Abyss of the Soul

Gethe

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

"Oh mother is around, though she doesn't seem quite the same as when she last walked Aleris." Gethe answered Dela's last question before she followed him towards a very interesting breeding pit for darkness known as Jade City. Sharay it seems had his scent by some coincidence. Unfortunately the power of her aura disguised any that may follow her. He was confident he could defeat her this time, as long as he didn't hold back. Devouring her essence tempted him once more, causing a little drool to drip from his lips. Gethe wondered if the self proclaimed goddess had ever realized he hid his true strength right under her nose while in her dark army. She didn't seem to understand subtlety at all, so he doubted it. The problem was how would the dead seed react to their meeting. If need be he would wipe them all out, so that they quit whimpering in his awareness all the time. Except for Dela who was now beyond his chance to kill, since she made a deal with him.

As he continued his journey he felt his wards fall in the bowels of Ironhold prison. He had been monitoring his religious followers dying one after the other. They were destroyed utterly by Valorious and Ameerah Amunette, their disregard for mercy of any sort was such a joy to watch. He felt such darkness in them that he wondered how the lesser beings managed not to be hunted down for their sinister actions. The answer of course was power the only true law in the multi-verse. He felt the pitiful Alerians' ignorance, was a never ending cosmic joke. Still they found his powerbase far too quickly. He had been so careful this time yet they destroyed it. Fortunately, his little puppet Hydren had walked out unscathed. Thanks to the blind zealot his plan was not lost completely, merely delayed.

It was then that he encountered a most unexpected gift in Ranisa Kir. The human woman had no idea she was about to fight her son. This was a fun event he would love to watch but, he felt something annoying stirring in Jade City. Gethe wasn't close enough to know what exactly, so he must of course find out. The battle that was about to unfold between two Kir's had no down side. He cared little who won, either way they would both suffer.

==========

He entered the jungle city as night fell and felt out the disturbance he sensed earlier. Light be damned, that dead seed girl had begun converting the city to her way of thinking. What a terribly inconvenient occurrence of events. Now he might have to reduce the whole city to dust. The blasted child, dared to keep him from her thoughts. Gethe knew she was plotting something against his wishes because of this. The demon had tried to keep the slaughter to a minimum so he didn't attract much attention. However, his converted prison was now discovered, and the willful dead seed woman further stirred up trouble. She clearly was Sharay's child all power no cunning. "Dela your sister has gotten out of hand. I hope you can reason with her, if not she will be punished severely. I have no desire to deprive you of your siblings again but, she may force my hand just like your brother." The menace in his tone was so clear no one could mistake it.

Madrin Kir returned at that time covered in blood making clear he was the winner. "Madrin tell me Ranisa suffered as she died."

"Aye master Gethe, she died whimpering like a pathetic child." The abyssal knight didn't understand why he left her alive and said nothing of it. For some reason he felt that was the best way to handle the situation. He supposed his hesitation to kill Ranisa was a weakness that the dark lord needn't know. The master had more important things to do than hear minor details such as that.

"Excellent Madrin, now we have wayward children to reign in. Come along your bloody work has only begun." The smile on the demon's face was chilling as he followed the darkness that called him to an old ruined mansion with great age in its stones. Any that witnessed the strange group of travelers quickly headed in another direction, when they saw a huge black shadow manifest behind an eighteen year old man spreading unnamed fear. "Atisha kick the door in, they know their master has come, but fear the great power he brings." He believed they called themselves Corporins, the rebellious dead seed would have to wait.

Last edited by Gethe on Sun Mar 03, 2013 3:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:37 am

We can make a deal however, you will need plenty of blood.

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

Bronze skin kissed by the sun flashed in the light streaming from the moon, the sounds of flesh upon flesh and moans filled the upper room of the orphanage. Sierra moaned underneath the lost prince, the care taker of the orphans shaking with pleasure. She was human and would soon be asleep, her body unable to keep up with the endurance of the arraki. Lysa, the serving girl from the masquerade ball had already fallen to that fate and rested peacefully next to them.

Syvern’s mismatched eyes stared out the window his mind working on overtime. He no longer felt the connection with Blend and he knew what this meant. The connection had been tenuous at best but he had still noticed when it ceased to exist. Seeing Bansca for the first time in what felt like decades had been good but it seemed the mention of Blend had been nothing more than a harsh memory for his old friend. Was it his old friend?

Waves of pleasure rolled over him and Sierra and her eyes fluttered before closing as she lost the battle with fatigue. He stood and used a dirty pair of pants to clean himself off. He looked at the two and then to their bare stomachs. He had no fear of either getting pregnant; no human he had ever slept with had carried his child.

He walked to the window and looked down at the quiet street below; he had yet to find any leads to Zafiro. Japshoot had been one of the last people to see him; he hoped the young boy had not lost himself in one of his portals. He suddenly felt something and a tingle rolled up his spine, a memory of Souls flashed before his eyes of the battle of a demon outside of Grand City. His mismatched eyes narrowed muscular frame tensing. Why is he here?

He turned from the window and lifted the heavy set of armor that covered his right shoulder to his right hand and pulled it over the appendage. He used his left hand to lock the metal in place. Black slacks were pulled up to his waist and tightened with a belt of leather. Neither woman on the bed stirred as he sat on the edge and pulled on his boots. The dirty and stained cloak was pulled on and the hood pulled over his head.

Moments later he was on the street feet crunching on the fresh layer of snow. It had always been peculiar to him that snow fell in a city surrounded by jungle. His eyes tracked the street ahead as he walked, he thought for a moment to wake Bansca but his old friend had been through enough that day. He wanted Bansca to help him find Zafiro, not help him wage a battle against a demon. His old friend had a family to live for so he could not justify making him risk his life again especially for a cause not his own.

He found Gethe and his little posse near a mansion. The arraki stayed a good distance away, he wasn’t sure if Gethe would recognize him due to Soul being a part of him. His hands clenched as he watched the group, they were preparing to start a battle it seemed. Jade City had been left reasonably untouched by the last war, but it seemed it would not escape this one. He thought for a moment to find Japshoot and tell him to help him assemble the left over Almeddans in Jade that hadn’t listened to the King.

He dismissed the thought though as the shadows began to spread from the puppet that Gethe was using, the men had been fearful of minor magic, what was about to happen would only lead to their demise. He took a deep breath to settle his mind which had been so full since his merger. An old homeless man limped past away from the posse, fear heavy on his scent.

Fear was a thing the arraki was not used to. He had been through death in two different lives and stood up against so called gods and relentless kings. His own death was not a thing to fear. He did fear for the lives of the innocent, he feared their suffering. He lowered his gaze and then strode forward. He wouldn’t stand quietly while bad things happened to good people. He would not allow Gethe to bring death and destruction to the city.

Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:04 pm

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

The Aliscowri were spreading throughout Jade! With every moment that passed, a new convert found their way into Tempesturo's chaotic embrace. And with every new convert, Iyn felt her power growing.

Like a plague, the Visions of Ae'Vescra spread from one person to the next, infecting the city with a new and bizarre understanding of the universe. An understanding that sacrifice was the path to ascension, that they could become gods and immortals if they only applied these truths of life to themselves.

Surprisingly, the growth of the Aliscowri hordes did not coincide with a massive amount of cannibalism or destruction. In fact, these normal traits of the Aliscowri didn't manifest themselves at all. When Iyn had passed on her visions of Chaos, she had altered them according to her will. The Aliscowri would no longer be cannibals, they would no longer be foolish and blind to the world around them.

She had shown them how to become something more than simple Aliscowri. She showed them how to become gods.

--

Kotis, the slaver that Iyn had converted in that dark alley, was now the unofficial leader of the Aliscowri which had gathered at Moon's Shadow Inn. Iyn, for whatever reasons, chose to remain behind the scenes, locked away in a musty room. In the common room, the new Aliscowri had gathered to discuss the visions they all shared and what their next plans were.

"It doesn't make sense," one Aliscowri said, gazing wistfully into the mug of beer he clutched in his hands. "Sacrifice."

"What are we supposed to sacrifice, anyways?" stated another.

Kotis only shrugged. "Everything."

"That still doesn't make sense," the first Aliscowri repeated, staring at his warming ale.

"Iyn showed me.. she showed all of us."

"Iyn's hiding in her room."

"She's trying to contact someone. That's beside the point. Djarin's sacrifices gave him power. The mad prophet lives on now, immortal and impervious, in Chaos as a god! We can become like Djarin. We can become like Tempesturo." Kotis narrowed his eyes. "We can become immortal. We need to only sacrifice.."

"How?!" demanded one Aliscowri. "Sacrifice - how?!"

Kotis motioned towards the man. "Draw your blade."

"Excuse me?"

"Strike me down."

"Uhh.." The Aliscowri glanced nervously at his sword as he unsheathed it. "Are you insane, Kotis?"

"That's very likely. Now, do as I said."

The Aliscowri studied his sword for a long moment before he lifted his gaze to Kotis. "Is this what you meant by sacrifice?!" And with a scream, he charged at Kotis, swinging the blade in a wide arch that landed with a wet thud against the slaver's throat.

Eyes wide, Kotis gasped for air - but blood rushed down his throat, forcing him to cough involuntarily. Was this a mistake?! He wondered to himself, even as his lungs filled with liquid. His heart pounded quicker in his chest, demanding oxygen which never came, and Kotis felt darkness creeping around the edges of his vision. He smiled. Djarin, he thought to himself.. I'm coming for you.

--

Half an hour passed with the Aliscowri musing over Kotis's untimely demise until something strange and otherworldly happened. The corpse of Kotis shifted, then pushed itself up from the floor. Bloody hands clenched around a gaping throat, and the reborn slaver smiled towards the other Aliscowri.

"I have sacrificed my life," he grunted, blood slipping from between his lips. "In doing so, I will master death." Red hands pulled away from a redder neck, but the slaver only grinned. "From now on you will call me Kaotis. Now, Aliscowri, lets go and spread the glory of CHAOS!"

A cheer rose from the Aliscowri.. A cheer that could send chills down even the darkest demon's spine.

--

Unaware of the growing Aliscowri population in Jade, and frankely uncaring, the Corpirians that had crept into this city weeks ago had different problems. Ever since the battle in the Crystal Grove, where Elysia had been struck down, the Corpirians had been on the run, carrying their precious cargo further from the Hyperborean Mountains and thus further away from their Almeddan enemies. Jade City was only a brief stop, for the group of eighteen Corpirians had planned on travelling even further south to Heruin. A place where they would be forgotten.

Their cargo wasn't an easy thing to ship. Going by the name of Zafiro, the child was an incredibly dangerous and powerful sorcerer who had the ability to conjure portals. This ability was what allowed the Evincan armies to ambush Meristali in the Crystal Grove, and it made Zafiro an asset. He was a potent magician and the Corpirians respected that.

Instead of hurting him, they sought to befriend Zafiro. They yearned to show Zafiro their side of the story, and demonstrate to him that they weren't as evil as their poor public image implied. Corpirians, they explained to him, were once loyal soldiers to Almedda. But they had been betrayed by Xezvimhi, then cast into the wastelands by House Evinco. Ever since then, they had been outlaws, cursed to become undead in order to save their own lives. Surely, Zafiro could understand their plight. They only wished to obtain a rightful place in Almedda once more, and become recognized properly as citizens of their homeland.

These were not lies, and that's what made them all the more compelling. Furthermore, Zafiro had a child near enough his age to keep him company, a young orphan who'd been embraced into the Corpirian practices. The apprentice, named Alris, was a friendly and charming kid of twelve and was eager to explain the circumstances of Corporis and why they would need Zafiro's help to end the war peacefully.

That's when Gethe showed up and ruined everything.

--

Moments before Atisha kicked the door in on the Corpirian building, Dela looked up at Gethe and smiled. She didn't know why, but she was earning a deep respect for Gethe. Perhaps it was his bluntness, the obvious way he issued threats and promises. Sure, one of those promises was for Dela's "sister", but Dela was already beginning to feel less and less attached to Iyn. She was no normal Dead Seed, after all. She was ... Well, she was Gethe's Dead Seed.

"Will they scream?" she asked to her 'father', eyes staring lovingly up towards Gethe.

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 6:33 pm

"That night, Eurynomos dreamed of animals. Animals he'd never seen before.
He dreamed of tigers fighting spiders. He dreamed an eagle screamed and struck down the sun.
His mind drew pictures of wolves hunting bears, of machines in chaotic landscapes,
of gods weeping and laughing in merriment as the animals played their primal games."

Sharay

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

The Dark Goddess half leaned against a thick trunk, her gaze fastened upon the fae girl huddled under her blanket, a sly smile forming. The little sheep showed defiance. Perhaps there was hope for her after all, Sharay surmised.

Wish had not been asleep long, and Sharay decided to allow the girl a few more minutes of peace before waking her so that they might continue into Jade. As it was, they were located on the outskirts of the jungle city among the rainforest that should have remained untouched by the snow, yet the grounds were covered an inch or so thick with the white powder as was the lush vegetation that grew to enormous size, home to many species of fauna and flora. Perhaps it was due to the winds that came from the north near the Hyperborean Mountains that blew the snow south to Jade. In any case, night had fallen and for the most part, all was silent in the forest.

Sharay could sense death nearby, as it was her gift. The spilled blood cried out to her, as she assumed called to Elysia, but even as it was her affinity to see to the dead, this was not her land nor her people. She would not lead their disembodied spirits into the glorious realm of Chaos where they would be forever free of hunger, of thirst and pain, of weakness. That was Elysia’s job, and far be it from the Goddess to interfere.

Once again Sharay thought of the Dead Seed, the blood magic children born from the savagery of the Aliscowri, whom she presumed were no longer. At best guess, she assumed there was but a handful of Dead Seed left, and even then she was being generous. Closing her eyes, she opened and expanded her mind, hoping for some sort of thread to connect her to any existing Dead Seed.

Bound by Chaos and Death, the Goddess found the boy first. The child who had grown to a man in such an abnormal rate, but such was the fate of the Dead Seed. It was his blood that had cried out to her, begging his mother for vengeance. Her own astral form descended upon the man-child’s body and she saw the truth of his death as clearly as if she had been present for his execution by the slave known as Madrin Kir. Gethe. It was that demonic bastard who was responsible in his own indirect way, his puppet Madrin carrying out the death sentence. All because the boy defied. All because he saw the truth of Gethe, but was that all? Was he alone?

His soul lingered, but faintly and the boy stared with mournful eyes at the non-corporeal form of Sharay, of his mother. With a compassion that little would ever bear witness to, and few had lived to recount it, Sharay held out her arms to the fallen Dead Seed boy and embraced him. That contact allowed her to tap into his memories, and with that sight, Sharay reviewed the last few hours of the boy’s life. His sister survived. Iyn. Such a lovely name, Sharay thought. She had never bothered to discover the names of the Dead Seed when they were living, and this saddened Sharay. It was her own fault. She should have taken great pains to care for sorcerous children who found the truth in Chaos. But there was more. The dark skinned child of Delorah lived as well. Lived. No, the child traded her soul to the demon Gethe for immortality. The boy’s thoughts were a jumbled mess and he began to fade, his translucent spectral being barely visible.

Chaos awaits you. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten sweet one. You will be avenged. I swear it.

There was a soft but audible sigh and the boy was finally released into the realm of Chaos just as Sharay returned to the physical form she had adopted with a shudder. Elysia would not ferry this soul into the afterlife. This one belonged to her and he was her responsibility. Even Sharay made exceptions to her own rules from time to time.

Energy had been expended, and thought it had been depleted, a toll had been taken on the Goddess. She would need a moment or two to recuperate. So the daughter of Delorah lived and served her master Gethe. Her father. Sharay scowled. The stupidity and foolishness of the child whose sole desire was to live forever. Everything had a beginning, as it had an end. Why she would chose servitude to Gethe instead of the bliss the welcomed her in Chaos eluded Sharay. Immortality, the Goddess decided, was highly overrated in her opinion. The Goddess was highly disappointed by the simple truth: she would have to put the girl, Dela, down. Unless....

Child of Delorah, hear me. I have not abandoned you. Gethe is the father of lies.

Sharay cut off her thoughts to the black skinned child immediately in case Gethe found a way to intercept her warning. Her own thoughts, as well as Wish’s, would be shielded from the demonic being. Sharay had made sure of that. Her known presence was inevitable as Sharay radiated immense energy and power from her being, and it was fully conceivable he was aware she was in Jade and nearing closer.

The Goddess pushed away from the tree and stepped toward the slumbering form of Wish, whom she nudged awake with the toe of her fur lined boot. “Wake up now, fae.” Barely did she give Wish time to rub sleep from her eyes or shake off the disorientation before grabbing the Paladin by the arm and yanking her roughly to her feet. “Get yourself together and saddle your horse. You have one minute before we leave.” Sharay swept her heavy dark hair behind her shoulder and untied her own stallion to mount and glanced over her shoulder to regard Wish who was hastily preparing her mare for departure. She could feel the ties that bound her to Iyn reaching out to her, reaching out to her mother.

“Your Madrin Kir has committed a severe transgression against me and mine. He will not go unpunished,” Sharay’s voice, as soft as could be, was positively dripping with malevolence.

The Goddess allowed herself to be led in the direction from where she felt Iyn was located, failing to disclose to Wish exactly where they were headed. Sharay felt it best to offer as little information to Wish as possible in case the fae had delusions of grandeur concerning who was in charge of this little mission.

The Moon’s Shadow Inn was where Sharay finally brought her horse to a halt and swung her leg over the saddle, dismounting with one smooth easy move. She did not bother to tether the beast to the wooden railings and instead snapped her fingers at Wish to follow her inside, much to the confusion of the fae who still had no idea why they were here of all places. She could hear the cheers of those present inside, and something about the chorus of voices filled the Goddess with anxious anticipation. “You say nothing. You stay behind me and do not speak at all.” If Wish had any objections, Sharay pointedly ignored them as she flung the inn doors open in dramatic fashion.

The Goddess strode inside the inn as if she owned the place, adopting a haughty look of disdain as she surveyed those present. It was only when she truly ‘saw’ them for what they were did Sharay’s onyx eyes widen a fraction, her lips parted in a slight ‘O’.

“Aliscowri reborn,” she breathed, her lips curling into the most beautiful of smiles as she glanced at Wish. “If you believe in luck, I would say that it favors us tonight.”

Sharay’s smile faded and she once more fixed each and every present Aliscowri with her penetrating bottomless pools of Chaotic fire. The Goddess threw off her furs, revealing a gown made of midnight and starlight that bared her creamy white shoulders, the skirt trailing behind her. These were not the Aliscowri she remembered from the great war. Those previous people were savages, cannibals, rapists and murderers. These new breed of Aliscowri were quite humane it would seem, though Sharay could see by their auras that all had been affected by the visions of their Ae`Vescra.

Sharay’s head slowly turned until her gaze found the bloodied but still living form of Kaotis.

“Sacrifice,” she whispered before finding herself in the center of the inn’s main room, commanding the attention of all present as indigo flames lit in her eyes and the dark tendrils of Chaos and Death began to emerge from her outstretched palms, curling around her body.

“Aliscowri! You, who were once ordinary and pathetic mortals, were shown a great revelation that has now changed your lives forever! You have chosen a higher path, to embrace Chaos and learn the value of sacrifice! The shedding of one’s skin, of one’s fears and doubts, that is sacrifice! That is the path to your Ae`Vescra! Only through sacrifice can one obtain immortality!” Sharay declared in a loud, powerful voice, her head thrown back.

With one magnificent sweep of hands she gestured to each and every man, woman and child present. “I am Sharay and you, my dears, are all my children. Bathed and baptized by Chaos, are we. United as one with one common goal: to spread the glory and beauty of Chaos to the blinded sheep so that we might free them from their mortal chains they so cling to! So that they might transcend as you will all transcend!” The Goddess of Chaos smiled then. “To become living gods!”

Whether the Aliscowri trusted her or not was not relevant. It was Iyn’s convictions that would cause any doubters to change their minds and realize that Sharay would indeed hold true to her words.

“A great evil is spreading throughout Jade. Your Jade. Your city. He is the demon Gethe and he would make slaves out of all of you, if not bathe in your blood first. He does not understand the true power of Chaos, and would corrupt it as he has done to others to serve his purposes, which is control. He has already taken the sibling of your own leader,” Sharay shifted her attention to Kaotic. “Iyn, who blessed you first with the revelation and truth of Ae`Vescra. Would you abandon your sister now in her time of need? Her blood, which is my blood shall be avenged, children. I vow this with all that I am and all that I have.”

Sharay paused before speaking again, “Now, bring forth to me my child, Iyn. Inform her that her Mother has arrived.”

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:41 pm

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

"Some will scream and some will kneel little one, they will decide which themselves. Would you like to show them your power Dela?" Whether or not she led the way, they must move onward there were too many weaklings that needed to learn their place. Gethe sensed nineteen beings within the confines of the ancient building. However, The approach of an Arraki gave the demon reason to hesitate. This was why he had brought Madrin with him and gave him the ebony blade Reaver. "Boy take care of that nuisance will you, I have servants to break."

"Yes sir, as you order." Madrin drew the war demon in the shape of a sword and charged Syvern. The man was big so he was likely slow but, powerful. He had no knowledge to draw from so the spray of acid blood caught him off guard. It was a shallow wound so little real damage was done, the Arraki was faster than he appeared. However, the demon hide encasing Madrin, protected his human skin beneath. He was in no danger from the corrosive blood since the black armor ignored its harmful effects.

At that time the door was kicked open by Atisha revealing a dark hall before the group. Gethe entered without hesitation. The shadows surrounding him began to move like a dozen human shaped soldiers. They reached a pair of decayed black marble statues depicting ideal human shapes posing with cocky importance, that stood vigil maintaining an invisible barrier in front of the next doorway. Gethe paused briefly to ply his inhuman strength to the monuments of human stupidity. A single dark energy charged beam shattered each barrier warden in turn. The dark one laughed at such a pitiful attempt to stop him.

Beyond the rubble was a large room containing the eighteen Corporins and a small boy of undetermined allegiance. The biped shades that followed the demon into the area surrounded the onlookers. Then his powerful voice reached everyone in the room. "I have come to grant your desires all that is needed is submission to a superior being."

One of the fools dared to speak up, believing herself in the right when faced with Darkness itself, in human skin. Gethe would have let it slide in order to subjugate the Almeddans' will, if she hadn't fired a pitiful energy attack at the demon lord. Faster than the woman could react one of the shadows surrounding the Corporins, ripped her head off and pulped her fragile skull. The dark lord smiled then in his usual confident way. "Try not to all die you pathetic fools. I haven't had much fun in awhile. Heruin awaits the survivors." Atisha charged forward at Gethe's command and began using her pain control ability, combined with her trained unarmed fighting techniques, to destroy any that tried to take her out. The screams of pain were a pleasing symphony to the Dark lord.

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 10:49 pm

We can make a deal however, you will need plenty of blood.

Wish

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

Despite the fact that sleep did not come easy and that it barely came it all, the sounds of the flora and fauna surrounding Wish and Sharay were of some comfort to the resting fae. Though lids were closed over olive colored eyes, Wish could hear the sounds of jungle life in the area. Animals not far off in the distance moved about, some watching curiously from a safe distance where the two traveling women made camp. It seemed that Wish had listened to those sounds for quite some time in her state of half-consciousness, fading in and out of memories and dreams before she was prodded awake with a boot to the side.

In reality, the rest Sharay allowed her was barely an hour and a half long which did not necessarily bother Wish as she knew their journey was of an urgent one - at least to her anyway. The thing that did grate on Wish was that she was not even given a second to gather her composure before Sharay grabbed her arm and yanked roughly to her feet. If it wasn't for the nearby tree that Wish reached out to steady herself with, she would have very well fell back onto the ground again. After Sharay got her message across, Wish went to her horse that she would have liked to point out was already saddled. Instead, she kept her lips sealed tightly, even more so when Sharay made it a point to let Wish know Madrin would be punished for killing whoever it was he had killed while under his influence of Gethe.

With her back to Sharay, Wish grabbed the reigns of her horse tightly in her hand so that her nails dug into her palms. Strangely, she wanted to feel some other sort of pain and misery that wasn't inflicted by this self-proclaimed goddess. How could one person be so blind? Suddenly, there were punishments to deal out when it affected Sharay directly. However, Sharay's own crimes in the past - the hundreds of Alerians murdered while in Deanna's skin - went unpunished. This unfortunately was a useless point. It appeared to Wish that if it was someone else threatening Aleris and not Sharay, blood was to bed had.

No, Wish did not condone the people Madrin had killed thus far while being manipulated by Gethe. In her heart, she wanted Madrin to fight the evil that controlled him. Did she foolishly believe he was stronger than that? Perhaps so. Either way, Wish did have some hope that he would break free and eventually the realization of what he had done would be punishment enough. This was the same sort of torture Deanna DiCorvino would have to live with for the rest of her life as well - the memories of countless people she had killed - no thanks to Sharay.

Still, these thoughts and objections in Wish's mind went unsaid and likely had she chosen to say anything at all, they would have gone unheard. After Wish was done leaving imprints in the palms of her hands, she let out a breath and pulled herself on her horse. Wish situated herself on the saddle and then turned her mare in the direction to wherever it was Sharay was leading her in Jade City. It did not take long before the two left the thicker parts of the jungle and rode into Jade City. Just a short distance into the town, they stopped before a building where a sign hung above the main door reading "Moon's Shadow Inn".

Before she could even ask what they were doing here, Wish was once more silenced into submission. She was told to not say a word and to stay behind Sharay as if she were a dog. Wish's mouth fell into a hard line and she held back the vicious slew of words and curses that threatened to spill from her lips. Her patience was wearing thin, but much to her dismay, following Sharay was the only choice she had. Sure, she could have walked away and went down another one of Jade City's roads, but likely that would bring her nowhere. At least she could admit that as hidden and pointlessly secretive as it was, Sharay had a plan.

Wish left her horse's saddle but unlike Sharay, she took a brief moment to calm the animal by stroking a hand across its forelock and whispering to the mare soothingly. The streets of Jade City were eerily empty tonight with the snow falling steadily. The sounds of cheering and united voices coming from within the inn were of little help to the currently uneasy situation, which was only really uneasy for Wish herself and the horse. After just a few seconds, Wish reluctantly left the mare and headed into Moon's Shadow Inn a few steps behind Sharay who had flung the front doors open as if she were expecting a huge welcoming and fanfare music to be played.

Inside the common room of the inn a group of people were gathered that Wish did not recognize. Even in her grand entrance, Wish noticed out of the corner of her eye the momentary surprise in Sharay's face. For a fraction of a second, the dark woman's lips parted slightly and then turned upward into a charming and approving smile. It was then that her expression turned serious, although there was an obvious twinkle of delight in her eyes, if one could picture Sharay that way. And for the first time as far as Wish could recall, Sharay turned to glance at Wish and appeared pleased at what was going on.

It was only after Sharay turned back to the Aliscowri and started speaking again that Wish realized what was going on. As Sharay began to deliver her little speech, dark tendrils emerged from the woman's palms and flowed towards her body, encircling her like snakes. Wish took a single step back, though the chaotic and death energies avoided Wish as well. Sharay spoke to the Aliscowri about revelations of Chaos and sacrifice and through those things, the promise of immortality. She spoke in a voice that commanded an army - that commanded followers, servants and apparently, her "children".

Wish almost laughed when Sharay informed the Aliscowri they could become living gods themselves. To Wish, this was all one big, dramatic show for Sharay to flex her powers over and over again. Would the Aliscowri soak up her words like little absorbent sponges? Would they follow their so-called mother? Would they bend at Sharay's will and fight Gethe and the evil that he also brought through Jade City? All and any additional questions Wish had went unanswered, but this time it was because her own doing.

She had not signed up to be drug into yet again another battle, but here she was. Wish's primary goal was to attempt to save her friend, Madrin Kir and that mission... well it had been complicated beyond belief now.

Instead of sticking around after Sharay's speech and to meet this Iyn, Wish stepped around Sharay and walked past the Aliscowri in the common room. Wish weaved through their ranks, though they made a path for her, and moved to a room off to the side in Moon Shadow's Inn. The room Wish wandered into was but a small tavern and behind the bar stood a man who was motionless and holding a glass in his hand. His mouth hung open in surprise; obviously not one of the Aliscowri.

When Wish walked up to him and slid across a bar stool to sit down, the man broke his trance and nearly dropped his glass. The only remaining human in the inn was taken aback by the "cult" that had flowed into the building and had no idea how to respond. He blinked his eyes three times as if Wish were an apparition to which she finally smiled softly. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he eventually managed words.

"Gods be damned, I picked the wrong day to come to work," he grunted. "What'll it be, miss? Blood? Head on a platter? You really don't seem like the type, but ya never know these days."

"Whiskey," Wish said as if she'd been thinking about the drink for some time now. In any case, she definitely needed it. Once the amber-colored liquid was brought to her, Wish downed it and of course, winced a little upon swallowing the drink. Nevertheless, the sensation of the whiskey briefly burning her throat felt good. It made her feel alive and not so numb in the middle of all these chaotic and evil individuals. As the bar tender went back to cleaning the rest of the glasses and bottles on the shelves behind the bar, a slender finger ran across the top rim of her glass in a circle as Wish looked down at the bar counter.

Wish needed to find Madrin and she needed to find him fast before it wasn't just the taste of whiskey in her mouth, but the taste of blood from others as Jade City was painted in crimson.

Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 2:47 pm

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

Lightning crackled across an incandescent violet sky, pulsing through roiling clouds that had gathered around to watch the daughter of Chaos discover her origins. The wind tore across the barren, ruined landscape, howling with bitterness as it dug into cracks and fissures that marred the ravaged earth.

"Where am I?!" Iyn called out to the wind, but her voice was torn away by invisible claws. The storm above churned and coalesced as if Tempesturo were trying to part the chaotic sky with a puff of his breath, and Iyn looked around fearfully for any hints to where she was. Moments before, she had been in her room, praying to Sharay. Were her prayers being answered?

A figure was approaching from the rocky hillside, something alien, and Iyn's eyes widened. It had only three legs, two of them at the fore. A single glistening eye was clenched in an ebony crystalline skull, and rivulets of charged plasma poured like tears from its disturbing stare. Smoke steadily rose from the monstrosity reeking of sulfur and ozone, and as it neared Iyn got a sense of its scale... Larger than a warhorse, and ten times more frightening.

Clicking and hissing, the creature spoke to her in a language she knew but had never been taught.

"You. Dreaming. Awake.." The creature purred, now only feet away. Its glistening eye, Iyn saw, was compounded like a fly. Each of those thousand eyes were staring at her, gazing calmly into her forsaken soul. "This is Chaos. So is Aleris. But.. Special, this. Invested." The creature used its right hand to claw into the ground, and Iyn followed its gaze (at least, she thought she did). It was digging up the cog of a machine. "A god died. Here. A god was fixed. Here. Blend. Sharay. Chaos undoes." It leaned down and prodded the cog with its blackened nose. "Chaos creates."

"Why am I here?" Iyn demanded. She didn't understand what it was talking about. A god died here? A god was fixed? It spoke in riddles.

"I see you. I see your chains." The creature's tail flickered, sending bits of molten magma dancing through the electrically charged air. It seemed to be anticipating a response, so Iyn looked down at her torso, where the creature was staring.

Chains? I don't see... ohh..

Myriad ethereal chains drifted from her figure. It seemed to be one at first, but as Iyn looked closer, she saw several interwoven chains, then hundreds, some as thin as the silk of a spiders web, their ends sailing away from her body to unknown destinations.

"What are they..?"

"Your desires," the creature explained. "Your lust. Your remorse. Your conviction. You."

Iyn shook her head, but now that she saw the chains, she could feel their weight. They pulled at her, tugging her in a thousand directions. They wanted her to flee, they wanted her to fight. They wanted her to sit down, to cry, to die, or to live like she'd never lived before! They wanted everything of her. They wanted nothing.

They were getting heavier.

"Help me!" Iyn begged as the chains bore her to the ground. She reached to pull on them, but the chains only resisted, forcing her to her knees.

The creature moved up to Iyn and clicked out a response. It had carried in its nimble right hand a glass sphere pulsing with amber light, the size of a large grape... or an eyeball. "I can help. Djarin saw. Now you. Now see." It dropped the sphere on the ground and it rolled towards Iyn, even as her chains dragged her to the earth. Her fingers reached out, struggling against the bondage of her desires, and grasped the Eye of Djarin...

...Then Iyn woke up.

"Gods, woman! Get up! Did you sleep this whole time?!" Shaking her violently, Kaotis didn't seem to notice Iyn was concious until she slapped him in the face, then he laughed heartily. "Ahh, finally. You're not dead. Well get up then! You've been asked for by name."

Confused, Iyn rose from her bed. What just happened? Was that all a dream? She needed to only look down in her right hand to confirm that it wasn't, for she still had clenched between her fingers the glowing amber sphere that monster had given her. Was this Djarin's eye?! Further clouding her thoughts with confusion was Kaotis and his eager attitude. What on earth was so important?

Finally regaining her composure, Iyn studied Kaotis. The man had a healthy splash of blood across his shirt, but Iyn was more concerned with his earlier comments than his health. He seemed fine. "Asked by whom?"

Kaotis grinned, his teeth glistening like a wolf. "Sharay."

Iyn glanced down at the small globe she had clutched in her hand, a nervous flutter in the pits of her stomach. Sharay, Goddess of Death and Chaos. Her mother. The last time Iyn had felt her chaotic presence was when she was a child. Funny, that - a child, when it was only months ago. On that fateful day, Sharay had been doomed to die and had begged for her children to flee before they sacrificed themselves in futility. On that day, Sharay had selflessly saved Iyn's life

Now Sharay was back.

"I'm ready," Iyn said, gathering her will. Then she headed into the common room of Moon's Shadow Inn.

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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 1:52 am

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

In a secluded region of Jade City, a mansion was hidden behind thick foliage that had conquered its lawn. This mansion was usually an uneventful place, abandoned and left to it's inevitable fate as the forest consumed it. But recently, it had become the site of a frightening confrontation..

It was here that Gethe, a demon of darkness and despair, and the Corpirians, followers of Death, formally introduced eachother to their methods of war and violence. Piercing screams radiated from the mansion, as within Gethe staked his claim on the men and women who inhabited the ancient manor. But the claim would not go uncontested.

Among the Corpirians, Jin'se viewed himself as a man of an entirely different caliber. Raised into the House of Corporis, Jin'se spent years mastering the dark arts of necromancy and sorcery. But even when he was a young Rathis child, the Corpirians noticed something special about Jin'se. He had an affinity for speed and decisive action, and his heart knew no fear. It was these traits that compelled the Corpirians to train Jin'se in martial combat, stealth, and strategy. Their goal was to make of Jin'se the ultimate Corpirian assassin, and they succeeded.

As an adult, Jin'se was a handsome man, with dark brown skin coated in the runes that had been used to resurrect the man from his undead Rathis state. His clothes were deceptively simple and hidden mainly beneath the dark black cloak he wore, his hands and feet were wrapped in black cloth, and his calculating face was framed by midnight black hair and buried within the shadows of his hood. He was generally an uninteresting person to look at, but it was this ability to blend into the shadows which made Jin'se such an effective assassin.

When Gethe entered the room, bringing shadows with him, Jin'se was unafraid. The shadows were no threat to any true Corpirian, and indeed the specters seemed hesitant to swarm around Jin'se as the man retreated slowly into the darkness.

"I have come to grant your desires all that is needed is submission to a superior being."

Gethe's statement demanded action, and one Corpirian woman decided to test his strength by sending a charge of energy towards the demon. The attempt backfired, the shadows lurched violently, and the next thing Jin'se knew, the woman had her head pulverized and he was wiping her blood, hair, grey matter, and bits of skull off his face.

"Try not to all die you pathetic fools. I haven't had much fun in awhile. Heruin awaits the survivors."

It was then that Atisha, armed with pain-inflicting sorceries, began to assault the Corpirians. Screams of anguish and pain could be heard from blocks away from the ancient mansion, but mingled in those screams were howls of anger and defiance. Call them what you will, but these Corpirians were not weak. They were the survivors of the attack in the Crystal Grove. They had managed to avoid the wrath of gods and armies, all the while bringing destruction to those they called enemies. To underestimate them would be foolish, and some of the Corpirians seemed empowered by this lack of understanding that Gethe displayed as a counter-attack was mounted.

The screams, the pain, the blood... all these only served to amplify the sorcery the Corpirians began commanding. Jin'se only watched from the shadows as his Corpirian brethren began calling upon the powers of their dead gods.

Silenti, Kismaltos, Arcteus... a thousand gods were in this list, a thousand dead or dying gods. It was their agony the Corpirians harnessed, and the screams of agonized gods began pouring into the ancient manor, drowning out the howling cries of Corpirians in pain.

Jin'se glanced around, looking eagerly for Zafiro. The child with portals in his palms. He found the boy in the corner with the young apprentice Alris, the pair of them staring wide eyed with horror towards Gethe and Atisha and the growing conflict. Black flames were dancing through the manor, spiraling around the defending Corpirians, and within the pits of their darkness, the hungry hands of the damned clawed towards Atisha and the shadow-spirits Gethe had brought with him. Some of these fingers curled around Atisha's throat, her arms, her legs, seeking to pull her into the swirling black flames where she would become one of them.

"Come, boy," Jin'se hissed to Zafiro, his voice a silent whisper. "Open a portal. Do it- now. Your life, my life.. depends on it." He glanced briefly towards Gethe and Atisha. So far, they seemed unconcerned about Jin'se, their attention focused on the Corpirian offensive. As hard as the Corpirians tried, Jin'se saw it was a losing battle. Soon, they would all be dead or enslaved. "Hurry, boy. Their will is being broken. We've no time."

--

Dela had chosen to linger outside the mansion, leaving Gethe and Atisha to their bloody battles. Her mind was a storm, becoming a tempest she had troubles navigating. The chaos in the mansion wasn't much different from the chaos within her mind. Tempesturo, with all his fickle glee, had taken up residence within her mind and she heard his unpredictable footsteps as he danced through her memories, stirring up a maelstrom of confusing emotions.

Had Sharay tried to reach her? Dela could have sworn she felt a whisper - a brief, quick warning, alerting her to Gethe and his deceptions. But even if Sharay had spoken to her, and that wasn't just some fleeting thought of her own design, what did it matter? Liar or not, Gethe had made his deal and Dela had taken it. She had forsaken the path of sacrifice, instead attempting a more direct route to immortality. The bargain was made. There was no going back.

So why did she hesitate to join Gethe and Atisha? Dela did not know. It was all too confusing. She had more questions than answers, and she was mortally afraid of asking for information from Gethe. She would have to deal with these conflicts on her own.

Tempesturo, she thought to herself, golden eyes closing. Stop dancing in my head, please..

--

"Mother.." Iyn's voice was musical, her eyes wide and innocent as she stared at Sharay. Some part of her had always believed Sharay to be a myth, a fragment of her confusing childhood and nothing more, but now that the goddess stood in Moon Shadow's Inn, Iyn was faced with the undeniable reality that Sharay - her 'mother' - was very much real. And Sharay had answered Iyn's calls.

The Aliscowri in the room were silent, their eyes on Iyn and Sharay. Looking up at Sharay, Iyn felt tears in her eyes, but they only just lingered, never escaping that watery surface to run down her face. These were tears not of anger or remorse, but of happiness. The happiness that comes when one's responsibilities vanish, when a person hands over all their duties and obligations to someone much more suited for the job. Unspoken between them was the understanding that these Aliscowri were no longer Iyn's responsibility. They were no longer Iyn's children.

Their mother had returned.

The silence was broken by Kaotis, who had followed Iyn into the room.

"Sharay has asked for our revenge.. A demon has entered Jade City. The demon who took Dela. The Dark Mother wants Dela back."

Iyn looked towards Kaotis, nodding slowly, before her eyes returned to Sharay. Dela? Then Sharay knew what had happened, how Iyn and her brother had failed to protect Dela, how they had ran like cowards at the demonic voice of Gethe. Sharay knew how Iyn had watched her brother die, how she had mourned by gathering those bits of Delorah's bone and rebuilding it.

"I'm sorry," Iyn said, and the tears in her eyes finally did break free of their glassy prison to run down her smooth face. "I wanted to save her... But.. They killed my brother." Iyn shook her head. "I am weak." A glimmer of hope entered her gaze as she studied Sharay. "Make us strong again, mother. Please.."

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 5:19 pm

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

When the battle of the grove had commenced Zafiro had found himself lost in his own portal and when he had emerged the Corpirians had decended upon him, out of energy and exhausted they had taken him. At first he had been afraid they were out to hurt him but soon he realized they didn’t mean him any harm. They had given him a friend, Alris, a slightly older boy who talked to him of what the Corpirians stood for. It was quite a bit for the nine year old to dissolve along with what Soul had taught him.

Soul, the man who had helped him while protecting the other orphans and who had given him ideas and an almost father figure to look up to. He wondered what had happened at the battle and if so was Soul still alive? He was sure his friend would have found him by now and it made him have morbid thoughts about his fate. If only he could acquire some energy and get himself away from them, but it was near impossible to get close enough to anyone with the power to charge his gems.

It hadn’t been bad living as a prisoner, well, until Gethe decided to begin his reign of terror on the Corpirians. Zafiro watched motionless as the violence started and his blue eyes focused on Jin’se, urging him to open a portal. “I can’t I don’t have any energy.” He muttered watching as a head was torn from a body. Though there was plenty of magic getting thrown around.

Zafiro locked eyes with Jin’se and before the assassain could react the boy’s palms grabbed his arms. “Alris grab my arm!” The blue eyes clenched tight and suddenly the carnage left his ears and was instead filled with a woman speaking. He opened his eyes just as Sharay gives the order to find a woman named Iyn. Out of the frying pan into the fire?

--

Syvern found himself under attack from a man in demonic armor and wielding a sword that seemed to have a similar essence to Obstinata. The armored gauntlet of his right arm rose up and caught the blade but he had underestimated that speed and acidic blood sprayed the armor from a flash across his bare chest. He hissed and stepped back, the wound slow to heal as the dark magic worked against his healing ability.

He watched Gethe disappear into the building and grit his teeth. Coward. His one dark crimson eye and bright blue eye stare at Madrin. He had only briefly seen the man and even now he was shrouded in that armor. To him this was just another pawn of the demon. Obstinata fuels his magic and a rune on his stomach begins to shimmer. Candles and torches in nearby buildings go out and the bits of light fly to his being from all directions.

The balls of energy dance around his left hand forming themselves into an orb. He thrusts his left hand forward and the orb shoots toward the demonic armor. At the same time the seven foot being leaps forward bringing his armored right hand around in a right swing, half way through the arc of his fist the three blades on the gauntlet snap forward the curved pieces of sharp metal looking for purchase on the demonic being if the orb of energy didn’t do its works.

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 10:57 pm

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Post subject: Re: Abyss of the Soul

Meanwhile, in the Moon's Shadow Inn...

Sharay
The Goddess waited for Iyn to make her appearance, and as she did so, glanced toward Wish who was obviously feeling the stress of their little 'adventure', and therefore required alcohol to calm her nerves. It was either that or the fae girl was using the whiskey as an excuse to keep herself grounded at the tavern and not running for dear life, either which, Sharay honestly could not blame her. Certainly it had nothing to do with the Goddess, of this she was sure.

A change then occurred, a shift in the air and in the energy that surrounded her and Sharay turned her body slowly in the direction from where she felt it most potent. There she found three strangers who previously did not inhabit the tavern prior to her arrival. Sharay stared at them for the longest of moments, her head tilted to the side before a wide smile broke out on her lips. She lifted her hand and pointed with her forefinger to the trio. "Stay. There." There was a gleam in her onyx eyes indicating they should obey her or suffer consequences before turning her attention back to the main room where Iyn finally made an appearance.

The Dead Seed child was struck by great emotion upon seeing Sharay, and this touched the Goddess inwardly. Outwardly, she remained stoic, showing no attachment to the girl lest her vulnerability be used against her for any reason. After Kaotis made his little speech regarding Dela, Sharay held up a hand to silence him and a repentant Iyn who was obviously shamed by what she deemed weakness in her actions. The room was positively silent now and it was then that Sharay spoke, first to Iyn.

"Child," she began, a slight softening in her expression. "Weakness would have been for you and your brother to follow Gethe's path of destruction, for you both to have allowed yourself to be entranced by his 'offer', yet you did not. You both denied him such power over you. Your brother, sadly, paid a small price, but his sacrifice did not go unanswered. He resides in Chaos now, Iyn, where he belongs. It is a great honor." She paused briefly to glance once more at Wish. "As far as you are concerned, Iyn, you did what you believed to be best...to spread the Word of Chaos to others, to create more Aliscowri. That is not the act of a coward, of a weak woman. That, child, is strength."

She then looked to Kaotis. "You misheard me, son of Chaos. I am not here to bring Dela 'home', or to save her life. The Child of Delorah made her choice when she decided to ally herself with Gethe. If possible to save Dela, then yes, I will be glad to do so, but not at the risk of my own children," She spread her hands out toward the room full of Aliscowri before settling once more on Iyn. "You, child, will lead them, not I. I am here simply to ensure your success. You do not need me to give you the strength you already carried within you, Iyn. I am here for her, if you want the truth," Sharay gestured with a nod of her head toward Wish. "I am here to assist her in her journey to save one of Gethe's puppets, a man called Madrin Kir. It was great fortune that I happen to chance upon you Iyn, and for that I am grateful. Our cause is the same...to stop Gethe from his reign of terror, to seek vengeance against the ones we loved that were taken from us, and to reclaim Jade which is by all rights...yours." Sharay stared at each and every one that was present in the tavern, daring them to argue with her.

Iyn
Iyn studied Sharay for a long moment in silence, uncertain what to say. Sharay wasn't here for them? She was here for Wish? That woman who so plainly defied the Aliscowri's message, simmering in the back of the room with the frightened bartender as company? For a moment, Iyn wanted to laugh, until she realized that Sharay was entirely serious.

"Her... but.. Why?!" She stopped herself from saying more, her fingers clenching around Djarin's Eye - that amber glass sphere of energy that the Iltorian had given her during her dream. "Dela is more important," she hissed, her eyes studying Wish with open jealousy. But Iyn's mood was a fickle thing, and her jealousy died as quickly as it ignited. Green eyes shifted to study Sharay for another long moment. "If we destroy Gethe, all his puppets will be free." Iyn wasn't about to give up on Dela so easily. Not after all she'd suffered.

Bansca
Bansca had been in Jade for some time and had sorta learned his way around. It wasn't easy because he was blind, but he had a seeing eye hawk! While Sharay was making her little speech, he naturally was listening to everything going on around him. He hadn't found that Zafiro boy yet, and leads were feeling somewhat cold. But that didn't mean he'd given up. He wasn't one who gave up easily.

There was a meal in front of him and half of a pitcher of ale. Even if the room was silent, he continued to eat his meal. His dragon-headed cane with the ruby eyes was laid across the table, but out of the way, as was his backpack. Silver-highlighted copper hair, which reached down to his butt, was bound in a herringbone braid. For being about 80.. he looked pretty damned good, of course Half Elves aged slower than humans, but he wasn't entirely just a Half Elf either thanks to his wife. Listening still, he sipped his ale.

Wish
Hearing the commotion from the other room, the bartender almost dropped the glasses he was cleaning. Wish lifted her head and smiled at him ever so slightly. "Careful now. If you cut yourself, the sharks might be drawn into this room," Wish said softly.

The bar tender managed an agreeable grunt, but went back to his word of keeping the bar clean and hoping that whatever he was doing would keep him busy enough. Even from the other room and with her back turned, Wish could feel eyes watching her. Wish did not hear the conversation right away, but it sounded like Sharay was referring to her. This piqued her curiosity and suddenly Wish was all ears. So it seemed Sharay had not forgotten their true purpose in Jade, that to save Madrin and if possible, keep her alive, although Wish remembered Sharay threatening her with imminent death in the beginning of this little adventure. It appeared that Iyn, whoever she was, was not too happy about Sharay's true intentions.

Suddenly, the bar tender left his little sanctuary and moved around the bar to one of the back tables where a man was sitting, someone that Wish had not noticed before, but some one that looked oddly familiar.

"Need anything else, sir?" the bar tender asked Bansca as Wish shrugged and turned back to her empty glass.

Sharay
Sharay shook her head to Iyn and placed a chilled hand upon the girl's shoulder. "I would not lie to you and say that I came specifically for you. Here, this tavern, yes, but my inital reason for being in Jade?" Sharay once again gestured with her free hand toward Wish who was sitting near another patron at the bar in the adjoining room. "Look upon that fae woman who is Aurora's Paladin. She was charged by Aurora to free Madrin Kir from Gethe's bondage and requested I safeguard the fae while she is on her mission. That, Iyn, is why I am in Jade, but whilst here, I decided to seek out any remaining Dead Seed that I previous thought had perished. It was then I found Dela, you and felt your brothers spirit."

Sharay sighed then. "I would not lie to you and say I did not abandon you, child, but the truth is, I did. I abandoned you and Dela and your brother. I accept my guilt, which is why I sent your brother off to Chaos, to your God's embrace." Sharay wanted to slap the girl when she dared to challenge her opinion on the matter of Dela, the envy clearly showing on the girl's face, but instead opted for another way to handle the situation.

"Girl," Sharay began, her eyes burning with indigo fire. "Dela is important to me, just as much as you are, but as I informed the fae girl regarding Madrin Kir, -if- they can be saved, if they can be purged, if somehow Gethe can be destroyed to free their souls, then yes, I will do all in my power to aid in that." Sharay's brows narrowed then, and anger flashed across her features. "But I will NOT sacrifice the living to save two souls, and that includes Dela. Dela has made her choice. She chose immortality over her freedom. She chose Gethe and his dark power over the true power of Chaos. Remember that girl. HER CHOICE."

Sharay visibly calmed then and sighed once more. "Iyn, you have given birth to these Aliscowri the moment you shared the 'revelation' with them. The moment you passed along the 'truth'. You shall lead them, child, not me. I will simply do as any mother should do, safeguard you as best as I can. The path was shown to you, and only you can choose to walk where it leads. I cannot do that, but I swear to you, as I swore to your brother, I will avenge his death. Gethe will pay for his sins. Gethe will die, whether by my hand or another's."

Bansca
Bansca had a habit of sitting near hearths, it usually allowed him to focus on the whole of the room. Even if he wasn't staring over towards Sharay and company, he was observing the room through the eyes of his hawk, who was perched up in the rafters, so he literally had a birds eye view. He might never get his own vision back, but he had discovered a way to see, though it was tiring if done too long. He heard the tender coming and saw him too, through the hawk's visage.

"I'm good, thank you. I believe I'll just remain here for a bit. Give my compliments to the chef." He didn't seem to be in a hurry to go anywhere, and he was rather full from his meal, and he still had some ale left. A perusal of the room allowed him to spot Wish and he tilted his head, wondering if he was actually seeing her. She certainly didn't seem to be an apparition or hallucination.

Iyn
Iyn listened to Sharay. It was obvious she had upset the Dark Mother, for Sharay's voice rose considerably and Iyn stepped back defensively from the Goddess. But what she said was true, wasn't it.. Dela did abandon the path of Chaos. She chose a different route, one that they no longer could follow. Green eyes glanced towards Wish in the other room, studying the woman with open distaste.

"Aurora, huh..?" She nearly spat the name. "The Goddess needs help, then?" The answer was written plain on Sharay's smug face. Yes, Aurora had asked for Sharay's help. "How weak!" she laughed, ignoring the fact that she had admitted to weakness only minutes before. "If it's as you say, Mother, then.. Yes, I will lead the Aliscowri." She glanced towards the faces in the room. "As much as they can be led."

The Revelations of Ae'Vescra were unpredictable, and already had begun to manifest in different ways through the different Aliscowri. Kaotis was an example of that - he had somehow mastered death, by doing something no sane mortal would dare. Each Aliscowri embraced Chaos differently, and their faces mirrored the inner struggles they all were facing.

"I have changed them," Iyn said with a touch of pride, then her voice hardened and she returned to their current problems. "Gethe. How can we help you, how can we defeat him..?" Sharay surely knew the answers. She was a Goddess of Death, after all. Gethe needed to die.

Wish
The bartender gave Bansca confused look about giving his compliments to the chef. He was the chef! Every damn employee in the bar had called out sick as if they knew Sharay and her cult were going to be in for the night. Didn't anyone give him the memo? In any case, the bartender huffed in response, "Yea, I'll tell 'im." What did Blind Ol' Bansca know anyway? One thing was for certain, the bartender hoped that bird in the rafters didn't decide to take a large dump on his polished wooden floor. Narrowing his eyes in warning at the hawk for a second, the bartender then turned back away and headed towards the bar once more where Wish was still sitting.

Wish dropped her hands into her lap and looked down. From the voices in the other room, everyone seemed to be certain that Gethe was going to die. But what if he didn't? What if he was as much of a bother to get rid of as Six was? Wish had put her trust in Victor Sage, but sure enough the demon had weaseled his way back into the realm of the living. Somehow, Wish was going to make it a priority after this little quest to not associate herself with folks who had problems with demons.

Bansca
Bansca had probably just forgotten...he had lots on his mind. Everything going on, plus a daughter hanging out with a Lycan, who was nuttier than a damned squirrel, plus all of his other family was a concern. Finding some kid who had gems in his hand was his main focus, and he was pretty sure he wasn't going to go searching every kids hands to look for embedded gems. Raking his fingers through his bangs, he pushed his plate away with the other hand and decided he'd sat long enough, his ass felt numb! Were the chairs even padded?!

Either way, with mug in hand, he took a moment to stretch his legs and then made his way towards the bar where Wish was, surprised to see her. He'd left his cane at his table, for now, he only used it when he wasn't peering through some critter's eyes. "Don't worry, he's house broken." he told the tender in passing as he worked his way towards Wish. Once he was closer, he offered a smile. "Wish? What are you doing here?" he asked casually.

Sharay
The Dark Goddess snickered as Iyn voiced the same opinion Sharay had of Aurora and waved a perfectly manicured hand in dismissal. "Weak indeed, love. Sending the fae to her death was what Aurora did, which is why she begged help from me. It does not matter, for I was not ignorant of the little 'Spring Goddess' and her utter failures as a deity."

Sharay eyed Iyn for a moment, her lips turning upward into a hint of a smile. "Pride is nothing to be ashamed of, Iyn. You have earned the right to feel pride in the new breed of Aliscowri and what you have accomplished in the name of your god Ae'Vescra." She glanced at the Aliscowri present and called out, "Just as you should all be honored to have been chosen to witness the 'revelations' by Iyn, and honored to receive her as your leader, as your guide, as your Champion!"

Sharay silenced herself then and pivoted on one booted heel so that she then faced the trio of intruders who contemplated sneaking out the door of the tavern. She curled her finger to beckon all three toward her, reminding them that the Goddess had not forgotten about them. "How to kill Gethe, Iyn? I cannot answer that, but I believe I know who might hold the answer to that, or at the very least point us in his direction." Sharay's onyx orbs settled upon Zafiro and she smiled brightly to the boy as she held out her hand, indicating that Iyn should join her by her side.

Iyn
The Aliscowri responded to Sharay's comments with a loud cheer, and many beers were raised in a toast. If the bartender who owned this inn had any ounce of sense in him, he'd be overjoyed to have so many Aliscowri in his presence. At this rate, they'd run his tap dry! Talk about easy money! And, aside from Kaotis and his bloody death earlier that evening, the Aliscowri proved to be a relatively nonviolent lot. Certainly, they were a far cry from the cannibals that earlier Aliscowri had been.

Yes, Iyn had changed the Aliscowri. She knew that the change was incomplete. The followers of Chaos were in a state of metamorphosis, slowly breaking away from their primal larval state to spread their chaotic wings and sail into eternity. This change was drawing them slowly away from their emphasis on blood and death, and towards a more glorious route, a route that led directly to Tempesturo's ambitious promises. Iyn glanced down at the eye in her hand, wondering what was next for them. Then her eyes lifted and she studied Zafiro.

At his side was a Corpirian, a man known as Jin'se, and when Zafiro didn't respond, the Corpirian did. "Sharay," the assassin hissed before dropping on one knee. "An honor. I am Jin'se." The Corpirian glanced at Zafiro. "The boy is very weak.. He drained my energy to come here, but.. I don't think it was enough. He needs time."

Wish
Wish turned her head slowly to the side as her named was called. The man that was previously sitting at one of the tables had made his way over to the bar and sat beside her. Wish titled her head curiously trying to recall where she had met this man who seemed to recall her. Searching the recesses of her memory, Wish finally pulled out a name.

"Bansca?" Wish said. It was Sorvynia Dreamer's husband. "I am... here to save a friend. I think." Wish bit her lower lip, noting that Bansca was blind, focusing on her with an empty, voided gaze. "Sorvynia did not attempt to fix your blindness. Why not?" It appeared that Bansca was somehow using the mysterious hawk in the tavern to aide him in seeing however. Wish bit her lower lip and a nod was given to the other room. "I hope to not linger here much longer. I would suggest you depart from Jade soon... for your safety."

Zafiro
The quick transport without a destination had mind had taken its toll on Zafiro's body. All the portal opening in the recent month had begun to effect his body. Blue lines the same colors as the gems were stretching out from the stones in his palms. Tired blue eyes lift slowly to look at the group as Jin'se next to him dropped to a knee. The boy stood standing the best he could.

Never bow to anyone who has never shown you anything to bow to them for, Soul had said to him in their short time together. His brown hair seemed to be thinning even as they spoke a few locks fell from his skull where a glint of the same blue lines showed.

Sharay
Sharay regarded the one spoke first, he who paid her the respect she was due. For a few moments, the Goddess spoke not a word as she sized up Jin'se. "You are not Alerian. You are one of -them-, the Almeddans who infested this world, are you not?" Sharay's voice, as soft as it was, bore all the warmth of a snake's hiss. Dark tendrils of Chaos curled around their mistress' legs before slithering toward Jin'se and the other two boys as if tasting their vitality. Her eyes shifted in their sockets to peer at Zafiro, dark brows raising at the assassins' excuse for the boy.

"Time? You speak of time as if it were a luxury we all have, which I may remind you, we do not." Sharay's lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. "While I can appreciate the boy's weakened state and will attribute it as the reason you were able to simply appear in the tavern, for I am not such a blind fool that I cannot discern the boy calls upon portals, his physical state is something that he must remedy immediately or fall behind to die by Gethe's hand." Sharay was not being intentionally cruel, merely honest, and sometimes it was brutal honesty that people had a hard time swallowing. "I can smell the demon on you, I can smell the blood of those who persihed by his command. You know where he is. I want to know all you know, and when you are finished telling me everything, you will lead us there."

Sharay took a step forward toward Zafiro and reached out a hand to cup the boy's chin, staring into those blue eyes that reflected the exhaustion he felt. "You will endure, child, because you have no other option but to endure. You understand this though, I believe. Just when you feel you cannot give anymore, when you feel that every ounce of strength has been sapped from your frail frame, something flares inside of you to give you just a tiny bit more so that you can carry on."

Sharay released Zafiro then and turned once more to Jin'se, snapping a command to him. "Rise now, and speak. Gethe grows more powerful with each second that is wasted, and more blood is shed as a result."

Bansca
While waiting for Wish's response, he looked over to the others, wary of this 'Goddess' he'd been hearing about. All these Aliscowri were even warily watched. He was getting the feeling that things were about to get more hairy. Setting his mug on the counter, he leaned back against it and rested one hand on his belt, the other elbow on the counter.

"Aye, it's me. I was brought here by invitation from an old friend. Seems he wanted my help with something, and now its looking like things are going to be tougher." Considering Sharay and company were here. "He was looking for someone, sent for me to aid him." When she asked about his blindness, he shook his head. "She offered, and as much as I would've liked for her to try healing me, I don't think even she can fix something caused by a deity of another realm. I went to visit my son Joshua and Sabolin, and wound up helping the infirmary..and wound up blind. I saved lives..but it cost my vision." That was the long and short of the story really. "I might be here a little while longer. Have to find my friend and see what we're doing next."

Bansca turned his head and looked to the assassin bending a knee to Sharay, then looked to Zafiro. He studied the boy through the hawks eyes and found himself feeling rather disappointed that he hadn't found the boy before now. What exactly was he supposed to do now...steal the boy away from them? "Seems..I've found him." he murmured quietly to Wish, discreetly indicating Zafiro.

Iyn
Jin'se studied Sharay for a long moment, his dark eyes masking the anger he felt. He paid the goddess respect, and had expected some form of recognition in return. But she said everything in that simple first sentence. Jin'se was one of them, one of the infection. A part of the plague that blighted her perfect plans for Aleris. "Yes. I am an Almeddan. From the House of Corporis, to be precise. I know of you... In Almedda, they're filling tomes with information about your power. Sharay, Goddess of Death and Chaos. She who killed the Spider and the Tiger." Jin'se examined the goddess for a moment. "Have you no love for your allies?"

Finally rising from his knee, Jin'se glanced around the room. "My clansmen were in the old mansion in the north-west section of this city when the demon attacked. He demanded our submission. If it wasn't for this boy, I'd be a slave by now."

Wish
Wish lifted a brow in question when Bansca mentioned he was here waiting for someone. "Your friend sure picked a good place to meet," Wish said with a smirk. Wish folded her hands in her lap and let out a soft sigh, wondering when Sharay was going to be finished speaking and coddling the Aliscowri. Perhaps she should have given Sharay the same warning that she gave Aurora - that she was not going to wait for her. Her patience was wearing thin, however, her attention was broken when Bansca explained how he had become blind.

"Perhaps you should have let her try regardless, no? Or are you afraid to be cured of it? Goddesses... such fickle things they are." Wish wondered just then if Aurora had heard her. Wish leaned back in her chair as Bansca nodded to the other room watching Sharay speak to a young boy - a boy whom Sharay was... being nice to? Something told Wish that Sharay had used up all her pleasantries for the evening with the boy. How did Wish miss it? In any case, Wish sat straight in her chair once more and then waved towards the other room for Bansca. "Enjoy the party."

Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:02 am

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