[center][h2]Sibling Dispute[/h2][/center] [color=green]"What in Fate's name are you doing, brother?,"[/color] Keriss began in a rather tame fashion, her voice still filled with an exceptionally angered tone eagrdless, [color=green]"I want to know why you have corrupted the minds of these people, these... Victor's as they were once called."[/color] The doors to her brother's throne had been thrown open, viciously and savagely did she step in. Keriss was beyond angered at the creation of this so-called 'Legion of Vice' as they only seemed to be blinded by Amartia's plans. She expected this to be cause of some form of mind game on her brother's part, more fearing his growing influence. The ashen one stomped up to her brother, not bothering with any formalities with him for he deserved none in her eyes. If she had retained her wings, they would be spread in a vain attempt of intimidation. [color=green]"I see through your bravdo, brother. I will not stand for your quest to convert all those to blindly serve you and you alone. Not now, not ever,"[/color] Keriss growled as she stood over the throne with her now unimposing stature. Amartía didn't bother to meet his sister's gaze, instead he scrutinized his nails with an all to recognizable aloofness. [color=Crimson]"Keriss,"[/color] He began as he picked at a glob of wet ash clinging to the underside a horny covering. [color=Crimson]"You've developed quite a disgusting habit of meddling in people's business."[/color] The wet ash finally came free and he went to work on another. [color=Crimson]"Work on that please. I would hate to see my dear sister's good name go down in ashes."[/color] Keriss gritted her teeth at Amartía's words, her fists clenching. [color=green]”It already has for all I care.”[/color] She willed the wet ash back into place in an act of annoyance. [color=green]”The mind is not a place for you to meddle, it is my mother’s domain and you have no right to go corrupt minds to follow you,”[/color] she snarled, watching as Amartía blatantly disrespected her by not meeting her gaze. [color=green]”Look me in the eyes when we talk, you arrogant prick!”[/color] So he did, in an agonizingly slothful way, he met her gaze. But only amusement shown bright in his eyes, a sort of child-like glee that defied the very tone of the conversation. [color=Crimson]"Mother? Your mother is dead Keriss, I thought you knew."[/color] Amartía intoned, speaking genuinely. Suddenly his voice developed a hard edge. [color=Crimson]"I also assumed you knew your place. Both before me and in this divine system of things. Must I reiterate it to you again?"[/color] A threat. A stunned look came upon Keriss’ face. Quickly did the anger flood back into her expression, though she did her best to avoid letting her emotion get the better of her in this instance. [color=green]”My place? My place?! Do you think that I am beneath you? For I am not! I am about as equal to you as much as Tauga is my friend,”[/color] she growled, stepping forwards in a threatening fashion. It was clear that she was not going to back down to the likes of Amartía. [color=green]"Nor think that I fear you, welp. You cannot intimidate me.”[/color] Amartía shook his head in disappointment and pointed an accusing finger at Keriss' chest. [color=Crimson]"Yet Tauga is subservient to me! Just as you are. You just refuse to realize it. Look! You're already kneeling!"[/color] Suddenly, Keriss was no longer eye level with Amartía, but now subject to his scrutinizing gaze from above. She was genuflecting with her right hand to her chest, an act of devotion and loyalty. Amartía grinned savagely. [color=Crimson]"I neither need fear or intimidation to get what I want. Only power and a will, both I seem to possess in overabundance."[/color] Keriss gave a look of angered confusion as she was forced to drop onto her knee and be humiliated by the likes of her brother. She refused to be subject to this perverse game. [color=green]”Enough of this!”[/color] the woman roared launching herself back onto her feet, ash flooding in from the doorway. [color=green]”No longer will I help you fight your war! You do not deserve my aid!”[/color] The ash formed a ball and smacked Amartía upside the head, a retaliation for being forced to bow. Yet, when Keriss opened her eyes, she was once again standing over Amartía in similar stance to that of before; her unimposing form towering over the Enas who still picked at the ash under his nails. Her previous attack had disappeared all together. [color=Crimson]"Are you sure you want to do this?"[/color] he warned, his hint of excitement clear in his voice. No words escaped her mouth, nothing could be said to him at this point. Instead, she cocked back her fist and unleashed it towards her brother’s head. She felt something of a thrill to unleash the rage that had been built up inside her for so long, excitement for the first time in a long while. Keriss eyes bared that savage delight as well, eager to bring pain to Amartía, the one who had continued to degrade her. But she never got her chance. Suddenly, Keriss was no longer in the Cipher's throne room, neither was she in Xerxes. No, she was in bed, tucked in tight. The air was still and a flame barely flickered nearby. It was steady and bright enough to relieve the darkness of the room, but it was not enough to read by. The items around the candle cast shadows that radiated out as branches on a willow tree would. The wick blackened and the wax slowly turned to liquid, running down the side and onto the clay plate. She was in a cottage. It was little thing that hunkered low on a moor like a child in the elements trying to keep warm. Yet it looked alive and welcoming with a thin silver trail curling from the crooked stone chimney. The sides were the same grey slabs as the low walls in the dales and the roof was a darker slate. Needless to say, Keriss was confused. Next to her bed rested a young man, someone she recognized. It was her father. [b]"Don't tell me you've drifted off of on me. We aren't even halfway through the story."[/b] he cooed. A massive scroll lay unfurled on his lap. Her head snapped to the young man, her eyes widening at the sight of Vakarlon. Keriss stumbled backwards falling out of the side of the bed, away from her father. The last time she saw the trickster god was after her fight with Tauga and she had been told many times over that he was dead. [color=green]"You are not real,"[/color] she said lightly, pulling herself back before her back reached the wall, [color=green]"Not real."[/color] She could feel her heart begin racing, terror running up her spine. Vakarlon stumbled out of his seat and over to a clearly startled Keriss, concern written on his features. [b]"Keriss, you fell asleep while I read. You must of had a nightmare or something."[/b] His voice wavered. His heart couldn't bare to see his daughter this way. [b]"Vulamera said this would happen. Your powers are wild and unpredictable at this age. I should have taken you to the citadel instead of trying to raise you here. I was foolish."[/b] Vakarlon's voice was a harsh whisper. Carefully, he reached for his squirming daughter. [color=green]"No,"[/color] she hissed, pressing her back further onto the wall until she could no further. [color=green]"Stay back!,"[/color] she commend jetting her arm forward to attempt to hit the illusion with a stream of ash, but nothing was produced and she saw now that her scales were green once more. Everything was false; this was all a lie, a farse. However, a name dide bring back a forgotten memory, the crown. Her mother had enchanted the thorned crown upon her head so that she may control the mind should she need to. The demi-goddess took a deep breath and concentrated to eliminate any illusions being played upon her, cancelling out any attempt to sway her mind. The crown cleansed her mind of the illusion. Within the blink of an eye Keriss was back in the Ciphers throne room, still in the punching motion. But Amartía was nowhere to be found. [color=Crimson]"That's quite a useful tool you have there, that thorn crown."[/color] A disembodied voice spoke out of the gloom. [color=Crimson]"A dead loved ones final gift to her daughter. It's heartwarming. But your situation hasn't improved."[/color] [color=green]"Is that supposed to scare me?,"[/color] Keriss questioned, her eyes darting around to attempt to find the source of the voice. She willed the ash to begin gathering around her, ready for him to attack her. The disembodied voice cackled. [color=Crimson]"No. I'm just warning you But lets face reality Keriss, your weak. Disappointingly so. You're an ant facing a lion. What chance do you really have at beating me in a fight of any kind?"[/color] [color=green]"A chance,"[/color] she responded simply, before launching shards of ash all around her. The could hear them coming into contact with the walls, shattering against them. Keriss left it to chance that something would hit Sin. Her eyes moved along the room, watching the shards hit the walls and watching for any other movement. And movement there was. Like a speeding bolt, Amartía placed a devastating kick in Keriss abdomen, sending her flying. Sin was no longer human at this point, instead he had shifted into a hideous beast of controlled rage. [color=Crimson]"Check behind the throne next time."[/color] He jibbed, jabbing a pointed nail in the dais' direction. Keriss felt herself hit the wall, the floor coming into contact with her side. It was going just as well as it had last time, Keriss getting the absolute shit beat out of her. The demi-goddess growled before turning her head to the Enas, her eyes growing black. Within the blink of an eye Amartía would find himself in the center of Xerxes, a bright sun looked upon the city. Dead dagon littered the street, ash covered the ground, the city deserted by all life other than hiimself. It was Amartía's nightmare come to fruition, he had lost the war against the Cosmic Knights. There was nothing to rebuild, no people had come back to Xerxes in a parade. A familiar figure sat upon the corpse of a dagon, it was Tauga. She seemed to be staring through the Enas, her mask off. [b]"Amartía, why did you abandon us?,"[/b] the Bowfly asked no one in partifular, her head turning to survey the losses. [b]"Every one, dead. Not one fucking thing for this city,"[/b] she continued before getting to her feet and beginning to walk towards Amartía, [b]"Well, the fuck do I do now?" Amartía had no response. He looked as if it pained him to muster a reply as he gazed upon his broken city. Xerxes: his greatest failure. Sin stumbled over to Tauga. [color=Crimson]"I-I didn't mean to, … w-w-we were supposed to win ... supposed to rebuild…"[/color] Sin had shifted back into his normal form. Tauga did not seem to notice him and she waltzed through him, as if he were a spirit. [b]"Everything gone,"[/b] she sighed as the hain continued to walk away from Amartía, before stopping at an intersection to look back at the scene behind her. [b]"Good bye, Amartía."[/b] The Bowfly then continued to walk away, leaving the ruins to be forgotten. But Amartía wasn't finshed with her. Suddenly the scene shifted and Xerxes was back. It was now a sprwaling metropolis, its avenues filled to the brim with the hustle and bustle of afternoon traffic. But its square was the center of attention. A massive mounment rest there, one of legendary air. Three monolithic figuers stood in grandur upon a granite pedestal, each chiseled by the worlds finest of sculptors out of Ironhearts purest marble. The figures were all recongizable; Keriss stood off the the left, Tauga off to the right, and Amartía in the dead center. [i]Heros of Xerxes[/i] The pedistal read. The real Keriss stood before it in rapt awe. Without warning, the statue of Amartía came to life and regarded her. [color=Crimson]"I fancy myself an actor, surly that prefromace proved convincing?"[/color] It was clear Sin was only toying with her. Once more did Kerss' teeth grind together, forcing the scent to fade away back to the real world with the both of them in the Cipher. She felt anger run through her veins once more, but this time it was different. The air itself seemed to be drawn towards her while the ash seemed to retreat from her, rushing past Amartía. [color=green]"I am done with you toying with me!"[/color] she roared. [color=Crimson]"Then come and get me."[/color] He cooed in her fathers voice, gesturing for her to come at him. The air around her seemed to erupt with a flash of light. A wave of pure destruction lauched in all directions, vaporizing the wall she was next to and anything between Amartía and his sister. Amartía cackled. [color=Crimson]"Well isn't this precious!"[/color] Without as much as breaking sweat, Amartía effortlessly dodged the wave by taking to the air, but wave surged forward uninteruppted and oblitatared his bronze throne. Sin stilled. It was when he stilled that something hit him from the back, a rather substantial amount of ash bore into his back. Keriss herself, lauching herself up at him to force her fist right under his ribs. A psychotic laugh filled the air as this happened, a laugh of someone who had succumb to pure madness. The sound was produced by Keriss herself, the ash amplying the sound to where it was deafening. And Amartía only surrended to the barrange, counting each and every blow that Keriss landed on his body outloud. [color=Crimson]"One,... Two,... Three,... Four,.. Five,..[/color] The barrage only continued between Keriss' blows and the ash striking him where ever it could, soon enveloping him. It got into his eyes stung his nostrils and got into his perfect little nails. Soon enough Keriss allowed herself to grip his left shoulder, but instead it was with her mouth. Serrated teeth digging into flesh and bone as she bit down. Suddenly a hand clamped her mouth in place, its grip jarring. [color=Crimson]"I have rewared you for finally dethroning me."[/color] Without warning Amartía ripped Keriss off his shoulder, teeth, sinew and all. [color=Crimson]"But you must now pay the balance."[/color] With scream in rage Amartía took off into the air, Keriss still in hand. He slammed her through the roof of the Cipher, acceleraing wildely. [color=Crimson]"Mortals are my playthings!"[/color] They passed through the low hanging layer of clouds crowding over Xerxes.[color=Crimson]"Their lives are better spent fulfilling my desire, my will!"[/color] Wind whipped in their faces as they reached past each layer of the atmosphere. [color=Crimson]"So don't you ever make mention to me your mother. Her domain means nothing, she is nothing. The mind is the domain of demigods, mortals are the domains of demigods! And nothing will stop me from manipulating it and them![/color] Amartía suddenly stopped. A void of inky blackness surrounded them. He was eerily calm. [color=Crimson]"If I lift you any higher, and let you go, you will be instantly obliterated, just like my throne."[/color] With slothful vigor, Amartía raised his hand to Keriss' crown. [color=Crimson]"But someone,...something, has to pay for what happened to my throne."[/color] Amartía grinned savagely. [color=Crimson]"And this will do perfectly."[/color] With a gentle flick of a finger, Keriss' thorn crown drifted effortlessly into the void. The maddend look from Keriss had very quickly faded and was replaced by horror, beginning to struggle and reach for her the crown. It was the last thing she had to remember her mother, one of the last things that she truly cared about in the world. Tears surged to the edges of her eyes as she furiously tried to reach for it, watching as it drifted away. Moments passed as she eventually last sight of it, that was when she gave up. Her arms fell to her side, no more movement coming from her other that studdered breathing and wet tears rolling down her face. The last thing she had to remember her family, nothing would be able to brig it back. Keriss, horrified expression said it all, how much she had given up. Suddnely they were back in the Cipher. Amartía was in his throne and Keriss was at the threshold of throneroom. Her thorn crown was wrung around his finger, twisting back and forth hypnotically. [color=Crimson]"You have no idea how much energy that took to mantain. You somehow manged to see through my illusion and break through it with sheer willpower. You're a special one, sister."[/color] Amartía tossed Keriss her crown. [color=Crimson]"Now, what did you want to tell me?"[/color] He smiled wolfishly. [color=Crimson]"I'm all ears."[/color] Keriss pulled the crown close to her chest, hugging it tightly as tears of relief streamed down her face. Her eyes darted up to Amartía for a moment before turning away from her brother and walking out of the throne room without another word. There was nothing that she could say, the experience had drained her. Sin sighed. [color=Crimson]"Quite an expriance indeed"[/color] he murmured as he patted the wound on his left shoulder. [hider=Might Expenditure] Amartía: -2 Might: to produce all the illusions Amartía preformed on Keriss. Invested in Chaos(Pride). (Chaos(Pride) unlocked) Total Spent: 2 Might Leftover: 4 [/hider] [hider=Summary for those who are too lazy to read true beauty][list] [*] Keriss confronts Amartía about creating the Legion of Vice, fearing his growing power. [*] Amartía, being the prick he is, managaes to anger Keriss and things quickly spiral out of control into what can only be descried in my, Lauder's, most eloquant words "What the holy fuck is happening?" [*] The first illusion comes along to fuck with Keriss by showing her her father, of course she sees through this and dispells it thanks to her crown that was crafted by Vulamera [*] Keriss attempts to shred Amartía with shards of ash, surprise, it doesn't work and she gets punched in the abdomen. [*] Keriss employes her own powers, creating an illusion to show Amartía Xerxes, more destroyed and ruined. Amartía was legitametly saddned no matter what Loki fucking says. (LokiLEO: The mans heart is black,.. he was a little sad.) [*] Amartía changes the scene using his pride, like a lil' bitch, and essentially states "It was a prank bro!" [*] The two duke it out for a bit, before Amartía drags Keriss all the way to near space just to get rid of Keriss' crown. [*] Keriss gives up. [*] It was all an illusion. Amartía was impressed that his sister actually did something. (She would have won. She let him win) [*]Kek [*] I'll mention horses here just for Kho and Cylone. They best give us free might for it ;P [/list] [/hider]