Tempestuous fire and torturous frost hath beheld this odious fiend. For a legion’s millennia he shall be shattered, but it hath been told. Before the pure maiden’s tears do wet her defiled spirit, earth shall behold once more the insidious reign of the black king, Alukard Everlasting. (Chapter 16, Verse 16) The black king, once imprisoned and long forgotten has risen from his ancient slumber. The world has yet to witness the destruction to be brought. Who will fight against the terminating darkness? Alright everyone this will be different from the normal RPG. I don't want to constrain people as much as the usual RPG does and there will be no levels, experience, or other game based playing. I want to develop this RPG as a sweet story. SO... To create a character, use that beautiful imagination, it can be anything almost . I can give you some lame ideas but this will only be for you to know that I am not joking about imagination. Vampire, wizard, orc, demon, metamorphist, elf, troll, rat, cloud, box, ant (Uh...), HUMAN? Seriously think of something cool and SEND ME A PM TO GET IT APPROVED . One of my characters will be starting off in a forest and if you would like to do the traditional meet up and become allies setting, then you can go off that idea. (Just so your not completely lost on what the first environment looks like). I will describe the world in greater detail as we go on. But if you want your character to ride solo in some random part of the world then I can deal with that too! Just send me a pm on how you want to roll in this new world and we can talk about it ! I want this to be a good story so only join if you also want to make a good story. Just base your actions on what seems REASONABLE to the story. If you don't know what reasonable is pm me. Rules are: PM ME FOR CHARACTER CREATION, PM ME IF YOUR DOING SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY (you don't know if it is reasonable). Setting this will be a base setting and if you would like to start somewhere else then tell me what you are thinking. It is a futuristic and medieval world at the same time. The world is covered in forests, deserts, oceans, cities, like earth and unlike earth, plants, bugs, animals can range from minuscule to gargantuan and can look normal or esoteric. There are guns, futuristic or old time, swords, medieval weapons, dragons, the possibilities are vast and limitless. There can be cars that drive or fly, planes, the world is so huge that populations can range from completely advanced to barren, and there is “magic” and “spirits”, “religions”, etc. My first post will describe where my first character will be, and give you an idea of where she is located. Our goal is to fight against the black king, Alukard, and he is just rising from his slumber, so the world does not yet know that he is alive and well.
A slender feminine shape sprints along a forested trail. Hulky trees with stale branches scratching at the cold air veiled the sky. Her lengthy starlight hair drifted backwards and twinkled in the blinking moonlight. The view of a musty barn peeked through the window of shrubbery. She strode towards a blackened opening of the barn, pouncing upwards with a gentle leap and climbing through the aperture. Steady breathing left her soft pink lips as she crawled towards a creaky ledge. Looking down she found a lone horse, resting on a thin covering of dried hay. With lean white hands she grabbed the ledge’s rail and hoisted over plopping on to the floor beneath with a soft thud. She eyed the horse, edging near it, each step crunching the hay. She slowly kneeled down lightly beside the warm belly of the horse; letting her hand reach to its neck and patting it gently. I’m sorry, but I have to do this. Her face approached the neck as her mouth edged open revealing glimmering white fangs. Her long black eyelashes pressed together as her mouth pushed against the horse’s neck. The teeth sunk into the rough hide, serrating it, and hot crimson flooded her mouth, some seeping down her lips and neck. The horse squealed thrashing its legs but she held one hand against its side, immobilizing it. She sat gulping the thick blood, veins beginning to beat on her forehead while the horse’s screech filled the air. A loud bash and the barn door flew inward, a blinding light flashed onto the girl drinking blood, her reaction taking a second; she jerked her face up, her cherry eyes shining in the light and parted lips drenched in blood. Before she could move, a blast sounded, while a harsh blow jerked at her shoulder. Instantly she kicked at the floor, crashing through the barn door and splintering a good chunk of the hard wood. The guy turned as quick as possible but she was already edging into the deep forest.
Cheza groaned as she regained consciousness, shifting her weight painfully slowly, she felt pangs of agony burst from her arms, which were chained behind her back. What happened? she thought blearily, looking up into the canopy through the thin slits in the mask covering her face to see a wide gap in the leaves. Her skin felt lacerated -she must have fallen through. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered her banishment from her tribe. Laying her head back onto the sodden ground, she focused on keeping her breathing steady -she had taken awful cuts to her body along with the deep slashes along her arms. She was amazed she was even awake and alive -she should have died from the fall. Shifting her body again, she managed to get herself into a sitting position against a tree trunk, panting from the effort. The sweet scent of her blood clogged her senses, and her vision began to glaze over as her heart-beat slowed dangerously. Guess she didn't have very much time left anyways . . .
She was dashing through the thin branches and leaves, acquiring a few scrapes, but the big pain was in her shoulder. She stopped for a second and lifter her other hand to feel the wound. Ahg, I knew someone would come, horses are so loud. I didn't kill the horse, but they just can't handle the idea of something drinking blood I guess. She stuck two fingers inside the wound, blood oozing and the pain shooting down her arm and up her neck, she grabbed the metal shard and pulled it out throwing it against the floor. Only a couple inches deep, he was probably just shooting to scare me off. She begins running deeper into the forest, the trees begin to flourish with deep green life, strangling the moonlight and creating a darkness that humans could not venture in. Her eyes easily adjust, taking the microscopic rays of light and magnifying them so the surroundings were all quite detailed. A peculiar scent drifts in the air, and instantly she recognizes something has lost a lot of blood. After running even deeper into the darkness the scent grows powerful, and her mouth begins to salivate. I just ate, but this blood smells delicious, not human nor animal. This is strange. She began to creep along the vigorous brush, and saw the lacerated figure resting against a heavy trunk. Weird, I've never been this deep into the forest before, what is that thing? I don't sense any killing intent, but even if it were able to hide that. I doubt it could fight in that state. Waiting a few more seconds, she scanned the area, Maybe it was abandoned?, jumping out of the brush she walked toward the figure. It looks human, and female. I better help it, even though I really want some of that blood. Nearing the figure she kneeled on one knee and crept her fingers towards the mask. "Huh?" Grabbing it she noticed it did not easily budge. This mask is definitely not normal, it feels like its glued. I don't want to leave her here, she is still breathing slightly. I'll take her to my hideout. She slid her arms underneath the legs and back of the injured girl lifting her, finally noticing the chains around her wrists. A prisoner? Alright I know what to do. Hours later she approached an ancient tree, roots and vines strewn in all directions, withered plants branching out for hundreds of meters. The tree seemed to suck the life from its surroundings. Still holding the girl she set her down against the damp floor and lifted a large patch of dead moss and vines uncovering a pitched hole. She grabbed the girl again then descended after pulling the large patch back over the hole. She walked for a few minutes, nearly complete darkness drifted the wide tunnel, she moved through memorization, for even her tuned eyes could not magnify the absence of light. Stopping she pushed her hand forward onto a thick mantle of wood, applying some pressure the covering collapsed forward with a thud. She laid the girl in a black corner and methodologically maneuvered through the large room, eventually grabbing some matches from a large bowl and lighting a few large wax candles spaced around. She again approached and picked up the highly injured girl, placed her against one of the thick vine covered walls and tied some rope around her waist, also leaving the wrists chained. Sorry, I don't know if I can trust you yet. A few minutes later she had a bunch of cloth and a jar of thick brown ooze which she then applied to the many slices of the girl. After applying, she wrapped the injuries and left the girl to the lone sound of the slow dripping candles.
Angel at the Rifts South Kettering, Scotland February 28th, 1815 The spicy tang of brine and wind pulled Angel from the stupor that had been her constant companion for the last two weeks. A fortnight of chronic darkness and heated whispers. Of endless debates and relentless travel. What she didn't understand was the delay, why she was even still alive. The High Council had found her, and thanks to Myles' bumbling tongue, now knew the truth about her scandal shrouded lineage. Unfortunately for Angel the truth hadn't set her free. It had sealed her death warrant. She was one of the feared Fleurs. A half blood Darkkin, endowed with powers far beyond those found among the full bloods of the Tribe. It was the secret her mother had died protecting, a truth that had burned like acid, consuming the soul of Iver Cunningham. The breezes about her freshened, filled with the promise of snow before long. The hood that had darkened her world for the past weeks was finally removed. Angel's sensitive eyes ached with the sudden brightness of the wintry night. Starlight and a slim quarter moon reflected off the pristine white of newly fallen snow. The bindings on her hands were cut away. Blood rushed back into her numbed limbs with searing intensity. Angel swallowed a groan of misery. She might be about to face her fate, but she would at least do it with her head held high, pride intact. She would not show the smallest hint of weakness to these hidebound old fools. Her dark cobalt eyes glittered in the muted light full of fury. It might have been a trick of the light, but for the briefest moment there was also a flicker of pity. The guard shook off the unsettling thought as he hauled Angel roughly to her feet. "Can't mite out judgement on the accused if they be layin' in a heap, now, can we my lady?" The withered old soldier cackled, amused by his own joke. "Wouldn't be sportin', and you know the gents, all about honor and fair play..." Angel remained silent, her perfect, delicate features as still and peaceful as a doll's. The old man fell silent as another shadow separated itself from the darkness of the wind stunted woodland. "You made it, I see, Murphies." "Yes, yer lordship. We have, just as you ordered." "Very good, Murphies." The predatory shadow replied. "You may return to the Broken Bird. I'll see to Miss Beaumont." The lugubrious Murphies hesitated for a moment, gathering his courage. "Is she really one of them? Looks too frail to cause too much ruckus." Anger flickered in the golden eyes beneath the cowl. "Do you think I would be here if there was any doubt about her identity?" He snarled. "You know the law. It is absolute and binding. Her very existence is a crime against nature." Potent waves of rage lashed Angel and Murphies, who cringed and bolted for the village. With a panther's stride, the cloaked lord moved forward, circling Angel, as a predator studies its prey. "Always so still and solemn, Angel Grace. Never a smile to be had. It is little wonder they call you the Snow Queen." No emotions showed in her porcelain mask. "You know my history as well as anyone, Lord Bellewolf. You know I have very little reason to smile." "Yes." Bellewolf replied. "A most unfortunate set of circumstances." Throwing back the hood of his cloak, Bellewolf revealed a face tormented by guilt. The Marquis' anguished expression startled Angel. The Marquis of Bellewolf was leader of the Tribe and head of the High Council, the same Council that had condemned her to death just weeks before. Surely he wasn't regretting his decision. Countless questions crowded her tongue as she cast back in her memories, searching for the elusive voices. One, dark and laced with impotent furor, stood out. "If you condemn her, you condemn them all and the entire Tribe with them. When will you fools see that they are our future." Bellewolf had been the one arguing to save her life and those of the others like her. He didn't want to see her dead, so why was he here now? And why this place? Why hadn't they just killed her in London? The Marquis watched as questions and emotions finally crack Angel's annoyingly serene mask. "Finally starting to look beyond the end of your own pretty nose, poppet?" Angel scowled, rushing to hide her confusion. "The Council has handed down its verdict. Guilty by existence, an offense punishable by death. Keeping that in mind. You owe me the truth. Why am I here?" A hint of smile teased the corners of Bellewolf's stern mouth. "To take a leap of faith and bet the odds in order to survive. The Tribe needs you alive Angel Grace. Never forget that. We need you." Gently taking her arm, he drew her to the edge of the sea cliffs. Far below the waves beat savagely against the jagged stone walls. Then something flared, arcing through the black, teeming water. A strange phenomenon that resembled the famed Aurora Borealis, known as the Kettering Rifts. Angel blanched, but didn't back away. For some insane reason she trusted him. "Are you sure this is the only way?" Bellewolf nodded and pointed to his right. "You see the light of South Kettering? The rest of the High Council is there right now, roosting at the Broken Bird. They will sense your presence. They know the beat of your heart and the cadence of your songs. The Rifts are your only way out and we don't have much time. You need to go now." Hugging the towering Darkkin lord, she spun away, gathered her skirts and threw herself into the open air... A thousand nameless colors swallowed her whole as she fell, spinning through time and endless planes. Her senses wheeled and soared, casting out for the songs of her kindred. Silence was the only answer she received. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut, exhaustion claimed her soul. Sleep came, a mother's kiss in the darkness. A soft breeze traced across her cheek. Overhead leaves murmured, seemingly in distress...Leaves? How could there be leaves it was the dead of winter. Angel sat up, blinking to clear her head. Her eyes confirmed what her ears had heard. She was definitely not in her world anymore. Had she leapt out of the frying pan and into the fire?
Drip....Drip.... Cheza's eyes slowly opened, vision flickering as she groaned and rolled over. Was she dead? Trying to move her hands, she felt the contradicting rattle of the chains. Apparently not. Then what had happened? One moment she was lying under a tree, the next she was... Looking around warily, she sniffed the air and her eyes widened in terror behind the mask. A Vampire's lair! Shivering, she pressed her back hard against the earthen wall, bangs shadowing her face. What to do? She was helpless as a hatch-ling in this state! If the vampire had found her and brought her here, then it was likely saving her for a meal later. Cheza closed her eyes tightly, straining against her bonds, but it was useless. Why? she howled silently, shuddering as she hid herself deeper in a shadow -away from the dim candle-light. If the Vampire knew what would happen if it drank her blood, no one would be safe...
I wonder how long it will be until that strange girl wakes up. The vampire girl was high in the ancient tree, scanning the area. This is so strange, this forest use to have plenty of animals for me to feed on, but now they all disappeared. I even had to go feed on a farmer's horse. What the heck is going on? The moon was harvesting in the sky, a gloomy yellow tint whispered in space. Then a mysterious shift in the air, warmth actually breezed from the west. The vampire girl felt the change against her glowing pale skin. This is weird. This forest never has a warm breeze, something is going on. She hopped down from the ancient tree and sped toward the west. Flying through leaves and skipping along the dirt, she was quiet as a fox. She had not gone far before seeing yet another bizarre appearance. She stopped in a thick brush, making sure not to be seen. This tiny and delicate human figure with bright silver hair looked slightly confused, but she betrayed complete innocence. Again? Another delicate girl in this forest. I can't believe what is happening right now, maybe I am dreaming. She hesitated for a few seconds staring intently, Well if I am dreaming then there is no point in not meeting this girl. The slim vampire girl slid out of the brush to appear in front of this new figure. This solemn forest which inhabited animals and beasts strong enough to endanger even a vampire, was suddenly void of all. Two lone girls had appeared, something strange was happening in this world, but they had yet to witness the truth. The terrible truth.
Gaius the Immortal Gaius had lost all purpose in his life. The color had been sucked out of the world and he drifted aimlessly from place to place. People were uninteresting, their problems seemed petty compared to the wonders he had witnessed in his long life. As Gaius wondered into the dense woods, he decided on a whim to visit his home village for old time's sake. He took another swig from his bottle of wine and headed into the trees. He was half-way through his bottle when he saw the silverhaired girl. She was petite and had the face of an angel. Gaius was disgusted. He was so tired of beautiful people! Everyone wanted to be beautiful, and those with magic cast glamours to look more attractive. Sure, Gaius was himself exceptional goodlooking, but he appreciated unique features over typical beauty. Besides, this girl was probably some backwoods devil-witch that made herself appealing to lure in her victims. Why else would she be travelling out here on her own? Well, Gaius wasn't having it. He decided to confront the "girl" thing and erase her from the face of the earth. It would be one less wicked beauty in the world. Gaius approached the girl confidently, although he did stagger a little; he was a bit tipsy from his wine. He emerged in front of the girl's path and angirly threw down his wine bottle and it shattered. He must've made a imposing figure--with his flowing cloak and wide hat that hid half his face. "You! Devil thing!", Gaius slurred. He clumsily summoned lightning that sparked from his fingers. "Surrender, for I am Gaius the Immortal! Repent for your wicked ways and I promise to make your death quick and painless!"
Angel: Withertos and Whyfores Angel blinked, brushing aside a wayward curl as she slowly rose to her feet. Glass shattered a short distance away, a shadow flickered in the moonlight. Her keen senses picked up the heavy fumes of alcohol. This fool was pickled and salted. Hard won caution and calm, held her frozen as she studied the advancing figure. Wavering bits of light flashed and twisted as the figure called out. "You! Devil thing!", Gaius slurred. "Surrender, for I am Gaius the Immortal! Repent for your wicked ways and I promise to make your death quick and painless!" Hiding a grimace of pain as she limped out of the shadows. Angel's voice was as soft as velvet, but laced with steel. "Wicked or innocent, who are you to judge, Gaius the Immortal? You know nothing of me, not even my name. What is it that I have done to deserve an unwarranted fate? If I am to die, even if it is to be quick and painless, I have a right to know why."
Gaius, Righteous "Wicked or innocent, who are you to judge, Gaius the Immortal? You know nothing of me, not even my name. What is it that I have done to deserve an unwarranted fate? If I am to die, even if it is to be quick and painless, I have a right to know why." "You cannot twist my words, foul demon!", Gaius cried. He felt staggered a little, but quickly regained his balance. "I know your true nature--you're a evil creature in disguise, luring innocents to their deaths with your fair looks. Why else would you be wondering the woods, alone and defenseless? Filthy beings such as yourself have plagued mankind for too long, praying on our weakness for typical beauty. I've lived long enough to know it. But that stops now!" Gaius thrust his hands forward, palms facing out. A beam of lightning erupted from Gaius' hands and his long locks and cloak blew back from the force of it. But he was so drunk he was seeing double and he missed Angel and hit a tree. The tree was disentegrated and all that was left was a smoking trunk. "Woopsies", Gaius said. He rubbed his eyes and squinted at the real Angel, and gave her a smug grin. "I won't miss this time!" He raised his hands to fire once again...
The vampire girl had just stepped out of the brush when some random drunk guy threw his bottle and enchanted his fingers with lightning. Um... She stared completely confused as the man yelled at the delicate girl, even threatening her. And the girl's reply seemed a little snappy too. My quiet forest is rid of animals, but replaced with frail girls and a drunk guy. HUH? A large bolt of lightning erupted from the drunk's hands, disintegrating the tree. Well there is no way he is here to save that girl, this has got to be a dream. She sped out to yell at the two, now even more confident she was just having a bad dream, "Hey you two! Why are you fighting in this usually peaceful forest?" Her fangs glimmered a bit as she spoke.
You, Cheza Sky-thunder, are now banished from the Cloud-wing Tribe! Voices throbbed in the back of her head, and she groaned as she remembered her banishment, the chains clamping down around her arms as she was forced into a body that was the lowest thing that her kind believed existed in this world. A human. The mask again covered her face, blocking her vision and making her want to shriek out with the injustice of it. Then she was falling through the clouds again...no wings... nothing to stop her descent to the hard, hard ground below.... A strangled scream tore from her throat as she yanked hard against her chains, the sound echoing and rebounding through the room to escape to the outside air. Her eyes burned with an inner fire, her black hair spiked in agitation like a wolf's hackles, and then a prehistoric roar rumbled in her chest -the sound of the most ancient predator of time. The greatest myth and legend known to man. Imprints of scales lined her arms beneath her skin. She would not go down without a fight! Even if she was trapped, chained, and bound to be eaten without being able to struggle, they would not take her will! If the vampire had a mind to drink her dry, then she would at least let them know what exactly they had done. She snapped her dagger-like fangs behind the mask and roared a challenge to those who would have thought her dead.
Angel: Fury and Logic "I know your true nature--you're a evil creature in disguise, luring innocents to their deaths with your fair looks. Why else would you be wondering the woods, alone and defenseless? Filthy beings such as yourself have plagued mankind for too long, praying on our weakness for typical beauty. I've lived long enough to know it. But that stops now!" Cold fury burned in the depths of Angel's aching heart. The chasm that separated her from the rest of the world was disappearing all too quickly. Always it came down her accursed face. Fissures snaked out across the massive ice shields she had raised to lock away her power. A primal song of rage echoed from the depths of her mind. The beast stirred. The songs of Fire and Water whispered to her soul, a seductive lure pleading with her to fly. Angel's silver gilt helm of curls shifted to a brilliant, burning copper. Slender fingers clenched hard, white knuckled in the folds of her heavy cloak. Deliberately she settled her full weight on her weakened left leg. Pain seared from mid-thigh straight up her spine. Her breath rushed from her lungs in an agonized hiss. The terrifying emotions began to ebb. The chasm expanded and her bright curls dimmed. Logic reasserted its comforting presence. Angel found her tongue, a double edged saber tongue. "You see with mortal eyes clouded by drink, taking in the mere physical embodiment. You know nothing of the songs, the soul, or the spirit pulses of my kin. No trace of blood traces my hands, taints my heart. My hands are clean. If you are so all knowing, all seeing then what is my true face, if not the one I was born with?"
Gaius, Sick "Pfahhh! Save it for your Maker!", Gaius slurred. He aimed and prepared to fire another beam of lightning. The world had no color for him, it was dull and boring. And he was so tired of people with physical--or magical--advantages taking advantage of others. If he did away with this girl it would be a service to mankind. His lightning was building in a huge crackling orb that illuminated his strikingly handsome face, twisted with rage and sadness. Gaius was about to fire when a girl, a vampire, sprung out of a tree and confronted them. "Hey you two! Why are you fighting in this usually peaceful forest?" "Mind your own bees-wax, you demon--!", Gaius began, but then his belly rumbled and he covered his mouth with both hands. His lightning trickled out and he dashed into the bushes to upchuck the contents of his stomach. When he was done, his big hat had fallen off and his long hair hung dissheveled in front of his face. He stumbled back into the clearing with a slightly clearer mind. He cast the vampire chick a wary glance and then squinted at Angel. "So...you say you're not a demon?", Gaius said, his narrowed eyes shifting suspiciously. He leaned against a sapling to balance himself. "Then why do vampires rush to your aid? Who are you people!" Then there was a roar filled with rage that echoed through the forest. "And what the living hell was that?!", Gaius cried.
The vampire girl stared at the dark skinned drunk, who seemingly came to his senses, What was I thinking? Why am I helping these people. It really shouldn't matter to me. Even though I have always tried to help humans, even though they only reply with fear and anger. She was silent for a awkward amount of time. Then finally looking up again, "I am not really sure why I tried to stop you, but something weird is going on, including you two." I guess I will tell them about the other girl, maybe just maybe they know her. She looked between the delicate girl and enchanting man, "This forest it used to contain hundreds of wild animals, and just a few days ago they are all gone. You are probably uninterested in this fact but I am almost positive something bad is going to happen. And also it is not just you two in here but another "human like" girl appeared with a mask, she was highly injured and is now in my cave. I am not really sure that you want to go in my cave but if one of you could take the girl with you so I don't have to deal with her. I just thought I would say this." She turned around facing away from them, then sighed slightly. I am confusing myself. I am not even positive anything is happening. But I got a really weird feeling.
Rolling over onto her side, Cheza strained at the rope binding her waist, but to her despair she couldn't break it. Growling, she shoved her legs against the floor until she was pressed back against the wall, the chains binding her wrists together uncomfortably cold against her over-heated skin. Panting, she laid her head back weakly, remembering how she had once been before she had been banished.... the very name "Sky-Thunder" sending fear and awe to everyone who heard it uttered. Now she was an outcast, stripped of her power and her abilities, all because the mask she wore kept her from becoming what she had been born as. She was lucky she had survived the fall -apparently her body could take quite a bit of damage. Huffing, she peered through the eye-slits warily, struggling to make out her surroundings. Wood and bark could be seen in the dim candle-light, but there was not much else. The rest of the room was cloaked in shadow. Clenching her fists, she roared again, but the sound was weaker this time -her voice was strained. Dammit... she thought dimly, an odd tingling spreading through her body. Panic overrode her, but she couldn't move as sleep began to drag at her senses. She felt soft fabric pull at her arms; some sort of binding to her wounds...? No...Can't...stay awake... were her last thoughts before the darkness claimed her.
Gaius, Clearheaded "A masked girl, you say?", Gaius commented. And the animals have all disapeared from the woods... Gaius cocked his head to the side curiously. This was...interesting. Odd happenings, animals disapearing, an angel-faced girl and a distressed vampire--it was like a plot from a thrilling novel. Wait, am I actually intrigued by all this?? Gaius supposed he was. Centuries of boredom and then he encounters these strange females in the middle of the woods. Maybe, just maybe, this was the answer to Gaius' prayers, something interesting in this boring black-and-gray world. Something different. "A moment, please", the Immortal told Angel and the vampire girl. He turned away and started muttering to himself. "Okay..haven't done this in a while...and I'm drunk...well, here it goes..." He took a deep breath and incanted, "Raven's cry, midnight breeze/Make my drunken state ease!" Gaius twisted his fingers and purple lightning sparked between them. Then a spark shot out and hit him between the eyes. "Holy crow!", he cried, and rubbed the sore red spot on his brow. But the spell had worked, he was cured of his inebriation. Gaius put back on his hat and tipped it slightly forward to shade his eyes. "Okay, I want to see that girl, the one in your cave", Gaius said. "We're getting tot he bottom of this. And I mean we, including you doll-face." He jabbed a finger at Angel. "I think Fate brought us together. If we stay as a group, we can solve this...whatever this is." He stood straight and tossed his hair out of his face, full of purpose and self-importance. It came naturally with living for so long. "Well...? Take us there, vampire mistress."
Angel: Fate Speaking? The roar echoed to the very marrow of Angel's fragile bones. "This forest it used to contain hundreds of wild animals, and just a few days ago they are all gone." Fragments of conversations, the smell of bile and alcohol, pressed against her overwhelmed senses...And her damned leg throbbed as if someone had just stabbed her. Blast the wretched limb... Angel listened to the vampire girl's words with a mere half an ear, while keeping a weathered eye on Gaius, wondering if he weren't right in wanting to wipe her from the face of existence. In her own world the High Council wanted her dead. Every way she turned, whether it was this world or her own, death stared her in the face, leering from the shadows. It hadn't taken her long to figure out the situation. She knew the warning signs, knew what the absence of small creatures, the anxious whispers of the tree meant. Dark forces were stirring, but they also indicated something more. If this masked girl proved to be what Angel suspected, then her, Angel's, own secret was in danger of being revealed. She didn't trust Gaius, didn't know the name of the vampire, who seemed quite reasonable...She had far too many questions and no answers. One thing was certain. She wasn't going to achieve anything stand around in these woods in the pitch dark. Her chances with Gaius and the vampire were much better. "We're getting to the bottom of this. And I mean we, including you doll-face." He jabbed a finger at Angel. Ignoring Gaius's boorish behavior, Angel peaked around between the trees, looking for her walking stick. It was the last tangible piece of her world she had. A Christmas gift from Myles, it was a possession she loathed to lose. Not to mention the fact she was in no shape to walk without the thing. It was the work of a moment to locate it laying among the twining roots of an ancient tree, the smooth silver handle glinting in the broken light. Placing a steadying hand on the rough barked trunk she stooped and retrieved the cane. With the aid of her cane, she settled her scant weight more securely and hobbled back toward the others, who were already some distance ahead.
"We are the strongest race within this world Cheza -even greater than the Immortals who are only second to us in life span; yet unlike them it is our duty to avoid getting into conflict but also to help the other races without being seen, whereas they can go about like any ordinary human of the earth." she heard her father's voice rumble in her ear from the dim memory of her childhood. His weight shifted, making the cloud they lounged upon drift a little further away from the main group. "If we get involved in fights; destruction will reign. We are not meant for the lower places below the clouds -remember that." Cheza stretched lazily, humming as the sunlight warmed her back. "Yeah, yeah." she commented wryly, barely paying attention to his words. Back then she was the glory of our tribe; the being that brought the sound of thunder to the earth whenever lightning struck the ground. She was Cheza Sky-Thunder, daughter of Necro the Avenger and Ghannji the Storm-Bringer. She was the next in line to lead her Tribe. Nothing could defeat her or destroy her -not even the darkest storms that tore up the earth below and rent the sky in twain. Until now, she had beleived that. When she woke up again, Cheza merely curled up in a ball -anger and sadness making tears come to her eyes as she remembered her family, and how they had abandoned her to the elder's judgment without so much as a word in argument. A keen rose in her throat, but she choked it back, shivering as she lay alone in the darkness -for the candles had gone out. Maybe she would never see the sun or sky again; trapped forever in this dark abyss...
The vampire girl shifted as the dark skinned man replied in agreement, she looked back, "Alright follow me, it is close to here", she noticed the girl shuffling around the trees, grabbing an odd looking stick to support her weight. I think she can manage, probably doesn't want any help anyways. The three moved along reaching the hut in less then half an hour, silent as three rocks they entered. The vampire girl moved along in the dark, leading the others with her voice and they finally reached the candlelit sanctum. I wonder if this is fate. Why else would I have let these three in here. I have this nudging feeling that I am supposed to be doing this. When they were all in the room she walked near the masked girl, noticing she was awake and seemed agitated, "I'm sorry I left you chained, but I didn't know what you were, but now that there is three random people in my hideout, I don't think it matters much anymore". She walked slowly closer, "I am going to take off your chains", the masked girl didn't reply but did not seem to ease up much either. She approached and bent over the back of the masked girl, then grabbing both wrists she pulled the chains apart with brute strength, making sure to not apply much pressure to the girl's arms. Quickly moving out of the way she let the masked girl shuffle a bit, then she edged a look at the other two. "If you three wouldn't mind, I would like to know why you are suddenly in this forest?"
Gaius, Curious "Oh, you know, soul-searching and what-not", Gaius said, waving his hand flippantly. He didn't want to get into his backstory, how he had been depressed and looking for the village he'd grown up in. It was probably nothing but a pile of sticks now.... Now that Gaius thought about it, he probably would have killed himself when he got there. But no, he was definitely not about to tell that to people he'd just met. Instead, he knelt beside the masked waif-thin girl in peasant garb. "Why do you wear this mask, pray tell?", Gaius asked softly. He reached out to touch it, try to take it off, but decided against it at the last moment. This masked girl--she was another thing that intrigued Gaius. Life had new meaning every since he met these people. If they turned out to be evil demons after all, he would feel very sorry about having to destroy them all. When Gaius was made deathless by another Immortal, he had sworn to fight evil, but there hadn't been any evils to fight in a very long time. In the meantime Gaius decided to just let the events unravel as they may.
Angel: Envy Angel settled in a corner, the shadows hiding her delicate face. She almost envied the injured girl's mask, the freedom and anonymity it provided. People would see this girl for who she was, not what she looked like. Angel wished she could hide away her face in such a way, but it just wasn't possible. She knew no one would ever actually see her for herself; they only saw her eerie beauty. For the meantime she, held her tongue content to watch and listen. Her story mattered little in this place, where ever it was.
When three strange people had entered the room, Cheza had been unable to react. Stunned, she had merely watched dumbly as the vampire unchained her, and stared blankly at the man -the only one with them and an eerily good-looking one at that- when he knelt down and asked her a question: "Why do you wear this mask, pray tell?" he said, his hand moving as if to try and take it off, but he pulled back at the last second. He seemed troubled, as was the other girl in the back, hidden in shadow. "I don't have a choice about it," Cheza said quietly; moving a little away from him to hide the growing tint of pink to her face, "It was placed on me and is bound by magic. See the runes here?" she said, pointing to the strange carvings on the right cheek, "It's-" she stopped before she would have said something that might end up getting her into a heap of trouble. They shouldn't know what she was -if they hadn't already recognized her for what she was- so she would avoid that topic. "Its the symbol of my banishment... and what keeps the mask stuck to my face." Cheza finished lamely. Looking down at her hands self-consciously, she gritted her teeth as she saw small talons at her fingertips and traces of scales. Quickly hiding them by pressing her knees together around them, she felt heat creep up her neck. Why was she suddenly so self-conscious? She must look like some kind of demon to them with the mask covering her face. And she couldn't change that no matter who much she wished it. Until a time when she could figure out how to break the mask, she would be stuck wearing it. Sniffing, she inadvertently drew in the scent of the strangers. Her hair spiked up as she recognized the vampire's scent, but it didn't appear to intend to harm her. She recognized the man sitting in front of her as an Immortal, and her face reddened even further she remembered how her father had told her that other than her kind, the Immortals were the only ones who could live so long. Options. Options. a dark little voice teased her in the back of her head. Then when the other girl's scent came to her nose, she jumped, and her hair bristled even more. She didn't recognize what she was exactly; but how she had come. She was not from this realm. "How did you get through the Rifts? I thought they were all sealed off!" Cheza said quietly, not looking at the girl with accusation but with a mixture of awe and wonder. No one had ever entered the Rifts and survived!
Angel: A Bit of Faith "How did you get through the Rifts? I thought they were all sealed off!" Cheza said quietly, not looking at the girl with accusation but with a mixture of awe and wonder. No one had ever entered the Rifts and survived! Angel looked up, startled, almost surprised she had been seen. Her thoughts had been wandering. A delicate brow arched and the first hints of a wry smile flickered. "A simple leap of faith was all it took..."
