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 Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:18 am
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WHO: Kael & Iclair
WHERE: A playground in La'To
WHEN: Nearing midnight
WEATHER: Cold and crisp, overcast with a full moon
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------------------------------------------------------------------ A gentle squeak broke the stillness of the night every few seconds, a creaking in the hinges and links of chains as a swing was lazily pushed forward and back. Trees rustled, casting leaves down like a grim sort of confetti with the assistance of the wind and the merry-go-round groaned as it was caused to spin by no human will.
It was abandoned, all school children since being tucked away in their beds to rest for the new day to come in just a few hours. The only lingering figure appeared to be of middle school age with a gentle tan and vibrantly dyed hair. She rested wearily in one of the swings, pushing herself back and forth with the toes of her sneakers as she kept herself bundled in a hooded sweatshirt much too big for her.
At least, this was the appearance to any casual on looker.
Hidden away from the prying eyes of normal humans lay distinct, monstrous features, and every so often her eyes would flicker and the makings of a smile would begin at a sound or light that seemed to denote activity in the vicinity.
A rumbling passed through her, causing her back to arch, and she let out a mewling sigh. The hunger was still there, always there, but it was easier to handle now. Patience was something she was not used to but it was growing on her; biding one's time until a proper meal came along instead of settling for scraps, that was much better.
Carried on the winds were various scents, all human. It was difficult with the cold air for her to tell whether they were nearing her position or moving away from it, but she had been waiting just a little while so she could wait more before she moved to a new location. When she sighted this one out it had the stench of children all over it, but also others and some that she had never detected before; bitter they were and inhaling too much made her dizzy. It was those scents that made her curious if this location had another purpose and drew a different sort of human.
Nearly on cue, head lights came into view and rounded a corner into the parking lot. The engine cut, silencing its low rumble, and out came at three humans, all male by the sound of their voices. At first, they giggled and chattered without a care as they climbed the grassy hill to the playground but before long they halted in their approach as they noticed her. A vicious grin tugged at her features before they stood in front of her, where she sported a more tired and innocent appearance.
"Well hey, honey," one of the boy's cooed while zipping up his jacket.
She smiled, fluttering those long lashes, and leaned against one of the swing's chains. "Hey," Kael parroted with a soft lilt, pulling them into a false sense of security. The scent of those unidentifiable substances was faint but it had grown since their arrival. This would be an interesting meal.
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Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 1:31 am
A chill crawled up his spine like cold fingers sliding against his skin, eerie in the manner that it come while he was alone in the streets of La'To while everyone else was either asleep or fooling around inside their homes. The only ones out in the night were fools, waiting to be caught like unsuspecting prey. At least, during this particularly this night, when the moon was full and heavy like a wide, watchful eye peering out amidst heavy spreads of clouds that had gathered like one ill omen over the expanse of night sky as far as one could see.
Iclair stilled, eyelids closing halfway and peered up at the sky. Wind gathered, twirled and touched the long purple stole loose on his neck, pulling it into the air before dropping it as it moved on like a lover that came and went as it pleased. Street lamps lined up, one flickering in an off from an expiring light bulb fizzing its last breath. The priest pressed a hand to his face, over his mouth where his lips was stretched into a playful smile of no origin. Experience told him to listen to his instincts whenever they came and went, because they were the only detector of coming disaster that came installed.
He knew La'To was becoming a demon hotspot, though he did not deem it necessary yet to alert the Church more than they already knew. The exorcist was far too into keeping his secrets and knowledge to himself. However, it was becoming obvious that Iclair would have to test his informant, and soon-- because last month's bloody massacre had drawn considerable attention to the town.
The children's park came to sight within minutes. By then, he'd known where he was heading with wild scenarios and one's closer to reality. He could imagine the bodies laying sprawled across grass and sand, blood filling the air and a demon sinking jaws into another helpless human. But that scenario required screaming, which would have drawn attention even at the dead of night unless already silenced beforehand, and of course, a demon-- because all could be merely a piece of his imagination.
Boots stepped lightly against pavement to enter coarse grass while his white long coat tails trailed off like a cape behind him. Belts wrapped around his waist, hanging securely with his dagger holsters settled on either side hips. His priestly attire was uniform within the church, but entirely hindering when it came to actual exorcisms-- although some clients liked it on, either by traditionalist ideals or... general preference. The latter tended not to have actual demon possessions, but clients were clients and Iclair was particularly indulging when a free meal was concerned.
A particular sensation of discontent settled against his ribcage, and he was familiar enough with it to associate the feeling with impending danger. Iclair's attention shifted, scanning the playground with interest although any normal, sensible human who knew there was a high chance of a demon around would have ran in an entirely different direction. He let himself pause at the swings when he saw the teenaged boys surrounding the girl, arching a brow mentally.
And then he saw the girl, looked closer, and wanted to laugh at the irony of it all.
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Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 6:49 am
Perhaps it would have been less odd if the males were demons preying upon a truly unsuspecting young girl, but this was so far from the case it was across Pesso. A wry grin pulled at her cheeks as she watched the humans attempt to coax and impress her, bribing for her to come join them.
In truth, to what end they had in mind eluded Kael but she could feign interest, she had seen just enough interaction between humans to at least mimic that and it appeared to be paying off. They told her how they were just going to be hanging out here for a little bit to wind down before going somewhere else, a place they didn't name but would be 'jammin'', whatever that meant. Slowly but surely she was picking up on their social cues, even if every other word out of their mouths were ones she hadn't heard before, not even from Kiwi who appeared to be within their age group.
"So what do you say?" one of them cooed, leaning in close, breaching her personal space.
It caused her forced smile to falter for just a second until she righted it and gave a gentle mewl, "I say yes," and she swung lightly to her feet. The three males chuckled, closing in on her, each apparently eager to get closer or drape an arm over her shoulder, but she did not allow either. She held no interest in these human games and jams, and as all three lined themselves up she gently placed a hand on two of their chests, giving an alluring smile to the third.
They all chuckled, until her hands found their throats and her nails lengthened, gripping into their flesh while closing their windpipes enough so that the only sound coming through was a wheezy rasp. Hissing, her long tongue whipped out and wrapped around the middle man's, performing the same action. Her eyes widened, regaining their inhuman colors and a near neon shimmer as her jaws lengthened and clicked, flattened human-like teeth creeping into their normally sharp shape.
Too hungry was she to notice the looming servant of light just out of her line of sight. Too hungry to even ponder the consequences of getting caught or letting them scream. No repercussions had come from when she razed the town in search of food, only to find a new contract. As far as she was concerned, she was set for the best meal in weeks.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:38 pm
It was laughable.
The attempt to woo the demonic child seemed so… stereotypical of a group of horny teenaged boys. Only the hero was missing, and Iclair was hardly going to play knight in shining armor for a bunch of boys who had little good intention in mind in the first place. But, then again, he had never wanted to be the hero, and being one was far from the reason he was a servant of the light now. The exorcist drummed his fingers over the side of his book, careful not to let the tips of his nails tap against the hardcover and create unnecessary noise.
As he observed, Iclair’s eyes appeared no more or less amused than the day he’d first been assigned to La’To. His expression still remained the same as well, secretive and seemingly to know many well-kept secrets.
So it didn’t substantially change when the teenagers approached Kael and the real show began. It was fascinating, enough that the priest was frozen in his spot, stuck like a viewer watching a horror movie. The teenagers were trapped and immobilized by an impossibly strong, inhuman grip that closed around them like a Venus flytrap. If Iclair were not on another team entirely, he would have clapped in order to show an appreciation of nature at its finest.
Instead, the priest shifted and moved. There was no fear to lock him, no panic nor instinct to run. His body was his own to control, and besides those sharp canines were not snapping at him. He’d seen more terrifying anyway, and dealt with them in his own way.
He was an exorcist, after all.
Iclair didn’t allow himself to laugh, though laughter threatened to spill passed his throat. He grinned instead, amusement visibly showing in every step he took forward. Unlike the water-imp, the girl was a more dangerous type of demon. Iclair could see the sharp incisors in her mouth, the animalistic eyes reflecting with the dim light. He couldn’t twist the contractor around his finger—which was impossible anyway, there was no contractor in sight—and neither did Iclair think he could bargain.
“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus,” Iclair purred, pulling mentally at the sleeping powers inside of himself. The magic would twist and lash at Kael, though it was meant to be an annoyance at most, to draw her attention before he began the more powerful spells in earnest. He eyed the grip Kael had on the teenagers briefly, though his gaze eventually turned to the demon’s face. His lips twisted into a more predatory smile, words leaving his mouth at a faster pace as the priest tossed his book sideways at a bench and rested his hands against the hilt of his light-imbued daggers. "Excuse the interruption, darlings~"
“…omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica…”
It had been a while since he’d started a hunt.
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 5:25 am
The predictable cliche of the situation was lost on Kael; all she understood of it was if these humans were so eager to be in the company of a young woman, then feeding now as a demon would be infinitely easier than as an imp and that was something she could really smile about.
And she was.
Her frightening jaws unhinged, her lips cracking and pulling at the seams to make her mouth wider like a bear trap. Rows of hidden teeth peeked out from her gaping maw and, try as they might, none of her companions could scream. They gasped and choked as they tried to claw at her hands and her tongue but it only made her grip harder. A low and ominous growl came from her throat and as she began pulling the middle teenager closer for a bite--“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus" --she stopped short, gleaming eyes widening like saucers. What was this? This language, these words? They pricked and prodded at her skin, attempting to get past her thick hide. The voice uttering them was almost sickeningly sweet, like the smell of confections when one is blindingly ill. What started as a pleased and hungry growl turned into one of annoyance and frustration.
Who would dare stop her from feeding and not expect to be eaten themselves?
The origin was unclear to Kael until the owner of the sickly sweet voice spoke normally, these words not holding the force of the others but there was a tone to them that spoke lies.
Darlings.
Kael turned to see the approaching figure, done up in white and crosses, and groaned loudly at the sight. Her tail, now fully visible, slapped forcefully at the ground, causing wood chips to fly and a dent in the ground. He opened his mouth and continued, these words having an even tougher impact. Never had she heard them before but they were terrible and crippling and the demon gave a horrible cry in an effort to silence the priest.
These words, this man, they were from the light and he meant not only to stop her from eating, but to do her in. Her survival instincts were going wild and she tossed one of the teens violently against one of the benches, gaining the use of her tongue back. The others, she grabbed collars of their jackets and hefted both off the ground, attempting to throw them in the priest's direction but his chants were so distracting they landed roughly just a few feet in front of him, clutching their throats and their sides.
Once released, they took no time to gather themselves and begin fleeing back to their car sitting innocently in the parking lot and Kael shrieked as her meals began their escape. Whipping around, she leaped onto the swing, being thrown forward and onto the hill landing on all fours. They were already in that metal contraption and the priest was so close. Turning her attentions to him, she dug her claws into the ground and wailed, giving a mighty charge and sweep of her tail.
This light bringer, if she could end his chants then maybe he would make up the difference between the meal she had just lost.
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Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 9:00 pm
The ground rumbled below him as the demon's tail smacked harshly against the ground.
His eyes didn't flicker from her form although he could hear the wood beneath the tail give way. That would undoubtedly hurt if the young priest were to end up at the mercy of being smacked around by it. Luckily, though, he didn’t intend to end up within the tail’s striking distance while it was still moving around like this deadly sledgehammer. That didn’t mean that he didn’t have to close in though; he wasn’t the type to stay back and shoot things from a distance. His lips moved and words spilled rapidly in the spell, the heavy weight of magic laced the air like a heady perfume. Iclair's body was light as he shifted a fraction back, the boys landing some way in front of him before they sprinted off in terror.
Good.
They would only be like deadweights tied to an ankle for every breath took while in the premise. The only person he could put trust into when confronting a demon was Claude, because the other exorcist had known him for years and they worked well together, or another exorcist, and the latter was because he would not be responsible for their livelihood. He unsheathed a dagger, one of two imbued heavily with light magic that it seemed to tainted the air with a lust for demon blood. Iclair twirled the blade in his hands so he could quickly relearn its easy and familiar weight. The harsh screech of tires against pavement set in motion Kael’s ire; the pained screech grating heavily against his ears. What was escaping prey except missed food to her?
While he couldn’t laugh, amusement laced each syllable that escaped his mouth. In some ways, Iclair could understand the notion—but that was why he didn’t ponder the thought of eating another human being. What else could it bring but trouble against his heels?
His eyes narrowed, body already twisting back as she leapt like some huge predator towards him. The spell froze a fraction, dissipating like slowly melting snow. Iclair chuckled against the air, exhilaration dragging out each breath as he caught the tail end of his spell and forced himself to continue whether she liked it or not.
“Ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te per Deum…”
He couldn’t keep backing up forever though. Sooner or later, he’d hit a wall or trip when he was least paying attention. Iclair let himself swoop forward, hoping surprise at the turn of events would be on his side instead of getting his head lopped off, and swung his dagger towards Kael. For all the demon strength and speed, there would be some wariness of getting hit or stabbed by a holy weapon. If there wasn’t, then he’d better teach her to be wary.
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 6:30 pm
Howls and snarls were all the demon could articulate, an animalistic instinct rushing through her and for the first time ever she was encountered with a fluttering and conflicting feeling.
This human, this priest, he was in direct opposition to her very nature--a man of light while she was a woman of darkness--and the illuminated words spilling from his mouth caused her much grief. She wanted to rend his flesh, gut him like a pig and feast on the lightbringer as a message to that damned church. Despite these feelings, there was something new, something completely alien to Kael bubbling inside with each syllable uttered by the white haired male; apprehension lay on a scale beside her rage and for the first time in her admittedly short life she would have to make a very important decision:
Should she fight and risk her life or run to live another day?
Suddenly, the priest paused in his chants and Kael's indecision tumbled. She galloped on all fours, rushing toward him with a high pitched shriek. Tongue lolling between her open and frightening jaws she lunged forward and was met with air. Sliding against the grass, she dug her claws into the earth and pivoted to quickly face him once more. Another wail came from deep within as his recitations resumed. Now there was a determination raging within her--she at least wanted to land a wound on this man before retreating, if it came to that.
Again, she gained speed and charged, lunging for the priest. Up until now, it seemed as though he was unarmed except for his heavenly burning words, so when he brought out the blade when it was too late for her to react all she could do was roar in protest. Catching against her thick skin, the blade dragged a long and jagged wound down the side of her arm. Alone, it was more of a scratch, barely bleeding but within seconds it began to turn black and burn. Her flesh around the slice blackened and welted, looking more like a horrible burn than a cut from a blade, and Kael groped and patted at it in an attempt to alleviate the aching pain
It was tainted with the light just as his words were. Just as he was. Rearing her head back, the monster let out an encompassing guttural bellow, accented with an earsplitting cry that must have carried for half a mile. In the distance, some lights came on, dotting the dark horizon. This was it, then. There was no question. As she was now, she was no match and this was not the time to try and prove a point. Swishing her tail violently in the air, she locked eyes with Iclair as her face seemed to morph and elongate so that it was more than fifty percent teeth. Her gaping maw stretched and she let loose a terrible scream, saliva dripping and spraying.
With that, her body whipped around and she shot into the night. Retreat was all she could do, retreat and regroup. Maybe her human would know what to do about the wound, make it stop burning. Perhaps she was thinking to optimistically; why would a priest of the Church of Illuminarias allow a wounded child of darkness escape into the night?
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Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:33 am
How a small slice of flesh could become a twisted, blackened thing was a mystery in itself. But, the evidence was there, as a long though shallow, yet nasty wound along the demon child's arm.
Whatever surprise he felt-- from seeing it? or from actually hitting?-- was short-lived, like the first hints of cold rain dotting against skin before acceptance of its coming. Exhilaration and adrenaline pressed tightly against his chest, the distance in which Kael had stepped before his blade caught her unawares was close. So close it could have been a mere arm's length if he dared reached out to stroke her decidedly massive jaws. And, no doubt, if he did, his arms would have been gone in a moment, and then the rest of him, too, once she got a taste. Would he be delicious? Or would his light-blessed faith make him acid to her tongue? The priest could only suck in these short, silent breaths and release them out as divine syllables of latin words, fists tightening against the hilt of his dagger as though a lifeline.
O' holy light, began one line, flying off to rest upon the demon's ears like an annoying buzz that would not go away. The sound itself was not nuisance, but the light magic that formed at the call and pressed like a lashes of flames against the darkness that the demon came from.
When she changed, her mouth lengthening to the point that she couldn't even resemble a human anymore, the words coming from the chords in his throat blurred. His mind seemed to freeze, and he wasn't even aware if the memorized lines spilling from this lips were still instilling the effect any priest would want. Demon, demon, the rest of him warned, as if it weren't obvious with the great, huge roar that drummed so loudly against his ears that he felt it ring painfully until it seemed like he could have gone deaf. And, a flicker of something clawed at his mind, something from the past-- something that he'd put away for so long it was covered in dust and neglect that he wondered what it was.
Was it hate?
Maybe.
But, Iclair pushed it away, watching in bewilderment as Kael twisted around and took flight. Hysteria bubbled in his chest, and he drew his remaining dagger from the opposite side of his belt from the first. For now, he let the enchantment fade from the air, little use when she bolted out of the distance, and gave chase. The little child of darkness was fleeing, but Iclair was not ready to release her. "Why are you running, darling?" The fair-haired priest called, tone singsong and light as a flippant breeze.
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:02 am
"Why are you running, darling?"
"Darling?"
That word in the priest's voice made Kael's skin crawl almost as much as the festering light wound in her arm. The only response she offered was a breathy growl as she loped down the grassy knoll and skidded, pivoting to turn her direction toward the cobble streets nearby.
It was kill or be killed, that was the one rule to life that held true no matter what creature you were; animal, human or demon it was all the same. Her black wound, though shallow, dribbled a thick black liquid akin to tar with just the barest amount of red blood to accent it. Her natural darkness was working to heal the wound but the light from the blade lingered oppressively.
Her claws clacked noisily against the cobbles as Kael hit the main street. It was late but there were still cars passing through, getting their late night errands completed or dropping the inhabitants off to some meaningless party. She was still hungry, so hungry, but eating could wait if she managed to get away. The demon was fast but the priest seemed to be keeping up rather well and this frustrated Kael to no end. Her teeth bared, she lunged and wrapped her claws around the metal bars of a building's fire escape, pulling herself up with no way to mute the metal panging.
Light's were turned on as apartment dwellers awoke to her clamoring escape, but her whip-like tail was always just out of view as they came to their windows and drew back their curtains. She needed to get away, she needed to eat, she needed to not be seen! Pulling herself to the roof, her view was wide and expansive. The most eye catching building within this town chimed in the distance as another hour started; the clock tower. Looking over her shoulder at the streets below, she couldn't spot the white haired man and -- taking this as a sign of safety -- began to leap between the roof tops. The wound was making her clumsy, occasionally giving way to footfalls and hitting her chest roughly against the edge of a building before getting back on her feet, but she made her way to the tower and ascended. With the ease of a shadow, she slipped within one of the windows and took to the darkness encompassing the thundering gears as they turned and clanked.
This place... She knew this place.
It hadn't occurred to her during her run but now that she was inside she knew it all too well. She could smell them, the humans who gathered here like cattle in the hopes of a contract, the other demon... a brother? And Tino, his scent was so strong compared to everything else. Kael took a moment to loose herself in the dull aroma. It still smelled like them all despite it being so long ago. She could even still smell... him...
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:38 pm
The exorcist ran as though hellhounds were chasing him, farther and faster than he’d run any other time in the last few weeks. But, he wasn’t being chased, he was doing the chasing. And really, after all this running, Iclair wasn’t going to let her go so easily.
With his breaths coming out in silent wisps in the cool night, Iclair listened to the heavy beats of Kael’s stomps, and not for the first time, wished that he was more of a long-distanced fighter. A gun and holy bullets would make his job so much faster, so much that he wanted to let bubbles of laughter slip. But, laughing at something that wasn’t quite amusing was alarmingly not-sane, so he pushed back the thoughts and focused. His fingers tightened against the weight of his daggers, and he launched himself back into her footsteps, leaping over downward dips of grass to keep the pace and their distance steady and sliding down quickly down the hill. It was starting to get harder and harder to breathe in between steps, but he was used to the feeling and would run through it-- because there was nothing else he’d rather do.
The sounds of her feet grew more obvious as she hit the cobbles, and he couldn’t help but let a little distance slip between them. Flat surfaces were easier to run in, and it became more of who was faster and stronger between them. Panic fluttered momentarily, even though it wasn’t like him to panic. Was letting her go something he deplored so much?
Don’t let her get away. Are you going to let another demon slip through your fingers?
No. Of course, he wasn’t.
Gaze sliding towards the clanging of feet against a metal ladder and the priest stared upwards before ducking back against the nearest building to avoid being sighted out of instinct. He panted softly, regaining the breath he had lost during the chase. Iclair leaned his head back, eyes sliding shut for a brief moment before the sounds of her footsteps against roofs sounded, teasing him of her impending leave. He didn’t feel the panic this time because he intended to listening now, discerning the direction she was going with a silent turn of head.
Slowly, with certainty, the priest slipped forward, steps more cat-like with silence as the sound of her leaps beckoned every so often and told of where his prey was. In the distance, he saw the tall structure, and heard the echoing chime that rang throughout the city.
The Clock tower…
Was that where their battle was going to take place?
Closing his eyes for a moment, Iclair watched as the demon child slid up from the window, and shook his head. There were so many lessons he would be breaking if he entered the Tower. He had no partner, and neither did he have a plan. The playing field was in the demon’s favor, so deep was the night. The teachers who had taught had warned all their students to stay away from fights in the night, particularly in areas like these.
But, really, he mostly copied off of Claude’s tests back in school anyway, and he was more a war-hardened soldier of the light than any wayward, trickster of a student.
The exorcist pushed open the heavy metal doors, and the darkness greeted him so well that he felt like a wayward child towards his beckoning mother. The thought amused him, but he only smiled balefully and slid his daggers into their sheaths. Fingers deft, he lit a candle, one of many on his person for strong exorcism spells, and stepped in.
To the vastness of the clock tower, he peered up at the darkness and let his voice carry up an exorcists' spell, twisting and turning almost teasingly in a half-song.
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:48 pm
The rhythmic clicking and ticking of the clock parts was oddly soothing to the demon as she perched atop a flat spinning gear and wrapped her tail gently around the pole going through its center. The air smelled of dust, soothing darkness and the extremely faint scent of gathered humans. Here they had been shepherded and two demons were given shape, given meaning to their existence.
Life by slavery, it seemed, was a demon's way.
Kael, however, had paid her dues. She recalled how he had caught her attention, the strong scent of blood on him denoting the occupation of a killer and he desired her to kill for him. At the time, she cared little for the details, only wishing to know how many would be needed until the contract was up. The monstrous demon, shade at the time, had been as eager to begin as she was eager to finish and twenty human lives seemed to be the perfect amount of death to sate her hunger as well as get the job done.
It was a delicious twist of irony that broke their contract, then, and she desperately sought out a new human creature. She had barely made progress, hardly been able to kill even a single human until her hunger had been too great and she broke away from that man only to find a weak, pathetic and drunk human as despairing for companionship as she was for food. Thus, her new contract was forged and Kael found herself even deeper in servitude.
Angelique was no angel, nor was she a fruit, and the terms of her new contract bound her even further under human rule. Once she had succeeded completing her original contract, Kael was planning on devouring the man as a final punctuation but Kiwi strictly forbade any harm to come to her while under the contract. She would be fed, and her woman fed her well, but her servitude would only end when she ended.
Now here she was, back in her place of birth -- if it could be called such -- on the run from a priest because of her insatiable hunger that could not even be slaked by a contract. She didn't need to be under one any longer yet the fact she was trapped in one until fate decided otherwise was positively infuriating.
As Iclair began weaving his spells of light in the levels below, Kael's tail wrapped tightly around the metal pole and she let out a horrible roar as her anger peaked. His words caused her injury to fester and burn. Helplessly she licked at it, lashing her tongue in a futile effort to darken its searing purity. In a flash, the demon leaped from her perch and landed loudly against a metal platform nestled within the heart of the tower. Old, discarded candles were strewn about and she remembered well all of the humans who held them in an effort to uselessly light their way in darkness."PRIEEEEEEEEST!" Her bellowing voice carried like the roar of a dragon, filling the entire tower with a beastly echo that would chill any normal human to the bone.
Priests weren't normal.
If the priest of light wanted to fight her, it would be done within this darkened shroud touched by the eldest demon. It teamed with tainted human spirits wishing to lose themselves to the darkness of their hearts and Kael could only hope this meant she was at an advantage. One of them would have to die, but if it was destined to be her she would put off her end for as long as possible.
Fleeing was always an option.
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Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:54 pm
"PRIEEEEEEEEST!"
Kael’s bellowing cry echoed against the loud rotations of the clock tower gears, dimming the ringing intonations of his voice. He shivered in anticipation, breaths shallow and trembling a fraction. In the dim, almost zero-light, Iclair could almost see the shape of the demon child perched on the platform way above him. Unlit candles rained down from her leap, but his eyes had strayed away to trace the dim outline of stairs rising from ground level towards the platform. Would she wait for him? Or would she make another leap?
It was hard to predict, but this was the battlefield the demon girl had chosen, by chance or something else he didn’t know. So that may have given her some advantage besides that her abilities were superior to an average human.
He stopped weaving prayers, taking a moment to breathe in the precious air he’d lost from both the running and the words. Not wasting time, Iclair set the candle down on an available perch, letting the flames flicker and waver against wind from the night. Holding it would be more disadvantageous to him, not when he had other means of light when he chose to utilize it. Flexing empty hands, the fair-haired exorcist retrieved his daggers from his waist and then launched up the zigzagging steps, feet digging securely on a step before leaping another two up.
Different spells flashed through his mind, including the ones that would eat away at his life force like quicksand. He also became aware that this area was… impure. Not ridden with demons, but… something else. Again, the danger made amusement well up against his chest, curling and threading with the adrenaline. Exhaling once more, his body slowed down as he closed in on the platform. Gold eyes narrowed and stared hard at the shadows, letting a sliver of moonlight catch the reflective surface of the blade.
“Have you ever fought against an exorcist?” The priest murmured curiously, not expecting an answer as he slid into a defensive stance to take in her position. "You're in for a treat."
Iclair smiled felinely, tilting his head as he unfolded the tight reign of control he had over his aura, a pervasive and almost ominous feeling that curled around the radius. If the demon had felt any aggravation in being in his presence now, it was multiplied, although it was not harmful in a way that a real exorcist’s spell would be. Now then…
He tested the sturdiness of the platform with a tap of his boot before he moved forward and lashed out at the darkness that he’d last seen Kael perched at with his dagger.
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Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:01 am
She heard the placement of a candle and a rustle of cloth as the Priest took off toward the stairs, each clang of his feet against the wrought iron circular staircase. By the sound of his voice, he still wanted to be playful, possibly keeping a tone of amusement to intimidate her or, just maybe, the Priests were as dark as the very demons they hunted. The irony was thick and a corner of her mouth rose in an equally amused sneer.
Never had she faced one before, let alone seen one up close, but she wasn't going to tell that to this one. For all she knew, she was the first demon he had ever faced as well.
The hair on her body stood on end as the Priest's aura strengthened, changed; it was repulsive. He was ready for a fight and so was she. Kael braced as Iclair's dagger sliced through the darkness and leaped back from the gear, landing roughly against the platform he now stood upon. It groaned in complaint at the sudden increase of weight as she rolled across it into a crouch. Her tail acted as a balance, waving carefully through the air so she wouldn't stumble.
Light seeped in through the cracks and windows dotting the tower, just barely giving them enough illumination from the full moon to judge their distance from one another. Her nails scraped against the platform as she rushed toward him, claws and teeth ready, jaw open wide to sink her fangs into what ever part of his flesh she could get at. If she was to be left with a war wound then she would not be satisfied unless she gave him the same courtesy.
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Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:11 pm
If there were something about this demon that terrified him the most, it would probably be letting one of his limbs getting caught in that gaping maw. It could swallow teenagers, his mind added helpfully with a perfectly interesting imagery to go with the thought. Her claws were more manageable, tail as well. But, only slightly, considering almost everything about her was dangerous to him. His amusement became laced with enough wariness that the exorcist wasn't just playing any longer, though the playfulness was in his nature. Or, it had become his nature, and it was just added on to numerous lies that had been acted on so long it had become truth.
Iclair twisted, springing nimbly from his position to slide out of the way, fleeing sideways away as the Kael rushed through. Her dangerous claws and a snapping jaw ghosted where he once was. His boot-clad feet hit the platform solidly, metal and heavy footfalls echoing but not getting far against the clang and creaks of rotating gears. He twisted his body as he breezed past, a dagger sweeping towards her in a horizontal arc. The platform protested his movements enough to that he took a fraction of care to let his body settle before moving on.
He would hate to fall, too.
Rocking on his heels to keep himself ready to leap in or away at a moment's notice, the exorcist leapt back, wary of the monstrous tail. He couldn't afford to play any defensive role here. Not when he was human, and one claw stroke to his neck or stomach meant bleeding to death or something worse. Though, he supposed, with one glance to his daggers, it could mean the same to her if he used his daggers right. Or, even an exorcist's spell could do the job, if he spent the time concentrating.
His smile turned a faint grim, but the dim light of the moon reflecting into the tower did little to help them both see. Demons... he didn't continue the thought.
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