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The Omegas

Teufel looked at the remnants of the village, before shaking her head. She had set out to explore her lands more thoroughly earlier that morning. After the battle with Gravile, it seemed like a good idea. Several of her guards had insisted on going with her, but she ordered them to stay behind. She was still feeling tense from what had happened after that battle, what had happened with Gand. So she was trying to salvage her pride and prove she could defend herself if it came down to it. Not that she had expected anything to actually happen. Gravile had surely gathered every Demon who had been willing to even half-consider betraying her; her lands would likely be far safer than before. In that regard, she actually owed a word of thanks to the now-deceased leader of her opposition.

Her patrol had begun innocently enough. But after a few hours had passed, she began to feel an odd compulsion. Something was calling to her, some odd sense that she couldn't identify. It spoke to her without words, it begged, demanded her to come to it. This was a curious and suspicious occurrence, and she had learned her lesson from before, to not be too reckless. So before she even considered following the sensation back to its source, she forced herself to think. She would have to find out what the source was, she knew that. If it was a potential threat, if it was on her land, she would need to know. But that didn't mean she was going to go charging in all by herself. She'd need backup. Her soldiers were too far away to reach easily. However, she had other methods for summoning reinforcements. But who to call?

She had several worthies that she could call upon, any one of them would serve her well. But not more than one; they didn't get along well with one another. They would pick a fight with one another unless she kept a close eye on them. And she couldn't afford a distraction like that, not when she was going to investigate something new and potentially dangerous. So only one would be called. But who? Unless she stumbled across something truly monstrous, she had confidence in her own strength and power. What she needed was someone to function in a support role. That brought two names to the fore. And of those, she hadn't called on one of them in some time. She didn't want them feeling neglected.

So she limbered her scythe before moving to an open area on the road. Readying herself, she shifted her weapon to the standard two-handed grip that was so necessary with such a weapon. From there she swung the blade rapidly, it's point seeming to cut through the air with a thin whistling sound. The illusion of it cutting the air was no illusion, the blade's tip left a thin scar floating in the sky, a thin gash that pulsed wider until it resembled a rough oval. The odd gap in space seemed to float without assistance, and it's interior was lined with a purple sod ark as to almost appear black or ultravolet. From it emerged a shape that was a riot of green and other colors.

They were a young figure, appearing only slightly older than herself. A female, slight curves and a toned physique making this fact clear. The aspect that immediately caught the eye, however, was her wings. They didn't sprout from her back like an angel's; that was only to be expected if she was an ally of a Demon. Instead they replaced her arms. Her feet were large and avian, the lower legs covered in yellowish scales, and ending in three forward-pointing taloned toes, and one pointing back from the heel. She could only be a harpy, though a far cry from the hideous woman-birds of myth and legend. She was currently shifting from foot to foot in what seemed to be a slightly nervous display, before she turned to face Teufel. "Me?"

"Yes, Morgan. I believe that I'll have need of your speed before this affair is over." She knew that her own skills lied in her manipulation of Fel Chakra and raw power. Someone who was quick and nimble like Morgan would be a great aid to her, if fighting were to break out. As well, she possessed a ranged attack, something Teufel was currently lacking. She sheathed her scythe in the small system of loops on her back, and then gestured forward to the ruined village. This was not a part of her lands; she had ended up traveling much farther than she intended to track down the source of that oddly disturbing sensation. "We'll be investigating this village. It's not a part of my holdings, but something is calling to me. Can you sense anything?" She wanted to know if she was the only one being summoned, or if it was trying to call any and everyone it possibly could.

Morgan turned to fully face the village, folding her wings up as she crossed her arms. (Indeed, a harpy could use her wings as arms, and even occasionally as hands, given enough practice. Not particularly well, but they still could.) She gazed in silence at the ruined village for a long time, before finally shaking her head. "I can't sense anything calling to me. But I can feel a power of some kind. Something... I can't describe it, it has no familiar elemental flavor. It's not fel Chakra, neither is it a more mundane element. It's strong, though."

Teufel nodded, Morgan having confirmed some of what she had suspected. She hadn't tasted an element in it, either, but the second opinion added even more detail. She had one idea, but it seemed so unlikely as to almost be null. She would want to find out more before she said anything. Instead she stepped forward, pressing on. "If it's strong, then we have to find it. To either take it for my own, or to destroy it if I can't possess it." She couldn't risk an enemy getting possession of it, not if it was as strong as it seemed.

So the duo descended the rough mountain path as they approached the burnt-out shell of the village. As they got closer, Teufel could identify a faint taint in the air. There was a strong aura here, something unusual and inhospitable. As well, there was nothing alive within the village. No people, of course. But also no rats. Even more surprising, there were no plants, and at a questioning glance to Morgan, she believed there were no insects, either. Something had completely annihilated the village, removed all living things from its boundaries. That seemed like a punishment handed down from something extremely powerful; they would have to be exceedingly careful.

When they entered the village's border, nothing seemed to happen. Or rather, a state of nothing seemed to settle over them. The wind died down, their senses grew muted, and their spirits grew in doubt. Teufel frowned as she felt an urge to leave. She had taken this journey to prove she was capable; she wouldn't let some vaguely defined feeling order her around! She shouted out, putting force, rage, and a healthy dose of Fel Chakra into her cry. "Enough!" This was no technique, not really. Instead it was similar to the kiai of accomplished swordsmen, focusing themselves and making their presence more powerful.

And it seemed to work. The aura of nothing seemed to fade somewhat, though the area still seemed unnatural and uncomfortable. No matter. They would continue on. She reached out and took hold of Morgan's wing, trying to encourage the harpy to stay strong. Morgan hadn't tried to flee yet, but she had senses her disquiet, and taken measures to combat it. Making contact meant she could channel her own Fel Chakra into her, bolstering her power and her spirits.

They continued on. As they got closer, they could see that their initial estimate had been wrong. The village hadn't been burnt out. Instead, the structures were just extremely old. Paint, when it was present at all, was flaking horribly. Steps and walls were rotted through, and the thatched grass roofs were nothing more than a distant memory. How long had this village been here? She would have to ask once they made it back to her own territory. But first, she needed to remain focused on her task. Finding this unknown power and ascertaining it's nature. If it was something she could use, she would take it. Otherwise, it would be destroyed. It seemed a waste, rather than taking it to give to one of her followers or Thralls. But she couldn't trust a power that possessed such a call to anyone other than herself.

Finally, they found themselves in the remnants of what had to be the village leader's home. It was the largest structure, though it would have been even bigger if the second story hadn't collapsed in on itself. It was made in part of brick and clay, but even those sturdy components were heavily weathered and eroded. Thankfully, there was a hole in one wall, they wouldn't have to risk the rotting steps and disintegrating floorboards.

Once they stepped inside, they froze, surprised at what they saw. A figure stood there, standing calmly and emotionless in mien. It was impossible to say a gender; indeed they seemed almost entirely neutral. Indiscriminate, no, indeterminate, that was the word. Nothing about them would have normally caught anyone's attention. Nothing except the unusual green armor they wore. It was embellished by an unusual symbol centered on their forehead, it looked like a horseshoe.

Teufel made to ready her scythe, but the figure only tilted it's head. In a voice just as devoid of detail as its appearance, it shook it's head. "Will you test me, too? I will inherit this power from you." As it said this, it held its hands out. It's armor shifted and ran like wax. Teufel got the distinct impression that the armor was composed of many smaller, moving things, before it became a simple box, decorated with that same symbol. The figure held it out to her, offering it to her. "With this I inherit my power."

Their words were unusual, but Teufel was unable to take her eyes off the box. She could sense the power it held. It seemed familiar, almost. She had never seen it before. She wanted it. She reached out with one hand, hesitating only slightly. In a flash of insight, just before she touched it, she turned to fix Morgan with a fierce expression. "Pull back and wait for my command." She didn't have to say it twice, Morgan disappeared in a flash of feathers and was gone.

Teufel finally touched the box. She could feel it's power, thrumming beneath her fingertips. But how to unlock it? There were no hatches, no lids or doors or latches. Finally, she placed her open palm flat against the symbol and sent a small pulse of Fel Chakra into the box. The reaction was immediate. The box seemed to disintegrate, but even as it did, the component pieces shifted and rapidly began to envelop her in a flurry of moving parts. She felt them moving over her, and even as they did, she felt another presence brushing at her mind. There was no hostility in it, at least no hostility against her. After a moment's hesitation, she let it in.

In the distance, far outside of the village's borders, Morgan watched as a geyser of purple and green energy blasted high into the sky. "Dread Lord!" She could feel the raw power of the energy, nobody could have survived that! Ignoring her fear, and her orders, she rushed back to the village. She had to get Teufel out of there, before the unthinkable happened. But when she reached the village's border, she found a barrier of some sort. She pushed against it, but it wouldn't budge. She flapped her wings, before whipping several feathers at it. They struck, only to fall to the ground. She kicked at it, scratching with her sharp talons. But nothing worked.

She waited for what seemed like well over an hour. At that point, she was beside herself with worry. What had happened?! But then the geyser suddenly ended, and the barrier vanished. Not thinking about the danger, she rushed inside. The moment she did, she felt something leeching her energy away. No matter, she had to find Teufel! Ignoring it as much as she could, she sped toward the village elder's house. Along the way, she saw that same figure from before, garbed in odd green armor, marked with that same symbol. But now they had taken Teufel's scythe, too? Unthinkable! Had they killed her? Shrieking a battle cry, she rushed at them. She would make them pay for what they'd done! She hit them in a tangle of limbs, knocking them sprawling. When the dust cleared, she was standing atop them, lifting one taloned foot to attack, aiming to blind them at the least.

"Morgan, what are you doing?"

Morgan froze in confusion, that was Teufel's voice! But it was coming from the armored stranger, what was going on? She looked closer, and recognized the truth. It was Teufel? She was wearing the unusual armor? She blanched as she realized she had attacked her Dread Lord, and quickly helped her up, stammering an apology.

Teufel waved her off, before shifting the armor away from her face. Her expression held a note of grim triumph, but there was something more there, something darker. She met Morgan's gaze as she admitted to what happened. "I took the power from the stranger, it is mine now. I'll need to practice with it so I don't harm my allies." She frowned, stark concentration evident in her expression. Only then did the odd energy draining that suffused the area finally stop, letting Morgan sigh with relief.

Morgan took a long moment to inspect the armor. It didn't seem like traditional armor, and the way that it had shifted off of Teufel's head was even more unusual. "What is it?"

Teufel didn't answer for a long moment. As she filtered through memories that she had yet to experience, she found the answer. "This is the power to shape the future, and seize time with my own hands. This is the Omega Green."
[2423 x 2 = 2846 + 15,367(Feudal Japan) + 3607(Federation) = 21,820 out of ??? ]