing him by the hood he headed around the ship searching for Fleur.
By the time Blake found her he wasn't to surprised. Entering the for bidden area of the shop sounded like a kishin thing to do. There he witnessed a small yet undetected fight. What a pain. A knocked out monk, a childish kishin, and a mysterious babe? Hello there, I'm Blake knicw to meet you. Fleur you fool whatever your messing with can wait, we got things to do, unless your finally betraying us. Heaving the silent monk over his bare shoulder the meister shed his soul protect in anticipation.
Fleur grimaced as she saw the woman preparing another lightening attack. Under different circumstances, Fleur would have used this opportunity to start launching a counterattack. But right now she was in the bottom deck of a ship in the middle of the ocean surrounded by potential treasure. Even her mid-strength attacks might punch a hole in the bottom of the boat, causing them to sink. Or perhaps a stray shot would blow away whatever valuables were down here making this entire trip a wasted effort. She needed to be careful. Apparently the strange lightening-wielding woman did not. She quickly formed her crystal shield again, allowing the blasts of lightening to come at her. As the bolts struck her shield several of her crystals shattered and some of the the orbs broke through. It was a piercing attack, Fleur realized as the compressed electricity forced its way through her shield. Several of the bolts hit her body, causing her eyes to widen as she bit back a cry of pain. She unfolded her wings once the attack finished, revealing burn marks across her body and slightly singed clothing. The crystals she lost quickly regrew.
Fleur glared at the girl as she spoke. "If you think some lightening-throwing schizophrenic hippie is going to keep me from getting what I want, you're dead wrong," she spat. She winced slightly as a tendril of electricity crackled across her body: a leftover from the last attack. Fleur's eyes darted across the girl and then to the wooden coffin-like boxes behind her before returning to the girl. Well, if she could throw out an attack like that she could probably take a little bit of roughing-up without getting broken. Several of Fleur's crystals suddenly pointed upwards and fired bright, colorful beams at the ceiling above the woman. No sooner had the attack flashed across the retinas of the observers than a chunk of the deck above the woman collapsed downwards towards her. Fleur was about to use this opportunity to close the gap between herself and the woman when she heard Blake behind her. She quickly looked back at him. "It may wait but I won't," she replied in an annoyed tone. "If you've got something so important to do then why don't you go dragging your knuckles back to it and let me deal with..." she looked back at the woman. "This little electric eel. I don't remember hiring you to be my event coordinator."
And in the end, all will kneel before me
Abilities:
Crystal Shield - Fleur folds her wings in front of her, causing the crystals to come together and give off a kaleidoscope of light that forms itself into an ever-shifting shield able to reflect most projectile attacks. (This attack is stronger in her 2nd form and final form)
Crystal Strike - Fleur's crystals flip horizontally and can fire beams of madness towards an opponent. Each beam is the color of the crystal that fired it. They can be fired one at a time, all at once or in rapid succession. (This attack is stronger in her 2nd form and final form)
Before Fleur's response crossed Blake's ears the ceiling fell. It was the kishin's crystals that were to blame, not that he was complaining. He knew full well how a ceiling felt when it drops on one's head. What's worse, to never, under any circumstance, involve himself in a catfight. Oh, so you are messing with something, what is it? Blake's eyes fell to the three large crates from that morning. Before he realised it the room got colder, the source coming from the crates. Fleur's attempt at an insult however would work against her. The meister's soul began to swell with wild mystic properties, sending a shock throughout the ship. You really have a nasty mouth on you for a little girl. I'd love to punished you but your event coordinator sent me down to find you. Still sleeping in his grip Blake dropped Illo to the floor. Steadily increasing his resonance the meister sent a menace through the monk. It wasn't enough to injure, but enough to cut his nap short. But I think you're right, my strength is plenty. Kishin, I leave the monk with you. Monk, supervise the monster, less she tamper with any valuables. And just like that he walked back above deck. Free from whatever Fleur was about unleash on herself.
Coming up from below deck Blake spotted Zoey. Looking back he thought of what might happen if something went wrong with the crates. That thought quickly vanished as he reported to his employer. Remember our conversation earlier, about trust and the like? Well I found Illo and Fleur, he was comatose and she was fighting ten feet from your special crates with some electric chick. So, where's the sea monster?
While tensions continued to flare below deck in the freezer Zoey was handling the immediate threat. The Blue Cruise rocked violently for a brief moment, afterwards there was nothing. There wasn't any signs of turbulence. In fact it felt as if the ship itself had no longer been traveling along the water. The peaceful ride was short lived because a minutes later the ship experienced a sudden thud and everything seemed to go back to normal.
The mysterious girl's attack had hit their target as intended. Lightning continued to crackle across the girl's fingers as Blake and Illo entered the room. The mysterious girl's piercing blue eyes quickly shifted to the two newcomers.
"You're not supposed to be here." The girl repeated in the same unemotional tone as she did earlier.
Even admits the heat of battle the mysterious girl still displayed any emotions. There was no anger, grudges, or motives behind her attack, which was an odd site to behold. It appeared that the girl was simply fighting because she was instructed to. Just like Fleur's intrusion the young lady raised her hand towards Blake and Illo. Before the mysterious girl could fire off another round of lightning Fleur struck. The mysterious girl locked eyes with Fleur the moment she peered at the ceiling. Fleur fired her beams but the mysterious girl did something unexpected. Instead of bracing for the attack or launching a counter attack the young girl swung around on her heels and extended her hand towards the three large crates. A mixture of steel and wood came crashing down and collapsed atop the mysterious girl. A dust cloud was created from the fallen rubble but there was something interesting within the debris. Everyone would have seen a dazzling display of aurora lights creating a barrier surrounding the three wooden crates. As amazing as the lights were they weren't just for show. The three crates remained unharmed and free of any damages. Slight movement from within the rubble might have caught Fleur's attention. Upon closer inspection Fleur would have seen that the mysterious girl's hand was sticking out from the pile of debris, which was still extended towards the box. Despite a portion of the ceiling falling collapsing on her the mysterious girl still did not give off any signs of her strength or soul. However it may have been very slight but
Fleur might have picked up on one minor detail. Weather Fleur realized it or not the mysterious girl was producing a barrier around the three crates from the start of their fight. The entire time the girl has been primarily focusing her power into her barrier rather than Fleur. If fleur managed to come to this conclusion it would have been obvious that the girl was only fighting with a portion of her real strength. So the question remained; how strong could the mysterious girl actually be?
A light humming could have been heard from within the pile of rubble. Seconds after the rubble exploded sending shards in every direction. In the center of the explosion the mysterious girl stood tall but her appearance had changed. Oddly enough the mysterious girl's entire body was covered in gold. A steady hue of energy pulsed off her body momentarily. The light show was short lived because her body returned to its normal state seconds after. Several scratches and cuts inflicted her body from Fleur's crafty attack but she did not seemed concerned. The mysterious girl once again stared at Fleur with her deep blue piercing eyes and recited the same phrase as she did before.
" You're not supposed to be here."
When Blake reached the upper deck, he would have found Zoey leaning against the ships controls obviously exhausted. Zoey tried to take deep breaths as Blake neared. Aside from Zoey being tired Blake would have realized that the Blue Cruise was miles away from the sudden fog and if he his eyes were keen enough , he would have seen the silhouette of a tailfin sinking into the ocean off the horizon.
"Sea monster? Don't worry about it. Thanks to some expert sailing I managed to avoid the dam thing. The ship may not have weapons but it's fast."
Upon hearing the rest of Blake's report, Zoey grinded her teeth and growled.
"Electric chick? Dam that woman! I set one rule and she managed to break it. Come on Blake follow me. We can't allow anything to happen to the equipment or this mission will be over. Humphrey man the ship!" Zoey shouted.
Still void of any emotions the mysterious girl continued her battle. The young woman summoned the same electric orbs from her piercing attack. Instead of having them scattered in numerous directions the girl focused them into a cone directed at Fleur. A surge of electricity ran across her arms as she prepared to fire.
"That's enough! What the hell are you doing here Fleur?" Zoey shouted.
The mysterious girl lowered her arms and the electricity around her faded. A warming smile filled the girls face as emotions of joy swept through her. The mysterious girl ran past Fleur, as if they haven't been fighting for the past few minutes. The girl immediately shuttered Zoey with a huge hug.
"Allow me to introduce you three. This is my daughter Aurora."
After that there was little to challenge the Phoenix for a long while. Another day went by and still no challenger could inflict damage on Illo, let alone provide the expected challenge he'd been looking for. In this day the sun was a harlequin with two cruel jokes to tell: Illo needs to feel challenged and therefor has not rid himself of desires, and this could in fact be enlightenment; the boredom of man with nothing else to conquer; both appendages of Illo's departure from Bardo being contingent on that challenge.
That brings us to the beginning of our problem. Illo didn't feel challenged, yet if he had completed all the challenges Bardo had to offer he would have transcended this life into his next incarnation; which was not the goal as it would have essentially started him over. And yet there was the question what he was still doing there in the first place. Without anyone to challenge him, hadn't he completed Bardo? And if not what was the point of training there anyway? Had he gone too far, or not far enough? Illo became the question, and sat in the middle of a separate eternity to meditate on the matter.
"Could this be the one who is to awaken? ... Are you close?" A voice feathered through the shadows and wrapped the monk in a cloth of ambiguous thought. It stood before him an amorphous shadow with the likeness of those knew but refused to think of; and it spoke with the voice of those he thought of but did not know. Illo was silent, snubbing the demon.
"Human~ ... I asked you a question." It pulled at him with its mind, but Illo was steadfast. "Are you close to awakening? I sense... Trepidation." It wasn't so wrong. Illo was close, and that worried him in ways he didn't want to admit to the creature before him. It was rifling through the monk's mind now, and a shrill shriek of excitement the demon renewed its prodding.
"I don't think that's fair, human; here we are in this land,we cannot leave, and now you tell us our home isn't good enough!" Its words were harsh, but its body was strangely sweet.
"You think going through your meager existence without hardships is the most of your problems? You really are a human, aren't you? And what if you're already enlightened? Does it disappoint you?" Illo was talking to a Mara now, a demon associated with the ego. It was one of the only things that could challenge him now.
"You want to escape to your own little life; do you feel guilty, monk, that you cannot be satisfied? Or maybe you just don't like what you see. Could it be that the humans still don't have the capacity to look through the eyes of God?" It laughed its shrill cackle again and etched laser patterns into the monk's face.
"What would your loved ones think? ... Oh, that's right. What would Melanie think?" It moved to create illusions to illustrate its point. A reel of Illo's subconscious, the memories of everything they've been through up until now, were displayed on the sky like a giant screen. "Most of you aren't selfish enough to think you can become better than you are; it's arrogant you know? Take this one for example. She lives her life not pretending to know more than she does. You, masturbator, are not so pure." Still Illo refused to speak.
"But if you still think you need to attain--something, go ahead, pious one. We are endless. We are the truth you seek. What do you suppose happened to all those fools who came before you? The ones who vanished without a trace, do you suppose they became gods? FOOL! These are your gods! You preach the glory of the creative mind, that all is a product of perception. What are these, then!"
"The things you see now are what your father's fathers called gods; and indeed they are superior to you, but you can't have that. Narcissist, when will you realize there is nothing for you at the top but your own inferiority? Keep climbing; it only proves you can never reach the top." This shook the monk. Or was it something else? In any event he felt himself slipping. Those words were the last to go with him. He wanted nothing but to tear that demon, that b*****d reminder, into ribbons.
Slowly Illo opened his human eyes to see the dull human world around him blotting in around him. It was almost blinding how dim it was. Even the sparking lightning ball held no light in the face of his mind's eye sun. His instincts as a fighter, however, did not dull.
Illo sprung up, ready to fight the attacker not knowing what had been happening, or that Fluer was the really enemy here. It was just as well. His attacks would have done nothing but stirred the air a little in the cold freezer. He couldn't even use his Qi to strengthen his body! Instead he just stood there awkwardly, waiting for something to happen as the attacker was now hugging Zoey... Odd.
"Captain... What shall I do?" He sounded like a robot now, cold and lifeless.
Phoenix Mode: Off
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 8:27 pm
Corvo Bianco
XV_Xarso_XV
Pro Slap
VibrantGoddess
✤ℱleur De℣alentine✤
I am the Princess of Madness
"Yes, you mentioned that..." Fleur replied sarcastically when she heard the woman tell Blake and Illo that they weren't supposed to be here. Her eyes widened as the strange woman seemed to allow the ceiling to fall on her. Oops. Had she overestimated her? Fleur cursed under her breath but paused when she saw that the woman was using her power to protect the boxes. The woman had been using much less than her full power to fight Fleur. Well it was likewise, but Fleur was surprised the woman had that much power and what's more she was somehow able to hide it extremely well. That was what bothered Fleur the most. Unknowns were never good things.
When the pile of rubble exploded Fleur quickly folded his wings in front of her and formed her Crystal Shield. The shards of rubble bounced harmlessly off the shield and Fleur unfolded her wings once the debris ceased. As soon as she did so she noticed the woman was suddenly glowing gold. Fleur was preparing for a more intense fight when the light suddenly ceased. A brief pulse of power and then fading back to normal? What was going on? She was taken aback slightly when the woman suddenly addressed her again as if nothing had happened. "What....? Are you serious??" She asked, confused with how quickly the woman seemed almost to reset herself. She glanced back at Blake when he spoke to her. "Well tell her I'm busy having a frank exchange of thoughts with another crew member," she replied.
Fleur looked back at the woman angrily as she charged up another electrical attack. This wasn't working. The woman could clearly take some damage and she was guarding the valuables. Fleur decided she might have to get up close and personal. Maybe try and move this fight up a deck where she could be a little bit more free with her stronger abilities. She hadn't realized what a disadvantageous position she had put herself in by going into the lowest hold of a ship that she needed to stay afloat. The woman's abilities seemed to consist of electrical power which could cause damage without punching holes in things. Fleur, on the other hand, relied mostly on explosions and compressed beams of of resonance force that generally ripped apart the landscape. Something she couldn't afford. She was about to rush into close range when she heard heard a familiar voice yell out at her from behind. She snapped back to see Zoey running in the room. She couldn't say she was too surprised the Captain eventually found them with the ruckus they were beginning to cause. She sighed in annoyance, but the sigh was cut short when the girl ran towards them. She would have launched her own attack but was put off by the fact that the girl was smiling. "Wha-?" Her eyes widened in surprise as the woman ran past her and wrapped her arms around Zoey. She looked back as Zoey introduced them. She turned around fully and stared at Zoey blankly for a moment. "What....the...Hell...?" She asked. "This....you locked your daughter in the cargo hold??" She asked. "I mean, I don't blame you; with her level of intelligence I'd be worried that she'd walk off the side of the ship but why not just leave her at home? Or IN a home?" She was still staring blankly at the two of them. "And what was she babbling about her mother singing or something? I didn't hear any singing at all."
Back down we go huh? Blake followed behind Zoey after her shouts sent Humphrey to man the ship. The moment they got to the bottom of the ship Fleur and the mystery girl had brought down the ceiling, what's worse was that Illo still didn't wake up through it all. Zoey's presence however halted another shot from Fleur's foe, only to have run to her arms. This night was way too confusing to take seriously, and that exactly what Blake did. His thoughts matched Fleur's up to the point where she dodged the question pertaining to her being on the lower forbidden deck. Did you forget about the part where you weren't supposed to be here, at all? That was when Illo happened to wake up. I'll remember to hit you with more Menace the next time we can't wake you up. he'd say dryly. The moment he heard daughter something sparked in his head. How old are you? That statement also came out rather dry but with a hint of sarcasm. His midnight regimen kept his mind and body very much awake. Turning to the supposed daughter Blake gave her a look down. Not bad Zoey, not bad... he thought. Grabbing her hand he'd pull it close to his bare chest. Like I said, I'm Blake. If you ever feel lonely, cold, or scared down here don't think twice to call for me. I'll get here faster than anyone can, that's a promise. You can shoot all the lightning you want at me, anything for you. The situation went from odd to strange very quickly.
Illo would have liked to stay silent about all this and to have just gone back to meditating, but his mind wouldn't. It was as if a wall had been placed between himself and the Bardo dimension. A wall which he couldn't break down. So, he decided to listen to the situation at hand. It was apparent there was some things Zoey was neglecting to mention, despite her facade of disclosure, regarding the situation with this "daughter." The hunter in Illo's mind was just beginning to stir, smelling this new secrecy as bacon to a hungry omnivore.
"Captain," he said as he turned to Zoey once again, "what is the meaning of all this? Surely we were not meant to discover your daughter this way, by breaking your most important rule, so why is it you've hidden this from us?" He glanced to Fluer as he said that part about breaking the rule. It was a quick look which at once "tisk tisk'd" her and gave a tip of the hat (Stephen Colbert much?). Illo himself looked tired. He'd been "sleeping" all day, but he'd been fighting for days in Bardo against foes this world has yet to see--thank goodness! He addressed Blake.
"You... Woke me up?" There was surprise and disdain in his tone. "I wish you hadn't done that..." Cryptic as ever, Illo would leave some guessing to be done in this conversation. Did he not think nobody knew what Bardo training was? So what if he was almost right; the good ol' boys will tell you it only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades; and if it was any indication his mental fatigue would also show through the tacit facade of that hood which he'd refused to remove.
Zoey was furious. Her fist twitched as she approached Fleur. For a moment it appeared as if Zoey was going to strike the Kishin.
"Where the hell do you get off? I gave you a fair chance and this is how you repay my kindness? You break my only rule, destroy a portion of my ship, jeopardize this entire expedition, and you have the nerve to insult my daughter. You make me sick. I'm going to."
Before Zoey could finish, Blake interrupted to add his own two cents on the matter. The young meister was quick to put the moves on Aurora, who started at Blake blankly. Small charges of electricity began to build up on Aurora's free hand. Luckily Zoey made sure to stand separate the two before Blake could receive an electric blast.
Even though Illo was speaking to Zoey, her focus remained on the tree wooden crates. Zoey's eyes darted left and right checking for any signs of damage.
"You're right Illo I kept my daughter a secret from you all. However, she is none of your concerns. I hired you three to protect the ship and crew and nothing more. My family affairs has nothing to do with this mission. Obviously Aurora can handle herself, so you should focus on the job I hired you three for." Zoey said angrily. "Blake you have proven yourself to be a loyal member of this crew and since we have a few untrustworthy crew mates we will be using the buddy system for the rest of the night. Blake you will be buddying up with Fleur. Aurora I need you to remain in the freezer ok darling. Illo you look like a mess. Go get some sleep. We will arrive at Atlantis in a few hours and I'm going to need you at 100% of your strength. Now the three of you get out of here, And If I catch any of you in here again I swear that I will kill you.."
((Make your final post we arrive at Atlantis in the next post.))
