Mikael

Essence of the World

Indeed. I am looking forward to working with Slade and being a competent Season 2 GM for not only him, but our current mates who are here and our mates yet to come (once I get the Interest Check written up, reviewed, tweaked, and implemented). And aye, we have many plans for Season 2's plot (and subplots), so I hope you all stick around to partake in them and enjoy yourselves. I write and roleplay mainly to see to the entertainment of my fellow RPers: that's always been my modus operandi, and I hope to demonstrate this next season.

Additionally, I am also proud of the fact that, yes, I have been part of a great team of mates who managed to get an RP done. Finished. With an actual ending. I cannot remember the last time I had the honor of helping in that kind of gratifying conclusion, after months of fun through all the work, sweat, and tears spent over it. I look forward to doing this again, and pave the way for Season 3, hehe.

Until the Next

Essence of the World

2 more posts, and Season 1 is over. ^^

Hurry, Syn! Post Solus's homecoming.

Essence of the World

Collab: Slade, Rtron, Mikael

Lucien glanced up at Ilana's words, to see what appeared to be a human girl coming down from the sky to land in front of them. Aside from the flying bit, his senses told him that she wasn't human. At least, not fully human. At Ilana's words, he only raised an eyebrow and was about to ask exactly how she was going to sync with his movements when she had never met him, when a very loud boom brought his attention back to the girl in front of him. As the Reclaimer pulled off her middle finger, without flinching, Lucien blinked in surprise and felt a grudging impression. The girl was certainly tough, if nothing else. He hoped she would be useful in the coming battle as everything in the city that could answer the call of the sword descended upon their location. Hope turned into certainty and impression turned into respect as Ilana informed him that the Reclaimer was invading Szayeis's kingdom.

Rather than stare at his 'protector' Lucien turned to Ilana. "And exactly how is she going to sync with my movements if this is the first time she has ever seen me, let alone actually fought with me. I've met some fast learners in my time, but none quite that fast." He would inquire how she was invading a Demon Lord's land in hell later. Right now, he had more pressing matters.

He felt it a split second before it actually arrived. Malice and hate, and something that felt more human than Angelic or Demonic. And then red smoke was pouring up through the cracks in the ground. Lucien's first reaction when something he wasn't expecting appeared on a battlefield was to get the hell away from it as fast as possible. That was the idea, anyway, as he opened his wings saying, "Time to go!" To Ilana. But the smoke reached them before he could do much more than just begin to flap down, and he was just...slowed. What should have been a simple manevour became a clumsy effort, and he very nearly fell to the ground.

Ilana looked back up at Lucien's questioning, but it was one that she knew only Ioi could answer satisfactorily; anything less would be woesome ignorance. Glancing between him and the Reclaimer, she shrugged her wings and shoulders, and sighed lightly.

"I really couldn't explain it to you, Lucien," she stated meekly, looking away... but then her gaze came back, eyes wide and her mouth hung ajar at the force of hatred that was coming after them.

The very same fight-or-flight instinct ripped through her as well. "I know!" she cried as he did, both of their wings flapping quickly. Unfortunately, Lucien didn't follow after her, which she instantly noticed with a strong impression from the Reclaimer that observed the spectacle before them. Groaning loudly, Ilana made a half-spin dive and swooped underneath Lucien. Whilst she caught him carefully, she was not used to flying so dynamically and slid back on her heels. They both collapsed in a heap as the red, hateful essence flowed over them, nearly covering their faces.

'I can't... I can barely move,' Ilana mentally cried, her plea spreading down the chain connection to her brethren in Iota, including Ioi.

Nobody replied and it frightened Ilana to her very core.

The Reclaimer moved over them, no longer pinned to the surface of the Red Square's lot. She did not know what this red essence was, even as she sensed the interrelation between it and its victims. It was some sort of mind numbing effect, making people completely docile. She noticed all around her that angels were falling, demons were keeling over. All rendered completely docile. Ilana, given her former original angel nature, seemed semi-vulnerable to it. The Reclaimer eyed her trying to pull Lucien and crawl away, but her strength was so feeble. She could have escaped, but she had used it up on preventing Lucien from cracking his head on the ground.

As a chainborn, it would seem that she was not affected by this red essence at all. It actually infuriated her: this was new and she could not sync with it to make it affect her. As damaging as it would be to her, it was in her nature to unleash the same kind of onslaught back to the perpetrator that unleashed this foul crimson force. Regardless, she had one order to obey from her father: Protect Lucien and the Sword. So she waited, all of Loom silenced. Nothing stirred and save for the sound of labored breathing across the cityscape, the Reclaimer reached out for additional stimuli that might indicate an enemy's approach.

As the essence continued to infect the city, it made sure to engorge itself around Lucien and llana, bombarding their minds, making them slow and clumsy. It gently brushed against their ears where it whispered its poison.

"So smug, so confident, and yet here you are, dirty heathens under my heel. Every single winged rat and disgusting Demon is under my control in this city. And now I have added two more to my collection.”

Then his attack went full force, their skulls, minds becoming more of a burden with each thought seeming to literally become a heavy weight inside their brain. They could sense the disturbing pleasure he got out of trying to break their minds into pieces.

“How does it feel to realize you are worthless trash? To be suppressed and stripped of your imaginary dignity? Implying you filth can even understand such a concept.”

The Essence, now shifted its attention on this other one, who seemed to not be affected by it. Not Angel or Demon. It chuckles as it curiously swirls around her. The entire block now swallowed up in the Heretic's dream.

“Now this is interesting. I never expected worthless scum to be able to res-

It stops speaking as a shrill animal-like yell descends upon them. Deafening to the point of severe pain. It had found something. It had brushed up against Lucien's sword. Suddenly, the weightless red essence became heavy and thick as wrapped itself around Lucien, its voice harsh and unkind.

“SO THIS IS YOUR LITTLE SCHEME MELODY! YOU EXPECT THE ANGELS TO SAVE YOUR SKIN! THE HEATHENS CANNOT EVEN SAVE THEMSELVES!”

Then a small portion of the Essence faces Lucien, touching his nose it became so close. Where it slow morphs into a face... and horrifying smoldering face with glowing red eyes.

“And this is because you are of no use. You are imperfect relics before the Gods created Man. And you will not steal our birthright!”

This happened nowhere else in the City, just this one block. But the walls began leaking a thick black bile of a fluid. At first glance, it almost looked like a shadow crawling down the sides of the buildings. But upon close inspection, it was something else, something foul and unclean.

And it was hungry.

"You...should....have gone." Lucien managed to get out, with effort. She had come back for him. Come back for him when she should have fled. Something was coming, if it wasn't already there. They had to get up, they had to get moving. Before he could help Ilana, however, he had to help himself. Slowly, agonizingly so, he disentangled himself from the other Angel and got his hands underneath himself. It was a start. The red mist around them was growing thicker by the second, and so was the feeling of hate and malice, unchecked. A voice began to whisper, seeming to come from the mist around them. Apparently, whatever or whoever had sent this mist had a grudge against both Angels and Demons. Ignoring it, and concentrating on moving his limbs, Lucien managed to get on his knees. He was trying to get at least one foot beneath him, using his sword (with the sword Hazumi had become still safely sheathed) as leverage. That is, until the thing started attacking him. His knee came smacking back to the earth with a clang, and the only thing that kept him from falling back to the ground was his sword, his face set in a snarl of pain. How long it lasted, he didn't know, too busy trying to prevent this new enemy from breaking his mind to count the passage of time.

And then it was done, distracted by the Reclaimer. Lucien took this brief opportunity to get one foot underneath him. He would be standing before this thing actually made its appearance. He would not just lay down and let it kill him. Sadly, he didn't get any farther as a painful shriek echoed around them, the mist becoming heavier and thicker. Once again, the only thing that kept Lucien from crashing back to the ground was his sword embedded in the ground. He didn't even hear the mist's creator yelling, still deafened and in pain from the shriek. When he next opened his eyes, there was a rather ugly face with glowing red eyes touching his nose.

"T-Th-Then....w-w-why....are....y-you....h-hi-hiding....from....u-us?" Lucien managed to get out, barely.

Nothing was making sense to her. The Reclaimer could feel Ilana's torment, and yet she did not diffuse upon her brethren as an Iotan should. Even when she was about to put an impression upon her to do so, her father lightly told her no. That especially did not make sense: why would her father let a fellow Iotan suffer so? It was wrong! Yet she obeyed, feeling that Lucien was going through the very same trial. She watched as he struggled to his feet, whilst Ilana laid there comatose underneath him. Turning towards them, the Reclaimer didn't even flinch as the his regular sword impaled the ground; she focused entirely on her fellow Iotan. Torn between sending her home and leaving her there, the Reclaimer let out a subtle, but audible growl as she grew frustrated. 'Let him take you,' Ioi told her daughter.

At the same time, the Empty Lord whispered something else in Ilana's mind. Whatever it was, it seemed to give her a second wind. Ilana immediately drew to her knees and half-crawled over to Lucien, her eyes at that moment seeing the hideous face before them. That stimuli correlated over to the Reclaimer, who immediately turned to it as Ilana struggled to help Lucien to his feet.

"Lucien, we will not win today," she whispered in his ears as tears streamed down her cheeks.

The Reclaimer then noticed the black sludge all around them, oozing closer and closer. Her father's command proved to be bitterly obeyed... but obey she would, in the manner she decided was best. Inspired by Lucien's stance against this force, the Reclaimer maneuvered around behind him and Ilana and seized them by their waists. Her strength and density was so immense, they would not help but feel how great her grasp was on them. Holding them off the ground, almost in an odd group-hug, thousands upon thousands of chains began wrapping around the Reclaimer, Lucien, and Ilana.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Ilana squirmed uneasily, grabbing onto Lucien's torso.

No response came as the Reclaimer continued wrapping them in some sort of protective cocoon made of hundreds of thousands tiny gray metal links. It was not, however, the same as being wrapped in chains made by humans (or angels and demons). In fact, the more chains that wrapped around them, the more comfortable it became; almost as if the links were squishy, instead of cold and hard. Just when their air supply would start to run out, two links went under Lucien and Ilana's noses. Through the horus-shaped hole in those links came actual air from Iota, unshrinking and entering their lungs. All the while, Ilana, somehow through the chains, gently stroked Lucien's cheek in attempt to calm him. It was all unfamiliar to her, even as an Iotan, but her faith kept her grounded.

Lastly, the Reclaimer surface-pinned them all to the ground in case their opposer tried to remove them: Judas would find his prey immobile and heavily armored, but if he wanted that sword, he was going to have to find a way to take it and it alone, because the Reclaimer was not going to suffer another moment of Lucien or Ilana's prolonged turmoil. For the longer she stayed in sync with them in this cocoon, the more and more this crazed foe would lose his mental grip on them.

"I'm sorry, Lucien," Ilana whispered through the chains, "Seems we will have to live to fight another day..."

Right after llana spoke, another animal-like sound came from outside the cocoon. But this time it was a deep roar of a hungry beast. What felt like a giant club to the three inside smashed against their barrier, only to hear an immediate low snarl of annoyance. Seemed that every attack rebounded against its attacker. The voice, now a low crazed voice seethed and mocked the three inside.

“That's right! Hide like the plague ridden rats you are. How does it feel to live in fear? To live like a slave? Oppressed and stripped of your heritage.”

The red essence attempted in vain to crawl through the chains, but midway through the barrier the chains tightened and it retreated away, but not before let more of its lingering words reach them and tickle their ears with its viciousness.

“That will be your punishment: Your wings shall be torn, your bodies burned, your childrens heads shall be bashed against a tree. Your very existence will be forgotten.”

The roaring and the snarling subsided and even the gentle rocking of the cocoon by the red essence brushing against it stopped. And all became quiet and still as those last biting words lingered on in the minds of all three, who couldn't see what was happening outside their safe zone.

It started slowly, but the faint sound of footsteps could be heard. But as they came closer, the three began to realize how many footsteps there were: too many to count. No voices were heard, just the sounds the footsteps and the rocking of the cocoon. But then they heard something else; the slow trickle of a fluid coming closer and closer to them.

A large force smashed into the barrier and a yelp was heard as the barrier counterattacked. But this was the sound of a Demon. Then another attack followed by a scream.... of an Angel. Then magic began hitting it and the intense heat was felt by all three when a giant flame hit the barrier and it rocked violently. A variety of attacks began targeting the cocoon and despite the screams and pained yells. They just kept come back. Attacking mindlessly.

It stops just for a moment, the three thinking that they finally gave up. Until they all attacked at once. All three bounce back as the barrier tries its best to take the majority of the force. But on the outside it was deteriorating quickly. The chains dissolving under the pressure of the combined attacks of an enormous number of Angels and Demons, with the chains turning into harmless wisps and flying into the sky.

Soon enough, the three could see the forms of their attacks as they clawed closer and closer to them. Before the black bile crawls into the cracks and begins to infiltrate the barrier, that was now too weak and distracted by its other attackers to resist it. And a slow mental bombardment would begin again.

“Welcome to your Apocalypse.”

"I-I...noticed." Lucien grated out in response to Ilana, smirking, before his eyes widened in surprise as the Reclaimer grabbed him around the waist from behind, and chains began to surround them. He couldn't do much more than wait as the mental assault was still going and it required all of his energy to not be driven insane by this hate filled creature. The more chains that wrapped around him, the more control he found that he had. And the more concerned he grew with what exactly the Reclaimer was doing, aside from immobilizing them. The only thing that prevented him from lashing out was the fact that Ilana wasn't panicking. Quite the contrary, in fact. She was actually stroking his cheek. Turning as best he could towards her in the rapidly thickening chains, he chuckled softly, despite the situation they found themselves in. Here he was, mighty warrior, getting ready to panic when an ally seemed to be helping them, and she was as calm as can be. It was amusing, if slightly dampened by the chance of horrific death outside and the promise of it from the mist creator.

At her final words, he laughed outright. "Sorry? Dying tends to be a rather final solution. I'd much rather have lived and ran than fought and died for nothing." And then there wasn't any time for words as their shelter was assaulted by one creature...and then many creatures. He couldn't tell what the first thing was, but those that came after he identified quite easily. Their shelter was slowly being torn down. For a moment, he could see the shapes and forms and faces of the mob outside trying to break through. And on the inside...Ilana was far closer than he had originally anticipated, and was still stroking his cheek. Even as the strange black liquid began to break through, he smiled. And then it turned into a grimace of pain as the red mist began to renew its mental assault. The cocoon of chains continued to be broken down, and Lucien found he could move his arms. Slowly, he began to reach for the sword Hazumi had become. Inch by embattled inch, he reached for it. And just as he touched it...the black liquid wrapped around his wrist and broke it as easily as he would a human child's. And then, while his hand was incapacitated, it took the sword.

Ilana smiled as he laughed. It was true, and there was no need for her to be sorry. She kept her mind solely on Lucien, letting the Reclaimer handle Judas and his black ilk and mobs. The temptation to cry was great, but she was finally diffusing her fear and emotions through to her brethren. Feeling his squirming towards her, the originally angelic Iotan's eyes lit up as Lucien's face appeared so close. Her caress formed into cupping his cheek, her eyes searching his eyes and seeing the witness he was bearing: what it meant to be Iotan...

Calm in the face of threats,
Silence at the shouts of adversaries,
Love in the fire of hatred,
Life as death whispered fates.

Ignoring the chaos outside, she memorized his smile to memory, knowing her time to leave was nigh...

Outside the cocoon, the Reclaimer fought back waves upon waves of angels and demons. Dozens of them were knocked back with a single chain that came lashing out of the cocoon whenever one of them touched it. The black sludge continued pounding on her, the damage shifting into her and leaving red chains prepared to rebound the damage. Several times the black sludge was knocked back by its own power, but it still kept coming. It was as relentless as she was, and she had a strange admiration for such a foe. If it wasn't for her orders and Lucien and Ilana being in her defensive cocoon, Judas would feel the full wrath of her assault. But it would seem that would have to wait for another time, another day...

She then felt Lucien's actions, moving with purpose and determination: her body links synced with his, she did not resist him as he moved, reaching for the Sword. As he reached, several chains knocked away demons and angels trying to rip his arms. But then, right before Judas's blackness broke the original angel's wrist, it attacked the chains protecting Lucien's arms. It absorbed the damage, as was routine, but just as it was about to rebound on the attacking sludge, another one of her chains came forward to attack it. It resulted in the Reclaimer assaulting herself, metaphorically knocking the wind right out of her. And the sword was stolen.

'Let him have it...' Ioi guided his daughter, her desire to reclaim it stronger than ever. 'No... it is not ours to reclaim; his lodestar will come in time.'

Obeying the Empty Lord, the Reclaimer suddenly shifted strategies: she would protect Lucien and Ilana by retreating. The Sword was in Judas's hands now and it was clear to the Reclaimer that her father was not disturbed by that fact. She unleashed the surface-pinion that kept her anchored, and the mobs would find the formerly rocking half-cocoon falling onto some of them. None of them were crushed, but the Reclaimer had other plans. Several black chains wrapped around many, many angels and demons, shrinking them down into world of Iota, the film between matter and abstracts. A moment after that, in a brilliant flash of bluish light and semi-transparent, dividing cubes, she did the same for herself, Lucien, and Ilana--some of the black sludge was taken along as well... much to the Empty Lord's anticipation.

Judas had certainly won the battle, but only time would tell if he would be the victor in the Great War that was to come.

Essence of the World

Ah...

Essence of the World

Wind, what are you talking about? Was it confirmed that Alexis would be a Kasio? Just wondering.

Essence of the World

Julian

Julian eyed the situation carefully. Too much was happening that he didn't really understand. Mairyell's mum or some other nonsense that was rather touching. And maybe he could have shed a happy tear or two if his forehead wasn't caked with sweat. His eyes hollow and his cheeks surprisingly gaunt. His hand was gripped around the sword handle tightly, and steam was beginning to roll off it. As if he heard something that for once, actually frightened him.

His shadow begins to flicker and attempt to morph into something else. But a flinch of Julian's shoulder keeps it at bay. His mind and that sword a portal to something truly horrible. A violent mental intrusion rams into his skull which causes him to gasp out and go down to the ground on one knee. His hand still grasping the sheathed sword.

He looks up at Poe and Mary, he knew something they didn't. For his eyes had a wildness and confusion in them that hadn't been seen in a very long time.

“W-we have to leave, right now.”

A red, volatile essence slowly seeped out of the sheathe. Before Julian's knuckles tightened and it retreated back into the blade. No If it wanted to play that way, it would have to take the traditional route.

Mary

Death. Death everywhere. She could feel it happening. Feel people dying all around her, Demons, and Angels. She could feel them at the exact moment of their deaths, and she could feel them being drawn to her. To the Abyss. There was one moment of sheer panic from each of them, and then they were gone. Silenced. Consumed. She didn't notice Poe's return, or the reunion around her. Her eyes were tightly shut, her hands clapsed around her knees, pressing them against her chest as if making herself a smaller target would stop them from coming to her. It didn't, of course, and they seemed to be never ending. She would have been rocking back and forth if she wasn't shaking so hard. Upon hearing Poe's voice, however, she opened her eyes to look at him through a sheen of tears. Before she could muster the will to speak, Julian spoke first. If she hadn't been already on the edge and slowly going over it, she would have been worried by his tone and the light seeping out of the sheathe. As it was, she only gave a small whimper and curled tighter against herself. "Yes. Please, get us away from here." She begged Poe in a miserable, pained voice. She could still hear them, feel them as they died and then were consumed. Their panic and their last words, or sounds in some cases, echoed in her head. She just wanted to be gone. Away. Free from this hell.

She squeezed her eyes shut once more and tried to block them out.

Poe

Poe listened carefully as Julian spoke, noting the strange twist of essence from his scabbard. Curious. But he had a mission to do from his lord and was not about to be distracted by ominous foreshadowing. Be that as it may, he focused on their emotions instead, espeically Mary. Poor lass. Sweatdrops beaded his forehead as he heard her pitiful cry, his heart rippling in place. He sighed, donning his hat.

"That is why I am here, my dear," he replied solemnly, "you see, my lord Ioi has returned just now, and he is quite a bit rattled by the chaos taking place here. He's done what he can to prevent certain demon lords from taking the Essence of the World..."

He trailed off... realizing he shouldn't be wasting time like that. "Apologies, let us go," he stated, bowing as he then turned to walk down the stairs.

At the end, however, he stopped and politely waited for Layna and Mairyell Kasio to finish their reunion. As hasty as things were going, he was still one to not interrupt a lady's business, especially hers.

Mairyell

The kiss landing safely, Mairyell's body twitched slightly at the contact, but he didn't react beyond a frown that had screwed itself on his face. How could so much happen in so little time? Shaking his head and glancing down at his mother, realizing just how much he had grown since he had last seen her, he hugged her, warmly and fully, letting for once his barriers fall. His eyes closed as he squeezed her gently, unsure if his strength might crush her if he wasn't careful. Finally after several seconds he withdrew, stepping away and glancing up the stairs as Poe appeared at the bottom. "So, you two are allied it seems..." he said, the seriousness in his tone filtering to his expression as the barriers quickly erected themselves once more around his hardened heart.

"Oh, yes mate. We serve the same lord. I'll say, funny how that turned out," Poe began, taking another step and getting out of Julian and Mary's way if they had followed him.

"Of course, I am not as pr--" he continued, then catching Layna's embarrassed gaze, and then her telepathic prompt to shush.

"Mr. Kasteny likes to remark on how things are," Layna said, squeezing her son's hand, but not trying to hide the flush in her cheeks.

Nodding in response he glanced at her, his eyes a calm violet, he exhaled slowly and spoke. "So he can take us anywhere then? Hmmm, if only I knew where was safest," a small frown crossed his face as he glanced back at Poe. He was sure the other two wished to be rid of this place as well, and he did too, if only for the moment. After all, his only leads on Aeris were in this city, as far as he was concerned, so he'd have to come back sometime.

"Yes, dear, anywhere that... has a door, correct?" Layna answered, then looking at Poe for confirmation.

"Spot on, madam," Poe replied, then turned his gaze to Mairyell, "Indeed, any structure in all the three worlds... Heaven, Hell, ... and all in between, yes. As long as it has a door, I will find it."

"It's just a matter of where we would like to find safety. Therein lies the gritty rub, now doesn't it?" Poe asked rhetorically, looking thoughtful as he stroked his chin.

Layna shifted her weight, thinking as well, but still held onto her son's hand. She then looked up at him, smiling faintly, but wondering if she should mention it... would he even remember that place? She was so keen on her emotions and memories, she could barely contain herself. But as excited as she was inside, she was not about to accidentally upset her son with sadness from his past.

"Any place with a door..." Mairyell's eyes closed as he pondered that statement deeply, even with the battle that clearly raged outside of the apartment's walls. "Doors," his eyes opened slowly and he looked down and to the side, meeting his mother's eyes and returning her smile. The warmth of her hand reminding him of somewhere, "I think I have a place...but its name eludes me. Mother do you remember where we used to go together? You'd take me there..." his eyes closed again as if he were trying to remember. He half expected her to finish his sentence.

Layna nodded, feeling the image of the place in her mind. "I do, sweetie... I'd take you there and help you build sand castles... and it's elude, not allude..." she corrected him, looking half scared that she had just done so.

"By Jove. Mothers, eh?" Poe quipped to Mairyell, to which Layna gave him another bemused glance to shush him up.

"Just take it, please, Mr. Kasteny, we need to hurry," she then asked him, holding out her hand.

"I'm on it, will just be a moment," the tophatter replied, briefly touching her hand by which an exchange of information from Mairyell's mind was transferred.

Poe then went over to a closet door and grasped the handle, turning it left and right slowly as though figuring something out. He hummed a little bit as he mumbled about length and depth, and other sorts of nonsense. Layna turned to Mairyell, but then also Julian and Mary if they had come down already. She gestured with a finger, her eyebrows high.

"Do you all have your things?" she asked the three of them gently, feeling a deep pain in her heart as she looked at Mary and was reminded of her daughter.

She suddenly gasped as something clattered through the window, smashing glass harmlessly onto the carpet. A half-dead demon, impaled on shards of glass, looked at Mairyell and Julian, the only two who looked dangerous, with an evil glare... but made no effort to get out of its predicament. Layna immediately rushed over to Mary and hugged her, attempting to shelter the poor girl's vacant gaze from the carnage. Not that it would probably do much good anyway, given what Mary had already gone through, but all mothers mother poor dears in deep need of mothering.

Such was Layna's logic.

Watching Poe for a moment and letting mom brief the other two, he noticed the sound of something flying through the air only a moment before the demon crashed through the window and slid slightly across the carpet. As Layna moved to Mary, Maiyell's head turned and his arm thrust out, blood exiting from the center of his palm and lengthening into a blade that stopped right before the creature's throat. Eyes narrowed as he glared down at the half defeated creature, the vampire briefly forgot his mother's presence and let his hardene blood push slowly into the hide of the demon's neck. "Cursed thing," he uttered with a growl before he realized what he was doing. Immediately changing tactics, Mairyell's blood liquified and writhed until it formed a cage around the beast, which was then forced upright into a rather tight and uncomfortable position and push against a wall where the blood hardened.

Shivering lightly he disconnected the blood, absorbing the small amount that he did not require for the blood prison. He had lost some of his stores so he felt a slight hunger tug at him as he glanced over to Julian, who appeared as if straining against something, and to Mary who was likely wrapped tightly in his mother's arms. Smiling sheepishly he turned away and then promptly walked over to the beast, picking it up with one arm at which point he flung it out the window, his blood piercing it as it exited their sight, and draining it of its life before flowing back to Mairyell and into him through the pores of his hand.

"Pesky creatures," he said a bit less aggressively than normal, after which point he turned to Poe, "nearly ready? It's getting more dangerous 'round here by the second."

Julian staggers forward to Poe. His sword had been clenched tightly around hilt and now small droplets of blood appeared off the tip of his index finger. Yet there was no cut. And his eyes were wild and crazed, with his right eye only being incredibly bloodshot, to the point that it looked like an infection. But Julian knew better. He felt what was about to happen to the City of Loom and the people in this room if they didn't leave right now. He ignored the Demon crashing through the Window. He just needed to get out of here.

And then he heard its voice enter his mind, but not through the sword as normal. But throughout the City. Spreading and lingering like an infestation

“A Heretic shall bring forth Salvation on a Mountain of the purged”

Julian backs away with fright. His own shadow looking less and less like his figure and the sheathed blade radiating with murder and hate. He turns to Poe.

“We are leaving right now, we aren't safe!” He said exasperatingly.

“Take me to Aberrose, Scotland!” He demanded. Much to his own surprise. It had been his childhood Summer home, and return home was quite honestly the last place he wanted to be. But in his moment of panic and desperation, it was the first safe place he could think of. For his summer home had been abandoned years ago.

“Mary will be safe there, for a while.”

Poe nodded at Mairyell, but then turned to the demanding Julian. "You two first then," the tophatter decided, pointing at Julian and Mary. Opening the door, a brilliant flash of white light illuminated the room before fading to a glow around the doorframe. Even though this was a closet door in this appartment somewhere in Loom, it looked as though an ocean and beach, with a wooden deck was inside.

"We'll keep in touch, so take this," Poe said, handing Julian a sophisicated cellphone, "and best of luck to you lot. Truly."

Layna guided Mary to the door, whispering that she will be alright. The former king and his girly subject then exited, and Poe closed the door, causing the white glow to fade. Layna then turned to Mairyell and smiling softly, took his hand as Poe opened the closet door again. Beyond the doorway, this time it showed a beach as well, but with more rocks and trees. The ocean could be heard in the distance.

"Let's go, my son," Layna whispered, gently guiding him through the door, after which Poe closed the door.

He sighed. "I'm ready, dear," he whispered, and an instance of the Reclaimer appeared and took him away.

Essence of the World

"Hmm," Layna Kasio nodded as her darling son spoke aloud his attempts to rationalize this apparent 'paradox' standing in front of him.

She decided to match him, point by point. Perhaps by doing that, she felt it would help connect her to him better for understanding her situation. But since time was of the essence, proper word choice would be paramount to keeping her explanation precise.

"No, it was me. I was just... in a deep demonic sleep, nearly identical to death," Layna explained carefully, trying to take his hands into hers.

"And I've been away on a... different world, with the one who saved me," she continued, her voice straining to remain uncracked, "and as much as I regret it, my son, I was unable to leave until the proper time... time..."

She dwelled on the word. "So many years have passed, yet I don't feel a day older than my 'funeral'..."

Layna looked up at Mairyell, pushing up her brow, "Please forgive me for my weakness, Mai... and we will deal with 'him.' I promise."

She leaned up on him, standing on her tippy toes, and attempted to kiss him on his cheek. Although she knew that something had happened to her daughter, she felt that now was not to time to ask him about it. In fact, she would let him tell her on his own terms when he was ready. They needed to leave Loom soon. She just hoped Poe was nearly finished up there, convincing Julian and Mary to trust him for their exit; the latter whom her lord said especially needed to survive.

---

Aulder was fucked, as an unknown but derpingly gorgeous seeress recently opinionated. And he knew it. Still, this was not supposed to end in victory anyway, but just stall his lord's enemies until the sword could find a worthy user. Through his Iotan link, he could tell that it was now in some Lucien's hands and his lord had just left, leaving a strong impression upon him to do the same.

Not that he had much choice. This 'Old One' was a tough cookie, Aulder knew. His very essence had been warped, temporarily, but was certainly effective. His liquid fire, no longer able to consume shadow and darkness, vanished into his tea cup. With now nothing holding him up, Aulder closed his eyes, putting trust in the one his lord advised him to.

The old man fell, soon to impact the ground perhaps. But his faith was well placed, and in less than a few seconds, the Reclaimer had 'come out of his body' and caught him, holding him up by her arms. Strangely enough, she appeared to be in two areas at once: where Aulder had fallen just now, still several yards in the air in front of Szayeis, and then back where she was hovering several yards above Lucien and Ilana. A moment later, Aulder vanished into a dividing blue rectangle of tiny cubes, and so did the 'Reclaimer' duplicate who had caught him.

It was in that moment, however, that an event occurred in a special place exclusive to all Iotans: The Enigmatic Elsewhere.

Whilst all thoughts and emotions were, more or less, shared between Iotans wherever they may be, it was here that prominent meetings were initiated by the Empty Lord himself. It made for a more powerful experience shared between him and his followers, which was sometimes necessary to foster greater resonance between them and himself, but also strengthen their minds and Iotan growth. And as always, questions and concerns flooded the 'waves', but the Empty Lord quieted them, firmly and gently... and all listened.

"It appears to be a predicament," Ioi stated calmly, referring to the brief conflict between Aulder, Szayeis, and Him.

"But while the lodestars will not divine this fully, I know He is not in disharmony with my designs. For I have bent the lights and delved the shadows in between the information within our reality's foundation. He is only a large rock in the river that we swim in.

"He is not a foe that we wrestle against, but fate it·self, and we will not despair. For fate can be carved with our will a·lone, but our flesh and spirit will fall against it.

"We will focus on the carrier. Szayeis requires aid with keeping his priorities in order... so I am going to strengthen his resolve to subdue Him. He will remember that what he does have is worth more than what he wishes to obtain."

Ioi paused, letting his speech sink deeply into his followers' minds. As it did so, images of the coming conflict flooded before them.

"Thank you, Naerisidia," Ioi said, to which the newly converted clairvoyant nodded and smiled sadly in her mind.

"I will send the Reclaimer to subdue his kingdom and divert his attention from Lucien," Ioi declared, to which Ilana, even as she stood by Lucien's side, mentally confirmed.

In the middle of the Enigmatic Elsewhere, their collective minds interlinked, stood the Reclaimer. She waited for the order - the very precise order. Ioi had said he will... but now? She was eager to act, to please, to obey. The Reclaimer, as a person, was perpetually bored. So much action needed to be done, but she lacked the foresight of her lord and father. She knew this very well.

"Take them," Ioi ordered her, "all of them; Spare nobody and nothing; Leave not an iota of anything behind."

The Empty Lord had declared war on the Lord of Chaos.

---

Ilana met Lucien's little smile with one of her own, albeit it was her heart that probably skipped a beat and excited her nerves. She pulled a strand of blond out of her face and cleared her throat.

"Her," she said simply, pointing at the Reclaimer (the gray girl) above them.

Subtle admiration spread across Ilana's face, clearly visible to Lucien. But then it changed to surprise as the Reclaimer descended to the ground extremely fast, but then lightly stepped onto the ground, barely disturbing the dirt. She glanced between Ilana and Lucien, her face besmirched by boredom fading to a strange excitement. Her gray composition also seemed to be producing its own light, for neither darkness or light could conceal her. Yet strangely, if she did produce her own light, it did not illuminate the area around her. That was something Ilana was still trying to understand, but her lord's assurance of this creation of his (a daughter, oddly) was good enough for her.

And of course, she never spoke a word.

"She doesn't... talk," Ilana whispered to Lucien, her eyes still on the motionless Reclaimer, "but my lord has assured me that she will protect you without question... I mean, don't even worry about how--she's very precise, and will sync with your actions."

She was about to continue, but then the Reclaimer surface-pinned to the ground beneath them. It basically anchored her to the spot a few yards from the original angels. It also produced a very loud, but reversed sonic boom. Staring into space, she then proceeded to take off her right middle finger and then dropped it to the ground. It vanished before even touching the ground. She then glanced up at Lucien and Ilana for a moment, before turning her vigil towards Szayeis's general direction.

"She's... she's attacking Szayeis's kingdom, Lucien," Ilana whispered, looking at him wide-eyed, but trying to remain calm, "it's a ploy to force his attention away from you and..."

Her eyes fell to the sword that had once been his daughter...

Meanwhile... in Hell.

The part of the Reclaimer that was sent to Hell had arrived, specifically in an arid wasteland's edge a few miles from the Western region. The finger stood upright, moving in place as it expanded its many gray chain links to a larger size. In mere seconds, a second instance of the Reclaimer emerged, but no less potent than her full entirety. Her stoic gaze turned toward the kingdom... and she began walking in lieu of flying, counting down the time to her first attack wave that would be the herald of many to come.

It was not a good day to be a nightwalker in service of Szayeis.

Essence of the World

Just a little notice here: If any of you have seen the name Cassandra mentioned in the IC, just note it's been changed to Layna so it matches things in Celaira's CS for Aeris.

Essence of the World

Great post, Syn.

Rtron, I would like to collab with you for Lucien and Ilana's exchange if that's alright.

Essence of the World

Rtron said
To sum up your post in two words...

Oh Rtron! I am serious. I laughed soooo fucking hard at that... XD Needed it too. I haven't laughed for real in ... hmm... a few days. That's long for me. ^^

I still can't look at that picture without choking and giggling.