O'raion Academy
Irendell Forest => The Unbroken Circle => Topic started by: Aska on November 19, 2012, 09:42:55 am
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The moon rose over the longest night of the year. Snow had fallen, still and crystallized. The air, chill and frost laden, did not move, as if in some inspired stasis. Anticipation hung thick, vibrating along the nerves of any that came within a distance of this. The shadow at the center roiled, making one who watched wonder if it might be alive. And yet, most anyone could not bring themselves to watch that abyssal portal for long. It disturbed.
White met midnight, land and sky. The moon rose up, well balanced in her face. The hours of dark were long, the shadows danced and tarried deeply, even over the pure canvas of snow. One priestess, dressed in robes the shade of the shadows that gathered around her. For that moment in time, she appeared as exactly what she was, an abyssal priestess, unfearing of the chasm.
The only color or flash of light to be found on the tiny figure was the moon silver dagger in her hand. Wickedly curved, it was more a kris in it's makings. Within the handle, heavy stones of onyx embellished the wrought design. A keen eye might catch the odd etching over the blade. It was no design ever seen by the human eye before, but this tiny priestess barely qualified as such a thing anymore. In the etching, something black sat within, creating a veining along the silvering of the blade.
She walked deosil over the snow, consecrating the area with her dagger. Like a band of flexible, yet impassable thread, the circle's power snapped into place. It would keep things welcome in, or let them in, or keep the uninvited out. Eyes would be blinded to all but the results of this night's work.
The cloaked woman walked forward to her altar, sliding the blade into it's place on the very stone, hilt up. Her hands went to hollowed places that seemed perfectly shaped for them, shallow little cups with small holes bored into them. Those dainty hands settled. A soft hiss and moan rent the air, and the tiny figure stepped back, her hands held like a supplicant offering from her palms.
She walked the circle, and the ruby droplets stained the purity of the white. Each garnet jewel that struck the ground seemed to resonate in sound into the night air, the clear call of bells. A tolling it was, for Him. When once more she stepped into the first set of her footsteps, a deeper tone split the night. Sleeves fell back as her hands lifted to the dark sky, revealing the icy paleness of her arms. The crimson liquid ran in rivulets down her forearms.
Her hood fell back, revealing hair the same color of the expanse that she seemed to offer to. Her eyes gleamed a silvered lavender before the lashes fell closed. The wounds on her hands closed, and the blood dried. It would not be washed away. It would be sign, tribute and marking.
Her hands came together in echoing applause, if not appearing somewhat macabre in fashion. As her hands came together, a wide circle began to form of metal contraptions, eleven in all. A closer look reveals that the contraptions are very much iron maiden in look and style.
The priestess stood motionless in the center of this, and time would pass. The first phase was done. She appeared to be focusing herself.
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Those silvered pansy eyes opened, no longer far away and focused elsewhere. Movement had begun stirring from inside each of the almost medieval devices. Groggy and sluggish. Elbows bumping, banging limbs against the walls. The yelps of pain and confused shock rang through the air, as tender and bare flesh met the spiked walls. The whimpers of just blossoming fear were sounding into the night. Still too disoriented to truly begin to panic, the sounds were small and animal, human beings reduced to confounded animals.
In a symbolic gesture, the petite priestess stripped her black robes from her form. In Japanese symbology, black was not the color of death, but white. She stood in pristine robes, and to those that couldn't see truth, she may have been a beacon of purity, of the light. But those that saw the real knew that this woman walked as Death's angel incarnate. That she was darkness and shadow, nothing so soothing as purity. Dainty feet stepped over the white, white snow, barely making a mark in the field of it in their passing as she moved once more to her altar. The curvaceous blade came to her hand once again, the veining a poisonous and venomous black over the blade. Now, instead of simply looking like a tool of the little priestess, the tiny woman held it in her hand as if it was simply an extention of herself.
Her footsteps took her to the first of the metal cages. She stood in front of it, looking through the very slim slats at the person inside of it. Her slim hand lifted and a snap of her fingers brought another platform up to the surface, revealing a very sleepy and not all there dragon. "Time to wake, little sister. It is time you join your onee-san, and become that which you are meant to be." The small woman left the fire dragon to pull herself from her drugged stupor, the ecstatic and tranquilizing effect keeping her calmed, yet allowing her to come awake.
"Five of you are guilty of crimes against my lord. Harboring artifacts that you knew kept him chained, imprisoned and fettered. Each of you had lives bound to those artifacts. And to activate them, each of you shall be shuffled loose of the mortal coil. Your bloodlines ended. Your crimes will be repaid, and your sacrifice is very appreciated by I, his priestess." The lock upon the first was unlocked, the door swinging open to reveal an already bloodied female. Her age is young, perhaps her very early teens. "You, a child of Space. Die for your lord's disloyalty. The one you serve is the weaker." Blade lain upon her neck, the girl's doe eyes wide in fear, her body stricken to stillness, she could utter nothing but the smallest of whimpers before the silver sank and sought her life's blood to free it.
The black of the blade sank into her veins, and the blood pumped fast and thick. It flowed over white snow and seemed to follow a trench toward the center of the circle, only to stop in it's pool there. Life drained slowly from the girl's eyes, something about the venom black slowing her last moments so that she could feel her own flame guttering, and suffer with that pain and knowledge. Aska watched the girl's eyes drown in the despair of her knowledge and the fear of what lay beyond, and it pleased her. The wicked little flash of sadism almost wanted to twist the knife just a touch and heal her just slightly, but the priestess curbed her darker appetites. Besides, it wouldn't do for her little sister to see such a thing. She does lick at the blood upon the blade as she moves to her next potential victim. Her pause was simply to heighten atmosphere and build that fear in the air. Fear would be an excellent welcome for her lord.
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As the pedestal rose, a voice reached a very sleepy dragon. Her eye lids fluttered lightly as she roused from her state. One of the sleeves of her robe fell back as the back of her hand rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear the fog. Pulling herself out of the stupor slowly, the dragon looked around through the hazy world. She knew the voice of her onee-san, she tried to focus on the world. Shaking her head she tried to clear some of the cobwebs from her mind, however the world remained fuzzy. She looked around trying to find the priestess. "Onee-san?" her voice was quiet and shaky.
The dragon's eyes fell on the scene in front of her. As she watched her onee-san approach the girl in the metal device, she felt herself drawn in. Her eyes widened slightly as she watched, however she remained calmer than something told her that she should have been. Watching and listening to the priestess she couldn't pull herself from watching the scene. She cringed slightly and a small noise escaped her lips as the blade pierced the girl’s neck. Caught between the ecstatic and tranquilizing effect that she was under and her heart racing, she shook lightly but couldn't tear herself away.
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Aska turned to look at the fire dragon, watching her become more and more awake and aware. "Yes, little sister, I am here." Came the soothing voice of the woman, at a very large contradiction to the image she presented, the blade against lips, blood coloring them after having licked the blade clean of the fluid. She lowered the kris and came to Mura slowly. "It is okay, little dragon. All of this is for purpose and reason. Each of these people has committed their sins, and now they will pay for them in their life's blood. It is only proper. You will meet Him tonight. He whom I serve. He must be freed. No one should be captive. Is that not right, my little sister?" Asked the priestess, that soothing voice so believeable, so calm. Big sister did not lie.
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Homura rubbed her eyes again and her breathing slowed as Aska addressed her. Confusion lingering in her eyes for a moment as the blade remained at her Onee-san's lips. The dragon instinctually edged closer to the priestess as she approached. Taking in the words she nodded slowly, the tension still palpable. It didn't feel entirely right, but Onee-san had never steered her wrong before. "They have sinned? So they must pay with their life, their blood?" She blinked slowly letting the words sink in. I will get to meet him tonight?" Her eyes widened slightly, before she nodded more adamantly. "No one should be held captive. If he is being held against his will he must be freed." The little dragon was quite sure of this. Being held against ones will, being bound a captive, it made sense to fight these, to seek freedom.
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A not often seen smile crossed the older woman's face, and she came closer to the little dragon. Her slender arm wrapped around the girl's shoulders, and in rare affection, hugged the girl. "Yes, you will meet him. He is very eager to, in fact. He knows that you are little sister to his beloved priestess. It makes him curious to see who might have been chosen to walk alongside me so closely. This is why you are here right now. To watch him rise again and walk the Earth. Not many will witness this. You are very unique, and I do not think another will compare. So, come. Join your older sister, trust in me. I will never hurt you or steer you to something that is not good for you. You are my little sister." Her hand ruffled the hair of the younger girl as she began leading her to the altar.
"Now, each of them must pay for their sins, but there is something that you might do for me. You sing beautifully, and I have been teaching you to speak a very important language. Do you remember your Latin?" Aska asked as she looked at Mura. Once given a nod, the priestess began to lead the teen through her necessary script. "Umbra et inane, tenebris et mortis. Fractis catenis posuit tenebris Deum liberum." She repeated the phrase, honey voice lifting and lilting in just such the way that the words needed to be chanted. She acted as guide to her protégée's tone and words, as any geisha might when her sister sings.
Once Mura was chanting properly and steadied, Aska moved once again down the line. She saved two for the last, for entirely opposing reasons. One, an older gentlemen, stood straight and proud as she opened the door. Cage though it had been, there were no sharp implements that might have cut his skin, no spikes and other cruelties. The symbol of this respect comes full circle as Aska bows slightly to the man, In an educated, though quiet voice, he addresses the priestess before him. "My lady wrote that you would come, that you would free the Dark Lord. And when you did, I was supposed to ensure that it would happen, and give to you the key to the door. My lady went along with the lords only enough to ensure that she would know all of the steps required. They trusted her enough that they allowed her to stow away the key to his prison where she will it.
She did, in the last place any of the lords could or would look. In a heart of shadow. The Dark Lord will be able to call the key to him as you break the wards further. That shadowed heart will be able to unlock the door." He bowed once more to the white clad woman. "Now, be once more the angel of our death, and let my blood allow his passage back. The lady had missed him. She was never again the same when they took him away." The last individual in his cage began screaming in a hoarse and outraged voice. "Your lady and you, traitorous dogs, both! They trusted you, you swine. You've damned this world!" Neither priestess nor honored guest acknowledged the howled words of the prisoner. Aska bowed once more before her blade found the neck of the man. This time, to honor the thing he and his lady had done, the death is quickened and painless. But the last death would not be, in the least.
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The young dragon smiled brightly as the priestess hugged her and ruffled her hair. If the man wanted to meet her, then she would be happy to bear witness to him rising again. It was clear from Aska's words that this should be seen as a privilege, and she knew that her big sister would not hurt her. She trusted her Onee-san and followed her to the alter as she was led. When asked about the Latin she had given the nod that Aska had looked for. Singing the words in the way she was shown she chanted steadily, her voice sweet but strong. "Umbra et inane, tenebris et mortis. Fractis catenis posuit tenebris Deum liberum."
As she continued chanting she watched what was going on in front of her with curious eyes. She watched her sister speak with the man, show him respect. Listening to the words the man spoke, Mura knew she didn't know much about what was transpiring. However she could tell that the man before them deserved respect as she watched the interaction. Hearing the other man scream in outrage she could guess that he was not in for the same treatment as the one Onee-san had just dealt with. The young dragon still cringed slightly as the older man's life was ended, but its swift painless manner made it easier to watch.
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The petite woman guided the lifeless body to the ground gently and carefully. When she stood again, blood colored and heavied the white material over her chest, causing it to stick to her skin. She paid it no nevermind, which in itself, is a macabre thing. It's also very symbolic. She wore the blood of the innocent. No matter how honored such a man had been by her, his blood still joined the others, and his life had still been stolen by the tiny priestess.
It was like this that she approached the last individual. Her pale skin and beautiful features were serene and calm, her lips still stained crimson from the blood previously. Her lavender eyes looked out at the imprisoned man, and they were cold, emotionless things. His fingers grasped at the slats in the contraption as he peered out, defiant and angry. Perhaps in retaliation for that defiance, or perhaps simply to hear him scream, she moved quick, setting her dagger to his fingers and severing the digits from the hand closest to her. She whispered to him in her honey voice. "Now, now. Hands inside at all times. Your prison is just like my lord's. Cold, hollow, consuming. It is only right that you be subject to the same circumstances." The man's piteous screams rang in the air. "You, you will suffer. Both here and in the place that comes next. Servant of Time, you serve a jealous and envious lord. A being disloyal to family, to brother, to blood. Power at any cost will be the thing that consumes you now. Scream as long as you like. No one will aid you. You are damned."
Though fear pumped through him, the man couldn't keep his tongue still. "You are damned as well as I, wh*re of Kazuma. The death he brings will stain your soul, foolish b*tch." Aska's eyes flashed at being called names so common, but she said nothing. Her dagger found it's way through the slats, and into the side of the man, much as they may have done to Caesar at one time. Then the priestess snapped her fingers. A creak from the machine can be heard, the squeal of moving metal parts a brief sound. Gears turning came, and then another terrified scream rent the air. It was a slow thing, and all the time, he screamed. And then he begged after a pain filled shriek came from him. Begged for his life, begged to have a quick death, begged the woman to stop this. And then the noise stopped, and the gurgling began. Blood flowed in steady stream from the machine, and a subtle snapping began to happen. The crunch and breaking of bones.
Aska watched and listened, and she kept him alive until the time when it was no longer possible, because he was nothing but meat and pulp. And the woman watched the life fade from his eyes. Even that defiance faded in the face of so much mercilessness. Once his soul had been loosened of the mortal coil, she stepped away. The dagger is cleaned of blood in the snow before she replaced it back in it's hollow in the rock. She stepped into the center of the stone, which now colored itself garnet in the moonlight, the blood shimmering. An ancient symbol had filled itself with blood, and her hands struck together with a crack. It rose five objects to the surface, and then once more, the woman fell to meditation and focus.
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Once more centered, the little priestess straightened up, swapping out the bloodied white robes for her black robes once again. She stood in the circle stained crimson with the life's blood of 5. Her fingers snapped, and the other six chambers began to creak and groan, much has the last had. This time, no screaming may be heard, but blood and other liquids flow from the metal cages, filling the rest of the sigil on the ground. Once surrounded by the flowing ruby liquid, Aska looks down, and makes absolutely sure that the entire sigil is well blooded.
Once satisfied, she stands straight, and turns each direction one at a time, facing an object slowly. She begins with Space, the object a hollowed urn etched in story. Unimportant was the tale, just that this object had been held as favored by the Lord of Space himself. She began a soft chant, her palms together. One of those hands raised, and violet eyes flashed open to silver in the moonlight as a jolt of lightning lanced through the sky and struck the urn, shattering the thing to pieces. "Where Space once was, so might it be restored to my lord." Spoke the priestess softly.
Next in line was Matter, and he himself had prized water above all else, so on the pedestal sat a small vial of water. Such a simple thing by the looks of it, but the properties of the water inside were known to be sacred, and dangerous to most anything of the darkness. Which was why it was so fitting to call upon the dark fire. She heated the vial until even that water could do nothing but evaporate. And then she heated it further, the black flames reflected in her eyes eerily. The vial itself shattered in the heat. "Matter will have hold no longer, a chain broken."
The artifact for Time was by far more elaborate, a beautiful hourglass that the sand never ceased to flow inside of. The symbol of time's constant passage. Because this had been the lord that stood so very staunchly against her own, she would need aid from another side to destroy the thing. So came the artifact for Light. Hers was simple, yet breathtaking. A many faceted and clear jewel that reflected any light source into prisms of color. The tiny priestess used this as an amplifier, the natural energy and vibration of the stone perfect for the job. Nearly all of her power funneled through the gem, the energy jumping straight from jewel to hourglass. Dark light and white light coalesced into one stream and it frissioned like electricity over the glass. At nearly the same time, both stone and hourglass erupted in a flash, leaving behind nothing but shattered remnants.
The fifth pedestal remained empty, purposefully so. Each object had locked him away, his taken from him, but no magick needed be cast upon it. That same thing had been returned to him. It now sat on his hand as he waited in the shadows. Here, the priestess waited, gathering her wits about her to weave another spell.
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The geisha priestess' voice rose in a haunting and melodic chant. There was little mistaking this song for what it was. She chanted a dirge, calling the dead through the quick to witness the happenings of this ritual. They would stand in a silent and cold curtain, encircling the stone Aska stood on. The waves of entropy, of void, of nothingness, emanated from that noose of decay. They faded from sight, but that blood curdling chill still swept out from the little priestess. Her skin, already pale in the moonlight, had taken an almost icy look to it. Her eyes were nearly electrified in the moonlight, moving between a glowing violet, to a black, then a mercury silver. Living, moving shadow seemed to pass and writhe beneath the skin of the petite woman, the darkness blowing as free as the raven hair that the winter wind picked at.
Her chant changed, no longer the dirge it had been, but far more entrancing, sorcerous in it's ability to call out to someone. The winds rose, blowing strands of that midnight silk hair about her placid face, and they traveled out from her, finding the person she wished to hear them. Hear them and find her and this place. Led there, and oblivious of the fact that they had been summoned. Only knowing that they followed an angel's voice in the winds, making ephemeral promises and offering unrealized dreams.
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Soon enough, the priestess got her wish. A teenage boy, no older than 17, appeared in the dark. His hood was down, which let his spiky, blonde, hair shake slightly in the wind. He stood there, not really knowing why, but it felt right. His weapon, the keyblade, was in his left hand, toyed with slightly. His eyes quickly scanned the room, and they fell on the silent priestess.
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Those electric eyes peered out at him as the petite woman remained utterly silent. He felt himself being weighed, measured and wasn't sure of this tiny female's final verdict. When she spoke, her honey voice still had the angelic ring that he'd followed on the winds. "What do you desire most, key wielder? In the deepest and darkest shadows of the longest night, what do you find in the depths of your dark heart to cling to and dream upon. Answer in truth, for no lies will be had here, in this place." She began to move in deosil fashion once more, sweeping her hand outward as she went. That curtain of entropic energy blew as if in the wake of the wind of her hand, moving slightly back. Shadows deepened around her, swirling and throwing themselves in what was becoming an abandoned dance to the eyes. That Latin chant can still be heard quietly through the night. Whatever had been occurring here, was coming to an apex.
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"The power to protect the one I care for. That is all I ask." The boy said, watching the woman carefully.
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The electric eyes remained on him, but a Cheshire cat's smile curved her lips just faintly. "And the one that you care for? Does she show an equal devotion?" The answer seemed not to matter quite yet to the priestess as she turned away, gesturing to the very portal of shadow that it all had centered around, sending it winging into the air steadily. The inky abyss turned in upon itself, roiling impatiently as eyes watched. Aska looked at the boy, standing within the circle and playing with his keyblade, obviously nervous. "My question was not one that I wish the answer to, but it is one that you might answer for another. The blade in your hand, I am sure you know, unlocks all locks and bars no way. In return for unlocking that lock within that portal, I will ask for your deepest desire to become possible for you. Is that equal payment, wielder?" Straightforward, yet also enigmatic, the small woman did not seem to invite further questions, just a simple yes or no answer.
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Tatsuya thought back. She was always there, and she had saved him on many occasion. He nodded, his actions being justified in his head. He slowly pointed his keyblade to the shadows, where the lock revealed itself. A bright light emitted from the keyblade, and into the lock.
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When the lock was finally made bare to the eye, so too were ropes of golden chain. In each link sat magicks that had interwoven and twined together in one very foreign strand. A very old and well schooled mage could make out the words and pieces of this spellcraft, but most others couldn't even come near to calculating such a thing. Matter, Time and Space had come together and used their own powers intertwined to see this done. Once undone, the lock shattered, and the chains began to fall away, the magick itself unweaving and winging unfettered into the night. It didn't make it far, certainly not out of the circle. A word, snarled and shouted to the bare night sky from the priestess, those magicks were engulfed in utter abyss and pulled inside the pool of shadow.
The winds blew over the key wielder, the dragon and the priestess, reaching a howling peak. Slowly, the blood that had outlined the ancient design carved into the stone began to stir. With that stirring, so came the deep and notable rumbling of the Earth beneath their feet. Aska remained absolutely relaxed and still, and that calm was extended to Mura. It would be a test to see if the key wielder would be able to staunch his impulse to run and instead, stick around. The blood surged through the design, but it rapidly became noticeable that said blood was beginning to disappear somewhere. Sharp eyes might be able to tell that it was disappearing into that writhing bit of shadow that had been unlocked, but only if they were very sharp and attentive.
Meanwhile, the portal had become reconnected, led out of it's forced isolation. The abyssal shadows reached out as if they had formed into a giant hand, but it was fairly harmless as the only individual standing nearby was, in fact, the priestess, and she knew well that those shadows wouldn't harm her in the least. In the distance, as the rumbling intensified, a resounding crack echoed through the entire city and outward. Aska spoke in quiet Latin to her protégée. "Kneel, little sister. My lord comes." Those changing eyes looked back at the key wielder, if he was still there, moving to English once more. "You would be wise to kneel, wielder. My lord will come, and you have not earned the right to stand in his presence. Risk your head, otherwise." Her attention turned itself back to the depths of that newly reformed passage. Thunder rumbled overhead, and it made the dark oppressive, like a heavy mantle carried. Time seemed to crawl.
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The young dragon had watched the whole scene, continuing the chatting as long as her onee-san had asked her too. At the last man's death she had cringed softly, but they had to pay for their sins did they not. His words towards her big sister had stilled her cringing. As the objects had been shattered, she watched in awe of her onee-san. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the pristess work her magic. As she summonded the man she didn't recognize she stood back from him, sure not to go near him unless it was deemed okay by her onee-san. Watching the key and the priestess unlock the shadows she felt the air change.
As the earth rumbled and the wind roared the dragon felt calmer than she would have thought she would have. As her Onee-san spoke to her she nodded, excited to meet the one that desired to meet her as well. She swept down to her knees and knealt awaiting his arrival.
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It is a little known fact that natural shadows are not truly black. If one were to look closely into a shadow, they would be able to see that it is merely a much darker variation of the color it is cast against. Even if one were to close their eyes, they still would not see black. They would see flashes of reds and yellows caused by the last light they'd seen and the light shining against their closed lids. True black is not a natural color. It simply cannot be anything but man made. So as a truly black mist billowed out from the portal, spilling across the ground seemingly devouring the earth itself as it approached the onlookers, one would not be blamed if they felt a bit... uneasy...
Yet, as the mist reached the ankles of the ones that took part in the ritual, it merely billowed past with all of the bite of a cool gust of wind. Then everything went quiet. As though the world had been hushed out of respect to welcome the lord's presence. At first, nothing but his footsteps could be heard, but slowly, a tall, imposing figure had formed in and stepped through the portal. One pale left hand raised to brush some dust off of the shoulder of his regal black coat. His hair, though still long, was in much finer condition than when his priestess had last seen it. And the raven strands fell elegantly about his head until they were inevitably pulled back into a low-tied ponytail to keep them out of his face. His dark, stormy grey eyes betrayed an excitement that his stony face denied before they closed and his chin raised slightly as he took a long, deep breath of the fresh air that he had so desperately longed for.
"Tis stained with the aroma of blood...," he said in slight disappointment, the corners of his mouth turning downward temporarily in a frown. However, he lowered his head as he exhaled and turned, smiling slightly at his priestess, "...yet, tis in no way stale or corroded with time... Thou hast done well, my priestess."
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Unlike either of the other attendants to this ceremony, the small priestess was not bowed as he arrived. Instead, she waited until his footsteps had borne him forth to the freshened air. She swept a deep and graceful curtsy, bowing her head much in the way he'd seen her do before now. She stood straight to hear his words, her lips pursing. "Your nose is very sensitive, my lord. I had not realized it would be so. Let me fix this for you." A wave of her hand sent the entropic energies swirling for only a handful of seconds, before they winged away the scent of the blood and death that lingered from the sacrifices. It was the same thing she did every time she did such a ritual, but it came directly before she left, typically. Bodies, remaining fluids and all other evidence that had stained the stone crimson were gone, much like the carrion they had been.
"Sacrifice was necessary for your rebirth. It is done, and you are once more whole and here. It has been a good night." She stripped the black robe from her form, taking with it any of the possibility that the scent lingered upon her. It vanished with a gesture as she stepped toward the lord daintily. She remained out of his direct sphere of personal space, her hands folded in front of her. "My lord, please meet my little sister. The dragon of flame I spoke to you about. Homura, remain kneeling, and address my lord the way I have taught you." For now, the boy was ignored. It was yet another test, a test of his wisdom and humility.
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Having listened to the words spoken, and felt the changes in the atmosphere, Homura knew it was the approach of the one Onee-san called her lord. The young dragon stayed knelt down as taught and instructed by her older sister; careful to follow the practices she had been taught. With the utmost of respect she kept her head down, being very sure not to raise her eyes to his. Her hands sat folded delicately in her lap. She spoke softly, though not as quiet to need any strain to hear her, her voice filled with respect and gratitude for the meeting. "It is an honor to be in your prescience sir."
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"No," the lord called out, raising his hand to stop his priestess as she started to sweep away the blood and the bodies, "the aroma of thy work has awakened the hunger of the shadows. Let them feast. Tis been many a moon since they have had the chance to enjoy aught but rodents." Even as the lord spoke, the hushed whispers of the darkness filled the air as the black mist about their feet began to home in on the carcasses littering the area. Before long, the blood and corpses were completely swallowed up by the shadows and a series of sickening crunches like a large beast tearing into a fresh kill filled the air.
Despite the horror of the moment, the lord paid it no mind at all as he turned his attention to the one that his priestess had called her "sister," his eyes narrowing slightly as they looked over the small girl as though looking for something the eye could not see. "Thou hast taken well to the lessons of thy sibling," the lord observed, a hint of amusement in his voice as his corners of his lips curled into a small smirk.
As fast as the amusement arose however, it vanished leaving a cold scowl as his eyes continued to search the young woman. "Arise young one," the lord said, his tone implying that his words were more of a command than a request, "come to me, that I might look upon thee properly."
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Aska's eyes settled on her younger sister and pupil with a quiet observance. "Gracefully, little sister. Stand straight, small steps, eyes lowered, unless he says differently. Remain out of his personal space." She quietly reminded Homura in softly spoken Latin. A dainty hand reached out to straighten the kimono and obi expertly wrapped about the girl's small form. Now was the time that the girl could show all she had learned under the tutelage of her older sister. She would also be tested, shaped. Bent, not broken, perhaps.
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Homura nodded lightly at Aska's words, glad to have her big sister there to remind her. She stood gently, careful to make sure not to cause any wrinkles in her straightened outfit. Keeping her red eyes lowered she moved delicately towards him. Coming close enough for him to easily see her, better but heeding her sister's words to remain out of his personal space she stood, demur as she could be. The level of grace in her movements, while not the level of her sister's, showed that she had been practicing, and paying close attention to her studies. The klutz of a dragon had definitely gained some fluidity to her motions. Knowing she had not been asked to speak she stayed quiet until that was asked of her. Waiting to be told to raise her eyes or speak she awaited him too take his closer look.
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Having not been treated as a lord for such a long time after such a humbling experience, Kazuma had mixed feelings at how the women were treating him. However, he welcomed the humility and respect showed by the two women and smiled slightly as the young girl finally stopped a respectful distance away from him. "Thou hast learned VERY well," the lord noted and closed the rest of the distance between them until he was close enough to touch Homura, which he soon did as he reached down and gently lifted the girl's chin so that his stormy grey eyes could meet her own, "do not avert thy gaze..."
For one long, possibly awkward moment. He would simply gaze into the girl's eyes, frowning as he searched for something within them. However, the awkwardness would soon begin to fade as something small sparked within Homura, entrancing her and forcing her to gaze ever deeper into the thunderstorm within Kazuma's eyes. Soon, she would be able to neither move nor look away as the lord smiled and turned his head slightly to address Aska, though his eyes would not leave Homura's. "thou hast prepared her well my dear; the change will not destroy her, though she may still suffer as the darkness takes hold. Art thou sure thou wishes to go through with this?"
Kazuma's voice would sound muffled and far away to Homura as a new voice would speak within her mind. A voice very similar to those of the darkness that she had heard before whispering things that she could not yet understand.
-
Aska cleared her throat softly, and added her own admonishment to Kazuma's, not naysaying his words, but making it clear the girl's training. "You may meet his eyes this time, but always wait for permission for such a thing, little sister. You do not meet the eyes of the one you serve unless beckoned to do so." Her hand fell to the girl's shoulder lightly, and she remained silent for long minutes as she calmly weighed the next actions and their consequences. "She is not to be broken. Brought into her new ways of thought, yes. But I do not want her core changed. It must remain intact. You would never dishonor her, so I do not fear that. Make her into the truth of what she is, my lord. This is her path." There was little doubt to the lord that, with the words chosen, she had every plan to shape the girl into a young priestess.
-
Homura looked into his eyes as her chin was raised. She heard her sister's words, knowing it was in her training to not meet his eyes without being told too. As she was instructed she didn't move her eyes from his, despite that initial moment of awkwardness, she wouldn't disobey his words. As she felt the spark and pulled into the deepening gaze, she felt like the voices she knew were getting further and further away. Her body slowly fell into the state of immobility her eyes locked on his. As she heard the new voice in her mind, she knew it sounded familiar. Though she could not understand it something in her called to listen closely, wanting to know what the whispers meant.
-
The lord nods slightly in recognition of Aska's words even though his eyes stormy eyes never left Homura's own fiery red. "As you wish," the lord said, his voice still muffled by the whispers within Homura's head as he turned back to her and began to... lean closer!? Inch by inch, the lord's face slowly approached Homura's moving much closer than should ever be allowed. Despite the circumstances, Homura's natural reactions would be able to show through here, though she would be unable to do anything about it as the lord's face slowly brushed past her own, his lips moving closer to her left ear.
Finally, the lord stopped just next to Homura's ear, his body now close enough to smell the subtle hint of stale age clinging to his ancient clothing as he whispered into her ear. A small command that rang loud and clear throughout her to her very core; "Fi consumat de către păcatul tău (be consumed by thy sin)."
Homura's whole body will tense up and she will gasp involuntarily. The breath will catch in her throat as her own darkness bubbles up from it and spills out of her mouth. The fire in her eyes will be snuffed out along with her vision as those red orbs go black as though her pupils had swallowed them up like black holes and she'll shed black tears as 2 more trails of black spill from her nostrils and ears. Eventually, Homura's body will go into violent convulsions, but never fall as though her feet are rooted to the ground as darkness literally spills from every opening in her body and clings to her, wrapping her in darkness until she is completely cocooned by it. And even though the process is painful to her body, Homura likely wouldn't feel a thing as she is drawn deep within her own subconscious in order to have a discussion with the darkness in her own soul.
The lord will stand up straight again and move to Aska's side long before Homura's body starts flailing uncontrollably. If Aska tries to help the doomed dragon, then he will hold out his arm barring her way as he watches the transformation play out. "Fret not, be she worthy then thy beloved sister will merely awaken to her true self. If not, then she will perish. However, I doubt we shall have to worry about that second outcome; Thou hast pruned her darkness well. She is ready."
Once her transformation is complete, the darkness will crack and peel away from her body, dissolving and scattering in the air like ash as Homura is finally able to finish her gasp. Then, a rush of power will course through her body as she is born anew, awakened to her own inner darkness.
-
The only way that it appears Aska is seeking to help is making sure the girl does not fall in some way. She's aware that the girl is prepared, had been so by her own hand. She, a servant of the dark, knew how to foster such a thing in another, and gain the trust. She had begun shaping the fire dragon from day one. Any failure would not be hers. She stands still beside Kazuma, calm lavender eyes fixed on the girl and watching the process. It was different for all, but certainly, it had been so much less dramatic for her. But there were good reasons for that. Reasons none knew, and it would remain that way, until the information was deserved or earned.
Aska's patience was infinite, and she'd wait until the dragon took steps her way before she said or did anything. Still, she placed herself slightly ahead of Kazuma, unsure how the young dragon would take her transformation, and knowing that her own training and magicks would have heightened effects on the girl, due to their time together. Imprinting, they called it. Like duckling to mother.
-
As the lord's face drew closer and closer to hers her instincts were to pull away, and look away. However unable to do so, merely left her flushing and shaking softly. The last thing she noticed before the words rang through her was the scent that clung to the lords clothes. Then she was falling, falling through nothing but black and darkness.
After what seemed like an eternity to the dragon she landed softly on her feet. Looking around she saw nothing but darkness. "Hello?" she called out softly. Trembeling as she walked a few steps she felt a heat, and like a moth to flame was drawn to it. As the darkness broke what she saw made her pause for a moment. A world of black flames, and a dark figure. Taking a moment to gather her wits she stepped forward, to face the figure. Standing exactly her height the fire dragon found face to face, with herself. She stumbled back lightly, her ruby eyes falling on the onyx ones of the other. "Who....who are you? You look like me?"
The other form laughed, "I look like you? Of course I do, I am you, well the real you. I am your darkness, the daughter of dark flame, the true you." The black eyes met the widened ones of the dragon. "You are a dragon, a dragon of fire, there is an inherent destructive nature in you. Why not embrace who you truly are?" Behind the dark eyed girl a giant jet black dragon that could easily decimate an armada without a second glance roared, shooting a stream of black fire around the two. A crooked grin crept across her face as she stepped closer to the fire dragon. "I do believe it is time for me to make my own appearance. Power, darkness, destruction, all can and will be ours. We are not weak, and never will be looked at in that way again." The dark flames swirled out around the red eyed dragon, dragging her down into an abyss of dark fire. The last thing she saw was the crooked smile of her dark counterpart. "Sleep now daughter of flame. The darkness is not to be feared, but to be embraced, and that is exactly what I plan to do." Ruby eyes closed as the darkness locked her away in slumber.
As the darkness crumbled away from the young dragon her eyes opened revealing deep blood red irises. The power coursing through her body, felt right, like it should have always been there. Daintily she brushed the remaining ash from her kimono, making sure she was presentable for the lord that awakened her true self. Careful to abide by her training and not meeting the lord’s eyes she took delicate steps towards the two, drawn to the priestess, her Onee-san.
-
The lord blinked at the dragon's subdued transformation. If memory served him correctly, most others subjected to the same transformation felt a rush of power so overwhelming that they simply had to release it. Perhaps he triggered the transformation incorrectly? The lord would blink again and shake his head, stifling a laugh at his own doubt. No, that couldn't be it. Obviously, this young one had controlled her powers well. An admirable quality. Aska had trained her well.
Once the young woman's transformation was completed and it's success confirmed, the lord simply tosses Aska a look that says "it is done." And wordlessly walks over to one of the ancient devices Aska used to kill her sacrifices during the ritual. Though her was already familiar with the workings of the device, he pretended to examine the intricacies of the machine to give the two women a bit of privacy. Surely they would want to reaffirm their bonds after such a thing had ended. And perhaps even forge some new ones.
-
She waited for the younger to come to her, as pecking order demanded. Her hand was held out to the girl, her lavender eyes fastened upon her and they searched the eyes of her protégée. It was unlike the petite priestess to be effusive in praise, but the smile she gave spoke volumes that her mouth wouldn't. "Welcome to the world, little dark one. May it be a new and fascinating journey for you to walk beside me." Her hand squeezed the darkfire dragon's own. And then something strange happened.
It started as an ache somewhere in the vicinity of her heart. Slowly, that feeling radiated out from that fragile little organ, until blood beat in her temples harshly. Homura's heart felt, for all the world, as if it were shattering. Or that something inside her was breaking down, becoming weak and then dissolving. In a flash of feeling, something lifted, and she could feel a slight connection to Ren. Feel where his betrayal and disregard for her had eroded that link, frayed it to something fragile and breakable. She became aware of exactly what harm he'd done, and how much her older sister had tried to heal within her. And found that he was a wound that couldn't be healed by Aska's hand.
The darkfire portion of her balked at being hurt in such a way, anger boiling up in her heart and figuratively setting fire to those last tremulous tendrils of connection. It burned to ash, and the backlash stole the girl's breath, making her stumble and causing the priestess to catch at her in order to keep her upright. The physical contact caused another, stronger bond to come forward, woven tightly by trust fostered, and a teacher and student bond. A guiding older sister, confidant and mentor. It silvered the threads of this one, and created the link that the dragon had only ever known to Ren. But in her mind, Ren was gone. Lost to his own stupidity and because of his own blind foolishness.
-
As the daughter of dark flame took the hand she smiled reading into what her onee-san's smile told her. As the ache started in her heart, her free hand clenched over it softly. She could feel the darkfire in her veins attack the strands that remained until they broke. Stumbling and being caught by the priestess, and the new bond settling over her, her breathing steadied.
Eyes of blood found her new master, mentor, sister. The darkfire boiling away in her veins bubbled through her. The pain and fragility surrounding her heart at that instant replaced by a feeling of strenth and ease. The trust, the strength, the power, all played to the dragon's true nature. She smiled at her sister, "I am honored to walk beside you. I hope to see the world for what it is, to learn from it and to grow in it in my true form."
-
Sensing a disturbance (in the force. Lol! xD) in his priestess, the lord tossed a questioning glance in the direction of the 2 women. Seeing their embrace and confirming their safety, the lord blinks raising an eyebrow at them, but goes back to "examining" the device. Now finished with it's meal, the dark mist drifted into the shadows leaving the area pristine as though naught had occurred.
If Tatsuya was still there, Kazuma would notice him and blink wondering why he had yet to be introduced to him. If not, he would simply bide his time, waiting until Aska and Homura finished their business that they might begin his own.
-
The petite priestess knew precisely what had happened. She'd read about it in her many tomes. This had been her plan all along, and it was always good to see plans come to fruition. With a guiding arm around the darkfire dragon, she stepped forward lightly over the snow to rejoin her lord. She paused alongside him, the young dragoness still at her side. Her silvery lavender eyes looked up at him, and addressed him in old Latin. "The boy is the one your sister sent to aid us in unlocking your chains. He is the key wielder. He knew nothing of this purpose, but he has been helpful. I told him that I would speak for him to you in granting one request. He requests the ability to protect the one he cares for." Something vaguely sinister glimmered in her gaze, though her face remained still. "There is darkness to prune and help flourish." She said softly, a shapely brow arching just slightly in punctuation of the sentence.
Though her attention remained on Kazuma, her eyes turned to the boy, still rightly kneeling there in the snow. Her English rang out, musical and commanding at once. "Stand and introduce yourself to my lord, key wielder. Keep the utmost of respect, boy. You will not want to find what happens if you do not." Those mercurial eyes shifted back and forth between her deity and the youngster. Aska's voice whispered through Homura's mind. "If he is disrespectful or crass, do not let him escape. Do not kill him, but capture him instead." Her dainty hand laid on the girl's shoulder, bestowing strength and clarity upon her once more, as she had on the mountain.
-
Tatsuya's eyes were low, but the boy did as he was told to. His mind was racing, trying to figure out why he was here. This all seemed...weird. Why was he here? Why him? But, he pushed the thoughts to the back of his head. Slowly, he stood up, dusting the snow off of his robe as he did so.
"My name is Tatsuya." The boy said, twirling his keyblade in his hand.
-
The young dragon softly followed her sister and master to the lords side. As she heard Aska's voice in her mind she gave a subtle nod. A slight smile crept across her lips. While something in that destructive nature of hers wanted to tear the boy apart if he was disrespectful, but she would abide by the wishes of her master. She would not let him escape. The feeling of the strength and clarity the priestess bestowed, left the dragon ready to do whatever she needed to do. As the boy introduced himself, she kept those eyes of blood on him.