Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tyler looked around quickly, his blue eyes darting around the dark street. He couldn't risk them getting caught, it could mean death or much much worse. He looked around again and knew the fastest way through the village was a direct route. He hated this. It had grown old very quickly and he wished they could just walk like normal. He handed the cloak off to the woman beside him and whispered, "Just like always. Are you ready?" Another glance around and he checked to make sure she was putting the cloak on. So far the street was quiet, not a lot of activity but he knew from experience how fast that could and would change if they were discovered.

Tyler never stopped looking around, his eyes searching for any movement. He turned toward her and rearranged the cloak making sure it covered all the right places. Standing back he peered at her in the dim light and was satisfied so he held her hand tightly and pulled her along, walking briskly but not too quickly. "I know and I agree but we have to. and you know the plan if someone approaches us right?" he sighed and forced out the words. "You have to play the whore."

She stiffened immediately at the words and let out a sigh. "Yeah I know."

He kept them moving along the streets thankfully no one approached. He knew his luck could only last so long so he kept going, without looking back check on Cara. When they finally left the village he sighed in relief. "One down, one not so bad to go. Ready?"

In two weeks, he had tested her, seen the effect of her influence. The outer villages of the Ki'Taal plane acted as he had suspected them to. In plain dress she was alluring to those around her and gained their reverence and awe, in armor she was feared of what she could do, how others came to her call for battle. Her cold expression and wordless visits left them all wondering. She enticed them and a woman, and set them to stare in wonder as a phoenix. And in that short time period, he had circulated sufficiently a story that was now just reaching the three centers of importance in Ki'Taal. He had worked seventeen years for this accomplishment.

The sickening sound of wet needles being pulled from flesh and labored breathing sounded in the dim underground room. One final stomach turning yank of needle from flesh and only the breathing remained. Of course silence never lasted long. In this case, it was drowned out by rather mellow laughter. A hand callused and gnarled from too much work and knuckle cracking, came to reset almost gently on the cheek of his pet project. That hand traced its fingers along the jawline then over facial features. "I remember when you were so small...what were you eight? Yes, only eight and a perfect subject. And here you are now. Perfect." That hand took to it's usual motion, brushing through hair and tracing curves in obsessed fashion. Enough of that now, he walked to another counter, grabbing a sheet and throwing it over the form before him. Now he leaned close to her ear, one hand pressuring the needle of a syringe into her skin and injecting her with a greenish liquid. It was time to give Ko'Naar, Sh'Kaar, and Fe'Laar a view of this new myth."Wake up Aiden."

With a pair of binoculars, he watched for her near the outskirts of Ko'Naar. The sun was setting and thus far, she had proved herself never late. A laugh as he felt accomplished. Already whispers were making their way even to Ko'Naar. Perfect. Then he caught a glimpse of brightly colored feathers. Again, perfect. Producing a cross bow he loaded it with what seemed to be a reddish looking liquid filled dark like projectile. Steadying it on the frame of the watch tower on his home he took aim. Lucky the thing was tuned to Aiden herself, he was a terrible shot. The weapon flew, and the phoenix fell.

By nightfall he slapped the two foot long brightly colored bird on the table with little to no gentleness. Yanking the once liquid filled dart from the body he returned to his counter of various other liquids. A sick purple colored one was his next injection into the bird and as he turned away again his ears picked up the distinct and sickening sounds of forced transformation. Turning back to the table, laid Aiden in human form again, completely knocked out, just as he had intended. Thus he went about hooking her up as she had been previously, various intravenous like tubes placed in strategic locations, all pumping that first red liquid into her body. Plus also a bluish liquid. And no one was the wiser to his plans, not even Aiden herself would be.

He was stroking her hair, smiling at her in a crazed fashion as she lay in chemical induced coma. Strands of progressive and transitioning color spilled through his fingers as they played in the fire mimicking ocean. "You're doing well. Pity you raised such suspicion thought. Perhaps I took away too much of your personality. I can always give a little back. Of course that's not until I finish all the tests that need to be done." Now that she was regularly moving and out in Ki'Taal, he had to monitor her closely, look for breakdowns in her or potential hazards. She was too precious to risk to some trivial matter that could be fixed with a drug.

Turning her arm over to expose the underside of her forearm he withdrew a knife and plunged the blade in deep, almost to the hilt. The blade was pulled down her arm, embedded deep, all the way to her elbow before it was pulled out with a bit of force. The blood flowed freely and quickly from the wound, coating and snaking around her forearm. But not a single drop fell. The blood merely stayed in place on her skin, encasing where it had flowed together and created something akin to a crimson liquid sleeve.

Reaching over he pressed a button, and a surge of electricity was heard. Aiden's body spasmed and convulsed a few seconds then she went still again. And he only smiled as he touched a finger to her cheek, wiping up a forced tear from the shock. Same to the other cheek. Bringing his finger back to the inflicted wound he let the moisture drip from his finger to the gash.

Blood now flowed in reverse, seeping back into the wound, the skin drawing back together and closing. Along where a scar would normally form, a brightly colored feather grew in its place. That feather was roughly plucked out with a bout of what could be considered sinister laughter. "Perhaps...a little to effective on herself. I'll keep that in mind should she one day feel the need to uprise against me. If she can even remember to that is."

"Nespha," Lethe whispered, "can you feel it?" Nespha merely stared blankly at him. Lethe narrowed his eyes and put his hand on his cheek, as if to stroke a non-existant beard. "Feel what?" Nespha finally replied. Lethe looked troubled. He stared off into space for a long time, and then, a look of grave understanding crossed his face. "Nothing." he said solemly. Nespha knew better than to question him further. "Have you still been practicing with my bow?" he asked after a minute or two. She looked down, blushing. "Actually Lethe, I...well, Ive been practicing down at the range. With a winchester...lately." Lethe slammed a fist down on the table, "Damnit! I told you not to use guns. Didnt I tell you not to use guns?!" Lethe took a deep breath, "Forgive me Nespha. My outburst was uncalled for. After all, it is a common weapon among..." he searched for the right word, then, looking around, he whispered, "...humans."

((He's technically mine too and I don't have time to wait on this part, the day needs to change over.))

Aiden had the distinct feeling that she was being followed the entire time back. In fact she knew it, and she knew who as well. It was that Tyler boy. But she couldn't fathom as to why she was being followed and every time she turned to catch a glimpse of him he tended to hide himself. What was that boy up to?

He practically growled as he didn't like what he was seeing, someone following his Aiden. And if he continued to let that happen, then his secret would be out. For the time being he went back down stairs to get a longer ranged weapon. He came back with a rifle of sorts. This time rather than his cross bow. Easy enough to get rid of the boy. Resting the muzzle of the gun on the top of the railing of the little tower he loaded one of those darts of his in, red liquid. Then he cocked the gun and looked through the scope, setting Tyler in the cross hairs. "No no little boy. It's bad to follow myths, didn't your mother ever tell you that?" A pull of a trigger to send one dart off before he loaded another in and too aim again, this time at Aiden. Another pull of the trigger.

Tyler was no stranger to gun fire, but since it wasn't a bullet fired, he didn't register the sound as easily in his ears. He did however register the sharp pain that jabbed him in the shoulder and sent a spark of pain through his body. Instinctive reaction made him clutch at his shoulder, only to pull his hand back and see a clear hollow dart embedded into him, a red substance injecting itself into his body. It was immediately yanked out. Then his attention yanked in front of him at the sound of armor hitting dirt and he got to witness Aiden falling to the ground. Tyler himself stumbled a step forward before falling face first in the dirt himself, world blurring out around him.

A smile as both went down. He was rather pleased with himself. But there was more to do, knocking them out wasn't enough, especially the boy. Two more darts were fired, both filled with a bluish liquid, in secession, hitting both targets again. Then casually he made his way down and out the back streets of Ko'Naar. Not more than ten minutes later he would come upon the two. Yanking darts out, Aiden got the pleasure of being injected with a third purple liquid, making her transform to her phoenix state, it was just easier to carry her. Her armor was thrown in a burlap sack. He inspected her a moment, noticing the necklace around her neck. It was duly ripped off and thrown in the dirt outside of Ko'Naar, then Aiden was picked up and tucked under his arm. With a last look at Tyler knowing the boy would be none the wiser, chemicals were a wonderful thing, he merely left him, taking Aiden and her armor back to his lab.

((Night fades to morning, hello next day))