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 Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:36 am
A black, misty substance enveloped the eyeball, floating a couple of feet above ground. It was like a black fire, burning without mercy but is devoid of actual heat. The black fire seemed to descent all the way to the ground and spread out in every direction, like a tree with roots. Only it's roots can spread far and wide as they tentacled into the depths of the dense forest, merging into the dark shadows within, ready to strike the next person that it encounters. The great yellow eye restlessly twitches in mid air looking in every direction, trying to find a prey to feed it's needs; it's needs for fear. It has only one purpose, and that is to gaze into the deepest corners of one's heart and find their fears. The entire forest is it's playground, and no one can escape it's tentacles of fear once they have been spotted.
Laying right underneath the eye of fear, is an unconscious figure of a horned man - Kyou. His broken glasses lay at his side and his fel essence detection device nearby, golden needle still pointing at the floating eye. The warlock is battered and injured, with blood staining his face and open wounds left festering, going untreated. As the man lay there unconscious and unmoving, the dark tentacles of black fire wraps itself around the man, like a snake trying to smother it's precious prey. The eye had saw him coming it's way for a few days now, and it had been a long journey for the man, both physically and mentally. So it will take it's own sweet time with him, it will plague him with nightmares from his worst fears, and it will enjoy the process of this. Inflicting fear is it's only purpose of existence.
How long will the eye keep Kyou alive? How long can the man last? Only time will tell. It is unlikely that someone will find them anytime soon, as the forest is huge, and they are in the middle of nowhere.
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Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 1:34 am
The fire Sigel's mind was twisting and turning as he navigated himself across town, he was moving pretty fast and trying his best not to bump into people on the streets. He needed to get out of the Lab, it was getting suffocating as he was stuck in there for weeks, hovering over the telephone. He just needed to get out, he didn't even bother to wait for a bus, he just needed to move, needed to breathe!
There was only one person he could think of that could help him right now in his situation. He was with Kyou on half of his hunts, so he would be most familiar with how it goes, what could possibly happen, and if this is normal. The man is also extremely well connected, more so than Kyou as far as Lazarus knows. If anyone would know where Kyou is, he would be it. Entering a narrow alley that branches away from the main street, the Raevan ventured into a quieter area of the city. The atmosphere was different from the usual hustle bustle outside, as the decorations along the shop lots in this alley is different. Taxidermy crows, weird looking roots, animal skulls on poles, there's even a stretched out fox skin on a shop sign. This is the oddity alley, as normal people would call it. But some people that knew better, would know that magic happens here. Lazarus was familiar with this place, he came here about once every two or three months to run errands for Kyou. He spotted the familiar statue of a gargoyle-like creature crawling up the wall and entered the shop the creature was guarding.
"Lazarus!" Came Jeremy's cheerful voice as the Sigel entered. The elderly man was polishing some antique glasswares on the counter before Lazarus came in. Putting down the cloth carefully, so as not to knock over any of the antique wine glasses on the counter, he went around the obstacle and towards the Raevan, about to give him a hug. But the expression on the red Sigel's face halted him in his steps. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes, Jeremy. Kyou had went on a fel hunt himself three weeks ago, and he haven't got back. He haven't even called after he left!" Lazarus blurted out as he talked in a frenzy. It felt good to finally be able to share his worry with someone. "I have a bad feeling about this Jeremy, Kyou isn't like this. Had he called you? Do you know where he is? Can you find him?"
"Shh shh..." Jeremy walked over and petted Lazarus on the back. It was apparent that the Raevan is freaking out, this was quite different from the usual calm and composed Lazarus, he needed to calm down. "Deep breaths."
Taking a few deep breaths as Jeremy suggested, Lazarus felt himself calmed down just a little bit. The cavalry is here, he convinced himself. Jeremy is here and he is a very dependable person. He let the older man lead him into the back of the shop, where Jeremy had a table set up and some tea roasting in a pot.
While the human poured the Raevan some tea, he was thinking of how to help him. Kyou is missing on a fel hunt, this is grave news. They had been on a few rather perilous fel hunts before. Sure, since Kyou had set up the Lab, there had been lesser of these, but before that... there was more than a few incidents when they were in mortal danger. That's why Jeremy never liked the idea of Kyou going on fel hunts on his own. Had Kyou lost his touch because of the last few safer hunts in the past few years? Nevertheless, no point in pondering about the why now, but to think of how to find Kyou.
Opening a tin of ginger cookies and offering it to the Raevan, he settled down into the seat opposite of Lazarus. The elderly man laced his fingers around the warm tea cup before he spoke in a calm manner. "Kyou haven't called me, I don't know where he is." Jeremy could see Lazarus's face dropped with those words. "But I will help you find him." He said, smiling reassuringly. "First, I need to make a few calls. Kyou has a private number, I'll need to trace where the last call was coming from, then we'll at least know where we should be heading. Then... we will have to find out about the situation, and figure out what to do step by step from there, okay?"
Lazarus nodded slowly at the suggestions, feeling slightly more relieved that Jeremy actually has a plan and knew what he is going to do. "Is there anything that I could help?" He asked tentatively, he can't just sit in the Lab and not do anything.
"Let the staff of your Lab know about the current situation, Miss Alex and that other.. funky looking dude. Give me a day to find out where Kyou went alright? I'll call and come to the Lab when I have more information." Jeremy's voice was calm and reassuring as he spoke. There is a certain quality to his voice that makes people trust him, and know that he is dependable, and that really does help in making Lazarus feel better.
"Now finish your tea, eat a cookie, and if you want to be useful, I would really appreciate it if you could put those glasses in front away, back into these boxes." Jeremy grinned as he motioned to some boxes stacked neatly in a corner. Most of them were made of wood but some have a velvety surface inside with shapes of wine glasses. At least this would keep Lazarus busy for a bit so that he don't worry himself into a wart. "I'll go make a few phone calls while you're at it."
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:41 am
And she was waiting for him, the man who changed her life, nervous about what today's meeting might bring about. She sat at her old desk -- now Zeke's -- doodling faces on his post-it notes to distract herself and very nearly jumped when she heard the chime that indicated another's presence. Alex stood then, her smile bright and happy to see Jeremy despite the pending topic. Rounding the desk, wearing her standard jeans and tank top, she approached Jeremy with open arms. "There's my favorite person!" she cried out happily as she didn't allow the man to escape a hug, kissing his cheek. "To what do I owe this urgent meeting, my friend?"
Jeremy couldn't suppress the big grin on his cheek as Alex greeted him, chuckling softly as he hugged back with his strong arms, but refrained himself from kissing the tanned woman. "I'm afraid I have grave news today though." He didn't waste time getting to the point as they separated from their hug. "Kyou may be missing on his fel hunt." His smile faded as he spoke those words.
The grin on Alex's face faded, her brows knitting and drawing upwards as shock took hold. For a long moment, she said nothing, staring at Jeremy to see if anything else would be said -- but it was no joke. "Missing?" she repeated, her voice tight. "What...what was he going to find?" The woman paused, her thoughts already in action behind darkening green eyes.
Perhaps it was good that their bodies weren't totally detached from the hug yet, Jeremy was holding Alex's arms still, expecting some sort of reaction from her already. So the shock on her face was no surprise to him, as he knew the woman is very passionate. "He was looking for a fel essence in a remote forest, and he had been gone for nearly three weeks without any news." The elder man tried his best to keep his voice calm, so that Alex could keep calm too. "I'm going to organize a search party to go look for him, and I need your help. Can you help, Alex?"
Jeremy's solid hold and his calm manner of control went a long ways to keeping Alex grounded. Her expression settled on something serious and stern, but she nodded, squeezing the arm still held. "Yes. And I imagine Lazarus and Zul would help as well." Closing her eyes for a moment, she considered her next words before speaking them. "Should we ask if any of the other Raevans or Guardians want to help? Word has a way of getting out and I...wouldn't see them caught unaware this time." Not like the fel virus.
He knew that he could depend on Alex, it was like she could read his mind. "Yes, that is exactly what I want you to help me with." Confident that Alex has her emotions under control, he let go of her arms, realizing that his hands were sweating too. "I need you to contact as many people as you can, we need a fairly big group for the search party, as many people or Raevans as you can. Especially Raevans!" He know far too well what this trip may entail, and they may need more than just manpower. Reaching into his back pocket he took out a piece of paper and unfolds it for Alex to see. "Here is a list of things they should bring. They don't need to bring everything in the list, but the most important thing is food. I know the Raevans all feed on different food sources, it would be great if they could bring it with them if it's not readily available."
Drawing in a slow breath, Alex nodded her agreement, eyes flickering to the paper that was procured. Taking it between her fingers, her eyes skimmed the contents as she listened. "Alright. I'll call them all today -- as soon as possible." It had been three weeks. Was her boss even still alive...? Chasing away the thought abrupty, she nodded again. "When should we be ready by? I'll make sure everyone meets here."
It was like Alex was finishing his sentences for him, she picked up on his line of thought pretty quickly. "Tomorrow morning at the break of dawn - 7am. I am arranging for a bus to take us all the way there, it will be a long 8 hour trip and we will reach there late in the afternoon." The elder man paused for a moment, realizing that the time of their arrival would be so close to night. But they don't have a lot of choices at the moment. "Is that possible?" Stern eyes look at Alex for confirmation, he knew this was a little sudden and last minute, but they can only do their best now.
Plucking a pen from her pocket, she quickly jotted down the information on the paper supplied, giving another affirmative nod. "It'll be done." The time get there was almost unimportant by comparison to the task at hand. She wished she had wings to fly there immediately, but she had a responsibility she had to tend to. "Those who can make it, will. And we'll see you at seven, ready to go." With her task given to her, she was set to have it done, leaning in to press a parting kiss to Jeremy's opposite cheek. "Til then." And with a grave expression, she jogged towards her office, preparing for the worst.
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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 8:48 am
Xiu gave a worried glance at his friend beside him. So far, Lazarus had been very silent on the bus and it was distressing to see his friend in such a situation. Gingerly placing his hand over Lazarus's, Xiu gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry," said Xiu quietly to his friend.
A turmoil of emotions was running through Lazarus as the bus made it's way across Gaia, heading due west. Even though Xiu was sitting beside him, it did nothing to calm his nerves at all. He couldn't help but imagine what happened to Kyou, all the terrible scenarios, and what would he do without the man? It was an idea that he once entertained in his mind, but facing a real possibility of it, just seemed so different.
His thoughts were halted when Xiu squeezed his hand. Red eyes snapped back from the rushing view outside and back towards the white Sigel. For a moment, he just pondered his reply as he gazes down at the hand holding his. "Don't be..." He sighed deeply. "It's not your fault."
It was heart wrenching to see Lazarus as dispirited as this. The fire Sigel may not have shown it often but deep down, Lazarus really did care about that absent minded guardian of his. "Cheer up," said Xiu gently, unsure of how to proceed. Usually, it was Lazarus who was the strong one. "Nothing is set in stone yet...,"
But what about the need for weapons? Would that have been included in the inventory if it was going to be a relatively safe search?
Probably not thought Xiu's mind darkly. But then again, it is a forest. Lots of wild animals
"But there are freis and humans with us," said Xiu, speaking his thoughts without meaning to. "Wouldn't that be...dangerous?"
"I don't know." Lazarus replied, shrugging. "It's a search party after all, I suppose the more pairs of eyes, the better." The fire Sigel did seem a little less tense as he spoke to Xiu, talking took his mind off the dark thoughts lurking in his brain. "Kyou is on a fel hunt, there can be many reasons why he's missing. Maybe it's because of the fel essence he was hunting, maybe he accidentally fell into a ravine somewhere, or maybe he just got lost in the jungle." He chuckled softly, trying to make an effort to be funny but it quickly trailed off, since he knew well that it was quite unlikely.
Xiu's eyes widened as Lazarus listed several of the many possibilities that could have befallen Dr. Kyou; many of them matching his own grisly thoughts. Shaking them away, Xiu gave an uneasy chuckle as well. "I have never been into a jungle before, to be honest," said Xiu as he tried to change the subject. "I'm afraid I am really something of a city Raevan...,"
Peering out of the bus, Xiu noted the increase in greenery and the sparseness of of homes. "We are really going out there aren't we?"
Lazarus smiled softly at Xiu, the white Sigel was trying to cheer him up and he is really grateful about it. "You're not a city Raevan. I bet you would feel comfortable at a farm, with fresh air and animals about." He could just imagine it, Xiu sitting in the front porch on a beautiful day reading a book.
Although a forest did sounded a little bit more adventurous than a farm at the moment, Lazarus thought as his gaze too fall onto the view outside. They just passed by a small patch of forest, littered with small houses snuggled within here and there. Three hours had passed since they left Gambino, they should be in the outskirts of Gaia now. "Yeah... and we don't know what we're going to expect out there..." Lazarus said, looking thoughtful. After pausing for a moment, he turned around and look at Xiu again. "I'm not sure if we're even going to be on the same team..."
"We aren't?" said Xiu, visibly shocked at this piece of news. "I thought we picked our own buddies to go forest searching together,"
"We have already been grouped then I take it?" said Xiu as he gave the other passengers a glance. There were several that he knew and several that he did not. Perhaps he would get a chance to talk with them when the bus reached its destination.
"And Lazarus...," said Xiu voicing his concern. "I have no experience in jungle trekking and map reading....have you?,"
Lazarus shook his head sadly when Xiu questioned him. "I overheard Jeremy saying that he's going to separate out the Raevans so that each team will have more or less equal fighting power. And since there are only six Sigels..." He paused for a moment before looking around the bus, scanning with his red eyes and counting quietly. Yeah there's only six of them, including him and Xiu. He sighed again before he spoke. "Yeah our groups are predetermined. I don't know who I'm going to be grouped up yet but I know for sure I'm with Jeremy."
"Don't worry about having no experience." He smiled softly as he put his hand on top of Xiu's this time. "I bet a lot of us here don't have either, but we'll figure something out."
Xiu gave a small frown. "This may seem odd but...who is Jeremy? I have never heard of him before. Well, not before this at any rate. Does he work with Dr. Kyou?"
Then realising that he was probably asking way too many questions, Xiu smiled sheepishly and blushed when Lazarus placed his hand over his. It was a comforting gesture but Xiu really wished that a more solid reply could be given instead of "Figuring something out". That gave a lot of room for the unexpected to happen and the white Sigel did not like that. "I hope Dr. Kyou is found soon without a fuss," said Xiu softly but earnestly.
Oops, Lazarus didn't realized that Xiu had not met Jeremy before. The red Sigel chuckled softly before gesturing towards a man in his early 60s with wavy grey hair at the front seat, dozing off with his hand prepping his face up and elbow as support. "He is one of Kyou's long time friends, he is also the supplier for most of the equipment in the Lab. And he is in charge of this search party. Without him, I... I really don't know what to do..." Lazarus fell quiet for a moment as he looked out the window, recalling the meeting with Jeremy just yesterday.
"I hope so too." He echoed Xiu's sentiments as he turned his head around and glances back at Xiu. "I really do..."
Xiu observed the human Jeremy with some interest. Compared to the Doctor, Jeremy seemed old. Not that he was not a fit old man but...Xiu had envisioned someone closer to Dr. Kyou's age in looks. At any rate, Jeremy was sleeping and that made him less interesting for now.
"Say Lazarus...," said Xiu sheepishly as he gave the bus a quick glance to make sure no one was watching them. "You dislike owing people stuff right? Well...take this," said Xiu suddenly slipping the beaded bracelet off his right hand and passing it to Lazarus. "I read it somewhere that by doing so you would...kind of be obligated to return this to me. Err...once Dr. Kyou is found of course," said Xiu colouring deeply. "Just don't get lost yourself alright?"
For a moment Lazarus just found himself staring at the offered jade beaded bracelet. It was sudden, and totally came from the left field. But it was such a sweet move on Xiu's part that the fire Sigel couldn't help but smiled sincerely - a very rare occurrence under such circumstance. "Thank you." He said as he accepted the bracelet, slipping it easily onto his own wrist. "I will give this back to you once all of this is over, I promise." Gently lifting Xiu's hand up, he placed a gentle kiss onto the back of his hand, not caring if anyone saw them. Xiu seemed to make him feel better somehow, given that the situation is so dire. And this is why he cared so much for the Raevan.
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:20 pm
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:22 pm
The Final Fear
Kyou is found! However he is not in good shape as the whole lot face off with the fearsome eye in the final confrontation.---
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:36 pm
(( Lovely art © Atmadja )) A week had passed, and Kyou had finally been transported back to the Lab. For the past week since they had gotten back from the jungles, everything seemed to had passed in a blur, and yet at the same time, it felt like forever to Lazarus. Watching Kyou laying in bed like that, his hair a contrasting shade of greyish white compared to his previously ebony black. It made his black horns stand out so much. His skin had regained back some of it's pinkish hue, and he doesn't look as emaciated anymore, thanks to advanced medical technologies.
Kyou had spent all of last week in an ICU ward in a pretigious hospital, all thanks to Jeremy's connections. Apparently the hospital chief owed him a favor or something. Kyou had all meanings of machines hooked up to him to try and save his life when he was in there. He had at least two surgeries and like half a dozen of doctors.
Lazarus didn't know what was going on most of the time. He wasn't familiar with most of the medical jargons, he could only piece out bits of information that he could understand when the doctors spoke to him and Jeremy. Dialysis to save his failing kidneys, brain scans to detect brain activity, some machine to help circulate his blood. Most of the medical terms flew right over the Sigel's head. Jeremy had become a medical proxy for Kyou's welfare, although he was gracious enough to try and include him in most of the decision making. Lazarus did not know what to do at all though, he couldn't make any of the decisions because he was so inexperienced.
Because Kyou was in an ICU ward too, visiting hours were extremely limited. Not to mention that only two visitors could enter at a time. When he was in there though, the sight of all the machines hooked to Kyou was still astonishing. There was a bunch of wires that seem to just disappear into his left hand, which was covered with a white towel. Lazarus just couldn't bring himself to see what was underneath.
Of all the times he was in there, he had witnessed Kyou crashed twice, and he had to be rushed out as waves of doctors and nurses rushed in. It was such a terrifying experience, to see Kyou slipping away and he couldn't do anything at all.
He was so totally useless! That feeling was hammered into him mercilessly with the passing of each day.
Friends had came to see him. Some of the injured people from the jungle were admitted to the same hospital as well, so it was only natural for them to visit. However it did nothing to help how he felt. Xiu's words did nothing to soothe his frayed nerves, Alex's hugs did nothing to calm his emotions. Nothing anyone could do could make him feel better, except maybe Kyou waking up.
It's been a week now, and still nothing. Lazarus was grateful at least that the machines Kyou was hooked up to had drastically reduced. And somehow Jeremy was able to convince the doctors to let Kyou be discharged since he's in a stable condition. He was convinced that maybe if Kyou stayed in a more familiar environment, it would help his recovery. Even though they had to make some adjustments to the room since Kyou was still weak and may be prone to infections. There was still a lot of work to do though, especially for the care of a comatose patient. Yes Kyou had been categorized as such, and the doctors had no idea when he would be able to wake up. It could be in a few days, it could be years. So Lazarus had to be prepared for the long run.
All they could do is wait...
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:47 pm
Blossoming Vigil
Melisande came to visit Kyou at the Lab, and it might just be what Lazarus needed.--
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:52 pm
Crawfish Boil. Lazarus was half dragged out by Xiu to join the food festivities, despite his disinterest to be sociable. He did however, discovered that he likes eating crawfish, and he met an interesting character while he's at it.
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:09 pm
Here we go. An arranged meeting from Ethiriel's current and future guardian, to discuss about the transference of guardianship. It was awkward at first but Lazarus and Ethiriel had an unlikely bond in their current condition with their respective guardians.
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:12 pm
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:26 pm
Hidden Secrets
Lazarus's frustration had went to new heights.
And somehow in all the chaos, he managed to find a well hidden secret in the Lab.--
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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:53 pm
It took a while, but Lazarus finally got his hand fully treated and is now wrapped in clean bandage. He is grateful for Xiu's first aid skills, he probably won't be able to do it properly on his own.
The uneasiness had also dissipitated between them, as Lazarus had placed the book back into the niche and shut the wooden closure as best as he could. It was a little troublesome after all to lug it around.
"You haven't been in there isn't it?" Lazarus spoke to Xiu as he placed his hand on the door knob. A soft steady beeping sound could be heard through the door.
Looking visibly relieved that Lazarus was no longer lugging the horrible book around, Xiu followed the other quite willingly. However, the white Sigel paused as Lazarus placed his hand on the door knob. It was the door leading to the Doctor’s private chamber (aka his bedroom).
Xiu shook his head. “No, I’ve never been in there,” said Xiu, suddenly aware of the beeping that was coming from within the room. On television, it did not bother the Sigel but over here, the beeping was ominous.
"Okay, just... be ready okay?" With a soft twist of his wrist Lazarus pushed open the door for Xiu to enter.
The unconscious Kyou laid in the middle of the room on a hospital bed. Machines surrounded him, beeping steadily and showing his stats. His hair was white, and his face pale and thin. If not for the soft raising of his chest, one would have thought he was dead. The room was simply decorated, only the bare essentials. But a vase of pink gerbera daisies sat on the bedside table.
Xiu had thought that the Doctor looked terrible when he had been rescued from the forest but seeing the Doctor like this was much, much worse. Cold machinery surrounded the prone figure and the room was bereft of any life. Save for the vase of pink daisies by the bedside. Briefly Xiu wondered who gave them. But that hardly mattered in the face of the situation before him.
The Doctor was a shell of his former self. Barely living, his body had shrunk and his arms were a little more than bones covered with sickly pale skin. A weak chest struggled to take air into tired lungs.
Xiu could feel his strength leaving him. Had he possessed legs, he would have needed a chair to sit in. This was not the Doctor he remembered. This was… a dead man kept artificially alive.
“Doctor Kyou?” whispered Xiu with dread as he turned to Lazarus, hoping that this was not so. But Lazarus’s grim expression confirmed it.
Lazarus nodded slowly in response. The sight was difficult to take in fully, even he himself who comes into this room everyday to care for Kyou, still find his heart filled with dread whenever he entered.
"In the first week, there were even more machines hooked up to him. Dialysis machines to help his kidneys restore function, and even at one point a machine to help recycle his blood." His brows furrowed at the memory, it was truly awful. Kyou was staying at the ICU of a hospital at that time, and only later when he was more stable that he was discharged and allowed to come home.
Xiu reached out and held Lazarus’s hand. The fiery Sigel’s warmth was reassuring in a room that felt so cold.
“And…you think that the book might…be able to help?” asked Xiu softly, his eyes never leaving the unconscious Doctor. “I am afraid Lazarus. For you and the Doctor if something goes wrong,”
It was a little surprising, but holding Xiu's hand did made him feel a little better, at least for the moment.
He squeezed the white Sigel's hand gently. "I hope so... the other book, it looks like it could be Kyou's journal. Maybe there's something in there that might help." He wasn't sure how the older tome would help, but he'll need to look into it first to see.
"It's almost a year now since that incident..." Lazarus reminiscent. "You've came over quite a few times since then. How come... you never visited Kyou?" Everyone else that came all came to see Kyou, except for the rare occasion like when Jeremy came to settle some bills and other paper work for the Lab.
“I guess…I did not…want to face the reality of the situation,” said Xiu quietly. “I thought…everything would go on as it had been. I’m sorry Lazarus…I have been delusional and…a coward,”
Blue eyes flickered over to the beeping machines. On it were the Doctor’s vital signs but they were as cold and uncaring as stone. They were just that. Numbers measuring one’s physiological function. As though humans were just made of figures that could be calculated and tallied like accounts.
“I can see that…I have been…an a**,” said Xiu looking down. “I would like to help…if you’d let me,”
Lazarus looked away and lets go of Xiu's hand at his words. Admittedly, he was disappointed with Xiu for being so ignorant about the reality and weight of the situation.
"How could you be so ignorant? You were there in the jungle! You saw what that thing was doing to him, what it was doing to us! From a distance nonetheless. And Kyou... he had been laying right underneath it for God knows how long!"
He didn't meant to suddenly explode like that, he thought his emotion was more stable now. But some things are just out of his control, especially in his current state. How could Xiu be so ignorant?! He had thought better of him.
Xiu flinched at Lazarus’s words but no attempt was made to defend himself. How could he? He had let Lazarus down and harsh though those words were, they were also true. The white Sigel could not bring himself to meet Lazarus’s eyes. He was afraid of the disappointment he would see in them.
When the tirade of words had finished, what followed was infinitely worse. In the silence that followed, Xiu would have given anything, anything for someone to break it;- or at least alleviate the suffocating sensation that was threatening to overwhelm him.
The silence was uncomfortable, and Lazarus even found himself trying to calm himself down. However, only images of past memory went through his head.
The fire Sigel had been trying to ignore it before, pay it no heed. But he started to recall instances where Xiu had dismissed things that concern Kyou in the past. He had always had an inkling that the white Sigel did not like Kyou, he just never asked him why, neither did he confirm it with him.
"You hate Kyou don't you?" It was Lazarus that broke the silence.
The question took the white Sigel by surprise and Xiu stared wide eyed at his friend. While “hate” was a very strong word (Xiu would have preferred “not fond of” or maybe even “dislike”), he could not bring himself to deny Lazarus’s statement.
Admittedly he had nothing against the good Doctor but neither did he have anything for the good Doctor either. The ideal situation (for Xiu) would be to have the both of them just minding their own business really.
“I do not 'hate' him,” said Xiu softly and uneasily. “But neither do I love him,”
Those were the words that finally drove Lazarus over the edge. "You don't need to love him to come see him! Don't you have respect for him at least? Like how you respect the elderly? Do you think every single one of them that came to see him really deeply cared for him?" Lazarus shouted as he floated closer to the white Sigel with every demanding question. It was a blessing that Kyou is oblivious to all of this.
"He!" The Sigel pointed a finger at the unconscious man as he continued. "He made you! He made all of us! Without him, you and I won't ever exist. Don't you have an inkling of respect for him? Are you ever thankful for him?"
“I am thankful for what he did and I do respect him!” shouted Xiu with exasperation in his voice. “But he scares me as well! “
The white Sigel then looked as though he had wanted to say something more but held back. How could he possibly tell Lazarus that he had bitten the Doctor once and...that the Doctor’s blood was tainted and foul tasting? And the fact that Dr. Kyou knew several dark arts that could make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
But as he looked back now, those were his views as a frei. The world had been so much simpler then. Grey areas were not commonplace for one thing; good was good and bad was bad. That was just it. Nothing more.
Lazarus knew what Xiu said to be the truth, if he had any calm, logic thoughts right now, he would remember that Xiu is terrible at lying. But rage can be blinding, and he saw nothing but lies in Xiu's words.
"Liar!" The fire Sigel accused Xiu with a finger pointed at him. "You're lying! Actions speak louder than words! Kyou had been here a whole year, A WHOLE YEAR! And you never stepped foot in this room before today. You're my boyfriend, how could you do this??Whatever he did to you to deserve this?!"
With a loud cry he swung his fist once more, and it looked like Xiu was going to get hit, but the bandaged fist barely touched the white Sigel as it hit the wall behind Xiu. Without noticing, they had inched all the way back to the wall right next to the door.
As the fist swung towards him, Xiu braced himself for the impact. But the impact never came. Instead, the wall behind him took on the full brunt of Lazarus’s anger.
There was a fist sized hole in the wall.
“Lazarus...,” Xiu’s voice was shaky but his gaze was firm as he stared at his friend. “That is...the second time you have almost hurt me. I do not...want to try for a third,”
“Now...can we...perhaps try to be calm about this?” asked Xiu warily. Having your head nearly smashed in would no doubt make anyone nervous and Xiu was no exception. With his heart thudding loudly in his chest (and no doubt feeling deliriously suicidal), Xiu endeavoured to press on.
“I’m sorry Lazarus. Sorry that I was not up to your ....expectations. I am sorry that I have let you and the Doctor down,” said Xiu as he tried his best to keep his emotions under control. “But I-,”
"Stop talking." Lazarus said suddenly, cutting Xiu off. His whole body is shaking as he seethed with uncontrollable anger. Calm is the furthest state he is from at this very moment. "Just leave..." Was all the red Sigel could manage as he pulled himself off of Xiu, his flaming red eyes looking away. His bandaged hand still balled in a fist, and blood had even managed to seep through the bandage a little bit.
Lazarus knew this emotion well, it was what he felt like sometimes when he was still an ignorant Frei. This uncontrollable anger is what blew up the Lab once before, and now... he had nearly hurt Xiu. He was afraid that if Xiu stayed any longer, he would not be able to control himself.
"JUST GO!!"
Xiu stared at his friend. The intense fire was back in Lazarus’s eyes and the white Sigel could feel heat radiating off the fiery one. At this point in time, Lazarus felt like a time bomb waiting to explode. There were times in one’s life when one knew exactly what had to be done.
So when the command “JUST GO!!” was screamed at him in a voice so unlike the Raevan he had grown to love, the white Sigel did not need further prompting.
Backing off (with as much control as he could muster), Xiu cast one last worried glance at his friend and the unconscious Doctor.
There was a click of the door.
Then silence
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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:06 pm
Taking a sip of the tea, he looked at the items placed before him on the coffee table. Where should he start? Although the choice is rather obvious as he ran his hand along the gold gilded cover of the summoning tome once more. With a lack of a better word, the book just seemed to summon his attention.
Cautiously he pulled the thick book towards him and flipped it open. Introduction, publisher's note. It was published in the mid 1800s, and only 10 copies of the book was ever printed. Lazarus glazed through the paragraphs and flipped the pages. Content - And here the Sigel had to hold his breath as his eyes went down the list. Some of the names he don't recognize, but some he does. He had seen or heard of them from TV shows about the supernatural or even some documentaries about the occult. Amaymon, Barbatos, Forneus and Moloch are among the names that he recognized.
They could be summoned??!
Momentarily, Lazarus had to lift his hands from the book. Is this for real? Suddenly the book seemed so much more paramount than before. This is some serious s**t! There are about twenty names of demons on the list, and not just any demons, all of them are named demons. And all of them could be summoned?! He felt a little light headed as he looked down that list again, and saw a small tick right next to one of the names - Sarat.
Who the heck is that?! Lazarus had never heard of the name before. Well, it's easy enough to find out who that is, as it is only a few page flips away. Checking the page number, Lazarus began to flip the pages, glancing through the other pages too while he's at it. The book was like a small demonology encyclopedia as well, not only did it detail the rituals and ingredients needed to summon the demons, it introduced the demons themselves in length too. Lazarus had to stop and wonder for a moment, if all of these rituals really work, then did the writer of the book summoned all of these demons to get all these details for the book?
It didn't take long for Lazarus to reach the page he was looking for, as the page was dog eared, presumably by Kyou.
"Sarat - The Demon of Knowledge"
"In demonology, Sarat is a duke of Hell. He has thirty demons under his rule, and is the holder of knowledge. He can take many forms, sometimes even as the form of an angel. It is said that Quetzalcoatl, the God of Wisdom in Aztec mythology, as well as Omoikane, the Shinto Goddess of wisdom and intelligence, are actually Sarat. He had assumed so many forms that most had forgotten what his real name was. No matter what form he assumes though, he retained his violet colored eyes. Sarat is known as a collector of sorts."
The article about Sarat goes on for a few pages. What interested Lazarus more however, were the notes made on the side of the pages, beside the texts and pictures. They were Kyou's handwriting for sure, just a little neater than how they are now. There were everywhere around Sarat's pages, unlike the other demons. He had only glanced a few notes in the other demons' pages. What had made Kyou so interested in Sarat?
As Lazarus reached the last page of Sarat's biography, he noted the word 'Answers' written with red pen at the corner of the page, it was circled as well to emphasize it. The Sigel traced his fingers along the word thoughtfully. Is this the sign he was looking for? Will he find the answers to his questions with Sarat?
The next pages detailed the ritual to summon Sarat, as well as the ingredients needed. It seemed more and more likely that Kyou actually did the summoning many years back, as indicated by the notes he made in the book. Lazarus don't remember Kyou doing anything so elaborate, so this must be before he was born, before all of the Raevans were born. The horns, pointed ears and yellow eyes that Kyou has, he used to joke that he was half demon, but Lazarus vaguely remember seeing an older photo of Kyou without them, he had greyish blue eyes back then. Could they be from a deal that he made with Sarat? A deal with a devil, that seemed ominous...
Red eyes glanced at the brown leather journal sitting not very far from him. If both of these were placed together in the secret niche, it means they probably go together. Bringing it over, he placed it beside the summoning tome and untied the leather strap wrapped around it. Inside were old yellowed tattered pages, showing their age. However the writing seemed more recent than the pages themselves. Lazarus's initial instincts were right, this is Kyou's journal. As he flipped through the loosely binded pages, he glazed over the notes really quickly. Personal thoughts on the demons, scribbling and quotes from outside resources, even some pretty detailed drawings as well, littered the entire journal. Towards the middle, it also detailed his steps in summoning Sarat.
So this confirms it, Kyou did summon Sarat. Taking a deep breath, Lazarus leaned back into the couch. He had to take his eyes off of the books for a moment, to organize his thoughts and process the knowledge he just acquired. It was a little too much to take in. He always knew that Kyou was into dark arts, but he didn't know this was how far in he was! Drawing in another deep breath, he shut his eyes for a moment, but all he see is the word 'Answers' circled in red. Slowly he opened them once more, staring at the ceiling above him. If Kyou found the answers to his questions from Sarat, maybe he could too. A way to save Kyou, that was all he wanted to know. Sarat will probably want something from him, to make an equal deal. It doesn't matter, as long as it doesn't entail hurting others, he would gladly get hurt himself to save Kyou. And if it doesn't work out? If the deal can't go through...? Lazarus shook his head at the thought. He knew it was a possibility, but there really isn't anything else he could do now. He could only move forward... he has to summon Sarat.
The idea itself seemed impossible, overwhelming even, but according to the book it is possible. He just needed to follow all the instructions precisely. The first step is obviously to collect all the ingredients needed. Looking down the thankfully not too long list, he began plotting on ways to get them. "Black candles, I could probably get those from the internet." He muttered to himself. However, the other items will probably be a bit more trickier to acquire.
He could probably get some of these from Jeremy if he asked, but he don't want to. This is something that he must do himself, he don't want anyone else to know what he will be doing. This will be reckless, and he can't let others know about it, especially not his friends. They will probably try to stop him.
He must do this alone.
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 7:05 pm
Lazarus lingered at the back of the tour group, behind a pair of old couple as the tour lady went on in front. It was just his luck that there is a botanical garden in Barton West that had a 'Dangerous Plants of the Occult' exhibition corner. Because he is looking for one - An Acacia tree. The bark of an Acacia tree to be exact. It is one of the ingredients needed for the summoning ritual for Sarat.
The Sigel did his research online. Apparently in Egyptian mythology, the Acacia tree is a tree of life. It had also been mentioned in the bible a couple of times. Several parts of the tree like the bark, root or resin are commonly used as incense in rituals. And the smoke is thought to keep demons and ghosts away. With the knowledge of the latter part though, Lazarus had to wonder why is this one of the vital ingredients for the ritual? Since Sarat is a demon after all? Unless he is not? At least not really? It wasn't mentioned further in other writings, not even in Kyou's journal. So he just had to collect a bark of an Acacia tree without further questions.
Since Acacia trees are indigenous to Australia and selected parts of South Eastern Asia, Lazarus had to get creative to find one. Botanical gardens was his first thought. Since most botanical gardens label the plants as well, so it would make his life easier. He didn't need to worry about getting the wrong tree. He just need to figure out a way to scrap a bark off without the tour guide lady noticing.
"Here is a garden of Atropa Belladona, or more commonly known as 'deadly nightshade'. It, along with opium poppy, poison hemlock and other poisonous plants were believed to be used by witches for a 'flying ointment'. It was said that witches were able to fly to Sabbath on their brooms with the help of the ointment."
Lazarus followed the tour with mild interest. Trying to blend in with the crowd as they examined the various interesting and dangerous plants. Although it was difficult for him to do so because of how he looked. With his large red horns and wings, especially in this group of tourists that seemed to be mostly composed of the elderly, he just stood out like a red sore thumb. The tour guide lady still threw some glances at him once in a while even when he tried to stay hidden behind the group. All this talk of the occult and demonic subjects, it just doesn't help that he looks like a demon and seemed to belong. At this rate, it will be difficult for him to get the tree bark without anyone noticing.
"Now that concludes the tour for the Occult Garden. We shall head through the tunnel to the other part of our tour - The Occult Forest." The lady said in her loud and clear voice. Lazarus couldn't help but notice that she looked in his direction again. He could only fold his wings tightly and tried to look small.
The Occult Forest, if anything, there should be trees there right? So far he had only seen small bushes in the exhibition. He followed behind the elderly couple once more as they marched into the tunnel, which seemed to be lined and cladded in crawling ivy. It is really beautiful and cooling really. Under different circumstances, Lazarus might actually enjoy the visit with a friend or two.
The elderly couple laughed and turned around to look at Lazarus as they walked. "Are you the mascot of the tour?" The man asked with a grin, showing only a handful of teeth left in his mouth. Lazarus could only stare blankly with his red eyes at them. "Because this is an exhibition of the occult, and you seemed to look the part." Said the old lady with a pleasant smile. Then gingerly, she reached forwards to touch his horns. Instead of denying it and running away, the Sigel actually dipped his head a little so the lady could reach them. "Very nice costume!" She said with a soft giggle as she pets Lazarus's head. "Good job!"
Lazarus just smiled politely at the elderly couple. "Come on, keep up. Else she's going to left you behind!" He urged the couple gently as he pointed at the group that had walked a distance away now. The elderly couple just let out a soft 'oh' as they began to catch up with a shuffling of their feet.
He didn't know why he didn't say no, perhaps he never had the chance to, or maybe he just didn't want to ruin the elderly couple's vacation. Anyway, it might be good if they think he's staff. If they caught him scraping away barks from a tree, they probably wouldn't think twice about it.
The tunnel was longer than expected, and it seemed even dimmer as they reached the end of it. "Welcome to the Occult Forest. Here we have trees from all over the world that has some occult relations." The lady spoke to the group as they stopped just right outside the tunnel. Lazarus stayed in the shadows of the tunnel to keep out of sight. "The small trees lining the walkway are sandalwood trees. You may know it's usage for fragrances and expensive furniture, but did you know that it is an integral part of Hinduism? In Hinduism and Ayurveda, sandalwood is thought to bring one closer to the divine. Sandalwood paste are only made by the priests of temples, and are usually apply to devotees on their foreheads, necks and chests during religious occasions." Lazarus just looked at the trees as she explained. They were only about 10 foot tall, young trees nonetheless. Red eyes scanned the rest of the area for the tree that he is looking for. Since this is a themed exhibition, and the botanical garden haven't been here for too long, the Acacia tree he is looking for should be a young tree too.
"Now follow me this way." The lady spoke as she led the group along, only stopping when they reached a large tree with a wide top, casting a large shade as everyone stood underneath it. The tree must be about 30 to 40 foot tall as Lazarus looked up. It was then that he realized...
"This is one of the oldest trees in the botanical garden!" She exclaimed, even seemed genuinely proud. "This is an Acacia tree. Believe it or not, even though Acacia trees are not indigenous to Gaia, this tree was here even before the botanical garden was. The Acacia is used as a symbol in Freemasonry. It represents purity and endurance of the soul, and as funerary symbolism signifying resurrection and immortality. In India, Nepal, China and Tibetan region, the smoke from the incense is thought to keep demons and ghosts away too."
Lazarus did not even need to listen to her explanation as he slowly approached the tree. Sure enough, a small placard labeled Acacia erioloba was nailed to the tree. He had found what he was looking for! Now he just need to get a bark from the tree.
Glancing towards the front of the tour, he noticed that the tour guide lady was looking at him again as she tells more lores of the tree. He just had to be patient and wait till the tour moved on to make his move.
He didn't have to wait long as the lady led the group away. Quietly he stayed back and hid in the shadows of the Acacia tree, it was easy for him since he don't have legs. However he still need to be aware of his body parts that are sticking out, like his horns and wings. Swiftly he pulled out a pocket knife from his jacket pocket, and began stabbing it into the crevices of the bark to try to loosen a piece. He didn't know how much he needed, but he figured however much he could get would do. While he's at it, he didn't forget to keep an eye on the tour that had stopped in front of some other trees. The Sigel just need to make sure he was not seen as he tried to pry a piece of bark off. It took some effort, but he managed to pry off a piece of bark that was about the length of his hand, and two inches wide. "This should be enough." He muttered to himself as he slipped it and the knife back into his pockets. Then casually he rejoined the tour group as they continued to move on.
"Where did you went young man?" The elderly lady inquired as Lazarus caught up behind them. "I didn't see you in front of the cedar tree just now."
"Oh, I thought I saw some rubbish near the Acacia tree just now, so I went to pick it up and threw it away." Lazarus replied casually with his hands in his jacket pockets, feeling the bark of the Acacia tree on his finger tips.
"Such a good boy." She said with a smile. "How long more till the tour ends hmm?"
"Oh not long I bet." He replied as they continued on the tour, rejoining the group from the back. "Not long."
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