The Bone Wastes

[A Name of Power]

A relatively calm day had passed nearly to in to the next without any hold up. But then something did happen. Tilting her head, she quickly understood about where the feeling had come from and found it quite odd that there would be anything originating from that place. Silently she appeared in the Bone Wastes, the first time she had been there in many, many years. Her delicate appearance, matched perfectly in blue and white from head to toe, looked very unnatural there, being the most colorful thing for quite some distance. Keeping a healthy amount of space between herself and where she believed she sensed something happening, she observed. The only movement for the time was the wind, pushing her hair and dress and whatever dirt and left over debris from fallen plant life that was still present here around.  

[Lord Yawgmoth]

It wasn't too soon after the delicate woman in the blue and white garments appeared that a thick oil like black liquid starting crawling across the bone wastes. A preferred method of travel for a certain trouble maker. After all, it required less energy than planeshifting and was faster than any run speed. The mass of black oil paused next to the girl before it began to bubble upon itself forming the liquid silhouette of a man. Soon it became a solid.

The figure of a tired Yawgmoth who had been woken up by the pulse having been lazing around Ziven's home most of the day like usual. He ran his hand through his hair, gave her a bit of a smile and without saying a word started walking towards the crater where Luminoth had landed so many years ago, where the signal that pulsed out had come from. Probably, not the smartest thing the titan ever did.  

[A Name of Power]

It was no surprise that he would be here too. Part of her was surprised that she arrived here first, though she realized also that it was likely due to the fact that she was already awake. Her eyes moved to look to him for just a moment, almost as if she believed whatever she felt would disappear forever if she took her gaze from that spot. "I had partly wondered if it was my imagination." she said softly, returning her calm gaze to the area before them. Gentile and patient as always, she recognized the foreign energy and would not interfere with her husband.  

[Lord Yawgmoth]

"We're surprised you felt it. We don't know why" he said nearing the edge of the crater. "But it gave the strange sensation that it was meant for us. We think it might be a trap. To lure us out into a barren land by one of our old enemies. So with that in mind my dear, please be on your watch." he said sliding down into the deep crater searching for something or someone to figure out what had caused the mysterious pulse of power that had called the two of them to the bone wastes this day.  

[A Name of Power]

"The desire that what you believe only you know .. it is both tremendous and a bit .. intoxicating, to think something is only for you or by you. As I am something of a chameleon of magic .. I tend to know all, even though I may not understand." she said softly, looking a bit apologetic for being the way she was. Nodding her head just a bit, she agreed. "Aye, I will remain here, My Love."  

[Lord Yawgmoth]

He smirked slightly at her words and turned back to the crater as his crimson eyes began to scan for things. The white crystalline object half sticking out of the sand was easy to spot amongst the dull gray left by years of drought and dead soil. "Come closer. Take a look. You're the book worm, maybe you know what this is" he teased as he reached down to pick up the crystal.

The object however, had other plans. It reacted to his presence and jumped out of the stand launching itself between his breast stabbing him in the chest. Normally, being stabbed by an object didn't really phase Yawgmoth as much as it would some others. This time however, it started to leak some kind of weird energy through him that caused him to seize violently on the ground. The energy stopped but the damage was done. The titan stood up and jerked the object out of his chest casting it aside. He held his hand up to the wound which had already begun to close slightly. "The ********>" he said before doubling over and vomitting. However, he didn't vomit normal stomach contents.

He began to vomit up a white film that instead of pouring onto the ground defied gravity and smashed back onto his face and neck. The same substance began to pour from his eyes, nostrils and ears coating his head and upper body in it. He twisted and turned but no avail. The substance eventually coated his entire body and then began to harden in the presence of the air encasing him in some sort of filmy cocoon.  

[A Name of Power]

Gasping with shock, she took a step closer, then hesitated for a moment before going to him. Kneeling beside him, she watched with terrified eyes as the process completed. There was nothing she could do to stop this. Realizing this was some sort of cocoon, she wondered if she should try to break him out of it .. but soon decided that it could harm him if interrupted. "What do I do?" she asked softly, helplessly, knowing there would not be an answer. After a few minutes of quiet, she summoned the gem over to her, touching it for a moment, wishing it had answers for her. Convinced there were no answers, she lay it on top of her husband and the cocoon, readying herself to wait. Many thoughts flooded through her mind, mostly wondering how long he may be like this and would he still be himself when he was able to be freed.  

[Lord Yawgmoth]

A few moments after she placed the crystal atop the cacoon of the hardened white cocoon it stood upright and started to spin. Another eerie glow came from it before it rose up into the air a few feet. It began to spin violently and then slammed back down ontop of the cocoon like a drill splitting the shell in two. It fell back to the ground lifeless as it had been before today.

With the shell broken the incomplete form of Yawgmoth was now visible. He had pale bone white skin, a completely oddity as his skin even in his most dire transformations was always darker or blacker not lighter. His head was smooth and skull like. Two bone like horns grew from the sides of his head and pointed upward and forward. Even his tail had a thicker bone white coloring to it. He turned around to face her revealing his face was mostly skeletal like. Sunken eye sockets without eyes. No nose to speak of although, he had no nose hole like typical skulls instead it was a flat smooth white surface and his jaws had no real 'flesh' about them so she could see all of his sharp teeth from every side. Strangely his lower jaw had some kind of flesh or bone under it so his tongue didn't dangle between the lower jawbones. He moved his face able to make expressions, curious at first then angry. It was clear that no matter how skull like his face looked in this form it was not bone. Bone couldn't bend to form those narrowed hallow eyes and sneer.

A loud screeching roar that sounded of a piercing wraith's cry breached the air and 'yawgmoth' moved making a series of quick zig zags that were far quicker than he ever demonstrated being for while still being fast, his normal form was large and bulky and held him back. This form didn't seem hindered in the slightest. Each movement of his leg muscles were fluid and precise. He'd smash into her if she didn't get away. Hopefully, she was still faster than him.  

[A Name of Power]

She looked in horror as the gem cracked the cocoon, scared still that this was too soon, that her presence and actions had interfered at the wrong time with .. whatever this was. Leaning over him, she saw how different he looked in such a short time. An expression of deep concern washed over her as she looked at as much of him as she could, he looked so different. Before she had time to even try to say anything, she realized something was still happening and he likely had not any control over it. Without a sound, she was kneeling now a good distance away, watching from there as he continued to move and thrash about.  

[Lord Yawgmoth]

A low growling sound, at least that's the closest thing the sound resembled, echoed from the crater as Ziven zipped away. The skull-clad Yawgmoth in whatever form this was turned about looking around with his sunken eyes that had a hint of his typical crimson glow in the sockets. He snapped his head in her direction pointing both horns at her. The rest of his body twisted about to face in the same direction and in a flash he started moving. It was quite erratic zig zagging back and forth in rapid motions that made a strange sound when his bone white feet hit the gray sand and soil of the bone wastes. On top of the strange and unpredictable pattern he moved in, he was also wicked fast, a step quicker than even a moment ago. It was as if this form was getting used to its own body and was using Ziven as the unfortunate lab rat to test its abilities against.  

[A Name of Power]

She watched, her head tilted as she observed with curiosity. If only there was a way she could help him, or even know what this was to get the help he needed to over come this change. It seemed a bit hopeless. Recognizing that he was moving toward her again, she cast a barrier around herself, which would absorb and deflect any direct attacks. "I wish to help you!" she cried as he approached, impulsively wanting to talk things through with him, as she had been able to do so many times before when he tried attacking her.  

[Lord Yawgmoth]

A violent blasting sound echoed through the air as his twisted form crashed into her barrier spell. The impact was incredible for such a short distance ran. If she were only as strong as when they met all those years ago she'd be in a world of pain or worse. Yawgmoth's skull-clad face starred at her intently. He did not hear her words nor did he care to try. He lowered his head slightly and opened his lower jaw. Two orbs of crimson energy started to build. One in between the forward pointing horns and one in front of his open jaw. Both orbs launched at once in such a way that they collided and caused a swirling motion with one another sending them on a straight path for her. Nearly point blank. A quickly casted barrier was not going to hold this back.  

[A Name of Power]

She let out a bit of a squeak, surprised at the force. Sliding backwards, shield and all, she peeked at him again between her hands, her arms crossed over her defensively. When she felt the energy building and that he was about to launch, she gasped and again disappeared from view for a moment. Returning again some feet behind him, she watched him with curiosity and a bit of sadness, wanting to know just what was going on with him. It seemed her words had no effect, so she did not speak for the moment.  

[Lord Yawgmoth]

The twisted spiraling orbs shot forth into the thin air she left behind by vanishing. They flew off into an aimless direction and he stood straight up watching with sunken eyes. After a few moments the orbs detonated. The explosion was beyond magnificent. The crimson bursting energy caused the sky to bleed red with its color. Backlash waves of gusting winds blew hard against them from the back draft. They even caused this form to bring one of his pale bone white hands up and shield his face from the sand being blasted at them. Luckily however, for as elaborate and powerful the detonation was it didn't injure anything. Having just blown up another large area of the wastes.

Yawgmoth's new form turned around to find her there and with a growling snarl raised his hand to strike her down. He stopped mid swing however as his muscles locked. The expression on his face changed from one of anger and hostility to one of slight pain and agitation. The show was over though, the white skin started to gain its color back and the 'skull' face seemed to melt off into dust returning his looks to the form she recognized and loved the most. He blinked his eyes open, things were spinning. He doubled over onto the sand and vomited on the ground. The intensity of the transformation, the sudden shock of it and the amount of energy expended was a bit much. At least it seemed like he was back to normal.  

[A Name of Power]

With a small gasp, she closed the distance between them, not by going to him but bringing him to her. As he had just been ill, she did not want either to have to worry about that for a moment longer. Any fear of him not being himself was diminished by her desire to care for him. With a wave of her hand, he was cleaned and dressed in a fresh shirt and trousers, something she knew he would not mind too much if he was truly back to himself. She only wished to know for how long and understand what had happened and could possibly still be happening to him. "My love?" she asked in a soft voice.