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Post by AngelicTragedy on Aug 3, 2010 10:12:53 GMT -5
Marius rested back on his coiled body and allowed himself to sigh quietly. Bernard had been after the same girl. Why hadn’t Marius seen it before, even though it was hard to think properly when being thrown through buildings. As if knowing what was going to transpire, he cast a final slip of paper against one shattered wall of the hotel and resigned himself to a fight. Marius’ wings flared outwards and he leaned forward in an attack stance, but not so much as to not be able to avoid an attack.
“Give me the girl you misty bitch and this will all be over.” Marius hissed but only got a hollow chuckle in response.
“Listen girl, I’ve got to bring you back to my lord. He’s going to help, he wants to protect you. This monster that has you now will probably kill you the first chance he gets. The first monster is gone, and now you’ve fallen into the grasp of another. Let me take you to my master.” Marius pleaded but didn’t seem to be getting through to her.
“Fine, put the girl down then and let’s get on with killing you, smokey!”
OOC- Wasn't sure if I was going to be the one to actually do the next bit, but this works.
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Post by Iron Mouse on Aug 3, 2010 11:39:39 GMT -5
Bernard says that only you can prevent forest fires.
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Post by Hamuu on Aug 3, 2010 17:31:24 GMT -5
"Tell your master," Bernard began as the second 'Death' card evaporated, this time into a ball of black vapor, "That I will be coming for him soon enough. All those who conspire with Whelkshore, and that damn andalite, will find me upon their doorstep once I've finished with that town of righteous fools."
In the distance Bernard could hear helicopters. The Americans were finally sending some kind of force into the city, though he wasn't sure of it was a scout or an actual group meant to deal with the problem. It didn't matter, they'd be gone by the time it arrived.
The black vapor squirmed unnaturally as it shot toward Marius. What was left of the hotel room burst out in all directions - the boards were ripped from the floor, the walls buckled and collapsed, and the ceiling shot upwards in a vortex of plaster, wood, and concrete. Bernard had pumped the last of his power into that spell; he wanted to take care of that scaly aldra-sa just as much as he wanted its cohorts to know something was lurking just beyond the horizon.
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Post by AngelicTragedy on Aug 17, 2010 11:51:49 GMT -5
“I’ll tell my master, but it’s not because you demanded it. I want to see you vaporized before him like the cowardly bastard that you are. Just know that you’ve created a powerful enemy. I will find you again and I will kill you.” Marius hissed to the growing mass that was issuing from Bernards gauntlet.
Marius cast a hand to the side and the portal that he had placed earlier flared to emerald life. Green vapor mixed with the black and created a shroud around the ruined hotel room that no one could properly see through. Marius plunged through the portal and was swallowed in the emerald fire. As his form raced through he began to shift back into his usual Aldra-Sa form. Scales, hair, feathers, and fangs fell away, dissolving into nothingness, as Marius rocketed faster than anyone could imagine towards Drakengrad.
“Lord Lorsha has to be informed as quickly as possible. I couldn’t even damage that bastard! Too bad he took me for granted. He thought he had the upper hand but once the humans were removed from the city he began to weaken. He’s nothing but a leech. I will have my revenge.” Marius thought to himself as he leaped completely naked from his portal into a massive white granite room in Valon’s palace.
A group of Draken in the Hall of the Emerald Flame looked at Marius with a combination of embarrassment, anger, and worry. The Hall was a holy place to the residents of Drakengrad and as such the nudity of Marius was as if an insult, but as Marius was Valon’s right hand and High Commander of the 4th Legion it was slightly more forgivable. Marius stalked away, not stopping until he reached a lanky Draken with bronze colored scales. The Draken looked at Marius and at once created another portal before him, sending the nude Aldra-Sa to his private quarters. Marius quickly began readying his preferred garments, battle gear. He quickly put on a pair of loose, smoky purple dragon hide leather pants and tucked them into a pair black boots made of the same material before slipping into a jacket of the same hide but split in half at the spine between the two colors. Marius opened a chest against one wall and removed a set of armor much like that he had worn to Shin-Ra but this set showed the many scars of battle and repair. He locked a pair of bronze bracers around his wrists under his jacket and then slipped carefully into his Medusa themed breastplate. Around his waist he fastened a bronze belt that was inscribed with many intricate patterns. Marius made for the portal once again and stepped through to face the bronze Draken once again.
“I need a direct passage to Lord Lorsha, I don’t care where he is.”
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Post by Hamuu on Aug 17, 2010 17:10:59 GMT -5
It was over, Bernard had won his prize. He glanced down at the small fragile form that was slowly slipping into death. Whatever the maniac had down to her before the aldra-sa and himself had arrived was still infecting her. Snapping her neck would end it quickly, but he hadn’t gone through all this just to show her mercy now.
“Avery,” Bernard whispered as he placed her gently on the ground, “You’re dying and I have to do something before you disappear from this world completely.”
Bernard rippled as he once again shed his boots, gauntlets, and cloak. He was weak, which meant he’d have to focus power from that place. It was nearly impossible to do without a physical form, but he managed once before to do it. Slowly, the mist flattened out into a sheet, floating inches above Avery.
“I’m going to use my power to cure you, but it will hurt more than anything you’ve ever experienced up to this point.” The mist grew still and silent.
Black energy radiated outward as Bernard completely enveloped Avery. It was as though he were collecting all the energy outside the bubble his mist form had created. The more that collected around them, the more the energy took on the appearance of flowing water. Once enough had collected around them the thick black water like substance began to ripple and boil.
“Brace yourself, child.”
The black mass was sucked into the mist before funneling into Avery. Her body twisted in pain as her skin shifted between different shades black. Bernard concentrated on filling every inch of her being with his power. If even one portion was left untouched she’d still succumb to the poison. As much as he pushed the energy into her, he could feel his own begin to dwindle. First his boots began to rust, followed closely by his gauntlets. They cracked and deteriorated before turning to piles of dust. By the time Bernard had stopped, even his cloak was mostly in tatters.
Avery’s body returned to her normal coloring as the mist slither away, picking up his withered cloak along the way. The mist stooped for a moment, wrapping itself in the cloak. Finally stood, the mist branching out so he looked like a three dimensional shadow of a man.
His voice was noticeably quieter and softer, weakened from turning himself into a conduit for some much power, “How do you feel?”
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Post by Iron Mouse on Aug 28, 2010 0:11:30 GMT -5
The corners of Avery’s mouth twitched up. Over. It was all over. The running, the scraping, the starving, the hiding, the fear. She was done. Peace and blackness filled her up. She’d spent most of her time alive fearing death, constantly plagued by what ifs. What if someone found out? What if they decided to kill her? What if she got hurt? What if she died? How much time had she wasted on fear? Why? Did it ever matter? Fear of death had dominated her for so long, but now that it was actually happening, it felt nice. Her terror was melted away by relief. Maybe she would go to Heaven. Reverend McCulken always talked about Heaven. Or Hell. Or better, maybe she would just cease to exist.
She was being lifted. Or maybe she was floating. Whatever. The demon was saying something. She couldn’t make out words. She felt like she was underwater. She could hear but couldn’t listen. Her eyes were open but they didn’t see. She knew she was hurt but she couldn’t feel it anymore. All she felt was calm. Fuck you Jadis. You and your island of lunatics. I win. Her eyes slid shut. I win.
“Brace yourself, child.”
What?
Avery’s body exploded into pain. Her bones splintered. Her skin blistered and peeled away. Organs burst, muscles tore. She was being crushed, and stabbed, and burned, and frozen, and ripped to pieces. She thrashed on the ground, trying to get away from the agony. No more! Stop! Please just stop! This had to be Hell. She didn’t deserve this. Why? Why did she always have to suffer for something she’d never asked for? I’m sorry! Please stop! Help! Somebody help me! Make it stop!
And then it was over. The pain was gone and she was on the floor of the hotel room gasping for air.
A vaguely man-shaped shadow moved toward her. “How do you feel?”
Avery stood and attempted to cover herself. “How the fuck do you think I feel?” she croaked, her voice abnormally raspy. “I’m pissed.”
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Post by Hamuu on Aug 29, 2010 4:35:45 GMT -5
Her response was expected, three years of observation had shown him a girl who had no filter, what she thought she said. She was honest, intelligent, and crude. The cloak wafted through the mist and covered Avery's stark form.
"Anger is good, it's evidence you're at least feeling something." Bernard wafted around her. "Your target of aggression though is unsettling. Why do you hate me? I brought you back from the brink of death."
Avery pulled the cloak tightly around herself. "How the fuck do you know why I'm angry? Who the fuck are you?"
"My chosen name is Bernard and I know what you feel because I feed off of it." As much as he was against it, telling her the truth would ensure she stuck by him in the long run. "I draw my power from suffering, fear, anger, hate, sorrow, rage, and the myriad of other negative emotions living beings experience. As such, I can tell who, or what, they're directed at. Rarely though, this is only the second time it has happened, someone's negative energies reach out to me and call me to them. You brought me here Avery, with your fear, and now I need your help."
He hadn't been entirely truthful with her. Yes, he had felt her fear from halfway across the world years ago and with it, small visions of her ability to pass through two unconnected doorways. However, he could have very well ignored it. Unfortunately, circumstances left him in an unfavorable position in regards to his current goal. Avery was the linchpin he needed, as well as a potentially powerful ally given what he'd seen of her "homeland" in her fears.
"Why do you need me? Why couldn't you just let me die? I've been so scared all my life. Everything has been so fucked up for so long. Every single second of. Every. Single. fucking. Day. Has been a struggle. I just wanted it to stop." Avery grasped the edges of the cloak so hard her knuckles were turning white. "I was so happy that it was all going to stop. And you knew it? Why? Why couldn't you let me have that? Why am I so fucking important that you can't let me have some fucking peace?"
"No, I didn't know it. I don't feed off of positive energy, nor can I sense it. I thought I was saving you, had I knew you wished your death to occur I would not have intervened." It was true he couldn't sense it, but he wouldn't have let her die regardless. "But I do need you Avery. I was wronged sometime ago and now wish to reclaim what is rightfully mine. However several things, both physical and not, are standing between me and my goal. You're ability can help me and if you're allegiance comes at a cost, I'll gladly give you the death you wish for once you've aided me."
Avery's eyes were darting around wildly now. She might have looked like a mad woman, but Bernard had seen her interaction with people, she was looking for a door to escape through. However something caught her full attention, dragging her eyes from Bernard and the rest of the room. She started to open her mouth, but stopped and continued to stare through the gaping hole in the wall. The smoldering husk of Philadelphia stretched out before them.
"You did all that." Her voice was low.
"Yes, but not without reason. I was attacked by the vile winged serpent. The destruction you see before you is the result of the ensuing battle."
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Post by Iron Mouse on Aug 29, 2010 5:41:18 GMT -5
Avery was quiet for a very long moment, looking over the wreckage. There was a swath of rubble that led straight to the hotel. The thing named Bernard was capable of that much destruction. He could grapple with an Emissary and win. She wanted that kind of power. She wanted the power to make people suffer. She wanted to be able to make somebody else feel fear. She took a deep breath. “If I help you do whatever, you have to help me.” Her voice shook with rage. “You have to help me get revenge on everyone. Every single person. That has ever made me suffer. You have come to the island with me and help me bring down the entire Jadissian order. All of them. Can you do that?” The black smoke stopped wafting through the air. “Yes, I can. I promise to aid you in your revenge; your enemies are my enemies.” She nodded. “What do I have to do?” “Come with me to Whelkshore.” Bernard answered, “Our providence begins there.” OOC: One more post from DL and it's over! Over by God!
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Post by AngelicTragedy on Aug 29, 2010 5:41:52 GMT -5
Just outside Dresden Germany in a cavernous laboratory many warning alarms blazed into screeching life. White coats and clipboards were tossed aside as the mass of learned scientists raced for the tiny entrance of the below ground quarters of the late Dr. Gotzon Fleischer. Swirling yellow lights warned of some impending trouble or some majestic discovery, but neither were expected this day and not in this place. Once Dr. Fleischer had died his lab was closed off to the rest of the lab staff, only a few select specialist were allowed down into the doctor’s private workspace. An elderly man with a flyaway hairdo and hazel eyes pushed through the crowd growing at the silver hermetically sealed doors and slid an amber colored key card through the lock. The doors slid aside with a bit of protest and the scientists flooded through like a herd of gazelle.
Inside the lab there seemed to be nothing that would have caused the alarm, just a few tables piled high with books and papers that badly needed dusted and put away. The young among the staff seems to be disappointed that there was nothing major happening, but the wizened specialist simply sat himself at a computer near the back wall and began typing at speeds that didn’t fit his aged digits. A sting of code danced on the screen and along with it lights played across a panel hidden in the nearby wall. Silently, a hidden door slide aside into the wall and left a passageway spilling blue light open.
“Gentlemen, I will be going in alone. You will wait here while I tend to this matter.” The ancient researcher stepped through the opening without another word and disappeared.
The blue lit hall opened up after a time into a room that looked like a vault full of acidic green pillars. The front most pillar pulsed around a black figure floating within. The old man, in an almost fatherly way, run his hand over the smooth glass of the tube before him before pulling a tube from the side spilling the green liquid over the floor. The sticky, sickly sweet smelling liquid flowed into every corner of the room as the figure within came into focus. The tube began to rise from the floor leaving the figure that was once suspended in the goo crumpled on the floor. The elderly man watched with held breath as the man on the floor began to stir. Slowly the man got to his hands and knees and then to his feet and took a few shaky steps towards a nearby chair before slumping into it.
“Welcome home, Mr. Fleischer. I suppose you’ll be wanting a few moment to gather yourself?” the elderly man asked in fractured English.
“No, bring me something to wear till I can get another suit. Also book me a flight to the US. I’ve got business to attend to with a whore.” Volkner replied in a raspy voice as he gazed off into the depths of the room that contained the hundreds of his own bodies just waiting to be needed.
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Post by Hamuu on Aug 29, 2010 5:46:02 GMT -5
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