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 Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:31 pm
Damn it all. I really don't want to.
Whine, b***h moan. There wasn't anything he could do then. Suppressing another shiver, he stepped through the door. The smell of food was tempting, and it wasn't like they had anywhere to go. The cabin had doors, maybe that was it?-- Nah, too easy.
Altar glanced around, noting the new surroundings. Where the portal closed behind him began a dense forest, in front was a lake silhouetted by a rolling mountain. From what he can see, they were in something of a valley-- the meadow began to his left, and to his right was the cabin. It was quiet here, but the birds were singing so they were probably not the threat this time around. It looked to be morning, from the position of the sun.
Sparing one last look at Rayne, Altar set his jaw and headed towards the wooden cottage. As he neared, the aroma of fresh food was enough to make him dizzy. When his stomach growled, the heir remembered that he hadn't even had lunch. How long ago that seemed.
Out of habit, the man knocked on the door. When there was no response, he tried once more before simply trying the doorknob.
Altar wasn't too surprised when the door swung open easily, revealing a long table beset with every type of food imaginable. But it was odd, for how small the building looked on the outside.
Still, it was deceptively inviting. Even after the sharp shock to his system, Altar was tempted to just sit down and eat. There was no point to refrain if he was going to either starve to death or be frightened to death, right?
"Hansel and Gretel?"
The title slipped out before the heir had time to think it over, asked as a half question though he already knew the answer.
Or at least, suspected he knew the answer.
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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:55 pm
Rayne felt his senses heighten as he stepped through the door. He scanned the room with careful eyes and curiousity, he wasn't letting his guard down for even a second, he couldn't afford it. At the moment, he felt a bit worn, we was lucky to not get injured in the last room, if he did, while knowing it was only the beginning of the maze, he would have lost a lot of hope. He didn't mean to be cruel but he wasn't yet certain if he could fully depend on the human physically, emotionally he could, though, he wasn't mentally prepared enough to go at such things on his own. It didn't matter what his upbringing was, even he could fear death at times. Even he could fear solitude.
He disliked the fact he was covered in blood, it made him seem ghastly and almost savage. He was only half glad to smell the food overwhelming the stench, as a result, but it only made him feel a bit hungry. He didn't eat as much as humans did, their bodies and requirements weren't the same but he'd rather not feel like he needed to eat. He looked over at Altar who seemed to want to eat the grand display laid out on the table but he was hesitant to give the 'go ahead'. Who knew what strange things could happen if they consumed anything, it was a dangerous and untrustworthy place after all.
Rayne cocked an eyebrow at the other as he blurted out a title and he gave it some thought "It's possible but it's not exactly a gingerbread house, but if it were the case then... the witch would be our barrier between us and the door. She should be here somewhere then. Be careful." He stated but the boy probably already knew it and was already fully cautious to begin with.
"... God I hate this place. It's as fun as Azrael asking me to do on 'adventures' in his library to find undiscovered rooms. Life-threatening adventures to be more precise." He snorted as he traced his finger along a table "It's really clean in here."
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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:26 pm
"Well...."
If Altar had sensed any of Rayne's thoughts, he wasn't showing it. Either he chose to ignore it, or he simply couldn't stand the thought that the person he relied on was invincible. He didn't know the full extent of the demon's powers and at times it was better that way. He could still lie to himself.
"That's not the only title with a cottage in the woods, agreeably. Snow white, though there doesn't seem to be any dwarves or a girl."
Girls were easy. Demonic girls? He wasn't sure of. Demonic dwarves, however, reminded him of their last room and an involuntary twitch ran down the length of his body.
"Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pi--... No, wait. That one doesn't really make sense. There's a lot of grim fairytales with this kind of scenerio. Not likely to know which one."
Heh. The Little Mermaid.
Altar glanced out the window to the lake outside. It wouldn't really be hard to think that they had landed in that story in any stretch of imagination. But how scary would demonic fish things be?
Unless they came up at ********, everything came up at night.
"Yeah, it is."
The man frowned, going to turn on the tap. To his surprise, water ran-- at least what looked like water. Poking one finger in, Altar began to wash his hands and face when the liquid didn't eat his flesh.
"Ink does that? Doesn't look like the type.-- What's so bad about finding rooms?" And more obviously, how were there still rooms to be discovered?
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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:49 pm
"Brother's Grim, huh?" Rayne had said but it really wasn't a question, it sounded more or less like he was just musing to himself as he began to wander about the room. He didn't walk off far from Altar, as if expecting something to suddenly happen. Something that might separate them or just... well, unexpected. Not that being there was unexpected enough.
"Well, it's not so much as bad thing and it's more or less a tiring task. The library is sort of a mysterious thing, it's been standing for as long as anyone can remember. There are a line of masters who take over the building, each one with a disciple and every one of them are quite powerful despite being just a bookkeeper. Of course, it's a given that they need to be strong.
"The thing is, being the bookkeeper of the library requires that you have the ability to defend, the library can protect itself in many ways but it has its limits. The books in there come in all sorts, some are harmless unless given to the wrong people as there are many, many books in there with important information. With it, you might even be able to conquer worlds or find things that you shouldn't know about, but if you did, it could make you potentially dangerous. People seek power, naturally, it doesn't where you're from.
"Anyways, there are a lot of hidden rooms and ancient rooms filled with books but are so buried beneath the infinte amount of floors and passageways that a lot of them have gotten lost overtime. Azrael isn't someone cruel enough to send a person who's not capable of the task and he's aware of the fact I can live quite well on my own. As a result, he sends me around while he takes care of the library, it wouldn't do if someone came barging in and he had to do something about them but was hundreds of feet below the ground and days away. You'd think he'd let me protect the library but... it's hard for me to admit but he's much stronger than I am." Rayne explained, taking a deep breath in and sighing "That man is rather complex. Even I don't fully understand him."
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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:16 pm
"Yeah."
Altar fell silent as Rayne began his explanation, pacing around the table like a hungry lion behind an invisible cage. At length, he would pick up a small grape, then set it back down. Indecisive and a little wary of the consequences if he ate. But his stomach was beginning to hurt.
Half way through, the man finally caved and picked up another grape, popping it in his mouth. As he chewed and swallowed, his gut began to knot itself together in anticipation.
....-- Then nothing. There were no ill effects as far as the mortal was concerned. At least not immediately.
Deciding he had already pretty much kissed the Devil, Altar began to really start to eat then, avoiding the larger portions and merely taking bits and pieces from what plates he could reach.
As Rayne finished, the heir nodded slightly in acknowledgement, quiet for a moment as he searched for his words. That was actually an interesting tidbit of news-- he had felt that the library was something more than it appeared when he entered, but Altar had always thought there were simply five floors and that was that.
"Wait... So if Ink has to defend the library, what's he defending against? Something stronger than you?"
Wrinkling up his nose, Altar picked up a glass and poured himself some tea-- or what seemed to be tea. He downed the glass before looking at his companion, ignoring the scathing heat that all but completely burned his taste buds.
"Does something like that exist on Earth? I mean theoretically, you shouldn't be here-- there either. It's only because Ink summoned you, right? Are there others that do that weird summoning thing too?"
Which begged the other question. If there were books that were so important, why didn't the librarian just make the entire building private rather than opening sections to the public?
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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:04 pm
"Guessing from the way you're speaking of the dangers... you probably haven't figured out that the library doesn't technically exist on Earth." Rayne had said, looking at Altar and at first looking alarmed as he realized the human had put something in his mouth, but soon relaxed as nothing happened. "Technically, the library exists in an empty space, in the center, or rather between all of the existing worlds. The library can't be seen by everyone and it only shows itself to certain people it decides doesn't pose a viable threat. Every now and then, though, some find a way in, to be exact, they break the barrier and let themselves in uninvited.
"It's strange but the library is basically alive and feels things. It's mischievous and can be a petty but Azrael takes care of it well. Anyhow, the fact is that powerful beings exist in other worlds, that are similar to ours yet very different. I don't belong in the library mostly because I'm someone who comes from a different world that is sort of like... a sub-section to your world only because in your dimension, Hell, is a factor in religion, but is still an existing realm on it's own. When people die from your world, they are transported into three different types of worlds: Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. All three of these places are separated but beings who exist in all three can freely go to each world on their own accord as long as their of high-standing, so that would include. Heaven and Hell are opposing existences so we've fought a lot with each other, but we've pretty much come to agree that we disagree. The main reason we've fought is more or less for territory, like conquering the world, sort of.
"Azrael pulled me out of my world through archaic incantations that were created by humans from your world. The only beings I can really think of who would be more powerful than I and would bother to attack the library would be the king of Hell. Other than that, I doubt the high angels or their Lord would bother declaring war against Azrael.
"Now, there's a sub-level to the library that no one touches and it's where the more important books are archived in. Otherwise, there are a few that are not in there but only because they choose their readers. For some reason, this book ended up finding you, but it's not the same kind of classified the others are." Rayned paused and looked over at Altar "You shouldn't eat too much, just in case."
"I hadn't been summoned many times. There are a lot of people who do it but you need the power to do it. If you actually manage to summon a powerful demon but they're stronger than you and only came to indulge you, they'll most likely kill you. Low level demons tend to get summoned by people who do the practice, not so much anymore but it used to happen a lot. I've only been summoned twice, the first was a green-horn and had no idea what he was doing. Died from a heart attack during the summoning. The second, eh, not so bad, asked me to help him conquer his enemies and got killed in the end. The third is Azrael."
Turning, he quickly washed his face before turning back and giving his head a quick shake "Anyways, we need to get some rest sooner or later. I'm not sure what we're supposed to do yet but we need to start finding answers."
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Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:31 pm
Wonderful. I'd rather return to attracting the ladies than malicious books, thank you very much.
Letting the thought fly through his mind, the man half shrugged. He took his time eating, letting the food chase back the pangs of pain and the slightly floating feeling he had begun to acquire earlier. Altar, unlike most people, wasn't a glutton. He went through all the recommended rituals unconsciously-- drinking water first and frequently as he ate, never taking more when he was lightly satiated. It had probably been trained into his body from a young age.
"So all of it exists? Heaven, Hell, and purgatory. Though from what you say, I guess Jesus doesn't, haha..."
Well, that just simply confirmed his theories. He had always believed in the existence of the three planes, just never really thought about them as separate worlds of their own. Only what he had been taught.
Unlike his parents, however, Altar rejected the idea of God's son and the general idea that there was anyone on the higher plane that bothered to listen to him. After all, what he couldn't hear-- the heir simply didn't believe in.
Well, it was kind of disheartening to know that he wouldn't ever acquire any greater powers than what he had now. Even if he could use it as an excuse to not do anything on this... 'trip', Altar's pride was beginning to rip at him again.
"Eh... If this stuff is going to kill me, it's already too late. Mine as well be full."
Altar did stop eating, however. He was already full by the time the demon chided him.
Going to wash his hands, the heir looked over at his companion, studying him clearly for the first time in the gentle light. Rayne certainly didn't look too much like a demon-- let alone a noble. Altar had always assumed that demons would be... Well, taller. More intimidating in appearance.
But there was no mistaking that aura of power and from the display he had seen it earlier, it wasn't just a feeling.
"Yeah... Looks like there's a staircase that leads upstairs."
From where he stood, the man could see it clearly. Though from where the other was, it was probably hard to see the narrow case. Altar pointed to illustrate.
"Might be beds there. Should we alternate? This place doesn't feel that bad, but having one of us awake might be better."
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:56 pm
"Well, that is what I just explained." Rayne had said, half-muttering the phrase before jumping back into the conversation "Oh well, more than half of the Bible is made up. The ruler of heaven never did create Earth by himself. It's the creation of some 'all-powerful' entities who decided to have a bit of fun and create a world on their own. The universe came first, however and than your world was born in some point in time due to 'scientific causes'. Any 'heavenly' apparitions or 'demonic' influences were just people from either three worlds messing around."
"Anyways, messing with demons is a messy and sometimes risky business. It's not something should dabble in, really. There have been problems, before, and none of them have turned out well. There used to be a lot of powerful people who existed on Earth at one point and they messed around with 'magic' a lot. Was a troublesome time, especially for demons being called all over the place when we were having disputes with Heaven. We came to an agreement in the end but it was a tough battle." He sighed "Heaven is not really what people imagine it to be. Yeah, it's hell of a lot more graceful and peaceful looking, but angels tend to be really... they're stiffs, simply put. Elitists, if you prefer such a term, they're kind of like that." He snorted and glanced over in Altar's direction.
"Well, it doesn't seem to be affecting you, so it should be alright. Try to be more careful, though." He looked towards the staircase at this point and shrugged "Sure. Might as well. Would you like to sleep first or shall I, if there is one."
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:20 pm
Altar merely shrugged and nodded at the rest of the explanations. Stuff that he had theorized, merely confirmed. Well, it was good to know at least. That he was right for once and his parents tended to be slightly delusional at times. But whatever made them happy and move on with life.
"Haha.. Well, if they're anything like the Bible describes in appearances, I can't really blame them for being elitists."
Hell, weren't they alike in that aspect? They certainly weren't humble.
At length, the man began to head upstairs, taking note of the narrow stairway but it wasn't as steep as it looked. He could probably jump the entire top story to bottom without breaking a leg.
"Yeah, you say that, but it's not really possible to be careful. Everything's potentially dangerous, you and I both know that now. So either I cope with my basic mortal necessities and die being mauled apart by all things grisly from Hell, or I deny myself and die that way."
Wasn't exactly his most pleasant of choices. At least there was a slight chance of surviving if he went with the former.
Opening the door at the top of the stairs, Altar peered inside. When he was met with a still room, the heir stepped inside.
There were two beds, seeming untouched and well made with white sheets. It seemed to have been set up specifically for them-- which in itself was weird.
There was a nightstand between the two beds, a window on the opposite end of the room and a wardrobe to the left. All were made of wood, and aside from the white bed sheets and the lamp shade, there was really no other fabric or even a touch of colour. There weren't even curtains over the window.
While simple, the room didn't seem to emit any sort of haunting feel, for which Altar was eternally grateful.
"Doesn't matter. We're both pretty exhausted. .......... Aren't you?"
Altar would imagine so, being that he had been the one sitting stupefied for their entire trip while Rayne did all the work.
Shuffling, the man made his way to the far bed and took a seat, turning around to look at the demon.
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Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:48 pm
Rayne shrugged "Well, in a way there are some things to be envious of about Heaven, their world is far more beautiful for one. The rules in each world are basically the same but Hell is a lot more unforgiving to traitors, but we're more lax when it comes to regulations. We've got a lot of backstabbers in our world while Heaven is a supposedly 'virtuous' place, at least, more so than where I came from. The motto in the underworld is very much 'Survival of the fittest' and it's never easy, always having to watch your back. There's always someone after your position if you're a higher-up, always someone after you. You don't really have the option to trust others." He followed Altar up the stairs and sighed "I complain about it, but in some ways I'm rather relieved that I could get away from priorities. Until I came here, I've never known what it was like to trust those I didn't know well."
Rayne pursed his lips as he stopped to listen and he rolled his eyes "Whatever you want, I suppose. However, I did say I'd do whatever I could to get us both out alive."
The two of them made it to the room and despite its eeriness of how it seemed to be designed specifically for their arrival, he felt no ill intention. He relaxed a bit, but his guard was still up, he felt unsettled. Despite the fact he was keeping his cool, his insides were turning and for once, he wished he were back in the library organizing books and chasing mischievous children down.
He watched as Altar settled onto one of the beds and he himself was a bit tempted but he felt restless. It irked him a bit since he felt like some sort of guard dog trying to protect his master but he still didn't want to sleep unless it was with one eye open.
"I... don't need to sleep. Don't worry about me, just rest as much as you like." He said, his voice becoming quiet. He turned his body, sitting on the other bed "You must be exhausted, this day.... is most definitely stressful. So feel free to rest, I'm alright."
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