{Posts of RP from 3/25/13}


Valorius`Malku It Was Like Arriving To A Party, Dressed To The Nines, Ready To Have A Debaucherous Good Time -- Only To See Everyone Heading Out When You Came In The Door. Energy Passed Like A Tidal Wave In 360 Degrees, Some Being Directed Out But Most Of It Was Being Pulled In. Shadows Vanished And Dead Bodies Were Carried Right Along With The Living Into A Vortex Of Black. In The Midst Of It All, Gethe Decided To Go All In. A Demon That Was Already Larger Than Most Was Standing At 50ft In Just A Few Moments, And The Young Man Couldn't Help Glancing Up Through The Now Caved In Roof. Whatever Final, Climactic Encounter Was Supposed To Happen, Didn't. Instead There Was Yet Another Tear In The Continuum, One That The Demon And His Slaves Used As An Escape Route. For A Split Second, His Instinct Said To Follow -- But When He Glanced Around The Inn (Or What Was Left Of It) He Saw Everyone Else Had The Same Idea. People Were Bailing Out And Following After The Enemy, Wish, A Naked Madrin, And He Assumed Syvern Would See What Was Going On From Outside And Head With The Others. Sharay Was There Though, And She Didn't Seem To Be Going Anywhere -- Well, Other Than Up In A Puff Of Smoke. Amunette Spared Him The Need To Say What He Was Only A Second Away From Speaking Out Loud; He Wasn't Going. Not Yet. With A Blown Kiss, She Was Gone. The Inn Was Empty Now, Just A God Trying To Become One With The Ether And A Party Guest Who Seemed To Show Up A Day Late And A Coin Short. Once It Was Just Them Though, He Actually Began Walking Further Inside. Madrin Had Cut Sharay's Direct Energy Link To Gethe, And Wish Had Erected A Barrier Around The Woman, If Anything It Would All Serve To Buy Some More Time. Would It Be Enough? Honestly It Didn't Matter, At Least He Didn't Think It Did. He Stayed Behind All The Same. Light Grey Specks Of Flesh Began To Pull From His Body Causing Small, Brief Flashes Of Jade Light To Heal The Minor Damage That The Intense, Energetic Pull Was Doing. And Yet Still, He Began To Circle Around Her, Gun Still At His Side. "You know, when I said you had a choice, I meant BEYOND blowing yourself the fuck up."

Sharay Perhaps the Dark Goddess had not thought her brilliant plan through enough. Perhaps she should have listened to that inner voice that told her to leave this accursed place and let those who chose to side with whomever, behind her. Her main priority was supposed to be securing the safety of Wish, but the Aliscowri had been thrown into the mix, as well as Iyn. Of course Sharay decided, with horrendously bad timing, to sport a conscience and risk her own well being for the sake of others. Truly another mistake on her part, but the Goddess was left with little choice at the time considering Gethe and his army had chosen the element of surprise with their sneak attack into the Inn. Sharay did what she believed was necessary, and hubris played a great factor in her decision. She honestly believed she could defeat Gethe and send his demonic ass back to whatever dimension he came from, even if it meant risking self preservation. Whatever delusions she had of playing the role of heroine were shortly dashed as Gethe decided it wasn't worth hanging around for the grand finale and escaped with his minions in tow. This enraged Sharay who was continuing to draw in more and more energy by the second causing her further pain both physically and mentally as her efforts continued to take their non-stop toll on her. Everything she had done was for naught, and even though both Wish and Madrin Kir gave their best efforts, turning the switch off was not as simple as one would think. The Goddess had counted on the incredible flow to draw Valorius Malku from wherever he was to her as a safeguard. At least that part of her plan worked. Beads of sweat decorated her brow as the pull of energy continued to fill her, and despite her best efforts, the Goddess was beginning to feel the effects. Relief did briefly wash over her as Valorius made his entrace, but even then, the Valorius did his best to get under her already burned skin with his sarcastic comment. "Save your humor for someone who can appreciate it, boy," she snapped as she cut her onyx gaze toward him. "Instead, try doing something useful like helping me figure out how to stop this." It was moments like this that would attempt a bit of gratitude or appreciation for Valorius' intervention, but Sharay was having none of that. "Before my ashes decorate this already filthy floor would be wonderful," she added with a hint of desperation in her voice.

Valorius`Malku Wish's Barrier Was Doing Its Best To Stay Ahead Of The Energy Drain, But It Couldn't Contain It All, And What It Was Holding Back Wouldn't Stay That Way For Much Longer. Portions Of Wood, Pieces Of The Decor, Even The Clay And Plaster Were Being Ripped Off The Walls That Somehow Kept Standing. And In The Whirlwind Of All That Destruction, He Was Just Walking In A Circle Around Her, Glancing All About As If There Wasn't Anything To Worry About. Even Her Asking Him For His Help Didn't Bring Him To Face Her Fully, Not Yet. "You keep calling me boy, but for the second time you're the one having a big, godly tantrum." A Shake Of His Head And Then Finally He Turned To Look At Her, Two Yellow Eyes With Their Jade Centers Focusing On Her Face While It Was Slowly Being Eaten Away. "The last time this happened you got stuffed in a doll. And we see how well that worked, don't we?" He Moved Towards Her, The Pull Still Drawing In Debry From All Sides, Taking In Energy With It. For A Few Moments He Was Weaving Through It All As It Swirled And Raced Through The Air, Until He Was Close Enough That All Solid Material Began To Break Down And Atomize, Rendered To The Very Energies That Held It All Together. It Passed Him Like Dust, His Back Breaking The Cloud As It Was Drawn To Her Front. Every Second, His Skin Was Being Pulled Right Along With It But It Kept Being Replaced Just As Quickly. It Wasn't Like Last Time, Last Time He Hadn't Been At Full Strength. This Time He Knew Better. But That Didn't Mean He'd Be Able To Keep That Way Forever. Sooner Or Later The Flesh Wouldn't Be Able To Hold The Energy He Was Using To Heal It. Standing Before Her, He Brought His Pistol Up And Tapped The Side Of His Hat Covered Head. "You know...there's two sides arguing up here. The first one..the stronger one is saying, fuck it. Let her burn. You helped out once before and look where you are now. Why waste my fucking time?" His Eyes Shifted From Her Face And He Sighed, The Pistol Being Lowered But Only Slightly. "But..the second one. It's quieter than the first, and still, it just won't stop. It says that even a dumb, arrogant decision...if done for the right reasons is enough." When He Looked Back To Her, It Was As If A Lifetime Worth Of Deliberation Passed In Only A Few Seconds Through His Gaze. Vengeance Wasn't About Evil, It Wasn't About Good -- It Was About Justice. Leaving Her To Burn Wasn't Justice, That Would Have Been Meant For The First Time They Met. Now -- It Would Just Be Spiteful, And As Of Late He Wasn't Beyond A Little Bit Of Spite. However, At That Very Moment, He Could Only Sigh And Glance To His Left Hand. "...the right reasons."

Sharay Sharay was, for lack of better word, disintegrating, or rather her physical form was. The true essence that lay housed within would not fade from exisitence, but the body made of flesh and blood most certainly would. It was as weak and fragile as the structure that was slowly but surely crumbling to bits because of the Goddess and her inability to control the flux of energy that was consuming her and everything around her at a rather alarming rate. Even as Valorius circled her, finding immense pleasure in taunting her she was withering away. Sharay grit her teeth and tried with all of her might to stop the flow, but it was useless. As much as she loathed 'needing' someone for any reason whatsoever, she would have to tolerate Valorius' nonchalant demeanor and his quaint 'charming' mannerism for now. "Valorius," she hissed, drawing his name out deliberatly instead of referring to him as 'boy'. "I would be ever so grateful if you would cease this useless prattle you insist to inflict upon me and come to a decision here." Sharay watched as debris that had been reduced to nothing more than piles of dust flew behind him. Her lips parted and a small but audible sound of anguish was heard as she focused on trying to keep her form somewhat intact. "It doesn't matter why I did what I did, or if you approve or disapprove. I could give flying shit about those little voices in your head, for I have been in your head...boy...and did not find it to my liking." The Goddess now dropped to her knees, the effort to stand far too great at this point. "Either help me or don't, but enough fucking around with me!" She glared at him hatefully, blood stained tears snaking down her cheeks. "I am...so tired," the words were uttered wearily and the Goddess hung her head, figuring she would simply just give into her fate and allow herself to burn. Whatever became of her essence afterward, would be dealt with...somehow.

Valorius`Malku It Wasn't Every Day You Saw A God Fall, And He Always Imagined That It Would Be An Awe Inspiring Experience. Only It Wasn't. What He Felt Was Something, Something He Didn't Like. It Wasn't The Anger He'd Become Used To, But It Wasn't The Selfless, Protective Obligation That Used To Overwhelm Him. It Was Empathy. He Understood The Metaphor, Being A God She Could Never Get Physically Tired -- But Apathy Could Bring About A Similar Feeling. When Her Head Fell He Pushed His Pistol Back In Its Holster Almost Aggressively, And It Even Sounded Like He Growled In Frustration A Bit. "No. You don't get to die. You don't get to make it all the way here, ready to fade away and save the world, only to die on your fucking knees." He'd Seemed So Indifferent, Maybe Even A Little Arrogant As She Was Slowly Wasting Away. And While He Stood By Everything He Said, There'd Also Been A Reason For The Stall. The Whole Time He Had Been Checking Over The Inn, Reading Energy, Separating Each And Every Line That She Had Drawn Towards Herself, Trying To Find A Way To Keep Her From Death While At The Same Time Not Damaging The World As A Whole. Even In A Moment As Chaotic As The One They Were In, There Was Always A Method. The Woman Had Basically Turned Herself Into A Walking Vortex For Energy, Drawing All Types In. To Stop Something From Going Through, It Had To Have A Greater Escape Velocity Than The Force Tugging At It. Simple Enough. His Left Hand Was Already Surging With Flashes Of Internal Jade Light, Wanting To Do As It Always Did And Consume The Heightened Energy Around It. But This Time, It Wasn't About Consuming, It Was About Winning A Tug Of War. He Reached Down And Curled His Fingers Around Her Chin. "On your feet. Because this might sting a bit." The Static Barrier That Now Existed As The 'Skin' Of That Limb Receded As He Focused On The Positive Facet Of His Essence, Concentrating It Into A Single Point On His Palm. If She Was To Be Compared To A Vortex, The Concentrated Energy At His Hand Was A Black Hole. Only His Didn't Bother With Particles, It Focused Only On The Energy Waves Themselves (Because That Was What Was Destroying Her). He Had Helped Raise Her Up, Supporting Her Until She Was On Her Feet And He Could Put His Palm Flat To Her Chest. There Was No Absorbing Of Her Energy This Time, He Was Pulling Back The Waves She Was Trying To Draw In, And As She Felt The Influx Of Power Begin To Lessen, She Would Also Notice A Strange Looking Tear Forming Around Them. The Two Struggling Forces Were Ripping Away The Temporal Fabric. Good Thing He'd Hoped For That.

{Post of RP from 3/26/13}

Sharay Sharay lifted her head just enough to pierce Valorius with a look. "You say this like someone such as myself, am used to being on their knees. I leave that task to lesser beings," yet even as she threw out the words laced in false bravado, Sharay knew with each passing second, more of her physical form was wasting away. For the thousandth time Sharay was regretting her most 'noble' of decisions, having already decided that should she escape this little incident with minor repercussions, the Goddess would absolutely never again lay herself upon the sacrificial altar for anyone else again, not for any price, for any reason, for anyone who might have wormed their way into her little black heart. Even as the energy flow was crashing into her like one wave of destruction another, she held these thoughts only to have them broken when Valorius decided, after taking his ever so sweet time debating, that he would indeed help her find a way to shut down, so to speak. It was one thing for Valorius to grab her by the chin and bring her painstakingly to her feet, it was entirely another matter for him to do what he did next, for at that moment even though really helpless to do anything about it, Sharay hissed, "Don't!" which was promptly ignored as he placed a palm to the center of her chest. At first she had believed, foolishly, that he would absorb her essence as well, as Sharay had no desire whatsover to face entrapment within the confines of Valorius' head ever again and almost considered her form burning until there was nothing left as an alternative. Her worries were needless though, as the moment his hand made contact with her charred skin, she could feel the flow resisting as it was pulled, slowly but forcefully toward Valorius. Sting it did, but that minor annoyance was nothing compared to having him in such close proximity which she tolerated with a grit of teeth. It was far more bearable than the realization she actually required his help, which was a considerable blow to her pride, but after some time had passed, the slow steady pull of energy away grew in strength and speed and finally the Goddess could 'breathe' again. She closed her eyes briefly to allow herself to visibly relax, though it wasn't really necessary. A simple luxury on her part. When she did finally peer at anywhere but Valorius in this rather uncomfortable moment, she would notice that tear around them, her eyes widening at the sight for she had previously only thought to her own preservation, and not the consequences that would follow. When it was over and she felt more like herself again, Sharay jerked herself away from Valorius and briefly touched on the sore spot between her breasts, finally bringing herself to glance at him. "I suppose you want a thanks now? A pat on the head for a job well done?" Perhaps she should have shown a bit more gratitude, but she was in a rather foul mood at the moment, and not even avoiding spreading little bits of herself around whatever remained of the Inn would cure her of her temperment. "Maybe later." Sharay began plucking bits of burned skin from her shoulder, frowning as she eyed the tear that Valorius created. "I trust you will handle that now?"

Valorius`Malku He Had Known The Second He Decided To Do What He Did That She'd Believe He Was Going To Just Rein Her Back In. Truth Is, That Would Never Happen Again. Not Because Of The Damage Done To Him, But Because He Saw What It Had Done. Maybe He Succeeded In Opening Her Up To Make A Choice Rather Than Be A Self Fulfilling Prophecy, But He Also Gave Her Something Else -- Fear. He Made Her Afraid, Maybe Not Of Him So Much As What He Was Able To Do. And While Forcing Some Unwanted Realization Into Her Mind Was Fine With Him, Making Her Feel As Though She Were Weak Or Threatened Wasn't. She'd Never Admit To Any Of It, But He Could Read Energy Better Than Anyone. First Came A Moment Of Startle, But Then She Calmed When She Saw He Wasn't Trying To 'Take Her Away', Which Made Tugging The Drawn Energy Towards Him And Away From Her Way Easier. It Was All In The Will, And The More He Concentrated The More He Forced To Collect In His Palm. Space Was Already Torn, The Rip Would Only Get Bigger. It Was Like Starting A Syphon, And The Only Way To Stop It Was To Plug The Hole. Breaking The Connection Wouldn't Be As Forgiving As Taking A Tube Out Of Liquid. Cutting A Connection To Tear That Fast Wouldn't Solve The Problem. So He Stood There, Debating The Next Best Step To Take (It Was A Multi-Tier Plan), And He Heard Her Ask If He Expected A Thank You. For A Second Her Tone Baited The Anger, And His Eyes Cut To Her, A Flash Of Him Throwing The Collective Energy In Her Fucking Face And Watch Her Get Sucked Into Nothingness. But Then He Actually 'Looked' At Her. She Was Bloody, Injured, And This Time It Wasn't Because She Was Trying To Take Over Anything. What He Had Done Had To Have Something To Do With It, Sure He Knew She Probably Had 100 Reasons, All Of Them Selfish, But One Of Them Had To Be Because Of Something He Did. At Least That's What He Told Himself, And It Pulled The Malice Back In. He Had To Stay Focused Or This Was All Going To Go To Shit. "No..." He Looked Back Towards The Arcs Of White Hot Creative Energy That Were Now Sparking All Around His Hand Like They Were Following Some Kind Of Self Contained Orbit. "..didn't make you thank me then, no point in starting now." And That Was It. The Second The Words Came Out He Knew Exactly What He Was Going To Do. It Was Irrational, It Was More Risk Than He Should Take, And He Wasn't 100% Sure It Was Going To Work. By Now The Building (Or Most Of What Was Inside It) Had Been Drawn In And Rendered To Particles. There Were A Few Pieces Of Wall Standing, Just Enough To Keep The 4 Corners Of The Building Standing. Even The Dirt -Under- The Inn Had Started To Be Drawn In, And It Was Only Spreading Further And Further Out. A Creeping Blackness, Not Shadow, Just Black Had Taken Over Several Spots. The Black, Holes In Time That Went Literally To Nowhere. It Had To Be Fixed. She Asked If He Was Going To Take Care Of It. His Jaw Clenched A Bit, And Inside He WANTED To Say No. He Didn't Give A Damn About This World, Not Really. It Was Just A Place. Why Is This His Problem? He Should Be Dealing With Gethe And His Group Of Bottom Feeders. But, The Fact Just Kept On In Him. It Had To Be Fixed. The Gods Weren't Going To Show Up Until Things Were On The Rickity Edge, And He Just Didn't Have That Kind Of Patience. "Yeah, I got this. You...you should get out of here." He Forced A Grin And Suddenly At His Palm, A Flash 5x Brighter Than What Had Been There Happened. He Actually 'Increased' The Rate He Was Pulling The Energy In. The Tear Wouldn't Seal If He Didn't Use Enough. He Glanced To Her As His Teeth Grit A Little, Fighting To Resist The Pull Of The Tear -- And Being Mostly Certain He Had Enough Energy To Keep Healing His Body Over. "I'd say as far as possible." Even If It Went Right -- There Was Going To Be An Earth-Shaking Kaboom.

Sharay Sharay had quite enough of this miserable evening that in her opinion, wasn't worth whatever payment she would require of Aurora. Not by a longshot, but a deal was a deal and she would see it through, and that meant following the fae to wherever she ended up when she zipped through the portal. Now that the Goddess was in somewhat control of herself, she was ready to make a fashionable exit out of the rapidly decaying Inn...but there was one tiny issues that needed resolving. That would be the massive tear created by Valorius in his effort to keep her intact, the tear that would require seeing through to the end, just as she would finish this debacle of a mission to the end. Brushing bits of herself off...herself, Sharay regarded Valorius with a sharp arch of one brow when he mentioned casually that she might want to take her slightly tarnished, but otherwise fine form elsewhere. For a micro-second, Sharay considered remaining with Valorius. Not because she particularly felt like playing heroine again, and certainly not out of loyalty to him, but because she felt obligated to finish this. Perhaps there was a smidge of concern for the boy's well being, but that moment of insanity vanished before she could rationalize it. "You...got this," she smirked, eyeing him speculatively. "Of course you do, Wonderboy. All sorts of magic tricks up your sleeve, and whatnot." Sharay sighed and plucked at a few strands of hair that managed to wither at the roots. "I must have that fixed," she murmured before stepping over debris, carefully making her way out of the Inn that was about to explode worse than a fat man after stuffing himself with sausages and hot peppers. The Goddess glanced over her shoulder before taking her leave, which honestly wouldn't be too particularly far off, just enough not to have bricks permanently implant themselves in her face. "Valorius dear, I'm giving you five minutes to finish this shit, and then we are leaving." A tiny flicker of a smile passed on her lips, but left before it could mean anything. "Five minutes. Try not to blow yourself up. I need you." Sharay paused, considering her words. "Someone has to repair this damage," she gestured with a sweep of her hand to her body, and without looking back, Sharay left, gathering the ruined fabric of her skirt in hand and running like a mad woman before Valorius took the words 'earth shattering' and gave them a whole new meaning.

Valorius`Malku When She Stepped Out, The Grin He'd Had Across His Face Faded Away. Five Minutes She Said, He Wondered What Would Happen In The Next Five Minutes -- Hell, The Next Five Seconds. He Could Feel The Intense Vibrations Running Over Every Inch Of His Organic Body, While His Left Arm Surged. The Remains Of Wish's Barrier Kept The Clothes From Being Ripped Right Off His Body, But Exposed Skin Was Another Story. Leather And Chainmail Were A Bit More Durable Than Skin. There Were Small Rips Scattered Around, But The Largest Was Directly Surrounding Him Like A Semi-Sphere Of Blackness. "Just you and me now...you piece of sh.." Another Rip Began To Appear, This One Taking Up Most Of The Far Wall, The Sudden 'Boom' Of Space Being Split Cut His Words Short. Where Were They? Aurora? Tempesturo? Elysia? Galenous? They Were Fucking GODS, They Knew What Was Happening. Why Was Sharay The Only One Here Doing Anything? No Doubt One Of Them Had Something To Do With That. Wastes Of Ether, Sending An 'Enemy' To Take Care Of Their Problems. The Words His Father Used To Say To Him When He Asked Why He Hunted Them In The Past -- ~Just because something is godly, does not mean you should ever believe in it~. For Some Reason That Thought Was What Finally Put It All In Perspective. There Is A Consequence For Everything, Even A Gods Vacuity. One The World Would Suffer, And One 'They' Would Suffer. His Eyes Narrowed And He Steadied Himself; "Reap. What. You. Sew." Then, Just Like That, His Fingers Curled Into A Quick Fist. Energy So Concentrated, Suddenly Boxed In By A Far More Concentrated Energy Had No Choice But To Fracture. Every Particle, Every Gathered Wave, Released Upon A Single Point In Space, All At Once. There Was An Immediate Dimming Of The Area, Even Surrounding The Inn, And There Was A Stillness. The Wind Paused, Insects Became Silent, It Lasted Just Long Enough For Him To Put His Right Hand Up And Hold His Hat To His Head. What Happened Next Was As Violent As It Was Fast. The Entirety Of What Was Left Of The Inn Drew Inward, Wood, Dirt, And Debry Drawn In Then Blown Out With A Force That Atomized All Things Within A Near 50 Yard Circumference. There Was An Implosion, The Sound Was Like Thunder When The Energy Released, And Being At Ground Zero Meant He Wasn't Spared A Single Wave. To Be Pulled Inward, To Feel As If You're Being Drawn Into An Abyss, Only To Be Shot Back With A Force And Velocity That Defied Physical Law. His Body Raced Backward Through The Air, Smashing Against The Ground And Leaving A Deep Impact Crator, Only To Bounce And Continue On Do To The Moment. He Lost Count Of How Many Times He Hit The Ground, Stopped Counting Broken Bones And Spotting Torn Skin. It Wasn't Until He Had Enough Of His Wits Back That He Was Able To Throw His Left Hand Down And Stab It Into The Earth, Catching Hold Of A Lay Line To Stop Himself. Then, When He Finally Stopped -- That's When He Actually Began To 'Feel' What'd Happened.

Sharay Sharay had lost her fur boots when she was busy turning herself into a crispy critter earlier, but even though the cold snow was a minor annoyance and the periodic icy surface caused her to slip and slide, that did nothing to stop the Goddess from hauling ass. "Five minutes," she muttered as she raced down the road toward town. Thank the..well, herself really as Sharay did not thank gods but herself, that the Inn was far enough away from 'real' civilization that should the blast radius be larger than she thought it might be, no one would get hurt. Well, maybe a few. Actually she might have miscalculated distance and everyone residing near would blow to bits, but fuck them! Where were they when she was burning up? Sharay felt the blast before she heard it and the shockwaves, while they didn't exactly send her flying, did shake the ground enough that she tripped...and stubbed her toe. Which hurt. A lot. The Goddess cursed and righted herself, whipping herself around to peer through the haze for signs of Valorius, or bits and pieces of Valorius. She heard a rather odd series of thumping sounds that she couldn't quite place before the sound stopped altogether. Upon seeing the wreck that Valorius left behind, Sharay was rather glad she had chosen wisely to run like hell. The Dark Goddess considered leaving, figuring nothing could have withstood that sort of impact of energy, but damn her kind heart, Sharay uttered a stream of curses before jogging toward the obliterated area. A brief scan of the area indicated that Valorius was not a bloodstained smeared memory of the man she had come to know, but it wasn't long before Sharay's keen eyesight finally pinpointed him. Her head cocked to the side, a most peculiar look on her face was present when she took carefully measured steps over to where what appeared to be Valorius lie. Sharay stood quietly, staring down at the mess that he was, and gods above he was a trainwreck to say the least. She crouched down next to him, drawing in a sharp breath as she took a good long look at his face, or what was left of the left side anyway. "I said five minutes. You kept me waiting six," Sharay murmured as she flopped down beside him, her legs crossed and stretched out before her, taking a few seconds to stare up at the stars as she debated her next words, which were uttered with a heavy sigh. "What can I do, Valorius?" Surely there had to be some way to patch him up. There was NO way in hell she was bringing him back to Amunette looking like this.

Valorius`Malku For Several Moments He Just Laid There. When He'd Finally Stopped, The Recognition Of Negative Sensation Came Through Him. It Could Be Called Pain, Or His Energy And Its Interpretation Of It. It Was Hot All Over, Sharp, Unwelcome. Then He Heard Someone Approaching, At Least One Of His Ears Did. Why One? Because The Right Ear Is All That Was Left. Her Voice Told Him His Flesh Hadn't Been Completely Destroyed -- And As Long As There Was Even 1 Particle Still Joined With His Essence, He Could Heal. He Went To Bend The Fingers Of His Right Hand, But Only 2 Responded. The Bones Were Shattered, Like Glass. He Was Regretting Not Letting More Of His Essence Into His Body, It Would've Given It Density, Durability. But Then He Would've Basically Been Made Into A Giant Cannon Ball. Taking The Full Brunt Of Damage Seemed The Only Safe Decision. He Couldn't Say Why He Decided To Be More Concerned With The World Than Himself, It Was An Immediate Decision. She Asked What She Could Do, And He Moved His Jaw -- Good, He Could Still Do That. "You can find...us...a way to Heruin." To Defy Was The Purpose Of Will. Broken Or Not, He 'Made' His Fingers Curl Into The Dirt. Inch By Inch He Began To Push, Inch By Inch He Began To Raise Himself. Blood That Looked Like Liquid Obsidian Ran From Several Spots On His Torso, It Ran From The Rips And Tears Along His Legs, Dripped From Beneath His Right Sleeve And Off His Mangled Fingers. A Still Present Right Eye Turned To Her, The Left Socket Had Been Too Severely Damaged For The Eye To Be Intact. Up To A Knee, Both Of Which Were Nearly Crumbled To Dust Beneath His Skin. While In That Crouch He Pulled His Left Arm With One, Two, Three Tugs Out Of The Ground. For A Moment He Stayed Like That, Summoning Up The Will To Bring His Essence Into The Tissue Of His Legs, Letting It Strengthen And Work Through Every Cell. The Bones Began To Rejoin, Flesh Began To Mend As His Blackened Blood Drew Back Into Them. But For The Repairing Of His Legs, More Of His Upper Tissue Cracked, Fading Away Like Ash In The Air. Small Price. With His Legs Mostly Healed He Pushed Up To His Feet Slowly, And Finally The Full Extent Of Damage Was Shown. For Several Seconds He Looked To Her, His Right Arm Curling Around His Battered Abdomen. "W..we have to go." Go Where? To Heruin. How Do They Get There? He Hadn't Thought That Far Ahead. There Had To Be A Fucking Portal, Or Someone Who Could Make Them Somewhere. Someone Who Hadn't Just Been Through The Ringer. He Moved Slow, Limping Slightly As If Driven By Something Greater Than All The Injuries.

Sharay Sharay was old. She existed for gods knew how long and during that time in her 'life', she had seen much, done more, and little shocked her anymore. Hell she would be amused if something tickled her fancy after all this time, but since most things were predictable anyway, she paid little attention to anything that might prove worth interest. Watching Valorius struggle to his feet despite every single inch of him screaming that moving was the exact opposite of what he should be doing, actually drew interest from Sharay. She made absolutely no move to assist him in any way, shape or form, for he was a big boy and could very well handle himself. She did, however, get to her feet and brush herself off, glancing around left and right. "Heruin is quite the ways away, dear boy. Did you think I would snap my fingers and 'poof' we would arrive fashionably late?" Sharay shook her head. "No Valorius, I cannot do that, nor can I create portals unless you have desire to vacation in Chaos." Onyx eyes raked him over. "Which, considering your status presently, might not be such a bad idea." Time stretched by as Sharay watched with a grimace while he literally held himself together and limped around helplessly, which would have been amusing if it wasn't so sad to behold. "Valorius stop. Just stop." Sharay couldn't take anymore of it and with an internal groan, reached out for his left arm and breifly stopped his movement with the lightest of touches before releasing him. "Truly if I had anything in my stomach, it would be heaved upon my dainty little toes right now just looking at you," The corners of her mouth upturned slightly at her own brand of humor. "Lucky for you I am made of sterner stuff. In any case, as I stated before...portals. Chaos. That's it. Take it or leave it. There's a shot I can direct us to Heruin, but pinpointing the exact location your better half and that bastard Gethe is, might prove tricky." Sharay's eyes narrowed then. "And even if we are successful, look at you! What exactly were you planning on doing, hmm?" Sharay tsk'd. "Surely there must be some way to, I don't know, speed up the process and make you appear somewhat decent to look at again? May I remind you, I need you healthy dear? This isn't all about you, you know. There is my fine form to consider as well." Though her words were rather harsh, there was a tiny, extremely tiny gleam of concern in her eyes. "I will ask you again, what can I do?"

Valorius`Malku Like It Or Not She Was Right. Normally, When The Flesh Was At Full Endurance, He Would Have Been Able To Fully Heal Himself, Even With Damage Worse Than This. But He Had Not Only Had To Wrestle Energy Away From An Imploding God, He'd Had To Hold Onto It, Stand His Ground While Being Pulled In 20 Directions, Then Stand Front And Center For A Portion Of The Universe To Be Basically 'Arc Welded' Back Together. He Had Endured A Good Bit, And With All The Damage Done, To Use His Essence To Heal Would Help 1 Area, But Weaken Another, It Would've Been 1 Step Forward And 2 Back. So, Without Consuming Living Energy To Again Strengthen The Organic Material, He Might Make It To Heruin -- By Summer. They Would Find A Way Despite The Tone She Used, And He Would've Said Something But There Were More Important Things To Take Care Of. At Least Until She Touched His Arm. Beneath The Static Barrier, A Flash Of Jade Light Surged Where Her Hand Moved, Trying To Get At Her Own Energy And Consume It, But Restricted Behind The Barrier. With His Hat Low Over His Head He Looked At Her Over His Right Shoulder, Just In Time For Her To Ask Again How She Could Help. Once Was Pride, But Twice Would Just Be Stupid, And Stubborn. "I can't get what I need from your energy. It's powerful but it would only do more damage. I need something more....finite." There Was Always The Option Of Taking It From The Planet Itself, Even The Tiny Microbes And Bacteria In The Air. But It Would Take A Lot Of All Those Minor Energies To Undo The Damage. The Living Energy He Consumed Didn't Heal Him, It Just Made The Flesh That Was There -Strong- Enough For His Own Essence To Copy It, And Replace What Was Damaged. His Essence Could Recreate What Was Lost By Using Existing Material, But It Had To Be Healthy, Sturdy Material. It Couldn't Fix Broken Cells With OTHER Broken Cells. The Lay Line. He'd Been So Intent On Stopping That He Hadn't Even Considered It. A Lay Line Is The Living Energy Of The World Itself, A Pure, Concentrated Force. He Felt Like An Idiot For A Second As He Stopped Dead In His Tracks And Turned Around. "Come with me.." He Said As He Walked Back To The Hole He'd Created. Looking Into It With Human Eyes, You Would Just See A Hole In The Ground. But If You Could See Energy, The Hole Would Be So Bright It Was Near Blinding. "It'll fix me...I can use it to fix you. Here, you can hold my hat." His Right Hand Reached Up And Pulled It From His Head. The Way He Handed It To Her Though Showed That He Wasn't Being A Dick. Out Of Everything He Had With Him, The Hat Obviously Meant Something. And As He Walked A Few Steps Ahead Of Her, He Spoke Again -- A Little More Faintly Than Before. "Thank you." The Tone Used, He Obviously Wasn't Saying It For The Hat.

For Several Moments There Was Just Silence Between Them, Nothing But The Sound Of Blood Drops Hitting The Ground, And Torn Clothing Shifting As It Moved. When He Reached The Hole In The Earth He Could Swear He Heard An Almost Inaudible; "You're welcome," Come From Her Behind Him. He Made No Mention Of It, Or Even That He'd Noticed At All. Instead, He Kept Quiet And Slowly Lowered Down To A Single Knee. Gesturing His Right Hand Towards The Ground Across The Hole In Front Of Him, He Broke The Silence. "Stand here. Now this is going to happen fast. Chaos is quick but living energy, it's almost instant." Sharay Moved Around The Circle Until She Stood At The Other Side Of It. The Invisible Static Barrier Covering His Arm Faded, Kept In Place Only When He Held The 2 Energies Of His Essence In Balance (He Would Need The Limb Fully Exposed For What He Was Planning). The Left Leather Sleeve Of His Jacket Burned Away When He Willed His Positive Energy To His Fingertips, The Leather Destroyed By The Bare Contact To His Unhindered, Glowing Limb. It Was Opaque Jade With Bursts Of Lighter Emerald Light At His Fingertips, And He Flexed His Fist A Few Times Like He Was Testing Something. Bright, Brief Flashes Happened In His Hand, Causing Whip-Cracking Sounds When The Positive Came In Contact The Negative. He Glanced To The Hole And Sighed, Hating When He Connected -Directly- To The World-Source. When You Were There, Bound To It, You Could Feel Everything -- Everywhere. It Was The Only Time He Ever Felt What It Was Like, On A Minor Level, To Feel Like His Parents Did. And Honestly -- He Didn't Like It. He Lost Himself In It, And That Was Too Close To Nothingness. Still, It Had To Be Done. So With One Last Glance To Her He Threw His Arm Back Down Inside The Hole. Instantly He Grasped Hold Of The Lay Line, And His Body Began To Pull The Creative Energy Inside As If Starved For It. In Seconds, The Gleaming White Light Was Being Drawn In, And It Sparked Jade Surges All Over His Damaged Tissue. Blackened Blood Was Pulled Back Inside Closing Wounds, Flesh Seemed To Be Replaced As His Essence Replaced All That Was Lost. "I can't heal things with my own essence. The positiive would try to pull your energy out, and the negative would burn your body to nothing. But this, this will work...I think." Did She See Him Grin? Maybe. Maybe Not. Either Way, He Took What He Needed. It Was Fast, And It Was Absolute. Not An Inch Was Missed, Not A Single Particle Missing Or Out Of Place. But Then, He Took More -- Only It Wasn't For Him. It Collected In His Palm, Held By The Static Barrier That Contained His Own Energy. Like Smoke In A Bubble The White Life Energy Swirled And Churned In An Orb Fitting His Palm, And When He Knew He Had Enough He Stood Up And Pushed The Energy Directly At Her. The Orb Slipped Into Her Chest, And Like Him -- It Was Immediate. She May Be A Goddess Of Death And Chaos, But Both Death And Chaos Were A Part Of The World. The Energy That Healed The World, Destroyed It, So It Had Just As Much Benefit For Her As It Did Him. The Energy Flowed Through Her Figure From Head To Toe, Mending Broken Flesh With All The Efficiency She'd Seen In Him. As He Drew His Hand Away When The Last Of The Energy Passed Through Her, He Nodded In Approval. "Poof. You're eye-candy again." Another Grin And His Right Hand Reached In His Coat, Grabbing At The Grip Of His Pistol. Good, It Wasn't Damaged -- His Chest Must Have Broken The Guns' Fall. After That, He Glanced Around As If Observing The Area, Stopping On Her Face As He Reached Out With His Right Hand To Take His Hat Back And Set It On His Head.. "So...from here to chaos, from chaos to Heruin, that still the plan?

Zafiro was shivering in his hands, the fear Gethe permeated through the air torturing his mortal soul. Syvern lifted the boy, who seemed miniature in his arms as the demon rose above what remained of the tavern. In another instant the beast was gone and silence followed. The lost prince narrowed his eyes and looked down at Zafiro who seemed to relax as soon as the demon left. He lifted one of the boys small hands in his own and pressed a fingertip into the azure stone embedded in the palm.

"Juice him." -I don't know if it'll.- "Do it!" The arraki snapped and the sword obeyed and with a flash across the runes a burst of soul energy entered the young boy who snapped out of his stupor. Blue eyes stare at Syvern in concern; the boy hadn't seen him since he had changed.

"Soul?" The young boy asked confused.

"In a sense." The lost prince smiled reassuringly and set the boy on the ground. "Are you alright Firo?" He looked the boy over for wounds but he didn't see any.

"Yes I'm fine, what happened?" The boy was confused under the fear of the demon he had lost all sense of what was happening around him.

"Gethe transformed and teleported. The others are following." The lost prince looked at the broken window; Valorius and Sharay who’s physical form was being torn away.They were talking but he couldn't understand what they were saying.

"We need to stop him." Zafiro snapped his attention.

"The others can." He shook his head, "You were just shaking on the ground and you want to get back into it?"

Zafiro hung his head, "Why haven’t they stopped him already then?"

Syvern tilted his head, "Because Gethe feeds off death and shadows he is getting stronger the more of his followers that die." He had the idea that is what had happened to Sharay she had tried to do something to Gethe that had left her in the state she was in.

“What if you absorb him? Or his followers?” Zafiro pointed out and Syvern titled his head.

–We do need more souls you and Soul have depleted them.- .But aren’t Gethes minions souls sold to him?. –Doesn’t hurt to try.-

Sharay in her hurried leaving of the Inn caught his attention and for a moment the lost prince didn’t process what was going on and then he felt the energy and the hairs on his skin stood up. He wrapped one massive arm around Zafiro and bolted down the road. The boy was staring wide eyed behind them as what remained of the inn exploded.

“L'eairthin neera ussta kulggen!” Syvern shouted and shoved his hand into the ground. A rune glowing brightly on his skin the mud and rock erupted from the ground below and broke a flying beam that flew in two halves around them.

As the explosion subsided the arraki punched his way through the earthern shell and looked back toward what had been the inn. “Well there goes our chance of following through that portal.” Syvern shook his head and watched Sharay and Val approach the hole in the ground.

“All that energy..” Zafiro whispered from next to him hand extending. The azure gem seems to glow for a moment and for the first time Syvern noticed the blue lines running from each one.

-The gems are consuming him.- Obstinata said low in his mind.

.I can see that. Syvern frowned and took Zafiro’s hand leading him toward the pair. As he got closer he could hear them speaking of going to Heruin and he knew it was must be where Gethe had gone. He glanced at Zafiro at his side. .He can get us there, but.

-The boy will want to do it anyway and you know it.-

.Can we provide enough power to do it?. Obstinata was getting low and the arraki knew soon it would fall on his own abilities to survive until they could acquire more. The idea to stop killing the living for food had left him without a proper source.

-Yes.- The sword responded and the arraki nodded.

The arraki lifted his dual colored eyes and stared at Valorius and Sharay and pointed at Zafiro,”Need a lift?” The boy glanced at the arraki and then to the other two. Syvern tilted his arm to press his finger on the gem again. Obstinata shocked his system and sent the energy spiraling into Zafiro.

“I am coming with you this time.” Zafiro said and turned to where Gethe had manifested his portal. The boy could feel the miniscule energy thread that remained after the explosion. He lifted both palms and the azure gems began to glow as the energy Syvern had placed in them was released. He spread them and the air split, sparks shooting off in each direction as the magic manifested itself. The portal seemed stronger than the one he had created for the Almeddan army.

Syvern motioned to Sharay and Valorius, “After you?” The portal itself mimicked the path Gethe had taken which meant they would appear near the demon. “Chaos and death waits.” He placed a hand on Zafiro’s shoulder. He would wait for the other two to go first; he didn’t want to risk leaving Zafiro again.

Dela had entered a living nightmare. All her hopes and aspirations had become nothing more than dust in the fickle wind, driven by the chaotic whims of her ignorant god. Tempesturo had abandoned his children, leaving them to wolves like Sharay and Gethe so they could be torn to pieces in these foolish tug-of-wars for power and glory.

Dazed, Dela looked around herself. Everywhere, there was rubble. A beam pinned her down, and Dela realized with growing horror that her right shoulder was completely ruined, nothing more than a bloody mess hidden beneath crimson rags and splinters. There was no pain, and for that, Dela was grateful. Instead of agony, a cool calm had flooded her brain, the calm of shock.. The calm of the dying.

How had it come to this? Dela struggled to form a cohesive timeline in her mind. After she entered the pub, things had become.. well.. Chaotic. There was no better word for it, and Dela found wry amusement at that. After she had entered the pub, she initiated a hopeless battle against Sharay. Wielding the only sorceries she knew, Dela had assaulted Sharay with nothing more than visions and illusions. The black tendrils which bound her to the ground didn't have eyes to deceive and didn't respond to the horrors of Dela's imagination. Gethe had abandoned her, Sharay had defeated her.. and then..

Then things just got worse.

Fighting the urge to shiver, Dela looked around again. The inn had been destroyed, that much was obvious. Pinned to the ground, Dela must have been crushed beneath the rubble and left for dead by Gethe and his Corpirian minions. Madrin, in spite of his good intentions, was nowhere to be seen - had he followed Gethe into Heruin? Probably. Unaware of Madrin's new-found freedom, Dela could only assume the soldier had followed his master.. Useless and weak, Dela had been discarded like a lost doll in these forsaken ruins.

She wanted to cry, but didn't have the energy. Besides, what would tears achieve? She had to solve her problems instead of avoiding them.

"Hey, kid."

Dela stifled a shout of alarm, turning her head to see the dismembered head of Kaotis grinning towards her. She had to try a second time not to scream in horror.

"Don't be afraid, hey. I'm just a talking head."

"...Wh.. what are you..?"

"I'm an Aliscowri," Kaotis' head said with a wolfish smile. "Kaotis."

"A..Aliscowri..?"

"Well, what's left of one, anyways. Actually, my body's over there.." Kaotis stared at an object over Dela's shoulder, wiggling his brows. "You know, if you could just... get me next to my body... I could probably put myself back together."

Dela scowled. "Blech. I'd rather not.."

"Once I'm all fixed up, I'll get you out from under that beam."

Grimacing, Dela sighed. "Alright. But you have to get me free!"

"It's a trade, then!"

Dela reached for Kaotis' head, but as she twisted her body, the ruined bones of her shoulder ground against eachother painfully and this time the young girl really did scream. "Ahh! It's no use," she sobbed. "I can't reach.."

"Look, kid, use that brain of yours. Mine isn't getting much blood."

Dela glanced around her, looking for a tool she might be able to use and extend her reach. Sure enough, there was a broken board that would suit the task perfectly, and Dela reached for that before turning her efforts once more to Kaotis and his ugly mug.

"Hey! Don't poke an eye out, girl!" The complaining head rolled across the floor after a few attempts, and Dela reached out to grasp his dark hair. "Oww! Ouch! Whoa! What are you -- no, don't throw me!!"

Throw him she did, and half an hour later, the body of Kaotis was reunited with its head and walking around Dela, moving the rubble that had buried her. The slaver worked with a sense of urgency, though he took frequent breaks to make sure his head wasn't about to fall off his shoulders.

"We have to find Iyn," he explained, tossing rubble to the side. Then he glanced at her, concern written plain on his face as his fingers moved to check the seam of his neck. "My head's not coming off again, is it?"

--

Jin'se had narrowly survived the attack in the Moon's Shadow Inn. It was obvious to the Corpirian assassin that he had been nothing more than a puppet, providing a predictable portal to the inn with the help of Zafiro's ability. Like a scouting ant leaves a scent for others of its kind to follow, Jin'se and Zafiro had left a trail for Gethe and the Corpirians to chase them into the inn. The assassin hardly had any time to react when things finally went down.

He was no warrior. He knew how to fight and kill, but he was never trained to engage in this type of combat. He was expected to be methodical, silent and stealthy, striking his enemies like a patient panther, in ambush and overwhelming force. His training urged him to avoid major confrontations, especially large scale battles, and this training kicked in the instant Gethe and his reinforcements arrived. Jin'se fled without a second thought.

The sound of Kaotis as his head struck the floor of the inn chased Jin'se through the window and into the night.

Now that some time had passed, the assassin returned to the inn, exersizing caution. There were still dieties and Demigatis in the vicinity. He could feel it in the deepest fibers of his being. The air was thrumming with tension, the atmosphere hummed with magical pressure, and even a blind fool (no offense, Bansca) could see this place was far from safe. But the major antagonist, Gethe, had fled the scene. The fighting had stalled.

When Jin'se came upon the tavern itself, he wasn't surprised to see smoldering ruins and a field of dust. Sharay was the Goddess of Death and Chaos, after all. What else could they have expected to happen? A cordial gathering, complete with tea and crumpets while they talked about Sharay's new dress? Don't be foolish. The look of shock which marked his face was at the sight of a grinning man and a midnight-skinned child, the two of them seated on an enormous rafter.

What was more surprising, was that everything else was destroyed. There was no inn. There was only a pile of rubble. Somehow, whatever explosion had occurred here.. some divine entity had saved the two chaotic figured in the ruined building. Jin'se only hoped whoever had caused such destruction was far away. He had other problems.

"Ahh, Jin'se, is it?" Kaotis asked. "I don't think we've formally been introduced." Kaotis held out his hand, his pearlescent teeth glimmering hungrily in the early morning's starlight. "A pleasure. The name's Kaotis, and this bloody mess beside me is Dela."

Jin'se offered his hand, and from the moment their fingers touched and the Revelations of Ae'Vescra announced their unknowable truths, Jin'se became something else. He became an Aliscowri. Shock, confusion, anger... these descriptions only grazed the surface of what Jin'se was feeling as he studied Kaotis in silence.

The slaver only smiled smugly. "Now you've met my god as well."

--


[ Show content ] OOC: Too lazy to post much more, but it's safe to say that Iyn followed Wish through the portal and is now in Heruin. She's pretty confused and thus not doing anything epic anyways. The surviving Corpirians followed Gethe, and the surviving Aliscowri will be doing similar things as Jin'se and Kaotis - basically regrouping somewhere near the inn. [ Hide content ]

Sharay's emotions were a confusing mess. On one hand she was elated that finally, after all this debacle, Valorius was getting around to fixing her body. On the other, he had ruined that special moment between them. It wasn’t the fact he asked her to hold his hat for him, which even though an odd request that should have been accompanied by a snarky comeback (but wasn’t), wasn’t the problem. No, the problem was when Valorius actually thanked her for whatever reason he had to utter those two little words. For some reason his show of appreciation for her actions or perhaps words tonight, caused a brief flare of anger to burn inside of her.

It wasn’t over the hat business no, for to waste a perfectly good show of gratitude over something so trivial compared to all that they had been through together since their first encounter, would be idiotic. No, she knew why he had given his thanks to her, and it infuriated her. Sharay wanted to crumple that stupid hat within her hands until nothing remained but dust. This was not the part of the deal between the duo. It was sheer business, nothing more, and even as one would consider her reaction to such a simple utterance an over exaggeration, for Sharay, it was huge. It gave her time to reflect upon her own lack of appreciation for all Valorius had done for her, and though she would never take the time to compose some ridiculous sonnet over it, Sharay found another way to show him she was aware of his effort.

“You’re welcome.” The words were spoken so low, she wasn’t sure he had heard them for he gave not a single indication he had, which was fine by Sharay who simply wished to pretend this touching moment had not occurred at all, and wanted to get on with this mission of theirs. For all she knew, Wish was now lying in a ditch somewhere being ravaged by sand people.

The Goddess waited while Valorius, selfishly she might have added, took to handling himself first, drawing precious energy from the rather large hole he created when he decided to blow the Inn and nearly himself, to bits. Tapping her foot upon the snow covered earth in impatience, she waited until Valorius had finished before sending the orb of glorious goodness her way.

The Dark Goddess felt better than she had in quite some time. The rush of energy from the orb was not only eagerly absorbed by Sharay to repair the physical mortal body she incorporated, but boosted her own essence and with that, her abilities. It was the equivalent of spa and relaxation therapy meant for rejuvenation and it worked wonders on her. Sharay snickered to herself as he was forced to admit she was once more the lovely creature for all to envy once more. Valorius came to retrieve his precious hat, and Sharay decided then she would add a few finishing touches before zipping off to Chaos.

Sharay’s alabaster skin was healed without a single flaw remaining. As she was admiring her perfection, she called upon the chaotic tendrils once more to revise her outerwear. Clothing was not something Sharay simply retrieved at merchant’s shop. No, the Goddess preferred her own special blend against her skin, though in terms of clothing, one could not actually call what covered her splendid nudity any sort of textile material.

The serpentine tendrils reshaped themselves, coiled around her body at her waist and seemed to have melted down her legs until stopping at her bare feet, while smaller thinner ones travelled up her torso to wind their way around her breasts, lower back and neck, leaving the remainder of her skin bare for all to behold and marvel at. The ‘material’ seemed oily and slick in touch as it was made of a living organism, but even in the moonlight the iridescent hue was visible. Golden jesses were donned on both wrists and ankles, and ebon tresses twisted and turned until winding themselves into an intricate braid that fell down her back, small decaying tea roses sporadically decorated her thick plait. Satisfied with her transformation, Sharay nodded approvingly to herself before catching the gaze of Valorius who was a far cry from the road kill he was earlier.

The Goddess shrugged, not wasting a single moment to explain her actions. Vanity was a preferred vice for Sharay, and she would be damned to show up on the battlefield looking like some accosted street urchin. She was better than that. However, there was something that needed to be completed before entering Chaos. Stifling a martyred sigh, Sharay parted her lips to speak.

“Valorius, I-,”

Whatever Sharay had begun to say was effectively cut off when Syvern and the boy Zafiro arrived. The Goddess cooly regarded the arraki and boy banter about creating portals to Heruin, a faint smile appearing as the boy stood his ground, insisting to have a role in taking up arms against Gethe. A sideways glance was offered to Valorius as Zafiro created the portal, an unspoken question regarding their mode of transportation, but Valorius had not indicated any objection she could see. Sharay almost considered refusing their offer, taking the route of Chaos instead, but for some unfathomable reason chose to travel via portal with the rest of the fun bunch.

Impressed with the boy’s ability, Sharay took a few steps toward Zafiro and Syvern. She did not offer comment on the change in appearance of what used to be Soul, instead raking him with a look and uttered, “Interesting,” before turning her full attention to the boy. Energy did not change, and though Syvern might have fooled the untrained human eye, Sharay knew him to be the same swamp rat she had met in her early days of megalomania in Aleris.

The portal was now opened and demanded they travel through, but Sharay was in no rush to do so. She ran a critical eye over the boy and even crouched down before him, putting herself on his level. Onyx orbs glittered brightly and she even offered him a smile though her first words were directed to Syvern. “A gift, no matter how great or small is to be treated with the utmost care.” The Goddess reached behind her head and plucked one of the tea roses to hold before Zafiro, and the boy would note that though pleasantly fragrant, there was the underlying scent of decay from death. “You have an admirable talent. Quite useful. Should you have any inclination to do so, here is my calling card.” And that was that. Zafiro would accept or not, but the offer was made. Sharay stood and brushed herself off, glancing at the portal that remained opened and waiting for her first steps within.

She ignored the invitation and turned to Valorius who had made his way closer to the portal. Moments of silence ticked by before she finally reached up to take the brim of his hat within her hands. “A rather nice hat,” she admitted. “Suits you well.” Her eyes met his as she straightened it ever so slightly so that it lay right, or rather to her liking before her arms dropped back to her side. It was a compliment. He could take it for whatever it was worth. She held his gaze for another beat or two then turned and walked to the portal. Just before she entered though, she called back to Valorius.

“It would, however, look much better on me. Something to consider.”

She stepped through to whatever pandemonium greeted her on the other side.

It wasn't enough Gethe's pitiful high priest Hydren had failed his master in the last moments. He didn't have near enough forces to take over Heruin as he planned. The elites that were summoned by Ameerah Amunette easily outnumbered the troops currently under his influence. However, just as his powered increased under the curtain of night so did his sensory range. For some reason he could not feel anything from the elites as if they were somehow warded against magic. No matter he still felt much weaker minds in the middle of the desert continent.

The demon called to the sinister parts of their minds greed, envy, pride, wrath, sloth, lust, and gluttony. Whatever their fatal flaw was, Gethe's domination seized upon and turned them to his cause. As the dark one pulled his new servants to him by way of a sizable portal he managed to trap his gathered enemies between his forces.

Something blocked him, as a strong light shone down from the heavens. Due to Wish's prayers the stars answered by blocking his full ability so he only managed to get six hundred standard protectorate troops. His wings burned away and his tail shriveled before the brightness of the stars. Screams of pain escaped his throat as he returned to the five foot nine height of his human shell. However, his skin was still solid obsidian and his gray horns remained.

The greater demon had never experienced such a state, in his entire long life. He was unsure of the limitations of this form. Gethe refused to reveal his concern to the inferior beings that dared to challenge him. The two cold pits of blackness that were his eyes, showed nothing of the fear he felt. The little fae woman had given him reason to destroy her first causing spine chilling laughter to fill the air as his puppets on both sides fought Ameerah's elites. Not to mention the small band of willful individuals that followed Madrin to the sands before Ironhold prison.

Gethe found his power was still great despite his diminutive size compared to moments before. The shades under his command fought beside the human slaves and Galuwrath warriors cutting down any opposition. In addition he used dense blast of dark energy to take down vulnerable foes. Wish was assaulted were she prayed by several of his nine foot tall lion warriors. The light at her command blocked his first blast that was intended to be her death. Thanks to that the demon of darkness decided to take a more physical approach with that fluttery little annoyance. The casualties on both side raised every moment. However, Gethe had no shortage of nutrition as his blood drinking knives kept him fed.

Whatever The Goddess Had Been About To Say Would Have To Wait. 2 Other Survivors Came From The Distance, One Larger And One Smaller. At Least The Bel Telal Wouldn't Have To Deal With Having Killed Anyone Who Didn't Deserve It. Not Yet Anyway. Sharay's Need To 'Dress To Impress' Not Withstanding, They Were Making Surprisingly Good Time. He Had Been Preparing To Take The Plunge Into Chaos When Syvern, The Arraki He'd Seen Earlier, Came With The Boy That Had Been Saved. Syvern Was Quick To Reveal That There Was Another Way To Get Where Valorius And Sharay Needed To Go, One That Wouldn't Take As Long As Having A Layover In Chaos. It Made The Most Sense, And Valorius Thought On It A Moment Before Glancing To Sharay And Nodding.

”As long as it gets us where we need to be. There's a giant turd getting its stink in my house.”

The Arraki And The Boy Worked Fast, Imbuing Energy Into A Pair Of Gems And Splitting The Fabric Yet Again (Seemed To Be Happening A Lot Tonight). The Portal Was Stronger Than The Last, He Could See It As Plain As He Could Feel It. Lines And Swirls, Arcs And Pulses Of Energy Cutting The Air And Connecting 2 Points In Space. It Was A Beautiful Sight To See For Those Who Actually Saw That Kind Of Thing. While He Looked To The Rift-Gate, Sharay Took Particular Notice Of Zafiro. She Spoke To Him And Gave A Flower. The Boy Obviously Didn't Really Understand What She Meant, And It Showed In The Glance He Sent Valorius' Way. All The Bel Telal Could Do Was Give A Shrug Of His Right Shoulder. Let The Boy Figure It Out.

As He Let The Chaos God And The Boy Finish Their Talk, He Began To Move For The Portal When She Took The Brim Of His Hat. Honestly, He Wasn't Expecting It So He Stalled, Not Moving An Inch As He Took In What She Was Doing. Was She Straightening Out His Hat? Yes. Yes She Was. At First He Looked A Little Confused, Then That Just Kind Of Went Away, Replaced By A Slow, Creeping Grin Across His Face. It Wasn't Smug Or Arrogant, Just Appreciative. Instead Of Thanking Her For The Second Time Though, He Just Gave A Single Nod Before She Turned And Headed For The Portal.

It Wasn't Until She Passed By That He Looked Her Over, Then Glanced Down To Himself. The Left Sleeve Of His Coat And Shirt Were Completely Gone. There Was A Big Gash In The Right Shoulder Of His Coat. His Pants Had A Dozen Smaller Holes Running Down The Legs, And There Was Dry Blood Spattered Over A Lot Of What Was Left Of His Clothes (Some His, Some Sharays', Some From The Things That Got Sucked Into Her Little 'Death Vacuum'). He Couldn't Help Laughing A Bit Before Turning And Heading To The Portal, Watching Her Start To Enter A Few Seconds Before He Did. What She Called Back To Him Made The Grin He Already Had Grow A Bit Wider. Glancing To Syvern And The Boy Behind Him, He Shrugged Again.

”Woman knows her hats.”

And Then He Too Took The Trip Through The Looking Glass.

~-----------------------------------------------~

The Portal Opened About 10-15 Yards From Wish And Iyn, But A Good Trek Away From Where He Felt Amunette With The Elites. He'd Heard Her Voice Through The Pendant He Wore So He Knew She Assembled The Most Capable Numbers Of Heruins' Guard. His Eyes Cut Beyond The Distance And Found Amunette Almost Instantly, A Mix Of Unfamiliar Troops Carrying Banners Along With Gathered Elites Surrounding The Area She Was In. For A Second Or 2 He Considered Hauling Ass Over There To Launch A Direct Assault With Full Force. However, That Was The Practical Part Of Him Talking. At That Moment With All The Anger And Unfulfilled Aggression He Had Inside Him He Wasn't Feeling At All Practical.

A Glance Was Sent Towards Wish, Followed By The Wall Of Enemy Soldiers Along With Their False Prophet. The Battle Seemed To Have Started Before He Arrived And It Just Added To His Frustration. Seeing The Demon Lord Brought Down To Size, He Couldn't Help Narrowing His Gaze Disdainfully When It Locked On Him, The Yellow Of His Iris' Alight With Rage Around His Rippling Jade Pupils. No Matter What, The Demon Was Not Leaving The Continent In 1 Piece. It Was Bad Enough To Have Tried To Make Their Prison Into A Cult Fortress, But Showing Up In The Flesh Was Just Irritating. Nevertheless, Gethe's Pained Shouts Were A Bit Satisfying To Him As He Turned His Attention To The Portal Where Syvern And Zafiro Were Going To Come Through. So It Was Wish, A Child, Syvern, Sharay, And Himself As The First Line Of Defense. Leaving Then Would Be Due To A Nurtured, Honed Sense Of Generalship, Because Having An Army As Back Up Would Have Been The Best Strategy.

Fuck Strategy. Amunette And The Elites Would Have To Fight Their Own Side Of The Battle For A Little While. The Fact He Was Even Able To Make That Decision Proved To Him How Much He'd Changed. Yet, He Still Felt Like He Was Doing The Right Thing. It Was Just By Coincidence That He Wanted, Wanted Very Badly, To Do It. The People Who Needed To Die Were Right There After All.

”Do what you're here to do. I'll keep them back as long as you need.”

Looking To Sharay A Moment, It Showed That He Knew Why She Was Here. Maybe Not Specifically, But He Knew It Wasn't To Play The Heroine Of Well – Heruin. Sure It Would Have Stroked His Ego To Think She'd Come Due To Some Want To Help Him, But He Wasn't That Naive, Not Anymore. Even Still, That Didn't Change The Fact That She'd Offered To Help Him (Insisted On It As A Matter Of Fact). Which Is Why The Look He Gave Her Lingered. There Was Curiosity, Questions, But No Time To Voice Them. Just Enough Time For A Momentary Look That Said For Whatever Reason She'd Come, He Was Grateful She Did. Quickly He Turned And Started Heading For Gethes' Assembled Forces, His Left Arm Stretched Out To The Side As Particles Of His Scythe Emerged From His Palm And Configured In His Grasp. In A Swift Reflexive Action He Saw The Panthera Creatures Approaching And Drew Out His Pistol In Mid Rush. One Perfectly Aimed Shot Followed By Another Drowned Out The Sounds Of Battle As The 2 Closest Creatures To Wish And The Young Girl Each Took A .58 Caliber Minie Ball To The Head. Blood Sprayed Like Mist And Brain Splattered The Ground As Soft Lead Expanded Through Softer Flesh. One Of The Beasts Twitched In A Death Spasm After Hitting The Sand, The Back Of Its Skull Almost Completely Blown Out.

The Vengeful, Visceral Satisfaction That Started To Come Over Him Felt So Natural. He Planned To Have A Lot More Of It.

"MOVE! NOW!" His Pistol Was Holstered By The Time He Reached The Paladin And Iyn, Eying The Remaining Felidae As He Stepped Between Them And Their Intended Targets.

Amunette Worried He Was Going To Miss The Fun. Turns Out He Had The Best Seat In The House.

Sand. Sand everywhere.

Sharay sighed as she strode from the portal, granular material kicking outward with each forceful step she took. She supposed it was better than snow and ice. Within seconds the Goddess took in the scenery, assessing the situation quickly. The night sky was lit with hundreds of thousands of brilliant stars that glittered like tiny diamonds against the blackness of night. The illumination of those celestial bodies accompanied by the moon was enough to allow the mortal human eye some level of sight in the darkness.

The battle had already begun.

Gethe and his minions were surrounded on either side by the opposition which included those who served under the banner of the Blackwolf led by Madrin Kir, but they were not alone. Of course, the Padishah and her army had quite the sizeable force on their playing field. It made sense though. Heruin was her land. Her territory, and though Sharay had yet to truly get to know the woman, the Goddess could see with a brief, but sharp gaze that Ameerah Amunette (or whatever she was called these days) was impatiently waiting to strike, a viper coiled and ready to deliver the death blow against those who came into her house uninvited. A 'take no prisoners' sort of bitch. Sharay liked that in a woman.

Clash of steel. Primal screams. The scent of blood and death in the air.

Perhaps not a wasted trip after all.

Sharay spotted Wish and Iyn, who stood unfortunately too close to Gethe and his subjects, and prepared to make her way over to the two women, figuring the Bel Telal of Heruin would head straight to Ameerah and her military, with Syvern and the boy Zafiro to accompany him. Valorius surprised her by remaining where he was, choosing to defend Heruin and eliminate Gethe’s army from ground zero. Interesting.

No longer the towering creature, Gethe had been reduced to size and with a curl of her lip, Sharay knew somehow the fae had a hand in that. Wish was radiant from what Sharay could see, the Priestess having called upon light against the darkness that encompassed Gethe. Well done little fae.

However her show of force would come with a price, and Sharay knew this. Gethe would command his army of humans, Galuwrath and shades to target Wish in an act of vengeance. Already the feline mutant warriors were approaching at a rapid pace.

”Do what you're here to do. I'll keep them back as long as you need.”


Sharay’s head swiveled in the direction of Valorius and she met his gaze as he readied himself to defend...to protect. “I know,” was all she replied, her white teeth were seen briefly from the smile she flashed before she ran toward Wish and Iyn. Valorius was as good as his word, and Sharay heard shots being fired from his pistol as he took out two of the Galuwrath that were almost upon the fae and the Dead Seed woman

“Honestly fae, I leave you for a few minutes and look at the trouble you’ve managed to find yourself in," Sharay proclaimed dryly, shaking her head as she reached out to grab Iyn, the sorceress fully prepared to strike against Gethe. “Iyn. You are a prophet of Ae`Vescra, a priestess in your own right.” Sharay’s words were spoken quickly for time was not exactly something to be wasted. “Do as you must, but if you heed my words, you will live another day to spread your god’s message. It is not a cowardly act to choose not to fight, not to die.” Sharay spared the girl a kind smile. “You need not sacrifice yourself today, girl. Not yet. I would have you safe and sound if you don’t mind.” Sharay gave the Dead Seed girl a little shove. “Go now. Be swift. Kill any who get in your way.” Sharay watched as Iyn broke off in a flat run just as Valorius’s shouts were heard, and felt a small sigh of relief pass through her. Hopefully the Dead Seed would find refuge with the Blackwolf tribe.

It was her intent to focus on Wish, but the fae had her hands full with two of Gethe’s pet humans. The Goddess called upon Chaos to aid her, when a large furred clawed hand swung near her face, nearly severing her head from her body had she not quick sense to duck and stumble out of the way. Livid, Sharay found her footing as the oily serpentine tendrils flowed from her entire body. “You dare?” She hissed as she directed Chaos at the Galuwrath, the tendrils curling themselves around each limb of the feline beast, the final wrapping around its neck. With a smile that dripped with pure malevolence, Sharay held firm on the coils only to simper, “Bad kitty,” before giving them a hearty yank, dismembering the creature. Blood splattered on the Goddess and whoever else was unfortunate enough to be close by. Sharay wiped a clot from her cheek in disgust and returned her focus to Wish.

Amazingly enough, to Sharay at least, the fae had managed to hold her own, effectively eviscerating the two who attacked her with her cutlass. Before Wish had a chance to recover, Sharay marched over to the fae and held Wish’s forearm in a death grip, dragging her away from any potential nearing threat. “That’s enough from you, missy. Let Valorius handle the rest for now.” Sharay found him quite happily at play shooting anything with a pulse. She knew Valorius was more than capable of handling himself without their assistance, and for what Sharay had in mind, she needed some quality alone time with Wish.

Sharay waited until Wish sheathed her weapon, onyx orbs glittered intensely as she spoke to the fae. “Do you feel them, little one? The shades. Can you hear them call to you? They will feed off terror and fear of mortals who cannot combat them and in doing so will turn friend into foe, or even worse, drain them of their very essence, their life force.” She paused a beat before adding sarcastically. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, that would be very bad for us as it would outnumber the forces of ‘good’,” she smirked. “But you, my little firebug, you can wipe them all out. You can banish each and every one them. You just need...a little boost from your favorite Goddess.”

Before Wish could even fully comprehend what the Goddess of Chaos and Death was planning, Sharay cupped the fae’s face in hand and bent her head toward Wish’s. Ignoring any looks of startlement and perhaps disgust, Sharay held Wish in her firm grasp as she kissed the poor fae girl, forcing Wish’s lips apart with her own. As tantalizing as the kiss was, it was truly not Sharay’s true objective, for in that moment she transferred a small amount of her own personal essence, her energy to Wish who would no doubt feel the rush of power in her being, strengthening her. Sharay let her lips linger on the fae’s a bit longer that needed, just for her own amusement, before releasing Wish with a wicked curve of her lips. “You’re welcome.”

If Wish had any feelings of anger, loathing, or secret lust for Sharay, she was promptly ignored as the Goddess clamped her hands upon the smaller woman’s shoulders and turned her in the direction of Gethe’s army. “Now, little goddess,” she bent her head to whisper in Wish’s ear. “Set the heavens on fire. Banish the shades.” Sharay chuckled and gave Wish a pat on the head as she released her. “I will give you the time and cover you need, but don’t take too long dear. I'd like to be done with this mess before sunrise,” She instructed before sauntering off to where Valorius stood where several bodies, some intact, some not, lay strewn in the sand.

She tsk’d and shook her head as orbs of indigo light appeared in her hands. “Show off,” she muttered as she flung the chaotic energy toward Gethe. Sharay had no true interest in killing the demon, for she would leave that up to those who warranted it, namely Madrin Kir if he was capable, or the Padishah whom Gethe affronted with his unexpected visit to her land. No, Sharay didn’t want to kill him, though he had earned a slow, agonizing death. She just really got her kicks pissing the demon off.

A quick glance of her shoulder to Wish ensured Sharay that the little fae was preparing for the brilliant light show before she turned back to Valorius, another batch of chaotic energy already forming in her palm and she snickered to him. “Come on boy. Surely that’s not all you’ve got?” Sharay flung another orb at a Galuwrath that Valorius seemed to have missed, hoping what she deemed to be another of her brilliant plans, actually worked.

With any luck, the battle would end soon, Gethe would be nothing but a pile of ooze eventually sunk into the sand, and Sharay could return Wish to Aurora's temple mostly in one piece to collect the debt owed to her. Hopefully before the humidity in the air caused her hair to frizz.

Sacrifice.

In all the words man has conceived over the centuries, sacrifice is by far the most dangerous. It is a word of power, one that inspires those who understand it to perform unpredictable feats of madness for virtually no gain. There is nothing comforting about sacrifice, nothing homely or warm. Sacrifice is the antithesis to everything. It is the destroyer of souls, the consumer of ambitions, the source of incredible apathy and despair. Sacrifice is not salvation, it is not freedom. It is.. Chaos. There is nothing a person cannot sacrifice. There is nothing that cannot be lost.

At the heart of Ae'Vescra's Revelations was this fateful word. In truth, the Revelations were this word. Some Aliscowri believed that sacrifice would give them power, but that was naive. The truth was, sacrifice gives nothing. It never has, and never will. Sacrifice is abandonment, the act of discarding something not because there's greener pastures without it but because it must be discarded. The sad and frightening truths of sacrifice were not promises of power and glory.

Sacrifice was a promise of oblivion.

Among the Dead Seed, Iyn was considerably weak. Her entire time in this earth had been spent trying to grasp the revelations she'd been born with, and as time grew, so did her understanding of Chaos and what Djarin had started so long ago. She wanted power and had embraced the concepts of Chaos hoping for those promises to be fulfilled, but now she was beginning to understand there was no promise for power.

Running from the battlefield, Iyn had time to muse over what Sharay had said to her moments before she fled into the desert.

“Iyn. You are a prophet of Ae`Vescra, a priestess in your own right. Do as you must, but if you heed my words, you will live another day to spread your god’s message. It is not a cowardly act to choose not to fight, not to die. You need not sacrifice yourself today, girl. Not yet. I would have you safe and sound if you don’t mind. Go now. Be swift. Kill any who get in your way.”

Sharay didn't understand, did she? The need for sacrifice.. the need for oblivion. Djarin may be the only one who did understand. And where was he now? In reality, the mad prophet was dead. But in essence, he lived on eternally within chaos.. as part of it. Was he even aware anymore? Or had he sacrificed his own consciousness, his own sense of person? Iyn suspected the prophet had sacrificed everything he was. Which meant.. Djarin was no more. The prophet had meant what he said when he spread the concepts of sacrifice and chaos throughout Aleris, and eventually he took the only path his sacrifices promised.. the path into oblivion.

She could hear the sounds of fighting behind her, screams as commands were given and howling wails as men and beast alike were slaughtered. Gethe's army wasn't going down without a fight, and she could feel the deep thrum of sorcery as Corpirians unleashed their dead gods on the battlefield. She glanced behind her, towards the distant field of battle. The area had an eerie glow, the glow of amplified starlight, and even from her distance Iyn could see the small figures that must be Valorius, Sharay, Wish, and the others, fighting defiantly against Gethe's army.

When she returned her gaze to the path before her, Iyn discovered she wasn't alone. Walking towards her were ten dim figures.. As they got closer, Iyn realized several things. They were translucent, and thin wisps of grey smoke drifted from their ghastly skin. Dressed as desert nomads, their robes and scarves danced in a wind that wasn't there. Leading them was a withered old specter, his eyes sunk into deep sockets lined with wrinkles.

"Spirits," Iyn hissed, not sure if she should flee. "How can I see you?!"

The leader bowed his head. "Iyn, Daughter of Chaos.. You see us, for you have his eye." The eye! Iyn had forgot! She checked the pocket of her dress and grasped the amber sphere from her dream. So this is what it did... The spirit studied her with its somber expression. "I am Astarl, of the T'ral Ithan clan."

"..Why are you here?"

"I was shown Chaos, but I did not trust in sacrifice. I died of thirst in the march to Aste'Tenur."

Another specter stepped forwards. "I am Chajin, of the T'ral Ithan. I hoped to avoid sacrificing my wealth, so I drowned in the oceans where the dragons fought. I had tried to save a goblet from sinking into the waves."

A third specter spoke. "I did not respect sacrifice, for I was hungry to grasp power. I died by my own hand when I sought to harness Chaos, in the war in Grand City."

"I questioned sacrifice," the fourth spirit explained, "and I died that night, when I dreamed I was walking into Chaos."

"Why are you telling me this?!" Iyn demanded, her green eyes narrowing.

"Sacrifice is the only way," Astarl stated, his ancient eyes staring at her with sorrow. "You must not question the path. Or you will die."

The spirits vanished into the desert, gone as if they were never there, and Iyn turned around. She knew what she must do. She wouldn't flee. The spirits had eased her tensions and reminded her of the destiny that all Aliscowri shared. She was irrevocably joined to Chaos. Iyn headed back towards the battle, her face hardened with resolve.

Against Sharay's request, Iyn would sacrifice. She would fight. After all, she was a Dead Seed.

--