Post originally by Character_Jass Strata



Immortal memory had all but been dissolved.

In a pocket there were letters, pieces of her life tucked away, mostly addressed to her; a few unopened and those that were she was unsure why, but she kept them just the same.

Some were communications from comrades, who were little more than strangers to her.

some were letters she had written with the intention of sending them abandoned...

and some were as intimate as sheets stained with an ink that left their traces in her that could never be erased. Traces that could be followed.

Her envy-green gaze followed her hand as it traveled upon her own reflection....

but it was someone else's hand that skipped across her line of sight like the blink of her eyes.

She'd been out of touch. "Jass Strata.." her fingers tapped lightly at her lips, as if trying to touch at who she was. But instead of her own voice, she heard the haunting baritone of a man lurking in the forsaken of recollection. It was only for this that she knew her own name.

So much needed explaining, needed to be absorbed.....

She needed so much...

Her condition, this situation made her seem so frail, in the ghostly reminder of the human her existence began as.

But there was an inhuman gnawing in her that made her ache and a heat that broke a sweat across her brow crawled beneath her skin. Her reflection became distorted as the glass mirror before her began to melt.

A naked man lay panting behind her in his bed, his sleeping body left to perish of exhaustion in the disturbance of his subconscious...

His soft cries of distress went ignored in the temporal realm, as with concentration she fed in another...

yet still she was unsatisfied...

still famished..

She turned away from the ruin of her reflection, the mirror...from the dead man....and turned her thoughts to the Ruiner....

She can't be held responsible

for anything she might do...

and she won't be held responsible

for anything she wants to do.

Post originally by Character_Jass Strata


I thought, that after all that had happened, after all we...I had been through, you would have just given me this one god damned thing.....

The paper it had been written on was well worn; folded, stained with finger-print flecks of dried blood and though it was cliche to say, the ink had been smudged by tears.

If you don't care...then neither do I. I can't do this anymore...

Just a few written words to finish the face to face conversation that had not been finished yet (at least to her) the night before. It was all she could do, because talking to a locked door to a chamber secured against even her magic....against her....

was not what she expected. Nor was she going to accept it.

Those few words would never find their way into Maxim's hand. And now, she couldn't remember why. She barely remembered writing them. But she knew she had. There were pieces of connecting memory that returned to her, flashes of his face, his voice, their words exchanged that left her feeling shut out.

She deserved more than an impersonal announcement- that he was yet again alienating himself. There were dents left in the chamber door from where she had repeatedly attempted to kick it in until she exhausted herself. No amount of heat she could conjure, no amount of tears, could melt a way in.

So while he was trying to find himself...

he was losing her, as she was losing herself.

Nearly a full month had passed since Verial Akilara had managed to track down Maxim Redmont, who had been perfecting his skills with the newest form of warfare found when he first entered the realm of Aleris: gunpowder and the weaponry that implemented it. That elegant revolver was visible as well, holstered upon the left side of his waist in easy reach of his right hand, designed for a quick draw in the event of an emergency. It was, perhaps, the only aspect of the Ravenholm Guardian uniforms that he and his comrade-in-arms were wearing that stood out; all other sentries wore a single-shot pistol that lacked the finesse, class, and power of the revolver carried by Maxim.

Since they had returned to the Outlands, they had disguised themselves as Upper Echelon Guardians, the elite sentries that patrolled the streets of Augustgrad, the lavish capital of Lumine Ravenholm's decadent empire. Most of the information they had discovered was common knowledge, including news of the war on the western continent, where the Redmonts had been soundly defeated and their new base of operations had been occupied by Leona Ravenholm -- who had curiously vanished not long after the conquest of the Outlands. In addition, they had learned of a terrifying new threat: supposedly, King Alerion and Marshall Lyseria had been killed by the Redmonts while leading a peaceful expedition to ask for the unconditional surrender of the family. While on his deathbed, King Alerion had asked 'his closest friend and confidant, Lumine Ravenholm' to extend his empire from the Outlands... by ruling Aleris. It was announced in both realms, though it was clear that the questionable circumstances surrounding Lumine's ascension to the throne of Aleris had stirred up considerable unrest.

And now, the two former kings had infiltrated Augustgrad, to formulate a plan that would allow Verial Akilara to obtain the antidote for the disease afflicting his son, Kyrian... and to save not only the Outlands from Lumine's iron-fisted rule, but Aleris as well.

The battle was indeed over, but true war was just beginning...

"It's her. I've no doubt about that, but... why is Jass Strata here?" Maxim whispered, those striking, fiery eyes of brilliant scarlet narrowing slightly as he and his ally quickened their pace. Ahead, the familiar form of a brunette beauty walked through the crowd, oblivious to the fact that two of the Guardians moving through the moonlit streets near her were none other than her lover, and a stranger that she had only heard rumors of from the family she loved. The undead Redmont glanced over at Verial, and shook his head slightly as they followed her around a corner -- ahead, the massive, ridiculously luxurious fortress of the Emperor Ravenholm loomed. Palace Ebonheart truly was a monument to the power and wealth that Lumine had amassed over several centuries. "She's not heading to the palace, though. Do you want to confront her, Maxim?"

Verial's question initially caused Maxim to pause, and both the former slayer and the fallen king realized that a quick decision was necessary. "Under other circumstances... I wouldn't wish to prolong our mission here. I've failed her once, Verial... I can't leave her behind again. Please," he glanced over at his friend, pausing so that he could ensure that Verial realized how important it was to him, "we need to find out what she's doing here, and either assist her or ensure she escapes. If nothing else, I'm certain she'll be able to help us." And as always, Maxim knew that his friend wouldn't disappoint him. "Then let's go. After all, you're helping me to save my son -- what kind of friend would I be if I didn't return the favor?" Verial added, with a slight smile.

Since they had reunited, the pair had discovered that despite their obvious changes, their friendship was stronger than ever. Verial had reminded Maxim that above all else, he still had his honor -- and Maxim had likewise caused Verial to remember that family was more important than anything else. The once bleak future, at least for the time being, seemed somewhat brighter.

They followed the Strata beauty to a house located on the outskirts of Augustgrad, and though it could be considered the lower district, even that humble structure was still large and filled with expensive amenities. Both men continued to walk even after she had stepped inside the gates and glanced back at the masked warriors; even at such a short distance, their uniforms easily hid their identities. Neither of them glanced back until after they heard the front door close, and the enhanced hearing of both allowed them to hear the familiar click of the lock sliding shut, which prompted them to quickly slip into the alley that ran adjacent to the manor. The light of the half-moon was pale and left something to be desired for those with lesser senses; fortunately, the abilities of both the undead Redmont and the draconic Akilara were honed to their supernatural extremes.

Unfortunately, Jass Strata herself was a succubus as well as a powerful sorceress, and that meant her senses were equally sharp.

The only thing that would've alerted Jass Strata to the presence of the intruders was the open window in her bedroom, and the fact that candles which would've otherwise been burning had just recently been put out, leaving only the pale illumination of midnight's half-moon to cast the barest hint of faint light into the chamber. Once she had stepped inside, the door suddenly slammed shut; behind her, was the armored form of an Upper Echelon Guardian, unmasked; she likely wouldn't recognize the face of Verial Akilara, though he offered her a reassuring smile that likely helped her realize she wasn't in danger.

The guard who stepped into the center of the room, in front of her, was easily far more familiar. The sentry's mask was removed to reveal those the ashen features of a handsome face that would never be touched by the hands of age, and familiar, piercing eyes of brilliant, though fiery scarlet met with her own eyes of striking emerald beauty. He lifted one hand to brush against the soft, porcelain features of her face in the gentle manner of a lover's caress, dark tendrils of hair in disarray around his own visage -- which only added to his appearance. If anything, the vampiric Redmont would've struck a chord in her heart by mere appearance alone.

"...I've come to save you, Jass."

The words were painfully simple, and echoed his own guilt; it was clear that he still loved her.

It was clear that he had realized just what Jass Strata meant to him.

Post originally by Character_Jass Strata


When the candles went out, she knew it wasn't a natural wind. It was the presence of something perhaps like the wind...that was neither alive nor dead but...just 'was'. The door immediately slamming shut behind her was not as subtle nor mysterious, it was plain demanding and attention gripping. Just like Maxim. The longer lengths of her ebony hair swung around with her in a fluid motion, wrapping around her curves as one hand lifted to cast the same emerald glow that burned from her eyes. But... defenses were lowered as quickly as they were raised...

she recognized one of two visitors..the one canceling out suspicion of the other. Her fingers reached up and curled into those that would touch her face, squeezing with an affection memory should have provoked...

She answered her savior intimately, as if Verial had not been there and perhaps it was not so much the words she spoke, but in the sultry tone that belonged between sheets that made the difference. A tone that would of made most men lean their ear to a door...peek through the keyhole...and touch themselves.

"You're hand is rough but you touch me softly." She quickly glanced past Maxim to the man that accompanied him, tilting her head a moment in consideration. "He an assassin or...something for me?"

Under the cover of a black sky, the obsidian colored dragon, Verial Akilara, had flown through misty clouds with Maxim Redmont as his passenger. Though the night was dark, both men had both turned their heads down to the scene below as they travelled over the Outland Gates. It was evident that a battle was slowly fading below them, the sounds of the defeated almost calling out for a final plea of help. As Verial narrowed his eyes and drew his attention towards the scene, he had no doubt in his mind that Lumine was at work, his victims the dazed Alerian army and struggling Redmont Bloodline.

For a moment, Verial believed Maxim would have asked Verial to drop down onto the battlefield so that he could help his remaining family. No words we uttered from the Kinslayer though as Verial flew on like a ghost in the twilight - past the humming of Lumine's victorious airships and army, past the fallen souls beneath him and on towards the capital of Augustgrad. They went undetected and landed safely outside the perimeter of the city.

Weeks had passed during their time in the vibrant capital of Augustgrad and they easily roamed the streets disguised as a pair of Upper Echelon Guardians. No one had ever seemed to question their presence so both Maxim and Verial were able to gather information without being found out. Many times, Verial had gazed down at himself in uniform and wondered if Lumine still awaited his capture of Maxim Redmont or if the Emperor had given up and caught on to their new plans.

Throughout their time in Augustgrad Maxim and Verial gained knowledge on the current war situation. Their suspicions had been mostly true: the Redmonts were defeated as well as the Alerian army. With the Ravenholm Empire's victory and Alerion's untimely death, Lumine was able to secure the throne of Aleris as his own. This was troubling news, though it also meant Maxim and Verial were able to explore Augustgrad more while Lumine was creating his new legion of mindless followers in Aleris.

On the other hand, Lumine had apparently lost a powerful ally, the witch Leona Ravenholm. Although once a powerful Empress, she had mysteriously disappeared and much to their relief, that would be one less threat to deal with once it came time for both Maxim and Verial to face Lumine. But... much to Verial and Maxim's dismay, Leona's presence was quickly replaced by an undead witch named Aubrey - a previous and close member of the Redmont Bloodline who in revenge now swore allegiance to the Ravenholm Empire. So although Lumine was out of town, Aubrey was happily babysitting Augustgrad and questioning and retraining many of the Upper Echelon Guardians to her liking until her Emperor's return.

They were running out of time and unbeknownst to the witch, Aubrey was closing in on one of the most wanted men in Augustgrad.

Verial found himself chasing after a potential ally with Maxim Redmont - Jass Strata. There was nothing he could do to stop Maxim from his pursuit and as much as Verial would have liked to grab the cure for his son and take off from Augustgrad, he understood fully the look of longing in Maxim's crimson hued eyes. She meant something... something so important that the dark haired beauty could not be left behind to wander the Ravenholm capital by herself. No, she needed to be saved.

As the door to her room was shut behind Maxim and Verial, Jass was made aware that she was not the only presence in the room. She turned fluidly towards them and although her appearance at first looked cautious and lost, her eyes had settled on Maxim and it was if she discovered her home in this world. Was it that easy that the Temptress had found what she had been looking for?

The two closed in on each other and fell into the familiar, sensual touch of admiration. Verial was not unaccustomed to a lover's embrace, but still he turned his head upwards towards the ceiling for a moment and let his mind wander as the two reunited their feelings, if only momentarily. Verial thought back to the Villa - back to his home - and wondered if his own family was safe and more importantly, if his son still clung to life, hoping for his father to return and cleanse him of the unnatural illness that plagued his body.

When Jass Strata turned her head to Verial and acknowledged his being, he let his eyes drop from the ceiling as well. The two had never met each other, but he offered her a look of assurance, one that let her know her beloved was in good company - the company of a friend.

"I am here to help both of you, Lady Strata," Verial said turning his odd colored eyes from her to Maxim, "and hopefully get us all out of here alive."