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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Nov 27, 2006 3:07:59 GMT -5
Hiku and Rowen continued to make their way toward the cabin, meeting up with Kenshin and Oren at a crossroad, leading to the shack.
Kenshin nods, "I think we've eluded the Stalkers for now."
Hiku nods, "For now anyway..."
Kenshin looks at him, "Were those undead connected to the two that attack us back in Valencia?"
Hiku shook his head in a positive manner, "More then likely. Whoever is leading them, as powerful as they are, the Stalker's bodies are normally resistant against to dark magic...I've been sure for years now, that they've been working for someone, far more powerful then they are."
Kenshin nods, "That's a concern for another day. We should head to the cabin quickly."
Hiku shakes his head, "You guys go ahead, I will take a side road and meet up with you there."
Kenshin was slightly confused by this. "Why?"
Hiku looks at him, "Just a precaution, if we go together, we're more likely to get spotted. This way, if they are following, we can split up their attention."
Rowan looked at Hiku, "Are you sure you'll be okay?"
Hiku crossed his arms, "As you've seen, I'm rather good at evasion. I'll avoid any trouble, but it will be easier by myself. I'll take the road by the old lake and meet up with you in fifteen minutes."
"For Mai's sake, you'd best do so." Kenshin said with a nod.
Hiku nods in reply, "Don't worry about me."
Hiku didn't let them say anything else before heading down the road, to the lake that the conflict between Aya and the creature had just conflicted. Hiku blinked, skidding to a stop. "What the hell...?" Hiku looked around, "That's strange...this lake is normally dirty as hell. Not that it isn't now, but not so much. Somethings odd, I'm sensing magic...recent too."
He glanced around, catching sight of something in the distance, he made his way toward the rocks. Reaching Aya's crystal sword embedded in the mud, he sighed and removed it, "This...smells like Aya..." His eyes widened for a moment. "Oh hell, not again..."
Hiku gazed into the water below, noticing the impact point where she had struck the rocks, he tried to determine where she could have gone. "Woman can you go one friggin' day without nearly getting killed at least three times?" Hiku groaned, "Looks deep...ah what the hell, I've been in over my head all day anyway."
Hiku removed his cloak, taking a deep breath before diving in, after a few feet or so, he drew the Defender. It gave a weak light, being that the charge was gone, the sword now drawing its power from Hiku. He swam down further, until the light of his sword gleamed off something, he reached out, grabbing onto what felt like a hand.
"Bingo."
He quickly sheathed the Defender and got a good grip on her, pulling her up to him, he grumbled slightly.
"She's heavier than she looks, damn wings!"
He swam upward, pushing off of a rock ledge, toward the surface, but found he was running short of breath. At this rate, they were both going to drown. He quickly unsheathed the Defender, there was only one thing he could really do, it was going to hurt, but then again, narrow escapes seemed to be his specialty these days. He pulled Aya close to him, making a quick slash downward, letting out an arch of his own life energy. The arc created a small burst, causing an upward force to push them to the surface. Hiku took a deep breath once his head peeked from the water, he dragged Aya to the shore, coughing up a storm.
"God dammit woman, you're going to get me killed one of these days..." He dragged her out completely, sheathing the Defender, he stumbled over to retrieve his cloak. He wrapped it around her, trying to keep her dry and warm, before picking her up and carrying her on his back. He started toward the cabin again, hoping this wouldn't slow him down too much, his weakness from using the Defender was growing.
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Post by shadowhexblade on Nov 28, 2006 0:29:07 GMT -5
Blade rested on his cot, one arm wrapped around his abdomen, his other was grasping the cloth Aya had given him. He knew the blood on the cloth would aid his healing process, but it would hurt like hell if he used it, and pain just wasn't his thing. "Living through death will do that to ya..." He muttered to himself, letting out a light chuckle then wincing from the pain.
"If I could just get a bite to drink I'd be perfectly fine..."
With much effort, Blade slowly made his way out of his room and outside the little house, stopping several times to catch his breath. The air burned his lungs and the very ground beneath his feet seemed to eat at his sole, it felt like this place did not welcome his presence.
"Not much of a place to look at."
He sniffed the air and frowned. "You're companions are no longer here." Blade whirled around at the voice, nearly toppling himself over, as the world decided to continue spinning after he stopped. Before him stood the old man, a gentle expression on his face.
Something seemed off about this guy, in Blade's mind. "Who are you?"
"I am but a humble man, one whose name means nothing and would easily be forgotten by one who is doomed to live through all of existence, such as yourself."
Blade's jaw nearly dropped, as his mind whirled. "H-how the hell do you know about that!?" He frantically searched about, to make sure no one was listening, forgetting that the man said everyone had already left.
The old man simply chuckled. "You've obtained immortality, and you wonder how one can tell your secrets, simply by looking at your aura? Ho-ho, some young ones just stay young ones, even if they live to be older than you I will."
Blade grumbled slightly. "Don't try to lecture me or anything, pops, just tell me how to get out of this place. If you can tell that stuff about me, then you should know I most certainly don't belong here."
The old man chuckled again. "You are right, this land does not take kindly to undead, even if they're in an awkward state, such as yourself." He approached Blade, holding out his hand. "Take my hand and close your eyes." Blade looked at Aya's cloth in his hand, then stuffed it into his pocket before taking the man's hand. Blade winced slightly, then closed his eyes.
"Some parting words for your journey... The stronger the light, the deeper the darkness, but even the deepest darkness can be pierced by light." Blade opened his eyes, realizing that the man and the place he had just been, were gone. He was back outside, though he wasn't sure exactly, he had been unconscious for some time before awaking in the house. He noticed that his clothes were back and appeared to be repaired, his scythe was strapped to his back once more.
Blade sniffed the air apprehensively, then drew in a long breath, feeling rather good, as his ribs finished mending themselves. His expression became more serious, as he sniffed the air again.
"Kitten." He said, before running off in the direction of her scent.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Nov 28, 2006 6:06:09 GMT -5
Kenshin, Rowan, Oren and Mai ran toward the shack where the rest of their friends had been waiting. Oren seemed relatively bothered by the fact that he and Hiku had argued earlier.
"Hey, don't think anything of it." Rowan said to him, Oren only looked up at him with a slightly confused look, as to how the priest could have known what he was thinking.
"I'm not your everyday priest, Denethor." He said. Oren stopped running as Mai bumped into his back.
"Oren! Watch out!" Mai said as she rubbed her nose.
"Can you be trusted with what you've stolen from my mind?" Oren said with a crude look.
"I think that's better a question for your companions to ask of you." Rowan retorted back to him, Oren looked very irritated with him.
"Guys, we don't have time for this, we should get go--" Mai's words trailed off for a moment. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to her, Mai let out a small whimper, holding herself within her arms as she crouched to the ground.
Kenshin hurried over to Mai and put his hand on her shoulder. "Mai, what's wrong?"
Mai shivered for a moment, she had a bit of a raw expression on her face, as if she was in pain. "Hiku used the Defender again..."
"What??" Kenshin exclaimed as he lifted her head up with his hand. "Mai...where is he?"
"There are dark auras all around us...but some of them are fading. Hiku is nearby still, but in that direction..." Mai said as she pointed to the Southeast. "...Aya is cold, I can feel it."
Kenshin turned his attention from the direction Mai had pointed, back down to her. "How do you know that?"
"I...don't know." She said. A grim silence befell the group of four.
In a lavishly set room, Jensen sat in a very relaxed manner in his ornate chair. One leg was stretched outward, while the other was sat upon the seat of the chair. The room was very dark, only lit by a few candles, the atmosphere was almost eerie. Jensen propped his head on his arm, as he spun a glass in the other hand, slinging the wine around carelessly.
A table was nearby, covered with food and wines at his beck and call, but Jensen just stared at the intricately woven centerpiece. A large metal and wooden stand held a hexagonal shaped piece. The piece had thirteen different colored strings inside of it, woven together like a dream catcher. The strings were gold, black, silver, bright green, red, dark green, white, teal, light blue, dark red, purple, orange and dark blue. Jensen tapped his index finger on his wine glass, almost impatiently, his eyes fixated on the dream catcher-style object on the table, like an owl hunting a mouse. A soft "tick" sound emitted from the object. The red string and the dark green string had broken at the spots where they touched the bright green string.
Jensen frowned, the expression he showed was not grief, but rather of disappointment. Jensen stopped staring, taking a sip of his wine. He grunted and threw his glass to the ground, putting his hand back to his forehead. A pale man in black armor with a black mask entered, approached Jensen.
"Celeste and Selene are dead." Jensen said without moving. The man in the armor said nothing. "Well, what the HELL are you going to do about it?" Jensen yelled, while slamming his fist onto the arm of the chair. Just a moment later, a young girl walked up from behind Jensen's chair. She had very long dark hair, and wore a deep purple dancers-style dress.
"I will take care of it." She said with a modest bow.
"No." The man in the black armor said. Eliza looked up at him strangely. "It is too soon for your appearance my dear. Let Vector and Shela handle it this time."
"As you wish.." She said as she bowed and exited the room, the way from which she came.
Jensen glared at the man in the black armor. "You had better take one of them out this time. We are down two and they have gained the aid of a priest." He said in a gruff tone.
"I am well aware." The man in the black armor said, carelessly. He seemed very calm and refined, Jensen was way out of his league.
"Shela and I will take care of one of them tonight." Vector said.
"Then you should act and not speak, am I correct?" The man in black armor said in a cold tone. Vector lowered his head and said nothing as he left. Jensen and the man glared at one another, before the man in the black armor turned and walked out of the large room.
The gold string began to appear frayed.
Kenshin stood up and grabbed Mai close to him, fixating his eyes on the path they had just traveled.
"What is it?" Rowan asked.
"I smell undead." Kenshin said. "Come, we should make haste." He said as he picked up Mai, heading toward the shack again. Rowan and Oren did not say anything, Oren's mind was on what Mai had said about Aya being cold. He was angry that Shinjo had not taken care of her, or Blade for that matter. Oren's eyes began to appear more fierce as the days had gone by, perhaps there would be no Awakening ritual needed. Oren may be able to become Denethor on his own. Rowan had studied Oren's mind earlier, finding that he had become very unstable. Rowan thought that if Oren was pushed far enough, he would possibly become Denethor willingly.
Hiku carried Aya back toward the shack, but he stopped to catch his breath along the way. He could smell undead again, but he was making good speed ahead of them, wherever they were. Hiku pulled Aya from his shoulder and rubbed her arm to see if he could wake her. Her skin was fairly pale and her lips were tinted gray.
"Oren's not gonna like this..." Hiku muttered to himself. "...and for that matter, neither is Mai." Hiku said. He imagined Mai would scold him for Aya's condition, even though he found her in this state. Hiku twitched a bit, at the thought of Mai thwacking him over the head. Aya's body suddenly jumped with a shiver.
"Hey, Aya?" Hiku said. Aya only shivered in response, her eyes had still been closed, she was having that dream again, the one she had while in the shack with Shinjo. Although she was freezing, Aya felt hot from the fire. Denethor held Shinjo's sword in one hand, and a strange black sword in the other. Aya's dead body still rested in the arms of someone she could not see. She could see more blood on the ground, and Denethor was ready to claim more from those who remained alive.
Shinjo was headed in the direction that Celeste and Selene had been traveling, only to come to a halt when he noticed heavy snowfall in a trail head. Shinjo blinked and looked around, the snow seemed to be following a trail in the same direction he was headed. Shinjo's sword began to glow green, he didn't have to look to know it was resonating. Shinjo rushed onward, following the trail of falling snow.
Hiku pulled his cloak around Aya, trying to keep her warm. Just as he was about to lift her up, it suddenly began to snow very heavily. Hiku pulled Aya close to him, tucking his head to his chest, to hide from the freezing cold. The wind blew violently at his backside.
"What the hell??" Hiku said. His voice was muffled by the sound of the wind forcing past him. Just as he grasped the handle of the Defender, a thin, long icicle plunged into his left shoulder from behind. Hiku let out a small cry, as he grabbed the protruding ice from his shoulder, breaking it off. He whipped around to see Shela standing behind him. The Defender was drained and Mai was not near, this was not a good situation.
Hiku unsheathed the Defender anyway, standing ready for Shela. She smirked at him, and swung her arm in a graceful manner before her. Hiku instinctively darted at her, only to find himself struck in the lower area of his right lung, by another large shard of ice. Hiku stopped his movement and latched onto it with his hand. He yanked on it, to try to break it ice, but the bite of the cold was so intense, his hand soon became numb, and he dropped the Defender beside him.
"Are you not down yet?" Shela said as she motioned her arm again. A few more small ice shards struck Hiku in the leg, arm and chest. He winced in pain and fell to his knees, still weak from using the Defender to get Aya out of the water earlier. Hiku slumped over and fell to his side, on the ground, unconscious.
"Take the girl, she'll be the easiest to get rid of right now." Shela said to Vector, who had been waiting in the tree line beside her. Vector moved forward slowly, his giant boots stomping into the ground. He walked over and yanked on Hiku's cloak, spinning Aya out of it, onto the the ground, face-down. Vector grabbed her and carried her in one arm, he turned to head back toward Shela when his exit was interrupted.
"Where in the hell do you think you're going?" Shinjo said. He was standing with his sword at ready. Hiku groaned and grabbed the Defender, scrambling into consciousness, just as Shinjo had arrived.
"None of your concern, boy." Shela said as she swung her arm, sending ice shards at Shinjo. He moved his sword gracefully, in one swift motion, a green arc followed the blade's trail, incinerating the ice upon impact. Vector seemed unimpressed, and turned to walk away, just as Kenshin, Mai, Oren and Rowan came around the corner.
"Hiku!!" Mai exclaimed.
"No, Mai...get away..." He said, making his way to his feet.
"There is no way that all of you are leaving here alive." Shela said as she raised her arm again, aiming it at Mai and the others.
"NO!" Hiku yelled, as he charged and swung his sword at Shela. She seemed startled, barely stepping backward, before the blade swung right in front of her. Her hair was partially cut by the blade. Mai's eyes lit up, as she ran forward and spread her wings of light, the Defender's glow lit up immediately.
"Get them out of here!" Shinjo yelled to Kenshin. Kenshin only nodded, pushing Rowan and Oren in the direction of the shack.
"AYA!" Oren yelled as he fought Kenshin's forcefulness, only to be grabbed by the shirt and dragged along by Rowan and Kenshin.
Shela managed to back away, toward Vector, who still had Aya. Hiku growled at Shela, he would not fail at killing her this time.
Shinjo sneered at Vector. "Put her down. Right now." He said as he moved his attention fully over to Vector.
Vector pointed his giant broadsword at Shinjo. "I've been wanting a piece of you, boy! Now it looks like I'll get the chance."
Shela swung her arms around, increasing the heavy snowfall, it was impossible to see what was only a few feet away. Shela raised her arms above her head again, as the ground began to crack beneath Hiku and Shinjo, surely, she was about to assist Vector in a horrid attack. A scythe swung through the air gracefully, grazing Shela's forearms as it flew by, impaling the tree next to Vector.
Shela dropped her arms quickly and cried out, "Ah! That hurt, you beast!"
"Now you're one to call me a beast, missy." Blade said as he stepped between Hiku and Shinjo. "I'm suppose to protect that girl. You should let her go before Berserker boy here gets REALLY angry." He said mockingly.
Vector took a small pill-shaped object from his side pocket and tossed it to the ground behind him, causing a black and purple hole to appear. "Hmph, maybe later." He said as he turned around to enter the portal. Shela tried to cause a distraction by sending out more ice shards, but Blade was too smart for her this time. He quickly made his way over to her, ramming into her, tackling her to the ground. Shinjo immediately bolted toward Vector.
Just as Vector stepped inside the portal, it began to close. Shinjo rushed, but was not able to reach it in time. Shela snapped her fingers, as a black portal formed on the ground beneath her, she began to meld through. Blade quickly rolled out of the way, as to not fall in, and Hiku came skidding to a stop in front of it.
"Shinjo!" Hiku yelled, as Shinjo kept his run toward the new portal and dove inside just before it sealed, throwing himself into a roll. He rolled on his side several times, colliding hard with a stone wall. Blade and Hiku sat there in confusion over what just happened. Mai retracted her wings and ran over, as Blade stabbed at the ground with a piece of Shela's ice, but it did nothing.
"Where did they take Aya??" Mai asked with a concerned tone.
Hiku just shook his head. "We can't get in, that's the only way. Now that they have taken someone with them, I doubt we'll come into contact with them for a while." He said, staring at the ground. Mai began to cry, as Blade gained a look of discontent and failure on his face. The sun rose over the treetops, enveloping the surrounds in a golden hue.
Shinjo opened his eyes and shook off his dizziness, looking around. He appeared to be in some sort of castle... a dungeon. He sat up and looked down the hall, he could not see Vector or Aya anywhere. As Shinjo stood up and readied his sword, he thought about his sister.
"Ella...please give me strength.." He said to himself, as he began to creep down the corridors to find Vector and Shela.
I'd like it if you guys could use the hex code for the color of the string that represents the characters when you refer to the strings. (With the exception of Oren. I tried to use black text with white glow on it, but it caused the next sentences to fall to the next line, even though I changed the width of the glow itself.. oh well.) Just FYI, the colored strings are as follows:
Jensen = Gold (Hex Code=CCCC00) Oren = Black Aya = Silver (Hex Code=999999) Shinjo = Bright Green (Hex Code=66FF33) Selene = Red (Hex Code=FF0000) Celeste = Dark Green (Hex Code=006633) Mai = White Hiku = Teal (Hex Code=00CCCC) Kenshin = Dark Blue (Hex Code=0000CC) Blade = Dark Red (Hex Code=990033) Colt = Orange (Hex Code=FF9900) Rowan = Light Blue (Hex Code=6699FF) Eliza = Purple (Hex Code=9900CC)
Yeah...I win for longest post ever. /cries because its 5 am.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Nov 29, 2006 2:59:24 GMT -5
Blade rested with his back to a tree, and asks, "Now what? Do you have any idea where they went?"
Hiku shook his head, " I wish I knew...apparently their leader has access to a dimensional prison that few have access to. Even if Shinjo can manage to find Aya, it may be difficult for them to get out alive."
Mai frowned deeply at Hiku, "I wish you wouldn't say things like that."
Hiku crossed his arms, "We've got further complications. Things aren't fitting together now..."
Mai blinks, "Wait...what do you mean by that?"
Hiku turns, "Doesn't it seem rather odd that Shela and Vector came for Aya and not the Defender or you?"
"...You're right. They've always been after us up till now. " Mai said.
Blade pushed off the tree, "If they're after you, why would they bother with Aya? Was it because she was in the way?"
Hiku shook his head, "I don't think it's that simple. Oddly, their actions never fit the obvious. There's more to this than any of us realize...I'm afraid it's likely to get worse before it gets better."
Blade groaned, saying, "Wonderful any more bad news?"
"I think so..." Mai said.
Blade nearly fell over, "Wait I didn't mean that!"
"What are you referring to Mai?" Hiku asked.
"Something our people have been dreading for centuries. The energy that struck me...I think...it was Genocide." Mai said.
Hiku's heart nearly stopped at Mai's words. "What, Genocide!? You have to be kidding, there no way Shela or Vector could use that, that....THING."
Blade looked at both of them, "What the hell are you two talking about?"
Hiku looked over at Blade, a look of concern swept his face. "If Shinjo encounters the one holding that nightmare weapon...he's as good as dead."
Shela and Vector entered a chamber where the man in black armor sat, the masked woman nearby. "Master...the girl has been healed and restricted to the containment barrier, as requested." Shela said sheepishly.
Vector snorts, "I don't understand why we just don't kill the angelic bitch and get it over with. Master, why are we working with these ninnies? We were after the girl and the Defender, why are we wasting time with this demon bullshit? You've had us interfering with these idiots' operations for years, why work with them now?"
The masked man laughed. "...Because it provides us with such opportunity. Do not concern yourself with such things, thinking is not your strong point my zombie comrade."
Vector just bows his head, Shela looks at him, "What of the Guardian? I thought Jensen wanted her dead."
The man in the black armor just chuckled, "Jensen cannot see beyond the Weaver. He won't know the difference and even if did, what would he do about it? He's a foolish man, who has others do his dirty work for him." The man in black armor held two lights, one red and one dark green, "After all, his now deceased servants will provide us with more power, the rest is obvious." The screams of Selene and Celeste faded, as the man in black armor dropped them into a fire. "For now, we do not have the power to deal with the demon, however, once we do, we will take Oren's soul and Denethor's along with it. Keep our forces interfering in secret, as they have."
The man's gaze moved over for a moment, toward a crystal ball on his desk, he noticed the image of Shinjo, sneaking around the castle. "Hm, hm, hm...it seems like you morons brought an extra passenger."
Vector crossed his arms, "It must be that Berserker, he seems to have a big thing for the angel."
The man chuckled, "He must be desperate, entering a place from which he cannot escape."
Vector bowed, "My lord allow me the pleasure of bringing the Berserker's soul to you."
The man chuckled, "Well I suppose you've earned that right, so be it, the boy is yours to kill. Besides, if he dies, it will keep Jensen from suspecting anything. His soul will give us great power, as well."
Vector bows and disappears, Shela looked at the man in black armor, "And what of me...?"
Averting his attention to Selene and Celeste's souls in the fire, he said, "You failed to kill Hiku yet again...you will stay here till further notice, understood?"
Shela winced and just nodded.
The man turned toward Eliza, "Come child, let us pay a visit to our guest." She bowed and followed the man in black armor.
Aya awoke inside a strange circular barrier, which seemed to be some sort of cell, for those who would be nearly impossible to contain. She blinked, noticing she felt completely healed. That was odd, why would they do that?
A voice echoed behind her, "Ah...the Guardian awakes..." Aya turned to see a man wearing a black mask and black armor, a woman in a dancing outfit at his side. Something caught Aya's attention about the woman, there was something oddly familiar about her, they'd never met but Aya sensed something familiar about her.
She didn't take the time to analyze this further, "Who are you...and what do you want with me? If you're after Oren..."
The man laughed, "Ha ha ha...I have no use for the boy. Jensen is the one after Denethor's soul, not me...for now anyway. Jensen's instructions were simply to get you out of the way."[/color]
"...Jensen..?"
Aya frowned, "Then you work for..."
The man interrupted, waving a finger, "Ah ah ah...that is incorrect. A partnership prehaps...I serve no one, girl."
Aya snarled slightly, "I'm not going to ask again...who are you?"
The man chuckled, speaking calmly. "Kelbek."
Aya eyes widened, everyone in this territory, and beyond, had heard that name. An immortal, possibly the most powerful Necromancer the world had ever known. They say no one has ever seen his face and lived to tell the tale. "Wait...you're a Necromancer...? Then you're the one after Hiku and Mai!"
Kelbek chuckled, "The Defender and Mai, I have no interest in the hot-headed twit."
"What could you possible want with that?" Aya asked, a look of discontent on her face.
Kelbek chuckled, withdrawing a sword from his side, Aya could not believe her eyes. The sword was an exact replica of Hiku's Defender, except it was black in color, covered with a dark aura.
"Allow me to introduce you to the Defender's other half, Genocide. As the name states, while the Defender is a weapon to defend, the Genocide is a weapon of mass destruction. Far more than the Defender could ever be under Hiku's weak grip." He put the sword away, "I have many plans... \but I have much to do besides explain them to you..."
Aya looks at him, "You can't keep me here forever."
Kelbek chuckled, "I can and I will. Besides, I've done it before..." Eliza held out her hands, the souls of Selene and Celeste sat, wailing in agony. Kelbek then held out his hand, a gray soul sat upon it. The wail from this soul sent chills down Aya's spine.
"I believe this one knew you as Arianna, did he not?" Kelbek stated, coldly.
Aya instinctively responded, "You bastard!!" She tried to push against the barrier, but she was shocked and thrown backward.
Kelbek chuckled, "For your sake, I wouldn't try that again. We'll have a chance to converse again soon."
Kelbek snickered as he left the room, Eliza followed behind him, stopping in the doorway, she glanced back at Aya. "I will kill Hiku." She said, then made her exit, closing the door behind her.
"...What...why did she tell me that? I sense much regret and remorse in her heart...."
Aya was once again left alone in the prison, it looked as if there was no way out for her this time.
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Post by shadowhexblade on Nov 29, 2006 14:06:29 GMT -5
Blade fastened his scythe to the strap on his back, rubbing his temples. Not only did it look like he wasn't going to be getting his paid for this job, but he felt like less of a man for not being able to protect a lady, let alone the one he was hired to protect.
"Heh, me, a vampire, feeling like less of a man..." He mocked at himself in his head.
He grasped his shirt, where his heart used to lie. "If I were whole, I could track her down...but there's no way I'm going through that hell again..." He muttered to himself.
Hiku thought to himself, then looked to Blade. "If the Genocide is actually involved, and in the location we think it is, then the Defender should be able to open the gate to that place, as long as the one wielding Genocide is there. But even with Mai, the Defender is too drained to open the gate right now. It would take about twelve hours before we could have enough power to do so."
"We may not have twelve hours, Hiku." Mai said with a frown.
"Well I don't know what else to do. Besides, we'll have to tell the others, Oren too, unfortunately. Though I'm pretty sure this will be considered my fault again." He muttered.
Blade shook himself out of his reverie and looked at the others. "Well I don't have a damn clue where to begin. You guys seem to know more than I do about this situation, what do you think should be our next course of action?"
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Nov 29, 2006 17:01:56 GMT -5
Kenshin and Rowan managed to drag Oren back to the small house, despite his incessant struggling. They darted inside immediately and ran ahead. Kenshin stopped, throwing out his arm, to halt Rowan.
"Close your eyes." He said quickly. Rowan just nodded and did so, as did Oren. A gust of cold wind rushed at them, when they both opened their eyes, the house in the middle of the flower field stood before them. Rowan dropped his grip on Oren's shirt, causing him to hit the ground.
"This place is..." Rowan started, but he glanced to Kenshin and halted his words.
Oren scrambled up to his feet and grabbed Kenshin's arm, turning him toward him. "Why in the hell didn't you let us try to help them??" He yelled.
Kenshin stepped forward, facing Oren. The look on Kenshin's face was rather intimidating, but Oren just glared back at him.
"Because it is not our place." He said, he then turned and walked toward the house.
"What the hell is thats suppose to mean?" Oren yelled to him.
"Oren!" Rowan yelled at Oren. "Kenshin has saved our lives, you're being horribly ungrateful!" He said as he grabbed the side of his robe, flinging it aside, then walking toward the house. Oren just stood there, angry as hell. He clenched his fists and curled up his lip at them, but it was a lost cause, Kenshin and Rowan were not too pleased with his behavior.
Oren suddenly lost his nerve, dropping his guard. "...Aya.."
The old man was sitting on the porch. "Why did you bring him here?" The old man asked coldly, just as Kenshin put one foot upon the wooden porch.
"He is Den-----" Kenshin went to say, but he was interrupted by his former master.
"I know who he is. I asked why you brought him here." He said, while still looking forward.
Kenshin glanced down at his master and said, "...because his Guardian may be dead." He said, turning his head back forward and walked into the house, followed by Rowan.
The old man's eyes widened at Kenshin's words. "The Angel-girl?" He quietly said to himself.
Aya's wings were wilted downward, she had tried to find a place of weakness on the barrier a few times, but she could find none. It seemed that the electrical charges shocking her, upon contact with the barrier, made her heal more slowly. Aya sat on the cold stone floor, on her side, leaning down, she rested her head on her folded arms. There was nothing she could do.
"They took...his soul too...? How could they?!? I shouldn't have left him so suddenly the way I did. These people...they must have known our whereabouts the entire time since we met up with Hiku and Mai. But why am I here?"
Aya's thoughts raced about why they took her, over the injured Hiku. They could've taken the Defender so easily then.
"The Defender and Genocide...they are like the two sides of a coin. I wonder if Kelbek needs someone to power his sword as well...or maybe the Defender only needs someone because it is meant to DEFEND, not attack offensively, like Genocide. Maybe that's why. And what was up with that girl...?"
Aya let out a heavy sigh and rolled onto her back. "Ugh, I don't know..." She said to herself, as she closed her eyes. "It's not like I should bother wondering about this... Kelbek said he'd keep me here forever. I imagine as long as this barrier is up, he can. I have no idea how to get past it..." Aya sat up and pulled her legs to her chest, resting her head on knees.
"I shouldn't bother, no one will come for me. I was a bit surprised that Colt did when the succubus attacked. Besides, they need to get Oren away from here. Rowan only has thirteen more days to study before he becomes a Saint. At least I can know Oren's safe by that time."
Aya pulled her legs closer to herself. She saw flashes of everyone in her head, her eyes sank low. "I will never see any of them again." Aya remembered when Shinjo took Blade's scythe to his chest, but still managed to defeat the large Stalker. Aya raised her head back up. "I have to try."
Aya stood up and concentrated her energy, extending her arms outward, filling the enclosed barrier with light. Aya traced a line with her finger again, then reached forward and grabbed the crystal blade. The blade radiated bright energy, as Aya rushed forward, slicing into the barrier. The barrier reacted, shrinking down immediately, then rebounded itself back wide, the quick compression and decompression of the air caused her to feel faint. Aya soon lost a grip on her blade and fell to the ground.
"Well...I probably shouldn't try that again." She said softly. The crystal blade fell and plinked to the ground. Aya glanced up to see that she'd made a small incision in the barrier. "There's no way I can cut through this thing and be able to get out without them knowing. It would take days..."
Aya laid there, catching her breath, trying to get a grip on her sight. "Mai...they'll hurt Mai. God, I hope she's going to be safe..." Aya said to herself. The black light of the barrier reflected onto her hand, the ring Shinjo had given her reflected the black light like a prism. Aya stared at it for several moments, then frowned and laid her head down, closing her eyes.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Nov 30, 2006 2:58:07 GMT -5
A few hours went by, Aya could hear footsteps. The mysterious dancer girl showed up again, this time by herself, carrying a plate with her. Aya watched the woman and said nothing. The woman moved to an altar near the barrier, placing the plate upon it, the woman transporting the plate inside the barrier, in front of Aya. It appeared to be food and water, but Aya didn't move. Of course, no one expected her to cooperate, even if it was for her own health's sake.
The woman simply said, "You should eat. Dying foolishly isn't worth it."
Aya didn't budge, "Why would I do that? I'm trapped here, your master intends to leave me here to rot."
"Of course not. As my master stated, he has no interest in you right now. You are simply here to keep Jensen's belief in our master, and to lure the Defender to us."
Aya looks away, "No one will come for me..."
The woman looked at her, "You are foolish to think that... Hiku will at least make an attempt, since he has the key to do so."
Aya turned toward her, "Why in the hell would Hiku help me?"
"I know him better than you realize, it's for the same reason he rescued you from that lake. Hiku seems cold, but he cannot bear to watch another suffer, and he will take the most foolish risks to save those he values, even if it puts more people in danger in the process..."
Aya sits up, on her knees, asking, "Who the hell are you? You're not one of these undead...you're alive. What are you doing with these people?"
The woman turned to leave,"Because I wish to..." Aya senses something off about her, like she was brainwashed, or maybe something worse.
Aya suddenly got a bad feeling, "Wait...you keep mentioning Hiku...how do you know so much about him? Who are you?"
The woman turned back toward Aya, "Perhaps you will find out on your own..." She turned back around and left. Once again, Aya was left alone.
Oren shouted at Hiku, "WHAT!? SHE'S GONE!?"
Hiku frowned a little, "It's exactly as I said."
"How in the hell could you let this happen? Shinjo and Aya are both gone!" Oren shouted.
Mai kicked Oren in the knee, "Stop it! Hiku couldn't do anything about it. It wasn't his fault!" Oren stumbled back a bit, going quiet.
Hiku sighed, "Leave it be Mai..."
Kenshin was sitting n a chair, near the wall, he looks up to them, "You said there's a chance we can get to that place?"
"I don't know...it's a major risk. I hope that Shinjo and Aya can hold out till the Defender is fully charged again..." Hiku said.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Dec 1, 2006 22:52:17 GMT -5
Oren grabbed his dark red cloak and walked outside the house, without saying a word. Kenshin, Colt, Rowan, Hiku and Mai just watched, they figured he needed time to reflect upon the recent events. In all reality, Shinjo and Aya would most likely end up dead, with they're being in a location that the others might not be able to reach.
Oren stepped out onto the porch, Blade was sitting on the edge, cleaning and sharpening his scythe. Blade glanced up to see who had exited the house, Oren didn't bother to glance down. Colt had gone back outside, relaxing on a bed of flowers. Oren could tell that his eyes looked troubled.
"Mai, I was wondering..." Rowan started, as Mai looked up to him. "I know you said that you could feel dark energy earlier...and you could feel Aya..."
"Yeah..?" Mai responded.
"What do you sense from Oren? Or can you not feel anything from him?" Rowan asked while looking to Mai, he had a slightly concerned look on his face.
"When we first met Shinjo, Aya and Oren...I sensed a great sadness within Oren, and longing. He wants to be normal... to be with Aya, but he knows that will probably never be. And he is saddened by that fact, and the fact that she may be the one to kill him. But I could tell Oren was very kind...easily irritated, but kind none-the-less." She said while twiddling her fingers.
"I see.." Rowan said, as he adjusted his sitting position. He looked back at Mai, she seemed troubled while thinking of this. "...you feel something different now, don't you?" He asked, while leaning forward a bit.
"Yes...ever since Shinjo became injured and Aya and Blade managed to save him, he's been...very attached to Aya. It's hard to explain." Mai stretched her legs out and began to dust off her clothing a bit. "I think Oren can sense things...maybe see them. I think he found out what happened to Shinjo and Aya that night...he's been very fidgety around Shinjo ever since."
"What do you mean?" Rowan asked.
"Well...he's been traveling with Aya and Shinjo for a while now, he trusts Shinjo and considers him a friend...but....I can feel a horrid jealousy emanating from Oren when he is around him. It's gotten worse as of late. When we left in the middle of the night to get Aya from Olanther, Oren was so angry with Shinjo when we got back. I think he may be beginning to hate him somehow... but not quite." Mai said as she narrowed her eyes a bit in deep thought.
"Hmm..." Kenshin said. "Maybe it's the spirit of Denethor?" He mentioned.
"That could be a possibility..." Hiku stated. "Oren is the reincarnation of Denethor, after all."
"Something doesn't make sense to me..." Rowan said. "Yes, he IS Denethor, but his body is inhabited by two souls, I have never seen this before. In Aya's case, which Mai was kind enough to explain to me, she had the same soul, it never left her body when Arianna died, because she had such an attachment to this world. But its like Oren's body has a split personality, in a sense. There are two souls inhabiting his body, either of which could have control. Right now, I would say Oren is battling Denethor for control of his body. I wonder how long this has been going on..." Rowan said as he pulled his legs underneath him, sitting indian-style.
"But why wouldn't he have said anything earlier?" Mai asked. She leaned forward, concerned and said, "Why wouldn't he have let us take him to someone like you, or a Saint...or even let Aya help him..??"
"Maybe it's in his subconcious.." Kenshin said.
"That would make sense." Hiku remarked as he sat down, rubbing his left temple. "Maybe he hasn't said anything because he doesn't realize it's even going on. He has Aya guarding him and he's allowed Shinjo to join them, so he's not closed off to asking for help." He said.
"I'm afraid..." Mai began, "I'm afraid that if Aya and Shinjo DO return safely...by their own means, or if we have to retrieve them...that their bond will be stronger than it is now...and that will break Oren." She said.
"Their bond..?" Rowan asked, he seemed a bit confused.
"He doesn't know." Kenshin said.
"Ah, the love triangle..." Hiku said. "Now I remember why I always leave the room when this gets brought up...so if you'll excuse me..." Hiku said as he stood and walked out of the room. Kenshin snickered under his breath at Hiku's remark, Rowan just arched his brow at what Hiku said.
Mai kind of giggled for a moment. "Apparently...Aya and Oren met Shinjo shortly after they began traveling together, so they've almost been like a team. Aya has told me that she senses a torn soul in Shinjo...but she has not pried into what it may be that's troubling him. Shinjo is a Berserker, and while Aya feels that he would never harm her or Oren if his rage were to get out of control. She does not want to inquire about his past, for fear of losing his trust. She doesn't want to feel awkward around him, or make him feel uncomfortable." Mai said as she sat with her back to the wall.
"Of course, Oren loves Aya, and Aya does love Oren...and she said that for a while, she thought that she was in love with him, but those feelings faded rather quickly after Shinjo joined them. Even though Aya hasn't said anything to me directly about Shinjo, really...I can tell that she cares about him, very much. But while that may be, Shinjo does not seem to return Aya's kindness or feelings. This is part of the reason why Aya had been so indifferent lately."
Rowan had a puzzled look on his face still. Mai just giggled a bit and continued.
"Normally, if something were to happen to Aya, Oren would be left in Shinjo's aid. Not to travel with him as Aya has sworn to do, but to take him to find a new Guardian. But Shinjo's actions earlier...he tried not once, but twice to enter the portals we mentioned. He succeeded the second time. Now Oren has no one to make sure he's safe, except for us. This leads me to believe that they are both Shinjo and Aya are changing. Aya would normally not leave Oren's side...but I think her being around him, she thinks that he may believe her to be reciprocating his feelings, and she isn't." Mai yawned.
Rowan opened his mouth, then stopped twice. Mai looked at him funny, Kenshin looked up to see what he was trying to say. "Aya is beautiful and all...and I agree that she is a kind person and very charismatic..." Rowan's face blushed a bit and Mai began to giggle under her breath, trying to hold it in.
Rowan took notice to Mai and cleared his throat, "But she has three men who care about her...?"
"Three?" Mai asked curiously.
"Blade." Kenshin said.
Mai began to laugh, tears forming at the ends of her eyes. "So what is this, a quadra-angle?" She asked. Kenshin just shook his head with a slight smirk on his face.
"But seriously Mai, this is rather intriguing. Has anyone spoken to Shinjo about his feelings toward Aya?" He asked. Mai and Kenshin stopped their chuckling and got quiet for a moment.
"I haven't..." Mai said. "I don't know about Blade, Hiku or Kenshin inquiring though... it's not really that he's unapproachable... but he kind of keeps to himself mostly." She said.
"But isn't he kinda of...ordinary?" Rowan asked.
"I guess so..." Mai said. "There is something about him though, he has a kind heart." She said. "And I imagine Aya has sensed the special something about him, and it draws her to him. Plus, Aya is a Guardian. Shinjo is the kind of person that would protect her if he needed to. Not to say that Oren couldn't, but Shinjo has way more physical ability than Oren, and while in that regard, Shinjo's "abilities" are a bit more stable than Oren's.......Shinjo is a Berserker. I don't think he'd ever try to harm Aya or Oren...unless Oren harmed Aya maybe. Oren's abilities with magic, or whatever it is he may posses, they are very, very strong...but they are horribly unstable."
"Speaking of Shinjo being a Berserker, do you know if he has ever tried to attack Oren or Aya while in that state?" Rowan asked.
"Not that I'm aware of. "Mai said. "I know Aya said that she has only seen him turn into a Berserker twice...and the third time she found out about it when she went to look for him when we arrived in Valencia."
"Do you think he might lose control, and end up hurting one of us?" Rowan asked.
"No, I don't think he would. He seems to have a very clear head...and while I've read that Berserker's can be anything from close to normal, to a totally different person while in that state, I don't think he would harm any of us." Mai said.
"That's good to know." Rowan said. "But we should pay attention if he turns ino the Berserker again, while anyone is around, to keep an eye on his actions." He stated.
"I agree, but while he doesn't say much, especially about his feelings, he seems calmed by Aya's presence." Mai said.
"Mm...that could just be his emotions flaring about 'Oren loves Aya, who may be in love with Shinjo, who may not love anyone' situation." Rowan said while rubbing his forehead and Kenshin began to laugh at his explanation of the situation.
"No, I don't think so. Besides..." Mai said as she glanced up, "...apart from Aya seeing something special about him...he is attractive in a scruffy, warrior type of way." She said with a giggle.
Kenshin began to laugh at Mai, as now Rowan was the one shaking his head. "Ugh, women..."
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Dec 2, 2006 3:23:32 GMT -5
They laughed for a bit before Kenshin looked to Mai, "So how are you feeling? I was rather surprised when you woke up suddenly on the way here."
Rowan nods, "You recovered quickly, considering the damage you took."
"Damage? No, it wasn't like that..." Mai said, while playing with her hair.
Kenshin arched a brow, "What do you mean?"
"That magic wasn't hurting me directly, rather it uprooted my ability to connect to the Defender, backlashing its power back at me, causing me to pass out." She still seemed uneasy.
Kenshin blinked, "It backlashed at you? What could do that?"
Mai looked up toward the ceiling, patting her feet on the wooden flooring, "Genocide."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Rowan asked.
Mai tipped her back forward. "I suppose it's safe to tell you guys. The Defender isn't one of a kind...rather it has a counterpart. The name of this weapon was merely referred to as Genocide, named after the term for human elimination. And the title is fitting, the Genocide is a destructive force unlike any other weapon in existence. According to the legend in our village, there was once a weapon that combined light and darkness. Conflicts over control of the sword split it into two halves, each half representing the two main vows of the warrior's nature. The Defender stood for the honor and will...the Genocide stood for elimination of all enemies."
Mai hunched forward, rubbing on her clothes. "Of course, the conflicts didn't stop there, each side wanted all the power. It was said when a true warrior wielded both successfully, they would be granted limitless power. However, no such warrior appeared. Eventually, in one conflict, the Genocide disappeared and was thought to be lost forever, the conflict that day put a curse on both weapons. Which is what causes the short time frame it can be safely used. The Defender was taken by my ancestors and kept hidden away, in the hopes it would never be used again." Mai said, she looked down to the floor and sighed heavily.
Kenshin and Rowan listened, rather surprised by the story. Rowan asked, "You...can give the Defender an endless power source though...I don't understand why."
Mai shook her head negatively, "I wish I knew...only myself and my sister, Eliza, could do it. As for the wings...I know nothing about them."
"...Vector and Shela...do you believe they're involved with this sword?" Kenshin asked, leaning forward.
Mai snorted, "Those two dimwits couldn't possibly use that thing. The could be working for the wielder of Genocide. Mostly in the case of the Stalkers, it was too much of a coincidence."
"Hiku's been gone awhile." Rowan said, glancing toward the door.
Mai shrugged, "Leave him be...he does that a lot."
Kenshin looked toward the door as well, "He seems so distant all the time, but yet he continues to do things I find rather surprising."
Mai nodded in response, "He's gone through a few changes since we started traveling together. Hiku acts like such a loner, but he's actually quite a softy, I think."
"Very...strange I must say. That doesn't seem like him at all." Rowan said with a chuckle.
"Hiku doesn't like to see people suffer. Often times, he'll put himself at risk, just to see that the mayhem stops. That's why my sister's death is so hard on him, kinda why he tries so hard to help Aya out."
Rowan blinked, "Don't tell me Hiku has a thing for her too."
Mai shook her head quickly, "Of course not. Aya looks slightly like Eliza, she reminds me a lot of her, actually." Mai giggled, "Eliza was stubborn and rather difficult to deal with some times. She and Hiku were so cute together, even from the time they were kids, nothing tore them apart back then. I remember before her death, I had never seen Hiku as happy as he was back then, he loved her so much..." Mai closed her eyes sniffling slightly, "Heh, now I'm getting emotional."
Mai went quiet again, Rowan and Kenshin chose not to inquire any further.
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Post by HunterColt22 on Dec 3, 2006 0:59:06 GMT -5
Colt stared into the sky above him, as he sighed, his thoughts roving over the past...
"I never could save them...any of them...I let them all die..."
Colt took his right arm into the air, blocking out the sun, he then began to crush the sun in his palm, until it was completely blocked from his sight. He stared intently at his hand.
"I couldn't stop them...I-I could do nothing...I will kill them...kill them all."
Colt released the sun from his hand. The haunting memories of his past were still running rampant through his mind.
"My family...my people, I will avenge you all. One day, I promise you...I will."
He rises to a sitting position. His head twinges with a slight pain, as he grasps his temples.
"Ahh...dammit, not again.." Colt muttered.
"You are troubled."
Colt turned his head, staring into the piercing green eyes of Oren.
"It is nothing Oren, pay me no mind." Colt said, resting his arms by his side again.
Oren stares at him a moment longer, then turns around and heads back to the small house.
"He must not know...what I have felt..." Colt says quietly to himself.
"Ah, and why is that young one?"
"Do you ever mind your own business old man?"
"Nope, sort of a bad habit I have."
Colt stands, brushing his legs off and turns around, the old man staring up at him.
"He must not know.....for he will doing something reckless, something that will kill him."
"And you won't?"
"I am different than him...I have no future, no past. I have nothing." Colt says, staring into the winter section of the training grounds.
"So you think, but in due time you will come to find something, or some one to live for."
The old man turns and begins walking away, his footsteps hardly making a sound upon the grass and flowers.
"I believe even with my warning, you will still do this, but all the same, be careful. Even for you, the omen and prophecy of the Azha, going in headstrong to save those two is suicide."
"Then, prepare a proper burial for me, one that would befit an Azha, for when I return with them."
The old man smiled and turned away from him again, disappearing into the field and air once more. Colt sighs and out stretches his left hand, his wings appear and spread, his right angel wing glows with a white light, his left demon wing glows with a dark shadow.
A dark shadow forms within his left palm and falls to the ground in front of him, opening a small portal. Colt sighs, and readies himself.
"I despise this...ugh, I'm going to hate this place."
Colt jumps down and glides into the darkness, the last of the light, fading behind him as the hole closes.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Dec 3, 2006 18:51:15 GMT -5
In the dungeon-esq room that Aya was being held, a small fire burned in a torch, mounted on the wall. Aya was sitting up, Indian-style, her arms out to her sides. Her fingertips resonated with a white glow, her eyes were closed, she appeared to be concentrating quite hard. Shinjo was in a hallway nearby, he'd had a hard time navigating the corridors, with undead guards on nearly every corner. He'd noticed heightened security at a room further back, one of which he glanced inside for just a moment...
There was a large, hourglass-type object with metal structures connected to it, it appeared to be some type of machine. Inside the glass were multiple colored orbs of light, some flying around vicariously, others barely moving at all. Unknown to Shinjo, these were the souls of the beings that Kelbek had taken. Shinjo could not stay there for long, guards were making their rounds and he was nearly seen before managing to stab his sword into the wall, jettisoning himself onto a wooden beam above the doors. Once the guards were gone he hopped down quietly and made his way further into the dungeon.
As he got to the end of the hallway, an unlit stairwell led the way to an even deeper area of the dungeon. Shinjo unsheathed his sword, using the soft green glow to light his way. As Shinjo came to a stop, his sword quit resonating instantly, there was someone ahead of him, carrying a torch. He could hear the soft tones of a female voice and a deeper male voice, in conversation. Shinjo made quickly onto their tail, without notice. Eliza and Kelbek were headed down the stairs, into a very dimly lit hallway with only a few doors. Shinjo sat just behind the curve of the stairs, to stay out of sight. This area smelled horrid, the combination of death and mildew was sickening.
Eliza held her hand out, over the lock of the second door on the right, a dark purple glow resonated. A bright spark emitted from the lock, and Eliza took a key and manually unlocked the door. They'd used a magic seal to keep the door locked from any would-be rescuers. Eliza pushed open the door as Kelbek entered the room, followed by Eliza. Shinjo could smell roses. He rushed forward, managing to stop the door from closing, by maneuvering the tip of his sword between the door and the wall. He crouched low and removed his sword from the door, moving a small pebble in the way to prevent it's closing. Shinjo stood up and glanced in the window of the door, the metal bars providing slight shadow over his eyes. Aya still sat in the same position, unmoved and undisturbed by Eliza and Kelbek's presence.
"My Master needs to speak with you." Eliza said, as Aya opened her eyes.
"I have nothing to say to either of you." Aya said. Shinjo's eyes lit up when he heard Aya's voice, he was able to see that she was unharmed.
Kelbek walked forward and stepped into the barrier with Aya. Aya stood up immediately and tried to grab a crystal blade, but Kelbek quickly grabbed her by the wrist.
"Let me go!" Aya yelled, as she struggled to free herself from his grip. She noticed an odd faint smell, like olives.
Kelbek pulled Aya's wrist to the side, grabbing her by the back of the neck, and kissed her. Aya's eyes widened as she struggled to free herself from him. Shinjo tightened the grip on his sword, his eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth. Kelbek held Aya close to him as she struggled, until her eyelids fell heavy. Kelbek then pulled away from her.
"That...was not.....meant...for you......" Aya said before her head fell backward, her body going limp. Shinjo's eyes widened as a chill ran over his entire body.
"Did...did he........."
Thinking Kelbek had killed Aya, Shinjo's eyes narrowed, gripping his sword so tightly, that it began to shake violently, as it started to glow with great intensity. Kelbek laid Aya's body down.
"That man's life will belong to me."
"Will this work?" Eliza asked Kelbek, as he walked out of the barrier.
"The old man said it would, and his information has been correct thus far, so there is no reason to believe he is misleading us." Kelbek said in a calm tone as he walked passed Eliza, heading to the door. "I must make my leave now, dear. I will return shortly." He said to Eliza. She only nodded in acknowledgment.
Shinjo quickly rushed to the room before Aya's, darting inside quietly. Eliza and Kelbek exited Aya's room, only manually locking the door upon leaving. They made their way back up the stairs, as Shinjo crept out of the room, closing the door. He ran over to Aya's door and glanced back to the stairwell. The glow of Kelbek's torch was nearly gone. Shinjo looked back into Aya's room, she was still laying on the floor, motionless.
A darkened room is covered in women's clothing, they are all strewn about...on top of furniture and the floor. From the looks of the clothes, they belonged to some high-class whores. A somewhat chunky brunette women, appearing in her late teens, was laid out, naked, on dark blue satin sheets. Her medium brown hair was cut short, almost in a male style, but slightly longer. Despite her being slightly larger, she was rather beautiful, with her light blue eyes and flawless pale skin. She was laying on her left side, nibbling on a man's fingertips.
Another girl, who seemed maybe 15, was on her knees to the left of the bed, pouring a large glass of wine. She had beautiful, long raven-colored hair with brown eyes, she was wearing a white colored slip. She appeared to be of Asian decent, with graceful features, long legs and a tiny frame. The last woman, appearing to be in her late twenties or early thirties, was wearing a lacy red bra. Her gold bracelets clanked together, as she ran her hand across the man's stomach to grab the glass. Her dark blond hair trickled down her shoulders a few inches, it was slightly wavy. She had light blue eyes as well... she glanced up at the man and took a sip of the wine before feeding some to the man by means of her lips.
The gentle, but cold, wind blew softly into the room from the enormous balcony window-doors. The curtains barely moved in the light breeze, as Kelbek appeared on the balcony itself. The man stepped inside the room, startling the girls. A fiery glow was upon the man's face, reflected from the intense flames of the fireplace. Jensen took a big gulp of his wine as the girls clamored around him, under the covers. The man in the black armor just stood there. Without Jensen noticing, he glanced over at the Weaver. The silver string had broken where it met with the purple string. The man smirked a bit as Jensen glared at him.
"Wahht are joo shtarin' at, Kelbek?" Jensen stuttered out from his drunken lips.
Kelbek narrowed his eyes for a moment, turning toward Jensen, saying, "Well, I'm sure you've already noticed, but the Guardian has been handled."
"Yesh, I noticeeed it jusht a liddle while agoo." He managed to say. "Isht's aboot time. Now if joo'll eckscuse me..." He said as he sat his glass down on a table, grabbing the wine bottle with one hand, pouring himself more wine, rubbing his hand across the Asian girl's shoulder.
Kelbek only turned and walked back out the way he came. He hopped off the edge of the balcony and smirked while he fell. "Imbecile." He said, before he vanished into the cold winter sky.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Dec 4, 2006 1:54:12 GMT -5
Eliza look up, as she heard Kelbek return, "I see your meeting is complete, Master."
Kelbek chuckled, "The drunken fool was too busy with his pricey whores to notice anything around him....so enough it will be his downfall."
Eliza looks at him, "The Guardian has reawakened, it seems the magic worked."
Kelbek chuckles, "That powder would kill a mortal, however, diluted in my body, it knocked her out. Jensen thinks shes dead, his ignorance will soon be dealt with."
Eliza looks at him, "And about Hiku my lord, the Defender and Mai are still at large."
Kelbek turns to face her, "Are you concerned about your lover, or your sister?"
Eliza shook her head in a negative manner, "I was just stating facts."
Kelbek chuckles, "Well...perhaps it's time I let you loose to play my dear, but for now, we can simply tug on Hiku's emotions. Once you have him in your grasp...he'll hand over the Defender like a good little boy. And once we have it...we will get rid of that nuisance once and for all."
Eliza looks at him, "And what of the Guardian's man? You and I both sensed him in the castle, yet we ignored him."
Kelbek chuckled again, "The Berserker was promised to Vector, he will deal with him. And if he doesn't...even if he frees her, there is no escape. Besides, no matter which person loses, we'll have a powerful soul to add to our collection."
He stood up slowly, Eliza turned to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Kelbek laughed, "To grant a death wish child..." With that, Kelbek disappeared into the darkness, until the time was right for his next move.
Eliza made her way to the chamber with the hourglass machine, "This place will soon be a risk for the souls, I must transfer them to the GIANT.....Vector will lose. I will not let his ignorance destroy my Master's cause. Then Hiku, I will come for you!"
Meanwhile, back in the dungeon, Aya slowly stumbled to her feet.
What happened to me...he kissed me...but I can't seem to remember anything after that.
Feeling rather woozy, Aya was startled by a loud bang on the door. "...What...now?"
Shinjo slammed into the door again and again, finally knocking the wooden door clean off it's hinges. Dust flew up wildly as the door crashed to the stone floor, as it cleared, Shinjo was standing in the doorway. Aya's eyes widened at the sight of her rescuer.
"...He came for me..?"
"...Shinjo..." His name had barely left her lips, before he had already made his way over to her cell. He came to a stop in front of it, catching his breath. "Aya..."
"What are you doing here..?" Aya muttered out softly.
Shinjo shook his head, "Later, we have no time. I need to get you out of here...how in the hell does this thing open...?"
Aya held her hands out, "Don't touch it...the whole thing is electrified with some sort of barrier. One of their men operated it with that machine over there." Aya said, pointing to the right.
"Too bad you won't get a chance to use it." A warped voice emerged from behind them, Vector had finally tracked Shinjo down.
"Dammit.." Shinjo whispered, as he turned to see his assailant.
As Vector stepped into the room, a pale purple energy emerged around the door frame, sealing the exit of the room. "You are not leaving here alive...Berserker, your soul will belong to me!"
A serious look swept Shinjo's face, as she withdrew his sword, he knew very well that Vector was powerful, possibly indestructible. If he had any chance to defeat him...it would be in the form of the Berserker.
Vector shouted, "And this time, YOU'LL BOTH SCREAM!" As he slammed his sword onto the ground, cracking the stone beneath it.
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Post by seraph_phoenix on Dec 4, 2006 4:21:42 GMT -5
Aya stood in her cell, unable to do anything but watch, as Vector's giant broadsword crushed the stone flooring like glass. Shinjo had already readied his sword, it began to glow a fierce green. He was postponing his change into the Berserker, to see how long he could last. Yes, this would be the fourth time Shinjo would go Berserker...but despite what Mai had thought, this would be Aya's first time seeing it.
The two men rushed forward and clashed, creating a horribly warped metal clang. Shinjo was much faster than Vector, but Vector was undead...an advantage Shinjo could never have. Aya created a circle with her fingertips as a white symbol appeared. She reared her right arm back, then thrust it into the barrier wall. The electricity wasn't knocking her back like it was earlier, but it was shocking her intensely, as it climbed around her hand and arm. Aya winced a bit, as she pushed to force her hand through the barrier.
Vector glanced up momentarily from forcing Shinjo backward, into wooden planks, propped against the wall. He threw a dagger at Aya's hand, cutting the small skin between her fingers. Aya cried out a bit and yanked her hand back inside the barrier. Shinjo yelled, throwing one of the planks at Vector. Vector reached his left arm forward and smashed it in mid-air with a smirk on his face. The pieces of board spread out upon impact, weakening Vector's view. Shinjo took advantage of his diversion and rushed at Vector, slicing upward, cutting the muscle connecting Vector's right arm to his pectoral. Vector yells, as his arm falls slightly limp for a moment.
"Don't touch her again." Shinjo said, as he panted deeply to catch his breath, Vector glared as he rotated his left arm around. Shinjo was fairly calm for someone fighting an enormous undead like Vector. Aya was covering the cut on her hand, the dark energy of Vector's sword was slowing her healing. She looked up when she heard Shinjo talking to Vector.
"Why is he acting like this? Why is he protecting me? He isn't a Guardian..."
Thoughts raced through Aya's mind, while their swords clashed again. The intensity in the air was so thick it could be cut. Aya watched their every movement, she was almost waiting for Vector to strike Shinjo. Vector was very large, and though he wasn't as quick as Shinjo, he was relatively fast for being so built. The putrid smell of undead reeked from him, Aya curled her nose up at it, but it was hard to avoid.
"I could kill her right now and save you the trouble of trying to rescue her." Vector said to Shinjo as their swords met in a stalemate. He forced down onto Shinjo hard, "It's not like you could get out of here anyway. Maybe she'll scream for me..." Shinjo flinched at his words, as Vector angled his sword to the side, punching Shinjo in the shoulder.
Shinjo stepped back only once, impressive for such a hard blow. Shinjo's sword resonated a brighter green as he darted forward, just as Vector swung his giant sword.
Vector had been a bit too slow...Shinjo stepped onto the side of the blade as it swung low to the ground, rammed his sword deep into the area between Vector's shoulder and neck. He spun his foot around on the sword, turning completely, and kicking Vector in the face, inadvertently releasing the sword from Vector's body, while sending him into a roll. Shinjo landed quickly, rotating his shoulders, then readying his sword again.
Vector stuck his sword into the ground and stood up, resting his weight upon it.
"Heh, this is fun kid...but I have more power than you think." Vector said in his warped voice, as his entire body bulged even more, glowing a faded purple. His eyes were now a hazy white, no color to be seen.
"A Berserker..." Shinjo said to himself, he was a bit surprised. Without another word, Vector wailed on Shinjo, slamming his sword down, left, then right, over and over. Shinjo was falling back from defending against the blows. Vector's body mass had grown significantly, his attacks were stronger every time. It wouldn't be long before Shinjo would have to turn into a Berserker. Aya dropped down to her knees as their battle ensued.
Vector spun around, slicing his sword at mid-level, quickly skidding to a stop, he swung his blade downward, faster than Shinjo could react. The blade sliced toward his head, but Shinjo quickly stepped back, the tip of Vector's blade slicing down the side of his neck. The wound was not deep, but in such a sensitive area, the pain was relatively high. Shinjo grabbed at his neck and stumbled backward, a few feet away from the wall. Vector closed in, swinging his sword quickly in every direction. Shinjo was barely able to block the blows, he had to get Vector away from him for a moment to turn into a Berserker, but Vector wasn't giving him the chance.
Aya's hands glowed, as she forced her arms forward, a white ball materialized in between Shinjo and Vector. They both paused for a moment before it exploded, in Vector's face. Vector screamed and grabbed his face with his left hand, rubbing at his eyes.
"Ahhhh! I can't...I can't see....YOU BITCH!" He swung his sword wildly.
"Shinjo, run away!" Aya yelled. Shinjo looked at her like she was crazy. "Dammit, get out of here!!"
"I'm not leaving here without you." He said, quite calm.
"You need to find Oren a new Guardian!" She yelled at him.
"Is Oren all you can think about?" He said.
Aya looked a bit shocked. Shinjo's face was scuffed with dirt, as he looked back at Vector. At that moment, Aya was in awe of Shinjo, she felt herself light of breath, but she couldn't explain why. Vector was still wailing carelessly. Shinjo walked forward slowly and reared his sword back, ready to swing down on Vector...but he had been fooled. Vector stopped wailing, quickly grabbing Shinjo by the shirt and throwing him onto Aya's cell. Aya screamed as Shinjo collided with it, the electricity shocking his body for a moment, before he fell to the ground. She turned to see him lying on the stone flooring, she felt like she could not breath. Aya scrambled over to the side of the cell and instinctively reached forward toward him, but the barrier electrified her hand. Aya kept pushing her hand onto the barrier as Shinjo started moving again, just as Vector headed over toward them.
Shinjo pushed off the ground with his arm, lifting himself up a bit, he turned his head toward her. "Aya..." He barely muttered out.
Aya felt like she was able to breath again, when she heard her name escape his lips. The half of an instant when she realized he was okay, seemed to last forever, as he reached up near her hand, on the opposite side of the barrier. Vector's enormous hand reached into the barrier, latching onto Aya's neck, lifting her off the ground. Shinjo's eyes widened, he quickly rolled over, ramming his sword into Vector's leg. Vector quickly slapped Shinjo aside with the flat side of his broadsword. Shinjo rolled out of the way of most of the impact, getting to his feet.
"You know...if you had let things be, you might have lived longer, girl." Vector said, as he tightened his grip on her throat. Aya clawed at his hand crazily, as she gasped for air...he had grabbed her so quickly, she didn't have a chance for any more oxygen. Vector's right arm light up a bright purple, as the glow ran onto Aya. She tried to yell, but she wasn't able, the intensity of her struggle dropped, as the purple energy waved toward Vector. Some of Vector's small scrapes healed themselves, he was absorbing Aya's energy. Shinjo charged Vector, slamming his sword into Vector's right arm, the one holding Aya.
"Let her go!" He yelled, as he forced his sword deeper into Vector's arm. Vector laughed and stepped back, quickly swinging his sword. Shinjo yanked his sword from Vector's arm and quickly defended against the swing. Shinjo was sent flying into a pile of wood against the wall, almost dropping his sword upon impact.
"Shinjo!" Aya yelled, her voice contorted by Vector's large hand. The purple glow from Vector covered her entire body, as her eyes began to feel heavy.
Vector laughed again, Shinjo was unable to move for a moment, but he eventually rose out of the rubble. His head was hanging low, his entire body resonated with the glow of the sword. "Come on girl, SCREAM FOR ME!" Vector yelled at Aya.
Aya's attention was drawn to Shinjo, her eyes widened for a moment before narrowing back down again, she was getting weak from Vector draining her. "Please...don't..." She muttered out, as Vector looked over at Shinjo, with surprise on his face. A sound like a heartbeat emanated, as it pulsated from Shinjo, it caused a wave in his resonating energy. The dead silence before Shinjo went Berserker was horrifying.
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Post by shinjoyoshida on Dec 4, 2006 15:57:40 GMT -5
"FIGHT! KILL! MAIM! BURN!" screamed the voices. Revenge was on the agenda that night. His hands started trembling and shaking with great force, the motions were such that he could not grip his sword any longer. At once, his sword fell to the ground, the green energy spilling over the dungeon floor. It was at this moment that Shinjo's mind reverted into its most primal state. There were only a few things he paid attention to. First was Aya's well being, and second was his foe's downfall. The descriptions herein do not do justice to the intensity of the moment, but imagine if you will the split second before death, the emotions and rush of adrenaline.
Shinjo's mouth grew dry, he hungered for blood. All at once, he bent over and latched his hands into the stone floor. Piercing the rock like jello, his hands grasped hold of a large stone tablet. Thus throwing the slab at Vector, Shinjo made a primal growl and ran toward his adversary. His whole body was now engorged with muscle and adrenaline. The nails in his hands and toes now grew hard and sharp, like claws, and his teeth sharpened, akin to those of a wolf. Growling wildly he flung himself on Vector's shoulder just as the concrete had made impact. Vector's grip loosened on Aya's neck, just long enough for her to breathe in the precious air around her.
Shinjo started punching, scraping, and gashing at Vector's neck, while Vector tried to protect himself with his sword. His warped voice emitted a strange sound as Shinjo struck his jugular vein. Jumping off his prey and surveying the scene, Shinjo noticed he had struck a vital point. Realizing he was now dealing with a serious threat, Vector released Aya and covered his gushing wound with his free hand. The blood began to stop flowing out as soon as a purplish glow washed over Vector's upper body. His figure began to expand again into a monstrosity of a human. No, the being once known as Vector was gone, just as Shinjo had shed his humanity a few moments ago. The two were locked in a visceral fight for life. Neither wanted to lose and neither would give up.
Vector's voice filled the halls with chaos, Aya had to cover her ears. The sound was so intense, that it seemed to be an attack in itself. Shinjo heard nothing of it, as he crouched low and eyed his attacker. His mouth was open, bearing his teeth for all to see. Saliva dripped out of the side of his mouth, as his breathing grew heavier. His eyes were red again, burning red. It hurt Aya to see Shinjo that way, she knew he didn't like it. Shrieking like a predator after its prey, Shinjo clawed his way across the floor on all fours. Leaping onto the side of the wall he kicked off and threw his whole body at Vector. As soon as Shinjo grappled Vector's waist, the pair's momentum crashed through a wall.
It was a horrible sight to see. As Vector struggled to throw Shinjo off of his chest, blood was being flung everywhere. Shinjo was literally tearing chunks of undead flesh out of Vector with his teeth and claws. The night would not end until he stood over Vector's corpse. Suddenly, a rock slammed into Shinjo's head, the blow knocked him off Vector just long enough for the undead lieutenant to right himself, brandishing his sword. His body started working to repair the wounds. The sickening sound of bone and tendons reforming, struck a bloody smile across Shinjo's face. He knew he was wearing him down, the fight was now simply a test of endurance. But before Shinjo could figure out his next move, Vector had charged him with his sword, held perpendicular to his body. The blade's point barely missed Shinjo's midsection. As soon as Shinjo sidestepped the attack, he crouched to the ground and sprung up onto Vector's shoulders and steadied himself by sinking his feet into Vector's muscle mass. With another swift movement, Shinjo started punching Vector's helmet. The dark artifact waned under his powerful blows, as Vector struggled to grasp his foe's ever moving under carriage.
Finally, the undead monster grasped hold of Shinjo's leg and swung him around, into a wall. While still keeping his grip on the appendage, he swung Shinjo into the opposite wall. His blood lust still not sated, Vector then threw him up into the stone ceiling and ran him threw with his sword, as his body fell to the ground. The sword ran straight through his heart. Laughing insanely, Vector kicked Shinjo off his weapon and watched him fall back through the opening they had created previously. Aya covered her mouth and gasped, when she saw the gaping wound in Shinjo's chest.
Shinjo was now a wounded animal. He knew he had only one option, and that was to fight until no more blood streamed through his veins and arteries. But his pain was immense, his body would not perform like his brain wanted it to. Aya saw Shinjo as he tried to stand up, falling back to the ground. There was nothing she could do at this moment, she felt so helpless. Vector stepped out of the rubble and glanced around the passageways. He picked out Shinjo's crumpled form on the wall and chuckled to himself for a second time.
"Puny human! You may bark like a wolf but your bite is nothing! You call yourself a Berserker...Ha! Would I have shown you all of my power, these walls would not be able to contain my girth!" Sheathing his sword on his back, Vector removed his helmet to mend the metal.
His face was a ghastly sight, twisted and warped by whatever dark energy he worshipped. Aya soon noticed she was sitting in a praying position, holding her hands close to her heart. All she wished was that Shinjo would get up and get out of here. After all, she was the reason he had came. Desperate for anything to happen, she made her wishes known to the floor, as her lips mouthed the words.
Shinjo's chest now began to over flow with blood, the vital organ was out of control as he began to spasm. Screaming and growling, he began to claw along the ground to get near Aya. He had to protect her, even if it killed him. Vector simply took the time to stroll behind him while laughing wildly. Gasping for air, the pain began to suppress his lung capacity, his muscles were on fire, as every movement taxed his life force even more. Finally reaching the front of Aya's cell, Shinjo rolled over and moved himself into a crouching position again, with one hand over his gaping chest wound. Coughing up blood and growling at the same time, Shinjo looked a pitiful sight. He was on his last breath when Aya's wish finally came true. Lifting her head up, a small breach in the cell's energy field appeared, just large enough for her to reach her arms out and hold Shinjo's battered frame.
White light poured over Shinjo, as Aya's goddess powers infused him with holy energy. His heavy breathing stopped and his heart began to mend itself. Vector's eyes widened, as he drew his sword in a flash, having bored it down onto Shinjo's head. Aya flinched and ducked her head, but Shinjo’s hands intercepted the blade as it cut into his skin. With Aya healing him, his hands began to glow white and mend themselves. His power was now the polar opposite of Vector's. With a frenzied grin, Shinjo wrenched the tainted blade from Vector's hands, beginning his counter attack, as Aya released him from her arms. A wild laughter erupted from Shinjo's lungs, as his refreshed body hurtled itself toward Vector. The Berserker had reached full potential now, his frame bursting with primal energy. Bolstered by Aya's intervention, he began systematically disabling Vector's body. First he slashed Vector's leg tendons and watched as he fell to his knees.
However, Vector didn't see a problem, all he had to do was regenerate the lost tissue and resume the fight. But his wounds glowed a bright white, as his flesh began to burn where Shinjo had struck him. The once faithless teenager was now a man of the cloth. Aya's energy had temporarily transferred to Shinjo, and now all of his attacks would permanently ruin Vector. Feeling intense pain, Vector punched Shinjo in his stomach, sending him flying backward into a wall. Shinjo fell to his feet and grinned more, as his eyes lit up. The predator saw his kill plainly now, and nothing would escape his wrath. Vector tried invoking more of his power, but before he could concentrate any further, Shinjo was upon him once again. He bit his jugular out, starting to claw away at his neck while Vector bent backwards on his legs. Trying to remove Shinjo, his lithe body slipped away in time to avoid Vector's massive arms. Picking away at his prey’s body, Shinjo all but killed the dark Berserker.
Now it was Shinjo's turn to toy with Vector. He leapt onto his chest once again and grasped Vector's biceps. Sinking his claws into his flesh, he pinned him to the ground. As Vector screamed, his body began to tremble, he was unleashing all of his power now. If he did not escape that spot, he was doomed to eternal damnation. Shinjo smiled more, as his bloodstained face delighted in Vector's situation. He sank his hands further into the expanding muscle as Vector cried out more, in his unearthly voice. Now with his face mere inches from Vector's, he stared into his eyes. Vector's white orbs reflected no light, but for some reason, they began to water. Shinjo's eyes grew closer to Vector's and began to resonate a reddish white. It was at this time that Shinjo began to fully realize how much latent power Aya had instilled in him. He opened his eyes wider as they grew brighter. Vector howled at the pain. His own eyes were being melted and burnt by Shinjo's holy presence. Screaming, Vector began to struggle even more. His whole body was shaking under Shinjo's tight grip.
Finally, Shinjo had enough of this games. His victory secured, he tore Vector's arms off of his body, the ripping muscle made a horrible sound. Yet, Vector was quiet. He simply laid on the ground, trying to close his eyelids over the now empty sockets.
"FIGHT! KILL! MAIM! BURN!" Vector heard the voices no longer, his will to fight was extinguished, his only wish was to escape his tormentor and live out his last fleeting moments in peace. But his wish was not to be granted.
Shinjo ripped Vector's helmet off in a single motion and moved to grasp Vector's twisted and malformed ears. Tearing them off, Vector let out another warped scream of pain. The nerves in his body were at a breaking point, he was barely aware anything that was happening. But Shinjo would not let him slip into the clutches of unawareness. He was not prepared to let Vector have one more moment of any happiness, any enjoyment, or any peace. He next moved to open Vector's mouth, but in defiance it was shut, and his lips pursed. Shinjo smirked and poked his claws into the bottom of Vector's chin and watched him scream again. Taking his other hand, shoving it into his mouth, he put all his strength into his arms. Tearing Vector's jaw off, he exposed most of his lower face and neck. Laughing now like Vector, it seemed as if Shinjo was Aya's tormentor.
In his fit of rage Shinjo had become too unstable, his only thought was Vector, and how much pain he was inflicting upon him. Each ounce of blood let from Vector's body, every scream emitted from his throat, every ruptured organ, and every breaking bone thrilled Shinjo to the point of ecstasy. Clenching the side of Vector's head, Shinjo thrusted his claws inward. Hearing Vector's gurgled cry Shinjo knew now he had to end this. With a final scream of rage, he bit into Vector's forehead, and with a power rivaled only by Vector himself, he crushed skin and cranial bone alike. Grazing part of Vector's frontal lobe he started to spasm wildly, flailing around like a dying fish.
"Shinjo, that's enough!" Aya screamed from her cell, but he could not hear her plea. With blood all across his tattered body, Shinjo sat up on Vector's chest. Fingering the ground to his left, he felt the cold touch of steel. Grasping Vector's sword, he thrust it into the ground next to Vector's head. The hilt almost touching the dungeon floor itself. With almost no effort, he snapped the blade in twine and readied the now dagger like weapon. With a face of disgust, Shinjo looked upon Vector, he saw all that he had done to him, and all that reflected upon Shinjo. He now realized what had happened, as his thoughts came back to him and his eyes turned their normal brown color. Closing his eyes, he quickly rammed the broken sword into Vector's head, thus ending his torment.
Aya was paralyzed. She had heard the stories, and seen the aftermath one time, but now she had seen it all. With her jaw slack, she watched Shinjo pick himself up and move over to his sword, its green energy retreated from where it came as he moved closer to it. Sheathing the revered weapon and holding the scabbard like a cane, he moved over to Aya's cell. Sitting on the floor he began to feel heavy, like his whole body was telling him that he needed rest. Aya stared at him in awe, as Shinjo's gaze melded to the floor.
"You're safe now." He whispered. Shinjo did not look up though, he was too ashamed of himself.
"What should I do now? I don't know how to get you out."
For a split second, Aya wondered if she even wanted to get out. Shinjo's body was nearly broken, he'd risked his life to save her, but she was almost afraid of him. Just then, the barrier dissipated into nothing. The mechanism that was generating the transparent wall was not making any noise now. It appeared that whoever was keeping her, decided that she ought to be let go. Putting her hand on Shinjo's shoulder, she brought her head close to his. Hesitating a little, he let her move closer, their foreheads touching, as Aya closed her eyes and looked into Shinjo's past. It seemed as if the two were watching Shinjo's life in fast forward. For a few minutes they sat there, breathing lightly. Then, at last, Aya let go. Shinjo still did not look up.
"I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything," whispered Aya,"I understand now." Her fear for him dissipated, she leaned forward on her knees, pulling Shinjo close to her, resting his head just below her neck.
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Post by Dragin "Hiku" Hikari on Dec 4, 2006 17:30:39 GMT -5
The woman dressed in the dancer's clothes stopped, turning to look back down the hall. "Vector has been completely annihilated...no matter, the transfer is complete. Vector's soul will make a good addition to GIANT. Now it is time..." She disappeared without a trace once again.
Aya was sitting in the room, still holding Shinjo close to her as he rested. She was still trying to sort out what she had just seen in Shinjo's mind. At that moment, it was quiet in the castle, she couldn't sense Kelbek or that woman anymore, even the guards had seemed to disappear entirely. Were they linked to Vector, or was there something else they were not seeing?
Aya's train of thought was disturbed when she began to hear a noise, it sounded like someone crying nearby. Shinjo heard it faintly, but paid no heed, staying near Aya to heal his wounds.
"What is that?" Aya whispered slightly.
Shinjo responded weakly, "There are a few other rooms like this one. It's probably another prisoner, I would assume." Shinjo looked at her slightly, her head was turned, "I know that look, just leave me here and check it out. I know you want to."
Aya just glanced at him slightly, surprised that he was able to read her so easily. Aya did want to find the prisoner, mostly because after her experience, the idea of leaving anyone here to suffer seemed unforgivable. She pulled herself away from Shinjo, helping him to stand. Aya walked him over to the wall and rested him against it. "I'll be back soon, I promise." She said with a smile.
Aya slowly moved to the other rooms, oddly enough, all the doors were flung open. She followed the sounds to a room, five down from hers, entering slowly, taking notice to the familiar barrier in the center. A woman was on her knees, crying in her hands. She was wearing a common, very-worn peasant's dress. Her long raven-colored hair was draped beautifully across her shoulders. There was something oddly familiar about her, but it was too vague to tell. The woman suddenly looked up, as Aya entered the room. Aya stopped, the woman's eyes were a violet color, it reminded her of Mai, only older. The woman looked started by Aya's appearance.
"Y-Your not one of Kelbek's soldiers?" She asked faintly, her eyes red from the crying.
Aya shook her head in a negative manner, "No, I'm not."
The woman stood up, "Please...I've been in this cell for years now, please let me out." The woman's plea seemed innocent enough, the wear on her clothes made it apparent that she'd been here a long time. "Please help me, my name is Eliza Dray. I'm begging you!"
Aya froze in place, "What..? You're joking, right?"
The woman shook her head, "Why are you looking at me like that? Why would I lie?"
"You...must be someone else, a friend of mine by the name of Hiku, says you died four years ago." Aya said softly.
The woman's eyes brightened, "Hiku?? He's still alive?!? Is there a girl with him, about 14? With dark colored hair, and eyes like mine??" She asked quickly.
Aya nods, "Yes, Mai and Hiku have been traveling with me."
Eliza knelt down again, "They're alive...oh my god...for all these years I thought everything I knew was gone." She seemed very happy now, for someone trapped in a cell.
Aya watched her silently, from what she saw, there was no reason to doubt her at the moment. She seemed to fit the description she'd heard from both Mai and Hiku to match Eliza, but something didn't fit, if she supposedly had died, then what happened? If Eliza has been in here for four years, how come Aya didn't sense or notice her before? At the same time, she knew that she couldn't leave her here. Aya moved over to the device.
Eliza looked at her, "If you turn the green and yellow gems, I think it will lower.." Aya nods and does so, the barrier slowly began to de-energize and dispel. Eliza stood up and bowed, "Oh! I'm forever in your debt mi-lady!"
Aya blinked, she wasn't sure how to react. "I wish we could get out of here, but I'm not sure how."
Eliza nodded, "I see...I'm still grateful, maybe together we can escape this hell. I long to see Hiku and my sister again."
"My friend is waiting in the other room, he's injured, so we'll have to rest a while before trying to find a way out." Aya says.
Eliza smiles,"I've waited four years...I can manage a little longer."
Without another word, they returned to the cell where Shinjo was resting, he was sleeping peacefully for now.
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