Welcome to Gaia! ::

Dorian questioned him, not out of mock, but of an obvious confusion. He never had the time to care for such a small portion of the world whilst searching out his master's shattered soul through space and time. However, he was a resourceful apprentice and quickly went about finding out as much information as he could. Zoltan watched him become the monster he was inside, white flesh and bone, crimson eyes and black arms.

He smelled the air with his inhuman nose and was able to diagnose what the virus was in the area. Zoltan watched with intrigue as Dorian told him that Therians were living here. A race thought destroyed, or missing, or simply a myth following the darkness that shrouded their city and the emptiness that followed. At Dorian's first mention, Zoltan mused "Therians...". He was surprised, just as much as Dorian. Even Zoltan had never seen one, he had merely swept past old books that mentioned old stories about them. Apparently they were once slaved by the vampires that the Daywalkers managed to step a path away from. Pity, both races were now gone. Vampires were dead, and Therians... well - not entirely gone.

"Well, well" Zoltan began, giving his apprentice a very proud glare. " We're not only taking the Black Jewel, but we're taking it from the clutches of mutts. I'd love to know what the Guildeam would have to say about their little infestation" he chuckled to himself. Zoltan made his way into the edges of teh village, not many Therians were out, just the odd child or two with their mother walking by. Dorian had pin-pointed the direction of the Jewel, and Zoltan could feel it as he got closer to the main hall. Coming round to a corner there was one man by the entrance, and Zoltan pressed himself and Dorian against the wall around the corner. He didn't want to create a disturbance, any knowledge of their plan by anyone could ruin everything. Zoltan gestured to Dorian to wait, and then he stepped round the corner with a flicker of darkness in his eyes. The man asked "Who are you?!" before Zoltan mysteriously said "A figment of your imagination" and waved a hand. The Therian was dazed for a moment, shadows passed through his eyes and he shook his head. "weird..." he muttered to himself. He then walked off for no reason as Zoltan told Dorian "He's gone. Lies are the biggest form of Betrayal. Especially when your own eyes hold the truth from you" he relished speech as the shadows left his eyes and stepped into the hall.

Zoltan asked Dorian "Where is the Jewel now?" hoping Dorian's locating magic would do the trick. Zoltan had no knowledge of using a spell on the guard, he merely remembered the man mysteriously walking away by chance, if anything.

Slowly but surely he followed his apprentice as his magic pendulum showed them the way. Zoltan had never thought such magic would be so helpful, he was a more 'do it yourself' kind of guy. He didn't like to depend on anything he couldn't directly control. Dorian could now change his form with ease, and Zoltan knew that surely, sooner than later, he would become as powerful as himself some day. Many would look at it as a threat but he hoped in his empty heart that he would remain loyal until the death of him.

They went through some small corridors, and the floor boards were abnormally creaky for a new building, going past each empty doorway was like peering into an endless abyss. When they finally came to the room that the chest was being stored in, Zoltan swore the air became colder, he even had sweaty palms as Dorian located the chest itself with a satisfied grin slapped on his cheeks. Zoltan shared the moment as he observed the old and tattered chest, the solid metal hinges and edges were most definitely welded on and bolted quickly to contain whatever was inside. There was nothing to be said as Zoltan reached out to observe the lock place on the front of it. He placed his figner tip on the keyhole and whispered some words of power. The lock, with a click, let it's grasp of the chest go without protest, a sigh of relief emerging from Zoltan as he gave Dorian one more look of anticipation. He opened the chest with his fingers on either corner of the lid, the air before him swooped into the chest like it breathed for the first time in hundreds of years. Inside layers of black velvet covered the few sources of black smoke that began to leech out with its bony claws. Once the cloth was removed the jewel was sitting quietly before them, whispering words back to them like it invited them to touch it. And Zoltan did without any kind of thought, his hand reached in and cupped the coarse surface, black smoke reaching up as it was removed from the chest.

Power thrived through his blood, like the jewel looked into his soul and blinded his vision for a moment. In that moment Zoltan felt something inside himself reach back out to the jewel before Dorian's face was back before him. "Finally. The jewel is ours" he said, holding it out before him, giving Dorian the chance to perhaps even touch it. It was like none other, the inside, faint red glow like a dying flame leaking through the cracks reminding him of the destruction he could cause with it.

Dorian touched the old jewel and felt the same thrill of energy overwhelm his very body just like Zoltan had just done. He gasped and Zoltan could see how his body was surprised to feel such a foreign power, it was completely unknown to himself too, not even the Demonaria gave such a sense of capability. Maybe because the Demonaria had to be learnt in order to use any of it's forbidden magics, but this jewel... it was nothing more and nothing less than a tool.

Dorian mused to Zoltan, negotiating their future, knowing they would not be defeated, they would not be undermined and most of all... they will not be taken by surprise. He asked if they shoul stay or retire for the night, Zoltan circled his palm around the jewel as a red orb of circles and runes surrounding it, choked it, until it was shrunken down like a voodoo head. Letting go of the now-gem and grasping a hold of a chain that appeared from a red, molten glow, he replied "We prepare at Night Glacial -" he stopped talking as his put the jewel around his neck, but very quickly continued speaking with dark, almost jet black eyes "... and then we make our way to the Jewel Tower.". He knew he needed to go there, deep inside he felt like the Crimson Jewel was calling out to him with arms that clawed through the earth to take a grasp over his soul. Something else inside him felt like it was replying, motivating him to get that which he wants and have all the power he and Dorian could ever want.