Post by Prime on Nov 1, 2011 2:47:12 GMT -5
Standing atop a tall, tall tower, wind whipped around a dark figure as he braced himself against the sight below. Sweat beaded across his forehead, a scowl stealing across his face. The land below looked like nothing more than a writhing black mass, trillions of black figures with shard red eye's stared endlessly upon the tower.
A howling mass of heated, heavy wind rose from below, carrying the howling of a stinking mass beyond anything ever to visit Earth in thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of years. Never seen since the dark times, times shrouded in myth and fancy, unconscious memory, and a timeless and unending fear of the dark.
Cold air mixed with a hot, heavy miasma of hatred. Prime took a steadying breath, trying to draw in the cool air, and forget the hot stinking fog below. He tried to smooth his face, tried to bring his mind to tranquility and calmness. A soft hand landed on his arm, and he turned.
"Are you alright?" Athena asked, concerned written across the lines of her face. She was standing stiffly, but trying to hide her nerves. Everything below bothered her just as much, but she was trying not to show it. He could almost feel her willing strength to him, through her touch.
Prime smiled, slightly, he was dampened by the circumstance, but still he loved her. Fiercely, and for her alone he would do this, and now many more reasons. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He thought of his friends in Cherrygrove, thought of Aurora, though long lost. He remembered Diamond, rescued and moved on.
"Yes, I'll be fine." Prime said, touching her arm in reassurance. "Are you ready?" He asked seriously, searching her.
"Yes, I am," She said, "When do we begin?"
"As soon as they, too, are ready." Prime said, "We can't afford to delay any longer than that. They'll keep coming, always growing, a more terrible plague than humanity could've ever been."
He sighed, squeezing his staff. The smooth ivory length would be destroyed in the process, and he was stricken by that as much as what he'd have to do with it. The time it'd taken to make it, and the artisty he'd put into it, made it almost a crime to destroy it. It would be a crime, if it weren't what it was designed for. It was literally grown from bone, his own bones.
It was a good two feet taller than him, its top end growing into a smooth ring, little twisting branches surrounding and crossing a blood ruby, holding it firmly in place. The lower portion flared into a blade, though well blunted. It was a focus, designed not to increase power, but to allow such a vast amount of power as to make the Gods quake, to be controllable.
Athena's eyes flared, her grip tightening on Primes arm. She took a sharp breath, feeling a collective resolve permiating her from deep within. She was shocked, by the resolve of her people. Shocked and moved, it was the most united she'd ever felt them. The most focused she'd ever felt them, towards one goal, one objective. And she felt a fierce pride that they'd chosen to put their faith in Prime, he'd come a long was since they'd rescued him.
A long way from a madman, driven beyond the confines of his own mind, attempting to escape a reality that was to cruel for his comprehension. He still wouldn't speak of what'd happened to him, but it was coming, she could tell. Not yet, not openly, but still. Her posture softened, moving closer. She slipped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest.
He slipped his free arm around her, "Whats wrong?"
She shook her head, "Nothing, everything. Look a what's under us, everything on our planet is ready to kill us a parade around with our remains as though genocide were a proud triumph. And, despite all of this." She tapped the tower flood with her foot, "All of my people, they're so fierce right now. So powerful. I've never felt them like this, in four hundred years, never once have I felt this way."
He hugged her fiercely, "They're ready?" He asked. He didn't want to be insensitive, but there wasn't time to waste. They could talk later, if they were still alive. All he wanted to think about was a fire, a bean bag, a book, and her. He'd be content to sit like that for the rest of his life. And never do this again, ever again.
"Yes, they're ready." She said, "What do I do?"
"Hold my hand, and don't let go." She stepped away, sliding her hand down his arm, gripping his hand. "Let it out Athena, don't be shy. I'm the only one seeing you, they don't even count, yet."
He gave her a mischivous grin, lifting the staff, and swinging the head out over the hordes below. Prime started sweating intensely, a slight blue tinge stealing into the moisture. His eye's turned red, then shifting to a glowing blue. The sweat started evaporating, the suddenly Prime was a point of bright azure sky on a twilight background of dusk.
Beside him, Athena's magic was pooling around her, her skin turned gold. Slowly, roiling flames surrounded her, shifting slowly to gold. The heat started lifting her hair, her armor turning slowly red, then bright white hot. Soon she was a gold pyre, with a white point in the center. She was the sweeping power standing next to Primes focused azure blue, precision next to pure power.
The whole tower began to slowly glow below them, as the red ruby glowed more intensely red. Splitting the aura's between Athena and Prime, and soon they were standing on a tower of intense violet, as sky turned red by an unimaginable power reaching out. Cast in red, the horde below was given a shape. They howled as the shape took hold, becoming stronger and more intense.
Red was taken from every eye, sucked irresistibly into a crimson sky. The black faded to red, then to a dark brown, and from there slowly to a dark gray. Humans, with ashen skin and hate in their hearts, filled the land around the tower. Demons changed from something else and given another chance. The light focused around the staff, and burst as a nova. The ivory bone shattered, following the light into the sky.
Prime gasped as it broke, pain searing through him. Athena caught him before he hit the ground, his vision was swimming. His heart fluttered lightly, trying to catch a beat. He took two sharp breaths, then slowly stood up.
"They don't deserved it, but its the only way." Prime bit off, "And this is only the beginning." He was pale, until Athena touched her forehead to his. He shimmered briefly gold, then took a more comfortable breath, sighing. "Thank you," He said, "Lets go back in, we still have to prepare."
She nodded, supporting him just a little as they went inside. "How long will you need this time?" She asked.
"Give me an hour, I have a few things ready, then I can be armored." She nodded, and closed the tower door behind them.
A howling mass of heated, heavy wind rose from below, carrying the howling of a stinking mass beyond anything ever to visit Earth in thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of years. Never seen since the dark times, times shrouded in myth and fancy, unconscious memory, and a timeless and unending fear of the dark.
Cold air mixed with a hot, heavy miasma of hatred. Prime took a steadying breath, trying to draw in the cool air, and forget the hot stinking fog below. He tried to smooth his face, tried to bring his mind to tranquility and calmness. A soft hand landed on his arm, and he turned.
"Are you alright?" Athena asked, concerned written across the lines of her face. She was standing stiffly, but trying to hide her nerves. Everything below bothered her just as much, but she was trying not to show it. He could almost feel her willing strength to him, through her touch.
Prime smiled, slightly, he was dampened by the circumstance, but still he loved her. Fiercely, and for her alone he would do this, and now many more reasons. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He thought of his friends in Cherrygrove, thought of Aurora, though long lost. He remembered Diamond, rescued and moved on.
"Yes, I'll be fine." Prime said, touching her arm in reassurance. "Are you ready?" He asked seriously, searching her.
"Yes, I am," She said, "When do we begin?"
"As soon as they, too, are ready." Prime said, "We can't afford to delay any longer than that. They'll keep coming, always growing, a more terrible plague than humanity could've ever been."
He sighed, squeezing his staff. The smooth ivory length would be destroyed in the process, and he was stricken by that as much as what he'd have to do with it. The time it'd taken to make it, and the artisty he'd put into it, made it almost a crime to destroy it. It would be a crime, if it weren't what it was designed for. It was literally grown from bone, his own bones.
It was a good two feet taller than him, its top end growing into a smooth ring, little twisting branches surrounding and crossing a blood ruby, holding it firmly in place. The lower portion flared into a blade, though well blunted. It was a focus, designed not to increase power, but to allow such a vast amount of power as to make the Gods quake, to be controllable.
Athena's eyes flared, her grip tightening on Primes arm. She took a sharp breath, feeling a collective resolve permiating her from deep within. She was shocked, by the resolve of her people. Shocked and moved, it was the most united she'd ever felt them. The most focused she'd ever felt them, towards one goal, one objective. And she felt a fierce pride that they'd chosen to put their faith in Prime, he'd come a long was since they'd rescued him.
A long way from a madman, driven beyond the confines of his own mind, attempting to escape a reality that was to cruel for his comprehension. He still wouldn't speak of what'd happened to him, but it was coming, she could tell. Not yet, not openly, but still. Her posture softened, moving closer. She slipped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest.
He slipped his free arm around her, "Whats wrong?"
She shook her head, "Nothing, everything. Look a what's under us, everything on our planet is ready to kill us a parade around with our remains as though genocide were a proud triumph. And, despite all of this." She tapped the tower flood with her foot, "All of my people, they're so fierce right now. So powerful. I've never felt them like this, in four hundred years, never once have I felt this way."
He hugged her fiercely, "They're ready?" He asked. He didn't want to be insensitive, but there wasn't time to waste. They could talk later, if they were still alive. All he wanted to think about was a fire, a bean bag, a book, and her. He'd be content to sit like that for the rest of his life. And never do this again, ever again.
"Yes, they're ready." She said, "What do I do?"
"Hold my hand, and don't let go." She stepped away, sliding her hand down his arm, gripping his hand. "Let it out Athena, don't be shy. I'm the only one seeing you, they don't even count, yet."
He gave her a mischivous grin, lifting the staff, and swinging the head out over the hordes below. Prime started sweating intensely, a slight blue tinge stealing into the moisture. His eye's turned red, then shifting to a glowing blue. The sweat started evaporating, the suddenly Prime was a point of bright azure sky on a twilight background of dusk.
Beside him, Athena's magic was pooling around her, her skin turned gold. Slowly, roiling flames surrounded her, shifting slowly to gold. The heat started lifting her hair, her armor turning slowly red, then bright white hot. Soon she was a gold pyre, with a white point in the center. She was the sweeping power standing next to Primes focused azure blue, precision next to pure power.
The whole tower began to slowly glow below them, as the red ruby glowed more intensely red. Splitting the aura's between Athena and Prime, and soon they were standing on a tower of intense violet, as sky turned red by an unimaginable power reaching out. Cast in red, the horde below was given a shape. They howled as the shape took hold, becoming stronger and more intense.
Red was taken from every eye, sucked irresistibly into a crimson sky. The black faded to red, then to a dark brown, and from there slowly to a dark gray. Humans, with ashen skin and hate in their hearts, filled the land around the tower. Demons changed from something else and given another chance. The light focused around the staff, and burst as a nova. The ivory bone shattered, following the light into the sky.
Prime gasped as it broke, pain searing through him. Athena caught him before he hit the ground, his vision was swimming. His heart fluttered lightly, trying to catch a beat. He took two sharp breaths, then slowly stood up.
"They don't deserved it, but its the only way." Prime bit off, "And this is only the beginning." He was pale, until Athena touched her forehead to his. He shimmered briefly gold, then took a more comfortable breath, sighing. "Thank you," He said, "Lets go back in, we still have to prepare."
She nodded, supporting him just a little as they went inside. "How long will you need this time?" She asked.
"Give me an hour, I have a few things ready, then I can be armored." She nodded, and closed the tower door behind them.