Aleris

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The Plague

https://aleris.neverend.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=167

Author: Syvern
Post Date: Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:14 pm
Post subject: The Plague

“Arraki are such vile creatures. You all think you are immortal and can never die. I am here to prove you wrong.” The dark-skinned colored creature rest one of his swords on the side of a blonde haired mans neck. “I will forever hunt your kind Alexian, your children will all perish by my hand.”

“I find that doubtful demon, no creature can forever stand before the might of an Arraki. Some of my children are more powerful than you think, they have my blood in their veins.” Alexian narrowed his eyes, “And I will not die here. I will return, I’ve proven it over thousands of years that I do not die.”

“We shall see.. Arraki!” The grey-skinned creature threw up his left hand and a glowing rune on the palm shot an image of itself onto the forehead of Alexian and the arraki fall to the marble floor. The sword was sheathed and the creature turned. Booted feet struck the marble with cause and the balcony was made to in moments overlooking the world. The castle floated thousands of feet in the air and far below a war was waging between the undead and the army of the dead arraki. The creature rose his hand up to the sky and closed his eyes. The magic that had kept the castle in place broke and the castle plummeted. The wind rushed past.

Dark eyes opened and with a small run the creature leapt off the railing freefalling through the air. A tear formed before him purple and swirling with energy and the creature vanished into it. Seconds later the castle smashed into the ground rocking the planet to its core and sending a shockwave tearing across the surface. The undead army stood in place as the living army of the late arraki ran away from the flying debris. Marble stone rained down on the world thrown up by the impact and the arrakis lifeless body lay out in the open air and a silence fell across the world.

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The heavy lifting was easy and the pay wasn’t extraordinary but the arraki was happy to be doing something. The elderly man who hired him was happy enough to have him, the small pub was his business and he had been the only one working there. His son’s had left to be soldiers and scholars and his daughters had left to become the wives of soldiers and scholars. His wife had died sometime ago and the pub was the only thing that kept him going.

Soul didn’t ask for much pay, he slept upstairs in a small room and worked all day stocking, bartending and the like. It wasn’t his most illustrious job ever but it was enough for him, he had enough excitement for a life time. The case full of vintage wine bottles was set on the stock shelf next to an open bottle of rum. He lifted the bottle and took a swig, brushed off his hands and headed back out front. His employer sat on the other side of the counter reading the paper.

“It was you wasn’t it?” The old man chuckled and rose a bushy white brow, “That beat up those four boys?” It was a daily question that had been asked since the article appeared in the paper.

Soul grinned and leaned on the counter. With a shrug he turned his head to look at the man, “I don’t think it was me Mr. Carbone. Though it probably was me.” He chuckled and turned to check the coffee which was heating over and open flame.

“Collin should be in soon, he hasn’t missed a day yet.” Almost on cue the teen came strolling in sack of eggs over one shoulder and a stick fashioned into a sword being swung back and forth in the other.

“Mornin’ Grandpa. Hey Soul.’’ The sack was handed over the counter and the stick leaned against the counter as the boy pulled himself onto a stool.

“Good morning Collin, how is my daughter doing?” Mr. Carbone asked the boy setting the paper down.

“Mom is fine, dad is busy at work. Some kind of disease causing people to turn into demons. They blame the outsiders like Soul.” Collin said and took a sip of the orange juice Soul set in front of him.
“Outsiders like me? I havn’t done anything.” Soul said acting accused while cracking eggs onto a flat grill suspended over an open flame.

“I know you havn’t. But their saying some kind of disease came along and are turning people into demons. People are getting hurt in the outer realms.” Collin nodded hard like he was trying to push the fact home.

Soul lit a cigar on the grill flame blowing out the smoke from getting it lit. “I’m sure they are just stories created to scare little boys and girls.”

“If you say so Mr. Soul.” The boy was fourteen, adventurous with lanky limbs and too much brown hair. He had little resemblance to his grandfather.

The door of the pub opened and four men walked in. Four men that Soul had seen and dealt with before, but there was something different about them, he could feel it from them. He flipped the eggs, knowing he’d be recognized he hadn’t changed much since their last encounter. Mr. Cartbone and Collin both watched the four guys walked up.

“Hey you we have a problem with you still.” Two walked to each opening in the bar and threw the doors up. Soul tried to pick out what was different about them.

“Hey now you hooligans get out of my pub!” Mr. Carbone said standing on his good leg and using the stool to support his bad leg while trying to grab his cane. One of the men was at his side before he blinked and kicked his knee out.

Now Soul defiantly knew something wasn’t right. Mr. Carbone yelled in pain and fell to the ground. Collin grabbed the swordstick and swung it at that mans head off balance. The stick broke on the mans head and he laughed at the boy shoving him out of his chair.

“Leave them alone.” Soul turned away from the grill and looked at the four of them. Their eyes were all the same but their skin showed a lot of aging with blue veins prominent underneath.

“What are you going to do about it?” A heavy metal pot jarred the arraki in the side of the head, the pot bent and the arraki got knocked off balance. Hands grabbed his wrists and flung him across the room. The table could nothing to support his two hundred and fifty pound frame and he crashed through it.

He stood and one of the men was next to him already staring at the side of his head. Soul ducked a punch and delivered one of his own to the man crushing his nose into his head and knocking him down. The other three stalked towards him as the fourth stood back up, he should be dead.

“Too bad for you he is not.”

Author: The Library
Post Date: Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:33 pm
Post subject: Re: The Plague

Post originally by Character_Plague

The creature knew as soon as his pawns saw the arraki that it was exactly what he was looking at. Such power in the being could not be hidden from him. The portal ripped the air outside the pub open and people scattered. The silver hair of the creature was pushed aside as quick steps took him inside to the see one of his pawns drop from a punch just to stand back up.

The thoughts of the arraki were there out in the open air. “Too bad for you he isn’t.” The words were loud enough to be heard. “I expected a king, not a bartender.” Steps to the two humans sitting next to the bar in fear. The creature lifted his hand and his plam glowed a different rune forming and imprinting itself on the sides of the humans eyes. In moments both were standing skin graying and veins pumping full of disease. In moments they were feral, snarling and biting. I took another couple moments to get them under control before they attacked all of them.

His four pawns held the arraki in place. He struggled against them, but he was not using his full power, not like Alexian had. This made the creature wonder. “Are you a bartender because you do not wish to use your full power and do not like what you are?”

“What are you talking about?” The arraki said and jerked his arm against the holds.

“I know what you are fool, do not play dumb with me. But you are different.” The creature stepped forward dark eyes narrowing in thought. A hand stuck out and the arraki yelled in pain as what felt like a drill punctured his mind.

“Unbelievable. An arraki with a moral code..” The creature muttered in disbelief then chuckled. “This will make it interesting. Let me introduce myself arraki in the proper way.”

“I am Plague. I am thousands of years old and for centuries I’ve been hunting arraki and killing them for what they are. Hundreds have died by my hand. Along with humans, such easily controlled beings. Just look at your friends now ready to strike you with just a wave of my hand.

“I may be an arraki but I’ve done nothing.” The arraki said struggling against the holds.

“Oorcinrath was not your doing then? What about all those humans you’ve killed in hunger over the years? You are no different then any other arraki. Not as power hungry but you use your power to do what you wish. And it pushes some away that you wish would stay.” Plague shook his head, “For it you must die.”

The arraki gritted his teeth and Plague felt the power rise and his gaze widened. He drew his sword and flashed a barrier around himself as the pub exploded upward splintering the wood and shattering bottles. His pawns were tossed in every direction and the arraki stood by himself, his seven foot form filtering through the smoke before it was gone.

“Yes arraki run away! I will tear this land apart to find you!” Plague yelled and began to chuckle. Already across the country his disease was running amuck, entering the blood streams of people as his minions bit and scratched them. His undead army was already a hundred strong and growing. The arraki would soon have no place to hide.