[center]Collab: Mikael and yoshua171[/center] [center][B][U]Chainborn and the Prison[/U][/B][/center] In a few minutes from her initial walk, the Reclaimer had broken into a light jog, her feet literally fusing with the ground before breaking apart with each confident step. It surprisingly left no trail, nor foot prints as the dirt and rocks scattered randomly. As she progressed towards the Western Realm, the various toxic effects of Hell phased through her bodily links harmlessly, having no hold over her as she was no angel of Heaven, but a chainborn of Iota. But then she changed that interrelation, allowing the effects to actually [i]damage[/i] her, thus turning areas of her body links vermilion in appearance. The damage shifted, concentrating into a spot on the back of her right hand, which slowly caused the color to progress into brighter shades of red. Additionally, her momentum remained stored within her body, even as she came to a slowing halt before what appeared to be an incredibly dark and heavy energy wall about 100 yards away. It seemed rather potent too, for it surrounded the entire Western realm on all sides, including up into the sky above and down into the ground below; [i]much like a massive orb.[/i] It was what caused the kingdom to be permanently locked into 'pseudo-night,' which of course [i]nightwalkers[/i] probably loved. Given their racial proneness towards invincibility in such an environment, the orb-barrier was an effective barrier, even a security measure if anyone ever managed to break in. It had also been there for a very long time, and no lore, nor historian could accurately describe when it was made or what created it. Undaunted by the first obstacle in her task, the Reclaimer stood there, her back straight and arms dangling at her side. Despite her eye-catching gray appearance, her body was outlined by dark lines, even the folds of her clothing, which all seemed to consist of a simple body suit and armored boots. But it was, after all, just an appearance, for her chain links were manipulated to make her look like whatever she wanted her body to appear as. [i]Not that she cared at this point.[/i] It was a trivial matter for superficial teenage girls if humans were any measure to rule by. Her wide, unblinking eyes stared into space, before closing as she gently imitated the act of exhalation. She began focusing on a single idea: an outsider and an entrance-barring wall. What did it mean to be an outsider, [i]here[/i]? What did the wall do, [i]here[/i]? [i]Why?[/i] From every corner and every angle, she could envision herself around the orb. Then, her thought developed from there, her father's abstract-warping power flowing through her body links without any visual cues or supernatural beacon to be sensed. She reached for the interrelations, the conscious minds benefiting from this elaborate design. [i]The wardens[/i], and the nine smaller spheres engrafting each of their domains within the larger orb-wall. The truth continued to assume her mind and reached for the sensory interrelation. Szayeis would know who crossed this realm and when, and depending on one's entry point, it seemed several wardens would detect them, especially the ones watching over the sky and ground within. She mused further, feeling the magical atmosphere inside. It was fairly noxious, gloomy... eerie, and dark of course. But even other creatures used to the dark would find this place just a wee bit... [i]peculiar.[/i] She made a decision: she would not enter at all. In fact, she felt that for now, she would just lock everything and everyone inside completely. Her body unceremoniously lifed straight up into the air a few yards, her eyes snapping open as her lips tightened into an anticipating sneer. Her arms and legs stretched out as she hovered motionlessly, her body resembling a 5-pointed star. [i]Then she began to [b]unravel.[/b][/i] Through the palm of her hands, the soles of her boots, and the top of her spiky hair, 5 singular gray chains, thin and small, ripped out soundlessly. Two of them below her feet ripped into the ground, while her arms' chains began to travel along the girth of the orb-wall. Only the one above her head raked up the sky by its lonesone. However, all the chains, as they zipped along just shy of the speed of light about 100 yards from contacting the orb-wall, were precisely equidistant from each other and the space within each line of chain contained a semi-transparent blueish light that spread as they did. At the end of each chain, the last link glowed, then transformed into a pointed, spear-like energy wisp. The 5 chains instantly secured on the opposing side. The Reclaimer then started to pull herself out of the 5-chain wrap that she'd constructed, leaving in place single link interlocking each of the perimeter chains. Still in the air behind the large link, she clenched her hands into fists and, slowly narrowing her eyes, began focusing on tightening the perimeter at a rate of 2 yards per second. The bluish light's intensity in between all of the perimeter chains began to gradually increase. No words. No fanfare. Just pure, unbridled action as the Reclaimer began her invasion of the Western Realm ruled by the Chimeric Lord of Chaos. --- The shadows suddenly writhed and began to dissipate, being drawn inwards as something within, someone within, pulled with all their collective might to make the being's power falter and recede. [B]"I..."[/B] the lord of chaos began, his voice barely notable in its pitch, [B]"...will..."[/B] more of the demon's voice had risen, seeming to define itself, [B]"...not..."[/B] the volume rose and his white eyes opened, [B]"...be like..."[/B] his very essence flared to life, becoming almost like the fire Aulder had released. [B]"...the rest!"[/B] A pure white, but still unholy, power extended itself from Szayeis' eyes, spreading until it had encapsulated the lord's body at which point it spread through his shadows, turning them white. However, despite their color, they reflected only the base amount of light necessary to be seen...until they ceased even to do that. Yet...the lord's eyes turned and shifted through the air, seeming to gaze right through all that might impede them, until they stopped. There it was, the source of his external problems, or so he believed. [B]"There is no hiding from the boundless shadows of existence, unnamed blasphemer, and let me tell you this. You will [I]pay[/I] for your actions against me."[/B] The Reclaimer, and all who held connection to her, would receive the message, unbidden and unwanted. Then, as his words were uttered and his body nearly finished dissolving into ethereal ash his eyes shifted, and blue Praestrigia ruled once more. Then, like illusion, he turned to ash and blew in the wind, the chaos following him. Many demons, though most would be swept up in Judas' call, would briefly appear confused and lost. However, his avatars would all drop to their knees, with only six out of the twelve remaining, the rest would keel over and die. The Chimeric Lord of Chaos had departed and in the small building miles from the gates of Loom and concealed in the darkest corner of Jiggerbark forest, the second to last demonic rift...would snap shut, a wisp of darkness vanishing into its maw. --- The Western realm shook as a tremendous rage entered its bounds. The fortress of chaos, a living chaotic construct shuddered and twisted its shape as a demonic rift opened and the lord of the realm exited, returning to his home. The Nameless Aide moved towards the lord's still white-shadowless body, its visage strangely humanoid even as darkness crept slowly over it, seeming to bleed both from the blue orbs and from the world that surrounded to fill him with color once more. However, as the Aide moved, a wave hit the demon, sending him flying through the door of the room and into the wall of the hallway that was outside it. "No one is to impede me, and no one is to speak a single word. My name is not to be mentioned, and my titles silenced from the lips of all my lessers. This day has taxed me and I intend to deliver that back upon my enemies tenfold, then twelve fold, exponentially, until their hearts shudder, their minds begin to crack, and their souls turn to dust." The Nameless Aide, who had served Szayeis for the entirety of his 5,000+ years had nothing to say. His eyes held only terror, and his body could not move. For after witnessing the lord, even in war, never once lose his temper completely...he was shocked. He wasn't the only one for even the two realms adjacent to that of the west would feel the lord's pure rage emanating [I]through[/I] the mire of chaos that enclosed the Western realm unable to contain it. Then the lord walked past the Aide, not so much as acknowledging his existence, and turned down the hall. The castle writhed in response to its lord's call and so, in seconds, Szayeis had entered his throne room. He did not sit upon the Western Throne. He did not call to receive his favorite beverage, blood wine, and he did not make any move to enjoy the wonderfully chimeric architecture of the place. No, instead he glared at the throne, his eyes shifting between blue and white until he had reached it at which point he croached before it and slammed a single fist into its form. [B]"I WILL BE THE DEATH OF YOU,"[/B] Szayeis roared in fury before he rose to his feet, turned, took a step, and evaporated into pure formless shadow. The castle writhed inwards and outwards, expanding and contracting like some kind of diseased green, black, and red lung. It appeared as if undecided before its entire form shifted and it became black...and then became nothing. It was gone. Where the realm had before been covered only in the shadow of the orb, now it was utterly abyssal with shadow. The Nightwalkers had been sent into confusion, they could not understand what had happened...and they could not take even the most rudimentary of forms. Their minds frantic, the demons began to lose consciousness and even before panic could set in, the entirety of the West had been converted into a maelstrom of swirling essence and unguided thoughts. [B]"Those who dare stir me..."[/B] Eyes began to open, but not one pair... ...[I]thousands[/I].... However among them all there were only several dozen that stood out. These eyes all shone with dual colors, though none were heterochromic, and all possessed the same chimeric blue of Praestrigia. Among them two others were dominant, one buried, and one whose eyes were pure white, mixed with the stirring blue: Szayeis. [B]"...will know the true form of my kind."[/B] Then the chaos orb shattered, unable to contain the essence that pressed upon it from within. [B]"For chaos..."[/B] the black mass said as the eyes opened upon its outer surface, [B]"...cannot be contained..."[/B] Two pairs of eyes remained within the center of the mass, though they were still visible to the mind and the soul, [B]"...nor controlled."[/B] The mass shifted form, moving from an orb to the shape of a body with eyes covering its skin 'cept its face. Only the closed lids of the restricted Old One, and the open embers of Szayeis fury shone upon the body's visage. Those eyes stared directly into those of the Reclaimer before the body warped again and moved in its entirety out of the chains' grasp, slipping through the cracks and tearing any barrier that was cast before them. The body did not move far, stepping only into the Southern realm, and carefully avoiding the subjects of Daiyrisa. It shifted again, becoming body once more, rather than a black shifting mass. The visage turned to the Reclaimer and its voice rang out. [I][B]"Retreat or be devoured. I am in no mood for children,"[/B][/I] there was rage in the voice that had the layers of hundreds of thousands of others. The entire populace of the West resided in that form...and their opinions were weaved throughout. [I][B]"If you take actions against [/I]us[I] the One will awake and worlds will become Empty...for we are the prison of souls."[/B][/I] As Szayeis and his kin merged and slipped through the horus-shaped holes in the Reclaimer's 5-chain snare, the snare itself kept shrinking and all the air, ground, and anything left behind was taken to Iota through the blue light in between the chains. Even as they spoke to her with pride and warning, the Reclaimer did not respond and simply concluded the ensnaring with haste until it was simply a ball of chain with two large round links on each side. It fell to the ground, shrinking even more until she stepped forward, drawing it to merge into her boot. She then lifted her gaze up, resting it upon the great spectacle of darkness hovering miles away from her like some great titan. Below it and next to the Southern kingdom was the vast bowl-like 'hole' in the ground. The Reclaimer's attention then fell away, her eyes discerning some odd critter that had barely escaped from the conflict as it skittered along the ground. [i]'Your task is complete,'[/i] Ioi confirmed in her core, sending waves of assurance of a job well done through her body links. But the Reclaimer did not want to go. [i]She was bored[/i], and had just now adjusted to Hell and one of its little kingdoms. Her emotions conflicted with Ioi's order, which he sensed--and lovingly adored--and thought for a moment. If any action woke up the One... [i]'Perhaps you should stay for a while,'[/i] he stated, a spark of joy rippling through her. On the surface of her body, though, she appeared as bored and apathetic as ever. Until her eyes slithered up to meet Sazyeis's amongst all those other eyes that should not be there, and [i]smiled.[/i] For the first time. This was surely a precious moment in history. The Reclaimer, virgin of thoughts, words, and deeds, had experienced her first grin. She even lifted her hands up, whereupon manacles clasped her wrists and chained them together. In other words, the Reclaimer had just surrendered to Szayeis and was now his to do with whatever he'd please. Then Ioi spoke through the Reclaimer, albeit her lips did not stir, but Szayeis would surely recognize the voice. "You win, Master of the Game... and here is your pound of flesh for our actions against you," Ioi simply stated and nudged her mentally to walk toward the dark titan. The Behemoth, Lautumiae the living, narrowed its many eyes, Szayeis' included, as surrender was proclaimed. The mass of chaotic essence and shadow-flesh briefly writhed and within it the lord shuddered mentally. He could only maintain this state for so long when there was nothing with which to focus the collective mind of Lautumiae. Shuddering even more, the behemoth took several steps forwards, all eyes trained upon the tiny female, before it walked directly over her, eyes still trained on her form, and entered the space of the west where it belonged. "Contritio, aut in Lautumiae cruciatus, et nos condemnet et qui illam regit" the mass uttered thunderously in unknown tongues, before it lost form, dematerializing partially to fill the pit that the Reclaimer had made. In the single blinking of an eye the realm had returned, the orb was present, and it was as if nothing had changed. Yet there was one strange aspect to the situation. It was silent. The Western realm had [I]never[/I] been silent and it would have been maddening if it were not for its cause. All those who lived within its bounds now slept, except one, if you could refer to a chimera as such. Szayeis' form, enthralled by darkness and sporting the eyes of Praestrigia once more, drifted through the air as a mist-like shroud. [B]"Bearer of chains,"[/B] the game's master whispered with a hoarse voice, [B]"what be your master's name..."[/B] as the wispy shadow spoke it became more and more solid as if every word validated its existence. [B]"Do not lie or omit,"[/B] the lord said as his body took shape before the grey girl. [B]"Silence will do you no better, for there is illusion in that action, just as there is in the movement of all things,"[/B] while it was certainly not the voice of the ancient that spoke, it appeared as if Szayeis' own consciousness had taken a great toll in its defense of both people and domain. Lowering her arms, the Reclaimer watched with wonder as Szayeis appeared before her, his kingdom restored to its original state. She ignored the temptation to grasp the interrelations between all of them and their lord. She mimicked what she saw a human girl do once, as Szayeis questioned her. She bit her lip, then let it fall back into place. Her eyes darted to the left. Was it nervousness? She did not know. That was a popular opinion, it seemed. They darted to the right. Her father was busy... his mind working on the lodestars. She was on her own for now, left here by her father to be a good little girl. Yet the words to speak did not come to her, especially since her vow of silence was her own choice. Like sex, she wanted her virgin words to be special when shared: she looked at Szayeis's drained form, and a new emotion cropped up. [b]Pity.[/b] A single chain extended from her chest, making its way to communicate with Szayeis. But how? Would she communicate by emotions? Images? She'd already shared that with her brethren. It had been special, despite their initial fear of her. That was puzzling. She focused on Szayeis's understanding of his own language, and just language in general... nothing intrusive, simply just abstracts on the plane. Continuing to smile, her eyes then drifted on the ground before them, and so did the chain. Its end link transformed into a manacle and it began quickly picking up various sized pebbles and rocks, and placing them down. It spelled out a name in a language the Chimeric Lord would understand: [center]I O I[/center] The eyes grazed over the letters till they formed a name. [B]"Three,"[/B] the lord muttered before turning his back to her and walking towards the fortress of Lautumiae, the center of his realm. Without looking back he would speak, too tired to waste even the smallest of actions, [B]"Come and obey,"[/B] he did not bother to attempt forcing his will on her. If she followed, she did so willingly, and if she left...it was all the same. [B]"...and never show me that emotion again."[/B] His barely solid body would gesture to the great fortress, which now slept and was still in its shape. [B]"Go there, take time, do not rush. When you arrive you will be attended to...I must rest."[/B] He no longer cared if her master attacked again. If he did he was a fool, for the words of his realm were not to be ignored. [center]After all, while the Empty Lord had only three, Lautumiae possessed nine, triple his own amount.[/center] [center]It was however the meaning of his realm's name that mattered.[/center] [center]Its meaning held three as well, though only two were ever read.[/center] [center][U]Lautumiae...[/U][/center] [center][I]...meant...[/I][/center] [center][U]...Prison....[/U][/center] With this in mind, the lord's form faded into the earth, leaving her to choose between his rough suggestions, or the soft guidance of her father. It was time to sleep...though only his body would regain vitality. His mind...his soul, was another matter completely. He seemed tired. Exhausted. The harmony of his strength and vigor was out of place as it had not been before. She followed after him, not rushing as he'd advised. This must be what Nightwalkers do. They don't rush, they take their time, and do things the right way. It made sense. But the warning to not show him an emotion again, it puzzled her. Focusing on the interrelation between his knowledge and sense regarding how she'd expressed it to him, she realized he was talking about the pity thing. So she turned it off, her smile even brighter. Nightwalkers did not need pity. That was what she thought. She was obeying someone. It felt good. In fact, she obeying [i]two[/i] people now. The Reclaimer could barely contain herself, but she managed anyway. She remembered Naerisidia's words to her father... and upon hearing them again, she had to agree now. It made so much sense. [i]This was going to be an interesting year.[/i]