Ye ol' Bazaar

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Perdita Faechild

Post by Perdita Faechild »

Perdita followed Syrawenn out of the dungeon, hoping that their freedom would last. She longed to see the happy market place again...

Confronted with the darkness and confusion that was in its place, she almost felt like running back into the dungeon. Soldiers! An attack? It had all happened so quickly. People were dying before her eyes, and it chilled her.

She almost missed the glimmer in her distress, but, catching sight of the bottle, she dived for it, shuddering as her hand brushed the mangled body.

"Aha!" she whispered in triumph. "Finally got it."
Zhavon Mikhalrian

Post by Zhavon Mikhalrian »

She was right there with Syrawenn and Perdita, escaping from the dungeon in all the chaos of this attack that everyone had feared so. Scrambling up the stairs, pausing at the threshhold to stare in horror at the carnage, mouth agape. The pitch that surrounded everything stole her breath away, the darkness not expected.

She wanted to scream, both from the horror before and the blackness, but that's when she saw that faint glimmer.

The vial. -Her- vial. Perdita was moving towards it just as she was, Zhavon falling to her knees, hand outstretched and fingers groping for it.
Syrawenn
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Post by Syrawenn »

The gate caught her attention earlier than the darkness. The screams were deafening, the roar of fighting nightmarish. "Who needs a snake to create a bit of terror when you got your friendly neighbours pounding on your doors..." Syrawenn mumbled and then saw the two ladies with her dart for whatever shiny thingie was on the floor. Correction, in a corpse's hand...a dead guy...they don't see it, do they? They just want that vial...oh boy. "Hey! Don't be foolish! That thing got you in trouble in the first place! The gate is close, come on! We can get out before the armies trample over us!"

They gotta be crazy...then to think people call ME nuts! Amazement showed on the girl's face while the two others did dove for the little treasure. "Okay, sorry, gals, I'm gonna go for the other treasure named LIFE if you don't mind! Enjoy wrestling amidst the dead, I'm outta here."

The stench of death was horrid, the sight unbelievable. Gotta keep ahead of the army. Syrawenn thought, hurrying out of the way. Gotta keep this up, away from here! What the hell is wrong with the sun? This has got to be a nightmare! Where is this place? Trying not to stand out the small girl slipped through the horrors towards the gates away from this palace, hoping she would find a way out.
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
Avatar by Finn[/size]
Gia as Rendia

Post by Gia as Rendia »

Eternal? Rendia thought, reeling away from the sudden crowds unsuccessfully, walking but not sure of where she was going.

It is still not as it should be.

Her jaw suddenly set and her blue eyes turned a lighter hue as the worry finally fell away. Her will was strong, her faith simple, and it had finally come to a place so beyond her control that she must let it spin wildly before her eyes without worrying that it would soon suck her up. She could not be used up. Her soul was already in the true Anasis's care. The voices had previously made her want to shriek and tear her own hair out, rip off her ears. Now sound and thought did not even register. Only one overwhelming feeling. The chaos, the violence... this place, was not right. She should leave. It was not right. She could not control it but she would not join it.

This is not good.

"This is not good," the half elf whispered. She ran forward to grab the hands of two children, on a crazy impulse, intending to pull them with her, to walk away from the swords and out, to find the exit, never to look back on this place with anything but sadness. She was somewhat aware that everything got clearer and defined, but she could focus on nothing but where she was dodging and who she was trying to pull with her.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Everyone

The darkness had deepened further- and there was almost no light to be found in the city. The few glimmers that remained were rapidly being extinguished- the only remaining light was that shining from the pearly spires of the Sultan's Palace. They glowed like a beacon to the world, in stark defiance to the shadows gathered elsewhere. The sun, sputtering, began its last descent into nothingness- the west beckoning it at last away from the sky.

A dull, mocking laugh echoed through the minds of all those in the open bazaar.

Finodborn and Automne

Madam Rahan sighed deeply, her eyes fixed upon the broken crystal in front of her. "There is much that needs explaining, and not much time to explain it in- isn't that always the case?" Her voice quavered, although whether in rage or terror it was impossible to tell. She tilted her head to the side, took a quavering breath, and began to explain.

"This city exists in a reality far distant from Tazlure- a reality so far away that one can only enter it through careful meditation... or dreams." She let the word hang in the air before continuing, her voice still raspy and frail. "The sun god Jaji and his natural foil, the sea god Miru battle for dominance here every day. Every single day, the sun rises above his domain, from beneath the sea at the edge of the world. He is allowed to dominate the world for the entire day, gathering his followers as he wills. However, in the evening, as his light wanes, the sea rushes up with her own followers- the cruel men of the sea." She took a moment to rearrange her garments, pulling the crystal tighter to her breast.

"As the sea rises, the city begins to fall, and the sun weakens. The waters keep rising until they completely claim this realm and everything in it- even the sun god himself. She holds him until at last he remerges with the sunrise, and the world is seeded once more. Almost every person knows about this cycle, recycling endlessly, to some extent." Her voice became extra tight at this point. "But only I was burdened with the task of keeping the story- of trying to break the cycle once and for all."

She drew a shuddering breath. "I alone am the Decision- the force that has to break the balance. For eternities I have tried to bring this world to break the cycle- to make one or of the gods ultimately triumph. That is why I selected him," she pointed fondly at Finodborn. "He was given an instrument that could break the balance- an instrument that contained a song that could salvo the sun." She smiled fondly, and then her tone became serious once again. "But, as always, there was a force to balance it- an easy answer to my attempt. That answer was you, Automne Rosse of the Citadel." Madam Rahan appeared irritated, thought not at the elfess, but rather at her own futility.

"Others were brought here as well- a Muchislian and an elf with an alien magic that might succeed yet. A chaotic minded girl with a bigger part to play than she knows. Others..." she trailed off, sent here to find something that I myself cannot. "Of course, that is not all that there is. There was another force at work here, this time- a dark one. I simply address it as Nox, but it serves a far darker person than I can perceive. Long it has festered here, bound by the magics of the sun and the song of the sea- but it has fractured through, somehow- tried all the locked doors and come at last upon one that functions." Madam Rahan stood up, then allowing the broken sphere in her lap to fall to the ground with a dull thud.

"I can see the pieces moving still- but Nox doesn't approve of my meddling. He wants the cycle to end too- but in a far worse way than me. He wants this place to stop existing. He wants it to be replaced by one of shadow and murk." the woman shuddered as she hobbled over to the cracked wall, running a hand lazily down the breaking point. "The pieces are in place- but I can guide them no more. I am broken. I have failed."

The gathered pair could sea the tears welling in her eyes. "Depart now, and find your own peace. The questions in your hearts aren't mine to answer." With a resigned slump, she slid back into her chair, teardrops falling freely onto her seeing orb and running down the now deformed surface. "Beware the Nox and beware the darkness- beware even the light. This is the end of all things."

With a last, rueful smile, she appeared to collapse into herself, and then there was only the cloth and the orb- of Madam Rahan, there was no sign.

Zaure

The guard blanched at the sudden change in attire, releasing the elf in his surprise. Before the man could retrieve the empath, Zaure was falling and falling, the ground growing perilously close when a gentle hand cupped around him. The gentle force guided him lightly to the ground. The soft cocoon faded, and the elf fell unceremoniously to the floor, the wind knocked out of him. Otherwise, though, he was unharmed. The sultan was leaning over the side of the throne, his hand extended calmly toward where the elf now stood, the digits glowing white, dimming lazily.

The hallway had calmed considerably under the ministrations of the two magi of the court- their light spells growing until the missing sun was no longer a factor in the luminescence of the structure. There was, however, hushed silence broken only by rushed whispers as the courtiers tried to explain the darkness. The uneasy hush was broken by a loud call from the throne.

"I WANT THAT ONE. BRING HER TO ME," came the high-pitched command, and within a few short moments, Zaure was ushered back to his place atop the throne, this time flanked by two guards on each side to prevent mishap. The sultan looked up at the elf in satisfaction, his eyes glimmering with child-like amusement. "Why are you wearing a dress?" the boy asked, giggling as he swung his arms lazily. "Aren't you a boy? Can't you work magic? Are you good? Can you make things disappear like Rezo can? How'd you make my tummy calm down?"

The boy-king scratched his head, the enormous hat sliding down to partially obscure his face.

Zhavon and Perdita

The vial found its way into Perdita's hands easily, the light trickling eerily brightly beneath the darkened sky. The glow spilled between her fingers, and illuminated the alleyway they stood in- littered with soldiers, some dressed in the regalia of the bazaar, some dressed in blues and light greens. All of them, though, were dead. It was apparent that the soldiers had swept through this region of the town already. For only a moment, Perdita's fingers clutched the vessel, before Zhavon's prying fingers sent it skittering further down the alleyway, where a booted foot stopped its progress.

The foot stood out to the pair, not because of any special qualities it bore, but because it was attached to a living, breathing person. Dressed in garments of deepest black, his pale face only half hidden by the cowl of his robe. The shadowy figure smirked lightly, his eyes hooded completely. "Does this belong to you, pray tell?" He laughed cockily, and began a showy bow, as if to pick the item off the ground. "I think that I shall keep it."

For a moment, as the figure bent, the light flared, and the eyes were visible- blank and dead eyes, with a glowing core of fire in the center. They simply contained everything and everyone- and the reflection of the pure white vile in their shadowy depths somehow chilled the two women. The fear they felt was a primal one, driven by motives they could not comprehend. There was a sickening spark- and the figure's hand lightly brushed the vial, smoke rising idly from its fingers. There was a moment of pain that flashed across the blank eyes- and then they narrowed, looking up at Zhavon and Perdita. "Where is the Muchislian? She must be behind this all!" His eyes flared with anger, and he produced a long and slender knife from nowhere, taking a halting step away from the vial- placing himself between it and the women.

The tip glinted with deadly promise as he contined to step slowly closer, each one seemingly taking more effort than the last.

Syrawenn

Syrawenn was struck by the presence of death that hung in the air in this part of the city- behind her, distant already, the advancing army could be seen, a cloud of locusts delivering their steely verdict to any in their path. For a moment, the small woman could feel the earth around her roll- and for just a moment, she felt visions of death entering her mind- the death of all those around her, the corpses of children and women and men alike seemed to call to her- as if drawn to something within her.

The voices echoed in her head, demanding restitution for their demise- demanding that she right things. The shadowy alleyway was difficult to see now that the glowing vial was not around to illuminate the way- and Syrawenn found herself tripping over severed limbs and cold bodies... and somehow, the alleyway she walked through was narrowing, and the bodies were pressing against her... the voices gathering in their endless mantra- demanding that she release them, demanding that she set them free.

The voices were somehow familiar- and the woman's conciousness began to waver. The stench of decay was suddenly powerful- impossibly, as the bodies had barely been dead for a mark at the most... and still, the smell persisted, filling every nook and cranny of the narrow path.

Rendia

Rendia alone was capable of seeing in the murky shadows- along with the soldiers of Anasis. Her translucent sphere seemed to hide her- to mark her as sacrosanct. Indeed, such was her immunity that none dared to look at her, some of the soldiers even bowing to her as they moved past. Anasis touched the priestess's mind once again, and for once there was concern in the divine voice. This... isn't right. This isn't how it has happened. This is not part of the plan... where is the sea? Where is the sound of rising tides and the doom for the sun? The death tolls escalated endlessly about Rendia, and the divine voice wavered for the first time. "This isn't right," came the involuntary echo from Rendia's lips. A few of the soldiers stopped in their tracks as the half-elf continued to whisper.

"This is not good..." came the hushed echo, but there was no end to the violence. Although she could feel her will trying to force itself upon the goddess's troops, it was to no avail- something stayed her hand. Something shadowy and phantasmal brushed past her, in stark contrast to the power of the goddess, flitting around the city, adding her strength or defense to the powers of shadow as they saw fit.

It was then, when Rendia grabbed two children and began running away with them- that Anasis, and with her, Rendia, realized what was happening. As she continued to flee from the horror of the situation, the word came over and over into her mind, somehow familiar and horrifying despite its alien nature. Nox. Nox Nox. Nox. The echo continued over and over, intimidating in its casual mockery of Rendia's sense of morals. Even Anasis shied away from the darken power that suddenly reverberated through the bazaar.

With a last cry, Jaji flickered and died- and something was missing from Rendia's spirit- some loss as the sun fell from its position in the sky, descending in a dry cloud of nothingness. The children in her arms were suddenly smoke- impossible to hold, impossible to grip and protect. A grinning soldier waited for them, his silvery sword poised high and ready.

With a single shimmering strike, the two huddled forms lay perfectly still, and Anasis's tears found themselves rolling down Rendia's face...

What have I done, my priestess? What have I done?
Zhavon Mikhalrian

Post by Zhavon Mikhalrian »

It hurt to see the vial seized by Perdita before she had a chance to reach it. It wasn't long in her possession when Zhavon's fingers tipped it out of the other woman's grip and sent the glittering light twinkling out of reach. With a soft snarl, she rose quickly to her feet, taking two steps towards the vial before stopping, catching sight in the limited light of the creature that plucked the vial from the street.

Her eyes widened in fear, a natural reaction to something so... unnatural. Zhavon stepped back as slowly as she might, having little idea that if her movement would cause the man to attack. Swallowing against the lump that had risen in the back of her throat, she blinked, her hand extended behind her to grope for a wall. "...belong to me...? Y-yes..." Something possessed her to agree, even though it had only been gifted to her that hour. Like before, it pained her to see the vial in anyone else's possession save her own.

Just his stare chilled her, the sensation ran down the length of her spine, straightening her posture and sending her another step back away from him. The vial caused him pain, the light swallowed by his fingers. It was only then that she noted the spires were glittering in bold defiance of the shroud of darkness. Memory flashed through her, the guard having said that the vial had come from the Sultan and that had been the reason they were arrested to begin with. A connection?

"The Muchislian? Whomever she is, she is not here!" Zhavon's voice was shrill in terror, the girl finally joining Perdita and passing the woman as she continued to move away from the man.
Finodborn
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Post by Finodborn »

Finodborn listened to the words of madam Rahan with amazement on his face. As she spoke the word "dreams" a sparkle of understanding flashed in his eyes. When she disappeared all of a sudden, his pupils widened even more of disbelief. He stood there watching for a while, not certain what to say or what to do. Then, he kneeled, and carefully reached out to the orb lying there. He wondered how the contact with his skin would feel.

"There goes my last idea then," he said, turning to Automne.

Shivers ran over Finodborn's spine as if it where midgets having a dance there. The laughing voice in his head made his survival instincts scream, and cold sweat formed a tiara of transparent pearls on his head. If the surreal atmosphere hadn't still been slightly present, he'd have certainly started crying like a five year old. However, things felt pretty real anyhow.

"As I see it, Automne, there's only a few possibilities. Either all this is nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion," he said, waving his arm around the room in a vague gesture. "And no matter who made it, he or she must been a very talented artist then," he continued, now gently stroking her jaw line all of a sudden. "In that case, it doesn't matter what we do. Either we don't exist, or we'll wake up. In the other, less positive alternative, this is all very real indeed. However we're meddling with gods in matters at least I have no knowledge of at all." A dark, hopeless feeling filled his heart. This is the end of the world.

"It feels very much like we're powerless here, and that whatever we do won't matter for the outcome. So I think we should make the best of it for as long as we still have - be it dream time or life time. So what do you propose to do now? Shall we make music until darkness comes to get us? Shall we run or fight? I don't know anymore, you tell me." He looked from the ground to the eyes in her pretty face and moved closer to her.
Last edited by Finodborn on Fri Apr 16, 2004 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Verum et factum convertuntur.
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Syrawenn
Baroness of Creiddyladd
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Post by Syrawenn »

Syrawenn groaned at the all too familiar screams in her head. "What the flip am I supposed to do, huh?" She called out in frustration at the dead bodies. "You're dead already! How on earth am I supposed to find you all in the real world? I don't know who you are!"

The girl started to run, stumbling over the remains of the deceased. She tried very hard to shut the noises out. Wake up, damnit, wake up! She repeated to herself. There is nothing to be done here...just try to figure out what this place is and maybe get a message to the right people! What place this is...yeah, what place is this? Where would this be in real life?

Syrawenn looked around. Still more death around her. She started searching for the ones left alive. Maybe she could learn something from them to take with her to the waking side of this nightmare. "Hello?" She yelled. "Anybody still alive around here? Please only reply when the answer is yes!"
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
Avatar by Finn[/size]
Isabella Florentina
Countess Companio, "Countess Cabernet"
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Post by Isabella Florentina »

OOC: whoops.. sorry, I was reminded of this thread, but couldn't get to posting till now.

IC: Isabella had been frozen on the spot. First by the disappointment that the sultan was a mere boy. Away went her dreams of seducing the man, a considerable advantage lost. Then the darkness invaded reality. Or was it a dream? Did it matter? It was the same darkness, the same evil that had slipped into so many a dream of late.

Yet no longer was she afraid of the Netherworld that now echoed its presence. The mocking laugh of the hungry creature, feeding on their fear just made her answering with a greedy laugh of her own, heady with the power that nearness to darkness brought her. For had she not entered into a bond that allowed her some measure of control? She, the mistress of everytyhing and anytying? All she needed to do was to seize it and bend it to her will. She forced her empathy to surround her with feelings of power and arrogance instead of weakening fear.

"What is it you want, creature," the darkhaired witch called out challenging, "Why do you come unbidden in this dream when you have not been called?"
[size=92][color=darkred] [b][i]
Together they planned a power and a love that would be envied forever.
Who was to know that forever would be so short?[/i][/size][/color][/b]
Gia as Rendia

Post by Gia as Rendia »

Why me? Rendia's mind wheeled as she realized she was being protected consciously for the first time. She recoiled in horror as the soldiers bowed to her. This was ridiculous. Why the sudden respect? Where had she earned it? But then nothing made complete sense any longer and she soon forgot the mystery. Too many other blatant atrocities held her immediate attention.

Indeed, the realization that she and this faded copy of Anasis were echoing sentiments and exchanging feeling shook Rendia terribly. When she figured out that she had tried to do something to the soldiers behavior by a force of will, she went into quiet shock, confused again and again by this place. Had it been her who tried to do that in the first place? Since when did she have any concept of being able to dictate the will of others? This was foreign and more frightening then the entire nightmare thus far. She wouldn't do something like that!

Would I?

The light was fading. Nox. It was chilling. The laughter was cruel, the place was chaos, Rendia kept stumbling forward... And then the light died and the children were gone. Rendia looked around, her shock turning to anger, her feet bewildered and not knowing where to run.

She felt the tears and bitterly spit as they ran down her cheeks. They were tears of another! Not her own! She did not cry! Not like this! In a dangerous place the last thing she did was cry. She rebelled against the voice, all the repentance it dripped with when it had no right.

A TRUE GODDESS DOES NOT REPENT! THE GODS DO NOT MAKE MISTAKES! THEY DO NOT DECLARE WAR AGAINST THEIR COMPLETING COMPANIONS!

Rendia fiercely wiped the tears from her eyes, and huddled down where she stood, lost in this terrible place. She would wait. But Anasis was not here after all. And if she was, she was obeying some boundary through which it was not proper to pass. That was all right with Rendia. By her faith she knew when all this was over, Anasis would be there again, true and kind and wise. Good. And this would all be a disturbing dream that evaporates with morningtide dew.
Zaure

Post by Zaure »

Zaure's instinctual reaction to falling was, naturally enough, to panic. Then he attempted to rationalize in his mind, 'You are dead, elf, you can't get hurt!' Still, he was not certain he wanted to hit the ground from such a high height. By the time he was beginning to truly worry, however, a gentle warm, well, it felt like a hand or a cocoon, wrapped around him and lowered him to the floor. Zaure blinked, then shrugged; odder things had happened to him, after all.

His eyes naturally strayed to the throne and the boy whose fingers were outstretched in his direction. The elf smiled warmly at the boy, "Thank you... heeeeeeeeey," Zaure scowled at the guards who were herding him, then sighed with resignition. After the imperative yell and the hustling, he was expecting just about anything other than the boy just speaking to him as though he were a cross between a new toy and a new adult he'd just met.

The elf blinked in confusion, but then smiled at the boy, ignoring the guards behind them both, "Because I like dresses. Why are you wearing that funny, big hat?" Zaure raised an eyebrow impishly and grabbed the turban off the boy's head, "You should at least get one that fits! Yes, I'm a boy." 'Disembodied spirit, actually, but we don't have to get technical, I guess. 'Sides, I feel pretty solid. Really weird. I didn't take Panling meadow-grass, did I?' "I can do a little bit of magic, but I don't know about the 'good' part. Mostly I pick something and hope it does what I want it to. I have not the slightest idea how to make something become invisible, although I could probably make you not see something."

"As for your tummy, I, well," The elf frowned, this was hard to explain, "I looked at your pain and, since I had no pain, I put my not-pain into you, I guess." He shrugged helplessly. A brief flash of dissapointment from Isabella caused him to look at the dark-haired woman. Her emotions were quite clear due to the lack of interfering melodies, and he was somewhat amused by the woman feeling such a thing.

At her arrogance and call, Zaure pointedly rolled his eyes, "Arrogant as ever, didn't think she needed empathy for that."
Last edited by Zaure on Mon Apr 19, 2004 3:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Automne had done all she could to keep her ground as this unexpected wave of information had consumed her. A wave, yes, like the pretty tides of the gentle sea or the monstrous typhoons whipped up by demon winds that swept homes apart and lives asunder. And all the while most would have found the thought odious and horrifying, all she could do was let out a soft laugh.

"Hah...heheh... So I guess this is it huh."

She had stared at him as Madam Rahan had faded away, collpasing into herself. The shock on his face was only normal. But how much of the shock came from finding out what he was? In the end he approached her and she took up his hands in hers.

"Finodborn, to me this is a reality..." She paused biting her lip for the words to say, "It's.... it's funny isn't it? That we are not who we think ourselves to be?" She brought his hands together, hers around them, in a sort of double prayer position. "These tools of armageddon?" She took her right hand and switched it to his right, alligned against each other they were opposites, "Tools for the opposing purpose. Y'know. Think about it... if in the end... we.. we-I mean really-if we fight then it's the end for one of us... one of them." She set her hands at her side, her earlier fear now seemed dwarfed by this recent turn of events... "What to do... Should we fight each other? In a battle of magic and music? Till the end?"

She offered a faltering smile of comfort, crossing arms across her chest.
Finodborn
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Post by Finodborn »

He couldn't help it, but as she laughed, the skin around Finodborn's lips contracted in a boyish grin - an untypical expression for him- .
"Uhm eheh... I suppose it is then..."

As she spoke her wise words to him, he watched her as much as he listened. He liked the way she bit her lip. He liked her fine hands too. Finally he woke up out of his daydream -if that was a good name it- and he responded to her. "I myself didn't have a clue about who or why I was... In that sense, this clarifies a lot. What did you think you were?"
As she spoke about their hands, he watched them again. It was indeed a bit absurd that this foursome was meant to destroy the world. Or was it but a world?

He paused a while to think as she stepped back, which was easier whithout having her very near, absorbing, demanding every bit of his attention whether he wanted her to or not. Finally, he addressed her again. "I won't fight you. You may destroy me if that is what you want. But I don't really think it matters somehow. If we are to make music, then let it be for each other and not against each other." He pulled up his shoulders, indicating it was her choice to make.

The way she stood there with her arms around her chest made her look very vulnerable, a bit sad even. None of them had chosen this faith naturally. He approached her and gave her a hug.
Verum et factum convertuntur.
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Post by Guest »

Automne sucked in a light breath as his arms wrapped around her, "I don't know what I am anymore." she still smiled as she said this, blinking back her thoughts.

I won't cry, I won't think... She didn't know which was the right path anymore, "Finodborn... I won't destroy you. There must be someway out of all this... Or maybe we could join our songs."

Despite all these hopes that came raining out of her mouth she could only think that she was fooling herself.

WE are tools of the gods, maybe we'll destroy each other... or maybe thats best? She sighed as she wrapped her arms around him.
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Post by Guest »

Zhavon and Perdita

The ghastly figure smiled at Zhavon as she spoke. "You are the owner of this? Probably another attempt by that meddling bitch with the seeing stone, I'd wager." He grinned broadly, revealing blackened teeth and rotting gums- similar to those of one who was long dead, and whom had not endured the test of time well at all. "Of course, it's not your fault that she chose you... no... but that will not stay my hand for an instant." The grin widened, and some sort of insect could be vaguely seen crawling between two of the rear teeth. His eyes switched from Perdita to Zhavon and back again. "Decisions... decisions..." came the whispered snarl, made all the more eerie by the backglow produced by the crystal vial, glowing brightly behind the robed creature like a kind of mockery of the Trothgardian aurae so popular among the artists of the seven isles.

The long knife lifted high above his head in an instant- so fast that had either of the girls blinked, they would have missed it. The blow came like a shooting star, rapidly descending- the force of a mountain behind it. Then the silvery flash was dirtied with the crimson flash of blood that inevitably followed such strikes. The upswing was equally rapid, but then the thing's ears perked up, as if it heard something in the distance, although nothing reached the ears of Zhavon or Perdita. He seemed to sniff the air and smile... "The Muchislian," the ghoul whispered, his eyes turning back to his intended victims.

"I will deal with you later."

With nothing more, he sank into the shadows, and the alleyway was silent and bright in the glow of the crystal container. Nothing moved, and then Zhavon felt something warm fall onto her shoulder- and found Perdita slumping over onto her, a thin line of blood forming along the point where her ear had once rested, slowly widening, the blood becoming an increasing large torrent as the skin surrounding the wound turned black and fell off. It had a sickening appearance- like watching a corpse rock, and the darkness was slowly spreading toward the woman's cheek and eye...

Finodborn, Automne, and Syrawenn

Syrawenn stumbled through the darkness, the voices reaching out to brush her mind with tendrilled grips of icy strength. Despite her resolve, the ability to form rational thoughts began to slip from her- she found her already chaotic mind clouded by a maelstrom of sounds and voices trying to speak to her, begging that she save them. Each one was distinct, somehow drawn to something within the woman, and some strange power she seemed to possess- perhaps one she did not even know she wielded.

It was in the midst of this staggering cloud (for who knows how long she wandered) that she found an open doorway- and was somehow drawn to the feeling of stability that emanated from within. There was something different about the place, alien to the darkness and confusion of the open bazaar. Tears streamed freely down her face, but somehow... they were not her own. Through the pinched depths of her eyes, she could make out that she was somewhere well lit, and then she ran into a solid form within...

Finodborn and Automne stood for only a brief while before they could hear soft sobbing and multi-toned voices coming from just beyond the entryway to Madam Rahan's shop. As a brown haired woman rounded the corner, they realized something- all of the voices, in all of their timbres and pitches were coming from a single throat. The woman's own voice, broken by tears, came haltingly between the cries for help that echoed through... and then suddenly, the other voices stopped. There was only the soft tears as the channeler ran into Finodborn, seemingly grabbing for something to hold on to.

A voice in Automne's head quavered. Something was happening- something big- the goddess was moving. The elfess could feel the gentle quavering of notes beyond her comprehension, the soft melody that spoke of the sea and the wind.

From somewhere, far away, a dull roar began.

Zaure and Isabella

As Isabella's power grew with the proximity to the darkness that rolled just beyond the palace walls, so did the volume of the laughing that filled her mind. "Ah, the Muchislian beauty. I wondered how long it would take to find you- how many memories you would lurk within, how close my mind would come to yours before at last I found you." Nobody else in the Sultan's Hall heard any of this- to them, there was only a brief moment of silence, a moment of respite from the mocking laughter.

The sultan clung frantically to Zaure. "Make it stop being scary!" His poofy hat fell forward, completely covering his eyes, and two guards stepped in front of him- interposing themselves between the doorway and the young child who shivered and squealed with the extreme terror of the moment- the fear and dread flowing through Zaure via the empathic bonds the elf felt. "Just make that thing go away..."

With no further formality, a sharp knocking sound rang at the door. The entire hall vibrated with the force of the blows on the solid door- and thin trails of shadow began to leak in from the outside- thick and seemingly tangible, slowly coalescing into broader strands. The thick ropes of shadow bound together one at a time, forming a dense cloud of pure blackness- slowly molding itself into the form of a human gentleman, wrapped in garments of the finest silk. Indeed, excluding the red glow that sparked within his eyes, he might have passed for a member of the court.

He stood still for the briefest moment, and then abruptly jerked his head from side to side, as if feeling for something. Both Isabella and Zaure could feel something sinister sliding around them- as if the form of this man was more than just the visible corporeal body. It felt as if tiny tendrils were tickling the pair's aetheric senses, subtly probing and searching.

"Ah... yes..." came the hissed whisper. The gentleman turned toward where Isabella stood, forgotten near the entrance of the hall. "The empath from the isles... honestly, I expected something more from Rahan. At least something that could challenge me." His lips spread into a hollow grin, and then he looked toward the throne, offering a mock bow.

"Your highness, forgive my intrusion, but I have only come for something that belongs to me, for longer than she may realize just yet." He gestured easily at the dark-haired Rose. "I only seek to reclaim it, and leave your palace. Is that acceptable?" A soldier began to draw a sword, and then the demon grinned, and fear spread easily through the hall, paralyzing the guards from moving, excepting one close to Isabella, who was still very young and probably helpless even with the protection Isa's presence afforded her. Zaure was somehow not affected... as if the Sultan's nearness acted as a buffer to the terror and dark energy.

At last, the magi who had found Zaure in the marketplace stepped forward, her face pale and her teeth tightly clenched. "Take her and leave this place forever, creature. You are interfering with a place that you can not even comprehend," the woman spat violently, her arms and hands still glowing with diffuse light, which started to amplify as she spoke. "Now take the woman and begone, dwimmerwick." Her companion strode tentatively behind her, placing a protective and warning hand on her shoulder. "Begone," he echoed, not daring to take his eyes away from the well dressed gentleman for an instant.

"Shall we go, then, Isabella, since you have no fear? Since you claim to have control?" He grinned, his voice a hushed whisper only she could hear. "Shall we complete what has been so long in the coming? Shall I at last taste the blood of the raven-haired Muchislian beauty?" He licked his lips fervently, gesturing vaguely toward the door.

Rendia

Anasis hid within Rendia's mind, her tears somehow frantic and desperate. "This is not how it is, Priestess- this is not how it has ever been. This is not how it should be." The goddess was clearly bound by something- some sort of rule- some sort of protocol. The frustration that flowed through Rendia's mind was disconcerting- not so different from that a mortal might feel when they wanted so desperately to assist, but were bound from doing so. But at last, brightness shone from within Rendia's own eyes, bright enough to illuminate the darkness, had anyone nearby been alive to see it. "My priestess.... we shall right what is wrong in this world."

Rendia felt her hand being lifted- her body slowly lifted and suspended in the air, facing away from the palace, beyond the wall- into the desert. From where the troops of Anasis had originated. "Forgive me... priestess, for what I do now." The goddess lifted Rendia's arm, and there was a moment of unity- of transendence beyond mortality for Rendia. The surge of power felt awesome, and Rendia's mouth formed itself into a tight 'o' of emotion.

From elsewhere- beyond the horizon, there came a rumbling, and Rendia was suddenly aware of what was happening, the goddesses presence departing from the mortal shell it inhabited and sliding beyond the desert to the oceans with a surge of wind.

Anasis had called to the seas. Anasis had summoned the ocean to submerge the bazaar.
Last edited by Guest on Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:48 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Gia as Rendia

Post by Gia as Rendia »

The hiding of the entity within herself horrified Rendia afresh. She was helpless against the action. This was only another proof, she thought, another proof that this was an antithesis to Anasis. Rendia's expressionless, blank face flickered with the inner invasion. Her eyes narrowed icily, her lip twitched into almost a sneer. It was disgusting. The gods were nothing like humans. This was pitiable... but not helpless, only dangerous. Menacing in it's mincing whining repentance and odd communication of reality.

We shall do nothing. You seem to have already done much. You shall finish it. I despise you. You are nothing like Anasis. Rendia told the being who had claimed her body and was attempting to claim her spirit as well. The being who invaded her innermost self and joined with her as it lifted her arm, asked forgiveness, flooded her being with unnatural, unwanted favor.

In her last moments before the enmeshment, Rendia tried to cry out that she would die servant of the true Anasis.

The awful harmony incapacitated Rendia of thought, and she was no more.

It was unlike anything that had ever happened before, the awful foreign power was did not register, the moment was incommunicable by words Rendia had even conceived of.

The next thing was a sound. Not a very powerful or nice sound. As Rendia began to think for herself again, she realized it made her sad, that she did not like it and wished it would stop. In another moment she realized she was wailing. Making an awful noise to the top of her lungs, mourning some sort of great loss, shrieking at the invasion of all she knew.

She wouldn't! Anasis would not destroy Amun Ra or it's people!

But it was not Amun Ra and it was not Anasis. And the sea was coming.
Last edited by Gia as Rendia on Thu Apr 22, 2004 11:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Zhavon Mikhalrian

Post by Zhavon Mikhalrian »

She shrank from the monster corpse's smile, stepping back once more to get away from him, it. It continued to speak, furthering itself on its discourse of what it might do to her, the threats falling on an already frightened, young girl. Zhavon had no idea what it was going on about, as it was, and that it was debating doing something hideous to her and Perdita.

All of a sudden, his arm flashed, the movement so quick she could hardly follow it. Eyes widened, and she seemed to be whole, hale and well enough. Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat at the sight of blood, she stepped back again. Perdita fell against her, bleeding into her clothing and over her skin.

With a scream, she missed the thing fading into the shadows, its promise to seek them out later and deal with them. Zhavon twisted to catch Perdita, to ease her down to the ground but that was before the rot started spreading. She shrieked again and released the woman, dancing backwards way from her body.

Sprinting into the streets, Zhavon sought some sort of haven somewhere in the city, having little idea where one could be found in the pitch now that the vial was gone.
Isabella Florentina
Countess Companio, "Countess Cabernet"
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Post by Isabella Florentina »

A voice filled her head, the laughter echoing in her mind. For a moment Isabella twirled around to see who was talking, before realizing that nobody else had heard. The voice had a mocking quality just like his mirth had, yet her confidence grew as she felt her own powers run through her, no longer held back by a lack of knowledge but the promise of their potential finally fullfilled. This is what I was destined for, and I will not flinch. My mind is the Twilight. It stands between Light and Darkness, preparing to do battle.

The daemon appeared before them, taking the corporeal form of a human. A touch of desire ran through Isa. Beauty and the tempting danger of the darkness had always held an irristable pull. Confusing memories ran through her mind as she tried to place what was happening here. Is this a dream or reality? There have been so many dreams and visions before that it is difficult to say. Less than reality. More than a dream.

As the creatures probe touched her senses the darkhaired Rose strengthened her shield with her iron will, refusing to give it more than she was willing to give. I am the Twilight. The warrior that walks the path of balance. You cannot touch me if I do not allow it.

Rahan. The name held importance, though why was lost in the mists of memories long gone. Isabella fixed it in her mind. What was it that Andolin had whispered in the night about daemonlore? She must force him to tell her more. But Andolin was dead. She was dead. Or was that another dream? She tried to focus on the speech the daemon was giving, taunting those in the hall. Puny creatures that shivered in fear for this minor display of dramatics. How easily fooled they were.

And how quickly the magi was ready to give her over to this prince of darkness, just to be rid of him. Had she not been glad to find an empath? Only moments ago she had treated the Rose quite differently. Unforgivable betrayal. Isabella's dark eyes gave her a look of disdain, finding a memory of feeling utterly worthless and miserable and showering the woman in it with a mere toss of her head, like she had in the dungeon with that wretch of a girl. In the dungeon she had been a mere beginner, but now she felt the full force of her powers run through her. A smirk played around her lips, before she schooled her features.

Like the most innocent of women she folded her hands in her lap and looked upon the creature, knowing it would not be fooled yet enjoying the show. "Nobody can give me away. Nobody can order me around. I am the mistress of everything and anything just because I will it so. You are of the Darkness. That wretch over there is of the Light. I am neither. I am the Twilight that stands between you, and therein lays my control," she declared proudly, not flinching for a moment. Isabella laughed, her arrogance on display for everybody to see "I will go with you now creature, for I am interested to learn more about you, and what you are wrecking on this world and the next. This is my free will, my dream, and nothing of your own doing." Her voice dropped low, husky "You may try and drink my blood and I will just relish the pain as a thing of passion. You may seek to control me and I will simply show you wrong."

She gave Zaure a parting glance, saying her final goodbye to the dead elf. He would understand. He had been in the Twilight with her before, and even accompanied her here to this most dark place. "Sing for me, beloved, on the eternal fields of joy. We will join you one day."

Isa fixed her eyes on the daemoncreature, taunting him " Well? What are you waiting for?"
[size=92][color=darkred] [b][i]
Together they planned a power and a love that would be envied forever.
Who was to know that forever would be so short?[/i][/size][/color][/b]
Zaure

Post by Zaure »

Zaure turned his eyes down to the frantic child that was clutching his legs, feeling quite the pang of sympathy and compassion run through him along with the fear and terror clearly present in the boy. The elf bent over, placed his hands under the boy's armpits, and hoisted him up, surprised at how light and little he actually was. He took the hat and placed it on the floor, and then cradled the boy to his chest, smoothing his hair, "Shhhh... it's okay." For some reason this little boy seemed to think the elf could accomplish the seemingly impossible.

With the guards in the way, Zaure could not see what was happening, and, while he was curious, there was no way he was either exposing the boy to danger or setting him down when he was in such distress, so he just kept stroking his back and hair, willing the little ruler to calm down, whispering calming messages. The elf ground his teeth together as the... presence slid around his aetheric center, but he didn't shield because that would cut him off from the boy. Instead he didn't do anything, allowing it to poke and prod in such a way which bore an uncanny resemblance to the prodding of his sale when he had still lived.

The demon's demand for Isabella didn't surprise Zaure greatly; she was the type of person who would dabble in things that would get herself in trouble, and not care if it hurt innocent bystanders. As far as he was concerned, the presence could have her, she didn't truly exist on this plane as much as the rest did, or at least that was how his mind saw it, and she could do with a bit of karmic retribution. He listened to Isabella's speech impassively, arms wrapped around the fragile body of the child-Sultan possessively and protectively.

When she spoke, seemingly to him, he reached out tenatively to find her mind, which was easier than he thought it would be, probably because she was the only truly active presence, and spoke through his mind to the Lady Isabella Florentina, 'Do not address those you do not know with endearments, it cheapens their value should you ever want to use one honestly in your life. You walk no path of Twilight, for you benefit none except for yourself, you remove yourself from the path of Life and the Connections which bind all, you hold nothing dear to you beyond it's ability to serve you or for it to be used, and I shall pray to the Gods you never join me, for I should always have to watch my back. You only do not fear Death because you don't know what Death truly is.'

Afterwards, Zaure carefully constructed his shield, enveloping both himself and the Sultan, effectively pulling his presence away from Isabella, 'She doesn't know the stagnation of death.'
Last edited by Zaure on Sun Apr 25, 2004 8:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Perdita Faechild

Post by Perdita Faechild »

The figure that stood before Perdita sent shivers down her spine. The blank eyes were unnerving.

'The Muchislian...,' thought Perdita. 'Who could that be?'

There was no explanation. There was simply a white hot pain as the knife reached Perdita's head. She tried to scream but the voice stuck in her throat, and she felt her legs give way as she tumbled onto Zhavon. She felt, through a haze of confusion and pain, liquid flowing down onto her neck and shoulders and down into her dress. Then she felt nothing.
Syrawenn
Baroness of Creiddyladd
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Post by Syrawenn »

"Shut up, SHUT UP ALREADY!" Syrawenn yelled at the bodiless voices, clasping her hands to her ears. "I know! But I can't do anything about it now! If you'd just show me the way out I could try to help, I could try to warn, I could...." Who the flip are you trying to kid? That big snake down there made more sensssssse than you do! Oh flying birdiebits, let em quiet down already, please!

The voices were sapping the strength from her and she found her secure steps turning into stumbles. Nothing made sense, the voices outcried everything else, blocking thoughts from her mind. The darkness scared her. There had to be a light out there somewhere! Light could not simply disappear like that, could it?

There it was: light. Syrawenn let out a cry and went for it, full force, so sure it would mean the way out...and collided with something that kept her from getting out of the nightmare.

A roar dulled all voices, yet the sobbing remained. Where was it coming from? Tears poured down on her sleeves. The amazed look on the girls face made place for a disgusted one. Ye crazy gods, it's me! I'm crying! Get real already!
Part of her wanted to push this person away from her, yet another was desperate for the suggestion of safety he emitted. Anger slowly started to give her the strength she lacked. "Who in blazes are you?" She demanded to know, horrified to find her voice cracking and hoarse. "What's that roar? Where's the way out?"
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
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Isabella Florentina
Countess Companio, "Countess Cabernet"
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Post by Isabella Florentina »

Isabella had been adressing all people in the room out loud, even the creature . She held little patience for those that entered her mind unbidden, and though she hid her irritations towards the daemon carefully lest he thought his barbs hit home, that he had dared speak to her beyond her carefully maintained barriere was a strong mark against it. Then, what did you expect of evil incarnate? Certainly not respecting privacy.

Zaure did not answer her fond farewell, he just stared at her. Something was buzzing around her ears, trying to penetrate her recently reinforced shield. His piercing eyes conveyed enough of a message for Isa to sigh with regret, before turning her face away with a shrug. Even in death the elf was stubborn.
[size=92][color=darkred] [b][i]
Together they planned a power and a love that would be envied forever.
Who was to know that forever would be so short?[/i][/size][/color][/b]
Finodborn
Special Branch
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Post by Finodborn »

"Hush hush now," whispered Finodbon, but as she didn't calm down immediately, he spoke a bit louder, and rocked her in his arms which were firmly wrapped around her body.

She didn't stop firing questions, not even giving him time to answer properly. He saw her crying, but he seemed to sense a deeper, radical disturbance in this, well, girl, he guessed, as he wasn't that good in estimating age of young human woman. He whiped away her tears, and squeezed her even more firmly, feeling an instinctive need to be a safe harbor. Which was rather absurd really, as there was no way he good be of any protection to her if the dark would come to get them. However, she doesn't have to know that, he thought.

He hummed a sing to her, hoping she'd calm down a bit. "I don't really know who I am, and I don't know what the roaring means, and I know no way out, since I don't even know what we're in. But I have no intention to harm you, that I can say."
Verum et factum convertuntur.
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Syrawenn
Baroness of Creiddyladd
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Post by Syrawenn »

She heard the words, but they did not mean much to her. How could anybody not know who they were? And if that were the case, how could he pretend to be able to shield her? Nice try though. A detached voice in her head mentioned. Not many that would try, so he must be a nice guy somehow. Unless it's all part of the nightmare in which case he will grow fangs any moment now.

Quickly Syrawenn tried to withdraw from the sheltering arms. Maybe they were a bit too sheltering to be comfortable. The girl eyed the man suspiciously. "This is a nightmare." She stated, her voice still sobbing. "Death all around, darkness coming...and it's not even my own nightmare! Who is dreaming this up? Why are we here? Are you really here or are you just part of the dream? Come on, gimme a name so I can check once we wake up...if we wake up...Don't you dare die too! I can't find so many people at the same time!"

To her own disturbed mind this made complete and utter sense, sparing no thought for those that were not on the same track since to her it was all so obvious. The brownhaired girl waited for answers, yet she was ready to bolt if anything out of the ordinary would happen.

Out of the ordinary??? You just escaped a megalomaniac snake, walked into the city of the dead and are fleeing from some all consuming darkness while every single soul that perished here is trying to get you to avenge them....what would really rock my world is if anything would be ORDINARY!
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
Avatar by Finn[/size]
Finodborn
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Post by Finodborn »

He gave her the physical distance she obviously desired right know. This mood-swinging of hers made Finodborn feel uncomfortable, yet the girl seemed rather with than against him.

"I'm starting to figure out that this is indeed a dream, girl." He felt a bit more confident of his estimation of her age because of the way she looked at him. It seemed a quite childish expression to him. However, possibly that wasn't because she was that young, but rather because instinct showed so clearly, unmasked on her face.

"If this IS really a dream, and we are aware, then this reality should be wax in our hands. Have you never been awake during a dream? Haven't you ever soared through the air at shear will then? Nay, if this is a dream, I'm not afraid, it is rather if this isn't a dream we aught to be scared. About the dying bit, I sincerely hope I don't, but I'm afraid it's not really a choice in my hands if this is no dream."
finodborn was a bit surprised of what he'd just said. Could he alter this reality at will? And was this just his dream, or was it a dream they shared and in which these other persons were not just fruit of his own imagination?

Finodborn did all he could to produce a calming, gentle voice. This girl seemed so confused and wild and in distress... If only she would gain a bit of tranquility in her mind again things would already be better for her, regardless the circumstances.

"My name is Finodborn. Though that doesn't really say you anything more about who I am, does it? What's your name? And what do you mean by finding so many people? To be honest, I don't quite know what you're talking about. But perhaps you should take a deep breath now, and try to calm down a bit. You seem to distrust me a lot. Tell me what you want me to do to take away your fear."
Verum et factum convertuntur.
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