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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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 Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 8:46 pm
Thenia didn't remember falling asleep at all but she slept soundly throughout the night without any trouble nonetheless. It was also the first time she had had a night full of nothing but good dreams. WHen she was home, it was hard to think of a time when anything good hadn't at some point turned into a nightmare. Perhaps it was just the bleak nature of Girino but she wasn't really sure.
This was also the first time she had slept in a bed with another person since she was a child. When she was young she would often wander into the servant's quarters in the dead of night looking for someone to tell her a story to help her back to sleep after a bad dream. More often than not Thenia would curl up in one of the maid's beds after having woken them from their own sound slumber and as they lulled her back to sleep with their voices she would fall asleep there. Always she woke the next day in her own bed, but with a little trinket or sweet from the maids to let her know that they had been watching out for her.
Marxes would get cross if he visited her and she wasn't there, Thenia found, and she would never intentionally get one of the servants in trouble. Regardless, that night she had dreamed of the sillhouetted woman from her coma again however all she would remember when she woke was the name the woman gave her: Cecille. Shiro's stirring did little to drag her from the wonderful dreams she was having and Thenia just tightened further into a ball as her body began to feel the lack of his body heat next to hers.
The first signs of any life from the young demoness came after the food had been set down and the smells started to waft through the room. Whatever it was smelled delicious and dream or no she had to figure out what it was. "Rise and shine princess...I made you breakfast, Bon Apetite..." Thenia heard Shiro's voice through the darkness and with great effort managed to crack one eye open slowly, turning to look at him as she adjusted to the light.
"Is it...morning already?" she asked softly, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn. After a few moments she managed to pull herself up into a sitting position resting her back against the headboard for support, stretching out her limbs. "Oh, breakfast? THank you, you didn't have to..." Thenia blushed pink as she looked over to the source of the wonderful smells. Had he made that all for her? How sweet, albeit a little ambitious.
"I think I may need help eating it. I'm not usually a big eater, but whatever it is is looks and smells delicious. Will you share it with me?" Grabbing the silverwear she split the scrambled eggs into two portions and motioned for him to take half as she took up a fork and her first taste of the eggs with whatever he had mixed in. It was a strange taste, but it was still very good which caused her to offer him a smile as she swallowed. "Delicious!" Breakfast together with Shiro seemed like a wonderful idea to her even if she still wasn't awake enough to realize that they were both in his room. She hoped they would have tome time to enjoy each other's company on their journey; Thenia didn't want to admit it but she forsaw a great deal of hardship and trouble ahead. That's what you had to expect when Marxes was involved.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:36 pm
 Marxes It was all futile...all of it. The minuscule spec of life we're given is hardly enough time to delve into the real answers of the cosmos. Science and magic had already served him well in his search for a new world to destroy, and his newly found sickly desire had him anxious. He had to remind himself that on this occasion time was on his side. He sighed a soft sigh as he released the arm of his throne. Earlier he had found himself gripping onto it nervously when faced with the implications of failure. He chuckled at the thought of him being the king of Girino. Even as a kid...when he first met them...after his little fight with Helios for that damned girl...he hated them. So he vowed he would become a king and make them bow to him. Even this wasn't enough though...he wanted more. He wanted them to suffer for their cruelt in the past. Yes he would have his revenge on the little Hume harlot, and her pet elf Eshe. Marxes' eyes shot open at a nearby shadowed corner. There a man clad in all black bowed before him.
"Sir, report from our spy in Eshe's kingdom. Situation has gone into a confusion as staff within the palace gossip about the possible escape of Helios. It seems Eshe still remains unaware of his escape, and the statement is only a rumor until further verified."
The spy concluded his report and faded into the darkness. Marxes swore loudly as he ripped the arm from his chair and flung it across the throne room in a fit of anger and worry. He roared out angrily a few times until he slowly calmed down. Damned b*****d must be a glutton for punishment he kept thinking. He calmed himself in his moment of weakness, and smiled as he remembered something. It seems he had something that would come in handy against his new nuisance Helios. He stepped to a small dresser within his quarters, and pulled from it two broken horns. Marxes' grin widened as he held the once proud devil's horns in his very grasp. This was simply...insurance just in case the fool decided to come back and settle things. He licked his lips as a new feeling washed over him. He was bloodthirsty...hungry for the thrill of war. He longed to see torrents of blood stain the Earth. No Helios would be of no consequence at all, not as long as he had his horns. His horns had the power to stop time leaving everyone frozen in time except for himself for a brief period of time. Longest Helios had been known to stop time for was nearly twenty-four hours. He had used it to stop a flood so that villagers in it's path could get to safety. He believed that was when the young Hume woman had begun to fancy Helios.
Thenia...his most precious tool as of late was doing exactly what he needed. Still things seemed a bit easy for their journey, and it was unlikely that they expected that he'd just let them walk into his territory. He decided he would send out beasts, that he was sure that they could handle, and if not...then they weren't nearly ready to face him. "Fetch me the beast master," he ordered aloud. A very raspy voice replied "Yessss Master...." and faded into the abyss from whence it came. Eventually the large doors to the throne room were pushed open, and a large, clove hooved, red skinned, snake tongued demon comes through the doors. He stopped approximately twenty five feet away from the throne, and bowed. "M'Lord...you summoned for the beast master. I am he...Oberrin of the Wilds...what creature shall I beckon to do you will?" asked the large demon in a deep voice. His horns were massive and black, shooting out from the sides of his head. Marxes was impressed at such a peon under his command. He would have use for him later.
"Send out the devil hounds," Marxes ordered with little to no thought. These hounds were not of ordinary size...the were as large if not larger than an elephant, and quite the ferocious hunters. "How many shall we send out M'Lord," asked Oberrin. Silence flooded the throne room as Marxes thought. "All of them...send them all...all forty six of them." He laughed a loud maniacal laugh that rung out throughout the halls of his palace. "Send the boy as their commander, along with five hundred of our finest casters. Send them all to the elf's kingdom to test the might of Eshe...and to hurry our young adventurers along their path to their doom, as for now...continue to place agents within their territories, and cut their supply lines...we're going to destroy Eshe bit by bit.
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 5:46 pm
 The night brought much clarity for Helios as he spoke with Ryelle about all that plagued him. He could remember their conversation dancing about the old days, reminiscing about the times they mischievously made love in random places and how they were almost caught. An awkward silence would shroud the moment for a second before the two could hold off no longer and threw themselves within the throws of passionate love, sating their most primal urge for one another until the two had their fill. Their bodies glistened with sweat as they laid there out of breath, curled within each other's warm embrace. The blanket scantily covered their bodies as they lied there, Lanryel curled up within his embrace. There with a sense of security Helios finally began to feel causing him to slowly drift asleep, his massive arms wrapped around Lanryel's body. As he drifted he struggled to keep his eyes open, fearing that when next he opened them, she would be gone. He knew she had to return back to the palace to subside any rumor of his escape and see off the two young adventurers she had spoke of, and if all went according to plan she'd be on the road...away from Eshe. He smiled lightly at the thought of being with Lanryelle from then on.
Finally his eyes rested engulfing Helios into a deep slumber, one he hadn't had in eighteen years. The moonlight seemed to cascade into their window, reflecting off the small beads of sweat that pooled up on his and Lanryelle flesh. As he slept finally unencumbered by the fears of losing his beloved, he dreamt of the future. He dreamed of building a home and raising crops and animals. He dreamed of even having another child with that woman. At some point in his dream he realized what exactly it was and smiled thinking...it had been a long drought. As he slumbered his breathing became deep and rhythmic, his broad pectoral muscles moving along as his lungs filled with air and emptied repeatedly. Yes...a good night indeed.
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:55 pm
 Their entire night together was like a wonderful dream that Lanryel never wanted to wake up from. Those many years apart had only intensified her hunger for Helios' body and as they inevitably succumbed to their long denied lust Lanryel was truly happy. When they were done Lanryel could barely move as she was completely spent. Helios pulled her close and she allowed him to wrap himself around her to keep her warm.
She relished in the distinct scent of their love and smiled up to him. "I love you Helo." she cooed as she watched him drift off to sleep. Soon she followed suit and joined him in soundly sleeping through the night. Yet her night would end sooner than his. As if her body knew that she had to return to the palace she stirred about an hour before sunrise. Yawning she looked up to Helios and for a few moments couldn't pull herself from his side. However, there was a job to be done and if they were going to survive and be happy together she had to help Thenia and Shiro first.
Carefully Lanryel slipped from his grip and stood up from the bed, leaving the covers behind. Lanryel could still smell Helios on her and knew she couldn't return with it that obvious. Thus, without a second thought she exited the cabin in the cover of the night and the stars and leapt into the lake. It was chilly to her skin and it served to quickly wake her up. Gasping as she resurfaced she floated on her back for a bit and took the time to gaze up at the stars and the setting moons. She could have sworn she could make out a dark hairline crack starting to form across the sky and Lanryel knew that they didn't have much time left before the chaos of the two world collapsing came to a climax.
Drawing herself up out of the lake Lanryel returned to the cabin and dried herself off and redressed. Moving around silently she packed her things and was about to leave before turning back to Helios. He looked like her little angel sleeping there and she couldn't help but smile. She moved back to him and gently left a kiss on his lips before gathering up her things and leaving the cabin before she could turn back.
Hurrying back to her horse hidden in the woods Lanryel raced the sunrise back to the Elven kingdom and managed to make it back to her rooms in the West Wing just as the first full rays of the sun began to peak above the horizon. Throughout the next few hours she began packing for the trip and doing everything she could to avoid Eshe and managed to be successful at it. Along the way she managed to write a personal letter to Eshe that would explain her leaving and her aiding in the escape of Helios.
"I am not in the right state to speak to you about what you have done or why you have done it. I can only wish that if I am able to return you will be willing to tell me the truth and I will be able to accept it. Goodbye my friend, pray for my return if nothing else..." Lanryel ended the letter and signed it, clutching it close to her heart as she thought of the best place to leave it. She had also sent a letter to Shiro and Thenia asking them to meet her at the gates of the city when they were ready to leave. There were horses waiting in the stables for them, and when the time came they would all ride together back up to the cabin to the north and Helios and Shiro would meet for the first time. How would Helios react differently knowing that his sone wasn't dead and had seemingly appeared from nowhere?
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:39 pm
Shiro smirked slightly when offered to eat half of her meal, because truth be told that he had eaten a rather large breakfast as well beforehand. He only smiled though as he accepted her gracious invitation, cramming more food into his full stomach. He ate until his portion was gone, and smiled feeling a bit overstuffed. "I believe the two of us should start getting prepared for our journey now. Shall we meet after we've bathe and readied ourselves outside of your room?" Now he was coming to full fruition of the situation. Last night...he had a woman sleep with him upon his bed. His heart raced with him as his nervousness rose. He was sure Thenia was feeling just as awkward if not at all. It was all so new to him, and he couldn't help but remember the stares of the roaming staff as he made his way back to his room with breakfast earlier. Many of the female staff flushed red at the cheeks as he had passed and whispered as he passed about what they assumed happened last night. He was fortunate to not have heard their whispers though leaving the morning undaunted by such things.
He was still in yesterday's clothes, and fortunately Eshe had someone prepare him a set of clothing sometime as he slumbered in the night. He almost gasped aloud as he thought to himself. Did that mean that Eshe knew that the two slept together? He swallowed hard at the thought. He was far too frustrated now to go through the manner of Eshe gripping at them like a parent. He held no sway in the eyes of Shiro, but perhaps to Thenia...he sighed as he looked upon her quietly. Despite all of this he still enjoyed every moment of it, regretting nothing. It grew silent once again until he spoke up, his crimson globes locking on to Thenia's own eyes. "We should do this again..." he said with a smile as he pushed his hands into his pocket, his cheeks flushing a bright red. He peered about the room before his eyes fell upon a letter left by Lanryel. He walked over to it with a puzzled look upon his face, and opened it up reading the contents. It seemed that Lanryel was requesting that the two venture out to a small cabin first, where they'll meet up with a few extra guests. He was puzzled by what she meant by extra guest, but shrugged it off as he handed the note to Thenia, explaining what he understood of the content. "We should head out as soon as we can, so say your goodbyes to whom you will...I will meet you outside of your room whenever your ready," he said softly sitting down gently next to her in bed. He bowed his forehead gently upon her own, and sighed as he interlaced his fingers with her own. "I knew this day would come...and now that it's here I'm terrified. I don't have the slightest idea on what may become of us, but I'm happy at least that I tread into danger with you by my side."
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:21 pm
Thenia continued to eat along with him until the entire breakfast was gone. "That was delicious, thank you Shiro." she said with a satisfied smile, patting his knee. When he spoke of preparations the demoness nodded slowly. It finally dawned on her that this was really happening, that they were about to face a journey to relight the Flame. There was no more going back only moving bravely forward. Slowly even though she didn't really want to she climbed over in his bed - yes, she suddenly realized with mild embarrassment that that is where they were - and embraced him with a hug. "I suppose you are right. I should go get ready...and I'd like to, maybe..." Thenia admitted softly watching him.
The sight of Shiro headed for the letter caught her interest and she waited for him to read it then hand it to her. Thenia recognized Lanryel's handwritting immediately and she half read and half listed to the young man explain his thoughts. "I shall leave now, and meet you outside of my room. If I happen to not be out yet, knock first." Thenia was about to get up and leave when he sat down again and his expression held her rooted to the spot. Gripping his warm hands she looked up at him and sighed. "So long as we can do this together, I have faith that we will see this through to the end. I know you are scared Shiro...I am too. But neither of us is alone." Tenderly she kissed his lips and embraced him once more before excusing herself and heading back to her room.
It didn't take long for Thenia to pack up the things she would be taking with them. Her possessions she had when entering the kingdom were few, and although Lanryel and Eshe had gifted her a few things, mainly clothing, she would still be traveling lightly. She bathed quickly in the room's adjacent bath room and dressed in the outfit that Eshe had left out for her. It was a light weight tunic dress made of a soft durable fabric that would not constrict movement, but layered over a pair of leggings which would help if the weather turned nasty.
She found that she liked his taste, or at least he seemed to know what would look good on her and also be functional. It was a sweet sentiment. Shiro had mentioned saying goodbyes, and as she thought of him she knew the one person she would have to say goodbye to now that Lanryel appeared to be traveling with them was Eshe. Hoping she had some more time before Shiro arrived to meet her she stole away and followed a path that Eshe had taken her upon once before towards his study. There, as she had hoped, she found the elven king apparently lost in thought behind his desk.
"Eshe..." she began softly as she entered, not wanting to alarm him. He looked up and she saw a bit of what looked like anger in his eyes which quickly seemed to disappear as he realized who it was. He rose from his chair and rounded his desk to greet her better. Thenia smiled up at him and took his hands. "We are ready to leave. I just wanted to come and see you first."
"I do appreciate it." Eshe replied beaming at her. As if a thought had just occurred to him he released her for a moment and reached back for a book on his desk, handing it to her. "This is our record of the process by which to restore the Flame. I am unsure if Shiro will be able to read it as it is in the language of the Ancients for the most part, but perhaps this is an opportunity for you to teach him."
"Thank you Eshe." Thenia replied clutching the book close to her as she embraced him. "For all that you have done." And with that Thenia said her goodbyes and they both wished each other to see one another again before Thenia was off to wait for Shiro. For some reason as she disappeared from Eshe's study she could have sworn she heard the voice of the woman Cecille again though the words were indistinct; Thenia had not been the only one though Eshe was too dumbstruck by the sound to react fast enough to it before he had to push it from his mind as a servant came in and began to read him reports of strange activities in the outlying lands.
Returning to her room Thenia collected up her bag after slipping the book inside and suddenly heard a rapping on the door as she slung it over her back. Answering the door she was greeted by just the person she was hoping to see. "Are you ready, Shiro?"
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:50 pm
 Eshe had not felt this alone since Cecille had first been taken from him. Over the years he had been kept company by his oldest friend Lanryel, and his mind had been preoccupied by the troubles of runnig the kingdom. Yet now the two young adventures had happened upon them and everything seemed to be changing. Since sunrise he had tried to find Lanryel to speak to her and she had been no where in sight.
This troubled him solely because in this state it seemed like she was avoiding him or even hiding. Little did he know that that was her real course of action. Nevertheless just before Thenia had arrived he had been lost in the feeling of unmistakable hurt. Had he done or said something to upset her? Not recently, as he tried to recall the past few days. Was he over thinking things? Thenia came and left and he was happy to see her bright, cheery face after a day practically of darkness.
However, just as she left he could have sworn he heard an all to familiar voice that he had not heard in 18 years. "Cecille?" he wondered confused. No, it couldn't be...he knew that she was gone from this plane and he could not be hearing her voice. It did however strike up a new desire to find Lanryel to speak with her. He after all was keeping the biggest secret he had ever attempted to keep, and for 18 years it had eaten away at him every time he looked at her.
Yet it also reminded him constantly at the pain of his loss. Call it selfish, but Eshe couldn't turn back now. Dismissing his messenger to call together his generals to discuss the disturbing news he headed out once again for Lanryel's quarters. Along the way he was beginning to get the strange feeling that something dark had been moving through the palace and as he neared her rooms he felt the faintest whisperings about Helios and escape.
Bursting into Lanryel's rooms he found them without the woman. No matter how much he searched he could not find her. It also looked like she had moved and taken things with her from the room but he wasn't sure what. That was when he spotted it, sitting neatly atop her pillow. Eshe picked up the letter that was addressed to him in her neat handwriting and began to read.
"Eshe. By the time you read this I will have already set out with the two young ones on their quest. I am certain that they are in more need of my assistance than anyone else at this time. You will also find that an inspection of the dungeon will turn up empty, my friend. I do not know how it happened but Helios has appeared to me and told me all of what you have done. There are thousands of things I want to say and do to you even as I write this but he needs me more than I need to confront you. We plan to travel together with the Keeper and Thenia to stop Marxes and relight the Flame. In the meantime I can only hope that you will consider my position after knowing what I now know. I am not in the right state to speak to you about what you have done or why you have done it. I can only wish that if I am able to return you will be willing to tell me the truth and I will be able to accept it. Goodbye my friend, pray for my return if nothing else..."
Clutching the letter tightly he rushed from the room frantically. This couldn't be happening, there was no way she could have known to look for him, and he had specifically set the enchantment on Helios' to respond to her and her kin. It did not appear by the sound of her letter that she had discovered him herself...but then who could have possibly released him? Charging down into the dungeons had blew past the worried guards and cast a light bright as the morning sun above the cell where the demon should have been.
No one. Eshe's mind was racing and he staggered back into the wall. How could everything go so wrong so fast? The King had wondered in his sleepless nights what he would do and say if something like this ever happened. Nothing came to mind, and he was frozen on the spot. As the guards scrambled around him calling for others to search the castle for the demon Eshe knew that they were long gone. Perhaps forever. Little did the King know that shortly he would have a new wave of problems to deal with as Marxes' pets and his son Corinth drew ever nearer the elven capital.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:22 am
Shiro had readied himself quickly wanting to say one last goodbye to Lanryel after he and Thenia had finally parted ways. He rushed down the corridors to Lanryel's quarters only to find them unusually empty. The shelves were missing several key items that she usually kept up, but he dismissed the thought simply thinking that she was reorganizing. He had no idea that the coordinates she gave him in her letter were to meet her and another so that they could all embark upon this journey. He sighed as he looked about for Lanryel, each search proving to be as futile as the first. He was somewhat let down slightly wishing he could say goodbye to the woman who helped him unquestionably throughout his stay in Heil. He soon found himself within the armory. He had been requested to pick up a package down there before he had embarked by Eshe, so he obediently obliged the elf, and walked quietly towards the main armorer. The armorer was a rather large rotund man with a bright red mustache that only went well with the bushy scruff he called a beard. The man was covered in soot, and quite different from any elf or demon he had seen. It seemed this man was quite short, and was always quick to temper when his well crafted weapons were chipped or damaged, but all in all he was more than friendly most of the time.
"Ello lad...so I assume your here to pick up your weapons," asked the sweaty red beared man. Shiro's brow perked questionably, but then lowered in relief. He had completely forgotten about weapons. What had he been doing all this time to keep his mind so...he stopped mid thought as he glanced back at all the times he had been with Thenia, and smiled lightly. Guess that explained his recent forgetfulness. He cleared his throat as he nodded softly. "Erm....yes, I believe he sent me down here to pick them up sir," he chided quietly. "Sir?...Me father was a sir...I think Biron suites me just fine lad. We of the dwarven clans don't care much for formality unlike these blasted elves...erm...don't tell Eshe I said that," he said with a grin as he handed him a rather nice looking short sword, an engraved dagger, and a bow with no quiver of arrows. "My thanks to you Biron...may we meet again," replied Shiro as he looked the weapons over. The dagger was to be Thenia's, but he would gladly hand over the bow due to his lack of precision when it came to any projectile. He was afterall the clumsiest person ever, and had he not then perhaps he could've avoided a dagger to the stomach, yet he was glad he was for if he wasn't he wouldn't have met Thenia. Biron waved off his thanks and smiled as he returned back to his work over the forge, swearing slightly as he dinged out the dents and damages to his armor and weapons.
What an odd little man Shiro thought as he left the armory, and now left for Thenia's room. He had never took a man's life, and wondered that when the time came to...would he be able to do it. He bit down on his lower lip as he usually did when deep in contemplation over a thought that often worried him. Finally reaching Thenia's door he knocked lightly and smiled as Thenia answered the door. "Well define ready..." he said as he held out the dagger and the bow to her. "With this we shall be ready I suppose," he chuckled. "Lets go and untangle this whole ordeal shall we?" he said chuckling.
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:47 pm
It took no time at all after Marxes sent out the order for the news to reach Corinth and in turn the casters to be called together. The young demon was very pleased that they were finally getting to some action, his temper flaring for blood shed. To think his father had bestowed upon him the honor of leading the charge; Corinth was pleased though knew not to expect much in the way of praise from Marxes.
Instead of typical horses, which could not have traveled with the devil hounds, they would ride on Gyoul which were skeletal-like horses shrouded in thick black mist with glowing red eyes. When everything was prepared Marxes appeared to speak to his men. "For too long the elves have lorded over us, pretending to be the better race in Heil. Today, we will bring Eshegarde and his kingdom down to their knees. Fly my warriors and return victorious!" A great cry rose up from the mounted casters and with a signal from Corinth the mass of hounds and men rode off directly for the elven kingdom.
It was an awful sight as the wave of darkness trickled across the land like a living shadow. Even the temperature seemed to drop in the outlying lands. By the time the elves knew what was upon them it would be very hard for them to fight back and Corinth was hopeful that many innocents would be taken in the process. Even if for some reason they were unsuccessful in getting to Eshe - Marxes had made it clear that the Elven King was to be captured if possible so that he could deal with him personally- the young demon would make sure as many elves died as possible.
However, as they began to near the elven kingdom Corinth began to pick up on something in the northern forest. One of his abilities was heightened infrared sight that when activated could be used to locate people at great distances by their body heat. In this case, he spotted a distant form in a clearing in the forest by a lake. From what they had gathered from their spies Helios would not have remained in the city after escaping. This could be him, and Corinth smirked. "Send the men on and I will join you shortly. I have someone to deal with..." he told his second in command before spurring his Gyoul away from the mass along with about 6 of the devil hounds.
Helios was certainly in for a surprise. Soon they reached the clearing and Corinth took in the sight of the little cabin and the clear sign of Helios nearby. "How quaint." he mused before calling out. "Helios! Congratulations on your freedom, my father Marxes sends his regards." he sneered as he snapped his fingers and the devil hounds began to surround the cabin, hungrily picking up on the scent of Helios. He would wait to see that the hounds would be successful before heading back to rejoin the main forces. "Your little Hume will make a wonderful trophy for Marxes after he destroys the elves." Corinth added with a harsh laugh before leaving the clearing and heading back up the main path towards the elven capital and the rude surprise headed right for the elves.
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:07 am
(I once again want to thank the captain for giving me this chance and accepting me. I hope we can have some fun. Since I'm going to be trying to get Noah into the other side of the rift so he can join the group as soon as possible, I'm going to be doing a few loooong posts at first. Bare with me. ) Noah Walker~  ~??????? Noah slowly opened his eyes, his vision strangely bleary as he steadily attained a conscious state of mind. In the distance, he vaguely could hear screaming, the rumbling cacophony of disorder, and rushing feet. Somewhere nearby there was loud crack, but even as these noises permeated the air they seemed strangely fuzzy to himâŚas though he was hearing all this from the other side of a wall.
He was lying face down on the ground that at least he could gather, and he felt no small amount of pain from the apex of his skull. It was as though someone had landed a blow there with a hefty two by fourâŚand perhaps then taken the liberty to kick him for good measure. He had a ripping headache and was, in no uncertain terms, quite unable to grasp of the events that led up to him lying there.
What⌠what had happenedâŚ? What was going on? He slowly pushed himself up from where he was lying, his head throbbing still and his vision swaying strangely as it struggled to refocus on his surroundings. He reached up to touch his face, only to find it slightly stickyâŚandâŚ
As he withdrew his hand from his forehead, his vision at last coming back into focus, he noted his fingers were slightly dabbed in blood.
Why was that�
His thoughts were still somewhat stinted, yet, like his vision, slowly coming back into fold. What were his hands doing slightly dabbed in blood? Because one side of his face that was covered in it. Reaching up again to check, he found the entire left side of his face was, sure enough, covered in bloodâŚand judging from the barely scabbed over across his forehead, at least some of the blood was his own. Heâd heard that cuts to her bled a lotâŚbut were they supposed to bleed this much?
âWhatâŚtheâŚâ his face was impassiveâŚenigmatic, as it tended to often be, even as he turned his dull eyed gaze back to his surroundings.
He was homeâŚor so it seemed by all rightly appearence. The apartmentâŚbutâŚ
But it was in tattersâŚit was in ruin. Slowly he got up on unsteady feet, his balance righting itself after a moment of wobbling, as he looked around the shredded remains of his families residence. It was far from what any sane man would call a pretty sightâŚ
There was blood everywhereâŚabsolutely everywhere, as though some very sick individual had taken it upon themselves to individually ensure some drop of it reached every nook and cranny. Along with, since he was going so far as to imagine something as depressing as that, the crushed and scattered furniture, the giant gaping hole in the wall that opened up unto the cityscape, little bits of loose brick and wiring, and bits ofâŚsomething that looked horribly likeâŚmeat. Each were spread all around the once pristine living space, and for the life of him, even Noah Walker was rendered to the core by the sight of it. He tried to remember why any of this would be, could be. He thought over it ardently even as his eyes slowly opened as far as they could go, his body entered shock, and his breathing continued to rapidly increase.
His face seemed almost frozen in stark disbelief, his head slowly turning from left to right as he took in the scene. He found, rather quickly, what was left of his parents, lying over in a corner. From what he could tell, which wasnât much without a pair of tweezers and a forensic degree, theyâd apparently been clinging to one anotherâŚno surprise there. Theyâd clung to one another in life⌠and in death he didnât see why it would be any differentâŚbutâŚ
He looked around still more almostâŚwas this fear? Until finally, he saw it.
SawâŚit.
It.
âNâŚoâŚahâŚ.â
Noah seemed almost in a trance as he took slow, shaky steps over to theâŚsight, that lay at the base of the living room wall. Slowly⌠slowly, he sank down on his kneeâs in front of theâŚbody. If it wasnât just a body yet, it soon would be. No one could possibly survive the wounds that his eyes couldnât seem to turn away from.
âNoâŚahâŚâ
His hands didnât seem to be under his control anymore.
He didnât really like anyone at all. Not really. Sheâd always been making fun of him for it in fact. The fact that he was such an unemotional personâŚthe fact that he always seemed so jaded at everything. As though his eyes had seen all there was to see of the worldâŚand he was merely exasperated with it.
So it was silly that he would grasp her hand so tightlyâŚridiculous, in fact, that he would lean down and hold the blood covered hand to his own face almost desperately.
âAliceâŚwhatâŚ.?â HnâŚhow ridiculous. She was the one about to die, and he was the one that could hardly speak? His voice was even enough, so why was it so difficult toâŚform wordsâŚwhy wouldnât his hands stay still..?
âNoahâŚâ a strange smile spread across the face of his sister, a tear filled glimmer in her eye that he didnât understandâŚdidnât want to understand. âHehâŚyouâŚidâŚiotâŚâ he was shaking still as her face seemed to get palerâŚand paler. âIâŚlo..veâŚyouâŚ.oâŚkay?â
Jaden didnât respondâŚhe just looked on with a frozen expression.
âHey⌠whatâŚ?â the girl made a sound that might have been an attempt to laugh. âAre youâŚcryingâŚ?â
NoâŚof course he wasnâtâŚhe had never really been good at that sort of thing. He tended more towards extreme exasperation and sarcastic rebuttalâŚnot crying. He was after all, a person only concerned with his own willâŚnot that made him any different from anyone elseâŚbut at least he admitted it.
But as drops of something clear fell down unto her face, Noah seemed to realizeâŚthat maybeâŚ
âHehâŚyeahâŚIâŚknowâŚyou do.â
What did that mean? He hadnât said anything. She was always doing strange little things like that. Answers to questions heâd never asked, acknowledgments of statements heâd never made. Did she think she could read his mind? HehâŚeven he hardly knew what he was thinking half the timeâŚwhat could she possibly know?
The water dripping down on her face seemed to be increasing in flow for some reasonâŚoh rightâŚhe wasâŚcrying, wasnât heâŚ
âLittle brotherâŚyouâveâŚgotâŚto liveâŚâ she made that attempt to laugh againâŚthough it seemed fainter then before.
âHehâŚlike Iâd need you to tell me that.â Noah retorted, a crack in his voice he hadnât intended to be there.
âHehâŚâ a broad sunny smile that had no right to be on the face of someone about to die spread across the girlâs expression⌠âsee yaâŚaroundâŚâ her eyes slowly closedâŚbut the smile remained, frozen upon her face as though sheâd merely sunk into a pleasant dream⌠forever.
Jaden didnât moveâŚhis hands still grasping hersâŚ
âShe was very braveâŚfor a hume.â
The deep baritone voice came behind him, around the area of the kitchen, itâs rippled tones almost pleasant to the earsâŚthough far too deep to beâŚnatural.
Jaden wiped the water of his face, the flow of tears stopping as he face stayed almost dull, as though he was aimlessly annoyed with the situation. He stood, his balance long restored as he turned to look sidelong at the thing that had spoken.
A large black skinned creature was sitting, in the same fashion a dog might, atop the shambled remains of the kitchen table, itâs face like some grotesque variation of one lifted from a Chinese stone lion. But it wasnât stoneâŚand from the blood that was still dripping from itâs jaws, the obvious conclusion wasâŚ
âDid you do this?â His voice incomparably steady now, his tone almost detached.
âNo.â the creature said, looking rather patient as he beheld him with an almost vague fascination. âThough it was by mere coincidence.â The thing admitted carelessly. âThe creature which did this wasâŚwellâŚa brother of mine.â A black tongue licked at some of the blood around itâs own lips, Noah's eyes at last tracing to the large formless. most certainly deceased, thing lying in the kitchen behind the creature. âMy family is a bit complicated.â It stated, amused, itâs confident voice almost dignified as it tilted itâs head at him. âI owed the girl a debtâŚI never could have overtaken my brother in a fair fight. Had it not been busy attacking herâŚâ itâs large eyes gave a faint glow. âI would not have had the opportunity to strike, my pride is not so cheap that I would not admit this. I saw no harm in allowing her her final moments."
Jaden was standing absolutely still, eying the large beast with that same look heâd first laid eyes upon it with, his breathing slow and steady now. âIâŚseeâŚâ
âHn hn hn hnâŚâ the large creature seemed rather content, itâs large paws flexing ever so slightly. âYou, unfortunately, young hume, are not so fortunate.â The meaning was clear, but Jadenâs eyes merely narrowed towards the creature. âI am, after all, rather hungry after my struggleâŚand dead meat doesnât quite have the sameâŚkick.â
âHehâŚâ Noahâs tone seemed bitter now, a small scowl crossing his face. âTypicalâŚso Iâm next on the menu then?â It was a rhetorical question. The Monsterâs meaning was clear. ââŚWell⌠before you go and eat me aliveâŚwould you mind telling me what the hell you mean by⌠âhumeâ? Where did you things come from? Are you supposed to be an alien? A demon? What?â
âHn hn hn hn I am both of these things, hume. A demon, chiefly among them, alien to your world or not. I am an Assimilato Demon, if it interests you.â the beast seemed genuinely amused at his attitude, shifting itâs weight unto itâs legs as it stood. âHow amusingâŚthe humes Iâve eaten so far were so terrifiedâŚthe oneâs outside shrieking like childrenâŚbut youâŚwhat makes you so differentâŚ?â
âHehâŚâ at this the young man merely gave a grim snort âyouâll find we humanâs are quite the varied box of chocolatesâŚâ
âIâm not familiar with that phraseâŚa colloquial metaphor of some variety? You humes are amusing if nothing else.â
Jaden seemed annoyed even as he picked up the splintered leg of a nearby high table, one that had once held the family pictures⌠âThere you go again calling us âhumesâ âŚif youâre going to just storm around eating us, you could at least get our nameâs rightâŚwere called humans.â
âHumans? Is THAT what you call yourselves?â he gave a low chuckle. âThe magicless mongrels of this âEarthâ world are HumesâŚwhether you know it or not.â
Jaden rested the table leg on his shoulder, feeling oddly calm as a strange grim resolve seemed to be sinking into his very bones. âOh yeah? Isn't it the native name usually sticks? Cause if weâre going by what other people call you, then youâd be a god ugly lion dog thing, "in case it interests you".â
The Demon now burst out laughing, itâs deep voice echoing slightly as it leveled itâs bloody crimson eyes with his own subtle brown. âVery well, âhumanâ, I concede your point. I shall make sure to be proper of it, in the future.â
Noah gave a grim smile in reply, his eyes still dull as his lean body tensed.
âHehâŚAssimilato demon it is then, I guess youâd think me rude if I didnât ask your name?â
âHn hn hnâŚsuch nice manners, human. It is XenocrystâŚâ
âNoahâŚNoah Walker.â he readied the table leg.
âYou surprise me Noah WalkerâŚâ the beast readied itself into a crouch. âI actually find myself liking you⌠but do you truly think to take me head on?â
Noah gave a dark laugh, the grim resolve unfailing in his face. âJust because Iâm not afraid of you doesnât mean Iâm STUPID!â with sudden dive to the left Jaden hurled a nearby fragment of table across the room at the beast, itâs own lunge swiftly closing the distance between them. Itâs roar was cut off by his own cry of frustration as he jabbed the sharpened wooden leg into itâs face, the beastâs powerful claw swatting him back into the wall. âAH!â He let out a cry of pain as he slid down the wall, his shoulder now stinging immensely even as grabbed at a fallen brick with his good arm, tossing it as hard as he could in the direction of the monster, before, in a split second decision, his gaze fell on the nearby cracked window.
âYou canât escape, Noah WalkerâŚâ Xenocryst stated, shrugging on the minor blows to itâs person, the wound on itâs face slowly seeming to seal up, as though by magic. He supposed if this thing was a demon...it would take some kind of...magic, to hurt it? He couldn't know. âMake it easy on yourself and-â
âSave your breath,â Noah cut in with a soulless smirk, his eyes still apparently hollow of any real passion. âif you want to take my lifeâŚyouâll have to go the distance.â With that he threw himself through the cracked window, glass surrounding him as, for a moment, he seemed to feel gravity leave him, the distance to the street below four whole stories, when the fire escape met his back ten feet below, something clearly have left it in questionable state. There was a wrenching off metal and the fire escape fell from the side of the building where it had already been precariously perched, crashing into the two more beneath it and sending shattering pains through Noahâs form as he tumbled and thrashed to right himself, the last one nearest the ground finally catching the entire collection, and he along with it.
His back was now wracked with agonizing pain, but that was a good thing, he told himself, even as he bit down hard trying to blot it out of his mind. It meant his back wasnât broken, and after a fall like that, cushioned though it had been, it had been a serious possibilityâŚit meant he could still move, still runâŚstill fight. He couldnât say as much for his arm however, which seemed to be hanging uselessly at his side now. Ignoring the raging cries of pain from his entire bodily frame, he pulled himself to his feet and, ignoring the roar from above, jumped down unto a nearby parked car, only a few feet below the level of the shambled fire escape, rolling off it and barely landing on his feet, wincing as he clipped itâs mirror with good arm as he ran...ran like hell itself was behind him... and he supposed that that might not be just a metaphor in this case... he'd have laughed if he wasn't in so much pain.
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:47 am
( emotion_drool So...much...setup....*deep breath*) Noah Walker~
~Xenocryst Assimilato
The streets were in chaos. Everywhere people running and screaming, wrecked cars and panic flooding the streets, while above the sky was a giant mass of swirling red. So this was supposed to the end? Judgment day? The end of days? Armageddon? He took a moment wonder why god was such a p***k...
Still, no time to ponder moral theology.
He took flight as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, pushing through and passed anyone who got in his way. He had to live, and the weak were not going toâŚnot in this situation. It would be a fight for oneâs own life, and the lives one's self cared aboutâŚand indeed if heâd cared about anyone but himself, they were now gone.
He supposed to the common eye heâd become one of those stereo typical people with nothing to loseâŚbut that was dead wrong. He still had his life, he still had his self, and heâd be damned if he was losing eitherâŚwithout giving it everything he had to keep hold of themâŚ
âEveryone remain calm!â the voice that came from above the crowd caused him to immediately turn his attention. âPlease, head this way! This way!â There was a soldier standing in the middle of an intersection, directing the fleeing populace in the direction they were already running, shouting out at the top of his lungs for them to remain calmâŚremain calm? Was that some kind of joke?
Noahâs eyes fell on the automatic rifle slung at the manâs sideâŚwhy wasnât he fighting? Why was he justâŚtelling people where to run?! They were already running! What the hell did this idiot hope to achieve?!
âHey!â Noah ran up to the soldier, probably looking a right state with the blood covering his face and his arm hanging limply at his side. âWhat the hell are doing?â annoyance was in his face now, the soldiers face looking him up and down in slight shock.
âY-youâŚjust keep running! The evacuation is moving-â
âEvacuation!?â Noah challenged. âThis isnât just some bombing! Itâs a demonic INVASION! Why the hell arenât you fighting?!â
âIâŚIâm on evac duty, the front lines are-â
âIdiot!â Noah bellowed âThereâs no front line! These things raining from the sky!â A large winged figure passed over head and crashed down one street over, screaming ensuing, as if to support this very point.
âIâŚI canâtâŚitâs not my job to-â
Noahâs dull eyed expression was intensified as he quickly cast an eye around for something, anything, eyes landing on⌠he blinked⌠a piece of glass that seemed to be shafted into his left arm. That explained why he couldnât feel it⌠he mustâve have seriously been in shockâŚbutâŚno reason to stop now. The pain still numbed by the rushing adrenaline, his heart beating loudly in his own ears, he pulled the shaft of glass from his own arm, cutting into his good hand as he turned on the soldier, stabbing the glass quickly into HIS arm, the man giving out a strained cry of shock and fear as the pain no doubt lanced through him. Jaden was slammed hard with the manâs elbow, but despite a swollen bloody lip , he managed to wrestle the rifle from the man, the element of surprise enough to avail him. Pushing his weight into the soldier, he flung him down unto the ground, settling the rifle against his still good shoulder, his only remaining working arm gripping it tight as he pointed it at the man.
âThere! Go ahead and direct traffic! If youâre not going to fight, then you donât need this!â his face seemed slightly tinged with madness now, the pain in his entire body seeming nothing as he glared, eyelids shaking even as he did so. The soldier seemed shocked, alarmed, as he pulled the glass from the body armor on his arm, apparently only shallowly cut.
âK-kidâŚitâs okay, just calm downâŚyouâre in shockâŚyouâre not in your right mindâŚâ
Kid? Noah may only have been 17, but he was still more of a man then this sniveling idiot. Maybe he wasn't in his right mind, in fact, he probably wasn't right now. He was in so much pain and his heart was weighed down by so many confusion emotions...and every last one of them was almost more agonizing than the actual pain. âGo ahead and run.â Noah wheeled about, his eyes darting. âIf youâre not going to fight for your lifeâŚjust run.â He took off, back against the flow of people, his head filled with red as his arm continued to bleed profusely, the glass removed... and the shock was starting to wear off ever so slightly, he could feel the faint shadow of mind numbing pain.
âKID!â but he ignored the soldier, he could barely hear over the roar of the crowd anyway, barely notice the numbness fading away to utter and blinding pain. He had other concernsâŚheâŚhe wasnât going to give up and dieâŚbut he couldnât run eitherâŚhe had to stand and fightâŚit was the way he was. The way heâd always been. He may never have cared for muchâŚhe may never have really invested himself in anythingâŚbut heâd never run away from anything in his entire lifeâŚheâd always faced everything head on⌠his death, if it came to that, would not be different.
A limp body suddenly flew passed him. His eyes darting to the source as a familiar black figure became visible amidst the chaos, bellows of horror mixing with cries for salvation and the roar of the creature itself.
Eyes metâŚand the creature stopped roaringâŚchoosing instead, it seemedâŚto smirk in bemusement.
Both stood still now, Noah coming to a halt, still holding fast to the gun as the people all around emptied the street, only a few moments leaving them alone, the chaos slowly becoming more and more distant. It seemed this route had either been cut off further alongâŚor there was simply no one left alive passed this point.
âWellâŚ.wellâŚâ Xenocrystâs rumble of laugh echoed from his jaws as the demon tilted his head slightly, clearly curious. âWhatâs thisâŚ? You came back? Changed your mind about giving into death?â
âNot hardlyâŚâ he didnât even notice as his breathing was getting more shallow, his face covered in sweat and blood as he raised the gun with one hand, securing it as well as he could with his only remaining good arm. âI just donât intend to run away from youâŚnot you orâŚanyone. Falling back and running away arenât the same thingâŚso long as I still win in the endâŚI didnât run away. So long as I face youâŚso longâŚas I fight with my lastâŚâ he twitched slightly as he glared at the demon. âIâŚcan die happy.â
âHnâŚso youâd rather hold onto pride then your life?â
Noah gave his dull eyed smirk. âNoâŚthatâs not it eitherâŚbut no oneâs going to survive this by running away. Even if they run away, eventually there will be nowhere left to runâŚyou have to fightâŚif you expect to live.â
The demon seemed intrigued in spite of his bemusement, lifting itâs head slightly. âHnâŚsurely someone will fight eventuallyâŚdo you necessarily have to be the one to fight? Why not just use others to fight for you?â
âHehâŚâ Noahâs face seemed almost weary, his eyes going out of focus for a moment. âBecause, to tell you the truth⌠I donât trust anyone to fight for me. Why would they? Itâs my life, not thereâs. What kind of idiot would fight for someone they didnât even know? NoâŚâ he fell determined, the small downcast smirk still on his face. âNo oneâs going to fight for meâŚnot really. If I ran away Iâd just be killed from behindâŚI know it.â He laughed somewhat depressed, as though at some dark cosmic joke. âThatâs just the way my life worksâŚif I donât fight my own battles, no oneâs going to fight them for meâŚespecially now thatâŚâ now that she was gone. âHehâŚâ he aimed the rifle. âLook at me⌠talking with a demon at the end of the worldâŚwhat the hell is wrong with me?â
âIâm not sure.â The demon mused, as though actually considering. âperhaps you just want to die withâŚa bang, I believe is the expression?â
âA bangâŚ?â Noah repeated, closing his eyes for a moment.
âHehâŚyeahâŚthat sounds alrightâŚâ He opened his listless eyes, settling the smirk into a slightly smaller one. âWith a bang then.â He pulled the trigger.
The pain from the recoil was intense, made worse by the wrecked state his body was already in. His aim was terrible, but the demon was large, and he still hit his target. Still, even so, the bullets didnât seem to be doing all that much, and Xenocryst was fast, a beast of his size.
Noah had to roll out of the way of his charge on his good shoulder, turning about and continuing to fire as the demon skidded on the pavement, and turned around for another lunge. The bullets seemed to be breaking the skin, he was doing damage, if he could just...
Yet the demon caught his injured arm as it careened passed, this nearly taking it off with chomp itâs jaws. Had he been a second slower⌠but as it was it had been been a hard impact, which none the less caused him to spasm in agony. He fired blindly as he attempted maintain his stance, Xenocryst avoiding this volley of shots as it slung itself up unto tipped over truck in the street, sparks flying as the misfired bullets rattled into it.
âHn hn hn hn⌠how many times must I tell that you waste your time, Noah Walker?" Noah winced his way through pain as he finally righted his aim again, only for his eyes to widen slightly as they saw the demons woundsâŚcorrecting themselves.
It was like before when heâd stabbed it with the table legâŚonly on a greater scale. The bullets seemed to be being pushed out of the wounds, the skin sealing up behind them as the demonâs smirk spread. âI told youâŚyou may as well toss that little toy away. Itâll take more then that to kill me. Without using magic, you would need a far more effective method to deal me a mortal blow.â
Great...so unless he got some magic bullets somewhere he was out of luck...
Noah merely gave a slight âTchtâŚâ and fired once more.
âYou refuse to see reason?â Xenocryst observed ducking under this round of shots as he jumped back unto the pavement. âI said you may as well toss it AWAY!â With a darting movement the demon jumped into the air, and, to Noahâs startled surprise, it seemed rip a black swirling cut in the air before it, itâs figure vanishing into it entirelyâŚbefore, in another cut of darkness, the beast emerged not a foot from him, and the creatureâs claws were upon him.
Swatting the rifle from his weakened grip, Xenocryst sent it flying into a nearby shop window, the other paw quickly pinning him down by his injured arm.
âAHHHH!!â Noah cried out in pain the beast put pressure down on the wound, his face going deathly pale.
âHnâŚâ the demon looked down at him with triumph. âDo you like it? I received that ability from my brother, the one that victimized your familyâŚYou can see why I owed that girl a debt. Had he not been occupied he would have easily escaped.â The demonic lion lowered itâs twisted face closer to him. âYou see, my kin, those of the Assimilato bloodline, we are each of us born with a special gift...and by killing our brethren, we of the clan can take that gift as our own. Know now as you die, that you are looking upon the one who will become the greatest Assimilato...he that devoured the others and became a KING among demons..." the glimmer of blind ambition was in the demons eye, and personally, Noah greatly doubted that he would achieve it. If these demons hunted one another, this one would probably just end up another's prey somewhere down the line...the meal of a meal...what a stupid way to go.
The demon's face seemed filled with hubris even as he stated"I want you to know that you have impressed me Noah Walker, I will remember your name.â
âHehâŚâ Noah was fighting not to cry out again from the pain, wrenching his face into a strained scowl. âif you like me that muchâŚthen give me back that gunâŚXenocryst the Assimilato DemonâŚâ
Again the demon looked amused. âHn hn hn hnâŚas you wish.â The next thing Noah knew was more pain, as he was slammed into the air by a powerful swipe from a claw as the creature sent him flying. He crashed through the same shop window the gun had, hitting so hard into the floor of the interior he was suddenly almost sure he couldnât feel his wounded arm anymoreâŚorâŚhis legs⌠it seemed some part of his spine had finely given up to the strain.
StillâŚthe gun was thereâŚit wasâŚit was in his reachâŚhe pushed himself up with one arm, dragging himself, now bleeding out unto the floor, towards the weapon.
âPersistence is one thing, but your desire to fight for your life is truly remarkable.â Noah slowly rolled over, his hand loosely gripped on the rifle as Xenocryst peered in through the shattered window, the hole heâd made flying in leaving the sheet glass around and above cracked and precarious. âYes indeed, Noah WalkerâŚyou have impressed me. But now, youâre fight is over. Youâve had yourâŚbang.â
Noah grinned, his teeth bloodyâŚsomething in the impact was causing some serious internal bleeding. âHehâŚnotâŚquiteâŚyet.â
âHehâŚcould you even aim that pitiful toy anymore? I thought weâd established it was useless.â He reminded as his neck passed directly under the rest of the sheet glass window.
âHeh...you keep telling yourself that...â With all the strength left in his broken body, he whipped the rifle bout pulling the trigger as he lost his grip on the gun and it flew from his hands, nearly hitting him in the face as it recoiledâŚbutâŚ
The bullets streamed along the top of the glass, and the sheet of razor sharp window came down on the demonâŚright into itâs neck.
Blood splattered across the glass as quite suddenly the demon moved no more, a shocked expression frozen now on itâs face, as silence fell.
âHehâŚhehâŚhehâŚâ Noah could not longer move, his body giving out on him as he merely let his head stay propped half way up by whatever object heâd landed on, looking at the lethally wounded demon. âNowâŚIâve hadâŚmy bang.â
âYâŚyouâŚâ Xenocrystâs voice gurgled slightly, the shock not leaving the demons face.
âHehâŚyou still alive? Youâre really hard to killâŚarenât you. Still you donât seem to be healing from it eitherâŚso unless that's a magic window, conventional force can get you if it's invasive enough.â
âIâŚimpossibleâŚâ
Noah merely gave a resigned smirk as he forced another laugh. âHehâŚsucksâŚdoesnât it?â
âNoâŚahâŚwalkerâŚâ the demon was looking at him faintly nowâŚitâs vision no doubt clouding over. âIâŚmay dieâŚbut youâŚare as goodâŚas deadâŚas wellâŚâ
âYeahâŚâ Noah said, sounding as though he was merely exasperated with the outcome. âButâŚI avenged myselfâŚat least thatâs something.â
âItâŚdoesnâtâŚhave toâŚendâŚlike thisâŚâ The demon stated, sounding hasty.
âWhat are you talking about?â Noah inquired, his own vision starting to get blurry.
âYouâŚdonât want to dieâŚwell...neitherâŚdo IâŚâ
ââŚ?â Noahâs world was getting darker⌠night seeming to have fallenâŚfar too early.
âTake my existence into youâŚjoinâŚwith meâŚand we can bothâŚlive. BothâŚcontinue onâŚâ
âHehâŚI may not want to dieâŚbut I donât want to be possessed eitherâŚforget i-â
âDo notâŚassumeâŚIâŚwould notâŚofferâŚunlessâŚ.no⌠other wayâŚIâŚwill merely share your bodyâŚmy powerâŚeverything I amâŚwillâŚbeâŚyoursâŚIâŚjustâŚ.â The demon seemed to beâŚafraid. âI mustâŚliveâŚI donât careâŚbeyond that.â
Noah struggled open his eyes, looking at the demon with a narrowed gaze.
âHehâŚis that rightâŚso I couldâŚliveâŚhuh?â
âLittle brotherâŚyouâveâŚgotâŚto liveâŚâ
âHnâŚwhateverâŚdo what you want. IâŚaccept.â
Just as Noah closed his eyes, there was a loud noise and blinding light that reached even his dimmed vision. For just one moment before he fell unconscious, he could have sworn he felt his wounds healingâŚ
It was probably just the pains of life leaving him as he died thought hazilyâŚas he passed toâŚwhatever lay beyond this.
It came as no small surprise to him thereforeâŚwhen he woke up...
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:42 pm
  Just moments before he was outside enjoying the fresh air, unexpecting the danger that was on it's way. He had barely enough time to react as he saw the beasts in the distance dashing towards him. He dashed quickly to the cabin, but before he could enter the cabin his entrance way was blocked by the first devil hound on the scene. It's growl made Helios' heart pound with fear as he stared up at it's towering body above him, it's form rippling with muscle. To think that Marxes would unleash such a beast upon these unsuspecting people.
"Tch...damn it," he swore as backed slowly away, the beast advancing cautiously upon him. He hadn't been in a pinch like this for some time now. His magic was no where near stable enough to begin to use it for anything, except for stabilizing the regrowth of his horns. He was weak now, but still, he wasn't going to lie down and die. He would do whatever it took to live especially now since he had just received his freedom. His life was also tethered to Lanryel's life extension...if he died, the rules of time will catch up rapidly. No...he wouldn't die. It was no guts, no goly. If it took a little pain then so be it. He would be the one to destroy Marxes.
Gritting his teeth tightly, Helios dashed forward towards the devil hound, aiming to dash underneath it towards the door of the cabin, but things went awry. The beast let out a shocking growl as it snapped towards Helios, it's razor sharp teeth perfectly crafted to rip through flesh and bone. Helios quickly jerked away attempting to dodge underneath the beast towards the cabin's entrace, but a moment's too late was all it took for the beast to sink it's dagger like canines into his right arm and yank away ripping through muscle, tearing tendons, and snapping bone. Helios cried out in pain as he tumbled underneath the beast, slamming into the door. So much blood was everywhere, and his mind was so fuzzy, but he had to focus, he didn't have time to asses the damage, he had to stay alive. He quickly pushed himself up with his good arm, and pushed upon the door to the cabin, stumbling inward, and slamming the door shut behind him. With adrenaline now coursing through his body adding to the shock, he quickly rendered a heavy mahogany bookcase filled with texts on ancient magics onto it's side, and pushed it against the door. Finally dashing to the kitchen area and slumped in a corner behind the counter tops ensuring he was out of sight from the hounds. When he finally sighed a bit of relief he looked down to asses his arm, and was shocked at the extent of the damage.
Nausea began to set in as he stared at the mangled remains of his bicep and forearm, the muscle had been ripped back open like a backed potato, and small torrents of crimson spilled out from the wound. Tendons had been severed, and bone could be protruding from the damaged muscle. His skin paled horribly as he ripped a shred of clothing from his shirt, and tied it around his arm to stop the bleeding. He quickly fumbled about the counter tops until finding the handle of a kitchen knife, and drew it near for protection, his vision blurring more and more. Blood was making it difficult to grip the handle of the blade, but he managed to keep a vice like grip upon it. Blood loss was taking it's affect as Helios began to shiver. His mouth was so dry.
"...Ryelle...don't come for me, flee the kingdom...danger," he managed to project out from his mind before completely blacking out in the corner, his body caked with his blood, his right arm mangled and broken, and his left clutching for dear life to a kitchen knife...as if to do some sort of damage against such powerful beasts. He only prayed his message reached her in time. He wasn't sure if he had it in him to even hold off one, and now that they knew he was there...his time was drawing near. He only took solace that the creatures couldn't fit into the cabin for now.
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:11 pm
Noah Walker~
~Xenocryst Assimilato
For the second time that day, Noah awoke with an unclear head, not clearly recollecting what had led up to him being in said situation, though this time, thankfully, everything came back into focus far quicker than the first.
He slowly lifted himself to his feet, hand reaching up to his face, which, to his surprise, no longer seemed to be covered in blood.
âWhat theâŚâ the memories of the last moments before he fell unconscious returned, and his face fell into an almost suspicious skepticism.
âHeâŚdidnâtâŚâ there was no wayâŚhad that demon actuallyâŚ
âSo you are awake, Noah Walker.â
A hand reached up to grasp his own face as Noahâs impassive demeanor turned into one of sour exasperation. The voice had comeâŚfrom inside his own headâŚ
âYouâve got to be kidding meâŚâ Noah muttered dawning a irritated frown. â...you actually went and put yourself inside my head?!â
âDonât be such an ungrateful fool,â the familiar deep voice of Xenocryst stated flatly, not in the least sounding comfortable with their situation. âI am the one whoâs been reduced to a mere consciousnessâŚyou cannot possibly consider yourself the one inconvenienced.â
Noahâs face seemed to settle back into dull eyed neutrality. âHmâŚwell, you did try to kill me in the first place. Youâd have had nothing to complain about if you were killed as a result.
âHmmâŚI will admit there isâŚsome semblance of truth to what you sayâŚbut, you also gave me permission to fuse my existence with yours did you not? You have nothing to complain either.â
The boy winced at this. âFair enoughâŚ.â Jaden clarified, somewhat reluctantly, actually letting out a sigh and looking up at the ceiling of the store theyâd crashed into.
âIâm glad we agree then.â Xenocryst stated with a more business like tone. âIf that is out of the way, then you should get up. This area is far from safe and in our current state I doubt we could put up much of a fight.â
Noah actually gave a small slant of grin at this. âIsnât it that line of thought that got you into this mess? Wasnât there some talk about me getting all your great power? I would hope that I could put up an even better fight than before, and that was certainly enough.â
âDo not let your head become inflated boy!! You bested me because I underestimated your resourcefulness, nothing more. Not even considering that such a victory came at the cost of your life, there are demons out there even now that would make meâŚusâŚseem like nothing in comparison. You cannot afford to support such foolish delusions of grandeur.â Noah didnât respond to this, but his face had fallen passive again, slowly sitting himself up as he seemed to slow down for the first time since heâd seen his sister dead⌠The demon was probably rightâŚWAS, right. He couldnât let his guard downâŚsomething in the depths of his being told himâŚthat this was only the beginning. The victory heâd won so far had been the product of luck and mistakes on the side of his opponent. He couldnât count on the same thing happening again.
He fell mellow as he looked to where the body of the very demon now within him should have lain, the blood stained glass all that remained of itâs corpse. âSoâŚyouâre really inside meâŚ?â he looked down at himself lifting an eye brow. âIâm not going to⌠grow horns or something am I? No offense but I donât know if the demonic lion look would really work with my figure.â
âThat wasâŚa joke yes?â
Jaden snorted slightly. âMore like verbal ironyâŚbut close enough.â He got to his feet and stepped over the broken glass carefully, but cast an eye about the store even whilst, hoping for something potentially useful. Sure, it was looting, but the apocalypse was on after all⌠allowances could be made.
âHmâŚyou will not change physically anymore then you already have.â
âAlready haveâŚ?â he began, what the heck did that mean...? It was less then a moment before he was looking down at himself, as though expecting to find a tail.
Xenocryst seemed to take a measure of amusement from this. âHnâŚyou humeâsâŚah, pardon, humans, are rather vain creatures, arenât you.â He gave a laugh âOrâŚis it just you?â
âItâs not vain to be against sprouting tails, or fangs, or whatever extra appendages you demons haveâŚâ Noah stated bluntly, feeling himself as though he was absolutely positive that heâd grown SOMETHING that would ruin life in society for him.
âHn hn hn hn,â Xenocryst continued to sound amused at this âyou may relax, Noah Walker. The only cosmetic change Iâm aware of is that your hair is the same color as my maneâŚâ
Noah reached up to feel his previously brown hair, looking about for a mirror or something to no avail. The broken glass was either to cracked or stained blood to be of any use and there didnât seem to be any mirrors in the shop, but he supposed if his hair was the same color as the former demonâs mane, then it was a dull silver. He supposed he could deal with thatâŚpeople might think him a bit odd, but not an outright, letâs go grab our pitchforks, freak. Then againâŚbeing honest with himself he probably wouldnât have really cared either way⌠it was more the principle of the thing.
âYou said cosmetic changesâŚâ Noah noted as he abandoned examining himself and began peeling through the corner shops wares, the noise outside distant enough that he wasnât concerned of danger in the present.
âNaturallyâŚyour body was not capable of facilitating another soul, let alone my essence as an AssimilatoâŚyouâre basic anatomy was changed into that of demon, to better accommodate this.â
Noah stopped while picking up a roll of black thread and needle, looking suddenly surprised. âWaitâŚyou mean to tell meâŚthat Iâm a demon now? But how is that even possible? You just admitted I donât look anything like youâŚâ
âBeing a demon is not a matter of appearance. We are as we are. There are demons which look virtually no different from hume-mans. Humans.â He still seemed to be working on using the new name for them.
Noah puzzled over this for a moment, going back to slipping things into his pockets as he picked through the storeâs inventory. âFantasticâŚso not only am I a demonâŚbut now I know they can look like anythingâŚI have to be on guard around anything that moves.â
âYou make it sound as though you didnât before.â Xenocryst remarked with some sense of humor. âMerely because something isnât a demon does not mean it can do us no harm.â Noah actually fully agreed on this point, giving a nod. Yes, that was fair enoughâŚat least he and his new hitchhiker could agree on thatâŚ
âJust count your lucky stars that not all of my kind will have interest in this world⌠I merely came here in pursuit of my brothers, and that I know of, only two passed through the rift.â
âSo not all of you have the pallet for humans?â he rolled his eyes at this, but Xenocryst seemed to take him seriously.
âNo, and itâs really no surprise. You hu-mans do not taste very good at all. I merely preyed upon you because it was the best source of readily available ration I could locate. Fighting my brother left me hungry.â
Noah actually raised an eyebrow at this. âEver thought that maybe you could just stop at the local food market?â
âI told you before dead meat does not suit me. I saw no reason to settle when readily available living flesh was so close at hand
âHehâŚâ Jaden quirked a small smirk. âHowâd that work out for you?â
âYou need not remind meâŚâ he stated, a slight irritation in his tone.
Noah turned one last time about the store, and his eyes fell upon the rifle heâd earlier used, still where it had landed after flying from his hands.
âYou will not need that.â Noah had been reaching to pick it up, only for hisâŚback seat driver, as it were, to speak up. It seemed that not only could the Demon speak to him, it could see through his eyes. It was probably even a fair bet that it felt and heard everything his did as wellâŚperfect symbiosis⌠hnâŚthis was getting more and more complicatedâŚ
âWhat do you mean?â
âWere you not listening? You possess my strength nowâŚeverything I wasâŚeven the strength of my brother that I felledâŚI, one of the last six Assimilato, gave unto you, as proof of your victory, all I was. You have no need for such a mechanism.â
Jaden quirked a brow, again looking down at himself somewhat doubtfully. âReallyâŚso youâre saying that Iâm strong enough to send a decently tall human teenager clear across a street and through tempered glass huh? Youâll understand if Iâm a little skeptical.â He flexed his fingers testily.
âHnâŚmerely because you have my strength does not mean that you know how to use it. You may be a demon now, but youâre still a human on the insideâŚeven to fully use our power, you will need to summon it forth. Give it a form through which to channel it. As it is you will be only slightly stronger than the average human, not nearly enough to present a match to any self-respecting member of our kind in a head to head battle.â
âOhâŚ? What does that make you-â
âI said head to head! Do you pretend that I could not have torn you in half at my earliest leisure. Perhaps you intend to lure all my brethren under large sheets of razor sharpâŚsurely that is not ordinary glassâŚ?â
âSheet glassâŚâ Noah noted, kicking out the rest of the glass that might have proved hazardous before stepping out back unto the street. âItâs tempered and compressed by modern technology. The fact it didnât cut you clean on through is some kind of miracle.â
The street seemed to be completely deserted, though the city was far from quiet. Still in the distant there were the sounds of conflict and violence, the city nothing short, Noah assumed, then a battleground between two worlds⌠he wondered if this was the only vortexâŚif it was just chance that his home had been the starting point, or perhaps if portal like this had opened up all over the worldâŚ
âItâs unlikely that itâs safe to loiter out in the open, especially in our condition. Until you learn to properly use this body, weâre as good as beast in an elf trap.â
This colloquial metaphor actually caught Noahâs immediate interest. âWaitâŚelf? You mean to say that theyâre real as well?â
âCertainlyâŚannoying creatures that they are. I suppose youâve none of them here on your world?â
âMost certainly not, no.â Noah confirmed with a rather listless raise of both brows.
âYouâre probably the better off for it.â Xenocryst said with a clear exasperation in his voice. âDespite your weakness, what the humans have managed to do with theseâŚartificial constructs of theirs is rather impressive. If youâd the elves on this side theyâd always be complaining and whining about you were âperverting the natural orderâ and some such nonsense.â
Noah gave a slightly bemused grin, even if his eyes maintained their dull gaze. âHnâŚwe donât even have elves and weâve still got people like that.â
âTruly?â Xenocryst said as though he was actually almost sympathetic to their plight.
âLike I said to you beforeâŚhumans are sortâve a mixed box of chocolates.â He returned to a unreadable expression âButâŚdoes that mean that elves are over in your world? Somehow I canât really see them playing so nice withâŚhell. Is the human understanding of them wrong?â
âActually, itâs most likely the other way around. Your understanding of our world is whatâs confused, Noah Walker. Heil is not a world soley for we demons. In fact even many of the creatures at are here invading yours are mere beasts. I believe I even saw what looked like a wyvern earlier.â
âAâŚâ Noahâs face turned into skeptical exaggeration. âA dragon?! Youâve got to be kidding me.â
âTechnically, Wyverns are not-â
âI donât give a crap about technicalities right now! What youâre saying is that itâs not fire and brimstone up thereâŚitâsâŚsome sort of magical world?â
âI suppose you might interpret it as such, yes.â
Noah gave a suddenly furrowing of his brow. âSoâŚin theoryâŚsince this world opened up and all the ruckus has been going on hereâŚit might actually be safer in that worldâŚthe one you came from.â
âVery possibly, though it has itâs own hazards.â Xenocryst seemed to be eluding to something, but said no more.
âStillâŚI need a safe place to learn how toâŚdo whatever it is I need to do to get used to this body right?â he looked up into the sky at the swirling red vortex. âIsâŚthere some way we can get up there? Can you fly?â
Xenocryst burst into laughter. âHa ha ha! No, Noah Walker, I couldnât fly even in my true form, let alone now that youâre the one in control.â
âWhat aboutâŚâ he seemed to recall. âThatâs rightâŚyou said that you took that power from your brother right? During our fight when you teleported, couldnât we use that to get up there?â
Xenocryst gave a snort as though the very thought was ridiculous. âHn, no, that would be nigh impossible. First of all in order to use our power youâd need to get learn how to use this body in the first place, and secondly that ability has itâs limits. It isnât teleportation. From what I could grasp of it, it allows itâs user to tear open tunnels through space. Not very large ones of course. I managed to make a few about 30 feet apart while I was experimenting with itâŚbut keep in mind I hadnât had the power for very long either. Even so, my brother had had that power all his life and I do not believe he could open them anymore then 50 feet apart at most. Thereâs no way we could use them to get up back to the rift.â
Noah merely frowned at the massive swirling mass in the heavens, as though willing himself to soar up into it. âWhat aboutâŚâ
âEnough theories for now! We have to get to a safer location. Somewhere in cover we can avoid any of my more violent kin. Merely being a demon will not exempt us from many creatures list of potential targetsâŚand if we happened upon another assimilatoâŚâ they were as good as dead. Noah got the message.
âA place to lay lowâŚâ he cast his mind about. âAlrightâŚI think Iâve got the placeâŚâ he turned and headed off, sticking close to the buildings along the street and keeping his eyes sweeping about. He may not have liked having someone in his head⌠but Xenocryst was rightâŚthey didnât have a choice. They were in this together, and they were far from secure. If mastering this power was what it took for him to surviveâŚhe supposedâŚhe had no choice.
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:27 pm
Chuckling lightly Thenia left her room and joined him fully in the hallway and closing the door behind her. She couldn't help but wonder with a small twinge of sadness if she would ever see that room again, the one she had called "home" for some time now. Suddenly she realized that Shiro was holding something out for her and she took the weapons eying them carefully. They must have been from Eshe's armory and she was grateful that they would be armed to some extent. However Thenia wondered if the bow was really meant for her as she had never been very adept at using one.
"Thank you Shiro..." she murmured slinging the bow over her back and slipping the dagger into the space on her belt she had once reserved for her father's dagger. Looking up at Shiro the demoness nodded and adjusted everything she was carrying on her back to the most comfortable position. "Onward we go." Thenia said cheerfully, leading the way down to the stables. As Lanryel had instructed there were two horses prepared for them by the stable hands with a decent amount of provisions while not weighing down the horses with too much weight.
Thenia climbed up onto her horse and as she awaited Shiro to join her she glanced up at the sky. It seemed like a nice calm day which could very well be a good omen. However, far off in the distance from the direction she discerned the demon kingdom was located dark clouds were starting to form. Was Marxes up to something? Did he know the two of them were setting out? Thenia shuddered at the thought of her father still looming over them with his magic and instinctively she reached up to where his scars met her shoulder. She could have almost sworn they were growing warmer.
Neglecting to share these concerns with Shiro for fear of breaking her own resolve she remained silent as they set out towards the kingdom's gate. Everything seemed eerily peaceful in that moment...nothing could be this easy. They made it out beyond the wall and Thenia could better see the sky off towards where she knew her father resided. The clouds were nearly pitch black and seemed to be approaching fast despite the lack of wind. Moments later she heard the sound of approaching hoof beats and turning she saw Lanryel approaching and managed to perk up a bit.
So Lanryel would be traveling with them. This made Thenia feel a great deal safer especially with the older woman's knowledge of medicine; that was definitely one thing the other two were lacking. "Let us go." Lanryel said with a nod as she turned her horse about face and trotted off with the two young ones following in her wake. Thenia remembered the letter Lanryel had left for Shiro and began wondering again who it was awaiting them in the cabin she said she would lead them to. Perhaps a friend of Lanryel's? Her answers would come sooner than expected Thenia found, as out of nowhere Lanryel broke out into a cold sweat and told them to hurry...
Lanryel had decided to wait outside of the wall for the young ones. It would take longer for Eshe to find her than if she was loitering around in the city, and she had been quite serious about not being able to face him yet. The woman was doing her best not to think about it, but now her connection to Helios was slowly starting to grow stronger and she could almost feel his heart beat with her own. After all, they shared a certain amount of life force in some ways they were becoming one person.
After patiently waiting for less than an hour Shiro and Thenia appeared through the main gate to the city and she approached smiling to them both. "Let us go." Lanryel said as she felt for the first time how real this all was. There was no more waiting, and they had a long and dangerous road ahead of them. However together they stood a much better chance against Marxes. At a good clip Lanryel led her companions northward towards the forest in which the little cabin was hidden. The entire time the active atmosphere above them in the distance did not go unnoticed to the woman and she shivered with the feeling of foreboding.
Not long after her heart stopped in her chest as the sound of Helios' desperate voice called out to her. Danger? Not now, he had just returned to her! Without much explanation Lanryel took off as they reached the forest swerving effortlessly along the less traveled path intertwined between the trees. What was going on? Was Marxes attacking already? Suddenly she could hear competing hooves on the main path a good 200 yards away and saw the form of Corinth headed away from the cabin towards the Elven Capital. He could not see them through the dense brush but Lanryel's heart sank at the sight of him.
She didn't know who he was exactly but he reeked of Marxes. "Helios." she murmured breathlessly, gripping the reigns tightly as she willed her horse faster. Within moments they burst into the clearing with the cabin and the horrid sight was finally before them. Lanryel counted only four of the devil hounds but she wasn't foolish enough to assume that they didn't have friends nearby. What was worse was they were beginning to surround the cabin and the one who still had Helios' blood dripping from its muzzle was beginning to claw angrily at the door to the cabin.
Helios had to be inside, or they wouldn't have bothered. Lanryel whipped around to Thenia and ordered for the bow she had brought with her; it was meant for Lanryel after all. Digging hurriedly into her bag she took out one of the arrows in the quiver among the supplies saddled over her horse and removed the cover over the sharpened tip. Even in the light the surface glistened with the poison substance she had coated it with. Shouldering the bow with learned accuracy she aimed directly at the devil hound at the door and laced the arrow carefully. Pulling back on the string Lanryel didn't hesitate as, after aiming, she released the arrow and listened to it whizz through the air as it soon came to an abrupt stop through the eye socket of the beast.
It recoiled and howled in pain, pawing uselessly at the arrow lodged into it's head. As Lanryel readied another arrow she watched it stumbling about as the poison began to take its toll and within moments the beast slumped to the ground motionless. "I am sorry for the short notice, but now would be the time to ready yourselves to fight because these things will not hold back" Lanryel called out to Thenia and Shiro as the others turned and finally realized that they were there, growling menacingly as the began to advance.
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LadyMnemosyne Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:22 pm
A renewed sense of being filled Shiro as the two made way on their journey to face perils which still were yet to be discovered. Even still Shiro felt he could take on the world as long as Thenia rode by his side. Her cheerful smile pushed him through the day as they traveled along the beaten path. He would catch himself often sneaking a look at his companion, smiling as she returned his glance with her own. Their conversations were high spirited as the two made way further away from the palace. As they neared the destination on the map to meet with whomever would accompany them, surprise seemed to take Shiro. He didn't expect to see Lanryel, and found it all the more surprised to find out she was to join him. Eshe surely wouldn't have let her journey with them alone, let alone venture out to begin with...so why was she here? He bit his tongue for the time being as to just being happy to see her.
His brow creased slightly with worry as he acknowledged Lanryel's command to hurry. What was going on? The events of today were going entirely too fast, and he would've given anything to have a few answers, but many of his questions were soon answered as he came into view of a cabin. Four large hounds were eagerly trying to enter the hut, and he froze. He snapped to when Lanryel let loose an arrow at the large beast, and drew his blade. Dismounting, he looked to Thenia once more before stepping forward, and charging towards the devil hounds already advancing on their position. As the distance between Shiro and the creatures closed, the scale of how large they truly were was realized. He didn't slow his run though...he kept steady. If this was to be his end, then he would take as many as the bastards down with him.
As the beast came upon him, he used one fluid movement, and sliced through the front legs of one, making it fall forward, inches away from Shiro. Blood spurted Where exactly did all this come from, and how did it come so naturally. It was frightening in a sense to know so little about himself. The sheer thrill of battle was becoming euphoric to him...he wanted more. Something snapped in Shiro at the moment causing him to go into a sort of battle frenzy. Yelling out a twisted laugh he jumped upon the fallen beast's neck, and drove his blade mercilessly through it's throat.
What was this? It was warm, wet, and beautiful. Yes the color was a magnificent crimson color. It took everything he could muster to keep from licking the blood off his hands. It was putrid and he knew it, but something strangely intoxicating was alluring him into a frenzy of which none other had seen. What triggered all of this? It was technically the first time he had to kill something. He felt every inch of his blade enter that beast, he felt it's body shudder, it's breathing grow labored, and even it's final heartbeat...that was what sent him into his frenzy.
That was two beasts down, and two to go. One felled by Lanryel, and the other by himself. The third beast leapt towards Shiro giving him little room for thought. Shiro dashed forward sliding underneath the beast, all the while with his sword raised into it's belly. Blood rained down from the creatures stomach onto Shiro drenching him completely. The beast toppled over, it's innards now exposed...yet it still was alive. It whined horribly as it attempted to move, but couldn't budge. Shiro just sat there staring at it's pain...a look of shock plastered upon his face, drenched in crimson. He glanced back at Thenia with a look of confusion...was this who he was now? He just dropped to his knees as he looked at Thenia with that look...that confused scared look, not really ever noticing the fourth beast lumbering towards him at a great speed.
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