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[b]A Rough Reunion[/b]

Life had tempered him, sorrow had made him hard, and pain even harder. However, the memory of his sister as he remembered her, not as he had seen her last, had helped bring him through the darkness and struggle of the last 200 years. It was strange to have seen a whole generation and then another, pass before his eyes...while he aged so very little. Still, while age could no longer touch his body, it had still found a way to influence him, and so he was changed from all those years ago. With his hands in his pockets, and glowing royal eyes shining from beneath his hood, Mairyell slowly made his way up a mountain path that he'd only heard of in rumors. He sought a man who he had not seen for at least 150 years, quite a long time in the scope of a normal human life. Still, at this point, time was almost a blur to the vampire, so long as he was not interacting with the world, it whirred by, societies crumbled, and new ones were built in their place.

Yet, despite all what others called change, Mairyell saw surprisingly little difference in the world from when he was young, naive, to now when he felt old...but looked barely a few years older, if that.

The dust, dirt and rock rose, fell, and skittered back with as he walked over it, its peace disturbed by his presence. Glancing up at the sky and finally pushing back his hood as he could not sense anything smart enough to identify him, Mairyell took in a deep breath, enjoying the harsh scenery of the mountain road. It was almost a shame that it was traveled so little, ignored even. Regardless, it was well that it was so unused, or he'd have known he was in the wrong place right away. Smiling slightly, a little gleam coming into his eyes as he gradually picked up his pace; walking quickly, then jogging, and then beginning to run though only at speeds that a human might. Taking one last survey of his surroundings and the essence that did and did not lay within the space of 20 or so miles, Mairyell's smile grew slightly before he pushed off the ground hard and erupted up the mountain road, covering tremendous amounts of ground and picking up a cloud of dust as he ran.

He never tired of the feeling of running like this, but he loved one thing even more:

Flying.

His wings sprung open and thrummed down once, fanning the dust and pebbles into a small storm on the ground as he lifted from it, his red and black wings touching the sky. Laughing just a bit from the feeling with which he was now quite familiar, Mairyell surveyed the landscape as he ascended the mountain, keeping the road in sight as he searched for his quarry. [B]"I know it's here..."[/B] he said to himself quietly, the roar of the wind passing around him drowning out his voice for any others who might have listened. His eyes briefly shining blue, then red, as his senses expanded further for a moment, the vampire finally smiled, having found what he was looking for.

Bringing his wings down and up in three great movements, the vampire rose even higher into the air, moving vertically for a moment, before he looked down, seeing his destination, and began to soar in its direction. [B]"There you are,"[/B] Mairyell said, sounding ever so slightly pleased with himself. After only a few minutes, he banked in the air, and let his wings lose their solidity, becoming a strange mixture of blood and flesh before folding into his body. He fell, but only several meters, letting him land easily on the ground, though he slid somewhat.

However, he did not rise, as he was slightly croached from the momentum of his landing, but instead listened for the sounds of this place's guardians. Finally he heard the strange noises that they made, and the sound of their bodies passing through the air, their feet scrapping against the gravelly mountain terrain. When the first three came into view, his muscles partially tensed, ready for him to move. The rest soon followed, but there were only six or so that would reach him first and in their case, he simply jumped, letting them crash into eachother as he landed on their bodies, which were now in a heap. [B]"I really should have had him get them to recognize me,"[/B] he shook his head and hopped off the small pile, having let a small amount of his blood form a delicate layer over them.

Humming a bit, Mairyell landed not five feet away, and sidestepped as the nearest one pounced, before ducking under the next and spinning, sending two droplets of blood at each of the magic forged beasts. The droplets spun in midair, forming conal tips and burrowing into the creatures where they spread out by the molecule, dissolving all the muscles necessary for the creature's to properly hold themselves up.

Sighing and shaking his head as the rest of them, 4 in number, as they tried to encircle him, moving around as if they were predators stalking prey. [B]"We've met before, you know,"[/B] Mairyell stated, a sardonic grin on his lips, and a look in his eyes that looked of good humor. He seemed to find this all a rather bad joke, one that he was laughing at internally anyways, he had to have humor...it was pivotal in staying sane over a period of 200 or so years.

One of the twisted hound looking creatures, its long spindly looking limbs and hollow eye sockets staring at him, dashed and lunged at him, whereas the others seemed to watch and guage his reaction. However, rather than truly defending himself, or getting out of the way, Mairyell simply held up his arm in the path of the creature's lunge, and let it bite into it, raising it off from the ground where it just dangled there, trying to chew into the muscles of his arm. [B]"I liked this hoodie, you know,"[/B] he said a bit sarcastically, obvious holes and tears plainly present in his garment. The other beasts weren't quite sure what to make of him. He'd taken out the majority of the others, but he hadn't really [I]killed[/I] them just damaged or impeded them enough so that they could no longer attack him. The creatures glanced at one another, but as they did they noticed a red tinged mist and their eyes darted back to where their prey had been.

He was gone, and within barely 10 seconds the four of them were on the ground, immobalized by the mist they had inhaled, and if they did not breath, simply the mist which had entered their bodies through any orrifice. With them down, the mist drifted back into a form, moving towards the mansion and dissolving all the locks, magical or otherwise, on one of the doors before it coalesced and there stood Mairyell. Walking into the mansion, Mairyell glanced around at the dusty delapidated place. Shaking his head, and continuing on, making sure to stay quite clear of any traps, Mairyell eventually made his way into a room where there laid a single, dusty, old couch. Smiling and laughing to himself, the vampire sat down, knowing that Solus himself was not there. However, the vampire had all the time in the world, so he would wait, for days if necessary.

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Solus had been driving for what seemed like hours. After all this time in vast open spaces, sitting in this stolen car felt a little claustrophobic. But the fact that a car was always a difficult place to escape from didn't really phase him, not now. He long grew out of childish worries such as these. He had seen far worse things. Things that were really worth worrying about. And some of those things, were at his current destination. An old place he long abandoned, but definetly not forgot about. There were a lot of memories there, some he wanted to forget, others he wanted to remember for the rest of his endless life. A life destined by Aaurus' own hands. It was a strange feeling. Knowing that his whole life was planned by the Gods themselves. He wondered if he was in any control of it at all, or whether the Gods' forsight had a limitless lucky streak. He guessed this kind of nagging wonder came with enlightenment. A further need for answers, knowledge.

"I sound like Baphomet now..." He breathed out to himself, shaking his head at the thought. The last thing he wanted to be compared to is a mountain sized floating torso that held almost all the knowledge in the universe, all noted and organized in its big brain that constantly wondered and thought, piecing together the undiscovered mysteries on an imaginary wall, covered in red nylon strings and pins that lead to the infinite stretches that was the demonic mind of a Firstborn, all with one central point with a big glowing question mark hovering above it, the single answer to every question ever made. Solus hated thinking this deeply, but he knew it was necessary.

The car struggled up the now overgrown path that he once used so long ago, almost on a daily basis back then. He wondered just how much his old home changed, and whether it's underground rotten heart had shriveled up and decayed, or whether it was still pumping. That old Vault. No one, or anything, scared him anymore, or worried him. But that place, a place he built with his own hands, sent a cold chill down his spine. He placed that distant subconscious fear on a shelf in his warped mind to look at later. Perhaps then he would remember why he feared it, he would know when he would see the Door that kept that place permanently shut.

Though a refresher for his old memories was not the reason why this car was pulling any power it could muster from its engine to reach the top of this mountain, Mt. Jigger, he thought it was called once. No, he was here for another reason, to gather something from the Vault, a component, a part, an essential piece to his latest great work. The resurection of a Gatekeeper. The mere fact that he was going to go through with this, this plan of his, almost seemed like he was commiting heresy. A crime against Aaurus and his perfect design. But that is what necromancy was to most. But knowing Aaurus and his endless vision into the flow of time, perhaps he already knew this would come about. Solus was pulled from his thoughts as the car suddenly began to jerk and slow down, and then completely stop. White smoke leaked out from underneath the bonnet, signifying that the car was now junk worthy. "Damn..." Sighed the Chimera as he pulled the handle on the door and climbed out.

This old path seemed so serene and peaceful, perhaps that's why he liked it here once. A getaway from all the chaos and troubles of the Blended Worlds. But now he reveled in the disgusting embrace of destruction and misery that this cespool oasis of Creation had become.

He began his walk, trekking along the path further. The mansion would soon be in his sights, and saving this pathetic world would be in reach. Yes, this world is pathetic. Humanity, is pathetic. Solus would look down on them and see how they trampled all over what they created, only to rebuild anew and begin the cycle again. He wondered, why did he strive to protect these beings so long ago? His memories were vague, oh so blurred and misty. He forgot so much. Perhaps while he was here, he would remember. Maybe it would all come flooding back. The Void may have taken some of his memories, but it won't hold them. It can't while he is alive. They are slowly coming back after all. He still remembers most of his younger self, just a few, major gaps need to be filled.

It wasn't long before he saw his old home, forgotten and crumbling, overgrown and surrounded by new found plant life. A vision came flooding back, an image of the place. The mansion was cleaner, easily distinguishable. It changed so much. It was then when he noticed the piled up bodies, no, incapacited monsters, lying on the ground in a pile. He remembered them. He created them with the intention of having Guardians to protect this place should he ever be away. He approached them casually, the creatures groaning, acknowledging his return. They had waited here for him.

Their injuries seemed recent. Recent enough to state that the individual who caused this was still here. He knew he was here, he could feel him. He walked past the pile of guardians and moved towards the front door, still in his casual posture, and walked in, heading towars the living room, in which he quickly found the culprit, sitting there, on Solus' couch.

The Chimera didn't say a word, just stood there, staring at the Vampire for a few moments before finally releasing the bond that held their eye contact in place and looked around the rest of the room. "What a mess..." He said out loud, with a tinge of sleepiness in his tone.

Having known he was coming by the strengthen scent of his unique essence, Mairyell had awaited Solus for the last few hours. It really hadn't been as long a wait as he thought it would've been. A good thing too, he had been a bit bored in his waiting, though he had more or less managed to preoccupy himself with thought and minor daydreams.

With Solus' words, and obvious recognition to his identity, Mairyell responded, smirking a bit, [B]"You know, you really ought to have hired a maid. Perhaps a demonic one? You're gone for so long you know, hard to expect humans to live that long."[/B] Despite the nature of his joke, he could not help but laugh a bit. It had been a long time since he had spoken to Solus, let alone hear of his presence in Progaia. Last he'd seen him he had been desperate to get into hell and to the Western realm that his sire dwelled. His eye twitching slightly at the thought of that deplorable being. Letting his annoyance, which had once been a fierce burning and almost all consuming rage, seep away as he watched Solus' actions. The half demon watched hunter's actions, he knew what he intended to ask the man, but for now he would wait to ask him what had brought him back for he knew it could not be something trivial.

To pass the time while their idle chitchat got itself over with, Mairyell held up his palm and let a small globule of blood rise up and out of his pores, forming into a sphere and slowly weaving tendrils out of and back into the shape. He did this easily, with essentially no effort at all.

"Demons aren't patient by nature..." Responded the former hunter, passing Mairyell and heading towards an old desk at the end of the room. It was covered in about half an inch of dust and some loose rubble. He dragged his fingers along the rotting wood, pulling them away from it and looking at the tips. A black soot covered the ends of his fingers. His thumb, gently passed over them to wipe the soot away.

Chuckling, the vampire glanced at the dusty walls and replied with a smug, [B]"Don't I know it!"[/B] His eyes briefly shone crimson in the murky light before shifting gradually back to their dark purple coloration. Shaking his head and sighing a bit, Mairyell rose, and the smile was replaced by a more serious expression, a brow raised. [B]"So, what brought you back?"[/B] His statement was blunt and to the point, as he was not one to prolong pleasantries. [B]"It's been more than just a while, where did you disappear to after our...excursion to the Western Realm? What have you been up to....?"[/B] He felt that Solus could handle the questions in his current state, so he laid them on him, more or less all at once. He was almost eager to hear the hunter's reaction...almost.

The Chimera simply shrugged. "Little of this... A little of that... Met a god or two. Chased the Iotans around for a while, the usual..." That response was no joke, and Mairyell would feel it in Solus' tone. Yet he seemed so casual about it all, like those things, as ridiculous as some of them sounded, were insignificant to him. Or perhaps it was the topic. "I came here looking for something... And why are you here?" He inquired.

For a long moment Mairyell just stared at Solus, his expression changing to an incredulous one. However, he decided not to ask, it would only complicate things...most likely. [B]"I came here, knowing you would...eventually. Rather lucky that you came so soon, only a few hours since I got here actually."[/B] Looking Solus over, Mairyell began to notice some...familiar essences, essences that he did not care to remember. His eyes narrowing slightly, [B]"You've been to the Western realm..."[/B] in a way it was a question of why he'd been there, but for the most part it was a statement of obvious fact. What business could Solus possibly have had there? Did he intend to kill its lord, his sire, a being he still felt a deep loathing for? if that was the case, why hadn't he been invited to the party?!

Of course Mairyell would have picked up the stench of that dark land with his remarkable ascended senses. But then again, maybe it was Solus' BO and the rags he was wearing that gave it away. Wrapping around him like a thick cacoon. He had no weapons on him, just the hell weather beaten clothes on his back, it seemed. He turned around to face Mairyell this time, a shaft of moonlight beaming through a broken window, illuminating the weathered features of Solus' mutated face. "Well you didn't come here with the intention of waiting for years for me here with nothing but a chat in mind, you have a reason..." His head turned towards a bar stool that stood in the middle of the room. Solus approached it and applied pressure to the seat with the palms of his hands and his own body weight, testing it to see if it was still sturdy enough to hold his weight after 200 years. Satisfied, he picked it up and placed it down gently across from the aged Vampire, and took a seat. "...but I guess I will entertain you and answer first." His left leg dangled lazily while the foot of the other rested on the rusty metal bar that acted as a footrest. Arms folded, he continued.

"I was... tipped off about some events in the Dark Realm that grasped my attention. The whole Realm is locked down, tighter than a chastity belt of a Nun. All in order to protect Szayeis. He is weak."

Nodding as he sat silently in thought for awhile, the vampire closed his eyes for a moment. Szayeis was weak? Wait, he was weak...and still alive after an encounter with Solus, that didn't add up in his head. Still, Solus was expecting something of Mairyell, he wanted to know why he'd come here looking for him, and that was something he ought to answer sooner than later, though he had a good deal of his own questions he felt should be answered. Especially in light of this new information.... [B]"Strange, I'd not think you the type to hold mercy for one such as him."[/B] Shaking his head a bit, Maiyell continued, his eyes opening again, [B]"I came because something seems off in the world, despite the order that's been imposed."[/B] He shook his head, not sure how to word it, things just seemed...not right. Maybe it was just him not being used to peace after so long, but somehow he doubted it. His instincts were usually pretty spot on with this kind of thing, among many others.

[B]"I've been listening around through my travels, Solus, and in light of what you just told me I find what I hear to be even stranger than I initially thought. There's trouble brewing, that I can tell. I'm unsure of the stance that the angels have taken, but I'm certain that the majority of demonkind is not happy with the world as it is. They can't freely feed, or hunt, without their own being killed and while most demons are selfish beings, as I'm sure you know well, when it comes to a point where so many are effected by something like this...well, it's just asking for a rebellion to take place."[/B] Sighing deeply, Mairyell leaned forwards and rubbed one of his temples lightly with his hand. He hadn't really stated exactly what he was thinking...what the rumors implied. It was already somewhat obvious to anyone who knew demons well that they'd eventually rebel against the forces of order. They were naturally beings who thrived in discord, and so order was certainly [I]not[/I] their friend. His lids half closed, Mairyell glanced up into Solus' glowing eyes and spoke again, his hand dropping from his head and resting on his knee like its twin, [B]"I think a nightwalker is leading them. I thought it might be Szayeis...but what you just told me eliminates that possibility entirely, I suppose."[/B] The vampire seemed pretty disturbed by all this, as if he'd been looking into it for quite awhile, which he had. He hoped he was wrong and that it [I]was[/I] somehow Szayeis, because the thought of another nightwalker with manipulative abilities on par with that demon was a frightening prospect to consider, no matter the height of one's strength.

"Szayeis' weakness provides another nightwalker of equal power the chance to take his place. It's a continuous cycle, old friend..." Solus replied with a slight chuckle, totally undisturbed by Mairyell's findings. "Szayeis is alive indeed, but not because I showed mercy. But out of necessity. Szayeis' weakness is... well... his own doing. He's buying us time... Time that we simply do not have. Your discoveries pale in comparison to mine..."

Raising an eyebrow at Solus' last comment, a tiny smirk creeped itself onto the corner of his lips, "Oh? He's buying us time then. Good to know you've got such a good relationship with the [I]lord of chaos[/I], Mairyell scoffed and stood up, shaking his head as he walked across the room and then leaned against the doorway, the globe of blood trailing behind him lazily. His smirk persisted as he took his new spot, seeming ever so slightly restless as he stared across the room at Solus. "I presume you've no intention to tell me what you've unearthed then?"

"You might wanna sit back down. It's quite the tale..."

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Remaining essentially silent as the Demon hunter relayed the story of his activities of the last while, particularly his encounter with the Western Lord, Mairyell's expression went from disbelief and denial to a look somewhere between shock and confusion. He wasn't entirely sure what to think of it all, and even though he'd seen quite a bit in his 200+ years, he'd never even [I]heard[/I] of something like this. However, as unbelievable as his logical mind said it sounded, his gut seemed to agree wholeheartedly with it all, and eventually the rest of him began to process it. In a way it made sense, it sure explained why he was so bizarre a vampire.... "I..." he begun, trying to find words to respond with, but initially failing. His mouth shut again as he quieted, his eyes narrowed in confusion as he licked his lips subconsciously to wet them and then leaned back into the couch even more. He'd sat down again as per Solus' suggestion...he was glad he had too, or he probably would have sunk down to the floor from shear disbelief. "I...I'm not sure how to respond to that." His mouth closed as he wet his lips again and swallowed hard, trying to take it all in. "I suppose it explains why my discoveries have little significance in the face of yours...." he lowered his face into his hands where he held it, rubbing over his cheeks and head, back through his hair, with frustration and some measure of consternation. "Damn, this really makes things a helluva lot more complicated, doesn't it?" He glanced up at Solus a mixture of worry and curiosity in his eyes, for while he did not like what he'd heard, he was beginning to become more interested in what was to come.

Grudgingly, a small part of him thought that it might be fun. Perhaps it was the small part which still longed for adventure, the part that [I]enjoyed[/I] the struggle to survive in this harsh world. Perhaps....

"No rest for the wicked, hmm?" Replied Solus with a low chuckle. "Now, you told me your findings, yet you still haven't told me the reason why you came looking for me..." He didn't really know whether Mairyell simply forgot to mention his reason for trekking all the way out here, or if he was just more curious about Solus' travels. But now his questions were answered. Hopefully, he would answer Solus' final question.

"Heh," the vampire chuckled in response and then shook his head, "I hadn't heard about or from you in over 100 years, 150 to be exact I think, and you expect me [I]not[/I] to come looking for a friend?" Mairyell raised an eyebrow, looking a bit amused. However, what he didn't say was that the hunter was, well, pretty much his [I]only[/I] friend. The rest had died again and again over the years, and sadly angels and demons made poor company for the most part.

"Perhaps. If that's your reason, that's fine by me." Solus stood up off the stool, and gently pushed it aside. "Now then, to find what I was looking for..." It was up to the Vampire if he would follow the old man or not. He didn't mind either way. Company was a nice thing to have.

He passed Mairyell into a doorway leading out of the room and into a long hallway. He remembered it well. On the left was a set of stairs that headed to the basement, while the two doorways on the right were an old sauna, where he kept his Life Pool, and the library, where much knowledge written in old tomes was kept. All the information that was there he already knew off the top of his head, but perhaps that library could be useful to someone else one day. But Solus' destination was in the basement, so he headed left. After climbing down the stairs, he was greeted by a massive oval, stone door that was covered in magical symbols. They dully glowed and illuminated the basement in a variaty of colours. Memories of what was beyond it came flooding back. If all the security measures have failed over the years, opening this door would be like opening Pandora's Box. "What you will see beyond this door, you will not mention once we leave, to anyone. Understand?"

Mairyell followed Solus till they stopped in the basement where a strange, heavy scent of essence and suppressed power hung in the air. Most would have no sense of anything, but for Mairyell looking at the door and smelling the essence around them was like experiencing what it might be like to be a cork in a shaken wine bottle...or perhaps a soda. It looked like if any measure failed, that door would fly off its hinges and unleash its contents, though they were unlikely to be anything as enjoyable as any beverage. Thus, he nodded his head, "consider my lips sealed." He decided he wouldn't touch anything in there either, as if Solus was that adament about secrecy anything within was likely to be extremely dangerous, no matter how innocent any of it may have looked on the surface.

"Good." And with that, Solus looked down at his right hand, ready to cut it open, only to realize he didn't have anything sharp on his person. "Hmm..." A low grunt of pensiveness emerged. "Do you have anything sharp?"

At the question the vampire laughed and walked up beside Solus, smirking and grabbing the man's right wrist before he moved his own right hand over it, curving his pointer finger down and letting one of his claws form. "I figure this'll do. You just need a good prick for some blood magic, right?" He glanced at Solus for confirmation.

The Chimera replied with a curt nod.

Shaking his head and laughing a bit, Mairyell deftly drew a red line over the hunter's palm, severing only a few layers of skin and eliciting plenty blood for the man's use without damaging anything major, though it hardly would've mattered. Still, best to preserve energy should he need it. "There," he said, removing both hands from Solus' arm and hand before taking a step or three back to let him do his work.

"Much obliged..." And with that out of the way, he walked up to the Door, placing his bleeding palm onto it's center circle. The symbols lit up brightly as the Door began to jerk, it's rings twisting and grinding, gradually unlocking the Vault to its visitors. "This will take a while..." Noted Solus as the magical machinery moved its cogs and gears. Eventually, the stone rings stopped moving. [i]BANG![/i] The Door opened suddenly, the stone dissappearing into the frame of the oval arch. Beyond was nothing but pitch black darkness. Without hesitation, Solus blasted off into a sprint, right into the dark.

Raising an eyebrow and then growling a bit as Solus took off, Mairyell glanced at the opening a moment before following the hunter. Sighing a bit he blinked and his eyes shifted to their deep crimson coloration as he accessed his night vision and other capabilities. He had a feeling it'd be a good idea to be able to see in there. However, why he was not sure. He'd just have to find out, now wouldn't he?