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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on Apr 9, 2023 10:20:01 GMT
Invitation to an Intricate Pleasure: Part 10
“Do you understand how serious this situation is, Gahbreal?” Destodai began as she looked at him with strange eyes. “I had to tend to your injuries while Eviax handled Gahbriogyva’s. I haven’t seen you receive so much damage in a very long time.”
“Not to mention, that wasn’t even you.”
Novevu’s voice caused his ears to perk up. The aikekunai had hoped he wouldn’t speak, hoped he wouldn’t have anything to say. Even so, it was inevitable that his father figure would have something to say about this catastrophe.
“Yes. It seems that my first life managed to slip through the cracks,” he responded to which Xainayne clicked his tongue.
“I believe it was you who said you’d have that under control.”
“I do have it under control-”
“And yet you’ve allowed this entire situation to unfold! Not only that, but then you go to Eviax to fix your mess. It’s disgraceful.”
There were few things that hurt more than Xainayne’s disapproval. He and his ancient rarely got along, but he was the one who looked after him the closest for as long as he could remember. It made the wolf’s heart cry out, the two who had acted as a mother and father to him giving him such steep expressions. However, he had no choice outside of facing them directly.
“All of that, however, is secondary. What troubles me most is that daughter of yours.” Naiick said in an attempt to bring the conversation elsewhere.
“What about her?” Gahbreal responded with a souring expression.
“What about her? She is the child of an aikekunai, of which there are no others to currently speak of. We left her in your care entirely on a whim and, when next we hear of her, she’s breaking your bones with her bare fists.”
“While it doesn’t seem like a great feat, you are personally heavily resistant to blunt trauma and damage. You always have been.” Florita always seemed to remember every detail about it. Even the ones everyone else forgot.
“Florita is right. It hasn’t been too long since she was born, but she already has strength capable of damaging you to this degree?” Novevu stated before turning his attention to Cyva who stood at his side. “And if your report is correct Gahbriogyva also blatantly refused your orders and commands to continue seeking out more bloodshed against her own father.”
“That is... correct. I could not stop her.”
“If she isn’t willing to listen to her own parents and mentally capable of culling them, what leaves any of us to believe that the girl wouldn’t just do as she pleases with anyone from our houses?” Flori placed his opinion on the table along with everyone else’s.
“It’s a simple problem to fix,” Gahbreal’s eyes turned in Xainayne’s direction. “We do what we’ve always done with rowdy claimants who can’t control themselves.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I think you know exactly what it means, Gahbreal.”
“I don’t know a damn thing, and I won’t until you put it into plain words.”
“Being stubborn won’t change the outcome of this situation,” Xainayne’s words steadily lighting Gahbreal’s eyes ablaze. “If she cannot do as she is told and becomes a problem for everyone then she will simply have to die.”
Xainayne did not move an inch. Refusing to waver entirely at what might have possibly spelled grave damage. Only allowing his eyes to stray to the side where Gahbreal’s axe was now lodged next to his head on the chair. A part of him was disappointed to think his knight would believe a warning like this would suffice. It was only when taking a closer looked at the situation that, to his dismay, he found that Cyva was the one who had acted to move his arm ever so slightly. Without that his aim would have remained true, and his axe would have no doubt hit its mark.
Cyva, on the other hand, while understanding was entirely dismayed. She knew her husband cared for their daughter more than anyone including herself. What she did not expect was a reaction so immediate and violent. She watched as vines sprung forth and attempted to hold Gahbreal in place as he was already prepared to move forward, but that was proving to be ineffective at keeping him entirely in check. The resulting scenario would end with steel chains coiling his body as well as solid ice covering all but his head. There was a moment in which it began to creak and crack, but eventually his movements were entirely halted.
“That’s enough.” Evyette ordered. “I understand that you are upset, but there are important things being taken into consideration.”
“I don’t care.”
“What?” Daenu responded to his direct insubordination.
“Watashi wa arayuru kabe o kowashimasu. Ano musume o surutameni wa, arayuru shōheki o uchiyaburi, arayuru hō o uchikudaite kudasai. Kanojo ni kigai o kuwaeru mono wa, darenimo torikaeshinotsukanai shi o mukaeru koto ni naru. Fukkatsu wa arimasen. Modottekonai. Reigai naku.” (I will tear down every wall. Break through every barrier and shatter every single law in place if I must to protect that girl. Anyone who harms her will die a death which no one will ever be capable of undoing. No resurrections. No coming back. No exceptions.)
“Is that so?” the ancient of darkness started. “And what if I were to carry out the task myself?”
“You’ve known me this long and you’re still asking stupid questions like that? Dig deep and pull the answer from your soul.”
“You’re out of line, Gahbreal. Don’t let your personal feelings encroach so heavily on your actions,” Nammay attempted to calm him to no avail.
“I’ve lived long enough to know that there are no saviors. Among the greatest of us there are monsters and there are martyrs, struggling for some semblance of rule over a kingdom that does not truly exist. Even if the sun burns the earth away or the realms collapse in on themselves, I will protect that girl if it is the last thing I ever do. I don’t care who I have sacrifice for the sake of her survival.”
“Are you saying that you’re willing to betray us all for the sake of Gahbriogyva?” Chaemai asked him to which his eyes snapped to her position.
A deep red, seething with madness, blistering with corruption. It was akin to staring in the face of disaster and devastation. There was an insanity behind them which told a tale of multiple lives writhing within. As if every eye he ever owned looked at her like meat, and she could tell he was serious. There was no attempt to hold it back as he bared his fangs. The strain on his body showing on his face with each passing second as darkness dripped down his brow like sweat.
“Betray you? If this is even a suggestion, we were never allies to begin with.”
“You’re not yourself right now, Gahbreal. You need to calm down.” Jayhe said.
“Not myself? Hah! What a farce.” His brow furrowed deeper than it ever had as he spoke. “I will not hesitate to do what I must for that girl, and no one comes before her. Above all else I am her father. It doesn’t matter if it’s a claimant, a champion, another aikekunai, treasure, or ancient! The slightest attempt on my daughter’s life will result in the most gruesome and unrighteous dea-”
“Gahbreal!” Cyva’s voice caused him to stop before going any further. “That’s enough. Don’t go any further.”
There was silence throughout the room. Specifically, the most surprising part of the silence was Xainayne. As long as it took for everyone to gain Gahbreal’s respect and devotion, with most of his lives only ever loyal to Xainayne and Novevu, the look on his face along with the words he used spoke volumes. As if centuries of trust faded away into darkness. While Gahbreal had said many things and often spoke in a disrespectful manner, this was the first time Xainayne had found himself on the receiving end of a threat from him.
When had Gahbreal become so volatile? When did their relationship become so fragile? Xainayne could remember every moment from Gahbreal’s birth; the timeline in which they spent nearly every day interacting with one another. He could still often see his face smiling from when he was still a child. Granted, that expression rarely appears on his face these days. The boy who once called him mother, treated him like a direct parent in comparison to everyone else including his own birthmother, now looking at him as if he were nothing more than his average enemy. One of the same targets he had to deal with every other day. The only other person in the room who could understand the way Xainayne now felt was Novevu.
“Nothing is certain, Gahbreal.” Jaiho broke the silence. “No one has confirmed your suspicions, so there is no need to be so hostile.”
“Words are meaningless in comparison to an expression. That’s the reality I understand.”
“Then what should we take from your expression?” Destodai asked the wolf.
“That question is stupid, and you know it. Fill in the blanks, come to your own conclusions, just like you expect of me. Make whatever decision you see fit; understand that my mind is already made up.”
“Enough! This conversation is going nowhere,” Novevu said as he stood to his feet. “We called you here to confirm the details of what happened, and we already have our answers. Both you and Cyva may return home for now. If we need more, we will call on you at a later time.”
The ice, chains and vines which held Gahbreal in place retreated from whence they came. There was a moment which Gahbreal looked at everyone, a steady gaze, before placing his hand over Cyva’s and the two would disappear in a swirl of darkness. Sighs and groans filled the room as soon as the two were gone, but to everyone’s surprise it was Naiick who was first to speak.
“That was an entire shit-show, and we all know exactly where he stands now.”
“Cyva may have stopped him from saying it outright, but that doesn’t change how prepared he was to say it.” Chaemai looked entirely drained by the situation. “Do you really believe Gahbreal would betray everything he’s ever known for her?”
“Absolutely,” Evyette responded.
“There’s no question about it,” Florita agreed. “There is a certain agency which takes precedence over everything else when your own child is involved. Would any of you be pleased if your treasure were threatened?”
“That’s not the same thing and you know it,” Flori answered her question.
“I believe that question was meant to be rhetorical.”
“Rhetorical or not, it is still not a comparison. Unless you’re saying Misnia is equal to his kid, Daenu.”
“You really don’t know how to shut up and understand the motive behind anything.”
“Gahbreal has never liked his job and does it out of respect and duty,” the air ancient responded to Flori. “His family life is a disaster; he rarely has time to speak or socialize with anyone other than his enemies, but most importantly the only peace he’s had all his life has come from the ancients and his wife. Even with that in mind, Cyva has only been with him for a portion of his life, and we haven’t always done things in a manner that pleases him. Often quite the opposite.”
“I don’t get how that’s supposed to mean anything. If we give him an order, he should follow it. It’s a pretty simple concept.” Jayhe’s words caused Jaiho to sigh.
“If you believe that’s what has been keeping him under control this entire time then you’re hopeless.”
“I said what I said to express emphasis on what matters to him. Gahbreal has had very little to trust and constantly loses a lot. Whether that been his sanity, his friends or his life. He’s also the aikekunai of the lot who has remained the same across his lives, although he’s mellowed out quite a bit. His daughter is no doubt acting as an anchor point for him.”
“And you’re trying to say that she’s enough to keep him from remaining loyal to all of us?” Destodai asked.
“It makes sense,” Novevu added. “Think about it. Gahbreal works without rest on the daily. He sleeps only when he needs to and doesn’t question anything unless he is interested. It wasn’t until Gahbriogyva was born that it became normal for him to return home at least once a day.”
“He has barely had any time to interact with the child, but he cares for her more than anything else already. In his mind she most likely represents everything. It should come to no surprise that he’d be willing to kill for her. The greatest problem to consider is what may occur if she is slain.”
“You mean the Chisuke.” Xainayne responded to Florita as he pulled Gahbreal’s axe from its current position, lodged in his seat. “His family has always been a problem, specifically all the claimants in it. Mayray is a wildcard that constantly refuses to listen, Kikana and her sisters are the most annoying thing to deal with in general, Kana has never been trustworthy, and a large portion of their family are males who aren’t even claimants. Gabi’s death could spark having them all become enemies, and the resources required to even deal with all of them at once would be impossible to put together. I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew we were having this conversation.”
“Kikana does pride herself on knowing every secret. Even my assassins don’t get around as much as she does. It’s like the woman has eyes and ears everywhere. Not to mention her troublesome niece. I’ve only ever seen that girl once,” Evyette said as she leaned back in her seat.
“Once? At least you’ve seen her,” Quinnox responded. “All I know about her is that she somehow manages to show up in places she isn’t meant to be without ever being called.”
“Another big problem, and one I chose to keep from mentioning while Gahbreal was present, is that she has already met with Hellfire.”
“Are you serious? Evyette, why would you even allow that?” Xainayne questioned the ancient of fire.
“It wasn’t a big deal before, but the problem you’d have to consider is that Jerimyha has already grown fond of the girl. Albeit strict. That means there is a chance that he and Gahbreal could become allies instead of enemies under the banner of wanting revenge for her death.”
“It’s just problem after problem! Something must be done, but I cannot risk causing his fucking annoyance of a family to revolt against us. We wouldn’t have to worry as much about them coming for us as we would have to worry about them going for other claimants! I need to think. How was her condition?”
“From what Eviax told me, Gahbriogyva was in a rather poor state. We were able to reattach her severed wing and handle all her major injuries. The minor ones were left alone. She should be out of commission and resting for at least a few days,” Destodai responded to which Xainayne exhaled a breath of relief.
“Good. I’ll think of something to do with her for now. So long as she’s not causing any more trouble there shouldn't be any more problems to worry about for the time being.”
“You’re finally back,” Gabi stated as she watched her parents appear at the entrance to their home.
“Gabi? What are you doing out here? You should be resting!”
“Forget resting. Didn’t you say Eviax said she should be comatose for several days?”
“I don’t care about that, there’s work to be done. Get ready,” Gabi raised her finger towards her father. “We aren’t done yet. We’re picking up where we left off.”
“What? Do you even realize what you’re saying?”
“Of course, that’s why I’m saying it.”
“Absolutely not. I’m more than willing to teach you what you need to know to build yourself up to be as powerful as you desire, but you and I fighting isn’t going to happen again.”
“What?” she spoke as her eyes began wandering off. As if the reason for his words would appear in the air around them. “How am I supposed to get stronger if you don’t push me further?”
“My decision has been made. You already have more than enough strength, what you need now is control. What was learned from your last fight is clear. You have no concept of controlling yourself and that needs to be rectified. However, as things stand, you can’t be trusted to freely fight with anyone.”
“That... that’s not fair. You said you’d teach me to be the most powerful! You promised me!”
“As I said, my decision has been made.”
Her body was flooded with emotions. It felt foreign, strange, as if her body and mind were at odds with one another. She wanted to punch him in the face as hard as she could; instead, Gabi’s simply turned to her mother as if expecting her to help somehow. When Cyva shook her head in response those emotions only intensified.
There were few things throughout his life that made Gahbreal waver outright. He could clearly remember many things from his past lives. He could remember watching his allies injured to great extremes, the faces of those who had perished that were close to him, all his failures when involving other claimants who depended on him and relied on him. The closest he had ever come to breaking was the moment his mind caught up with him after the showdown with Amarjeet. However, there was no feeling as souls shattering as his daughter’s words.
“You’re barely ever here and you can’t even keep just one promise! You... you liar!”
“Gabi, sweetheart, you know that isn’t fair-”
“I don’t care!” her fists began to shake as tears poured down her cheeks. “All you do is go and fight every day! It’s all you ever do, everything for everyone else! If we can’t even do that then... then what’s the point? Why do you even come back?”
“I come back home because of you, wolf pup.”
He attempted to reach out to her only to see her slap his hand away. Even when Cyva tried to console her the girl backed away, as if doing her best to keep them at a distance. Neither of them had ever seen her throw a tantrum of this magnitude. In fact, it was odd to see her cry for reasons like this at all. Their daughter who usually resorted to anger alone was now bawling her eyes out while continuing to hold her normal frustrated gaze. It was only when her eyes went from red and full of anger to blue and completely devastated that they could feel their hearts twist.
“This was mine. We were gonna do it together! But you lied!” She looked as if she couldn’t find any more words to say. No matter how large her mental dictionary had grown, there was only a single phrase that popped into her mind. “I-I hate you pa!”
“Gabi!” Cyva called out as the girl rushed back to her room. “Gahbreal, we must... Gahbreal?”
Cyva had seen many expressions on her husband’s face. Worry, caution, anger, rage, peace, joy, fear, confusion, the normalcy of his basic features. She had believed she had seen everything he had to offer. There was never a face more broken and dejected than the one he now wore against his will. He looked physically weak, as if all his vitality had been drained away with that one phrase from his daughter. If he lay down on the floor, he would look as if he were dead. In every way it looked as if the joy had been forcibly removed from his soul. As if all the energy he had conjured up for the sake of his daughter evaporated into thin air.
“I did what I had to do. It was for the best.”
“Dear, let's sit for a moment and talk. You need to rest-”
“No, I’m fine. This is for the best.” His words didn’t even seem like something he personally believed as he slowly walked to the entrance of their home. “It’s for the best... it has to be.”
Cyva watched as he left their home and shut the door behind himself without making a sound. She didn’t know what to do at all. On one side her husband was falling apart at the seams, but on the other her daughter was possibly in the most vulnerable state she had ever been in before. There was too much to process, too much to do, but before anything she had to make sure her daughter did not decide to do anything reckless. That was the immediate threat to her sanity. If she chose to act out again there was no telling what she might do.
Cyva ascended the stairs and made her way to the now shut door of Gabi’s room. These days it felt as if only she were the one that made any sound when walking through their home, but her daughter was too rowdy to remain silent and it brought a slight smile to her face. A part of her was hanging on by a thread with this situation, but there was a sense of peace inside of her that she felt somewhat ashamed of. Gabi had become so self-sufficient that the girl rarely ever had a need for her, but this was something that as a mother she would be capable of doing for the one she called her little angel. That was why she chose to knock on the door and enter, the reason she found the courage to face this situation so wholeheartedly, and also the reason she found herself so dismayed when she found Gabi to be gone. Both her and the remaining boxes her uncle had given her.
“So, let me get this straight... you ran away from home and chose to come here of all places?”
“Won’t Gahbreal come here looking for her? That seems like an inevitable event, or at least a highly possible one.”
“I don’t plan on staying here for long. I only came here to let you know I’d be showing up often,” Gabi spoke as she looked at her grandmother and grandfather from across the room. “Father has proven to be... untrustworthy. As such, I’ll be relying on you to teach me from now on.”
“Wait what? You want me to teach you?” Kikana looked rightfully panicked.
“Yes. You taught my father, and he refuses to teach me more. So, you must be capable of teaching me more than him.”
“It’s not so simple, or I mean... how can I say it... your father had multiple teachers in the past. I was only one of them.”
“That doesn’t matter. I trust you more than anyone else. I hear your lessons are strict and difficult. That’s exactly what I want. If I want unreachable power, then I will need things to be difficult. Will you do it?”
“Well, I suppose.” Kikana looked at Harvel who shrugged his shoulders. It was as if he were telling her to do whatever she wanted, and he would handle the rest. “All I can really teach you are the combat techniques of our family, some assassination methods, a few choice details involving combat from other houses, and a few moves I’ve picked up from watching the ancients. If you want to learn, I will do what I can.”
“Thank you, grandma!” Gabi said as she lowered her head.
“What are you doing? You don’t have to be so formal,” Harvel stated. “She’s your grandmother after all. Show her some proper affection for once.”
“What? No, that’s not necessary!”
Gabi raised her head, her eyes meeting her grandmother’s before she made her way across the room. Kikana looked almost afraid of what the girl might do next. Gabi’s stature was already equal, no, slightly above her own. Not to mention she had seen what the girl was capable of on multiple occasions. Her eyes lit up; her breath nearly drawn out of her entirely when her granddaughter’s arms wrapped around her.
“Thanks grandma.”
“Of course, dear. However, I must ask the question: when do you plan to return home?” The question caused her to release Kikana and step back slightly.
“I won’t be.” Her answer was met with silence. Both Harvel and Kikana looked at her as if she had said something egregious. “Dad is a liar; mom can’t be trusted to be on my side... there’s nothing there for me.”
“You can’t just abandon your home, Gabi. Especially not at such a young age,” Harvel attempted to convince her to no avail.
“You can’t change my mind. I can handle myself well enough on my own. All I need from you two is more power. I refuse to go without more power. I’ll take care of everything else, including funds. The human realm is easy to manipulate for that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be taking my leave. I’ll be back, though.”
They watched as Gabi’s wings coiled around her person, engulfing her before disappearing in a burst of black feathers which scattered themself like falling leaves. On the other end of her perspective, she would appear in a place she had not planned to be but knew about beforehand. If her father had accepted her challenge this would have been unnecessary. However, as she looked down on the illuminated city below, she couldn’t help but frown as if displeased with it all. What was once a sadness restrained and morphed into a hatred she disliked greatly. This was all his fault.
She descended to the rooftops below, the cold air sliding across her skin and causing her eyes to narrow in irritation. She placed the bag which was hanging off her shoulder onto the concrete roofing; hands slipping into an opening to retrieve one of the boxes which rested within. She didn’t know why, but a part of her felt it would be a bad idea to open it. Her mind screamed at her to refrain from doing it until she was feeling better about everything, but that only drove her to do it even more. Anything to distract her from the thoughts which raced throughout her mind.
Her fingers clasped the top of the item, her red eyes looking at it as if to second guess her purpose entirely. A light sigh escaped her throat, the warmth within her body now visible as a thin mist from her lips. She flipped the lid back and inside rested an odd, congealed liquid. It was thick, gray in color and lacking in substance. Its matte state seemed to shift, becoming a deep black before shifting about within its cradle. It swirled about wildly, causing Gabi to drop the item to the ground and back away.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise.”
“No,” the voice caused her to express an abnormal sense of dread.
“Yes. What else did you expect? You thought, with all your knowledge, that after all this time you wouldn’t be made to face me?”
“I refuse to believe it.”
“You should get used to it. Your desires mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. As you are now, you’re still acting like a fucking waste of space. Useless, weak, a cur that doesn’t even have a place to call home now. Doesn’t it aggravate you?”
Gabi couldn’t tell if this was some sort of joke that her uncle had prepared, or if this were an entirely different thing. There was no possible way Eric could have predicted all the things happening, no possible way he could have foreseen this outcome. It made her skin crawl, her mind itch, her tongue sour. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end as her body stiffened instinctively. Her breaths now heavier than they had previously been, she could only watch hesitantly as the substance grew from within the box and took shape. Mirroring her every feature until she stared directly into the eyes of herself.
“I don’t have time for this.”
“Really? And what exactly do you have time for? Ah! That’s right! You have time to cry and run like a spoiled child.”
“You’re pissing me off.”
“Don’t act so high and mighty. You’re not talking to some low-grade rabble. As things stand, I exist above you.”
“What was that?” her teeth clenched together. “Do you have a death wish?”
“Get over your fucking self. If I have a death wish, then so do you. What makes you think you can stand up to me? After the way you almost died, I’m surprised you aren’t cowering in a corner or running away.”
“I am no coward!”
“Then what do you call this?” she spoke as she walked to the edge of the rooftop with arms outstretched. “This doesn’t belong to you, but here you are. Running away from everything like some... some human child throwing a useless tantrum.”
“I’m telling you not to talk to me like that.”
“Or what? Will you run away from me too? This isn’t some simple game, Gabi. This is everything. I’m taking this seriously, I’m the you that you act as if you’re not. You were raised to be above your peers, trained to be an emissary of violence and yet look at you now! Am I meant to be afraid? Do you believe Qrow would be afraid? Eric? Our father? I don’t even believe Stasia would be afraid of you as you are now.”
“Enough...”
“You’re acting like a baby. Someone without real direction, without real purpose, and yet your purpose has been clear from birth!”
“Then what is it? What is my purpose? What is it that I want? I don’t get it anymore! Everything revolved around that single promise! It was everything, but now it’s nothing... so what am I even supposed to be doing now? What’s the point of it all?”
As if the very sky were falling onto her shoulders she collapsed onto her hands and knees. The entropic decay of her courage was like the shattering of ice. It felt as if every single protective wall, the layers of practical denial of herself she had built up melted away like steel becoming molten. Her heart ached entirely; burned as if a flame were dying out in her chest. She could hear the rhythmic thuds of her heart beating in her ears as the pattering of tears fell to the ground beneath her. It felt terrible.
“You’re pathetic.”
“Enough... that’s enough.”
“It’s no insult,” her words followed a hand falling on her shoulder. “Everyone begins pathetic. Is that not how you’ve always been? This was all to grow, all to become something more than what you were. Now you just must make a new purpose.”
“A new purpose?” Gabi spoke as her head tilted upward to spot her own face looking at her with a smile.
“That’s right. Throw away the past, throw away your sorrows or they will eat you alive. Devour you whole. I am you as you are now, but that is why you must defeat me.”
“What?” She leaned back and sat on her feet as she spoke. “What does that mean?”
“That is the purpose of this test. You were meant to simply defeat me, but I won’t let it end so simply like that. A fight as you are now means nothing. There must be a change.”
“Change... what change do I have to make?”
“You must change the purpose which now ties you down.” She backed away and stood with her arms outstretched. “I represent what you are now. All your mercies, all your holding back, it lies with me. I am you as you stand before me. The you who relied on your father. The you who relied on a lie. You need to cast that ‘you’ aside and craft a new purpose. One only you can achieve with your potential.”
“Something that only I can achieve...”
She looked at herself, seeing herself for what she was. Gabi hadn’t taken the time to view herself properly but seeing it now, she felt disdain. She looked weak, as if deeply saddened and lacking a large part of her. Ever since her father had spoken to her it felt as if a large chunk of her being was missing, like she was falling apart, but that wasn’t right. Did she really need him? Was he the only one capable of leading her down the path she desired? That couldn’t be the case. She could feel a spark behind her eyes, a feeling nawing at her from within the depths of her mind.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood to her feet. A deep breath surged through her lungs as her eyes shut tightly. If she needed a new purpose, then it had to be something that everyone could understand. She needed to make certain that the entirety of all the realms would come to understand what it meant to stand alongside her, stand against her, and stand beneath her. There was no room for doubt or second guessing. If even she didn’t believe it, then there was no chance of it ever becoming reality. That’s why she didn’t hold back and thought of a purpose that went beyond normalcy. Something no one else would be sane enough to ever declare! That was what it meant to be her, to be Gahbriogyva.
“You look as if you’ve made up your mind. Are you ready to defeat me? To fight to a proper death?”
“Fight?” Her voice carried no sense of caution. “This is no fight. You were right, I was certainly being weak. A coward... but no more. I won’t rely on a single soul to get me where I need to be outside of my own, because only I can reach the heights I deserve.”
“Those are bold words. Do you seriously think I’ll let you win easily?” she spoke as she raised her hands to the ready.
“You’re being a nuisance. I’ve grown annoyed with the me I once was. Although I must admit, you certainly woke me up. So, I’ll give you every shred of power I now have. Ahh, but be grateful,” Gabi said as a smile spread across her face accompanied with eyes red enough to illuminate the night. “You’ll be the first to die by my new, purposeful hands.”
Her doppelgänger rushed forward, readily annoyed and prepared to fight. However, it was a short-lived engagement. A single fist thrown which was readily caught in Gabi’s hand. She attempted to pull away, struggled to be released, but there was no chance to accomplish the task. She could only watch as her fist was pulled back with every visible fiber of her being, the impact of a blow which immediate tore through her midsection as her legs flew across the rooftop. There was no holding back, the entire building shaking as windows shattered down to the ground floor. Car alarms were now blaring down the road below as several screams rose after the shockwave into a symphony of chaos.
Her eyes looked down at her now missing legs. The difference was far more severe than initially imagined. The only thing keeping her from the ground now was Gabi’s hand, still tightly clenched around her own as her eyes didn’t even bother to look down on her. Her gaze remained in the sky, reveling in something that could not be properly grasped by anyone else. However, as her cheeks revealed I precious red blush and her red orbs shifted in her direction...
“What have you decided?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to do what no one else could ever hope to accomplish, with my own hands,” she spoke as she dropped her to the ground and pressed the sole of her shoe on top of her head. “I’ll bathe this world in red. Blood and gore the likes of which no one else could possibly comprehend. And then, when I stand atop the limitless corpses that I craft with my own two hands, I’ll proclaim to all the realms exactly what I am.”
“You plan to destroy everything? To kill everyone without warranted reason?”
“Don’t be so naïve. That simplicity is what makes you nothing compared to what I am now. There will be those who come to follow me, kneel at my feet and call upon my name for guidance. Respect me above all else as they rightfully should! That is what it will take, and what it means to become a monarch. A monarch of claimants.”
“So, you’ve chosen to become... an ancient? To overtake Xainayne and rule your house?”
“Rule his house? No! Of course not! This house is far too weak. That is why I will reach further than this sorry house and its sorry state. I will reach out with my own two hands and grasp the power for myself. Then, when no one else can stand before me, I will craft a new house for claimants who will live to bathe in the blood of their enemies and bask in tithes of sinew!”
She could feel the pressure of Gabi’s foot pressing down on her skull. The bone cracking, breaking, being crushed under the pressure and yet she couldn’t be anything more than pleased. This was it. This was the sight which she had been hoping to see! Her eyes peering down at her like a deity drunk with bloodshed, hungry for life yet willing to defile it entirely. Dominant in all ways yet relishing in that grace given by lust beyond morality. The Gabi which had readily tossed aside all forms of mercy and decency for her lust and desire for power. It was for that reason that, even in her final moments as nothing more than a soulless copy, she could smile and share the exact same expression. Laughing in a fashion that only madness could produce.
“Long live Gahbriogyva. Newly awakened to who she was always meant to be.”
“That’s right, proclaim it even with the shattering of your bones and remember even in the nothingness you’ll return to. Carve it into your mimic soul. I am Gahbriogyva Leigh Dimea, and I will become an Ancient. Crafting my unmatched House of Violence.” |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
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Apr 18, 2023 19:44:18 GMT
Post by Dobu on Apr 18, 2023 19:44:18 GMT
Invitation to an Intricate Pleasure: Part 11
“I swear, you’re so difficult to deal with,” Kikana stated as she watched her granddaughter casually enjoying her meal.
At the start things had been odd, but eventually both Kikana and Harvel had become entirely used to the girl showing up unannounced. There was almost never a good reason for her to be there and all she ever did was demand that they fight her or engage in some other form of training. However, there were times when she would arrive with no other purpose in mind outside of eating her grandmother’s cooking.
“Don’t you have your own home now? Why not eat there?”
“Because you make better food than the garbage your average human can make. I swear dad got his knack for cooking from you,” Gabi said as she examined the meal before her.
It was a simple dish. Rice cooked to perfection; filet mignon cut into smaller sections and cooked in what seemed to be an assortment of rare spices with red wine and partnered with a mix of vegetables of which she enjoyed them all. Sliced and seared squash, steamed broccoli and carrots, all mixed together and stir fried in a loose, savory sauce. In her mind, Gabi enjoyed the meals to a substantial degree compared to other sources of food. What it really was the winged warrior found herself experiencing was her own father’s cooking, yet perfected. Both the mother and son made the same meals, but of course Kikana was better.
“You’re terrible. Why not hire someone to cook for you?” Harvel suggested as he satisfied his own palate.
“You want me to hire some human to cook for me? I’d rather eat dirt. Not that humans don’t have their uses, but they tend to want more than deserved for accomplishing the bare minimum.”
“Don’t be so impertinent,” Kikana interjected. “Humans do not live nearly as long as us. The lack the time to reach heights that most claimants can, and as such it is to be respected when they gain the slightest glimpse into mastery.”
“How odd. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard you praise humans for anything before.”
“Do not forget, before your father there have never been any Chisuke males who were claimants. My father being among them, and I’ve never once defeated him. Even in his old age he was a master of his art.”
“Sounds like he would have been fun to fight.”
“No, he wouldn’t have. My father did not fight, he only killed.” Gabi had yet to see her grandmother carry such a serious expression on her face, but it was quickly replaced, and the subject immediately changed. “Enough of that. I’ve been meaning to ask about your work.”
“What about it?” Gabi questioned Kikana as she continued with her meal.
“How has work been? You’ve been on your own for several months now, and it wasn’t long after you came to us that you made your debut. You haven’t run into any problems, have you?”
“Of course not. Aside from some executives attempting to make me introduce them to mom and dad, no one has attempted to stand in my way.”
“Kikana has been telling me about it, but based on your response it sounds like you’ve really gone about accomplishing quite a bit,” Harvel began as he finished his meal. “You became both an actor and singer, then quickly rose to the highest ranks socially as well.”
“It’s only natural. Everyone desires what they can’t have, everyone wants what is unattainable. If that’s the case, then wouldn’t I be the pinnacle of those very subjects for everyone who witnesses me? No one will ever be more powerful than me, more beautiful than me, more capable of mor alluring. I stand at the head of every single subject, and I believe I must thank for that grandma.”
“I’m flattered... but that’s far too conceited.”
Harvel laughed as he stood to his feet and exited the room. For as long as he and Kikana had been a couple there wasn’t a single moment in which he didn’t find great joy in the woman being made uncomfortable. Watching as she timidly accepted compliments thrown her way was always a source of pleasure. However, Kikana was not done speaking and quickly cleared her throat before starting again. With a serious expression she made Gabi understand that there was more to this conversation than initially believed.
“What are you thinking, grandmother?”
“You’re still growing, and you will need all the time in the world to do that. I believe your growth is incapable of a limit. As such, I will see just how far those limits reach. However,” she paused as she sipped from a cup of wine. “You should invest in company.”
“I’ve told you before, I’m fine on my own-”
“Not friends or family, nothing so simplistic and standard. Subordinates. People who will lay their lives down for you, pawns who will remain by your side regardless of how they are treated. Gather compatriots who will both fear and respect you. Enough respect to keep them tethered, but enough fear to keep them in line.”
“And where exactly might you suggest I find something like that?” Gabi asked her grandmother to which the woman smiled.
“You leave that to me. Return home and do as you like... I will gather you when the time comes.”
Home... it was such an odd name for this place. It never really felt like a home and yet that was exactly what it was. In a short time, she had gained both money and status within the realm of entertainment. Yet with all of that it felt as if things were still so empty. In the back of her mind, she knew what it was, the desire to return to her true home where things might be how they once were. But that was a foolish ideology. Gabi knew full well that things would never go back to the way they were before, that she would never be capable of accomplishing her goals if she remained with her mother and father. That was why she was out here to begin with. Living in a home far too large for her to occupy simply for the sake of image.
She sat in a large room. Nothing more than a desk with a laptop and chair. There were shelves and cupboards lining the walls with certain items she had taken with her. The sword her father had given her, trophies that she had gained from school which caused her mother to smile, small items which carried little pieces of peace with them. She stood to her feet and approached the closed cupboard, placing her hands on the handles and throwing the doors open to find the remaining two boxes inside. The task her uncle had given her had been neglected for the sake of building a place for herself, but as she took one of the boxes in her hand, she found that it didn’t seem the same as it did at the start.
“Did you see all this happening, Uncle? Did you anticipate this?” Gabi spoke as she returned to the desk and placed the box down. “It always feels as if you set all of this up to some degree, but I know that can’t be true. Perhaps it’s meant to be some lesson. Or maybe you just know me too well.”
She placed her hand on the box and flipped the top open, her eyes resting on it as nothing spectacular transpired. She wasn’t upset like she was at the start, reminiscing about when she had opened the large box which contained all the rest. She was so angry when she discovered how much more work there would be it was enough to drive her crazy, but now she looked as if there was no luster to the task. A part of her felt bad, but that was all a part of this. Wasn’t it? She reached inside and picked up the slip of paper, her eyes skimming over the words before sighing.
“Don’t cause any trouble, huh?” Gabi read those last words aloud as her lips formed a frown. “You definitely can’t see into the future if you think something like that matters to me.”
He was slightly startled, hearing the voices of claimants calling out to him as they rushed to his position. Why was everyone in such disarray? It wasn’t as if they had anything to worry about in his own realm, but it wasn’t until he turned back to see the nearest claimant pointing up into the air that the ancient realized something was not entirely right. As the shadow cast itself over his person, Nammay’s eyes turned up to the familiar sky of the Gulf where he would find Gahbriogyva descending from above with an expression that no doubt spelled trouble. But there was only one question on his mind which needed to be asked first and foremost, this being his first time seeing the girl since her birth.
“What are you doing here Gahbriogyva?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to talk with you!” she exclaimed as her feet touched the ground. “I’d suggest having your... warriors? Guards? Dogs? Whatever they are, tell them to stand down.”
“Why would I do that? You’re not supposed to be here and showing up unannounced isn't’ how you’re supposed to do things.”
“This is starting to become a fucking pain already,” Gabi stated as she clicked her tongue.
It was just as bad as he had imagined. After the previous talk with Gahbreal, Nammay had spoken with Nier briefly on the matter of Gabi herself. It was for no purpose outside of wanting to know exactly what type of claimant she was to cause this much trouble, but what was meant to be a short conversation with the aikekunai of his house had become nothing short of a warning and a stern explanation regarding the proper way to approach her. While he didn’t plan to back down from the girl or cause a heap of trouble, the initial questioning was to see if what Nier had told him was entirely true. However, certain words now rang in his mind like echoes in a cavern.
Gahbriogyva is specifically two things: Impatient and prideful, but I suppose that pride falls in line with her strong will. She will take violence over any other option if she has the opportunity and there are few tactics beneath her. If she is pushed, morality be damned. She’s a cute kid and clearly has trouble being anything outside of that, but the moment you become her opposition in the slightest form she will not hesitate to trample you underfoot if you give her the chance. I’d give you the same warning for her that I’d give someone dealing with Kikana... never drop your guard around her.
She didn’t blink at all. It was as if she couldn’t afford to miss a single detail, or rather she was prepared to fight him if she had to. It didn’t seem as if it really mattered who or what she faced either, not many claimants being mad enough to challenge ancients in this format. It wasn’t until he spotted the droplets of blood falling from her fist that he began to question the quality of this girl’s temper.
“Why is your fist bleeding?” he asked her, to which she raised her hand and wiped the blood off on her shirt.
“Ah, this isn’t mine. One of your dogs decided to bark a little too loud, baring their fangs at me with a blade in hand of all things. So, I punched them with enough strength to kill a dog.” Nammay had to question her sanity as he watched her lick the blood which did not come off from her knuckles. “No need to worry. Eric requested that I not cause any trouble, so I didn’t kill them. Speaking of which, I suppose I should formally do things right.”
“What are you talking about?” the sight of Gabi lowering her head into a bow caused him to wonder why, but then he took into consideration that she had mentioned Eric.
“My name is Gahbriogyva Leigh Dimea, and I was instructed to come here by my uncle to give you this note. I can’t read what I’m assuming are the important parts, but the parts I could read were very clear.”
Nammay looked at the darkness claimant as she raised a slip of paper in his direction, the words written on it being in ancient text that of course the girl wouldn’t know how to decipher. What was so important that he didn’t want her to know about it even though she was the messenger? His eyes skimmed over the words, growing wide for a moment before he looked back at Gabi who was back to standing up straight with her eyes locked onto him. However, he could tell her attention was elsewhere. It was almost as if she could feel the metal claimants prepared to attack her at a moment’s notice.
“Stand down everyone. I can handle things from here.” Gabi watched as the claimants all wandered off immediately without a second thought. This being the only time she chose to take her eyes off the ancient. “Follow me, Gahbriogyva.”
It was so strange but made her understand it even more than before. Being a warrior was more than just holding a sword or fighting with strength. There was will, courage, determination, valor, honor, all sorts of factors that built on the being of a warrior. While the claimants who came to his defense were no doubt weak, they were not so weak that they would fold immediately. However, even with the power they had, none of them even dared to go against Nammay’s words. She could feel her heart pumping just at the thought of it.
‘Is this what it means to be an ancient? Is that the command I seek? The command I WILL have?’
“Sit,” Nammay’s words grabbed her attention.
“Huh? What are we doing?”
“Isn’t it obvious? We’re going to talk,” he started as he sat down himself at a small table. “Eric was quite direct in his request. He doesn’t believe your father would be capable of helping you achieve this step, so he wanted me to help you instead. So, I have a few questions for you.”
“Okay. I suppose I have no reason to argue. Ask away.”
“What are your goals? What are you trying to achieve?”
“That’s it? I want the same thing any respectable warrior would want; to be stronger than anyone or anything else that will ever come to exist. That is all that matters to me. There are no exceptions.”
“If a war between the houses were to begin right now, and you had the opportunity to fight or refrain from fighting, would you choose to fight?”
“Of course. Don’t get me wrong, I have things that I must protect just as much as every other claimant does. But I also see it as an opportunity.”
“An opportunity?” Nammay spoke as he watched her smile.
“Indeed. I could challenge anyone anywhere I wanted, and it wouldn’t matter if they turned me down. Nothing builds a warrior more than a fight to the death. It would be the greatest opportunity to gain more power than I’ve ever had before.”
“Okay, two more questions. What would you say is the proper defense in combat?”
“Defense? A defense will only last for so long, no matter how powerful it is. That is why the best defense is to destroy your enemies entirely. Fight with everything you have and force the same out of them. The strong will prevail while the weak are snuffed out. That is the will of conflict.”
“And for your last question... if you had to fight someone you knew you couldn’t defeat right now, what weapon would you choose to do it?”
“Weapon?”
The question only managed to bring a smile to her face. It wasn’t as if she had discovered anything beyond the question or realized some secret. Rather, it was a question she had asked herself multiple times in the past and had always come to the same conclusion. There was no other answer that she could accept in her own mind.
“There’s only one weapon I have that can be relied upon. One that won’t break until I, myself, am reduced to nothing. This body of mine. My fists, my feet, my bones and muscles. My only reliable weapon is my physical everything.”
“That sounds like just the type of response I’d get from you based on what I’ve heard. You’re as true to yourself as the most courageous of warriors. So, with the questions out of the way, I have a single test for you,” Nammay said as he stood to his feet and walked to a more open area. “I want you to hit me as hard as you possibly can. There’s no reason to hold back and it will only be to your detriment if you do. Throw everything you have at me. I’m going to block it, but that doesn’t matter. This is for me to see where you stand, so I expect your absolute utmost.”
“Really?” Gabi asked him as if she couldn’t believe what he was saying.
“Really. Now come on, let’s do this quickly.”
He could see the change, feel the change in its entirety. Watching as the girl rose from her position and approached him. He couldn’t recall ever seeing a face so twisted with madness in the past. He could barely comprehend how she managed to live as her red eyes themselves attempted to murder him with their gaze alone. Her smile was like that of someone who enjoyed it all, reveling in the opportunity to fight at any capacity. However, it was no clearer to anyone else than it was to Gahbriogyva; why this placed so much pleasure on her at the mere suggestion.
“I’ve changed my mind. Uncle Eric really knows how to please me.”
“Is that so?” Nammay responded as he watched the girl lift off the ground and rise high into the air.
“Yes. There is no greater feeling than this!” she spoke as she reached a height far from where his ears could reach. “There is no greater joy for a warrior outside of fighting an ancient. I will use this, even this single attack, to grow more than I ever have before. And in that process, I will have the chance to attempt killing an ancient.”
She looked down on him from above, the position she so desperately desired and would never stop pushing herself until she achieved it. Above even the strongest being to exist in all the realms, she could not stop until they were all truly beneath her. Even in this moment, this false feeling of superiority gained from this perspective, she felt more pleasure than her entire life had produced. Looking down on all the claimants below who spotted her, the ancient who awaited her move, these creatures who existed alongside her bearing witness to the power she had built up... this is what it was all for. No matter how weak it currently was.
Nammay looked on, his expression changing to that of slight confusion as he spotted the odd sight which now rested in the air above him. Gahbriogyva looked so happy it was difficult to be worried, difficult to not feel the same way. For a moment he could not comprehend how Gahbreal refused to fight her. Was only this single punch he offered her truly enough to bring tears to her eyes? The salted droplets sparkling red as her eyes reflected off them, beads of joy falling from her face and down to the ground below. Yet they would disperse before ever reaching land. It was difficult, nay, impossible to keep from smiling himself as her enthusiasm was like a pleasant ray of sunshine.
“Come on! Show me what you can do!” The words escaped his lips before he could even think to refrain from pushing the girl further. But he could only feel it was the right choice as he watched the girl’s teeth shape a grand smile the likes of which only an elated child could do as she responded.
“Hai!”
The speed of her descent was like a flash of black darting through the sky with her red eyes at the forefront. Nammay raised his hand to intercept, and to his surprise she did not attempt to go around it. Dead set on challenging his own strength with hers, the pressure of her fist collided with his palm. In that moment he could feel it all, every ounce of dedication and desire driving the girl forward. He could feel it in his hand, his arm, his body, the ground quaking beneath his feet, as if she were more than prepared to throw everything around them into chaos and destruction without a second thought. In that moment, nothing mattered outside of the direct confrontation between her and himself. It was because of this that, when the dust settled and the rumbling ceased, there was a moment in which they both felt a sense of disappointment. But he could tell she was still pleased.
“Good. You did well, and I could tell you weren’t holding anything back. If you keep at this pace, you’ll be one of the strongest claimants in no time.”
“The strongest... yeah. I’ll be the strongest! Stronger than anyone else will ever be capable of reaching! A strength of that caliber, belongs to me and me alone.”
Nammay could feel it, the slight tug of admiration that everyone else who had managed to come face to face with Gabi’s desires eventually felt. An admiration towards her drive for reaching heights that most others did not care to reach or believe were obtainable. All the questions and the test itself were directly written on the note from Eric, but the experience was one that he felt the giant aikekunai had planned for him and not the girl. She was far easier to understand than anyone could say after meeting her for the shortest amount of time. Perhaps that was why he had this all planned out now while she was still young. What was certain, however, is that Nammay had found himself knowing the winged claimant far better than many others could claim from just a simple confrontation.
“Now then. We’re done here. You can rest easy knowing that you’ve passed your test and your uncle has requested a reward for you. So, you may return home and wait patiently for it.”
“That’s it? This didn’t really feel like a test.”
“I can assure you that it was,” the ancient of metal spoke as he patted Gabi on the head. “Now run along, I have things to do. Go bother Nier. I’m sure he’d be ecstatic to see you.”
He watched as she enveloped herself in the dark feathers before they disappeared, leaving a pile of black feathers behind to fall to the ground. Thankfully nothing had been damaged and the girl had gone without a fuss. He could at least rest assured knowing that she had more control of herself than he had been led to believe from Gahbreal and Cyva’s words in the past, but it had also been a substantially short amount of time since then. A description of her throwing around enough force to cause widescale damage wasn’t to be taken lightly and Gahbreal wouldn’t lie about something like that. It begged the question of where that improvement came from?
Nammay looked down at his hand, a slight shake in his fingertips as he thought on her strike for a moment. It wasn’t weak by any means. Enough to leave his palm tingling. Was everyone truly right in being so cautious of her? |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Apr 21, 2023 22:25:15 GMT
Post by Dobu on Apr 21, 2023 22:25:15 GMT
Invitation to an Intricate Pleasure: Part 12
The sound of running water dragged her attention away from the papers which lined the desk which she called her workplace. How long had it been since she’d heard anything from within the walls? How many months had managed to pass by since the halls became quiet? It was for that reason she jumped up from her seat and rushed out of the room; swinging the door open without a second thought before running down the hallways.
Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead the likes of which she had not experienced prior. She could not tell if she was nervous or simply frightened, but she knew that there was only one person brazen enough to wander these halls as if they belonged to them. The stench which flooded her nostrils as she approached the cracked door was terrible, fused with the smell of running water and sweat but of its own personal origin. A familiar smell and one which clung to the hallway as well without any sign of easily letting go. Any claimant who was unfortunate enough to see combat knew this scent all too well...
“Blood?”
She immediately found herself on the defensive. She had been working in this building for over a year now, and there was only one thing she knew for certain. It was always smart to remain alert and ready for confrontation no matter who was within the vicinity. Even the owner. But her previous belief that this was in fact her boss faded away at the thought that they would so casually make a mess of what belonged to them.
Her fingers pressed against the door and pushed it with cautious consideration. The sound of rushing water grew louder, the familiar spritz of the shower head now overbearing compared to everything else around her and yet the scent... the one scent which stuck out the most as she peered within the room confirmed one thing, she had personally hoped this was the case yet found it to be a horrible sight upon observation. A gasp from her lips causing the woman’s ears to perk up as her head slowly turned to view her. She looked worn out, defeated entirely, as if a part of her being had been ripped away and replaced with a vast emptiness.
“Oh, Mist... it’s you,” Something about Gabi's voice made her feel sick. “I’m home. Has anyone been by while I was away?”
She could only look at the girl as she stood beneath the running water. From her very head to her toes, she was covered in thick, viscous blood of varying types. Claimant, human, and beast alike all leaving their mark on her person. The water seemed to wash it away bit by bit, but no matter how much seemed to be rinsed away there was still more beneath it to take its place. Her hair was longer, reaching down her back and between her wings which were no longer held up in their normally proud manner. They hung low, almost as if dragging on the ground behind herself. She even seemed to stand taller, but it was difficult to tell under all the vital fluid. All she could see clearly were her eyes. Not red nor blue, but a steady black.
“Miss Gahbriogyva? Where have you been? You’ve been gone for almost an entire year.”
“Not even a year?” Her words seemed so distant it made her slightly confused. “All that time and not even a single year has passed... does everyone yet live?”
“What do you mean? Nothing major has happened since you took your leave... wait, that doesn’t matter. Where have you been? People have been looking for you! Humans have begun to believe you were kidnapped and the ancients have been-”
“Mist,” her voice caused the woman's spine to stiffen. “Quiet. Too much talk. Du bringst meine Ohren zum Klingen.” (You are making my ears ring.)
“My apologies, ma’am.”
There was a long silence as the water continued to rush over her body. The steam filled the air like a fog, as if Gabi were attempting to use it as a means to block out everything around herself. To narrow her vision so that she might be able to focus on only herself. Mist, on the other hand, was left wondering what had changed. Gabi was clearly still the same person with the same commanding attitude, but something must have happened. She seemed almost entirely devoid of peace or pleasure.
The sound of the faucets turning and the water ceasing to run caused her ears to perk up. Perhaps her boss was now complete, and now they could speak properly? It was almost eerie. Something about the situation made her feel as if she were in imminent danger. While that was simply a part of being near Gabi, from what she had come to learn, this was an entirely different feeling. A sense of merciless impact she had not felt on her before. It was almost as if she were in the presence of someone who no longer wanted to fight, but to outright decimate others.
“Mist, clear this steam. I can’t even see myself properly,” Gabi’s voice echoed throughout the room.
“Yes ma’am.”
The woman took a deep breath, exhaling in a manner which seemed like a sharp whistle that caused the steam to disperse from her position and spreading outward. The room was cleared in seconds and, upon the hindrance being removed, her eyes grew wide. With all the blood removed Gabi was left completely visible compared to before and the sight was a sudden shock to Mist.
Her hair was no longer black, but a deep bloodstained crimson and even longer than she had originally believed it to be as it brushed behind her calves. She was covered all over in bruises and scars which made it look as if she had been locked in combat for an extended period of time. Her eyes looked so serious it was difficult to call her a child; her height, which was now substantially taller, adding to that difficulty. She had grown physically, looking even more alluring in the woman’s eyes than she had been before. Was several months enough time for such a great change?
“I need you to do something for me, Mist.”
“Of course, anything.”
“Cut my hair. I need it the same length as my mother’s again. That should also make it easier to wash. I can’t get all the blood out at its current length.”
“Yes ma’am. I'll cut and wash it for you.”
Mist watched as she stepped across the room silently. Her stride was just as confident, no, even more confident than it had been before. She stepped into the bath and slid down into a relaxed position. Her head resting just over the edge so that her hair would not fall into the water while her wings submerged themselves under the warm liquid. Water overflowed from around her, falling to the floor in a manner which made her eyes open slightly for a moment before closing again.
“It seems I’ve grown more than I had realized.”
So she does realize it as well!
“Gahbriogyva-”
“Gabi...”
“Yes, Gabi, ma’am. If you don’t mind me asking,” she started as she sat at the edge of the bath and began cutting the girl’s hair. “Where have you been all this time? Multiple people have been looking for you, specifically your grandmother.”
“I see... first, tell me how long it has been. How much time has passed since I’ve been away exactly?”
“You’ve been missing for several months. Ten, to be exact.”
“Ten months? That’s all?” she questioned the woman.
“Yes. With all due respect, ten months is quite the amount of time to simply go missing without an explanation.”
“I could have sworn it had been longer than that. My body is still the same as it was on that final day. The changes which took place are real and yet it doesn’t add up. The time has passed... but it also hasn’t?”
“You seem to be struggling, Gabi.” Mist’s words carried a considerable amount of care. Even after all this time Gabi felt it was unusual for her to express care for anyone. “Explain it to me and we can try to make sense of it together. What happened? Let’s figure it out together if we can.”
“I... I suppose that will do... talking about it may ease my mind. I feel as if I should be doing something, but I can't remember... It all started with that box...”
Her eyes bolted open, locked onto the blue sky as spars white clouds rolled by. The wind brushing against her skin caused her to relax in a manner she found unnatural. There was a part of her being that wanted nothing more than to continue resting in that very same spot as the grass waved around her and the breeze made her heart flutter. A smile spread across her face. It wasn’t the normal smile she often found herself wearing, it was pleasant and content with the way things were. She could certainly stay like this forever.
“There you are,” her mother’s voice pulled her attention to the side. “I’ve been wondering where you’ve been.”
“Hey ma.” She looked to see her father standing at her side. “You’re not working today?”
“Working? What are you talkin’ about? I haven’t had any work to do in a long time.”
“Wait, what?” she said as she sat up on the ground.
“Are you okay? You seem a bit tired. Let’s head back to the house. I can make you something to eat. That ought to get you in gear.”
“I... sure. Okay.”
Gabi placed her hands onto the ground and lifted herself up, the feeling of cool dirt beneath her palms sending chills through her system. She stood tall as she always did, head turning slowly as she stared off into the distance and at the far horizon. This was certainly her mother and father’s farm, but something didn’t feel right. It was almost as if she wasn’t meant to be there. Then she was left wondering when she had actually managed to get here.
“Gabi?” her mother’s voice pulled her attention back. “Are you alright? You seem... lost.”
Even as Gabi turned to her it was as if the girl were looking past her. Black strands of hair flowing in the wind over her face, but the blank expression she carried soon changed to the form of a smile. She didn’t get it, but there wasn’t anything to be upset about. Was there?
“Yeah, I’m okay. Let’s go eat. I’m fucking starving.”
The three would return to their home without any crazy events taking place. A calm walk across the fields until the building came into view where they would enter and rest with conversation. Normal talks about how her training had been going and if she had been getting along well with the rest of the family. Her father had even brought up Nier at some point and asked whether he had been attempting to get her into trouble or not, but of course that was never the case.
Before she knew it the meal was prepared, and they were all sitting at the table eating. It felt so nostalgic. Almost as if the events which had taken place to split them all apart had never happened. Perhaps it had all just been some long dream? Had she managed to get caught up in something she would never do? She looked at her father and mother, both of which looked far happier than she had remembered ever seeing them and wondered if this was how their life was meant to be. The fighting, the building of power, was it all necessary?
“So, Wolf Pup, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” she swallowed her food quickly before responding.
“Yeah? It’s not something stupid, is it?”
“Well, I hope not. You’ve been keeping up with all your training properly? No slacking off, right?”
“Huh?” she responded as her brow rose.
“There’s no need to bother her about that now. She has been famous for a while now,” her mother interrupted. “Between her work and training, you expect her to put more effort into the training?”
“It’s important for her to continue growing. There is always the possibility she could become the family head in the future.”
“And just how far in the future do you believe that would be? It’s been an unreasonable amount of time since your grandmother became the head of your family, but you think she should be in a hurry to-”
“Wait!” Gabi cut her mother off.
“Is something wrong, Gabi?”
“When did you two learn about my work? I never told you about that. And when did mom learn about the hierarchy of the Chisuke household? I’ve never heard you tell her anything about that before.”
“What are you on about? Your mother has known for a while about our family. As for you, how could you forget? You were the one that told us about your job. You were so excited you could barely contain yourself. Then again, you’ve always been rather conceited, so it makes sense that you’d become an actor and singer.”
“She’s not conceited! If you’re perfect, then it is best to utilize that perfection.”
“You’re the reason she acts that way. She’ll never stop if you keep encouraging her to be like that.”
“Hmm... perhaps I’m just tired.” Gabi stood to her feet after finishing her meal. “I think I’ll go and get some rest.”
“Alright. Take care of yourself.”
“We love you dear! Don’t work too hard! And remember to visit often!” her mother demanded to which Gabi offered a smile.
“I will. Bye ma, bye pa.”
She wrapped herself in the heavy wings and, upon opening them up, found herself in her office once again. She could not shake the thought from her mind. Although it was certainly possible for her mother and father to learn of her work through normal means, she knew for certain that she had not told her parents about her work. Not only that, but her father hated speaking about his family and rarely ever told her mother anything about them. Why would he have ever told her about the hierarchy? Why would he bring it up the way he did at all? Nothing was adding up.
She looked down at her desk which was in perfect condition, however the item she was looking for was not there. She could have sworn that the last box she had to open from her uncle was resting on the desk, she had left it there to make certain it would not be lost. She almost yelled across the building for Mist, but paused when she noticed an odd letter where the box once was. It wasn’t strange in the sense that it was unnatural, rather it was strange due to her name written on it in her uncle’s handwriting. Specifically, the part next to it which read ‘read immediately’.
“Mist!” she called out to which footsteps could be heard quickly approaching the door.
“Yes ma’am?”
She was as fast to respond as ever. It wasn’t long after she had spoken about it with her grandmother that Kikana had brought her to meet Mist, the first person who would come to work for her. She was always diligent and had come to care for her deeply, but they never seemed to be in a position to call one another friend. She didn’t know the girl’s name; only really knowing that she requested everyone call her ‘Mist’ while everyone from her place of origin called her ‘Mist Daughter’. Gabi personally had no idea what it meant. All she knew was that this woman had sworn fealty to her entirely, and that made her a person she trusted.
“Has anyone dropped by today? Specifically, a rather tall male?”
“No, it was rather uneventful. Nier showed up to check on your arms and supply you with more mini-HEAT shells. Kikana dropped by and left you some documents which I placed in the usual location. Stasia and Verin come to-”
“Stasia and Verin? My siblings? What were they doing here?”
“Yes, um, Verin was here to show you pictures of your nephew. Stasia was here to add the items you requested to your wardrobe.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” she spoke under her breath. “We rarely ever talk, let alone get along. Why would they show up for things like that? And my nephew? I didn’t even know I had one...”
“Miss Gabi?”
“Is that everyone who stopped by?” she questioned the woman who nodded in response. “Okay. That will be all. You can take the rest of the night off. We can talk more tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? There is still more work to be done.”
“Yes. Go now, I have a lot to think about.”
As soon as Mist closed the door Gabi grabbed the letter and read over it carefully. Nothing was adding up, as if the world she had come to know was entirely false and she had woken up from some deep slumber. Only certain people were acting normally while it seemed certain events had never even taken place. What was happening? Surely the note would give her answers...
'Gabi, read immediately. You are a special case. You have astounding potential, but you lack certain things that are required for your growth. You lack mercy, you lack compassion, you lack the pieces that make up morality and therefore you find pleasure in killing. Not just your enemies but killing anyone. So, to rectify that, you must understand the true weight that comes with killing. This trial isn’t about fighting, it’s about murder. Kill to your heart’s content, kill until you become sick of it, disgusted by it, turned off from it, and then kill some more. You must kill. Get it out of your system, understand it. Only then, will you be capable of passing this trial.'
“Trial.”
It was the first thing she had come to notice. Most of these things were referred to as tests and trials, but the ones everyone called trials always seemed to be far more difficult to accomplish. Not as if they’d always physically strained her. Instead, they managed to make things difficult in almost every other way. Trying to force her to understand something... and Eric had used the word trial himself this time. However, now she was left wondering what it meant.
“What is the trial he wants me to do? What did he want me to accomplish? He wants me to kill? Get it out of my system? I don’t get it. Is there someone specific that I need to kill? Will they attack me?”
She pondered what the words meant, but after some time a sigh escaped her lips. What was the point of rushing it? There was no need to be so hungry for the answer. She still had a year to figure it out, so she could take all the time she needed. After finding the letter there was no doubt in her mind about this entire ordeal having to do with the box, so she just had to win when the time came. Her enemies would eventually come for her and when they did, she would fight as she always has. Until then she would live out her life as she always had. Something about it made her feel slightly at ease. There was a certain peace which raked the air around her.
She reached her hand out and remembered the reward Nammay had given her after the previous box was opened, her uncle’s own secretive way of getting her a weapon crafted without the need of her father. The ancient had described it as a set of armor which would grow along with her. As she became stronger it would become more defensive to compensate. As she grew in height and size so too would it to truly fit her mold. It was even modeled after the shadowy armor her father wore, made from the same black Damascus steel her father’s axe was made from yet with a thinner build to better fit her form. The most similar part was the helmet, with a shape reminiscent of a wolf’s head. Even a cape of velvety black like her father’s, or at least his first life. But none of it was as useful as the part she used the most.
“Knochensammler”, following her words a clawed gauntlet would form itself around her hand. It seemed to pulse with darkness, but she knew that was simply how it functioned much like the armor. Absorbing madness from her just like her father’s axe to keep her sane. It was also the reason she refrained from using the entire set. She relied on that madness, after all. “With you, I’ll be ready for anything.”
She had found herself wondering what exactly was happening. At one point she was angry when the first year went by and her promise to her uncle had gone unfulfilled, however she was more distraught when he never returned at all. Had the enemy of her final trial gotten cold feet? Did they choose to hide away or flee? It ate away at her like a disease attempting to gnaw on her soul and yet she did not lose hope. ‘Perhaps this was how it was meant to be’ is what she told herself, but that had proven to be nothing more than a farce. Especially when she found herself waking up in the act of dodging and axe which sliced her pillow in two. She could feel her heart racing as a smile spread across her face, but the smile itself felt more nervous than anything she had felt before.
“W-what are you doing? What is the meaning of this, dad?” she asked Gahbreal as his red eyes bore holes in her skull.
“You believe you can just rest easy? You will fight. You will fight with everything you have because that is what you must do and there is no other option! Isn’t this what you wanted? The reason why you’ve made enemies? This is just the culmination of all those things.”
“What are you talking about?” she called out as she kicked him across the room. “I haven’t made enemies of anyone!”
“Is that what you believe? Then I’ll just have to make an enemy of you instead.”
“What?”
She could barely react to his actions, her thoughts still wondering why it was that her father had come to attack her the way he did. All she could do was evade and attempt to discover a reason, but there was a glaring issue with that. It was entirely clear that Gahbreal was out to kill her. Before she knew it her gauntlet was tightly coiled around her arm as she raised it to intercept his axe, just barely strong enough to keep him from outright pushing her back.
“Why are you doing this?! What happened?!”
It was like her words simply weren’t reaching him at all. She hadn’t felt so tense since she fought his first life, but it wasn’t nearly the same category of battle. She had not stopped training since then, so her own growth had to be taken into consideration as well as his current life being nowhere near as direct in combat as his first. She could just barely keep up, but it all felt fabricated in a way. As if he was attempting to kill her while not pushing himself as far as he could go. What was this supposed to mean?
“It’s either you or me,” his voice sounded... distorted in a strange way. “Either I kill you, or you kill me.”
“Why does that have to be the way things are?” her question once again went ignored.
The longer the fight went on the more effort she had to put forward. He was steadily getting sharper over time, growing more accustomed to the combat and placing more pressure on her. If this continued for too long, he would eventually outpace her, and she knew it. That was why she chose to act quickly and decisively. Moving in close to bait out an attack, blocking that attack, and responding with a direct kick to his neck in a manner that would no doubt leave him damaged enough to cease combat for a time. However, he did not seem to care for the injury at all and immediately rose to his feet and rushed forward again.
It was sudden, without warning, as if he were a wild animal. She panicked as she stepped back to make space, but there was no space to be made between the two of them. With a reaction having to be chosen her body moved on its own in favor of survival and, before she could even register her actions properly, she witnessed in first person as her clawed hand plunged into Gahbreal’s chest and tore out of his back. It felt as if her senses had shut off entirely as she watched him cough up what seemed like a black and red sludge before dropping his weapon to the ground. It was that action which caused her to pull her arm from his body and watch as he fell to the ground.
“Dad... no... no no no no no. Wait, wait, I can fix this! I can... dad!” she spoke as she looked at him lying on the ground motionless. “Mist! Mist, hurry! I need help!”
She looked at him for a moment, countless thoughts racing through her mind as if trying to find what might be the answer to this problem before her eyes turned to her hand. Dripping with her father’s blood, coated in the thick viscera which held steadily to each sharp piece of her weapon. This was not the reaction she believed she would have upon finally felling her father, she never actually truly believed that she could accomplish the feat, so it was only natural when it felt as if everything were shattering around her. The only thing which caused her attention to shift was the sound of the door opening and the scent of Mist filling her nostrils.
“Mist! Call my mother! I need-”
She paused as the sting of a cut burned her cheek. Her eyes turned to the woman only to see her readily prepared to fight, that same feeling emanating from her which was pulsating from her father. The feeling that came from an enemy fully prepared to kill without mercy.
“Mist. Don’t.”
“You must die, here and now.”
Gabi quickly jumped away from her father’s body to evade her attacks. Blades of water shot through the air in her direction in a quickly increasing number, filling the room with a mist that steadily became thicker and thicker as the seconds passed. She did not want to think about it, but Gabi knew she could not allow this to last for long. Mist fought in a very specific way that she had come to know all too well, and if the mist grew thick enough the woman would end up drowning her. That was why her body acted on its own again, rushing forward whilst evading the blades of water before her hand swung in the woman’s direction with as much force as she could muster.
She paused as the mist quickly faded, a shiver sliding up her spine as her eyes peered at her gauntlet once again to find it dripping with what seemed like nearly translucent blood. Almost as if it were water, yet containing a form of flesh she rarely had the opportunity to see. Her head spinning around to see her friend’s head, or at least the half which remained, as brain matter spilled from within and onto the floor. She could feel her stomach twist as the body fell to the floor, but there was no time to focus on her. The entirety of her attention switched directly to her father who she immediately rushed back over to.
“Dad, get up! Come on, we have to get you to Eviax or Destodai.”
She wrapped her wings around the both of them, in an attempt to move them both to Elysian and yet... it didn’t work? She tried again and yet the outcome was the same. The same with the Vortex. The same with the Void! Her mind was racing, wondering what was happening. She never cared about going to the other realms and didn’t if there was no reason, but now she had no idea how long it had been an impossibility. The air was filled with the heavy stench of death, her eyes beginning to water as time trudged on and yet she could not understand why.
“There you are.”
“Mom?” Gabi responded as she turned to see her mother now standing in the doorway to her room which had become a battleground. “Mom, I need your help. Something isn't right. Mist. Dad. He isn’t moving, he isn’t listening to me, I don’t know what’s going on. We need to help dad.”
She found herself speaking as the tears began to cloud her eyes, but once again her body moved on its own. It wasn’t anything as grand as a killing blow. It was the act of avoiding the death which would have been found at the edge of her mother’s blade. She didn’t even notice, her sense of smell offset by the scent of blood. However, as her eyes focused on her mother’s face, she could feel that sensation in her heart again. The ultimatum of life or death.
Her face twisted in despair, an anguish which ate away at her piece by piece as she now found herself attempting to desperately evade her mother’s attacks. Fighting back the instinct to retaliate while also attempting to find a way to settle this and discover what waws happening. However, with each successive attack, she knew her mother was growing more and more potential behind her thrusts. The means for which she knew the woman would attempt to strike her down with an overwhelming strength, but that strength would still need to make contact with-
“What are you doing?!” Gabi called out as she watched the woman turn her weapon on herself.
“Die.”
It was unthinkable! Did her mother plan to strike herself with her ability’s built-up power and transfer the damage to them both? She couldn’t allow that to happen, but how could she even stop something like that? If there had been anyone here that could have been dealt with easily it would have been her, but now the situation had become the direst of them all! Her foot stepped forward, the floor shaking beneath their feet before she catapulted herself forward without thinking. Her life was now on the line, and if she had to choose between life and death... she would choose life.
She watched as her mother turned the rapier around quickly, seeing that her daughter would attempt to stop her and instead now striking at the girl. Gabi saw this and quickly stepped aside, just barely avoiding the tip of her sword before following up with four deadly punches. One connecting with her sword arm and shattering the elbow, another with her stomach and knocking the air out of her, the next colliding with her side and causing her defense to drop, and the last most devastating one hitting her chest and echoing throughout the room. Cyva staggered back slightly before stepping forward and stumbling over to Gahbreal. Her last action was coughing up an array of blood before falling to the ground on top of him.
“Ma... Pa... please don’t. You can’t.”
She stood for a moment, looking at the two of them before turning to see Mist again. When that did nothing to change anything she turned back to her mother and father who now both lay on the floor. She clenched her fists, eyes burning a bright scarlet as she forced out a yell that attempted to be filled with rage and anger, yet ultimately managed to do nothing more than sound like the desperate cry she released as she fell to her knees with tears pouring down her face. Her hands collided with the floor beside them, the building quaking as the walls cracked and crumbled, windows shattering and scattering glass around the area. However, that only filled her senses with the scents from outside.
She forced herself to her feet and approached the window, looking outside to see people she could only assume were claimants. How did they know about her? How did they find her? Did one of the ancients decide she needed to die or was this some kind of trick? She looked back at her mother and father, a moment passing by in which she had to keep from vomiting on the floor before she wrapped herself in her wings and disappeared. There were only two places she could go to now, only two people she might be capable of relying on, but as she found herself slamming her hand against the door she was met with a terrible realization.
“No matter how far you run, you can’t escape.”
She stepped aside as the door was shattered apart, the sight of the large war hammer tearing the wood to pieces and yet that was not what caused Gabi to let out a godless scream. It was the sight of her own hand which had so casually severed Verin’s arm from her body along with the hammer which were now both lying in the open. There wasn’t even a chance to exchange words, not even a moment to understand. Verin did not hesitate to raise the other weapon in her remaining hand to attack, and Gabi did not hesitate to push forward and fight back. A steady set of blows both given and received before she inevitably found that moment in which time seemed to almost slow to a halt. The brief period in which she could see her hand plow through her sister’s neck and send her head careening through the air before hitting the floor.
Her reaction was immediate, her hands rising to cover her own eyes as she screamed. If this was what came of turning to Verin, then who was to say that the same would not be the outcome of going to Stasia, or anyone else for that matter? She could feel the sting in her mind as her thought started to become a blur of desperate nonsense. It was as if her soul were attempting to make something out of nothing, a solution from an impossibility, and it was that madness which caused her to reach out her left hand which was quickly covered by the second gauntlet. It wasn’t meant for combat like the other, but it absorbed the madness all the same as the other did.
“Sister! My sister... I need to think. I need to... I need to...”
She stopped as her thoughts were immediately cleared by a familiar sound. She rushed into Verin’s home, moving through it frantically until she found the source, which she had hoped would not be the case. She could still feel her mind swirling about like a twister, but she still chose to drop her guard and allow her gauntlets to retreat to where they had came. A forced smile, but a true and generous one all the same as she reached down into the crib.
“Hey! It’s me, it’s me. Don’t worry. Everything is okay now. I’ve got you,” she looked around as if once again hoping for answers but could not find any. It was difficult to hear over the child’s crying, but she could smell it around them. More claimants were nearby. “Looks like it’s just me and you for now, huh? You don’t want to kill me, right? Right?”
She couldn’t think of much to do aside from moving him someplace safe. She couldn’t possibly risk his wellbeing if others were to attack him right now and so she made up her mind. She would take him to a place which she could easily defend and protect, then leave and fight elsewhere. If everyone was coming to fight her then staying away would be the best decision, but he would still need to be cared for. So, she would take him to her mother and father’s home then go out and fight.
In her mind she nearly perished at the thought of how similar this plan was to her father’s lifestyle. But then she was left wondering if that was really the way he lived. She had just killed him, but from what she had been told he had stopped working a long time ago. It was as if she had been dreaming for so long that she had become separated from reality. Did that mean this was her reality?
“If so, then I desperately wish to be asleep again,” she stated as she wrapped both herself and Kiran in her black wings before disappearing. |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
163 posts
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on May 2, 2023 17:30:59 GMT
“Porta alla luce la mia anima ribelle, così che un giorno io possa teovare lo scopo che cerco. Erode le mie inibizioni, che nessuna barriera mi trattenga. Anche se i miei nemici possono morire, ce ne sono sempre molti che potrebbero prendere il loro posto. Concedimi la forza di resistere al loro assalto. Concedimi la determinazione di rivederli senza fare domande. Amen.”
“Reichsmarschall?” the male responded to the woman’s words. “You’ve returned? When did you get back? And what does that mean?”
“It does not matter what it means. At least, not to you.” Her words were ruthless, as if speaking directly to dirt beneath her boots. “Now then. Where is the Führer?”
“In the same place he has been so far. The bunker is still intact… wait. Have you lost your mind? The Führer was looking for you and no one was capable of getting a hold of you at all! Where exactly have you been?”
“I’m here now, and where I was doesn’t matter to you. Now then. Hand me your service pistol,” she ordered as she held her hand out to him.
There was something intimidating from the order. Watching her outstretched hand, covered with a black leather glove, emerge from underneath the long coat which had ribbons and medals scattered all over it. Rankings, symbols, everything that made up her reputation on full display over a completely black outfit that only someone of the highest military rankings could possibly wear. Her long black hair was tied up into a bun and covered with an embellished schirmmütze. The eyepatch which rested over her right eye as ominous as it had always been. She always intimidated others, wanted to intimidate others.
“E-excuse me?”
“Your pistol. Give it to me, now.”
The male nodded his head, knowing full well that there was no possible way he could deny the order given to him. He knew as much as he could learn about her from what little information was available. There were only a few parts and pieces that could be gleaned from small snippets and hard to access files scattered across the country. However, there was a single constant which rested in his mind; even when looking at her now it was extremely accurate. She always looked the same. As countless years passed she never once looked any different in any picture or description given.
He handed the weapon to her, watching as she smiled slightly. She wasn’t proud or being considerate, she was simply mocking him for taking so long to do as he was told. He could see it in the way her eyes analyzed his Walther P38. Even with a single eye she was accurate, persistent, this one experience with her layering on top of the documents he had procured. She had earned her rank in earnest, but refused to allow public interference on the matter. Everyone who was important knew her rank, but everyone would only acknowledge the second person to achieve it. That only meant that this foreign woman, who aged with the quality of vacuum sealed jewels locked off from the rest of the world, would be the first to be known for reaching this place. It was entirely plausible and undeniable that her hands had played a part in starting this conflict..
“Reichsmarschall, Zorelle. Tell me. What are trying to accomplish?” His words were enough to draw her attention.
“Oh?” her voice was like that of a deep ravine, holding mysteries his eyes could not imagine. “You’re curious? That’s good. You’ve been doing as I say for quite some time now, so it’s only natural that your curiosity get to you.”
“Reichsmarschall?”
“Most dogs are too afraid to ask the important questions. Especially when faced with superiors. So? What exactly are you asking me?”
Her single eye was like the center of an onyx-amethyst geode. Almost as if it had a bottomless center reminiscent of the depths of a star. He was almost afraid to speak, almost pushed back into a corner, but then he realized what she had said. As if she were trying to guide him forward. It wasn’t a threat, but an invitation.
“Why did you lead the Führer down this path? Why in this direction? I’ve read all the files correctly, learned everything that I can, but I don’t see the motive. I feel your suggestions have led this entire thing forward, they brought this war about, so why do it?”
“I didn’t technically lead anyone, but if I had to answer it would be because I find it entertaining.” He looked as if he could vomit, but there was no bile in his throat or stomach. He oddly felt no need to do so. No matter how disgusting the implications. “Are you disgusted?”
“What?” He spoke as he watched the woman point the gun in his direction.
“Are you disgusted? Is that not the answer you hoped for? Or perhaps you think that I needed a more illustrious reasoning.”
“I’m certainly disgusted, but also confused. Can the answer truly be that simple?”
“I like your response… you should become my pet.”
“Excuse me?” He questions her as Zorelle flipped his gun around and handed it to him.
“Become mine. You’re clearly interested, as simple as that interest may be. You can always follow at your matriarch’s feet. Add to my ever-growing family.”
“Become yours? Add to your family?” He started as he placed the gun back into its holster. “You mean like a spouse?”
“Don’t be so formal! You’re no love to me. It’s as I said, you’ll just be mine,” she chuckled out as she began walking away. “Now come along, loyal pup. We have things to do.”
“I am no dog! And what do you mean? We are in the middle of a war!”
“Oh come on, do you really think this is something that can be won?” She began as she approached the building with him close behind. “The war is over, it’s a loss. And your wonderful leader, in all his knowledge, will most likely take his own life if I know him well enough. Also, you are a dog. Mine, to be specific. So you can take solace in knowing you’re no mere stray.”
“We will lose? Or, well, it does seem that way. Things are quickly going downhill.”
“Which is why I’m glad I found you here. I had a feeling you’d be one of my most loyal pets, but if you were out somewhere else I wouldn’t have cared to search for you. However, that kill belongs to me. That leads us to these current events.” He watched as a sword of raw obsidian formed in her bare hand. “Stay behind me. I need you to be the witness.”
“How did you do that? And what do you mean by witness?”
“The witness for my kill. This war is over, and I’ll be the one to end it. I enjoy killing off monarchs and leaders. So, you will be the one to witness this.”
It didn’t take them long to reach their destination. It was magnificently grotesque, watching as she effortlessly cut down anyone who crossed their path. It was no wonder she never saw injury on the battlefield, it could only be described as supernatural when bullets simply deflected off her person. Her sword cut through all forms of clothes and armor, her steps like the very movements of the earth. It was as if she could tell where every single person was in the building at all times. He often found himself ducking behind her as if seeking safety, an action which caused her to smile in a condescending manner.
He couldn’t help but find his opinion of her growing stronger. It became clear to him with each passing moment that she wasn’t some simple person. Each body which fell on her path sank into the very ground beneath them never to be seen again, there were some people who lost their footing for no reason at all, and then there were some who seemed to almost slide across the floor directly to her. It was almost as if she were controlling the very building around them. It was no wonder they had found themselves at the bunker entrance so quickly.
“How do you plan to enter? It is well armored.”
“No armor is grand enough, crafted by the hands of humans. Not humans like this at the very least. I’m sure you could make something better with time.”
“Are you making a joke of me?”
She removed a glove and pressed her bare hand against the metal entrance, a moment passing before it seemed to shake violently before opening on its own. She hated metal crafts, materials from the earth turned into things which mimicked Nammay’s realm. It felt as if they were encroaching upon her house and required far more accuracy to toy with, but that was a problem for another time. What was more important was how she had opened the locks on her own and the door easily was pushed open after that.
She stepped inside, placing her fingers back into the glove while looking around casually as they passed by every single room until reaching the destination she envisioned. The sword was now hovering at her side, as if suspended in the air by some will that he could not understand as it followed her every move. He found himself watching her so closely he barely could focus on anything else. That is, not until they found her target.
“There you are! This place is a mess!”
“Zorelle? How did you get in here? Why are you here now?”
“Don’t be so bland. You know how capable I am when it comes to getting where I want to be when I want to be there… who is this woman?”
“That woman is my wife.”
“Is that a fact… how would you like to become mine?” Her words nearly drove the man into a fit of rage, but he found himself unable to react as the blade now floated close to his neck. “Don’t be stupid. She’s clearly going to say no. What a waste. But, at least you can both share the same fate.”
“Reichsmarschall, what are you doing?” The male pet at her back asked only to go ignored.
“My Führer, give me your service pistol.” Her words were now different from before. Now it was more akin to the vibrations of stone falling through a cavern. “I have plans for you.”
The male could tell that it would be unwise to refuse, everyone could tell it would be unwise to refuse her. Zorelle simply reached forward and took his weapon before inspecting it much like she had done her pet’s. She checked for bullets before chambering one and aiming it directly at the two of them.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“You’re both going to be killing yourselves. Right here. Right now. For me. It shouldn’t be too hard, I know you were already planning to do it, you’re still as weak willed as you’ve always been, but now I’ll get to watch.”
“You’re deranged… mad!”
“Perhaps I am, lady. But that doesn’t change what I want here. Now eat the fucking poison.”
She watched closely as the two of them consumed the prepared poison. She wasn’t going to allow the plan she had set to go awry by any means. This kill, and rightfully so, belonged to no one else in her mind. She had done quite a bit of planning and planted far too many seeds to allow it to slip away. That was why she smiled with so much pleasure as the poison began to take hold on their bodies.
It was easy to tell when people were dying. Especially so after having spent so much time on battlefields and in the midst of war. That was how she could tell the poison was steadily working its way through their systems. However, she couldn’t allow him to just die. That belonged to her, and was why she raised his service pistol and shot him directly in the head.
“No! Why would you do that?” The woman seemed almost incapable of processing what had happened.
“Well, that’s simple. It’s because that kill belonged to me and I want you to suffer.” The male who stood behind her looked mortified. “After all this time, he will face death and you will suffer the death of someone who had to watch their loved one perish before their very eyes.”
“But why?”
“Why? Because you’re going to go down in history as the wife of one of the most hated men alive. Don’t you think you should suffer at least a little?”
If last words were a curse, then this curse would persist for all time. With both of them now dead, Zorelle would place the weapon in the male’s limp hand before turning away and walking to the entrance. The male who still followed behind her did not seem as if he were entirely capable of understanding what all of this was.
“Was this what you were looking for?” He asked her, to which she smiled.
“Yes, it is. Simple, is it not?”
“Why cause so much suffering just for one man?” His question caused the woman to turn directly to him and lean forward. It was only times like this when he realized how much taller than him she was.
“That’s because I can’t just kill anyone. They have to be worth something or the conflict itself will mean nothing. I lead him down those paths, I made the useful suggestions, that’s what I chose to do.”
“How could you suggest so many atrocities?”
“Oh please. You don’t even know what the workhouses were, but you call this an atrocity?” She spoke with her fingers lifting the eyepatch to reveal an eye just like the other, but it looked as if it had been shattered like glass and put back together. Held together by a shell of glass. “All I did was give him words of encouragement and ideals on the intricacies of battles from the past. He was the idiota that chose the path he followed.”
“So you shared military tactics and battle plans with him so that he would be capable of formulating a plan of his own?”
“There have been a lot of warlords from past battles who learned many different ways of dealing with their opposition. With enough ideas, someone who thinks they can take over the world will eventually come to their own conclusion. Whether that be morally correct, or morally obscene. All I did was offer tactics, and he made the final plans.”
“And what does that mean to you?” Zorelle responded with her fingertips pressing against his chin.
“You certainly are a curious puppy… alright. I’ll tell you.” She stood tall and lifted his head to look up at her. “It means that this world won’t grow soft. So long as there is a great threat to all, there will always be a reason for people to fight. Even if I have to build that conflict. Not to mention I can get the kill at the end of it all.”
“And why are you keeping me around? Why me?”
“Don’t be so thoughtful all of a sudden. You’re not the first.”
“Not the first?”
“Of course not. None of you are someone I’d even go as far as to say I love. You’re all just… pets, making up my title as matriarch. Only one person receives my love, and it’d be in your best interest to not attempt to compete with them.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you’re all just going to extend the litter to build my matriarchy. Not to mention, I’d probably kill anyone who makes someone I deeply care for feel as if they are less than.”
“So I’m nothing more than a toy now…”
“You’re so stupid. Don’t think too hard about it.” She placed the eyepatch back over her eye before reaching her hand out to him. “Come. Toys are for children, idiota. You, as I said, will be my pet.” |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on May 16, 2023 6:40:17 GMT
Invitation to an Intricate Pleasure: Part 13
Desperation. Suffocation. Panic. Rage. Suffering. So many words which could be used to describe the feeling coursing through her veins. There were flashes of red behind her eyes, sparks of entropic mentality, drops of diluted sanity at random attempting to measure and balance the dramatic shift. Her face twitched, breaths stifled and quick as the burning in the back of her mind grew stronger and stronger-
“Gabi!” her eyes shot open as she gasped for air. “You stopped breathing again.”
“Is that so? I apologize, but you don’t have to worry. Grandmother taught me how to go for hours without breathing. Said it would help with work... how much time has passed?”
“Almost a whole hour.”
“Okay, then I didn’t oversleep... your speech is much clearer now,” she spoke as her eyes rested on the boy. “You’ve been doing well with your studies.”
“You’re a strict teacher, auntie.”
“Not as strict as my mother. You’d have probably run away by now if I followed her example.”
“Speaking of that... have you found any information on my mothers? I know you’ve been busy, but-”
His voice seemed to fade away with each passing word until there was nothing left. All that flushed through her mind was the sight of the boy’s mother, her sister. She could see it so vividly that it made her stomach turn. It was something she could not possibly forget, no matter how much she wanted to try. The memory of Verin’s head lying on the ground something she found haunting her more with each passing moment. She knew that she had no choice, it was either her sister’s life or her own. However, it was Kiran’s existence which filled her with an entire series of regrets.
“No,” she started. “As far as I know both the Ancients and Treasures are nowhere to be found. I have not seen Rensai, nor have I seen Verin.”
“I understand...”
“I’m sorry, little angel.”
She pushed herself up to her feet. She had not slept in such a long time, but a single hour was long enough. There was no use for a bed, but as she rose from the floor the sticky threads of thick liquid blood attempted to tether her to the floor as she stood to her feet. Droplets of molten colors pouring from her person, but none so thick as the crimson red that covered much of her person. Eyes like scolding pools of deathly scarlet. Her hair hung low compared to what it once had been, but her wings did the same as if draped down her back more like a cape of feathers. Much too heavy to lift her into the air.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. My work is almost complete, but there’s a little more left to do,” she spoke as she approached the front entrance. “Once things are handled, I will return, and we will finally be able to leave this place.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to go back to the world you spoke of? Where everything is normal?” he asked as he watched her strap her mother’s rapier to her side and lift her father’s axe up to her shoulder.
“Of course. We will escape this place, together. I promise you that. I won’t allow you to suffer, I refuse. As of now, you are my everything.”
She looked around the building. What was once her mother and father’s home now a bastion of defense. The windows were completely covered, and the walls had been reinforced by her own hands. There were no blemishes, no breaches of security and she would not spare any expense to keep the boy safe. She had brought him here to keep him away from the endless fighting and she would not allow him to face any form of harm. That was the promise she had made her sister, or was that even her sister? Was any of this real?
She questioned it time and time again, whether she was making the right choices. She examined the path she took through the home every time she returned, bloody footsteps and droplets of dried blood leading into the kitchen and to the spot on the floor where she had chosen to sleep when she could. Although, she only ever found herself sleeping when Kiran begged her to do so. There was more than enough food stocked around the building and toys which he could use for play, but this would not be enough for him. However, the time was quickly approaching in which she could free him from this prison.
“Auntie?” His words dragged her attention from the room and directly to him. He always seemed to look worried, but that was when she put on her best smile and leaned in to kiss him on the forehead.
“Don’t worry, my little angel. It’s almost over. I’ll be back when this battle ends.”
“Can’t you rest for a bit more? You rarely ever sleep.”
“I don’t need to sleep. The sooner this war ends the sooner we can return to a place of peace. A place where we can rest, and a place where we can possibly find your mother. So, please, stay put and I will return... It is time for me to go.”
“Okay auntie.”
“Kiran?” Gabi spoke as she placed her hand on the child’s head. “Do you remember what I always tell you?”
“Yeah. Try to stay inside, and if I must go out then stay near the home.”
“You’re such a good kid. Now don’t worry, the battle will be over shortly.”
“Take care, auntie.”
Gabi smiled as she stepped towards the entrance to the building. Her wings dragged on the ground behind herself, a cloak of black feathers which stuck together with a deep black gunk of vital fluid. It had looked like all forms of blood had been mixed over the black feathers into a matted layer of sticky goo. Her hand twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, the breeze hitting her face as she looked out at the far horizon. The rising sun hit her face in a way that made her skin tingle, as well as illuminating her features far more than they had been. It was then that, outside of the dark lighting of the inside of the home, it could be seen just how exhausted she had become.
The dark circles around her eyes made it look as if she hadn’t slept in months, but that could be taken literally seeing as to how she had only recently slept at the request of Kiran. Only to ease the boy’s worries. Her clothes could barely be called that, nothing more than tattered cloth draped over her person and kept close with a leather strap tied around her waist. There were parts of the clothes which had been torn and others which had been cut; the difference visible by the scars which covered a large portion of her body. The only place on her person which managed to go without harm was her face, but the speckles of dried blood on her cheeks and forehead more than completed her current form. She looked as if she had been living through a constant battle, her hair shiny and moist with blood just as her wings were, but she still looked up at her surroundings to absorb the peace of her mother and father’s home.
“Close the door, Kiran.”
“Yes ma’am!” he called out as the door slowly closed behind her, the sound of the heavy lock clicking into place causing Gabi to sigh.
“Good boy, not much longer now.” Her eyes rose to the sky above, a tint of deep orange and soft blue filling the air. “It’s almost over. Just a few more now, so please forgive me for lying to you... Kiran.”
Her wings lifted from the ground, heavily dragging themselves to an upright position as the feathers spread outward and lifted above her head. There were a few starting motions as the wings fanned outward and pushed forth gusts of air which steadily lifted her from the earth until she found herself rising into the morning sky. Her eyes examined the horizon as Gabi gained height, her eyes peeling away the façade she had made for Kiran. Just out of the seeable horizon of their home the land looked baren and tainted red, buildings destroyed and in ruins, cities desolate and abandoned perhaps cleared being a better word. It looked as if the entire world surrounding their little refuse had been bathed in blood and war. Violence unimaginable.
She could feel her eyes watering at the sight of it, blinking a few times before realizing the red which swelled in her sight. She raised her right hand, the clawed gauntlet appearing before her eyes and easing her mind. A part of her was pleased that Nammay had made it like her father’s axe, capable of absorbing the madness of its wielder, but she also felt disgraced for needing to rely on it. She looked at her father’s axe which rested in her left hand, pulsing as if life coursed through it and yet she could only frown at the item.
“I know I’m not your owner, you don’t have to tell me every single day. You’re my father’s companion, and a fake at that. We may not care for one another, but as his daughter you will obey. At least until all of this is done. Just one more battle, Ruinous Edge.”
Gabi looked down at their home one more time before her wings carried her off into the distance. Leaving behind the peaceful and serene sight for that of a new view marred in anguish and turmoil. Life was spars, outside of random wildlife which now roamed freely. The people who would normally fill the void of emptiness in the world were now all but gone. It wasn’t just the claimants who had begun to attack her, but everyone including the humans. If she hid, they would find her location no matter where she went. That is why, for the sake of Kiran, she took the fight to the rest of the world.
Only their home was a safe place, only the place they shared was a peaceful place. The rest of the world was nothing more than a battlefield. She chose to strike first, chose to fight all her enemies head on! This was her choice, no matter how it had been forced upon her. There wasn’t a single life that could be spared if it might possibly bring harm to Kiran, the only purpose she carried in that entire world. She didn’t even question it or think of any other way. If they wouldn’t stop attacking her then she would have to clear the threat, erase the problem, and so she chose to be the remaining victor... now, with a world covered in corpses and blood she would fly to the last remaining fight that remained. The ones she had attempted to avoid. No one could survive. No man, no woman, no child. Not even her family could be spared, and she knew that.
The dust blew carefully by, drifting across the ground like midsummer snow. The red tinge was an ominous and odd color compared to what should be expected, but it became clear why the tint was present as the dirt was carried by the air over the bodies which filled the streets. The buildings were desolate, emptied out, the only remaining symbol of human life even having existed being the bones and decomposing bodies which were littered about. Most cities looked like this. In fact, all the cities around the world now looked like this. The roads and some buildings tinted red with the blood which had been shed, but none was as fresh as it was here.
The city was a disaster. It was clear that it had recently seen the deathly status of war, but it was no normal war by any means. Military barricades and equipment were strewn everywhere, buildings boarded up while armored vehicles and artillery battlements could be seen now resting out of use. It was only to be expected that it was all now collecting dust. Most of the vehicles were torn through or simply torn apart, as if some wild creature had peeled the armor away and ripped the operators out of it. Others were not so lucky; with the inside of the vehicles they inhabited now coated in blood and gore. In fact, no one was lucky enough to survive. Holes blown through buildings, people thrown to the streets and snuffed out like mongrels. Merciless, violent, as if some malevolent being had descended from the heavens and sentenced the entire city to death. Even children were not spared, no one safe from having their body mangled.
It was enough to make you vomit, bring tears to the eyes of anyone unfortunate enough to see it. Bodies hanging from the walls and light posts, limbs scattered around, people who looked as if they had begged for their lives only to see the impression of what looked to be a footprint having stepped through their chest cavity. There was so much death, without mercy or procedure, that the streets and buildings were a now freshly painted crimson which dripped down and covered almost everything. The only things which went without the same color palette were the rooftops of buildings, and that was only a choice few. Nothing more than an utterly dreadful sight, but it was also a sight the two aikekunai had grown accustomed to.
“She’s been avoiding us all this time, but there’s no doubt that she’s still here somewhere,” DeVian said as she clutched her halberd.
“Gahbriogyva has not only killed my sister, but she has also taken Kiran.” Stasia examined every single corpse as if disgusted by what had transpired. “We haven’t found his body yet after all this time. She knows where Kiran is. I know she does.”
“We will find him, don’t worry.” It was an attempt to calm her lover, but also an attempt to reassure herself. They had only ever run into Gabi once since this entire thing had begun. At the time she fled, but that only led to them following her trail the entire time. Searching desperately for Gahbriogyva, for both revenge as well as the child.
“It has been a difficult task to approach her,” Kikana started as she rose from the shadows at their feet. “My granddaughter has senses that make going near her an impossibility without her noticing. However, today things were different. Everyone is gathered, everyone is in position... she’s still here. I’ve seen her myself.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Hurry and take us to her!”
“Calm yourself, Desdon. This is the first time we’ve seen her in almost a year. She is not the same as she once was. I know you two have your reasons for being here, as do we all, but this is not something that we can just rush into. Her current state is uncanny, odd even for her. I don’t know what exactly she wants, but she must die, and this will likely be our only opportunity for the foreseeable future.”
“Take us there. We don’t have time to waste, Kikana.”
“With pleasure.”
It wasn’t just the three of them. This was the group which consisted of the people Gahbriogyva had chosen to avoid. People she felt she could not face. It wasn’t simply due to thinking they were stronger than her, but the scale tipped far more in the direction which told her that they were all precious existences to her. DeVian, Stasia, Kikana, Hellfire, Jillian, Mayray, Nier, Harvel, all people who had reasons to give chase following her actions. Sure, they were looking for Kiran as the main priority, but they were also seeking revenge for the lives which she had taken.
Walking through the city was like something out of a nightmare. They knew where she was, so all they had to do now was go to her before she could escape. Each step through the ruined streets being followed by the squishy sound of blood and flesh beneath their feet. They were all being exceptionally quiet, as quiet as they could be given their environment, something which Kikana had chosen to help them all with given her own teaching turning into their greatest detriment. It was she who taught Gabi in the first place, so it was also her teachings which made the girl an effectively quiet killer when she chose to be. It was also for that reason that they knew it wasn’t anything odd when Kikana lead them directly to a building which let out no sound whatsoever.
“You’re certain she is in here?” Hellfire questioned his mother who only responded with a glare.
“If Kikana says she’s here then she’s here,” Harvel snapped at his son. “This isn’t something she’d be unsure about. You should be able to tell as well by now.”
“Death.” Their eyes fell on DeVian in tandem following her choice of words. “This place is coated in death. There are so many souls crowding this single building that it’s difficult to see anything else. From humans and claimants all over the world. I have no reason to believe anyone other than Gahbriogyva would be inside.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go before she decides to leave.”
Now it was none other than DeVian who led the group into the large sports center, Stasia at her side as they stepped through the doorway. It was nothing less than a gore festival in the halls of the building. It looked as if the humans and some claimants had attempted to fight back, but Gabi had also gracefully painted the walls with their bodies. Lights hanging from the ceilings if not outright broken, blood saturating the halls with such volume that it physically dripped from the ceilings which even had some bodies plowed into it. Nothing about it felt right as they approached the door which they all knew she would be behind.
It wasn’t fear, nor confusion, it was just unsatisfiable hate. Something that had existed for a long time and was now finally worth acting on. It was what drove them to enter the room no matter how much they wanted to turn away. What gave them the strength to press forward when all their instincts screamed for the opposite. It was also what made their faces twist in both disgust and distress when they finally spotted the girl. In the auditorium where the people had gathered, the lights barely capable of functioning under the circumstances of the building, she stood amongst the mounds of bodies where she could be seen physically tearing them apart. The last remaining of humanity, broken beneath her heel.
“Gabi!” Stasia cried out in her direction, but it was a mistake Kikana found troubling.
“What are you doing? We should have utilized the element of surprise.”
“You’re here... I’ve been waiting.” Gabi’s voice held no form of reasonability within it. Her face was blank, but her eyes still had the slightest glimmer of hope. “You’re the ones I believe I can trust, the ones who I call family. So, you are the ones I would make myself believe can snap out of the madness of this realm. There is no reason for us to fight one another.”
“You killed my sister,” Stasia stated only to be met with Gabi’s red glance.
“She's my sister too, and she was the one who attacked me first. If Verin had stood down I would not have had to go so far, and the same goes for my mother and father. Had they not attacked me first things would have been different, but I had no choice. It was either me or them. Then the entire world began to do the same, attacking me as if I’m some kind of great enemy.”
“Would you say that you aren’t?” Harvel began. “Do you know how many people you’ve slain? What exactly you’ve done?”
“I know what I’ve been doing!” Her voice had become louder, almost unbearably so. As if her voice refused to go unheard by anyone in the general vicinity. “Once everyone began attacking me, I made the choice! I tried to stop them all, tried to talk to them, but no one ever listens! It’s as if no one is willing to hear what I have to say or change their minds, so I had to strike first. I had to and I’ve been doing it every single day for the past year! I know exactly what I’ve done and that is why this is the final battle.”
“The final battle? What are you talking about? I don’t care about any of that, but you will tell me where Kiran is!” DeVian’s words dragged Gabi’s attention away from Stasia.
“And what business do you have with him? I will gladly bring you directly to him, but that is after you’ve made your choice, Princess.” She spoke as she stood tall. It was clear to see the woman covered from head to toe in blood, both her mother and father’s weapons clutched tightly as the clawed gauntlet rested over her hand. Covering her feet two black greaves could be seen and another gauntlet covered her left hand. Her eyes were completely serious, but the hope remained all the same as she spoke her next words. “Will you stand down and cease this battle?”
“Why would we do something like that after what you’ve done?” Nier questioned his niece whose face became surprisingly different.
There was a stinging pain in their stomachs as they saw her entire face twist into the most agonizing smile they had ever seen. It wasn’t anything that had to do with pleasure, but a pain so intense it was unable to be concealed. Tears flooded her eyes as she looked at the only remaining parts of her family and chose her next words wisely. However, even with all that thinking, it couldn’t contain the parts of her which remained. The only person among them affected the most by this sudden outburst of emotions from Gahbriogyva was Stasia. It wasn’t because of any deep connection, as they both clearly had reasons to dislike one another, rather it was that Gabi’s face when she cried looked almost exactly like her infamous crybaby mother.
It made them remember exactly who Gabi was even through all of this. There may not have been a connection by blood, but this was still their baby sister. It made them question how old she had become, but most importantly how things had ended up like this? This was the sight of their sister begging for help, something Stasia might have never believed would be a sight they’d experience, but it was still not enough. No matter how desperately Gabi would want this to end it never would. In her sibling’s mind she simply had to die. And not only her, for it was the same for everyone else.
“No amount of begging will save you now, Gabi. There is no running away from this fate,” Stasia said as they and DeVian both drew their weapons. “Tell us where Kiran is, or we will force it out of you. Then you will have the luxury of death.”
“Then I suppose you’ve all made your choice.”
Gabi’s smile faded away like storm clouds following a spring downpour. With it, so too did that small vestige of hope bleed from her eyes, leaving nothing more than the black orbs which steadily sparked with red glows. She did not sigh and did not complain. She only raised her wings from the ground slowly as the blood which covered them dripped down to the floor. Her expression had already taken on a different one by now, but it was not the obscene hatred they had all expected to see. Instead, it was a blank nothingness carrying red tinges of frustration as she raised Gahbreal’s axe and Cyva’s blade.
“Don’t do this Gabi. Just surrender quietly, you know you can’t win.” Jillian’s words made the girl turn her attention to her directly.
“I can’t win? Don’t think this is going to be easy. Because of all of you I’ve been forced to fight, to kill without rest for the past year! I am not the claimant I once was. I won’t be giving any more chances to back down.”
“You were always cocky, but you’re dealing with multiple aikekunai. This isn’t a joke Gabi,” Nier responded as he drew his weapons.
“My father was also an aikekunai. You’ll all be no different,” she said as the rest of her armor appeared on her person.
A jet black, the same color as her wings, clinging to her person in a manner that just proved the excellence in Nammay’s craftsmanship. It clung to her body as if made to mimic her ever muscle and become nothing more than a shell over her skin with a design which filled every junction with an edge. Sleek yet entirely deadly if used in the right way. The tattered and bloody red cape which rested between her wings a symbol of her conquest as the wolflike helmet, reminiscent of her father’s, shaped itself over her head with the jaws agape to reveal her face.
“She must be put down,” Harvel said as he drew his sword and raised his shield. “I’ll deal with this myself.”
“I don’t believe that is a good idea-”
“I would suggest attacking me all at once.” Gabi started as she watched Harvel approach her with weapons in hand. “Or I suppose you all need an example before you begin to understand. This will not be an easy fight.”
Gahbriogyva rushed to his position with Gahbreal’s axe raised above her head. Harvel reacted in a way Kikana might have expected, with a technique he often used to draw enemies against his defense and immediately counter with his flames. However, the moment her weapon collided with his shield a wave of fire burst forth from them and engulfed the entire building in a large explosion. It wasn’t until the smoke cleared and the crumbling building revealed rays of the sun that they could see the fruits of Harvel's’ labor. The axe having torn directly through the shield which was also pressed firmly against himself. His defense having crumbled underneath her raw physical power. The fight had only just begun, and she had already slain one of them without mercy.
They could see her looking down on them, as if they were all trash in comparison. Even with everything which had transpired it was impossible to forget that this was still Gahbriogyva. A claimant who enjoys combat more than life itself. Her eyes glowing a red so sharp it was hard to look at, but the glare they emitted became bearable the moment she reached her hand up and lowered the top of her helmet. Shutting the wolf’s maw which now covered her face, red shining between its teeth. Comparing her to Gahbreal, it reminded them of the name he would often call her by... Wolf Pup.
“You seemed confused, DeVian, when I called this the final battle,” the words resonated from within her helmet as she approached.
“I’m not confused at all. This will certainly be your final battle.”
“This is a final battle for all of us... With the few lives that made up this miserable city’s last stand, I’ve ground the numbers down to all that mattered. No humans nor claimants other than us yet live. We are all that remain.”
“You lie,” Stasia started. “How could you even be so sure that you didn’t allow anyone to escape?”
“It’s because of her sense of smell,” Kikana answered them in Gabi’s place. “She’s always had an exceptionally strong sense of smell, so aside from flying above and spotting movement, she can track a scent for miles if need be.”
“If that’s the case then all it would take is someone leaving the slightest trail and she could find them.”
“And I was very thorough in my search, Aunt Jillian. Anyone left unaccounted for could be a danger to Kiran and I could not allow that to persist. However, there’s almost no need to worry any longer. I’ll be leaving this false world with your lives as the price to pay. Then me and Kiran will both be free.”
“Enough!” DeVian’s voice rose as her halberd collided with the flat of the axe in Gabi’s hand. There was a moment of confusion, lurking behind the child of death’s eyes.
“I told you this won’t be easy. Not even for you... I didn’t want things to end this way, but you’re all giving me no choice. I will persist for my goals alone!”
“Then you’ll have to die for those goals as well.”
Stasia was next to attack, using what seemed like a perfectly good opportunity to attack from Gabi’s side and yet the girl intercepted the scissors with the blade of her mother’s sword. It left them wondering if this was still the same girl they knew. The one who was always ready to fight yet had so much to learn. It was difficult to say that was the case now, watching as she effortlessly guarded both of their attacks without even the slightest sign of struggle. It was a combination of physical prowess and skill the likes of which she had never displayed before. The question was simultaneous in both of their minds. Since when had she become so strong?
“As I thought, you’re all cheap imitations. I refuse to believe that this is enough to stop the real you.”
With a strong push DeVian’s axe was moved aside and her attention was now focused entirely on Stasia, multiple thrusts and slashes of her mother’s sword in her sibling’s direction. Stasia held up, but also understood that the reason for that was Gabi’s decision to fight exactly as her mother always had. Her movements were predictable, straightforward, without error and yet so easy to avoid because of that. The only real problem was her tenacity. It was as if the girl had no limits to her stamina and always moved at top speeds. It only managed to slow down once DeVian joined in the fight again, but that only made things seem bleaker than before.
The pair found themselves barely keeping up as she now swung both rapier and axe in their directions. Heavy splitting strikes from her father’s weapons coupled with quick thrusts of her mother’s rapier made it difficult to gauge distance, but not so difficult that a proper fight couldn’t be put up against her. In fact, even with all that was happening, they still held the advantage. That showed itself the moment one of Jillian’s bullets collided with the axe and threw its aim to the side, causing a complete miss that left her wide open. However, when DeVian moved to capitalize on that opening, she found herself on the opposite end of the sword which was now facing her direction.
“Shit!”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Nier stated as he moved between the two with one of his blades warping into a shield to defend them both.
It was a proper tactic, making a clean opening for a counter on DeVian’s part if things turned out the way Nier had planned. Sadly, that was not the case. The impact of the point of the sword colliding with his shield carried more than enough strength to send him flying back into DeVian and pushing them both away. With that, her attention turned directly back to Stasia as Gabi’s wings lifted her from the ground and closed the distance between the two. However, as the rapier was moved forward to strike, the girl released an audible gasp as the blade was snapped in half from the impact of a bullet.
“Now!” Kikana’s voice called out as Stasia’s foot collided with Gabi’s stomach and knocked her back.
“No more hidin’ aye?”
“Just do your job!”
A swirling torrent of white flames burst in her direction to which she immediately had to act. Her fingers dug into the floor at her feet, lifting the cement to act as a useable form of cover. It wasn’t going to last, at least long enough for her to formulate a plan, but that was quickly found to not be the case when she found herself engulfed in what also looked like white flames from behind. However, it didn’t feel like fire at all and carried an oddly light blue hue to them. She didn’t even realize what was happening until her body stiffened and she found herself frozen solid.
“Good work Shinzo, Haden,” Kikana said as the two finally showed themselves.
“Well, you all did the setup. Luckily, she didn’t know a damn thing about the two of us.”
“We owe that to Cyva and Gahbreal,” Shinzo stated with his approach. “If they hadn’t gone so far to keep her away from us then she’d have known about us beforehand and been prepared to some degree.”
“That doesn’t matter now. What matters is that we caught her, and with her captured I'll be taking the information we need.”
“Once we have that information, put her down. We can’t risk her retaliating against us after this,” Kikana spoke as she retrieved Cyva and Gahbreal’s weapons from the frozen girl. “Be quick about it. The longer we take the more this all worries me.”
Gabi was not unconscious, although she certainly felt as if it would slip away at any moment. She looked at her grandmother as she pried the weapons from her frozen fingers, then at her sibling as Stasia approached to do as they were known for. Forcibly sifting through her memories and thoughts so they could find where Kiran was hiding away. However, her mind was not racing. She could see what was happening clearly, but her body relaxed more with each passing second. Almost as if she were in a deep and sudden sleep.
‘Maybe this isn’t so bad. Maybe this is the answer I was looking for this whole time. My mind feels as if it has been unraveling for a while now, but will I find calm after this? Perhaps Elysian or the Void? I wonder what mother and father would say when they see me. Or what Kiran would do when he realizes I’m not coming back...’
The very thought dragged her eyes open. She hadn’t even realized they had shut themselves, but the soft shades of red which reflected on the inside of her armor shaped an image she could not ignore.
‘Maybe it’s because I’ve gone so soft, or because I feel so unfulfilled, but I won’t allow things to end so easily. Not while I still breathe. For now, I know that I’ve come to forget who I really am. I’ve changed for the sake of that boy who needs me to remain strong... stronger than I've ever been for his protection. I won’t turn my back on that. I must accept what makes me the me I’m meant to be. Accept it and force it out. And perhaps this is the best way to do it. I don’t see any other path, so this is the one I will take... for now.’
As Stasia reached her hand forward, their eyes shifted up to Gabi’s face as the ice snapped ever so slightly. It was difficult to understand why she had chosen to take her next actions; however, it didn’t matter why so long as things ended up on the path they needed. That was why everyone outside of both Stasia and Gabi questioned the reason as to why when the ice shattered, and Gabi moved forward to her sibling, the armor disappeared from her person and Gabi willingly clasped Stasia’s hand of her own free will. There was no mutual understanding, there was no second guessing, just an uncompromising sense of this having to be done.
However, that very armor is what worked to retain her madness.
“My precious child,” the familiar voice caused Stasia to look around frantically. “So many things may be expected of you. You are the daughter of an aikekunai, you are meant to be strong and capable beyond your peers. No matter who you might encounter that will always remain a fact.”
“Cyva?” Stasia called out as the surrounding darkness cleared ever so slightly. It was as if they were incapable of sight, incapable of perceiving anything outside of those words. But then, as if by the sound of the woman’s voice alone, Stasia found themself unable to see anything but Cyva’s face. “What is this?”
“You will become whatever your heart desires, because you are you. No one else will be able to replace you. No one else will be capable of moving your heart unless you choose to let them. Your will is a will that goes beyond the bounds of others, so you must always be ready to move as the daughter you are. Gahbriogyva, my beautiful little angel. Never forget who you are.”
It was at this moment they realized what was happening, but this didn’t make any sense. From what Stasia could see this was the very first memory Gabi held onto, but it wasn’t right. Had both Verin and them not been present? Had they not been at Cyva’s side on that day? And where was Gahbreal? From what could now be seen the room itself was completely empty, devoid of all other life aside from the two of them, but this didn’t display the memories they knew.
“None of this matters. I must keep going until I find Kiran.”
It was a sudden rush, moving quickly through Gabi’s memories, her mind. At first it felt like a small itch, but with each passing memory it grew into a stinging, lingering tingle on the back of her mind. The black which once seemed to shadow most of her interactions was now visibly redder than it had been, but even with the speed at which things flew by there were certain words and phrases which almost seemed to sink into their skin. As if attempting to corrupt Stasia from the inside.
I can’t back down. I must remain strong...
There’s no time to waste. I need more power...
I’m too weak... I’m too slow...
There isn’t anything I can do...
I need more. Without it I’m nothing...
I don’t compare to him at all...
Why can’t I catch up... Why won’t he stop holding back...
Why do things keep ending up like this...
I need more power, more than ever before...
None of this will matter if I can’t get more power...
This still isn’t enough... If I expect him to acknowledge me then I need more power...
He promised...
None of it made any sense, or perhaps that was how it seemed. With each passing memory Stasia experienced, the more fragmented Gabi’s mind seemed. It was almost as if she stored every single important memory into a file and everything else was left to be forgotten, but those small snippets which rested on the side were the parts where she seemed to smile and laugh the most. It was almost as if she found her own joy to be unnecessary compared to power. As if power itself was the overall goal and what she would need to claim a place next to her father. It was almost as if she had forgotten her mother’s words entirely-
Never forget who you are...
Stasia found their sight to once again be impaired. Shrouded in darkness yet again, but only for a moment. There was silence, but then a piercing red haze floated over everything around them as every part of the girl’s mind unraveled.
I will go beyond what once was and rise to something far greater.
There will be no more weakness!
No more second guessing! You’d dare speak to me as if you’re worth the air you breathe?
I’ll snuff you out like the insects you are.
Feed your strength to me! Make me fight for it! Don’t die yet or this will have all been for nothing!
I will be the most powerful, above everyone and everything else!
Such a drastic change had taken place, it was difficult to believe these were the memories of the same person. However, there was no time to investigate it. Stasia had been searching for any mentions of Kiran at all in her mind, but against all proper sense there had not been anything! Had Gabi not spent years with the boy? Were the two of them not as close as can be? From what they knew Gabi took on the role of older sister well for her nephew, but there wasn’t a single memory of him in her mind.
“Did she not even find him important enough to remember?”
What is this? Gabi’s voice was so calm it made Stasia stumble slightly. This doesn’t make any sense. How did I get here?
This was the first moment in which Stasia slowed down, the drastic change in the environment catching them off guard for a moment. It had immediately gone from being inside an expensive building to the calm beginning of a sunset. The wind felt so peacefully soft, the grass brushing against them as if they had entered some sort of dream, and yet it wasn’t until Cyva and Gahbreal started speaking that Stasia realized something was wrong. The red steadily vanished, the ever-present madness which made it difficult to think pushed into some unseen corner. Gabi was so ready to accept this moment that she didn’t even put up an offense or oppose the situation. She took it as it was and just lived as if nothing had changed, but it all felt so much like a dream.
Kiran was finally brought up in conversation not long after that, but not only did Gabi seem confused; she seemed as if she hadn’t even known the boy existed. A part of her was clearly pissed off and yet she chose to shrug it off. However, it wasn’t until she finally saw the boy that Stasia began to feel as if nothing made sense here. She did not vocalize the words for anyone to hear, but her thoughts were as clear as water.
My nephew. My precious nephew, perfect in every way. How could I have not known you existed?
“She didn’t know...”
I’ll protect you from anything, everything, no matter what it might be. That is my promise to you, little angel.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Verin’s voice dragged Stasia’s attention to their sister who was clearly visible off to the side. “Are you crying? What the fuck?”
“Shut up! I’m not... as if I’d have a reason to ever do that...”
“A terrible liar,” Stasia said as they watched the girl hold the boy as close as possible. She attempted to hide it away with her wings, but it wasn’t nearly as effective as she thought it was.
I’ll make sure I find you when I return to my real home. Whenever this trial ends, I will find you.
The words themselves didn’t make sense. What did she mean by her real home? It was clear that something wasn’t adding up here, but what was important was that they had finally found the point in which Kiran had begun to be brought up in Gabi’s mind. What was bad, however, was how she rarely thought of anything else. It was hard to find a certain spot in her memories where things had begun to transpire, but then there was a sudden shift in everything.
“W-what are you doing? What is the meaning of this, dad?”
“What is this?” Stasia found themself watching from a front row seat. All this time it had been believed that Gabi was the aggressor from the start, but now they watched as not only Gahbreal, but Cyva also attacked her along with the maid she had hired. While it had been difficult before, when the red once again showed itself, it was like fire had begun to sear the back of their eyes.
That was when it happened, when Stasia saw that it was no attack, but rather Gabi attempting to run to their sister for help. It was then that Stasia also saw that it was Verin who attacked first. None of it made sense, not to them and from what could be seen not from Gabi’s perspective either. However, it wasn’t until Gabi had managed to win the fight that things seemed to reach their breaking point. The very action alone made the girl’s mind almost impossible to survive in. It was as if the girl were in constant pain, constantly screaming, constantly clawing at her own sanity and on the verge of falling apart... but then the crying could be heard, and all the madness seemed to make a path for it.
“Hey! It’s me, it’s me. Don’t worry. Everything is okay now. I’ve got you. Looks like it’s just me and you for now, huh? You don’t want to kill me, right? Right?”
There was nothing more than relief the moment Kiran was in sight. Gabi truthfully believed she was protecting him from everyone else, but it still didn’t make any sense. His whereabouts were yet unknown, but what Stasia had certainly come to understand were a few certain details. Gabi had been retaining her sanity entirely through her armor which was absorbing the excess madness, but it could barely do its job in her current condition. There was a time when Gabi thought it would be best to keep Kiran at her side, but no matter where she went everyone always found her and forced her to kill them all, and that was when she chose to settle him down somewhere.
“Of course, it would be that obvious,” Stasia found it to be the exact type of thing that Gabi would do. Holding up in her mother and father’s home after all of this. She continued through her memories for a while longer, watching as Gabi fortified the building to protect Kiran, but things only started to get dire when she realized what had taken place next.
As soon as the building’s defenses were set up, she left. She left the boy alone and only ever returned to feed him and care for his needs. She would bring food, water, toys, everything a child would want... but when she wasn’t doing that, she culled every single life she came across. It wasn’t always like that, but after she realized they would always attack her without caring for what she had to say Gabi found there was no other choice. With every battle she grew more powerful, with every new location a new level of destruction and violence, and with each life taken her madness only managed to grow more unbearable. It was as if every word she spoke had another voice which had its own interpretation. Then, she had reached that final day. That day on which Stasia came to realize Gabi had hunted everyone else down one by one aside from them, actively avoiding them out of fear before resting one more time in the same home as Kiran. Then they began to speak, but the madness was so strong her lips moved and yet her mind spoke entirely different words.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. Everyone is almost dead, then you will be safe. We can return to my true home when this is all over.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to go back to the world you spoke of? Where everything is normal?
“I don’t know, but I will do whatever it takes to get us there. To take you away from this nightmare.”
“Auntie?”
“Don’t worry, little angel. This is the last battle. My last battle.”
“Can’t you rest for a bit more? You rarely ever sleep.”
“I can’t rest. I will fight until this is over, then we can leave and go back home. I may have killed your mother here, living as a false protector, but I will return you to your real mother.”
“Okay auntie.”
“Kiran? Do you remember what I always tell you?”
“Yeah. Try to stay inside, and if I must go out then stay near the home.”
“You’re such a good kid. Now don’t worry, the battle will be over shortly.”
“Take care, auntie.”
The moment Stasia realized that Gabi had left Kiran at her parents’ home was the moment they were capable of relaxing. However, that relaxation was the greatest mistake she could have possibly made. As soon as the memory moved forward the slightest margin, with Kiran closing the door to the home, and Gabi rising into the air to see the world as it now was around her... there was nothing but madness. A madness so thick and viscous that it coated their every thought like a layer of bloodred slime. It was too sudden, too much, and the very thing that caused Stasia to release the girl’s hand.
“I know where Kiran is!” Stasia called out as they fell back. It was difficult to even remain focused after the experience.
“I knew you were weak.”
DeVian’s mind raced, moving faster than her actions could keep up with as she watched Gabi reach forward and grab Stasia’s arm as if not prepared to allow her to escape. It didn’t make any sense. Why would she willingly do something like that? No, why would she willingly do something like that again? She moved forward to meet Stasia halfway the first time, but now it seemed as if things were entirely out of control. Or at least that was how it seemed until a flash of red flooded half of the area.
“Gabi!” DeVian called out as she closed the distance.
“Wait your turn patiently. My sibling woke me up a bit, but that doesn’t mean you can tell me what to fucking do!”
She could smell it, hear it all so clearly. How long had it been since her heart raced like this? A smile spread across her face as the sound of a gunshot rang out just as she dragged Stasia into the path of Jillian’s bullet. It wasn’t a bullet meant to kill, and that was why it didn’t, but that didn’t matter anyway. It was only a moment in which they hadn’t attacked her, but that was more than enough for her to carry Stasia up into the air and out of sight entirely.
“Where did she go?” DeVian demanded.
“I don’t know,” Nier responded. “I would have tracked the position of Stasia’s weapon, but I was caught in Gabi’s gaze and can’t sense it right now.”
“Shit! How are we supposed to-”
DeVian found her words cut off by the distant sound of screaming from above. While Gabi was nowhere to be seen, Stasia could be spotted clear as day falling from extreme heights. Was this her plan of escape? To distract them by having to keep Stasia from hitting the ground while she moved Kiran somewhere else? Either way it meant nothing. So long as Stasia lived, they could find where Gabi had been and track them down from there. That was why nothing else rested on the woman’s mind outside of saving the one they loved, leaping into the air to catch her as Mayray formed a net of dark threads to slow their descent enough to keep it from being fatal.
“Are you unharmed? Safe?” DeVian questioned Stasia, but they did not respond to her at all.
“Where is she?!”
“What?”
“Gabi! She didn’t move when she dropped me! She’s still up there-”
There was a sound that couldn’t be called familiar to anyone outside of Kikana, the sound of Gabi pushing herself to speeds that no one ever believed she needed. The echoing boom of the sound barrier shattering before she swooped back into the fight with nothing but death on her mind. DeVian had placed Stasia back on their feet only seconds before Gabi landed directly on the woman at their side. It was sudden, difficult to follow as they dragged across the ground, but what had transpired became clear when the dust settled, her wings lifting her from the trail of blood which filled the trail of broken concrete and mortar.
“I knew you were weaker than the real ones, but to think you’d drop your weapon to save a life. You might have been able to defend yourself if you held onto that halberd... dear sister-in-law.”
Stasia was mortified at the sight of DeVian in shambles, body ground away between Gabi’s feet and the floor. This girl had taken everything away from her, and even though it was clear that some details were missing after going through her mind she could not forgive her for any of this. However, what do wants and desires mean when faced with power? What does any of it mean when a wall is placed in front of you that you can’t hope to scale?
“Gahbriogyva... I promise you, that I will kill you with my own hands! You will not get away with this!”
“Is that right?” Gabi’s voice sounded almost as if it enjoyed hearing her words. “Then by all means, make it happen. Beat it into me, the very essence of your power! Make me understand it! Ah! Give me the fight that only a false aikekunai can give!”
It was quiet, all but the sound of retching which echoed throughout the halls of the building... or what was once a building and now a pile of scattered rubble with lone-standing corridors. Gahbriogyva rested on her hands and knees as her fingers dug into the ground beneath her. While she was successful in forcing out her most violent urges, albeit through luck in assuming that this Stasia would also be weaker like everyone else had been, it did not do well for her mind. Everything seemed as if it were swirling around her as the bile poured from her mouth, surrounded by the corpses of those she called friends and family. She attempted to force herself up to her feet but fell onto her back before she could even gain her footing.
“It’s done. It’s finally done,” she said with a less than enthusiastic chuckle.
She finally found herself on her feet, wobbling slightly before her head surveyed her surroundings once more. Even with them all weaker than their real counterparts it was a fight more difficult than she had anticipated. She had no doubt overexerted herself to the point of exhaustion, and with each glimpse of their bodies her vision blurred, and she had to catch herself before falling over.
“It’s fine. This is all fine. None of it is real. None of it but Kiran,” she reassured herself as she looked up at the night sky.
Had she been fighting all day? No, the fight had ended while the sun was still up. Had she just been there struggling to gain her footing this entire time? That didn’t make any sense. The test was over. The trial was complete! She killed all her enemies, slayed every single person who dared to stand against her, what else was there to do? Had she been wrong? Did she do all of this for nothing?
She looked around again, this time with a panicked expression as she realized that this was all for nothing. The countless dead, the humans and claimants who were culled for what had apparently been no reason at all! She looked at the dilapidated corpses of her loved ones. Kikana, Harvel, Nier, Hellfire, Jillian, DeVian... Stasia. Then her mind strayed to Verin just before reminding her of her mother and father. She didn’t know what any of this was supposed to mean and it only made her question why everyone started attacking her. Confusion became questions, and questions soon became anger. Her wings folded so they could swing outward, blowing away all the bodies which surrounded her and yet the pool of blood at her feet remained.
“What was it all for? I’ve amassed so much power here, and for what? So much blood that it covers entire towns, fields of green now fields of red. Even I,” she paused as she looked down at her own body. Both armor and skin tinted with the deep red she had become so accustomed to. “Stained with this symbol of violence. Is this the realm I desired? Is this what it takes to craft it?”
She looked around again, the air now carrying a soft haze of red dust produced by her wings and the dried blood. She grabbed her helmet and tossed it to the ground before it disappeared. Her red eyes were the only source of light which could be seen other than the moon. She had come to hate the moon so much. A part of her felt as if it were nothing more than Lunia laughing at her with every step she took. It wasn’t anyone’s fault; Gabi had just come to view all the ancients this way. Every shadow, every ray of light, every life, every death, every droplet of water, every gust of wind, every flickering flame, every particle of ice, every form of nature creature and all, every law and every law broken, the very earth beneath her feet, the sun glowing in the sky and even time and space itself. After this long year she had come to hate it all with equal measure.
Her wings wrapped around herself, coiling her in a deep darkness which carried her away from that place she so desperately wanted to escape from. Only opening for her feet to touch the ground outside of her mother and father’s home. Her eyes looked at the horizon, the sky filled with plumes of smoke and red smog, as if the very earth itself outside of this little area had been subdued by the apocalypse. Then again, that could certainly be stated as truth. In her mind she wanted to face the boy, to tell Kiran that she was finally done and would no longer have to leave, but then what? How would he react when he came to learn that this was it? That they would now have to live in this desolate place with all other life snuffed out by her hands?
“Aunt Gabi?” her head turned to spot him standing in the doorway to the house. “I knew I heard you out here!”
“Yeah... it’s me.”
Even seeing him now she couldn’t keep from smiling. This was the only family she had left and that meant everything to her. A slight vestige of peace in her mind to ease her sorrows. The boy rushed to her position, not caring about the armor of the layer of blood that covered her entirely. He didn’t question anything, didn’t care about the details. He was simply glad that she had returned home, and she knew it.
“You’re such a good kid. I don’t deserve this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I failed. I tried to find us a way to get back to peace, but I failed. I failed and now we’re the only ones left,” she spoke as she held the boy close. It was an odd feeling. Something about him made her feel so relaxed, before she knew it the tears had already begun to pour down her face.
“It’s okay. All that matters is that you tried.” It was pathetic, having to rely on the boy for comfort, but then he spoke a phrase which made everything go quiet. “You always said this was a trial. Maybe there’s something you missed.”
“Something I...”
‘This trial isn’t about fighting, it’s about murder. Kill to your heart’s content, kill until you become sick of it, disgusted by it, turned off from it, and then kill some more. You must kill. Get it out of your system, understand it. Only then, will you be capable of passing this trial.’
“No,” she spoke under her breath as Kiran released her and began making his way back to the building.
“Come on! Let’s go inside and then you can sleep!”
She followed behind him slowly, each step seeming slower than the last. It felt as if time weren’t allowing her to proceed any further. In her mind she knew the answer, but in her heart, she was unprepared to accept it. However, she knew that this would never end if she were not prepared to make this choice. If she did not raise her hand above her head and clench her teeth. If she did not cast aside her cares and worries. If she weren’t prepared to make a sacrifice beyond what she had made up to this point.
“It’s okay,” Kiran’s words caused her to stop in her tracks. He did not move, did not turn around, only spoke. “I know what needs to be done and so do you. You’ve taught me so much, so I’m not stupid. This time with you has been priceless, but you’ve been fighting a war for this time to persist. Now, it’s time to let it go.”
“Kiran-”
“This is my world and there’s nothing left in it for me. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, even if you wanted to keep it from me. I know.”
“I didn’t mean to lie, little angel. I didn’t-”
“That doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you don’t belong here, but I do... and there’s only one way for me to be a true part of this world with everyone else. So do it, please. Send me to my mother.”
Her hand shook as it rose high above them both, her teeth clenching as her eyes grew wider. Her heart raced, feeling as if it were going to explode in her chest. Every passing moment felt like utter agony, unbearable pain as her face twisted in disgust and turmoil. All she could bring herself to do was let loose a tragic howl as her eyes remained on the boy’s back and her hand descended with enough force to split the earth beneath her feet.
The box rested on her desk, a silence that quickly disappeared as it began to shake in its position. It did not open as the top had sealed itself shut, but as the frame began to crack and shatter it soon burst open. It wasn’t a grandiose entrance fit for royalty... no... It exploded into a shower of blood which splashed against the walls and poured onto the floor. Red coating everything that could be seen and dripping from the very ceiling, with Gahbriogyva now standing amid it. She lifted her right hand to her face, the gauntlet dripping with fresh blood as she quickly wrestled it from her wrist and tossed it to the ground. The rest of her armor soon disappeared with it, leaving only her naked frame covered from head to toe in deep crimson.
Her breathing was still hurried and rushed, as if she were struggling to remain alive and yet in the next few moments it would slow down to a crawl. Her eyes, which were once red beyond red, now only a subtle and deep black. She looked at her hand which was still covered in blood even without the gauntlet on and her lips parted before pressing together tightly. She led it to her chest as if attempting to fuse the life essence with her person, but she knew that it wasn’t something she could do.
“You truly were the smarted little angel...”
The words slipped from her lips as she exited the room and made her way down the hall.
She rose from the calming waters of her bath and hunched over the side of the porcelain; a red bile expelled from her lips as she gasped for air. Mist attempted to rush to help her, but a quickly raised hand told her to leave the girl alone. Gabi looked as defeated as she made herself sound. The story sounded absolutely crazy, but seeing her now it made so much sense. There weren’t many things in all the realms that could make the girl fold or become as depressed as she now looked to be. If everything she spoke of had truly transpired, then it would all make sense. And nothing made it clear how true her words were as much as her right hand which looked as if electricity had been coursing directly through it.
“Gabi is that?” the woman spoke as she pointed at her hand.
“Oh, this? This is the hand I grabbed that fake Stasia’s hand with. The entire time it felt as if I were dying. Like they were pulling everything out of me, and yet they weren’t as strong as the real one,” she said as she looked at her fingers. “My father made it very clear that I wouldn’t survive an encounter like that with my sibling.”
“Then why did you take such a risk there? You could have died!” It was clear to Gabi that Mist had become upset, and she knew why. However, there was only one proper answer she could give.
“It was a risk I had to take... I thought it would save the boy.”
There was a moment of silence between the two of them. But that silence was soon broken when the water began surging around in the bath. Mist watched as Gabi stood tall and her wings fanned outward and lifted themselves to her shoulders. Her steps were slow and yet she did not look at all as if she even registered her presence in the room any longer.
“Gabi, where are you going? I just finished washing your hair. It needs to be cut.”
“Another time. I’ll be back, I've waited long enough... I need to find him.”
“What? You need to rest. You can do that after-”
“I cannot rest until I know he is alive and safe!” She could see herself clearly in the woman’s eyes. How long had it been since she’d looked at herself? “Do you intend to try stopping me?”
“No, miss Gabi. I shall await your return.”
“Good,” she spoke as she grabbed her bath robe from near the door. “I’m sorry, but I can’t wait any more than I already have.”
She didn’t bother using the door or acting as if her mind were focused on anything else. Her wings pulled her straight up and she plowed directly through the roof without so much as a struggle to do so. Mist could only worry, wondering what exactly was going to happen. Even so, that did not stop her from reaching into her pocket and retrieving her phone.
“What do you mean you think she’s on the way here? Gabi has been missing for almost an entire year and you say she’s coming here?” Verin was clearly flustered, but more importantly she was concerned.
“If the first thing she does after returning is coming here then it can’t be good.”
“Shut up, we need to be prepared,” she responded to Rensai before turning her attention back to the phone. “You said she just left, and you said she was flying, but I’ve also never given her the address to our house. How long do you think it will take her to-”
She stopped speaking as the walls of the building began to creak and shake, the heavy sound of wingbeats echoing outside. At first there was a slight panic, but then she was left instead wondering how the hell Gabi knew exactly where her home was! Verin halfway expected the door to go flying off the hinges but was thoroughly surprised to hear a simple knock at the door. She looked at Rensai who motioned for her to go, but that only pleased her even less as she finally chose to go and open the door.
“Sister...”
“Gabi?” Verin spoke as she looked over the girl’s physique. She was taller, thinner yet with more muscle. Her hair looked as if it hadn’t been cut in years and her eyes... “What happened to you? Where the hell have you been? People have been looking for you.”
“Where is he?”
“What? Did you not hear anything I just said?”
“Where is the boy?!” Verin watched as the sudden rising of her voice caused her to hunch over and cough up what looked like blood on the ground. “Where is he?”
“Gabi, what the hell? Are you injured?” Verin spoke and yet she was clearly worried. However, the red spark in Gabi’s eyes immediately put her on the defensive.
Gabi didn’t hesitate, not even the slightest bit as her fingers grasped the door. The ease with which she ripped it from its hinges and tossed it away with little effort was troubling. What was more troubling than that was how it collided with a car and sent them both careening away.
“I must see him with my own eyes. I know your son is around here somewhere. Where is he.”
“Kiran? How do you know about him?” Verin almost waited for an answer but that seemed like a chance for more property damage that she did not want to deal with. “Fuck it, he’s been with Stasia and DeVian for a while now. If you want to see him then bring it up with them.”
“Noted...”
There wasn’t any farewell with words, but an embrace that almost made Verin feel as if her bones would be crushed under the pressure. It didn’t feel right, as if everything was moving too quickly to properly register or understand. Why did she look so worn out and injured? Why did she seem so passive aggressive as opposed to the normal hyper aggressive way she normally acted? None of it made sense, but she quickly released her and vanished into her black feathers.
“I suppose that means she’s been to Stasia’s place already.”
“And what should we do about this?” Rensai asked her to which she shrugged.
“I doubt Stasia will answer if we call, so I know the next best person to call instead.”
“Ritunen!” DeVian’s voice didn’t do much in terms of alerting him. “Where is Kiran?”
“Kiran? He’s asleep and he’s been asleep for a while now. Why?”
“Gahbreal and Cyva called us, said that Gabi had visited Verin personally,” Stasia spoke as they rushed across the house.
“Verin? Wait, hasn’t Gabi been missing?”
“Exactly, but that’s not important. She went to Verin looking for Kiran and Verin told her that Kiran is here.”
“Why would she do that? From what I’ve heard doesn’t that girl only care about fighting... and killing people?”
“That’s why we were wondering if you checked on him!” DeVian started. “That troublesome brat is Gahbreal’s dick spawn, meaning it’s highly possible that she snuck in here without making a single sound. If you weren’t expecting it, she could have easily gotten in through any window.”
“You mean like that one?” Ritunen asked as they all turned to see the window which was now ajar with black feathers littering the floor around it.
“How did she fit through the smallest fucking window?” DeVian stated as they rushed towards the room Kiran was sleeping in. Stasia, however, was the first to reach the door and quickly opened it.
“Well... looks like you all worried for nothing,” Ritunen spoke as he returned to where he was before being disturbed.
DeVian was entirely confused herself, watching as Stasia approached the girl who was now fast asleep. Stasia had no idea where Gabi had been, but just looking at her it was clear that she had been holding herself together with every ounce of her power. Even as they stopped at her side the girl remained slumped over the side of Kiran’s bed without any sign of waking up. She didn’t snore, didn’t make a sound, only her body moving ever so slightly with each breath. Something about it made them feel uneasy, but it wasn’t out of fear for the boy’s safety.
“Does she always do stuff like this?” DeVian asked her partner.
“No, not at all. This is the first time I’ve ever seen her like this. She looks exhausted, but why did she come here?” they spoke as they examined the bracelets around their wrists. There was a moment in which it seemed foolish, but as Stasia’s fingers pressed against their sibling’s hair it was clear that something had changed. “She would have normally never allowed this to happen. Gabi hates me.”
“I don’t think she really hates you. Well, maybe a part of her does. But if she really did hate you, I doubt she’d be capable of relaxing that much.”
It was hard to explain, possibly impossible to explain. Stasia knew that Gabi didn’t much care for them at all outside of fighting. She had made that entirely clear time and time again. The last time either of the siblings had the opportunity to touch her without starting a fight was when she was still a baby and Cyva would personally strive to build a relationship between them all. However, there was a nostalgic feeling which burned at their fingertips. Nostalgia and comfort knowing that the one who could be called their youngest sister was still capable of relying on them for comfort and crying when she needed to under their careful watch. Perhaps something had managed to change her while she was away. |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on May 20, 2023 5:53:39 GMT
Invitation to an Intricate Pleasure: Part 14
“So, do you mind telling me what you’re doing here?”
“Oh... apologies... are we now on speaking terms?” Gabi spoke as she sipped from the glass of water which had been offered to her.
“Could you at least tell me why you were here?” Stasia started as they sat at Gabi’s side. “Or more specifically why you were looking for Kiran?”
Gabi looked at her sibling, black orbs scanning their features closely as if identifying every single piece of them. It wasn’t some odd obsession or desire as she normally would have had in this situation. Instead, it was an oddly displaced sense of longing. No one else could tell as they were not the once sharing the prolonged gaze, but Stasia could see it clearly both on the younger sibling’s face as well as in the darkness which made up the once blue eyes. She looked at them as if they had been brought back from the dead, but she eventually stood up as if not wanting to be near Stasia at all.
“I didn’t think it would matter all that much to you, taking into consideration that you didn’t believe I should know he even exists. Better question... why didn’t you tell me about him?"
“You aren’t really the best candidate for company with children-”
“You don’t get to decide that Desdon!” Gabi’s voice rose suddenly, an octave she normally never used. Thankfully Kiran had already been taken out by Ritunen to spare his curiosity.
“Calm down Gabi,” Cyva stopped her daughter only to be met with a less than pleased gaze.
“You’re no better. You all knew. I know you all did, there’s no way you wouldn’t. Not a single shred of fucking trust or care to be shared between all of you and it’s been that way for years. Hell, I’d say even longer than that!”
“That isn’t fair Gabi,” Gahbreal said, which snatched her attention away from everyone else.
The way her head turned to him was like that of a hawk spotting its prey, or rather a crow ready to dive on its next meal. However, it was different. The longer he looked at her the more mature her face looked. Clad in emotions he would have done everything to keep her from facing. Her hair draped over her shoulders like a veil which attempted to reach the floor. He spotted the scars, both faint and fresh, which laced her skin. The paleness of her skin as if she had been deprived of light as well as the loss of weight she had achieved since the last time he had seen her. She looked far thinner than before. What caused the hair on his neck to stand up on end was the moment he spotted her right hand and wrist.
“As if you have any right to speak. Liar, traitor, deceiver! You above all else deserve the least amount of trust if any at all!”
“Gabi,” Cyva started as she approached her daughter. “My little angel, what happened to you? Where have you been all this time. Für mich ist im Moment nichts anderes wichtig, alle anderen Fragen können warten.” (Nothing else matters to me right now, all the other questions can wait.)
“I’ve seen this world fall to ruin, crumble under the pressure of unfathomably unfair odds. Violence to a grade no one else can handle under the pressure of a bloodbath thick enough to block out the sun.” Gabi said as she placed her hands onto her mother’s palms. It was a rare sight, one that no one might gain the opportunity to glimpse ever again as Gabi lowered herself to her knees so that her head might be below Cyva’s. Her head pressed against the woman’s chest as tears rushed down her cheeks. “Ich bin so müde, Mama.” (I’m so tired Ma.)
Cyva was rightfully confused, unable to understand what exactly her daughter spoke of and yet it did not matter. All that was on the woman’s mind now was to comfort the girl she had personally created. With her acting this way Gabi had easily become the only thing in all the realms which currently mattered to her. She looked at Gahbreal as if he could provide answers, but of course he too had no words. He approached slowly and placed his hand on his daughter’s shoulder, but it was quickly slapped away. However, it was not out of anger... it was entirely in a panic.
“Don’t ever touch me without permission!” the girl spoke as she rose to her feet.
“I didn’t mean to-”
“I know what you meant, and I’m telling you I don’t care. Never again,” she looked at Stasia and DeVian with a less than pleased expression. But she sighed and still chose to lower her head in a manner which did not suit her at all. “Thank you for... allowing, me to stay for the night. I’ll be returning home now.”
“Wait, Gabi,” Stasia stopped her before she made her exit. “Talk to us. Tell us where you’ve been. You’re clearly in no condition to-”
“I am no aikekunai,” Gabi interrupted her elder sibling. However, her words and expression were not angry. “Even so, I can handle myself. Watashi wa esa no yō ni mikudasa renai.” (I will not be looked down upon like fodder.)
The parting words left behind as her wings coiled around her form and carried her away in a plume of darkness. A few black feathers falling to the floor all she left behind as the room remained silent for a moment. Cyva was quickly the most upset of them all. Immediately covering her face as she burst into tears which dragged Gahbreal’s full attention to his spouse with attempts to console her. DeVian and Stasia, on the other hand, both shared the same expression as Gahbreal.
As he looked over his wife there were questions roaming through his mind. Where had she been? What had she been doing? What had changed her? There were certain things about his daughter which he had taken as notable parts of her personality. They were the things he had believed would never change and remain the primary parts of her personality that kept her as who she was. Now, his daughter seemed as if she had become a shell of her former self. She still had the same overbearing pressure of superiority she always carried around like a badge of honor, but it seemed less like wild impulse and more like regal claim. But that did not shake the one thing which ate away at him.
“We aren’t just going to ignore the elephant in the room. Are we?” DeVian was the first to bring it up.
“I suppose we shouldn’t, as much as I’d like to. Now then,” Gahbreal’s voice shook out of his throat as he turned his head to Stasia who now sat at their partner’s side. Cyva, now properly calmed down, looked at her husband with confusion. “Why does my daughter carry the markings of someone who has been attacked by you?”
“I know what it looks like, but I’m just as confused as you. Neither of us have seen her since she disappeared.”
“And yet she appears in your home out of nowhere, covered in unknown injuries, acting in strange ways she’s never done before. It’s as if she’s barely the same wolf pup I know!”
“Calm down Gahbreal,” Cyva interjected. “I know you’re upset, but don’t let it dictate your emotions. We’re all as concerned as you are. Besides, you know there aren’t many existing ways to keep Gabi in a single place. That was the main reason there was so much concern trying to discover her whereabouts to begin with.”
“That did look exactly like she had been touched by Stasia, and with very little regard for her safety. The problem is that we all know that situation would kill Gabi or anyone else,” DeVian stated.
“Which only makes it more confusing. There are no other claimants who can leave that type of damage in the same manner. So, if she ended up fighting someone wherever she was, who could it have been?”
“I suppose we’ll only get the answers from her,” Gahbreal paused as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why is she always so difficult.”
“Because she’s your daughter,” DeVian responded to which Gahbreal shot a glare in her direction. “Don’t act like that’s not the case. She’s just as difficult a person to deal with as you are. The only difference is that you don’t like to kill people.”
“Mist!”
Gahbriogyva’s voice immediately caused the woman to rise to her feet. Thankfully she had already cleaned and repaired her employer’s office before she had returned and was currently hard at work with files and reports. Now she was quickly moving through the house to reach the place where Gabi’s voice had come from, finding the girl standing in the hall with what looked like a rather exhausted face.
“Yes, miss Gabi?” the woman spoke to which she blinked in her direction.
“My hair... I need you to cut it for me.”
“Is that all you require, ma’am?”
“Don’t call me that. I’ve told you before... Gabi is... fine.”
Mist watched as the girl fell to the floor. There was a reaction, nothing less than panic, but there was also an understanding that this was a part of her job. Gahbriogyva had made it exceedingly clear that there were certain procedures to be followed when it came to herself personally suffering harm. It was because of those procedures that she immediately reached into the pocket of her white apron and lifted the black feather from within her uniform. It wasn’t like Gabi’s feathers; this one was made entirely from darkness. A light absorbing black resting directly in the palm of her white gloves.
It didn’t take long for her to arrive. Kikana had found herself in the girl’s home within minutes, but to her surprise she had found her missing granddaughter in a less than pleasant state. She had originally believed that all the panic was not worth it but seeing her now made her feel as if she had failed as a guardian and caretaker. Her brow raising as she finally managed to notice Mist calmly cutting the girl’s hair as if it were a normal day.
“Do you mind telling me what exactly is going on here?” the woman started her eyes steadily pushing Mist’s emotions to their limits.
“I’m simply doing as I was asked. However, I called you of my own volition. As you can see, she is not in the best physical state, and I was hoping that you would be capable of helping with that.”
“I can,” Kikana started as she approached the girl whilst reaching into one of the pouches on her person and retrieving a small container of what looked like a finely crafted paste. Steadily applying it to every scar on her body, pausing for a moment when seeing her right hand before continuing. “Why does she look like this?”
“Based on what she told me she’s been undergoing one of Master Eric’s trials.”
“‘Master’ Eric?”
“She insists I refer to him with that title... from what I heard she was locked in a space with distorted time. Not a realm, possibly a dimensional distortion? It sounded like the work of someone capable of manipulating time, but it was certainly more than that.”
“Most likely something to do with Mati-Mitta. It certainly sounds like her handywork, but I’m more confused wondering how Eric managed to get that idiot to help him.”
“I thought the same thing. However, this next part should be kept entirely confidential. Before I divulge this information, it is imperative that you give me your word it will not leave this building. I will not risk any harm to my master.”
“Of course. If it’s that serious it would be best as few people as possible know, I presume. Good to see you’re taking your role seriously.”
“I’m glad you understand... it sounded as if Master Gahbriogyva had been dragged into a paradox. Moved, or rather displaced inside of a pocket. It was contained inside of this,” she said as she raised the box which had been repaired by her own hands. “But even after repairing it, it no longer works. A personal paradox crafted specifically for her and stuffed into this box. Based on her own words time moved slower out here than it did inside. For us only about a year had passed, but for her it was around two years.”
“That explains how she looks so exhausted, but that doesn’t explain the injuries.”
“Indeed. The injuries were from fights. Battles she had to take place in. The paradox was designed to designate her as an enemy to everyone, and so she had to fight quite literally everyone excluding certain figures. Ancients, treasures, some aikekunai. Those she had to face she claimed were weaker, but there is a problem with her descriptions and what happened.”
“Such as? Don’t hold back any important details,” Kikana instructed as she started placing the balm over her right hand.
“She would continue to reassure herself that everyone around her was weaker than their counterparts outside of the pocket dimension. Such as DeVian who she fought against in close combat and Stasia who gave her that specific injury.”
“Seems I was correct in assuming that was where it came from. But that doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t, unless you apply the weakening she mentioned,” Mist continued to speak as she made sure Gabi’s hair was in perfect order. “The problem is that, through her descriptions, that’s where those weaknesses end.”
“What?” Kikana replied as she raised a brow.
“When was the last time Master Gahbriogyva had an opportunity to display her full potential?” she questioned Kikana who gave her look as if the question were outright nonsense. “I had a feeling that was the case. It seems that my master has a problem in which, when she feels she is facing a life-or-death situation, she cannot task herself with containing her full potential. Strength, speed, agility, all of it. What I mean to say is that most of the notable claimants she mentioned weren’t weakened at all. Master Gahbriogyva has a very specific set of abilities. While they wouldn’t be worth much to anyone else, seeing as to how difficult they are to make real use of, they are perfect for someone like her. Aside from DeVian, Stasia, Gahbreal and Shinzo everyone else was fighting with the full strength of their real counterparts, but since she robbed them of their abilities, they were forced to fight her physically for extended periods of time.”
“And since this is Gabi we’re talking about, that would mean them needing to survive for an extended period of time against someone who throws punches with the force to shatter stone and bend metal. She'd wear anyone down after a few minutes of constant attacks.”
“That’s where the problem I brought up earlier comes into play,” Mist’s words caught Kikana’s attention. “I’m assuming Master Gahbriogyva rarely has a chance to put forth all her effort, so no one has seen exactly what heights she has reached. However, she explained to me in great detail how she leveled buildings, ripped constructs such as tanks apart with her bare hands, attacked with enough force to tear the very earth beneath her feet asunder. Without anyone realizing she has amassed power that she convinces herself still isn't enough with a goal that she subconsciously keeps out of her reach. She killed the entire Chisuke household... including her father.”
“Gahbreal? Then there is no doubt he was weakened in a fight like that.”
“Not so much that it would make a great difference.”
“That makes no sense. There is no possible way she would be capable of fighting him and winning.”
“There is when she attacks in a manner that he can’t handle. That girl has spent her entire life towards the aspiration of being on par with her father, then it abruptly changed to besting him. All she trains for is beating him, but it is clear to me that she holds her father to impossibly high regards because she beat him in that place while sustaining minimal injuries. That was after a year in there and he was the first person she had to kill. She then proceeded to kill everyone who existed on the planet, and then came back here.”
“She essentially unintentionally had the chance to fight every single existence in the human realm, build up more power than she realized, and use it all and experience it for herself. Even if everyone were weaker it would have been more than enough training for her to build on.”
“Not to mention she rarely ever slept. Her stamina has reached heights that could have her fight for days at full strength without needing to rest. If she decides to fight someone, we must be prepared for it if she no longer properly holds back her strength. After a year of not doing it, I fear it might not be something that happens anymore.”
“Thanks again for making me a meal, grandma.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad you’re back home. If you need anything else let me know and try not to sustain too many injuries. It takes a while to gather the materials to make that balm.”
“I don’t plan on it,” she said as she watched Kikana disappear into the shadows. “I’ll be in my office, Mist. Don’t disturb me for the time being.”
“Yes Gabi.”
Her footsteps were as soft as ever yet left a quiet patter on the wooden floors as she approached her office. The bowl of rice she carried in her hands provided the sustenance she desperately needed upon her return with each bite bringing a bit of color to her cheeks. As she stepped into her office she closed the doors behind her, remembering that Mist had said something about repairing the box and leaving it in the display with the others. However, as she approached her desk, she immediately noticed something odd which didn’t make much sense.
They were all gone. None of the boxes she had opened leading up to that point were in their rightful place. Instead, resting where they once were, now sat a box of a more intricate design. It looked as if it were made from bocote and brushed gold. Its design was something she could not put her hand on, as if to represent the earth itself flowing like a raging river. As she took the box to her desk and placed it down, she undid the clasp which kept it closed; lifting the lid to reveal a set of seven rings. They weren’t anything crazy to look at, a rather dull set of normal tungsten rings which barely even reflected the light from the window. However, they smelled so strongly of Eric.
“What is this?” she spoke as her eyes refused to move away from the contents of the box. “Is my test to do something with these.”
She jumped slightly, her muscles relaxing as her hands rose to her chest. A shiver slipped up her spine as the weight on her shoulders caused a small gasp to audibly rush through her lips. How many people existed that could sneak up on her? Rather, there was only one person alive who could somehow manage to escape her abnormal sense of smell.
“It’s not a test. It’s a GIFT.”
She turned around quickly. Bombarding his senses with a look he expected, but an expression he disliked. The way the corners of her lips curled downward as her lips pouted, the inner corners of her eyebrows rising, the way the tears welled up in her eyes as the now blue orbs looked up at him. The moment the choking sound squeaked its way out of her throat he immediately embraced her as tightly as he could. He couldn’t help but feel as if he were still embracing the little girl who would cry hysterically whenever it was time for her to go home, but this was an entirely different situation now... no matter if she cried all the same.
'For the first time in a long time... I feel whole again.'
“Are you feeling better now?” Eric asked Gabi as she lifted her head from his chest.
“Yeah. I’m fine,” she started as she backed away and leaned against her desk. “When did you return? I had assumed I would have to track you down when you got back.”
“Aren’t you more INTERESTED in your GIFT?”
“I won’t say I’m not... they smell like you. What are they?”
“My CONGRATULATORY GIFT to YOU! This is your reward for COMPLETING what I gave you.”
There was a part of him that expected her to be entirely confused and possibly disappointed with the gift. Gabi had always been the type of person who cares more for the use of an item comparable to its grace, but as we watched her smile at the rings as if they meant the entire world to ger it became clear that she had definitely changed.
“Thank you, Uncle Eric.”
“You are a true warrior now and no one can deny you the title,” his words were like a spark of everything going off in her mind when her face immediately turned to him. “These rings shall be your assurance that you can rely on me even when I’m not there. If EVER you face an enemy that you cannot defeat, rely on them and rely on me.”
“I-”
She paused as her eyes carried back to the rings. Something about them glimmered in a way that it felt as if only she could see. It wasn’t anything crazy, but it felt as if her uncle’s words gave them more life and importance than before. However, there was something that needed to be done.
“If I am truly a warrior now, then there is something I must do before I can fully accept this gift.”
“What do you mean?” Eric asked his niece who rose from her position and began walking to the door of her office.
“Mist! Get the car ready!” she spoke before throwing on her fanciest coat. “It won’t take me long. This is something I must do, and I will go to you as soon as I am finished. So, wait for me? Please?”
“I’ve made you wait for so long. Of course, I can wait for a little while.”
“What should we do? Things cannot continue on the way they have been?”
“I’ve been thinking about it, but there aren’t many options. Gabi has grown into a difficult child to deal with. She acts more like an adult than she should, and it only makes things more difficult.”
“I don’t know how we could possibly get on her good side. She won’t even talk to us for long periods of time. I can’t help but feel like a failure of a mother.”
“Don’t say that,” Gahbreal responded to his wife as he placed his hand on her cheek. “You’ve done all that you can and all that is expected of you. There was no way to predict that she would end up this rowdy. If we put our heads together, I’m sure-”
He paused, head raising as his eyes turned to the front entrance of their home. They hadn’t spent much time with Stasia and DeVian, brainstorming on what may have transpired, but this was unexpected all the same. He removed his hand from Cyva’s cheek and turned to the door with heavy steps moving across the building. Bells tolling in his mind with each motion until ceasing just as he reached the door.
“Gahbreal? What is happening?” she spoke as if she also sensed a change.
“There isn’t anything good about this... but I can’t say I didn’t expect it. Cyva, no matter what happens, don’t interfere. It’s about time we settled this, I suppose.”
She seemed entirely confused, or perhaps that was exactly how she felt. It persisted, eating away at her peace until Gahbreal pushed the door open and standing directly on the opposite side stood their daughter. She looked different from earlier that day. She was still just as pale, however the red tinges on her cheeks made it clear that it was now a feature that would most likely remain the same. The blue in her eyes was like that of a deep pool, the way she stood towering over her in a manner that made her feel insignificant. She did not smile, but did not seem angry, her expression like that of a stern wall that would not be moved. Most importantly, all her prior scars were now gone.
“Gabi? What are you doing here? You should be resting! You sustained many-”
Gahbreal raised his hand in a manner that told her to wait. That was something he did not often do. The last time he had hushed her in that manner was when they were speaking with Jayhe, but this situation surely did not call for that. This was her daughter, there was no reason to wait and be subtle! Her care was all that mattered.
“You’re dead set on this, ain’t you?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
“And if I refuse?” His words caused his daughter’s head to rise and look directly into his eyes.
“You don’t get to refuse this time. Either you fight, or I force it out of you.”
A sigh escaped his lips as he walked out of the door and down the steps in front of their home. He nodded in Mist’s direction as they passed by the car parked in the driveway, and the woman nodded back before beckoning Cyva over to her side. However, Gabi and Gahbreal continued onward. Step by step, going further and further as their feet parted the grass beneath them. They both took in the cool breeze as it brushed over them like a graceful whisper. To Gahbreal it was saying that everything was going to be alright, but to Gahbriogyva it was saying that the time had finally come to prove herself.
“We can’t allow the two of them to fight!” Cyva said to Mist who shook her head.
“There’s nothing we can do about it. I understand that, Gahbreal understands that, and you should also understand that by now. I tried to talk her out of it already, but she would not listen. She only responded once...”
'I’ve been acknowledged by one of the people who matter. If I’m going to wear that title proudly then I must get that same acknowledgement from the other. Standing in my way now is the equivalent to death.’'
“So, we’re just going to stand here and watch?”
“That’s why she brought me along,” she said as her eyes locked onto the woman. “Master Gahbriogyva has made it abundantly clear that I keep you out of this. I will serve her by any means.”
Cyva was not pleased by her words, but there was no point in fighting over it now. The time it would take to fight Gabi’s attendant just to get to her would already be too much. However, then she would most likely have to deal with her daughter afterwards. It wasn’t a possibility. All she could do now was watch as her husband and daughter now stood far off in the vast field which surrounded their home. Staring one another in the face just out of earshot.
“You’re really not going to give me any other choice? All these years and the first time you come directly to us it’s to fight again. As if you don’t care for our feelings at all.”
“Don’t waste your breath. My feelings are my own, and I do what benefits them most. Thankfully this is a part of that plan,” she said as she placed her hands on her hips. “This is your lucky day.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I’m issuing a challenge. You against me. If you win, then I will return home with you and mother and live how you want me to live. If I win, you will call me by my rightful title.”
“Your rightful title? And what might that be?” The question alone seemed to tempt her agitation. However, it was at this moment she smiled as if filled with pleasure.
“Warrior,” her words matched the same red in her eyes.
“That has yet to be proven.”
“That’s exactly what I’m here to do. Now equip your arms and steel your resolve... this will not be the same.”
Gahbreal raised his hands as if prepared to fight, but Gabi was no phased or delighted. Instead, she chuckled for a moment before raising her right hand up to her face as if staring into its every feature. The moment her hand was shrouded in black, and the clawed gauntlet formed over her arm, was the same moment Gahbreal called his axe to his side instinctively. It wasn’t that he felt overly threatened, but rather that the very sight of the thing in such proximity made his skin crawl. The thing was festering with madness as if it were seeping from every seam, covered in blood which stained the black in a layer that made it seem as if she had been swimming in it.
“So, you’re finally getting in gear.”
She stepped forward in a manner which made him steady himself, watching as her arm crossed over her chest before he raised his axe in a defensive manner. He knew she would strike; she made it clear that she would strike, but as his feet dragged across the ground several feet, he began to realize just what type of situation he had been dragged into. This wasn’t the daughter who had left them behind anymore, this was an entirely different monster unlike anything he had faced before.
He charged forward on the offensive, lifting his axe to his side before swinging it in her direction from her unarmored side. There weren’t many times in his life in which things felt so dreadfully obscure, especially not during combat, but as he watched her catch the blade of his axe with her bare hand it certainly made him wonder just how things had turned out this way. The way her own feet slid across the ground before coming to a stop before pushing his axe away, it made him reminisce on the times he had trained with her in the past. The sharp pain on his stomach as her bare fist connected with his abdomen knocking him out of his own mind.
“You’re certainly stronger.”
“So I’ve heard.”
He quickly retaliated with a kick of his own, her wing moving to intercept it but not with enough strength to keep herself from being knocked away. Her wings flapped brazenly, stopping her midair yet the force of the action alone was enough to create a draft of air which shook the earth beneath their feet.
“Call me strong all you want, but I can tell you’re still holding back... if that’s the case I suppose I’ll have to make sure you realize that I’m not some spoiled child.”
With a swift motion of her wings, she bolted forward in his direction. Gahbreal quickly moved out of the way, however he did not notice fast enough to react to her sudden change in actions. It looked as if she were preparing to attack him outright, but as he watched her entire posture shift and her upper body carry closer to the ground, he recalled just how much he had taught her. There weren’t many techniques he had shared with her outside of the normal weapons proficiency that all children in his family are made to learn, but he had done more than teach her about his most effective form of hand-to-hand combat. It was for that very reason that when he felt her hand wrap around his ankle, he knew a mistake had been made. However, he did not yet know the gravity of that mistake yet.
In his mind he felt that he could push through a single attack like this from her and recover after the first. Preparing to retaliate when the most opportune time arrived... but as he heard the girl release a sharp breath his eyes caught her own for the briefest moment, and it was within that moment he noticed just how absurdly delighted she had become. She pivoted her feet on the ground, lifting him above her head and slamming him against the ground with so much force he could feel his body shut down for a moment. Mist grabbed Cyva and lowered her down as the rushing wave of pressure pushed the car at their side away and the windows of their home shattered. It was at this point Cyva had stopped caring for Gahbreal and had begun worrying more for her husband.
“You’re certainly feeling it now, aren’t you?” The words caught him off guard as he looked at the girl. “This girl you thought was so delicate and so fragile.”
“Madness?” The realization caused him to rise to his feet.
“Don’t look at me like that now. You brought this on yourself. Now you simply understand that if you keep holding back... you’ll die.”
They weren’t his daughter’s words, far from it, but that only made matters worse for him. He did not know how madness had built up in him so quickly, but what he did know is that what he was seeing amounted to no more than his own thoughts playing tricks on him. Taking his mind and warping it to make him see and hear what it felt was right... it was for that very reason he rose to his feet and raised his axe without regard. The darkness which wrapped itself around his person like a cloak of shadows accompanying his stark red eyes.
“Finally taking me seriously? Well, it still won’t do you much good-”
She quickly stepped back, just barely avoiding her father’s axe as it slipped by her head. Even so, it brought a smile to her face, nonetheless. Attack after attack, blow after blow, this was the beautiful dance she had always envisioned in her mind when imagining a fight between her and her father. Even has his axe sliced her skin she couldn’t keep herself from smiling with each passing moment. This was no fight to the death. It was a fight entirely for her own enjoyment and experience, but most importantly because it was her right.
Gabi felt entirely as if it were her born right to become a warrior. The child of an aikekunai, that was what her existence amounted to in her own eyes as of now. It wasn’t until she surpassed that aikekunai that she could move on from there to the realm of her true goal. A lesson meant to teach her the facets of cherishing life did exactly that, but it also played another part in crafting her mind. While before it was nothing more than a fixation on combat itself and the hunger for power, now she sought nothing more than to stand above all others. If she were ever to avoid a scenario like she had faced in that other world... she would need to be powerful enough to deter even the mere thought of opposing her. Not only for claimants, but for Treasures and Ancients as well. That was why she needed to pass this point to begin moving towards the pedestal of ancient.
Her father was certainly no joke, she had known that before arriving and making this challenge. It was also why she gave him an offer he could not refuse. They were both fighting for something they believed in, something they desired more than anything else any of the realms and their inhabitants could offer them. However, the outcome of the battle had been decided when a simple thing changed. Gahbreal watching as his axe closed in on the girl who raised her left hand to defend his axe as if forgetting that her right was the one with her gauntlet. It wasn’t until a shadow swept over her entire body and left her full set of pitch-black armor over her skin that he knew the outcome of the fight.
The ring of colliding metal as she knocked his axe away, the sound of blood splattering the ground as her armor dripped with the sight of fresh blood, it was as if he were staring into the face of his greatest nightmare. There was no time to put up a proper defense as her fist collided with his cheek. Gahbreal attempted to retaliate immediately with a strike of his own, but Gabi was already moving to counter with two heavy blows connecting with his chest and abdomen. He knew this combination all too well, his legs swept from beneath him as he was then knocked into the air with a strong kick only to be caught and slammed back to the ground.
‘Imagine losing to your own attacks. You taught her this stuff because it was the things we often used when growing ourselves... how time flies... although we don’t know what happened this past year, we certainly did our best to raise the little fighter. Didn’t we?’
“Yeah,” he said under his breath. “We certainly did.”
“Do you concede,” he flinched as he felt her foot slam on his chest.
“Kōfuku? Hon'nosukoshi de watashi ga son'na koto o surudarou to omou ka? Kono tatakai wa mada owatte inai, tatakaenaku naru made wa owaranai.” (Surrender? You think I’d be willing to do that after so little? This fight is not yet over, and it won’t be over until I can’t fight any longer.)
“We really are too alike,” Gabi responded with a smile. “Demo ima wa yame rarenai. Watashi ga nani o manande kita no ka, soshite watashi ga anata no kodomo to yoba reru ni fusawashī senshi to natta riyū o chokusetsu anata ni misenakereba narimasen.” (But I cannot stop now. I will have to show you firsthand what I have come to learn and what makes me a warrior fit to be called your child.)
Gahbreal watched as she raised her hand into the air. It was so nostalgic to see her still relying on that same attack Eric had shown her. Even still, she never had the opportunity to learn it completely. Why she always chose to resort to it made him curious, but it also made him continue to believe that his daughter was as pure as she was when she was younger. He would not back down, would not concede. If all he needed to do was take this attack and retaliate to get his daughter back home, then he would gladly do it.
“Are you certain you won’t surrender?” Her words grabbed his attention again. It was odd to hear her give second chances like this. “This won’t be the same as before.”
“I will not.”
“I knew it,” her words were like sugar sweetening his ears as her smile grew into the mad smile he had come to know so well. “You’re still the strongest, so I’ll show you my strongest.”
He could see it all clearly, every stage of her life as she grew to the point she had reached now. Her hand flowing further back as the fingers of her clawed gauntlet spread out as if like a hawk preparing to strike. She wasn’t using the attack Eric had shown her, this was entirely different. Similar in form yet more accustomed to herself, utilizing her flexibility and strength while taking bits and pieces of techniques from his family’s combat style. The girl he had hoped to make nothing like himself, the girl he had attempted to make into a claimant that others could love. He was left wondering when she had managed to become such a shining example of the Chisuke name.
He could feel the madness resting on the edge of each claw, see the drive in her eyes as her wings spread outward. Feel the gravity of her attack as her hand began to close in on his form... but the attack never reached. Gahbreal was instead met with the sight of none other than Xainayne holding his daughter’s hand back with very little effort. A part of him wanted to rise to his feet and jump to her defense, expecting her to lash out at her. But it was rather odd to watch her look at the ancient as if she instead felt a form of indifference and disgust.
“I believe that’s more than enough. Wouldn’t you say the same?” Xainayne’s words were met with a sigh.
“You called them here?” she spoke in her father’s direction.
“No... I didn’t.”
“It’s pretty difficult for Gahbreal to get into a fight that goes without me noticing. Besides, you produce quite the amount of madness between the two of you.”
“Is that right?” Gabi sighed again before her armor faded away and left her standing in the attire she had arrived in. Jeans, a white T-shirt and a simple pair of sneakers which were now tattered and cut in multiple places. It was at that moment Xainayne released her arm. “I guess that means this fight will just have to go unfinished. I'll put it on hold, for now.”
She blinked her eyes, and they immediately became the normal blue they had been before. Her fingers played around in her hair for a moment, fixing it as best she could before Mist came running to her side and handed her jacket over to her. The blue denim which matched her jeans and the light brown fur which laced the inside warmed her skin as she turned to leave, but as she began walking away Gahbreal quickly stood to his feet.
“Wait,” his words gave her pause yet she did not turn to see him. “I’ve seen what you’ve accomplished today, Gabi. My Wolf Pup.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she responded as Cyva approached her husband to check his injuries.
“It does matter.”
“It doesn’t. Not until this fight is won. Not until-”
“You are more than enough of a warrior, little angel. You have no doubt been through far more than I can imagine for you to make the strides and leaps in power that you have done. I have no place to deny you that title. Gahbriogyva, my daughter, you are indeed a true warrior. Chisuke to your very core and a child I will forever be proud of, no matter what you decide.”
“Gahbreal, what are you saying?” Cyva started but he only looked at her as if he were completely tired.
“In the grand scheme of things, I have done very little for her. I’ve cooked a few meals and taught you a few things, but the rest you’ve handled on your own. I know I broke our promise, I have no excuse for that. But I will at least give you this as I should. For that you are more than deserving.”
She did not move, did not turn around to look at him. She clenched her fists tightly while inhaling a deep taste of the air she knew as that which surrounded her home. That alone dragged back memories of the past with her mother and father. She could vividly see all the times they had walked out on the very field they now stood on, remember when she was so little, when her wings were nothing more than ornamental on her back and her father had to lift her into the air. She could remember how it felt to fly in his steady hands while looking out at the horizon around them as her mother rooted for her constant growth and reassured her of how special she believed she was and would always be.
“Our fight may not have ended... but I suppose I can come home every once in a while.”
The words were quick and easy to use before she continued on her way with Mist at her side. Each step was filled with the sound of grass crunching beneath her feet and yet her heart continued to pound with each sound. The sound of grass was then replaced with the sound of their shoes tapping against the concrete before stopping at her car. Mist quickly opened Gabi’s door for her but was left puzzled when the girl did not get inside. She looked at Gabi’s face, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip as they quivered. She seemed almost absent as her eyes stared past the vehicle and off into the distance, her eyes desperately attempting to hold the tears back.
“Do you think that was smart?” Xainayne asked Gahbreal as he patted himself off. “I have reason to believe this will only prove to boost her already inflated ego.”
“It’ll be fine. Besides, I trust her. I always have. She’s still young but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a smart girl. I'm still wondering how you knew about this.”
“An anonymous tip... You put too much faith in that girl, Gahbreal.”
“She’s my daughter. I believe I still haven’t given her nearly as much faith as I should. But if I don’t know anything else, I know that she deserved those words. She may be my daughter, but even more than that she is her mother’s child. She still has more than enough emotions to spare.”
“I can’t help but feel as if you’re making fun of me,” Cyva responded which caused her husband to chuckle.
“Well, what can I say? I wouldn’t be surprised if secretly she were a big-”
His eyes grew wide as the overbearing feeling of warmth wrapped around him. Just how long had it been since he felt this? The pressure of her arms squeezing him so tightly. The softness of her wings attempting to wrap around him as many times as possible. This was unmistakably the unforgettable feeling of his daughter hugging him as she always did. She had approached so quickly he didn’t even notice until she was already upon him, but no matter how well she hid her face he still knew she was crying underneath.
“Crybaby,” he said with a smile as he placed his hand on the top of her head.
“Shut up.”
“You’re BACK!” Eric said as he continued to stuff his face.
“I told you to wait for me, but of course I’d find you at IKEA. This is an embarrassment.”
“I DON’T know what you’re TALKING ABOUT. And WHAT are you wearing?!”
Gabi looked as authentically fashionable as she could manage, courtesy of Mist keeping up with trends and styles. This time around she wore a deep crimson jacket with matching boots and black slacks. The shirt beneath was a hazel turtleneck which matched the hazel aviators which covered her eyes. Beneath her jacket black feathers could be seen replacing what would have normally been the place of possibly fur, but the feathers themselves were her wings which she held in position for dear life.
“I’m wearing good clothes!” she yelled as if entirely offended. “Unbeknownst to you, I have an image which must be upheld! Yet here I am, in a fucking IKEA looking for you!”
“Image?” Her uncle’s confusion nearly made her want to vomit on the floor.
“Where the hell have you been where you don’t know? You knew I had finished those boxes, but you don’t know about my career?”
“NONE OF THAT MATTERS! YOU should EAT!”
“I... fucking... fuck it,” she spoke as she sat down at the table with Eric and leaned her head against her hand. “Mist, you can wait for me in the car. Use the time to link up with grandmother. Tell her I’ll be needing more servants.”
“Servant?” Mist asked with a raised brow.
“Servants! Maids! Attendants! I don’t care what you want to call yourselves! I need more!”
Mist shrugged her shoulders before exiting the building, Eric laughing harder with each passing second at their exchange. It was baffling to her how after all this time he just shows up and keeps coming here as if he never left. Several years and it still looked as if the entire staff wanted nothing to do with him. However, they looked at least a bit more active once she had sat down with him. Especially when a woman approached them both.
“H-hello miss Leigh-”
“Gabi is fine.”
“Y-yes, miss Gabi. What would you like to eat?”
“Just bring me the exact same things he ordered. We’ll probably be here for a while.”
“I DID NOT KNOW that they CAME TO US so we could order! I’m surprised she could even REMEMBER you! You’ve been coming here WITHOUT ME?” Eric spoke which caused Gabi to rub her brow.
“No I haven't been coming here without you! And they came here because I’m the only person here worth the attention. Also, she doesn’t remember me! She just knows who I am now.”
“Remember you?” the woman spoke before looking at Eric for several moments.
“THIS is the little GIRL who would come here with ME MANY YEARS ago!”
“You don’t have to yell at the lady! Damnit!” Gabi said as the woman looked at her more closely before gasping slightly.
“You were that little girl who used to always try to hit him? You were cute even back then.”
“I’m not... well I am and always will be, but that still isn’t for you to say!” she shouted as her hands slammed down on the table.
“I see you finished the business you set out to accomplish,” Eric said as he spotted the rings on her fingers. They were all on her right hand, one on each finger with an extra on both her ring finger and middle finger. “The look on your face tells me that you’re pleased.”
“Yeah. I do feel rather pleased. Almost like I’m finally where I belong.”
“You’re finally wholly home,” the words caused a smile to spread across her face. It wasn’t like the others. It was soft, pleasant, as if coming directly from a place of love and interrupted by the flash of a camera!
“What the hell?” Gabi said as she looked at the woman who will still standing there with phone in hand.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
“GO GET MY FUCKING FOOD!”
“YES! BRING US MORE FOOD!”
“I don’t need YOU repeating that!” |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
163 posts
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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May 30, 2023 19:13:57 GMT
Post by Dobu on May 30, 2023 19:13:57 GMT
It was quiet, peaceful at a tier which many people could not imagine. The air had begun to cool down with the passing of seasons and as such the crackling of a lit wood flame would fill the room with a pleasant heat. The ambience of the extremely calm night could only be deepened with the soft humming which came from the one she called Master; the feeling of his fingers twisting the white strands of hair into a loose braid swatting away all her stress and anxiety. It caused a sigh to slip through her lips as her hands pressed against her knees.
“You rarely ever sigh like that. I can tell something is bothering you,” his voice was as sweet as the perfect strawberry. Just as always.
“Don’t know. Feeling exhausted.”
“With Qrow making his best attempt to be rid of you nearly every week, it comes to no surprise that you’d be a bit on edge. Just try to relax for now. He can be difficult, but I won’t let him be rid of you so easily.”
“That’d be a bother. Can’t do that.”
Her eyes went wide before shutting tightly. A part of her always chose to say things as plainly as possible with as few words as possible. It was something her master disapproved of, and especially since it often made her seem more insubordinate than she truly was. Answering important questions with few words and little context often lead down a road she disliked. That was exactly why she reacted the way she did when Godfrey’s fingers pinched at the tip of her ear and pulled it.
“It isn’t a bother and you know that. I rather enjoy your company, so please try to understand that this is also for myself as much as it is for you.”
“Okay! Okay! We get it! Just stop!” Litnia cried out.
Godfrey hesitated a moment before releasing her ear. It wasn’t to be overly strict or spiteful, rather they both knew that too lenient of a punishment would have no effect on her. As lazy as she is, everyone who knows her also knows that she is quite stubborn. As such, no one can allow themself to go easy on her or she simply won’t care to listen. That being said, even as tough as she is, no one enjoys giving her punishments outside of Qrow. The reasons for that being quite numerous. One such reason being the scar which marked her so prominently.
Her hair was short which made it easy to see, the scar which Godfrey’s fingers traced like an intricate pattern. He could tell that it made her slightly uncomfortable at times when others looked at it or brought attention to it, but she had at least become use to him doing it enough to not outright protest. It was something he did not like to see and believed that there wasn’t anyone who did; especially Litnia herself who chose to remain in the form of a void hound whenever possible. In fact, it was by his request that she wasn’t in that form at that very moment.
“Have you been getting along well with everyone else?” Godfrey asked as his fingers followed the part of the scar which spread to her cheek. “And don’t believe I didn't notice. Refer to yourself as an individual when speaking with me.”
“Chef hit us... me today. With a spoon. It hurt.”
“I assume you went back into the kitchen again after being told otherwise? Last time you went in the kitchen you ate three entire raw potatoes without so much as a word.”
“Litnia... I was hungry.”
“Yes, we all know you were hungry, but you also failed to inform anyone that you have a diet of souls and can’t stomach normal food. Chef was the one who had to clean up your vomit when you immediately expelled your meal onto the floor.”
“I don’t eat the potatoes anymore. I can stomach the lettuce.”
“Which is another problem. How you managed to eat an entire week's worth of lettuce in a single night is both troubling and disturbing. Not to mention you roam the house in the form of a creature, which only makes it worse when you enter Chef's territory. You must consider others more carefully before you act. You and Qrow will never be on good terms if you continue to disturb others so casually.”
“I will try. For Master’s sake.”
“For your own sake. Now go and apologize to Chef and anyone else you managed to disturb today. Especially Thread, I hear you've been sneaking into quarters lately,” the aikekunai spoke as he shood her away. “And don’t become a void hound when you do. You’ll only agitate Chef further.”
“Okay. Got it.”
She stood to her feet, a yawn slipping through her lips as her hands reached into the air. An attempt as stretching her limbs after sitting on the floor for so long. Godfrey damn near refused to allow anyone else to care for her hair other than himself, so there were many times in which she was made to sit at his feet and gracefully accept her fate. It all started when Godfrey learned that the condition of her hair greatly affected the condition of her fur when she took on a void hound form, but what managed to be even worse was what she was made to wear.
Just as he did her hair Godfrey also chose her wardrobe directly. She felt it was entirely due to him enjoying when she felt uncomfortable, but in all honesty, she knew exactly why. When Novevu sent her to be Qrow and Godfrey’s personal assistant, he also sent her with all her clothing... which was none. In the Void she never took the form of a human unless ordered to which meant it only made sense when she was sent there and showed up as a void hound. It wasn’t until Godfrey ordered her to change back, which Qrow heavily protested, that he came to see the state of a person who had spent the greater part of their life licking themself clean of their own free will. She would say it came with the territory of her family, Qrow would call it disgusting and Godfrey would agree.
Now she was an entirely different person compared to the start of her time there. Baths every day, especially since she enjoyed rolling in dirt and sleeping in the sun. Her hair was to be cared for at least twice a week since it easily became tangled. She must trim her nails and always wear both gloves and stockings, specifically since she had a tendency to scratch things by force of habit. She was ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN from crawling around on all fours when not a void hound, but most importantly she was only allowed to wear a choice wardrobe picked out by Godfrey himself. Today he had her wearing a black and white bell sleeved maid outfit. It was too frilly for her tastes, but short enough for her to feel comfortable. Thread had told her it was something called lolita before immediately throwing her out of the room, but of course Litnia had no idea what that was supposed to mean.
“Don’t forget this!” Godfrey called her which made her head spin around before a smile spread across her face.
She quickly closed the distance between them before lowering her head as Godfrey placed the top hat on her head. A black hat with a white ribbon wrapped around its base. It wasn’t very large and looked rather small on her head as it leaned slightly to the side, but that was a personal choice which was made by Godfrey. It was large enough to not look out of place on her, but small enough to fit perfectly on her head when she became a void pup. When she had first arrived Litnia almost never smiled, but the moment Godfrey first placed that had on her head she couldn’t stop smiling.
“Thank you! Master!” she said as she lifted her head and set out to do as she had been told.
It was going to be a gruesome journey, a terrible one. The path to the kitchen where Chef would no doubt not want to see her at all, but the journey was cut short in the worst possible way. All it took was a single step out the door and around the corner when, as her attention was entirely lacking, she felt her face bump directly into what felt like an immovable object. She quickly acted to keep her now fallen hat from hitting the floor, but when her eyes turned up to make an apology... the blonde male was having none of it.
“M-master! We’re sorry!”
“You always find it within yourself to somehow get in my way. Whether it be through your actions or, like now, quite literally in my direct path.”
“I’m sorry. Litnia didn’t mean-”
“It doesn’t matter what you meant when your actions defy it,” he spoke as his fingers wrapped around the fresh braid in her hair and pulled her head downward. “And always lower your damn head when speaking to me. I’d prefer you not looking at me with those eyes. I know what’s behind them.”
“Yes Qrow. Master.”
“The next time you so casually wander into my path will be the last time. I’ll have you gone from this place without hesitation.”
She didn’t need his hand to touch her face, she could feel how anxious it made her just from being close. There were many reasons Litnia gave Qrow to hate her, but the most prominent one was simply her attitude. She respected him for his position, was tasked with being one of his personal guardians and Novevu had told her on multiple occasions how important it was for her to see to that duty. However, the girl had two major problems. The first being that she was raised by the Void and believed herself to be on par with Qrow as siblings, but the second and more extreme reason was that all of her ‘real’ siblings were and still are void hounds. Litnia had grown up mainly as a void hound with other void hounds in the care of the void, so when she chose to see Qrow as a sibling she also found herself subconsciously competing with him on even the most mundane of subjects.
Qrow understood the entire situation between the two of them, but simply did not like the idea at all. Litnia understood that he did not like it, but nevertheless continued as it was simply in her nature. It’s nothing more than a tiresome thing between the two of them, but in Litnia’s mind she was simply being playful. Between void hounds that playfulness meant everything, conversation rarely ever being needed, and Qrow was now technically the closest thing she had to family to do said interactions with when the other hounds were not present. But all that really meant was that it was Qrow who received the brunt of her reckless play. And she was very good at playing her games.
“Do you have to be so callous?” Godfrey spoke as he stepped out of the room. “I do my best to keep her as presentable as possible and yet you still act as if she’s an eyesore.”
“Because it is. I don’t understand why this one must stay in the house. Even less why it must be on the property at all. All it does is make a mess and disregard every rule. I don’t get your attachment to this thing.”
“Litnia is steadily learning how to do things here, you know she learns rather slowly. And must you always refer to her like that? She’s not an item,” Godfrey snapped at Qrow as he swatted his hand away from her hair. “And I just finished this. I’d prefer if it remained presentable for at least a day.”
“If it hasn’t learned how things work around here, after all this time, then it doesn’t need to fucking be here. And you treat it like more of an item than I do, the way you dress it up like a doll! You’re wasting fabric on it.”
“There is no waste when it comes to helping others who need it!” Godfrey started as he raised the girl’s head. “She rarely knows anyone and most who do know her treat her as some kind of anomaly, but must you be the same? I know when you look at her you can see things that I cannot. However, those are the types of people who are often hurting the most. We all have our blemishes, Qrow.”
It was only times like these where she felt this odd feeling in her chest. However, it was only ever with Godfrey. The aikekunai of the house of death had always treated her a certain way. Even Novevu showed very little affection. But then there was Godfrey. It was almost as if he could sense her distress no matter how she ignored it; forced out emotions she did not know she was feeling. There were parts of herself she could not properly put into words, things which needed too much thought and caused her to attempt ignoring them, but he never truly gave her the opportunity. Even now, as she attempted to shove the unknown things back, his hand upon her head forced it out ever so little.
It reminded her of when she had first been told to come here. After she was told to remain a void pup until Something was arranged for her to wear. She could vividly remember Tonic holding her down so she couldn’t run away as Ears scrubbed her until her skin was sore, but nothing stood out more than when she had finally been cleaned up and had found her way to a warm spot she believed was secluded enough to get some time alone to recover. She hadn’t even realized how much she had missed being around the Void until Godfrey had placed his hand on her head and reassured her that everything would be fine.
“Thank you. Master Godfrey.” Her voice was low as she placed her head against his chest. A search for comfort from the source she found the most in. It caused his eyes to swell.
“I will not have you attempting to throw her out again. This is her home now just as much as it is ours.”
“I’d respectfully like to disagree. However,” Qrow began as he placed his hands on his partner’s cheeks. “If that is what you truly desire then I will hold myself back, for now. You're being too emotional over this thing, but no price is too high to quell your tears.”
The blonde’s fingers wiped away the droplets from Godfrey’s eyes with a swift motion before they could even properly form. However, he was not inclined to stay for much longer. There were things which required his attention and Godfrey knew that. It was why he did not attempt to stop him from turning away and continuing down the hall. It was always somewhat sad when the two had to separate by any means, but there wasn’t a single existence alive that would choose to question how they could be so formal about it.
“Be safe. Return to me soon.”
“That goes without saying-” he paused as he turned to view Godfrey. His sight tainted by the smug look on Litnia’s face as she turned her head ever so slightly away from Godfrey and her eyes met his. It was enough to draw rage like blood, the way she smiled as if claiming victory in every single way. “You cheeky bitch.”
“Qrow?” Godfrey said as he watched the male speak under his breath.
“It's nothing, I’ll be back. These things never take long... and Liavoid?” the way he called out her name caused the woman to turn and face him directly. Aside from the Void he was the only one who called her that. “We’ll be having a serious talk when I return.”
“Woof,” she exclaimed as she lowered her head.
“...Why am I the one who must put up with this fucking level of nonsense?”
“Litnia,” Godfrey’s voice caused her to flinch slightly. “Remember when I spoke of considering others more carefully?”
“Sorry...”
"I don't understand why you two just can't get along."
"You're serious? Just look at her!"
Godfrey watched for a moment as her fingers scratched behind her ear, the fabric of the black cotton gloves doing very little to satiate the itch which plagued her and only caused her to scratch more. Then, just as she lowered her hand to her mouth and her tongue nearly touched her wrist her eyes turned to Godfrey who watched on with immediate disapproval. A period of several seconds passed as her eyes shifted between him and nowhere in particular, followed by her hand lowering to her side and her tongue retracting behind her lips.
"Sorry..."
"Damnit Litnia. This doesn't help."
"Oh really? It doesn't help?"
"Don't you have somewhere to be? Or do your errands involve loitering in the halls here all day?"
"Don't be upset now because you're starting to see why I don't like her."
"You don't like us?"
"What the fuck?" the blonde asked as his brow furrowed.
"Just... just go. I will handle her." |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
163 posts
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on Jun 2, 2023 6:04:39 GMT
From One Royal To Another
The wind howled the same way it always did up on the mountain’s peak. The tree’s leaves rustling with each passing of the breeze, harmonizing with the creaking of branches and crunching of leaves beneath small game feet. It was a peaceful place, it always has been, excluding that single time which was now long past. The water which flowed across the smooth and colorful stones carried with them a semblance of peace as the lotuses rested at the end of their journey, bobbing on the surface of the small pool which rested at the bottom surrounded by carefully polished stones. The only outlier in ambience being the sound of sudden droplets and emergence from the water as her toes lifted a lotus into the air.
“You’re acting like a child. It won’t help them view you any better,” his voice was hushed as if attempting to keep their conversation away from unwanted ears.
“Why exactly does their view of me matter?” Her voice was calmer than normal. Perhaps it was due to her being back at their home. It was the only proper reason he could think of. “They play a rather small part in the events to come. All they need to do is obey.”
“You always treat others so poorly. Couldn’t you at least show some care for our own allies, sister?”
“Ugh, don’t you ever shut up?” she spoke as she placed the flower back into the water and stood to her feet. “This is entirely agitating. I’ll be in my quarters. No one is to disturb me.”
“Wait, we still need to-”
“Just let her go,” the woman’s voice brought him pause.
“Auntie... we can’t allow her to continue like this. If we do, she’ll-”
“Hold your tongue, Koven.” Mayray seemed more hostile than normal. “Your sister has not been home since her coming of age ceremony. Her duties tend to keep her very distracted and she rather enjoys those distractions. It is no secret to her that her mother’s retainers do not favor her or see her as a proper, fitting heir.”
Koven’s eyes could pierce through the soul, the way they shaved through the trees like a well-managed blade. To the untrained it would almost be as if he were paranoid to some degree, but for those he reprimanded without words it was entirely different. The Aikekunai of order rarely ever needed his words to display his disfavor. However, it was the touch of his auntie’s hand which calmed him down considerably. Drawing his attention away from the hidden guards which watched from the shadows.
“Don’t. I know what you plan on doing Koi. You’re not a delinquent anymore.”
“As if that matters! I’ll be whatever I have to be for my sister’s sake. There should be a proper punishment for claimants willing to treat my baby sister like fucking less than.”
“Calm down, you’re raising your voice.”
His eyes went wide, a stark rage which he shoved back ever so pleasantly with a sigh. Mayray could only look at the boy with a cautious smile. He was always so considerate and graceful with his actions and words, the spitting image of someone that could easily be gotten along with. However, it was only when he had reason to not be agitated in the slightest way. He had spent the entirety of his childhood protecting his younger sister, which came to make every action against her a sin against order itself. While he was a part of Audomattadjia’s family, he was still Woxia at his core. No matter how many tattoos or piercings he received there wasn’t any form of rebellion that could change his house.
“Let’s go before I change my mind,” he spoke as they made their way up the path to their mother’s home.
“I know it’s always stressful here, but don’t let it get to you as well,” Mayray pleaded as they entered the building. “Your sister has more than enough to deal with when not focusing on this place.”
"There are still things which must be taken into consideration. There is a proper way to do things that goes with the territory of this stuff. This is an important meeting, after all.”
“And you believe she doesn’t know that?” Mayray spoke as they made their way out to the courtyard. “Your sister spends her life disguised as another house, playing the role of the opposite of what she is. She goes through her daily training and exercises every single day. She reads what must be read, learns what must be learned, does what must be done and the only relief she has in it all is in shambles. This home is nothing more than a reminder that her true life is entirely on hold as she takes orders from the very Ancient which she believes has placed her in that position.”
“I know that, but she has a tendency to forgo certain things. She is my sister. My sister... I know her better than anyone else and that’s why I know this isn’t how she should be handling this. She isn’t in a situation in which she can afford to be lenient with herself. She's setting herself up to slip. This place calms her, enough to dull her senses.”
“Just give her the time to relax. She needs it. If anything happens, we can just handle it. You made your sister just as much of a delinquent as you are. You can at least give her a break when she needs it.”
“Fuck... Fuck it! Fine! But I’ll be doing things my way,” he spoke before turning to the courtyard and clearing his throat. “Stand in attention immediately!”
Following the sound of his voice every single resident of the manor, excluding his sister, made themselves present and known. Not even one left hidden or doing their work. Some of them looked entirely terrified, but it was difficult to feel different when Koven calls you. The feeling of helplessness and weakness that arises in a claimant’s soul when an order is given to you so absolute that your body moves on its own, responding directly to the order given. The very nature of their prince’s command.
“Everyone present is to listen, and listen well. I don’t give a shit about how you feel, but I will not have anyone disturbing my sister’s stay here. It will result in answering directly to me. Do your jobs and care for her, don’t question her, and don’t make me say all this twice. Don’t interfere in any of her business unless she gives the order. No matter what it may be. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Prince Koven,” the head of the home’s defense spoke up. “We will follow your every order to the letter.”
“Good. Don’t disappoint me... My order is retracted, you are all free to go.”
There was relief when they found themselves able to control their bodies again. Immediately leaving to return to their duties. He and Mayray remained in the courtyard; eyes locked onto the sky as the clouds slowly carried by. Koven knew that his sister was struggling, he couldn’t help but be at peace when surrounded by a place they loved, a home their mother had made for them. However, he was not so easily swayed from his objective.
“What’s on your mind, Koi?” Mayray’s voice subdued his attention.
“It’s nothing. Will they be showing up soon? I can only hope that this meeting goes smoothly.”
“They should be here any minute, I can assure you that it will be hard to notice. We have very few opportunities, as assassins and spies, to infiltrate their little group. But when you see it once you understand why it can’t be missed.”
“Is that right? I suppose I should be expecting something entertaining.”
“I wouldn’t use that word, but I suppose you’re correct.”
She stood over her bed like a statue. Or rather, it was less of a proper bed anymore, the small crib still in pristine condition even after so many years. Not even a speck of dust on its surface. At times she hated having a memory as good as the one she had, it always made her past seem so vivid in her mind. It was why she enjoyed focusing on the present and future, but always so clearly see the moment at the beginning. She could remember the warmth of her mother’s arms, the bliss of the soft blankets wrapped around her. She could even hear her mother’s voice so clearly in her mind every time the memory hit her. Reassuring, pleasant, endearing. The words she always wanted to hear again.
‘My little storm. Everything will be okay.’
Her hands pressed against the wood as she hunched over the crib. Her eyes swelling as her vision blurred and her teeth clenched. Her curly brunette hair was barely long enough to hide her eyes away as she attempted to do. She had to exercise self-control with every passing moment as she quietly wept to herself. Then, as if breaking out of a spell, she raised her head and looked up at the ceiling.
“Why am I the one who has to deal with all this shit? Not much longer now, right?”
She was cut off when a slight rattling could be heard. A small toy resting on a desk before the rattling became shaking and the entire building followed suit. It was unfamiliar but well known to her. She had already run into Gahbriogyva once, but the weight and sound of her wingbeats were nothing compared to what she currently heard outside. She quickly rushed out of the room and made her way across the house as the shaking and sounds stopped and it soon became quiet once again. It did not give her reason enough to stop and so she continued onward and to the main entrance of the manor. It wasn’t until she reached the stairs that the doors could be heard opening and from outside of them stepped Mayray, Koven, and two people she had not seen in a very long time.
A woman wearing a long black dress which left her shoulders exposed stepped through the door. Her skin wasn’t pale by any means, but it looked as if it were nearly pale pink in color. Just enough color to tell you she was still alive. Her heels could be heard clicking against the floor with each step, but that wasn’t the focus at all. What caught her attention the most was the black shell which covered her entire head. Light couldn’t manage to touch it, or rather it lacked a quality that made it reflective. At her side stood a male with a head of short black hair wearing a black suit and a white shirt which lacked a tie or the top buttons done properly. He had two swords on his back and wore a smile which made her ears ring, but he would no doubt be this woman’s guard. These two, she knew them both well.
“Interesting. I did not expect you to be joining us,” the woman’s voice grabbed her attention. “We spoke briefly in the past, but I’m pleased to see a familiar face.”
“I’m not so busy that I would miss this occasion, Trade Queen Histriks. Give me more credit than that.”
She was not nearly as well dressed as Histriks was, but she was entirely formal all the same. A white cheongsam with a pattern of pink and green lotuses. The trim was made from gold thread, and she looked entirely at home in the outfit. Koven wore a black three-piece suit with a shirt and tie just as black. Mayray looked as casual as ever, a pair of tight blue jeans with a matching denim jacket and a teal t-shirt.
“So then, shall we get started?” Koven spoke as he crossed the room to meet his sister at the bottom of the stairs.
“Indeed. This shouldn’t have to take long at all or require too much attention,” Mayray started as she stood off to the side. “With me as the mediator, you will be making official the joining of your two factions. Trade Queen Histriks, your father was allied with the Queen of the Claimants, Audomattadjia Vall Gimnai. Will you be mending this alliance following his passing?”
“Of course. I plan to close all my father’s debts. That includes obligations to his allies, no matter who they may be.”
“And how will you respond?” Mayray spoke as she turned to the siblings.
“This is suitable. I will accept this gracefully. By my title, I now claim this alliance officially-”
“Pardon, but what is going on here?” Histriks interrupted.
“What do you mean?” Koven responded as he looked at his sister who was now looking forward with a rather calm expression.
“I was told that I would be speaking with Audomattadjia’s child, but why is Evagelyne answering for you? Are you not Koven Vall? I assumed you were the child in question.”
“And what of me?” Eva’s voice caused an immediate panic in her brother.
“I would advise you-”
“Quiet! I did not say you could speak,” she ordered without even removing her eyes from Histriks. “Now, I ask again. If you believed you came here to speak with Koven Vall, who do you think I am?”
“Is this some kind of joke?” Histriks began with a now soured voice. “There’s only so much tolerance one may have to this farce, but I came here with serious business in mind. I thought you were here as a third party and spectator. An ally just as I aim to be, but it seems you’re only here to cause a disturbance, Woxia.”
Even hearing it was enough to make a shiver drive up Mayray’s spine. Koven, on the other hand, looked devastated. His sister had come before he had expected, and Mayray acted to have things settled as quickly as possible to avoid any bumps, so no one had the opportunity to explain what exactly his sister’s position is. As far as Histriks knew, she was speaking with Evagelyne. The Aikekunai of order, the persona she had taken for the sake of her duty to find a means to release her mother. But that was exactly one of the few things she hated the most. Being called by that name when at their family home.
He watched as her fists clenched; her eyes dilated with colorful sparks burning away the brown which rested in them until all that remained was a clouded yet sharp gray. She looked almost like a rabid animal and yet it all came back to a smile. It didn’t make any sense to Koven, at least not when he tried to think about it logically. However, from the perspective of his sister he could tell she was struggling. Yet, even with that pressure, she continued forward as if nothing had changed.
“I can understand your confusion, but I can assure you that you’re mistaken. Part of the reason you were invited here was to receive a proper explanation about what exactly is happening here and what your role would be. Part of that explanation is the parts which we all play. For example, I must introduce myself as-”
“I know who you are,” Histriks started as she removed the black shell from over her head. “You are the Aikekunai of the house which is a common enemy for us all.”
“You’re really jumping the gun here, kid. I understand why you’d be mistaken or upset, but this isn’t what you think and I’d rather not have to fight her for your sake,” Merva spoke without taking his eyes off the two siblings.
“All I know is that Jayhe’s inactiveness caused needless struggles for my family that I was left having to solve, the Aikekunai who could have done something did nothing, and now she’s standing in my face acting as if I’m meant to care about what she has to say. I didn’t come here to be treated as a joke.”
By now it wasn’t his sister, but Koven’s face which was twisted in a way that spelled nothing but trouble. He could tolerate a little, an infinite amount if it were directed at him, but his sister? She had the opportunity to meet with Histriks once, but that meeting was short and did little to reveal anything specific, such as the attitude she had and the lack of trust she clearly displayed. He could feel his mind flaying with each passing word as he stepped forward.
“How dare you? Someone so low should never-”
“Koven,” his sister interrupted as she grabbed his arm and pulled his back. “As I said before, I don’t believe I said you could fucking speak.”
“I... I understand. My apologies.”
“Now then, you seem to lack a very specific piece to the puzzle that makes you royalty. I'd go as far as to say it’s your brain, but that would be a damned understatement.”
“Yva!” Mayray attempted to reprimand her only to be met with the girl’s hand raising as if to shut her up immediately. Naturally she followed the order.
“You know, I put up with more than enough bullshit daily and I believed I would be capable of doing the same here. Fuck me, right? Supposedly it’s the duty of royalty to be seen, and when they aren’t seen no one tends to take them seriously! A Queen who does not make their presence known might as well not exist, a Prince who does not move about freely is no Prince at all and a Princess,” she paused as she looked at her reflection on the polished floor. “A Princess who isn’t the very apple of everyone’s eye is nothing more than trash, garbage to be tossed aside and looked down on by every single waste of skin and fucking air that walks through my home every single day as if it belongs to them!”
“Yva, that’s enough!” Mayray shouted as the girl raised her hand to her brother.
“Koven, your knife.”
“I know you don’t care, but I would still like to advise against doing this. I will support whatever decision you make, however-”
“The knife! Now!” she called out without paying his words any mind.
“Yes, sister.”
“Sister?” Histriks asked as her eyes turned to Merva who shrugged his shoulders.
“I told you.”
“I will not be tread upon within my own home! I will not have my name smeared in the mud within my own home! I will be called by my rightful title within my own home! Mistaken or not I don’t give a damn! If you can’t be bothered to shut up and listen, then I can’t be bothered to be lenient and forgive those mistakes. So, fuck the introductions! You can figure it out in the void!”
“All noncombatant, evacuate the area immediately!” Mayray called out as she watched the girl grip the blade of her brother’s dagger with her left hand.
“What is going on here?” Histriks asked Merva as he drew one of his swords from its place on his back. “Is it so serious that you’d use that sword?”
“I thought you’d have been more cautious about this situation, but I suppose you’re still pretty young. This isn’t even a fight I want, but you’ve insulted someone who doesn’t take any insults well. You still don’t know who she is? Even after she set up this meeting and met you at the manor personally?”
“I know very little about what information I don’t directly request. You know how my people work, and everything must be handled in the form of a trade. Trades we don’t take lightly or do without proper preparation and consideration-”
“Yeah, well, you fucked up. You see this?”
He pointed at the girl whose head seemed to erupt in multicolored sparks until the curly brown strands became a straight, black curtain of hair. The color nearly evaporating from her skin until she was pale enough to seem almost ghostly. Almost looking entirely like a different person, she dragged the blade of the knife across her palm without so much as flinching from the pain, a pool of pale viscous liquid forming in her palm. Merva responded by doing exactly as he saw necessary, placing himself between the two women as if acting as a shield.
“What are you doing? I can protect myself,” Histriks spoke to which he ignored casually.
“You know who Koven is because he introduced himself the moment we arrived. You don’t know Yvaxiphoria at all and it will only go to cause you problems if this situation proceeds as it currently is-”
His words were cut off by the pale blood which splattered his body as well as the wall and door behind them. Histriks looked on in disgust, wondering what type of odd display of disfavor this could possibly be. However, as she looked to see that Yva had thrown the blood from her very hand in their direction, she could feel that there was more to it than a simple gesture of lacking pleasure. That was why she continued to gather answers from Merva who was now covered in the blood he had positioned himself to protect her from as if he knew what was coming.
“What are you talking about? Who is Yvaxiphoria? I’ve never heard that name before.”
“Are you serious? Listen carefully, because we won’t have the time for conversation in a moment,” Merva spoke quickly as he steadied himself when the once pale blood began to glow multiple flashing colors. “Koven Vall Woxia, he is the real Aikekunai of Jayhe’s house. Evagelyne Woxia is a false name for her to use as a disguise. That girl you insulted is Yvaxiphoria Vall Gimnai, daughter of Audomattadjia Vall and the Princess of this place. Koven and Yvaxiphoria are siblings-”
His explanation ended with all the blood on his body and the surrounding area erupting into a vibrant explosion. Histriks quickly placed the black shell back over her head as she watched her escort’s body repair the injuries it had received. The walls of the building had received very little damage, but Merva’s flesh had been left in a state that someone who could not heal as he could would have surely been left in a desperate state.
“We have to retaliate!” Histriks called out.
“Yeah, no shit!” Merva responded as he lifted his weapon and rushed forward. For a moment she regretted not bringing her bow, but quickly tossed the thought aside as she remembered how difficult Merva was to deal with. Surely, she could leave this to him. Or perhaps she was wrong.
“Koven!” Yva’s voice echoed across the house as she tossed the knife forward.
Merva was confused, wondering what the point of something like that would be. Calling for her brother yet tossing the weapon forward as if expecting him to back her up in some way. Perhaps she knew the attack would fail and relied on him for defense? Of course not, the girl was far too prideful and wouldn’t dare allow herself to look weak in every way. There was something more to every confrontation with her and he knew that just as well as he knew her mother. The question now was simple. What exactly was she planning?
Either way it didn’t matter. The weapon could be swatted aside easily and all that remained after that would be closing the distance... or at least that was how it seemed. It wasn’t until his weapon collided with the knife that he began to feel resistance, then he immediately realized the Koven was now gone from his sister’s side. Looking now it seemed entirely logical that they would fight like this, that this would be something he were capable of, but seeing him now clutching the knife tightly and keeping his weapon at bay only solidified the gravity of the situation further. This was an Aikekunai he was fighting.
“This is our first time fighting, right?” Merva started. “At least try to take it easy on me.”
“You people have smeared my sister’s name enough as is. While I’m inclined to say I disagree with this fight, I’m not going to show any fucking mercy to someone stupid enough to attack my sister!”
Histriks was entirely perplexed. She had heard about what Aikekunai were capable of, heard that they were strong, but learning that Koven was one and seeing the way he fought made the stark difference in combat capabilities apparent. Merva was by no means a person she saw as an easy opponent. During her time growing up with her father he was a primary person to be feared, but those fears seemed foolish now as she watched him struggle to even remain on par with the male. Even so, she could barely take it all in. Her focus mainly on his sister who watched her like she meant to charge her at any moment. Pacing around the fight as if to give herself a clear line of sight that did not involve her brother, and it was for that reason Histriks chose to keep them between the two.
“Koven, the knife!” Yva called out to which Koven acted immediately.
“Yes, sister!” he spoke as he tossed the dagger back to his sister and began fighting Merva with his bare hands and feet. But that exchange did not last long.
Histriks watched as Yva smeared the weapon in her blood before tossing it into the air above them. The blood glowing a stark white before becoming unbearably white. The flash wasn’t something dangerous for Histriks, but for Merva it was more than enough to hinder his vision and make it difficult to see anything. However, Histriks could see it all perfectly well as Koven appeared clutching the knife midair before descending on her escort and beheading him. It wasn’t something that mattered too much in her eyes as Merva would quickly regenerate, but as she watched Koven turn his attention to her, she had to remember his speed.
“I will not be easy prey,” she spoke as her right arm transformed into a black blade.
“I wouldn’t steal my sister’s prey. You’re not worth my effort,” Koven responded as he threw his knife in her direction.
Surely, he did not think that would work against her. She had seen the technique more than once, she knew how it worked, she would not fall victim to it herself. She raised her blade and prepared to counter and yet she had still managed to be caught entirely off guard. She had expected Koven to move to the dagger and attack her just as he attacked Merva, but instead she was met with Yvaxiphoria herself catching the dagger midair as she appeared right in her face.
She immediately tossed the weapon back to Koven before reaching in her direction with her hand dripping with blood. In her mind Histriks knew she could not allow Yva to touch her, but there was very little that could be done at such a short range. It was unexpected, difficult to react to, realizing in that moment exactly who Yvaxiphoria was with only this short exchange to give her insight. Even if she wasn’t the most powerful fighter, she was certainly a strategist above most claimants she had ever met. However, even that was a lapse in judgement. The realization of what the girl truly was becoming visible when she spotted Merva’s sword flying in her direction.
She knew what her escort was thinking, Merva always one step ahead of everyone else in combat as he tried to remain. It wasn’t as much of a last resort as it was an expectation when it came to how others reacted to certain things. He had seen the way Yva flawlessly caught and returned Koven’s dagger, seen how normal of an action it was for her, and as such it was expected that she would catch his weapon and be dragged away along with it. The Umbral Blade, crafted to be the exact opposite of the legend of Excalibur and a weapon meant for only villains to hold as opposed to heroes. A weapon which seemed to have almost infinite weight in the hands of anyone who wasn’t vile enough to meet its credentials.
“So, this is the notorious Épée d’ombre,” Yva spoke as she caught the weapon with relative ease.
“That isn’t possible. How are you holding it like that?”
“You’re serious?” she responded as she pointed the blade in Histriks’ direction. “My mother is a master when wielding all weapons, and none so much as the arming sword. You think I’d let some fucking vagabond’s longsword dictate whether I can hold it or not? The daughter of the greatest vanguard and master of all weapons? You’re mistaken.”
Histriks swatted the weapon away with her own before attempting to secure a fatal blow, but it was nowhere near capable enough to do much in the face of adversity. Especially not the adversities she had currently found herself facing. It was cold, the feeling of her blood around her neck as Yva’s fingers gripped her throat with extraordinary pressure. It was difficult to breathe and getting more difficult with each passing moment. All she could do was struggle to escape and hope that there was time to counter before it was too late.
“Yva... xiphoria,” she choked out as her eyes narrowed with anger as she watched the girl stare her down with nothing less than absolute rage before the blood plastered between her fingers and her neck began to glow vibrantly.
“I am Yvaxiphoria Vall, heir to my mother and Princess of All Claimants! Take this as both a warning and a lesson. I don’t give a shit about anything more than my purpose; my mother being freed. For that I will commit every fucking sin, every vile act, every form of atrocity that every bitch ass realm and every useless being could possibly imagine! I am prepared to have this world descend into fucking chaos for the sake of my mother, and your purpose here today was to get yourself into a position to ride coattails ever so gracefully that you might avoid being swept up in what path I conceive... never forget that!”
There was panic as the woman’s grip tightened and she could feel her throat being crushed beneath the pressure, but there was also relief when a green glow emanated from her blood and that pain vanished. She found herself being placed on the ground carefully, as if everything which had just happened meant nothing and yet in her mind, she knew they were standing on splintered glass. Histriks knew that no more mistakes could be made like this.
“Have you gotten that all out of your system, Yva?” Mayray questioned her as she returned to where she had once been standing before everything had transpired.
“Hah! There isn’t an ocean deep enough or a realm vast enough to contain my rage. But I suppose this will have to do for now,” she spoke as she looked around the room. “You!”
“Me?” one of the still remaining attendants responded.
“The fuck? I’m looking right at you! Who else would I be talking to? Get over here!” she ordered as they quickly rushed to her side. “Now get down on all fours.”
“Excuse me?”
“Do it!”
There were no more questions, no more second guessing, merely doing as they were told without hesitation. The daughter of their Audomattadjia Vall, the leader they so loyally followed, rarely ever showed her face at their home or chose to interact with them unless it was for business, but now it had become clear why. The way she sat upon his back like a chair and crossed her legs, sword still in hand, only made it apparent that it was all for their sakes. She was not the type of claimant to hold anyone beneath her in high regard or treat them as an equal. None of them were anything more than tools in her eyes.
“Koven,” she spoke with a smile. “Come here please.”
“Alright. I suppose this crap is over then? As if I wanted to fight today.”
“Don’t be such a pussy about it. Besides, Merva didn’t mess up your clothes, did he?” It was at this point Histriks even realize nothing on Koven’s person had even been damaged in the slightest.
“Of course not, I have a date later.”
“A date? You certainly have been getting around a lot these days. Is it the same boy you’ve been seeing?”
“That’s a secret,” he responded as he stowed his weapon and returned to his sister’s side. “So, what are you wanting to do now baby sister?”
“Simple. Do you believe they’re worth a shit? After what I’ve just witnessed, I could cobble together a group of assassins better than this.”
“We didn’t arrange this meeting because of their combat skills, we did it because of their connections and capabilities. If we judged everyone based on if they could hold their own in a fight against you and me, we would be left with little more than a handful of allies.”
“Hmph... I fucking guess... well you heard him,” her attention returned to Histriks and Merva as her smile faded to a pursed frown again. “By the decision of the princess, and the prince’s good graces, this alliance has been accepted! Be grateful! If it were up to me... neither of you would leave this place alive.”
“We accept this alliance with gratitude-”
“I didn’t ask for your response,” Yva cut Histriks off without a second thought. “You’ve insulted me more than enough today with your opinion for me to care about it. Now begone from my presence before I eradicate your entire shitty little faction off the face of the earth.”
Following her words, the entrance doors were carefully opened behind them. It was a cautious action with as much care as possible to not have the walls and doors collapse after Yvaxiphoria herself had dealt considerable damage to them with her initial attack, but thankfully it was manageable. The two would merely bow their heads and take their leave. Merva sliding his hands into his pockets with a smirk as Histriks’ hand returned to normal from the blade it had been.
“Well, that was a disaster. You certainly fucked that one up.”
“Quiet. Why did you not tell me that Evagelyne was Audomattadjia’s daughter?” Histriks spoke with a less than pleasant voice.
“What can I say? I thought you had already known.”
“No, you fucking didn’t. I’ve known you long enough to know that you always think multiple steps ahead, so I'm sure you knew this was all going to turn out like this. Koven as the Aikekunai? You could barely even keep up with him. And his sister might be even more trouble than he is. She worked us like toys, had us in the palm of her hand, then let us go off a whim and we could do nothing about it. We don’t even know how she fights.”
“Well, if it’s anything like her mother we all have something to worry about. Forget Koven, I wouldn’t be capable of beating either of them.”
“Not to mention she held your sword. Wouldn’t that mean she’s a worse person than you morally?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I’m what some call evil because I do what I do for the sake of doing it. If I cause mass pandemonium and terror, it’s because I enjoy doing it. Yvaxiphoria doesn’t really have a choice. She kills, destroys lives, makes claimants disappear or worse all for the sake of her mother being freed. It’s just as she said. She’s willing to do any unspeakable act for that woman.”
“So, she isn’t inherently evil, she’s just in a situation where she must be?”
“She doesn’t have to be,” Merva’s response made the woman pause. “She just chooses to be because it’s the fastest path to her objective. Wouldn’t you also be on the side of evil if it got you what you wanted quickly?”
She didn’t have time to answer, interrupted by Merva’s sword impaling the ground between them in the middle of the courtyard before they turned to see Yva standing in the doorway.
“Are you crazy? You could have hit one of us!” Histriks called out as Merva laughed hysterically.
“Stop whining like a bitch and get off my property already! Next time you throw that sword at me I’ll be taking it and adding it to my personal collection!”
“Deal!” Merva responded with a smile and a wave.
“I hate you specifically, do not talk to me!”
“For the love of... fine! But I will not be so lenient as to hold back next time!” she said as a pair of large black wings sprouted from her back and her body soon follow. Shifting and changing in size until she mimicked the same form her father once used, the large black dragon with scales that held the same lack of reflection as the shell which covered her head. “I was given my father’s title by right, and I will not allow anyone to trample on that. Not even you, Yvaxiphoria Vall.”
“I don’t know why you didn’t just use that before. We probably could have won if you did-”
His sentence was cut short when her claw slammed down on his position and lifted him from the ground before lifting him to her face and releasing a deep growl. It didn’t take long for his body to repair itself, but he still chose to act as if it didn’t matter. Shrugging his shoulders as if to say he didn’t do or say anything wrong.
“That’s enough from you! We’re returning home,” she spoke before her wings carried them both into the air where they seemed to entirely disappear. Less like going out of visible range and more like vanishing from capable sight.
“Interesting. Too little shits to give a fuck,” Yva spoke before turning her attention back to their staff. “Repair everything! I don’t want to see a single blemish on these walls when next I return! Any mistakes and I will erase everyone involved.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit too harsh?” Koven questioned her to which she scoffed.
“Ever the soft boy, aren’t you?”
“You’re the one who collects soft and blankets.”
“Shut the fuck up. Now go and get the supplies we need to repair my disguise. Aunt Mayray and I have things to discuss. The faster the better. Then you can go get ready for your date.” |
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Spira
Citadel Mastermind
160 posts
2 likes
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last online Nov 23, 2024 13:53:45 GMT
Administrator
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Oct 22, 2023 11:59:23 GMT
Post by Spira on Oct 22, 2023 11:59:23 GMT
The dilemma of control
Being the youngest of three meant that within the fragments and ties of his familial bonds was that Soivan was never in control. Trampled and treated as a spare limb accessory. It created a deep seed of darkness and dominance that no one would have anticipated of the most laid-back Desvoy.
It was obvious from the first that Ritunen was the callous non-committal type; well except the only dark-haired child of the three could not seem to get his deep itch for DeVian and all apparent lives out from under his skin. Rit saw himself as merely a toy, something to be played with on occasion. Course he loved deeply but he was never around in a solid manner. So fickle with his affection, Soi felt the need to congratulate the Princess of Death for cracking his older brother’s porcupine in full needle defences.
His sister on the other hand. Was one sadistic nightmare. So jealous and practically foaming at the mouth over her obsessions. How anyone managed to be in her presence and not immediately capitulate, was a miracle. Vetani did not seem to possess a beating heart, Soivan was sure if someone cracked his sister’s chest cavity open, there would be naught but a two finger salute and death. How the hell Nuvat managed to carry the favour of the most power-hungry and business-minded; Vetani who only saw things as a long list of benefits and deficits, transactions and no compromises. Simply astounded Soivan.
That left him. With two siblings at the opposite ends of their own extremes. Where did that leave him?
Perhaps that was why he craved control now that he an independent hybrid-deity. He hadn’t spoken to Ritunen or his equally bitch of a sister Vetani for years by the time he had met the one and only Yvagelyne or as she preferred: Yvaxiphoria.
Soivan had been adamant that between his love-lorn brother and possessive-monster sister. That perhaps it would be a breath of fresh air to be a typically cliche partner. He had been the one to witness the majority of his parents love. He could almost see how and why his two older siblings ended up the way they did with and around the topic of love.
Novevu was possessive to a fault, death had to be. Yet, he was the perfect gentlemen; doing everything in his existence to please Florita. Though many assumed that they were equals in marriage, Soivan knew that his father was in charge. Where he went, Florita followed - though she never seemed to mention the fact she was doing it willingly and not just because she had some duty.
Soi had during his younger years, back before it was decided he would take his mother’s place on the off chance she found herself indisposed and her assigned treasure was considered otherwise occupied, that the house of nature would be his inheritance. Witnessed the following.
It had been an absolutely shit day, his father had not come home until late - having said in the morning he had a long list of overdue issues (souls) to dole out punishment on in the mortal realm. At first his mother seemed fine, nonchalant and with a breezy assurance as well as a rather devoted kiss on the lips sent his father off before she herself donned her crown of leaves, flowers and other bounties of the world and went off to act as the unofficial-official guardian of her husband’s throne.
It seemed almost surreal, watching from above the throne. The triplets eyed their mother who listened to lost souls, an endless scroll propped up on her lap as she read and damned souls to the vacuumed emptiness of the void. Completely obedient and not at all faltering until of course, two individuals entered; usually this was something that was overlooked except in this pair were not on the list.
She had unfailing made the assessment on the spot. Splitting the parties apart and sending the more… aggressive one to the void whereas their companion was told to make their way back to the pathway that led to Elysian. No one in their right mind could have foreseen that the second of the pair would completely disregard their mother’s decision and dove straight off the cliff.
Now, usually the void relishes in being able to devour souls indefinitely and without a care. Yet this action gave the void a quite literal stomach ache. Coughing the pair back up and into the throne room. Florita who had never witnessed such a situation could not have fathomed their father’s response.
Novevu having been made alert to the rather loud stomach complaints of the void, left the task he was completing and went directly back home until he himself was in the throne room.
The pair, who had caused all of this were clearly and deeply in love. Novevu could see it and knew that the solution was not to split them up. It was either they both went to Elysian or they fell together. Yet, despite making it plainly obvious; their mother did not agree. In fact she out right denied the proposition. She argued that the more aggressive of the two had committed actions that were unforgivable. That they deserved the fate that awaited them; whereas the smaller of the pair was purely innocent and should thus walk towards the gate of Elysian.
Novevu had vetoed his wife, and sent both on the way to Elysian. This was what caused the first of several disastrous rows (in that the mortal realm found itself in the midst of an ice age and mass extinction all at once) which ended only once Novevu had within the bounds of their bedroom proved why his decision had ultimately been correct.
After that Soivan had noted his mother was far more subservient and submissive. As though she had given up her birthright to power. Novevu on the other hand remained a firm grip as the dominant party. It was different, life that is for the family after that. Their mother just never seemed to want to make decisions, she allowed their father to make the bulk of the choices - even when the triplets demanded that their mother should be trying to protect their interests as her kids.
So, with that. Soivan left the fields and the void and went his own way. He decided to immerse fully into the life of a mortal, which meant he had to learn a lot about dynamics and figuring out who he was: separate from the person he was expected to be.
Yva only came after several relationships all of them torrid and attached was this air of imbalance, there was no compatibility between any of the people Soi had gone after. All of them saw themselves as a part of him rather than equal to him.
He realised after he had sworn off dating mortals and started his business as a eclectic gallery-vineyard owner that what he wanted was control. He wanted the same pull his father seemed to have but he also wanted whoever he ended up with to give up their power willingly yet still be able to take anything he was giving up. He then realised like any plant-parent he was a caregiver, someone who preferred to create a perfect paradise for the one he loved; whilst he himself sat in hell.
It had been very difficult to research and ask around, no one seemed to know what on void’s sanity he was on about: until Phita caught wind.
‘You’ll never be satisfied until someone gives up their own autonomy and allows you to be their everything. You want to be not just an extension but a living giving part of them. They’ll have to be utterly selfish, it’s the only way it’ll work. As long as they are able to let go of the material and hoard you all to themselves. You’ll be content’
Thus, as he sat there on the couch, a movie he wasn’t at all paying attention to, his eyes roam over the curled up form of his partner. Yva was watching intently, her entire focus consumed by the moving images. As he shifted to stand, her eyes flickered over in his direction; alas she was completely immersed - she didn’t even notice when her mouth close around the baby-pink reusable silicon straw. Or that she was actually incredibly thirsty. The cup held for her so she had to do was take a drink at her leisure, ice cold water with a hint of mint and lemon.
Soi tended to leave Yva doing something to occupy her mind, it meant he could clean the house in the background, occasionally checking in and giving her a snack, drink, blanket etc. It helped he didn’t technically have to work, the gallery-vineyard was run almost independently without his need to hassle and interfere.
He heard her stomach growl as he was dusting off a shelf, slipping into the kitchen he made her a quick sandwich - crustless because Yva had mentioned she didn’t mind the crust if it was plain, but seeds got stuck in her teeth. Placing the plate and another refilled cup and straw in front of her, he gently ran his hands through her hair as she began to eat, humming under her breath in contentment.
“What do you want for dinner?”
He asked later once the credits were rolling and Yva was already searching for something else to watch. Now the liquid in her cup was wine and not the water she had been drinking earlier. She lifted up one hand in a lazy attempt at making the letter ‘T’. It was enough to give Soi an answer.
As Yva indulged in another one of her favourite films, Soi prepared and dished dinner. Checking her phone - silent with no urgent messages. Checking his own - one from Eric.
Now, no one had ever in the existence of well existence ever thought to consider the fact that Soi and Eric’s definition of love was to completely and utterly devote themselves to the care and upkeep of their respective beloveds. In this case, however, Eric was away from his wife and with one of his future lives Jillian.
Soi had asked once what their relationship was and Eric simply shrugged and said: she’s the daughter I wish I had had. Which was different to what he said about Mayray and Gabi. They occupied his time but not to the same extent as the tiny sharpshooter who completely neglected her own needs in deference to all those around her.
Soi sent a quick reply to Eric asking if Yva and him were free to get brunch with himself and Jillian. Piling plenty of protein on Yva’s plate, the scent of coconut, lime, chilli and lemongrass floated through the air as he sat back down besides Yva.
This was routine, he fed her bites whilst he ate his own dinner. There was no need for Yva to lift a finger or speak. He just knew instinctively what she needed most of the time. Dabbing a cloth napkin against her lips, Yva reached for her cup which was half empty and took another long sip through the straw.
Another film finished, two slices of raspberry cheesecake - curtesy of Godfrey and Yva began to silently fall into her nightly routine. All she really had to do was dispose of her lounge clothes and slip into the already perfectly adjusted bath. She’d soak a while, Soi would come in midway and wash her hair. Then once she was sufficiently clean at least to her standards. She’d dry herself and Soi would proceed to dry and brush her hair until it was neatly tied into a pretty french braid.
Their bed was massive, covered in pillows and soft silk and duck-feather filled blankets. Candles lit and Yva’s most recent unfinished novel to read. A cup of hot chai with cinnamon and honey to help further bring sleep. Once three chapters were read, she brushed her teeth and blew out the candles before climbing into bed. Adjusting and slipping her eye mask on as Soi planted a kiss on her lips and drew the curtains around their bed shut.
Soi usually only slept when it was raining, and seeing as she almost exclusively star-fished the entire bed to herself. It didn’t bother him. Whilst she slept, he would continue to clean the house, completing chores silently and occasionally checking in on her. The nightmares and the usual stress of her life melted away and she could sleep without dreams.
She always woke up at precisely the same time, it made things easy for Soi who always had a steaming cup of coffee waiting for her, the curtains now open just a tad to let only a sliver of light filter in. After her coffee was finished, she took the cup towards the kitchen where her breakfast was waiting. Hell even her robe had been warmed and smelt of Soi’s cedar scent. She looked like a very relaxed European princess.
“Morning love.”
“Morning.” She yawned. Slipping into her seat.
“What’s on for today?”
Again all the food was prepared exactly as she liked, even the selection of newspaper and magazines fresh off the press were waiting for her afterwards. This and the third jug of coffee meant that Yva was fully ready to take the day on.
There were only two things Yva chose not give control to Soi over. Her style of dress and her work. He never asked, unless she told him about it first. He also never commented about the massive bills he’d get over her purchases… granted he was just glad that someone was spending his money and enjoying the life it provided.
“I think I’ll wear my ring today.”
There was the engagement ring, then there was ‘the ring’ like most of the priceless jewels and baubles Soi had commissioned; all of them came with a darker underbelly. In this case, ‘the ring’ was a gorgeous ruby and onyx combination that when she wore it and subsequently had to shake a target’s hand. Could inject one of three things into said person’s system all without their knowledge. First was enough ricin to kill a ten-thousand strong army, the next was a truth concoction made by Vetani - something told Yva that her future sister in law had no idea that her truth serum was primarily being used by Yva. Last was a potent sedative for when she felt the need to take her targets to somewhere more to her liking.
“Will you be home late?”
“No. Should be back for lunch.”
“Let me know if there’s anything you need beforehand or during.”
“Soi.”
“Yes?”
“Are you… sick of me?”
“No. Never. Do not ask me that again.”
Normally his tone was soft, nurturing, soothing and always with a hint of concern. This however… his cold and almost angry tone was one that made him sound like Novevu and made her squirm. She nodded to assure him she wouldn’t ask again - she would just with different words later.
The first ‘argument’ they had had was actually two minutes after they had seen each other. Yva was very particular about where she liked to park, and usually for her favourite morning haunt that meant right by the door – despite the fact she had received near over two hundred warnings, fines and other court summons for illegally parking. So what if she parked on the sidewalk? It was not like anyone else was really awake save the barista and the baker inside the cafe.
However, unlike most days where she would have strolled in, car door still open, key still in the ignition and receive her croissant and coffee – she was after all always the first customer of the day. This day was different in that she was not the first customer to be served.
Soi had heard of this place from Eric, who mentioned that the danish covered in pistachio, raspberry and elderberry was utterly divine and that he just simply had to hoard the entire stock of the day. Soi, not convinced that two different fruit preserves as well as a rather savoury nut belonged a piece of pastry. Had decided instead to order himself one of their so-called ‘heavenly’ blueberry and white chocolate muffins as well as a cup of their best decaffeinated brew (he hardly ever slept or felt the need for caffeine. Perks of being a Demi-hybrid-ancient he supposed).
Because of the rather small space that the cafe technically occupied, in order for Soi and Yva to have fit, one of them would have to be against the window and the other would have to fold themselves up like a seventeenth century envelope being sent by royal decree.
He hadn’t even bothered to move, as he disassembled the muffin bit by bit, hell his foot was against the door and it forced Yva to jam herself into the cafe furious.
“Get the fuck out of my way!” She half-screamed.
Again, Soi who was much taller didn’t move. Didn’t even react when Yva removed her left stiletto intent on caving this tall blonde stranger’s skull in for ruining what could have been an otherwise satisfactory morning.
She didn’t even get the chance to swing, nor put any pressure into it. Soi turned around, grasping her wrist and looking at her with eyes that suggested that he was more than capable of getting away with her murder.
“Unhand me!” She hissed, still just as loud.
The two humans who were inside, continued to swing their heads left and right like clock pendulums as Soi, now having received his cup of brew and with the last bite of his muffin half-chewed, gently pushed Yva in a forward facing direction before he himself vacated the establishment and disappeared.
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
163 posts
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on Oct 23, 2023 2:26:17 GMT
Cherries and Chocolates
It was difficult to not look away, and yet the reason why would be plain for anyone to see. How many others could claim to have such a rare specimen in their possession... and yet, every waking moment near it seemed to spell some deep connection to doom. It was sly, ferocious on an entirely new level, not to mention its complete lack of mercy in almost all situations. It blended in so well where it did not belong, only making any who could call it their own question their own mind. But he was the only one who possessed this. In a way, it was almost like living with a wild bear. You may be close, but the risk of betrayal at any moment remained high. An unfathomable pressure which could never be forgotten no matter how hard anyone could hope to attempt. However, it was no problem for him to push the thought aside.
There was unbelievable trust. Not because it belonged to him, but because the opposite was entirely true as well. One might say that was its only weakness. Just as he was attached to it, so did it also attach itself to him. They were both gravely drawn to one another in a way which put almost everything else second. That was why he could not look away as she pressed the cherries between her lips with such a gloomy look on her face. He was the only person who could see this. He was the only one who could have her in a position so vulnerable, and that was because she allowed it. There was no other existence in all the realms like her, and she chose him over everyone else. It was him she laid claim to just as he did the same, but the reason was entirely clear for him. It was because no matter how anyone managed to see her--
“Hey,” her words caught him off guard as he found her eyes which were just staring out the window now looking in his direction. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No reason. I just thought you looked moody. Are you tense?”
“What would make you ask that?” Her response was quick, her deep brown eyes blinking as they intensified.
“Aside from your expression alone, you haven’t changed your guise. We talked about this. Didn’t we?” His approach was calm and collected. Always her opposite, and yet she was so accepting as he stood patiently next to her seat on the couch. “Well?”
“You’re right. I’m sorry, this type of attitude has no place here.”
“What are you talking about?” he responded with a chuckle. “I’m willing to listen to anything that’s on your mind. That was our promise.”
She stood from where she sat on the couch and took a deep breath, her hands flicking up at the sides of her hair where a flash of colorful sparks erupted before what was once curly brunette had fallen as slightly messy black locks. The slight tinge of red on her skin paled to an almost gray tinge. Her eyes now two gray orbs, a small mark beneath her left eye. Her lipstick replaced with simple dim red. This was the woman he knew. The woman which was his.
“Is that better?”
“Much better,” he answered with a smile as he placed his hands on her cheeks. They were warm, and she looked stressed. “Will you talk to me now?”
“Will you hold me, Soi?”
“If that will make you more comfortable, Yva.”
He sat down on the couch where she once was, with her lowering onto his lap and stretching her legs out to the side. Now she was where she often personally called her ‘favorite seat in the house’. Even though she held onto him she was as light as always, like a feather. It was easy to wrap his arms around her because she was so small, but at the same time it was never a good idea to smother her. It wasn’t until her head rested on his chest beneath his own that she even began to speak again. This was where she was most comfortable, after all.
“Sometimes I wonder how this is all going to end.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve done my research, Soivan. I’ve played my part and cast my die; all my lots are where they need to be... but no matter how I look at it, everything will erupt eventually. I live for everything I’ve done leading to this point; it was all for one purpose. I can’t turn back now. But I’m afraid.”
“You mean your mother? Audomattadjia?” A moment passed in which she did not respond. He could feel her discomfort.
“My mother is at a level I can’t ever reach. What she does I could never hope to do. She was prepared to sacrifice lifetimes for her goals and ideals. She has been locked away for over a thousand years, waiting for me to become a proper heir. I can’t fail her. I refuse to fail her. But I don’t know what she will have me do... and I can’t really imagine myself lasting for more than a few days without you.”
“You’re afraid of what you might have to do... I’ve never known you to give much thought to that specific topic. You never let anyone stand in your way. Not unless its--”
Of course, it was clear within her eyes. She looked up at him in a way she almost never allowed, worry tracing her expression and an odd sensation derived from seeing her eyes swell even the slightest bit. He was nearly prepared to wipe away the tears before they even had the chance to form themselves. Soivan took note of it, this vulnerability no one else could experience. This was a necessary duty, or at least that was what he thought as he tended to her face distorted with desperation. It wasn’t for some crazy reason. It was simply because it was what he had to do. There were rarely times in which she broke from her normal routine, but that was exactly why he remained prepared for when it happened.
He knew it from the moment he met her. She wasn’t going to be the type of person who gave up her footing. Once she decided something she wouldn’t turn her back on it. She would trample down anything in the path of her goals and desires, even if it was all for the sake of reaching the pedestal that is Audomattadjia Vall. She would and has already killed for the sake of it, she’s done things others would view as vile, but there was always a looming single weakness which existed in her path. From the day she had met him Yvaxiphoria’s only weakness just happened to be love. The love of someone who, in all manners of the word, should be a direct enemy. The son of one of her mother’s enemies.
“You don’t have to worry. You know I’m always going to be on your side. I’d never betray you.”
“And I’d never--”
He looked at her, watching as her eyes seemed to enter a state of panic. It was as if she couldn’t even finish the sentence. It was too much of an abstract thing for her character. Or rather, she wasn’t prepared to lie. Soivan was more than enough to shake her mind, but a part of her could not contradict her purpose. Even if it wasn’t assured that her purpose would lead them to confront one another at some point down the line. She didn’t know what her mother was thinking, but she knew that her freedom would spell the return of the Queen and a conflict that would affect everything... The problem was that her mind did not agree.
“Yvaxiphoria Vall Gimnai, do you understand just how much I love you?” Soivan’s words dragged the steadiness directly out of her as she nodded in agreement.
“Of course, because I feel the same way. I always will, even in death.”
“Then don’t force yourself to say something you can’t, Rainbow. Just show me. I’m right here. How would you show me what you want to say?”
“Show you? Well, there’s a lot I could show you. There’s also a lot I could say or do. But the words just don’t want to fucking come together.”
“Then don’t say it,” Soivan said as his hands rested on the sides of her face. “Show it.”
A part of her hated how he did it, but she didn’t understand how he did it! It frustrated her, confused her, made her love him even more. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her, could anyone else ever be so kind and caring? There wasn’t a single soul out there which could say it was close to his, and he belonged to her. A prince of death, sturdy as a flower which could shift the world, and she would safeguard that flower by any means. She wouldn’t allow anyone to even believe there was entertainment in vexing him, because his vexations would end with her violence. It wasn’t that he couldn’t care for himself in that regard, but rather she wanted to keep him from ever needing to.
Everything needed a strategy in her mind, even the most straightforward situations. It’s why her mind tends to race when there is always so much to consider. But that was not the case with Soivan and why she needed to do away with the idea. He wanted a sign. He wanted to be shown something. So, she cleared her mind. She recalled the taste of cherries on her tongue, the scent of the plants and the peaceful quiet which surrounded them. She remembered just how relaxing it was to be in his presence, to be anything but her mother’s daughter. Then she raised her hands to his own cheeks and lifted herself closer until she could feel his lips press against her own.
“Is that enough?” She questioned him with care.
“More than enough.”
“Good. Now give me more,” she demanded without a shred of hesitation.
“Back to being your usual self, Bossy?”
“I’m not bossy!” She retorted as she pulled him closer for more of the same. She acted upset about it, but it was all a front. However, she was immediately interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing on the end table. “Are you fucking serious?”
“Can’t you just ignore it?”
“If it’s Aunt May yeah... if it’s Koi it might be important.”
“I’m sure he’d understand if his sister wanted more time to herself.”
“You really want him to hate you, but you’re right,” she said as she leaned back and silenced the device. It was also an opportunity to sprawl out over his lap, a personal favorite thing to do and it didn’t help when his hands rubbed against her stomach. “You want to hear a secret?”
“A secret? This is new. You often keep all your secrets very close.”
“Well, he secrets I keep from you are secrets only a handful even know.”
He looked at her as she shut her eyes and took steady breaths. Soivan could confidently say he knows her better than anyone else. There could be no existence which knew the small details about her that he did because she revealed those details to him where no one else could reach, where no one else was welcome. Her adoration for soft things, such as the fuzzy teal socks on her feet. How she almost always chose to wear black elastic shorts behind closed doors but never outside, and today she had chosen to pair that with a tie-dye sweater a size too large which contradicted her normal fashion sense. However, that could be explained away with most of her heavy shirts and sweaters all having the strong smell of Koven on them. She always managed to find comfort in her brother’s belongings. So, what could she possibly have to share with him now?
“I’d like to know this secret, if you believe I don’t know it already.”
“Oho? Fine, then we’ll make a wager out of it,” she said as she sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck to keep her face close to his. “If you know this secret, you get one demand out of me.”
“A demand? That’s frightening to hear. For you to even say something like that makes it almost certain I wouldn’t know what it is.”
“You know I don’t make bets I can’t win, and if I win you buy me chocolates.”
“Chocolates?” Soivan asked as he watched her smile for the first time since he’d entered the room. It was so rare to see it, but she always gave him glimpses when they were alone. “If you’re in the mood for chocolate you only need but ask.”
“Mais ce ne serait pas amusant, joli garçon. Won’t you just play this game with me?” He didn’t need to answer with words. She knew he did not intend to refuse if she chose to ask. “The reason the name given to me by my second family was Evagelyne is out of respect for one of my mother’s closest friends who was slain while they were both quite young. Or at least young for claimants.”
“You mean Eva Rhihon. I could guess at least that much, Bossy.”
“Shut up and just listen... my grandmother was human, and her name was Ythrallyia. She taught my mother from the moment she was a child. She taught her to be as strong as she is now, how to lead the way she does; how to withstand anything. That’s why my name is a hybrid between them both. Yva. An unmatched warrior and an unbreakable heart.”
“That I did not know. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone speak of your grandparents. I believed it would be a taboo topic for you.”
“Normally it would be, for anyone else. But this is you I’m talking to,” she paused to give him a kiss. “You’re special.”
“You give me too much credit. I rarely get compliments like that from you.”
“I give you just enough. Exactly what you deserve. Just as you give me.”
“Are you trying to say you deserve everything, Rainbow?”
“Are you saying I don’t?” She spoke with a confidence only she could manage. “Now go get me my chocolates.”
“You always did like chocolate with your cherries. I’ll go, but you’re coming with me this time. It’s been a while since we’ve gone out together. We can walk to a nearby shop and enjoy the chilly air.”
She looked as if she was prepared to say no, but that was only her persistent desire to not be told what to do. If it were anyone but him she’d have reprimanded them in a way befitting her reputation, but since it was him that made things different. What reason would she have to not want to be near him? In fact, she wanted to be around him more than anything. It agitated her because she knew that he knew that.
She lifted herself from her most comfortable seat, standing up straight and sighing as she raised her fingers to her head. It was more than a surprise when she felt his hand clasp around her wrist. Her eyes grew wide, head turning as if prepared to snap out of its socket to view him and yet she was met with something strange. Soivan’s eyes drew her in with all the sincerity in the world. His calm smile was enough to make her heart flutter, but she wouldn’t dare show it outside of the heat which now colored her cheeks.
“Soi?”
“Don’t change it. Stay just the way you are. I want to spend time with Yva. I want others to see you for who you are.”
“But that’s rather unwise. All the other little shits believe you’re in a relationship with Eva because we agreed it would be simpler that way. Don’t you think that would be too big a risk?”
“Please? Won’t you do this for me?”
“I can’t stand you,” Yva started as she turned her body to face his. Her expression betrayed her words, and her actions soon followed as her hands moved past his head and her arms rested on his shoulders. Another smile, one that Soivan knew all too well. He only ever saw it before certain words. “But more than anything else, I love you. More than anything, Soi.”
“You don’t have to push yourself to--”
Yvaxiphoria took control so often it was difficult to tell the difference. The small changes in the way she looked at him were always so clear, but this time there was something she was attempting to hide. She wasn’t hiding it from him. Soivan could tell just from the way she relaxed herself. It was almost as if, in comparison to every other moment, she was entirely free. Whether it was because she felt some sort of obligation or because she simply made the decision to force that freedom onto herself. What he did know was that he loved it all the same because it was coming from her.
“I’m not pushing myself at all, Soi. I love you. That will always remain the same.”
“You’re so talkative today. It’s a change of pace. Normally it’s almost as if you melt into the world and become one with your environment, a scene I rather enjoy.”
“Well, sometimes there’s too much to think about.”
“You don’t have to stress yourself, Yva. You know I’m more than willing to see to your needs.”
“I know that, don’t act like I don’t.” She squirmed a bit. Her discomfort was subtle yet easy to see. She only ever acted that way when she felt as if she were in the wrong. “Chaos is such an unpredictably beautiful thing. It shapes my soul, washes over me like a blanket of warm blood. The multicolored lifeblood of my being. That chaos is a part of me, I can’t avoid it, but my purpose calls for order.”
“You don’t have to be so linear with your choices; your life. I’ll take care of your needs. Just be yourself.”
“Don’t!” How long had it been since she raised her voice at him like this? It felt horrible, but so natural. Her brow furrowed, but so did his. She shivered. “I’m sorry. I’m royalty but I can’t fucking keep it together.”
His arms wrapped around her in a manner which warmed her soul, and he could feel her relax onto him as if she were exactly where she belonged. Gimnai. Chaos. Yvaxiphoria was the very depiction of it. Her mood was almost impossible to predict and she was capable of snapping at even the slightest change or action. Her face always looked either agitated or pissed, only having a difference in expression when she was with him, but now was different. In her mind she was royalty, in her heart she was like her mother, but she lacked the control her mother had and always felt inferior because of it. It stressed her, and that was why she feigned anger. It was beneath her to show weakness.
“You’re loved, you always will be no matter what you decide. Lean on me when you need to and I will comfort you. Just as I have every other time you’ve needed me.”
“Soivan, why are you so perfect?” She scowled.
“It’s because I’m only perfect for you.”
“No,” she started with a tinge of anger. “No one else compares.”
“How can I be perfect when I allow you to feel so conflicted?”
“That’s a simple question to answer, and you already know what that answer is.”
Her tone changed, and he noticed it immediately. It wasn’t often it changed in this manner, but when it did, she was always forceful. That was why she removed his arms from around her and began to act out. Leaning against him, pressing herself against his chest as if trying to melt into his very being. Times like these were times he cherished. They were the times she gave up her façade entirely for the sake of her true self. Then the chaos of her soul erupted, and her heart took control.
“Because you’re a Princess of the Claimants. Perfection in every way.”
“And you’re my indomitable Prince of Death, a beautiful budding flower. The only one outside of my family deserving of the love I must give. If I’m perfect, then I’ll only ever choose perfection.”
“I’d give you everything you need.”
“And I’d destroy everything for your sake.”
She wasn’t going to let him get away now. He’d seen her atomize claimants and humans alike, cause irreparable damage, give orders the likes of which only a psychopath could, and yet that was just another reason to love her. She was exactly what he had always desired, a person who was wholeheartedly willing to give themself up to him. The only cost was knowing that the very same person was willing to also give up everything just for him… even if that very action would end up destroying her someday. The selfishness was endless, his entirety belonging to her, and in that regard, she gave the exact same. Only she was capable of so vehemently laying claim to him the way she did.
“Do you still want your chocolates?” Soi asked as his fingers sifted through her hair. "You'll have to let me go so we can be on our way."
“Later. Now I just want to be here with you, Soi.”
"Whatever makes you happy, Yva." |
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Spira
Citadel Mastermind
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last online Nov 23, 2024 13:53:45 GMT
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Dec 11, 2023 13:49:37 GMT
Post by Spira on Dec 11, 2023 13:49:37 GMT
A series of not quite related dabbles
and other thoughts
Note: To be updated/completed as needed. Most of these are completely seperate scenes/concepts I am working on.
A house is not necessarily always a home
Kiran often found himself in awe of the places that his chosen maternal figures called their homes. He knew that neither of them bothered at all with money, doors opened and agreements were made. He often wondered if he'd ever get the chance to be so confident, so powerful that all he had to was breathe and people would automatically fulfil his desires.
“Which house do you like best?”
It was a simple question and Kiran had expected that both his aunt and his mum would be able to answer without a second thought. Both of them were sitting on the far end of the long dining table, it was practically see-through, he was not yet tall enough to be able to sit without need of a cushion. Kiran hoped to the void he would grow to be tall like his aunt. He shuddered at the thought of being as small as his biological mother.
“We have several homes.” Stasia answered first.
“I know, but which one do you like best?”
“You’ve been to most of them. Or at least seen the outside of them.”
“I know but they all feel like holiday homes.”
He wasn’t trying to sound petulant or insensitive. His mum could be pretty prickly when it came to money and her possessions. Whilst he waited for them to respond, he continued to play with the lukewarm tomato soup. He’d long finished his grill cheese sandwich and didn’t want to ask for another. Kiran really did have to start learning to not just eat one thing over another, especially if what is laid out for him is meant to be eaten together. He lifted his spoon.
“I suppose it comes down to which life we lived and what house they loved.”
“That’s not a straight answer.”
Why were they dodging the question? Wasn’t this supposed to be easy? A straightforward answer was what he wanted. He could barely smell whatever it was his aunt and his mum were dining on. He had wanted soup and a grilled cheese sandwich and they had opted for something a little more refined.
“I do love our house in Amsterdam.”
“It’s very quaint.”
“The one that’s full of tulips?”
“Yes, though I suppose it’s really only habitable when Tulips are available. Otherwise it’s just an empty shell.”
“How about the one in Toronto?”
“Too cold and windy. Precisely the same reason why we don’t stay often in Chicago.”
Back and forth they spoke, listing cities and countries that Kiran could dimly remember visiting. Another spoonful and he wondered if he could just move onto his mains. His aunt and his mum already had, but he shouldn’t waste food.
“My most fond memory I think was that apartment the night we first met.”
“In Rio? That’s hardly a place either of us can call a place to stay.”
“It was where we spent our first night together. It’ll always have a special place in my heart. It’s where I knew most certainly that you owned my heart.”
“Have I been there?” He butted in.
“No, I don’t think we ever took you.”
“Just like the one in New York. It’s just a space for us.”
“You mean the bar? The one that your past life owned?”
“Yes, exactly that one.”
“I want to go to work with you.”
It came out more like a demand than a request, Kiran hoped that his aunt wouldn’t mind. Stasia glanced up from where they sat, reading an email on their phone and responding with very few taps.
“You’ve seen me at work before.”
“Not when you’re making clothes.”
“No.”
His aunt whose voice was usually light, fun and sometimes a little bit stressed out was now cold and stern. This voice only came out when he’d done something dangerous; usually situations where he could have died but didn’t - only because DeVian had caught onto what he was doing before he could do it. Kiran swallowed down the need to apologise and tried again.
“I want to see you work. I want to see what you can do.”
He now eyed his aunt’s bracelets, the light of the room was bouncing off of them and he concentrated on them. It was easier than being glared down at. Easier knowing that if he persisted long enough that his aunt would bend and he would get his way. That’s how their relationship worked.
“As I said. Absolutely not.”
“But… I’ve seen mum work.”
Stasia let out a hiss, that hit a nerve. Kiran returned his gaze to his aunt whose eyes were now narrowed almost into thin slits.
“I know you wear the bracelets to keep us safe. So you don’t hurt us. But what if I want to know? To hurt?”
It was like watching someone have a mental conversation with another person but that other person was halfway across the globe. Kiran had gotten better at noticing when his aunt and his mum would communicate silently through their bond. Eyes glossed over and lips pursed.
“Please. I promise I won’t interfere.”
“Your mother told you enough. You don’t need to experience it.”
“You don’t even let her in.”
Kiran really should not have said that, he bulked and gagged as a thunderous expression of anger crossed his aunt’s face. Maybe he should apologise and never bring up the topic again. Yet some part of him just desperately wanted to know which rumours were true.
“Your mother knows precisely why. You should too.”
“Do you not trust us to cope?”
How and why he chose to preface the question like that. He cursed himself for saying it the way he had. Stasia stood up, bracelets still adorned and began to take steps in the opposite direction. He had to stop her.
“Mum says you could never hurt her. Why are you so scared.”
A bitter laugh was all he got. His aunt left. Not another word nor a glance back or a reminder for him to stay out of trouble. He was left alone. Later, he would ask his mum about it. She was looking through her options for another evening corporate event. Her wedding band adorned on her finger, she was barefoot and her hair and makeup were already finished. All DeVian needed was the right kind of outfit.
“I think I made aunty mad.”
“You violated your aunt’s only rule. Asking them what you did.”
“I only wanted to know. You always say that it’s better to know than to not know.”
“And I told you all you needed to know. We also swore we would not speak on the topic afterwards.”
“What if aunty becomes my enemy one day. I can’t fight someone I don’t know how to beat.”
“Not likely that’ll ever happen.”
“But it could. You said it yourself. No one outside of your house can be trusted.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Doesn’t it bother you?”
“Of course it does. Yet I also know that were I to ask. Stasia would impale themselves upon their own blade. I know too much and they know it. It’s for the best.”
“But you love each other, your soulmates. Shouldn’t that be an exception.”
“Not when you’re a stationed and active Aikekunai.”
Knowing he wasn’t going to get his answers here either, Kiran decided that this was a situation that called for one individual, an individual he knew could grind down his mother’s nerves just for existing and to who his aunt called their best friend and fellow survivor of the past. Yet like all things, getting to Nuvat was harder than Kiran would have thought. For one thing it seemed the sun claimant was actively avoiding being easy to find. Was it because she knew that her life was on the line or perhaps his aunt had told her to stay out of it. Not like it really mattered. He wanted answers. He was going to get them and no one was going to stop him.
Jade hall
Camera flashes, DeVian blinked away the influx and ignored the shouts for her to look a certain way. She stared straightforward, only occasionally shifting her stance. Before moving on to another part of the carpet, the shade of it reminded her of the egg shaped ruby that Stasia had used as the centrepiece for a crown that DeVian had worn several halloweens ago. Now, that particular piece was being held on display/loan inside the halls dedicated to the Aikekunai inside CMUR. Not that anyone knew that Stasia was behind it.
No one knew who owned ABON. Outside of DeVian, Verin and Gabi. This was on purpose. It ensured that Stasia remained anonymous. Though it didn’t stop the occasional collaboration with another fashion house of the same caliber or Stasia deigning to create a single set for a client willing to pay huge amounts knowing that what they received would be a mystery - all of their answers during the one and only session used to gain information told Stasia all they needed to know.
Out in public, those who had been welcomed into the many and varied offices of Stasia, had been met by a shrew and snarky receptionist before being confronted by the milky eyes of needle and thread. They were about as close to a public face as ABON’s clients were ever going to get.
For instance, when a certain mortal publication had asked Verin for an interview. Verin had wanted to hold the interview and subsequent photo shoot inside Stasia and DeVian’s desert home in the middle of the Sahara. Aptly called the ‘Jade Hall’. For it looked like a giant had melded the sand into a modern art piece. Two storeys, huge bay windows, minimal furniture, even fancier paintings. It was the sun room that Verin loved best. Apart from the fact it was covered in ceiling to floor in the most opulent and pure jade. All sourced from the realm of water - not that the humans knew that. In fact, Verin had asked Stasia to create an ensemble for the shoot.
Only for DeVian to show Verin up by appearing inside the room in a business interview. It was quite the contrast. A infinitely sharp cut power suit in what the interviewer described as an indescribable shade of black and red. It was made of both satin and silk, adorn with minuscule jewels of unknown origin. All of it screamed power and status. The shoes, one of a kind pumps, the heel paper thin yet indestructible and gave off the illusion that DeVian was walking on air. Accessories that looked more like weapons (and for readers. The appearance of DeVian’s engagement ring) had everyone and anyone who was in the business world foaming at the mouth for a mere slither; no a mere hint of ABON. No one would succeed. Thus, Verin’s plans were ruined. She couldn’t fib that the house was hers.
Verin had been very upset, she had gone straight to her older sibling and demanded an explanation - that and a backup plan.
“You know. The Jade Hall was one of our first joint purchases as a couple this life. We commissioned it. I’m also pretty sure DeVian then had the architect and everyone involved killed so no one could dare to try and pull off the same feat. Besides, DeVian planned to appear there. Started planning it at least three years ago.”
“Well. Where should I have my interview then?”
“You can use the lodge in the Swiss Alps. It’s very cozy. We recently had a room refurbished. We’re tossing between calling it the Lapis Endeavour or Azure Crown.”
Verin had gone to inspect this lodge. The room that had been refurbished was the living room. Her assistant had fainted at the sight. It was like being reborn as a molecule of the colour blue. Verin had quickly booked the interview there and then and Stasia had delivered in creating an opulent gown of white-silver. Boots fur lined rather than heels. Accessories resembling snow flakes and other hints of an icy wonderland. Verin looked and felt like she had come straight out of Narnia - that or a Russian fairytale.
Course, news of Kiran’s adoption into DeVian’s family came with its own set of issues. Primarily the mortals wanted to know since when did she have a nephew and why he was under her custody rather than whoever his biological parents were. With all of the prestige that came naturally for the Laws; DeVian held the hounds off by simply adding it to her ever growing list of topics that if asked about could render any publication or individual to their doom.
That didn’t stop the tabloids from sending their vultures to stalk Kiran. It was a little jarring knowing that all of the glossy magazines had photos of Kiran holding DeVian’s hand whilst being walked into the first school of many he would be attending (he changed schools often to keep the press at bay and because no school seemed to possess the ability to keep up with his razor sharp intellect. Something that most theorised came from DeVian.)
Stasia had an easier time picking Kiran up, granted Stasia didn’t obey traffic laws and the helmet they chose to wear completely hid their identity. The leather they chose to wear also hid any indication of their gender. Kiran always loved when Stasia picked him up. Being able to feel the wind disappear before him as his aunt pulled off hairpin drifts and other close calls.
Stasia and the press would have continued to have a mutable relationship of respect. Had they not sent humans on poor examples of automobiles after them on their pick up duty. Especially because the news picked up on it. DeVian had been furious when she had seen that the most pressing news bit of the hour was her partner, her nephew and what had to be at least eighty different vehicles chasing them down a highway. Stasia’s skills as a rider meant that they were ducking in, out and weaving past indignant mortal drivers. Kiran tucked in front, his own little helmet on and gripping onto his aunt for dear life.
“What the actual fuck!”
“Shall I notify Stasia that you’ll be meeting them at the airport?”
“At this rate, they’ll both arrive in France from how fast Stasia is.”
“You don’t think that they’ll attempt to cross the channel… right?”
“We’ll pick them up just as they do. It’s the only way they’ll lose the idiots.”
DeVian, having down two bottles of wine just as the rear door seat was almost ripped off its hinges. Kiran, helmet and all was thrown in. He landed with little ceremony as the door was slammed shut and Stasia sped off once more. DeVian had to calm her heart rate as Kiran removed his helmet and with an expression of utter glee on his face asked:
“Can aunty and I do that again! We went at 300km/h. At one point!”
“Absolutely not. Your aunt is a maniac on the roads.”
“But it’s so cool! Not like anyone knows its aunty.”
“No. Rit or Bruno will pick you up from now on”
“That’s no fun.”
“I don’t want you to die. Should Stasia ever miscalculate the turns.”
A Pair of Lovers
For what more could people want, but to see such a beautiful couple dancing. DeVian hadn’t ever spent almost an entire night, hell into the early morning…dancing. Yet with this Blonde individual she had. Why they had to be told to leave because they had stayed well past closing time just dancing. This blonde had matched every move, noticed every change of pace. DeVian was almost jealous with rage at the thought that this Blonde individual would dare to dance with anyone; in this way like they had with her.
She couldn’t exactly surmise what gender this Blonde individual was. Not that it mattered, the only thing that gave this potential person away was when they offered to take her home, the bike they had was new, fast and very expensive. Forget breathing, this blonde rode like the streets were empty, death-defying drifts and going at speeds that at one point felt surely if not impossibly illegal. Yet they hadn’t crashed despite the risk of it all. This Blonde had to be a claimant, but from which house? Why couldn’t she tell?
Again it didn’t matter when the blonde peppered kisses all over her skin. Igniting some part of her that she thought no one, no not even her considered legal husband. Didn’t matter when she had, had impossible as it might sound, exactly eight consecutive orgasms. Hell DeVian probably blacked out but was in too much a euphoric state to care that this Blonde had given more than she could imagine, never taking or asking for anything in return.
It had been a surprise to wake up to an empty bed. A surprise to find no note, no explanation and little to no sign that she had ever had company to begin with. What transpired next was an obsessive hunt to find the Blonde who had without so much as spoken most of the night; to steal her heart like some thief.
It took almost a year before the rumours of the mystery blonde echoed through the teeming streets of Buenos Ares. Why DeVian nearly gave up hope. No one in the house of death, or any of their allies had been able to tell her anything about her mystery Blonde.
It was nearly midnight when sitting in her car, her breath caught at the sight of the Blonde. Shorter hair than before and dressed immaculately. Helmet - the same one from a year ago in hand and a cigarette at their lips. She must have nearly torn the door to her own car off as she rudely and rather recklessly bolted through traffic - the honking and cursing could be ignored.
“Stop!” She shouted as the blonde got on their bike.
At first she worried they couldn’t hear her and she’d have to resort to using her halberd to stop them. But they turned to face her and she gasped. Though she remembered every contour and detail about this Blonde, seeing them again this time felt like she was seeing them all again for the first time. Just like the night they’d met.
“Hey stranger.”
DeVian had been rendered speechless. A melodic laugh accompanied the silence before the Blonde got off their bike, when all rational logic returned to her she found herself scowling.
“Why did you leave without saying anything?”
“You were asleep.”
“That’s no excuse. You could have woken me.”
“Wake up the heiress of death? I would think Novevu would prefer that I didn’t.”
“So you are a claimant! How come I can’t tell which house you’re in?”
“That’s on purpose. Don’t worry Princess. Your secrets are your own.”
Why was this… why were they mocking her? She moved closer, with the sudden urge to slap their beautiful face when she watched in sudden realisation that their eyes weren’t theirs. Someone else entirely was looking back at her.
“I’m not just some claimant. I am an Aikekunai. Surely you know what that is. Seeing as you are one yourself.”
“Stop mocking me.” Her lips curled into a snarl.
It hadn’t been her voice that had left her mouth, but rather one of her older more violent and way less reasonable lives. Qrow was by all means prepared to decimate this city and destroy this beautiful person without a second thought. Several expressions crossed this nameless blonde before a choke squeak that didn’t really sound like words but were words came out.
“Q-qrow?”
Grocery List
Stasia did not eat breakfast. Had not eaten breakfast since their time in the program. Breakfast foods nauseated them, in fact they avoided any food that resembled anything close to ‘breakfast’; thus their diet was quite limited. After all, almost everyone breaks their fast somehow with the same types of food. Even if they’re on the opposite side of the globe from each other - there was always a version of breakfast somewhere.
Godfrey on the other hand, loved breakfast. It was the easiest meal for his stomach to accept. But he also hated eating alone, sure he couldn’t eat as much as his other lives; but there was just some kind of secret sweet pleasure of cracking the top off a soft-boiled egg, the yolk runny went so well with toast that was soaked through with bacon fat. Something exquisite about cutting oranges in half for juice.
Lucas thought breakfast was overrated. Granted he didn’t actually eat unless he was with Amarjeet - were she to ever discover his habit of missing meals; why there was every chance that she’d flail him before forcing him to eat an empire’s entire food supply. Therefore it was not surprising that because he ran on an empty stomach most of the time, he was almost a skeleton - well the kind of skeleton with muscles too defined they look a bit like stretched thin leather.
Eric was very specific about his breakfasts, it was not a single meal kind of affair; no there was the small bite sized bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon. There was the slightly larger bowl of chopped fruit doused in honey - it didn’t matter what kind of fruit. It just had to be doused in honey. He’d take a break; go kill someone or something and then come back to a hearty plate of animal pieces. Everyone who had sat with him, had noted that it didn’t matter how much meat he piled onto this plate, no one else could have stomached the amount he had without seriously considering psychiatric aid or at least assistance from a dietician to make better choices.
Blood Fabrics “Godfrey, come along now. I don’t want you getting lost in a place like this.”
“Where is this place?”
The small frail boy tried his best to match the pace of the far taller, older metal ancient but even with all of the effort he could muster he was still falling behind. Nammay was already agitated that Godfrey had been insistent in bringing his elephant soft-toy ‘Crow’ with him. They were both late for the scheduled arrival and meeting in the Void.
“I almost thought you’d turn tail and would miss our meeting.”
“I apologise.”
Noticing that Crow had somehow gotten some dust on him, Godfrey brushed it off his elephant and so in doing so had not noticed that his ancient had stopped; as a result he walked straight into his ancient’s legs and also collided with the briefcase that Nammay had helped him pack; it was full of his clothes and his other personal belongings. Rather than his ancient who caught him, another person did, he was pale of skin, and he smelt like nothing Godfrey had ever experienced before. Dressed in a velvet cloak, in evolving shades of black that Godfrey had to wonder how how effect was made. Finally, Nammay’s throat clearing forced him to stutter out an apology.
“Sorry…” he wasn’t sure who this man was.
“Novevu.” He offered.
“Sorry Novevu…”
He gripped onto Crow even tighter and looked at his ancient for reassurance but Nammay could no longer look at the weakened aikekunai child and refused to admit that it was probably his fault that this third attempt was flawed and was likely to die well before he even reached adulthood.
|| Three Weeks Later ||
The routine that Godfrey had now that he had gotten used to being the roommate of a boy named Qrow – he thought it was funny that the boy shared the same name as his elephant, just with one variation in letter; though he kept his thoughts to himself and tried his best to stay out of Qrow’s way. One of the things that he had noticed was that the death claimant child seemed to constantly ruin his clothes and was always in need of replacements, it made Godfrey feel bad.
So he waited till Qrow was asleep, and their candles which usually melted down to nothing by the time they woke up flickered in the dark room, Godfrey climbed backwards off the bed and picked up the candle handle, careful to be as quiet as he possibly could, he placed a finger to his lips to indicate to Crow that he was going to be fine but that things had to remain silent; Qrow in the meanwhile was fast asleep, one of his hands gripping a rather deadly looking sword – why he felt the need to sleep with a sword, Godfrey thought it was entirely illogical. He shuffled towards the wardrobe that Qrow had stated was his and knowing that it would creak, pretended to let out a cough as he opened the door. Qrow who was used to hearing Godfrey cough in his sleep didn’t wake whatsoever and instead flipped so that he was now on his stomach and gripping onto an axe rather than a sword.
By candlelight, he took out each item of damaged clothing that had fallen from where they should be neatly placed and sat down on the cold stone floor, plucking a strand of hair from his hand, he waited with bated breath as the strand of hair became an almost translucent needle. Looking back over his shoulder to make sure that Qrow was definitely still asleep, he started to sew. Now, of course many would call his bluff the fact that he had not used as thread; however Godfrey didn’t need thread in order to be able to repair and sew clothes, after all he had his blood. He’d realised this particular gift after he had accidentally torn a hole inside one of his own shirts and worried that Nammay at the time would punish him severely; tried to repair it with all manner of things, in his frustration he had pulled on his hair and as the strands of hair fell, they became needles of various lengths and sizes.
The blood discovery soon came right after, he realised that his blood made anything he repaired or made with his hair needles indestructible to everything from elemental attacks to simple wear and tear. Course he tried to tell Nammay this, but the metal ancient was only really ever interested in the combat and intel capabilities of Godfrey rather than if he was worth anything else. When he did eventually realise, he had forbade Godfrey from using this talent for anything and so it went to waste. However, now that he was basically living permanently in the Void as a guest, he felt that it was only fair that he made some kind of contribution; even if no one knew or thanked him for it.
Sense
The monotone ping of the monitor was accompanied by the raise and fall of a chest. There was no gasp or air, just the lifting and falling. Skin so pale and milky white, hair almost as colourless. Straight like needles and tucked behind their ears. The gown being worn was not one DeVian ever thought to see on her wife. Even the tattoos which were inked in the blackest shades seemed to be suddenly white.
By the table, amongst the medical equipment was a metal stool with all of the effects Stasia had on them until being rendered unconscious. Their pristine scissors of different sizes, sharpness, design and uses. All of their rings, metal piercings - all of them replaced by soft silver on the Aikekunai’s body. Meant as a safety precaution. Their bracelets. Their anklet. The whole of Stasia having been stripped bare.
Another thing that was different about the Swedish-Japanese national was the devastatingly deep scar that ran diagonal across their once unmarked face. Not even the finest of sutures, the many salves, ointments and other concoctions both mortal and ancient had made a dent.
“Lucky to still be alive. To have sight.”
Was how the mortals had put it. The wraith that coarse through DeVian Desdon’s veins would have brought even Phita to her knees. Were she a witness. What infuriated her even more was the fact that an almost undetectable barrier, elemental in nature had been erected. She didn’t know who had put it up, but it meant that she couldn’t touch Stasia. Couldn’t run her hands through the snow-white locks, couldn’t kiss the skin left undamaged. DeVian clenched her fists, gritted her jaw and stared helplessly.
The door to the private room opened, hell the entire floor was empty and all of the staff had been ordered to dedicate every hour into helping Stasia recover. DeVian had bought the hospital and the staff to ensure their focus. Ritunen, clutching a plastic take-away bag stepped in and towards the woman who owned his heart.
“I brought food. Bruno was worried.”
“Not hungry.”
“You need to keep your strength up.”
“Strength? What good is that!”
The last were spoken by another, Qrow was murderous and it was keeping DeVian and every ounce of elemental control to keep Qrow from decimating and erasing the mortal realm from existence. Ritunen bristled, the void was as close to the surface as when Amarjeet first received Lucas severed hands.
“Then don’t eat, but I brought food anyway. Any news on if Stasia will wake?”
“They told me it’s up to Stasia now. Brain activity is fine. Everything is fine but they won’t wake up. It’s like they are a statue.”
“What other injuries?”
“Apart from the one on their face? A few. All from that bitch.”
DeVian never referred to Levei by name. After all the last time she did, Zyphinex had gotten a blow or two in and then went off to poison and murder Marjorie. DeVian would not make that mistake again, especially where Stasia was concerned.
“Kiran keeps asking for you.”
“Tell him. I’m busy.”
“He misses you. Just as much as he misses them.”
Standing abruptly, DeVian placed her hand on the barrier and shoved. It would not give. Until now not even Ritunen had noticed it. He stepped towards it and found that it melted away. DeVian cursed.
“How strange. This seems to have been erected by my father.”
“Novevu did this?”
“Not actively. I think removing all of Stasia’s um blockers and what have you, initiated some kind of barrier. Probably to prevent you from rushing at them and having your entire mind destroyed.”
“Well fuck that.”
There was very little that would stop DeVian from getting to Stasia, and some small particularly sinister part of her agreed. It was hard sometimes to distinguish whether the desire to destroy and devour everything was the void trying to play puppeteer or if it was actually her. Sure, she factored in her past lives and their desires; more or less they mirrored hers - Qrow was usually the outlier, he wanted more violence, blood everywhere and was obsessed with hunting certain individuals.
Cigar Smoke “Lucas!”
Another person recognised him, groaning inwardly he stilled himself and plastered a smile on his face.
This time though rather than a hideous old man, the person who was trying to remain at the speed of human locomotion was a friend. Emma was one of the few humans clued into the truth about the claimant world and Ancients. She had during the war been a spy for the French Resistance and they had both suffered a stint in a German prison camp. However unlike Lucas who could not die by normal means, Emma was half Jewish - though you couldn’t tell from her porcelain skin or fine needle thin blonde hair. It was her eyes which were brown and the shape of her ears that gave her away - well at least that’s what the manic German soldiers said.
It had been such a shame when they had taken her dominant arm from her. Now all that was left was a hanging sleeve where her arm should be. Her left arm remained, though she was missing her ring finger - that she had done to herself in order to protect her full-Jewish husband, all that effort however was in vain.
Her husband, Hugh had been killed as one of the final prisoners before the guns fell silent and the war was declared over. Now she was a war heroine and had been offered by ancients like Destodai and Phita to become someone-something else. Alas, Emma refused blatantly, saying it was not worth the transformation because it would take away the scars, the stories, sacrifices and insults that the war had left.
“By Novea, you are a sight for sore eyes.”
Emma’s toothy grin immediately settled his nerves as she came to a stop in front of him. He wrapped an arm gently around her, careful to avoid touching where her arm should have been.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m leaving. I’m not coming back. I’ve been offered a role as a diplomat. They also want me to go back to Geneva and be a witness.”
“Ahh. I see. Congratulations.”
“Coming from you that sounds so hollow.”
“You know I don’t mean it.” He snickered.
“I know. Off to see Amarjeet?”
“Perhaps.”
Emma gave him a look that suggested she saw straight through his non-answer. Moving back to a respectful distance just as the horns of the large vessel rang out.
“Will you miss Europe?”
“No. Never. Asides Geneva. I’m happy to be rid of it. Hugh had always told me how much he wanted to see America.”
“Mmm. What class are you in?”
“Second. Almost cost me every penny.”
He frowned. Looking over his shoulder for the nearest ship attendant. This one was standing with a tray of champagne looking utterly bored.
“You can have my room.”
“No. No. I can’t. I shouldn’t impose.”
“Em. You more than most deserve to be happy.”
“There you are again. I told you to stop with the sympathy.”
“It’s not sympathy. If not for you, the world of mortals would not be here as it is now. You are the reason mortals will learn about the atrocities that harmed your people.”
Now completely in front of the attendant holding champagne. Lucas gave him a firm smile.
“Excuse me. To whom do I speak on the occasion I’d like to change my class and thus my room?”
“Uh…”
The man was caught off guard by the question before swallowing down his shock and lifting one of his hands away from the tray.
“If you head in this direction. You will come across a lift that should lead you to the cabin. You will need to speak to the operation manager.”
“Thank you.”
Skimming his fingers briefly into his coat pocket, he fisted a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to the now jaw-dropped speechless employee.
“For your swift answer. Perhaps even you could follow me. I’ll answer for anyone who wonders why you are not at your post.”
“Y-yes Sir!”
“Oh. Leave the tray here. It’s far too early for champagne. Even the Nazis had some idea at what a foul waste of champagne is during the day.”
With that Lucas gestured for Emma and the now freed of champagne attendant and began on the route described.
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
163 posts
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on Jan 7, 2024 5:59:32 GMT
At What Cost?
Part 1
Look at everything I’ve gained. So few things, but so much meaning.
“Da... Da...”
All this time; all these lives, and here I find myself feeling something so foreign.
“He can hear you, my tiny angel... Just give him a moment to answer...
Do I deserve this? Will it last? If it does last, then for how long? Perhaps this is what they call fear. How odd.
“Da... look... Da...”
How cute. Could I ask for more than this? Do I deserve this? So many lives; all the foundation for this... am I deserving?
“Dear... can you hear...”
“What makes you believe you deserve this?”
I don’t... but they deserve this. Simply for existing, they deserve even more than I can offer.
“Pathetic. You have both a title and duty to uphold. Yet you would trade it all for this?”
I’d give everything for this...
“Failure... blight... I am at least glad to learn what you are willing to give... and what will be taken.”
“DA!” the high-pitched screech-like cry forced his attention downward.
There, right on his lap sat a less than pleased four-year-old. Her eyes like the spring sky; nearly beginning to fill with tears and causing her pale cheeks to redden. She wore a little dress with special spaces upon its back where two plumes of messy feathers were folded into tiny black wings. Her hair was like a tangle of blonde strings until his hands combed through them and removed them from her face. After that, he then wiped her eyes and cheeks – as if to banish the idea of allowing any tears to stain them. At first, she struggled against it; then she pouted, and eventually settled on remaining pouty.
“Sorry about that Wolf Pup. I was thinkin’.”
“You have not spaced out like that in quite a while,” the woman’s voice played in his ear like a lyre before. “Are you alright, dear?”
“It’s all fine, love.”
“That is not what I was wanting to hear,” she snapped as her fingers turned his head to face her. “I’m asking are you okay, Gahbreal?”
He did not know the reason, but the woman commanded a dominance over him he simply could not overcome. Perhaps it was simply the sway a wife has over her husband, but he found himself staring into her eyes for a moment. Teal orbs sprinkled with vibrant reds and oranges at times; the same blonde hair as the girl in his lap, but these were cut short just above the eyes so that they might not block her vision. Even so, it did not keep him from lifting his hand to her peach cheek and shifting the hair which hung there behind her ear. He did not smile, but he did not frown either.
“I’m fine, Cyva. Just takin’ it all in.”
“Is it still that hard to believe? You’re the one who wanted to make me Mrs. Chisuke after all,” she chirped as her hand rested on the child’s head.
“It’s not that. The sacrifices are weighty; not something I can just ignore. There will be a price... I just don’t know what it’ll be.”
“Then we’ll figure it out once we get there.”
“You’re too damn calm about this. I’d almost say you’re enjoying yourself.”
“And you’re too damn uptight about it. Ain’t nothin’ gonna change so soon, so just worry about the present.” A moment passed as she watched him glare in her direction. Her play on his accent clearly irritated him.
“Honestly, you really enjoy making a fool out of me.”
“What can I say? It’s funny,” she started before wrapping her arms around his neck from behind. “You may be an aikekunai, but before that you are my husband now; even before that you are her father.”
He looked down at the stirring ball of chaos on his lap for a moment; the girl’s little fists slamming against his chest as if to force her way through to the other side. She wasn’t strong enough to make a difference, but not weak enough to not wear him down after the second hour of pummeling. He placed his hands beneath her arms and lifted her to his face height. Her tiny wings fluttered furiously until she felt her feet placed on his thighs, then she looked him in the face as if getting ready to continue fighting the enemy ahead of her.
“Alright, time for bed. You decide Wolf Pup; a story or a game?”
“Storwy!” she blurted out without a second thought.
“It’s... it’s story, Gabi.”
“Storwy!” she called out again with even more confidence than before.
“Even the Wolfling gave me less trouble than this. If Katze weren’t so busy, I’d ask them to give you some literary help.”
“You act as if they’d listen,” Cyva started as she circled the couch and sat at his side. Gabi almost immediately sprawled out over both their laps. “Calm yourself, Gahbriogyva. It is time to count the sheeps.”
“It’s just sheep, dear.” Gahbreal attempted to correct her and yet she simply stared him in the eyes.
“It is time to count the sheeps.”
Perhaps this is my punishment...
“You two are just as stubborn as one another. Perhaps it’s best that she takes after you. It’ll keep things nice and simple.”
“Don’t say that. You and I both know she’s taking after you where it counts. That was apparent when she was born with her two beautiful wings,” Cyva spoke as she poked the child on the belly. “She is always following behind you whenever you’re around. That girl is your shadow, and you are her inspiration.”
He looked at her for a moment, taking the words into consideration before his eyes drifted to the child. He hadn’t even noticed it before, but it was almost as if she were always looking in his direction instinctively. Even now, with such a normal setting, her eyes were locked onto him as if searching for answers only he could give. Inquisitive eyes, hopeful eyes; the entirety of her world on the opposite end of her gaze... he smiled... his hand resting upon her head which caused her to both smile and laugh in a voice he could never get tired of.
He couldn’t remember any moments like this. Not from any of his pasts, what little he did gain from those, and not from the memories he had of his own childhood. When was the last time his mother or father touched his head? Had they ever even done it before? Perhaps that was why he felt such a strong urge to pamper the girl and make sure she knew he was here; make sure she knew that he cared. If he could avoid it at all costs, he would make sure she did not grow to be like him. The life he desired for her would be a pleasant and peaceful one; even if it went against everything he is. That was a sacrifice worth making.
“Alright, what story do you wanna hear this time?” he asked, and the girl sat up immediately.
“New storwy!”
“A new story? Would you like mommy to tell you one of her stories then?” Cyva asked.
“No!”
“You’re a piece of shit,” Cyva hissed at Gahbreal who chuckled.
“Hey, I didn’t do anything,” he stated before turning his attention back to the girl. “Then what kind of story do you want? I am the best storyteller after all.”
“Uncie Neer told me you go on adbentures! Tell me about an adbentures!”
“Adventures?”
“The passed adbentures!”
“You mean past adven-”
Perhaps it was the mentioning of the past, or simply my understanding of what her request truly meant, but I could feel my mind tremble. The stern mentality I had built up for generation after generation rattling under the pressure. It wasn’t because I was weak or losing myself, or at least not entirely. It was because this was a decision which would shape her. A decision which would either craft the peaceful life I wanted for her or the trials of which she would undoubtedly be swept into. Raising a claimant is not the same as raising a human, and for an aikekunai it is even more difficult. Especially when they aspire to be like their parents in any way. It’s for that reason I began to see it all so vividly. Perhaps it was a spur of the moment, or rather it was the dreaded desire of my past lives to fill her mind with the depiction of the Wolf I am meant to be; but I was forced to face them all again... My adventures.
I remember falling from a great height; looking at my body, wondering how so many bones had been broken, and why I had perished from something which was once so simple to survive. Looking at the Little One in my grasp and thinking it was fine so long as she survived. Thinking about how I wouldn’t allow that death to change me.
I remember sustaining more injuries than I could handle at the time. Feeling weak, feeling powerless; looking at a worried Cyva who did not have the lack of will to give up. If she wouldn’t, then neither could I! Raising my axe! Raging like the wild animal I am! Through my very eyes I remember fighting by her side and slaying our attackers without mercy.
I see... Amarjeet... her eyes filled with an incomparable rage, but behind them I could see a smoldering grief. I look to my sides, Shinzo and Haden, both prepared to charge forward with their lives as the cost! My axe, my companion, refusing to let my grip lighten as I press forward to the assault. The unforgettable sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking; flames burning and ice chipping. I wondered at that moment why I was so weak, why I couldn’t handle it alone, why I needed help? Then, after that struggle, everything else becomes a fading blur.
I rush forward, no words leaving my lips as my eyes take note of every enemy. A wave of one hand as a wave of darkness swelters across my foes; a swipe of the other and heads roll. I look at my body, its strength breaking down as I remove arrows and toss them to the ground. My left arm covered in darkness which is the only thing keeping it together and moving, while my right refuses to let go of my companion. Every pulse coursing through it continues to guide me forward. I wonder why I’m out here alone, then I remember who I am and press forward. I don’t stop, even when everything turns red, and I can no longer feel my body. I keep going until there is nothing. No thought. No sound. Nothing... Just a single worry... a single apprentice.
I look down on the trash beneath me, wondering why she had to be so stupid. Was it all worth it? Throwing away everything she had just for this? Or perhaps there’s something more to it... but it doesn’t matter. I can see the sun setting in the distance, and with it my wings force me to the ground as fast as they can. The earth can barely keep itself together beneath our feet, our weapons ringing with the melody of war; no one can stand between us now! Not even an ancient would dare to inject themself in my battle! I will prove myself! Everyone will know that I refused madness... but, can I really win this? With the thought I feel my mind ache, my jaw stiffens, and my eyes burn. I can see all her weapons in the air around me, an endless supply, but I no longer care! I charge in with more courage than any of my lives could ever proclaim! My companion in hand, the key to cleaving the very universe in two if it must be; I can feel the rush of overwhelming power in that moment... but it was too late. My body, wings and all, could only manage to be pierced by spears, halberds and swords of all kinds... I failed.
Madness... it’s all I know; all I can see. I feel it coursing through my veins, hear it whispering in my mind, staring at me from around every corner. I’ve been utilizing my family to do my work where I cannot reach; outside of this home I cannot leave. The darkness, the madness; I can feel it scratching at me, calling out to me. I can hear my closest companion – the only one who truly matters – its voice the only thing which beckons me in that black landscape, but it is so muffled. How long must this suffering continue? The suffering! The Madness! I fall on my back, my mouth prying itself open as I cry out in a tongue only my ancient may hear and even so, it does nothing. I can just barely see her in the colorless black, then my eyes turn to my only companion. I see my reflection, the red eyes staring back at me, and I can see the shadows clinging to me and tugging on my soul! I remember the feeling as if attempting to tear from my body with my very soul, darkness pouring out from me like a tide of condensed atrocities in the form of pandemonium, then nothing more...
All murderers must be slain; all criminals must face execution. My Ruinous Edge is the tool for bringing all who would defy order to their knees. I will slay hundreds, thousands, millions if I must; no number is too great. I raise my axe to the sky with a single scarred and bleeding arm, the other cast away long ago. My every step blurs the barriers between right and wrong, my soul ringing with the death knell for all who would be lost. The swine fall before my companion, fold before my axe... the cowards. I do not stop even when they surrender. Their loved ones, their homes, their very lives; none of them are safe from my duty! If they wanted peace, then they should have left me in peace. But now I will tear their entirety asunder, even as I watch my body fall apart. Even as I take my last breath, it is as I take the lives of at least ten others.
I can’t remember the cause, but that doesn’t matter anymore. I was already teetering on the edge of forgetfulness. To Lilith’s Hell with all the games and holding back! I am meant to be the strongest! I am meant to be the executioner! That is why the Ruinous Edge has remained at my side; why it fuels me to go forward into the clutches of madness, and by the ancients I will take every last one of my enemies with me! As I look around at the armies standing before me all I see is weakness. None of them are worth the earth they tread beneath their feet, but they would choose to approach me? How foolish! They will bathe in madness, wallow in madness, succumb to madness and die in madness! However, there’s no need to cast aside your fears in death, for I will soon follow! That same madness will take us all to the same place! To the same pit in the depths of the Void!
...The sudden silence like a still river seconds before the damn breaks and water rushes through...
Look at them all... insects beneath my feet... whatever possessed them to come here and defy their ancients will be the same thing which costs them everything. The Ruinous Edge almost looks hesitant, afraid; I squeeze it enough to make the metal itself scream, to remind it of who we are and what we are... then I step forward. My ancient watching me as I face an entire army on my own. Claimants lost to their own foolish desires. Imbeciles, all of them. Even among the aikekunai I will never allow anyone to look down on me, so this fodder will be cast aside like dust in a storm. I will swing my axe one way and watch as the earth upheaves itself and destroys them all; I will stamp my foot to the ground and watch as darkness bursts forth and devours them in pools of my concentrated madness. I will have them all understand the will of my name, the power of the Wolf, the true order of the Black Knight! And as they gaze upon me, clad in darkness, they will make sure every claimant remembers my name for all time, they will remember Gahbreal Dimea... they will remember the Executioner.
“Gahbreal?” Cyva’s voice caught his attention.
His eyes looked as if they could peel the very skin from her mind if they so desired; his hands shaking as if incapable of remaining still. It wasn’t until her own hand rested on his that he even calmed down in the slightest. A part of him wished to retreat, but he wouldn’t allow himself. This was it, after all... the cost of this peace.
“Sorry.”
“Gahbreal. Are you sure you are, okay? Should we call on Xainayne?”
“No,” his voice snapped immediately along with his expression. Both were calmed in seconds. “There’s no need. Besides, I have a story to tell my Wolf Pup.”
He looked at the little claimant, completely oblivious to everything around her as she now seemed to fight her own dress; biting at the collar like a rabid dog. He placed his hand on her forehead, his red eyes flickering as he watched their reflection within her own blue orbs. He paused for a moment, looking at her as she excitedly awaited whatever he had to say. Then, without a second thought, he spoke...
“Try as you might, you won’t last forever... my failure of a future.”
“How about I tell you about the time your uncle convinced me to sneak into Florita’s realm so he could steal flowers for Chaemai?” |
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Spira
Citadel Mastermind
160 posts
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last online Nov 23, 2024 13:53:45 GMT
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Post by Spira on Jan 7, 2024 7:22:53 GMT
Selenite & Obsidian
Gabi had come home to find that her room had been tampered with. Not in any sinister fashion, just that what was once her private space now seemed to a bed meant for two people maybe three at the very least. She had turned right around and half flew-stomped her way towards the kitchen where her mother and father were chatting over plates of French pastries.
“WHY IS THERE ANOTHER BED IN MY ROOM!”
She hadn’t quite meant to scream-shout so loud as to shatter the fine porcelain cup her mother was holding, the scolding hot tea splashed onto Cova’s shirt and her arms were covered in the hot liquid. Some of it even managed to hit her father in the face, he had the reflexes to keep the pastries - fresh from a bakery down the street dry and out of the tea’s way. Cyva took one, two, three, no at least ten deep breaths before reaching for a napkin and drying herself. Gabi stood there, still unanswered with her hands on her hips and her wings beating rather erratically.
“Have you forgotten what the term ‘inside voice’ means and when/where to use it?”
“Is that how you wanna start? There’s a massive bed in my room that doesn’t belong to me. Who the hell moved in and why do they have to share a room with me?”
“You’re not going to apologise for ruining what was, a perfect cup of tea or for shattering a cup with your voice.”
“Well maybe if it were made better it wouldn’t have broke. Now answer my question.”
It was at that moment, that Gabi realised it wasn’t just her father or her mother who was in the kitchen space. But rather a black-haired doll of a girl and another who was half her father’s height.
Gabi blinked. The doll blinked. The tall one seemed to completely ignore Gabi and reach to pour themselves another cup of tea.
“Who the, what the. Where the.”
Gabi couldn’t string together an intelligent sentence for the life of her as her father seemed to brace himself.
“I had hoped this would happen later. That you wouldn’t go straight to your room. Nevertheless.” He took one look at his daughter and then at the yin-yang pair.
“Why does she have wings? How come I don’t have wings?”
The doll asked, scrunching her face up in annoyance that she herself had been blessed with no height, the appearance of a china doll and no spare appendages.
“Not like it’d help you.” Gabi sneered.
“Girls.” Cyva sighed.
“Gabi, do you remember when I said you had… siblings?”
“No, don’t have any. I’m the only child.”
Was her father out of his mind?
“You do, these are your siblings… they’re not biologically related but they are nevertheless a part of the family.”
“Bullshit.”
“Gabi!” Cyva hissed.
“She’s got your temper.”
It was the first time the tall-blonde hair one spoke, and in fact the tone sent a shiver down Gabi’s spine. It sounded like a slightly more feminine rendition of her uncle. This tall one had to have something to do with Uncle Eric.
“Why do you sound like my uncle?”
Cyva was still furious that her daughter’s recklessness had ruin whatever careful plans Gahbreal, had. Had.
“Your Uncle?”
“Yes, Uncle Eric. You sound like a girl version of him.”
This caused the tall one to snort, rather unladylike. Gabi watched as they placed their own cup and saucer down before doing something very similar to what her uncle did when faced with a question. With eyes as fierce as any eagle. Gabi watched the movement of the tall one’s right hand through their hair. She must have imagined it because the tall one’s eyes changed to suit the exact same shade as her uncle’s.
“That’s because this new body. Is my current life. I am glad your senses haven’t dulled.”
Her uncle. Her favourite person in the whole world. Was at least in this life, somehow in someway… supposed to be her sister? Had the world been thrown upside down or turned inside out? Gabi couldn’t begin to figure out how to respond or react to this elevation. The short one said something and that caused Gabi even more annoyance.
“You might know us better by our nicknames. I’m Stasia, or Katze. That’s my sister, Verin. Wolfling.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding.” |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
163 posts
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on Jan 8, 2024 21:59:17 GMT
At What Cost?
Part 2
It was simple, quiet; almost as if the world itself had slowed down to a soft rhythmic hum. Gahbreal’s eyes shifted from the warm fire across the room to his wife who sang along to the melody of saxophone and bass violin, her tempo carried perfectly with the beat of the drums. Cyva’s voice was something most people either heard when being teased by her or simply as she showered those she cares for with praises. However, it was only her husband and daughter who were ever blessed with harmonic melodies. Gahbreal would truly call it angelic, and Gabi would no doubt say the same. It was the reason she went on to sing for a career after all.
His vision moved to rest on the glass of whiskey in his left hand as it rose to his lips. The sensation of warmth which filled his chest served as a constant calm. No matter how many lives passed him by it never failed to fill the same. Getting drunk simply wasn’t a possibility anymore after so much time, but it always lightened his mood. Once it was emptied the glass would rest again; his eyes now moving to the girl sleeping at his side. No matter how much time passed, even when she was upset – and Gabi was always upset – she found her way to him when it was time to relax. Her head resting on his lap with her calm breathes filling the air. A part of him looked at her face and saw his mother in every feature.
That woman seems to follow me everywhere I go. I wouldn’t be surprised if she were watching me right now, but I don’t want to check. I feel as if she’d be shocked if I told her to come in and sit down. She still thinks I hold some grudge against her, and a part of her would be right, but I can’t hold onto resentment forever. I made the choice to forgive because that’s the bare minimum I’d need to raise a child. Does she believe I’m incapable of forgiving her? Every feature you have is the same as her, Pup. Even the blue that we both share belongs to her. If your hair were black instead of your mother’s blonde, you’d be exact copies. Perhaps it would be best if I approached her instead.
“You seem to be in good spirits,” Cyva whispered as she sat on his opposite side from Gabi.
“I was just thinking.”
“Thinking?” she chuckled. “Should I be worried? You even dropped the accent.”
“Sometimes it’s best to hide away disguises. Be here. Be present.”
“And here I thought I was better with words. Well, you are certainly present and I'll prove it.”
He turned to look at the woman who seemed entirely desperate. She wanted something, and as always it was plastered all over her face. He leaned his face towards her own and the two shared a kiss; one he felt was lasting far longer than normal. He focused, his eyes spotting the fiery shade of her cheeks. In his opinion, Chaos claimants were worse than Fire claimants when it came to the insatiable nature of their lusts. One had self-control, the other had absolutely none. It was clear in her actions as well; her fingers fluttering on his cheeks as she attempted to pull him along to her rhythm.
“Eww...”
Both of their eyes shifted to Gabi who had already begun to rub her eyes. She looked, for a lack of kinder words, disgusted. Cyva only chuckled and finally chose to release her husband. Gahbreal simply blinked at his daughter before smiling.
“How was your rest Gabi?” Cyva asked in a casual voice.
“It was fine until you two started slapping tongues right next to me.” She lifted herself up and stretched before saying, “have either of you heard from Verin or Stasia?”
“Odd,” Cyva began quickly as her eyes shifted from Gahbreal to Gabi. “I’ve never known you to care that much for them.”
“Well yeah, I don’t care...”
“I don’t understand how you can always be so mean to those two. They have only attempted to be nice-”
“But I’m worried...” Cyva paused as she watched her daughter’s expression change. “Normally I’d at least hear something, but they haven’t said anything.”
It was entirely unprecedented. “Worried” was not the type of word Gabi used for anyone, and she certainly never looked the part. What could she say? What could she do to erase it from her daughter’s features? Cyva had no idea. All she could do was look at the girl who had now sat up entirely; her knees lifted against her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs and hair draped over her shoulders. She looked sad, sounded sad, and it was not something she could handle. However, despite her beliefs, she could only watch as Gahbreal’s hand fell on the top of her head. Gabi didn’t look in his direction, only tucking her face further between her knees.
“Don’t worry, Wolf Pup. They’re fine. Just give them some time. I’m sure they’ll come calling for you when they have the time,” he said in a calm voice.
“So, they’re busy...”
“Don’t take it that way. We’re all claimants. When something comes up... sometimes we can’t refuse.”
“Fine. If they don’t want to talk, they don’t need to talk. Not like I care.”
“Gabi!” Cyva snapped. “Calm yourself.”
“I already said it’s not my problem! That’s that! They can do what they want with their time! If it’s not important enough to tell me then it’s not important enough to be cared about!”
By now Cyva was on the edge of her seat, and Gabi had already risen to her feet. How his daughter had managed to become so quick to anger was the most troubling part of her personality, but he could chalk that up to Cyva. The more he thought about it the more the girl was like his wife and mother combined. Catty, rebellious, incapable of showing a shred of emotion without it being possibly catastrophic or demanding. The moment he watched her feet leave the ground was the moment it was time to intervene. That was when he stood on his own feet and sighed without looking in either of their directions.
“Enough, both of you.”
“I,” Cyva started before lowering her head. “I understand.”
Gabi was not as compliant. Her fists clenching as she said, “I’m not taking back anything.”
“Your worry is warranted. There’s no point in denying it, but you will not take out your own frustrations on your mother. Is that understood?”
“I never-”
“Is that understood?” Gahbreal asked again with his eyes now locked onto her.
“I... I’m...” her expression wavered between fear and rage. A flicker of red, then back to blue; fists unfurling as if preparing to rip out his throat before, inevitably, settling back into fists. “I understand.”
Displeased could not begin to describe the way she looked at him. If a stare could kill his life would have ended; if anger could boil over the world would be a molten pool. She didn’t bother walking, didn’t bother flying, but instead her wings enclosed her person and she disappeared. Only several black feathers falling to the floor where she once occupied the space. Gahbreal did not move yet. Allowing the atmosphere to settle before going about his business. Cyva did not seem nearly as worried about their daughter as she was her husband. She did not speak, however; not until he let out a long sigh and sat back down at her side.
“I did not mean for things to get out of hand.”
“You didn’t do anything, Cyva,” he said as his arm lifted over her shoulders. “This is my fault.”
“You can’t take all the blame for this.”
“Is the blame not mine? Was it not my duty to watch over them?”
“Stop,” she responded as her head rested against his chest. “We do not all know everything, and there is very little we can do to anticipate the future. It is not within our power. There were many factors at play and few we could anticipate. There was only so much you could do.”
“So you say,” he started as he closed his eyes. “But the facts yet remain... it was my duty to protect them.”
My heart pounds, I can hear it in my ears as I look around me. I can’t remember what happened and a part of me doesn’t want to try. I can recall the conversation I had with the Wolfling not too long ago. “Find Katze. Find Stasia. That’s all that matters.” Or at least that is all I can remember. Then... darkness. And whether that darkness is a sign or a curse I can’t discern. However, as I blink, something flashes in my vision. A flash of something which causes me to freeze and examine my body. My eyes first go to my axe; the blood clinging to its edge dripping to my feet in what is almost a form of dreadful harmony. Then, as if to curse me further, I blink again.
“Do not burden yourself with useless thoughts.”
In that moment my eyes were closed I could hear it, see it, taste it all so vividly; looking through the eyes of some machine tailored for murder. A blink; my axe severs several heads from their bodies. A blink; I watch as tendrils of darkness from my person physically tear them apart. A blink; differentiating human from claimant no longer matters as blood splatters across my face. A blink; screams cry out all around me as if begging and pleading for a life which is forfeit! Another blink; blood covers the walls and floors, more crimson surrounds me than anything else. I investigate the reflection within it and it’s there I spot myself. It’s there I see what I truly am.
My face is no longer what it once was, resembling more of a silhouette than true features. Eyes like passages into an unspeakable hell, light incapable of penetrating the very air of my existence. The darkness clinging to my person like a veil of flowing water and smoke falling to the ground and following my every step. For a moment I feel fear, for a moment I panic; then... I open my eyes.
“This is what you should be, and yet you would throw it all away for nothing.”
I blink, but there’s nothing more than darkness. I open my eyes and all around me the crimson remains. I look down at my feet and see myself standing in pools of blood; then I look to my left hand where I find the mutilated corpse which I immediately dropped to the floor. Its head falls off, having barely been hanging on by a thread, and I watch as it rolls away; only stopping when coming into contact with another body. That was when I realized it was all around me. Death, surrounding me again. Just like from my memories, just like the past! I can see it all so clearly!
“Where’s Dack and Marco?” the voice grabs his attention.
“They’re staying behind.”
“Why?”
‘They say that someone needs to protect the vulnerable. Made us promise we would come back for them.”
“Alright. Let’s get out of here.”
“Yes.”
It was only thanks to the alarm now blaring in his ears that he snapped out of his trance. It was at that very same moment he had realized the lack of blood or bodies around him, save for the warm ones. In the end what he had seen was nothing more than an illusion. Verin was here of course, but then his eyes rested on Stasia and the group which were now in their care. He had just embraced them both moments ago and yet looking again sent a shiver up his spine. He took note of every single scar, every fine detail which had been altered... every change he could only assume was forced. Then for once, his thoughts were entirely in sync.
“A price MUST be paid.”
He did not show it on his face; nor did he ordain to act oddly. His instincts were running on all cylinders, as he stepped forward and attuned himself to the environment. At the end of the day there was only so much which could be done to remain unnoticed. However, his mind did not relent. His madness refused to settle down. He knew better than anyone after all, that madness is nothing more than an insatiable monster which seeks to devour all. It appears in many forms and can easily never show itself the same way twice. But for now, just for this moment, he would give in. Not because he felt he had no choice, but because he felt it was the right choice.
These dogs deserve no mercy...
“A dog condemning its fellow dogs? How very natural of you.”
“Verin, you remember where to go. Take a direct path there as quickly as you can,” he demanded.
“What? You’re not coming with us?”
There were slight hints of worry in her voice but resolving that was as simple as placing his hands on both siblings' respective heads.
“I’m just going to clear the way. I won’t be too far from you. Move bravely and quickly, Wolfling. Keep Katze safe; I will keep you all safe.”
I’ve always hated lying. I will never get used to the feeling. It wasn’t truly a full lie; I am clearing their path... but this is entirely for me now. That is why I said what I said, only giving partial truths before moving ahead. Not because I wanted to hurt them, never; it is because I will use what little time I have left here to clean these halls of the stray filth occupying it. Every guard I see, every spec of living filth, every being – claimant or not – will face dire execution. And as I press forward, my body count continuing to grow higher and higher, know too that this is a warning! A warning for both humans and claimants, ancients and treasures, living and dead alike! As I bathe in the unclean blood of the cadavers left in my path! As I fill the Void with soul after soul, whether truly undeserving or not...
“This is simply the price which must be paid.”
“Dad?” Gabi’s voice caused his eyes to slowly open.
He looked at his daughter standing in front of him, her face redder than normal and mostly around her eyes. Her expression urged him to stand to his feet and yet he did not wish to disturb the sleeping Cyva tucked beneath his arm. Every breath she took made his heart flutter, but she was not his current focus. Instead, he reached his hand out to the girl who hesitantly took in. She hovered forward, stopping only when she could place her head against his chest. She held onto his fingers firmly, refusing to let go.
“What troubles you, my heart?” he asked.
“I’m sorry... for earlier, I mean. I didn’t mean to get mad.”
“Don’t apologize. I understand how you feel completely. I know you, little Wolf. If you worry, then I worry. You have a heart of stone, just as I, but even stone can be weathered down with time.”
“I can tell when you’re both hiding something,” her words caused his eyes to flicker. “But I just want to know.”
“If your intuition gets any better, you’ll be better off with your grandmother’s name than mine... allow me to ease your burdens.” He lowered his head until she could feel a small kiss atop her head and said, “your siblings are fine. They’re strong, so you have nothing to worry about. If anything truly does happen, I will let you know. Alright?”
“Alright. Thank you, Pa.”
Even after receiving assurance, she did not leave; instead choosing to tuck herself next to him. He took a deep breath and relaxed himself. She would be asleep soon enough and then he would also be capable of doing the same. He looked at Cvya who, despite all things, was now smiling peacefully. She was definitely awake. However, he did not wish to ruin this moment. The three of them resting peacefully, if only for a moment, together as a family. It felt as if he could toss away his worries for just one night and be as normal as and aikekunai could possibly hope to be... but he could still hear it even now in the back of his mind.
“The price is not yet paid... no matter where you run or where you hide, I will have my payment. Even if I must force it from you.”
And what’s the price which must be paid?
“...”
Now you choose to be quiet?
“You chose madness, even if only for a moment, and that is within my realm. A realm you have no right to enter. You chose to neglect it, now you will face it and be judged.”
And where will I find this beginning?
“There is only one place, only one test; you must confront the beginning. You must face the abyss as all my other dogs before you two have... and you cannot avoid it any longer.” |
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Dobu
Ilnonta's Husband
163 posts
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last online Nov 28, 2024 7:40:26 GMT
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Post by Dobu on Jan 11, 2024 1:42:45 GMT
At What Cost?
Part 3
“We have a problem,” Kikana started.
“Of course, as if that wasn’t already obvious,” Mayray spoke as she placed a cigarette between her lips.
The two sat facing one another on separate sides of the circular polished oak table. Their meals had already been brought to them, Kikana having a decorated slice of cheesecake while Mayray had chosen a colorful parfait; both resting under the dim lighting.
“Your brother is taking longer than expected.”
“And you thought he’d listen? That just goes to show how out of touch you are. Then again, I guess that isn’t really such a huge secret.”
“Watch your tongue, girl.”
“Or what?” Mayray inquired as she tasted a spoonful of her dessert. “You know there is a reason I’m not allowed within a certain distance of you. Right?”
The woman spoke as if talking directly to garbage without even a chance of holding back her attitude. Her eyes looked at her chosen treat, almost as if completely disappointed, before tossing it towards the shadow at her feet and watching as it sank away; accompanied by the sound of crunching glass and a pleased low purr. Without any more distractions, she lit the cigarette between her lips and instead chose to just enjoy the flavor of burnish wine which accompanied it. The small flame could barely illuminate the thick curls atop her head, as if they fought against the light itself, and her chosen attire of a pure black bodysuit and matching black denim jacket only managed to show her mother that her guard would not be lowered around her even now. Every weapon she normally carried strapped to some location on her body.
Kikana, on the other hand, wore a black robe. Mayray knew it well, the same type of kimono she always wore when not working and the only outfits she owned without compartments for weapons hidden throughout them. Even so, that did not mean her sword did not rest on the floor at her side. She took small delicate bites of her cheesecake – Mayray almost swearing she could see a smile with every bite – and remained entirely perfect in posture and form. Despite even the argument they were currently having, she looked entirely calm and unbothered. Same as always.
“I’m technically not even supposed to be here talking to you, but then I thought about why you’d call me to begin with. So, what did you fuck up this time?”
“I did not make any mistakes.”
“Oh please. All you do is make mistakes! Mistakes which I then have to spend my time attempting to clean up!”
“I did not do anything, Mayray!”
“As if I can believe that! You rarely ever tell the truth.”
“My, what a damn sight.” His voice was smooth yet low, like the soft burn of whiskey. “You two still can’t get along and yet you act as if I should be any different.”
Unlike Mayray or his mother, Hellfire did not care for all the subtlety. He stepped directly to his seat, leaned his sword against the table with a thud, and placed his leather jacket directly on the back of the chair. As always, he looked more like some mobster than the bartender he was meant to outwardly be. Leaning back in his chair and sliding his gloved hands into his pockets; he was not nervous or concerned. In fact, it looked as if he didn’t care at all. He rarely found himself in the company of his mother and sister, one of which actively avoided him. For that reason alone he did not put much thought into the reason for the call, but that also meant he didn't have any reason to show up at all.
“You’re late, Hellfire.” Kikana was not pleased.
“Save it. Our houses don’t have a thing to do with one another, and you know it. That means you didn’t call me here for work, and I have shit to do other than entertaining some random family get together.”
“You two have no patience,” Kikana relented as she placed her fork down next to her meal. “Now that you’re both here we can begin.”
She rose to her feet, lifting her weapon up with her. She did not draw the weapon, merely holding it horizontally in front of her chest; making the smallest gap between the guard and scabbard. That sliver of her blade which could be seen dripped with darkness, and that same darkness hit the floor and spread as if flooding the room entirely. It climbed up the walls and to the ceiling until nothing, not even light, could be seen all around them. The silence itself felt deadly, but it did not last long. Mayray stood and continued to smoke her cigarette; Hellfire did not move from his initial seat.
“So? Let’s get this over with so I can go home,” Mayray sighed.
“This involves your brother-”
“And that’s where I’m going to stop you,” Hellfire began. “What in the fucking Void makes you think I give a damn about him?”
“Jer-”
“Quiet, May. I don’t want to hear it. You got everyone pressin’ me to leave the jackass alone, scheme behind my back to keep me from getting what’s mine by right, and now you expect me to sit here while you prattle on about the prick?”
“He’s changing. It’s little by little, but he’s changing,” Kikana stated.
“Changing? What’s that supposed to mean? He’s alive and all living things change, against your wonderful ideals. Be specific.” Mayray’s words followed by a puff of smoke.
“It’s like he is a completely different person at times. I have been investigating-”
“Look, this all interesting stuff I'm sure... but I don’t give a damn.” Hellfire stood to his feet and grabbed his things as he spoke, “If this is all you called me for then I’ll be going back to the Forge. I was busy, after all.”
“I've caught him talking to himself on multiple occasions,” the words caught both of her children’s attention.
“For how long?” Mayray immediately questioned her.
“I can’t say for certain, but as far as I know it has been several months. Almost a year.”
“And you decided to keep this from me until now? Typical.”
“I wanted to be completely certain.”
“Not to be a bother, but what the fuck are you two talking about?” Hellfire started.
“He doesn’t know?” Mayray then spoke.
“Why would I tell him? The only reason I chose to do it now is because there are many more factors in play than originally anticipated.”
“Gabi... now I get it," Mayray deduced.
“Gabi? The fuck is Gabi?” he asked with a raised brow.
“Alright, for fuck’s sake, let me explain. This has happened before and we normally don’t care to tell you because, speaking plainly, you’re a liability whenever anything involves our brother. However, we don’t have the luxury for that now. This is happening faster than I originally anticipated, and after the last one skipped it entirely.”
“I still don’t know the cause," Kikana mentioned. "It could possibly be entirely random.”
“What?! What could be random?!” Hellfire snapped.
“Be patient, stupid. I’m not mom, I’ll fucking end you,” Mayray started before tossing her cigarette on the ground. “Gahbreal married Cyva, yes. That’s no secret. The secret is that they already have a daughter. Gahbriogyva, Gabi for short, is a well-kept secret for a reason and you will keep it that way. The problem is that he’s beginning to reach the abyss.”
“So that’s two things; I’m an uncle and something exists called the what? The abyss?”
“Not quite.” Now it was Kikana’s turn to explain. “The abyss does not exist and yet it does. It is here and yet it is not. We are all technically in it, but whether we see it or not is situational. He only showed me once... and it almost killed me. It's compact, dense, difficult to navigate and liable to destroy you. That is simply the nature of darkness.”
The atmosphere seemed thick with shades of black and deep indigo. It felt as if the world itself were attempting to have her run in the opposite direction, and yet she stood her ground and proceeded forward. The stone stairwell led further and further up the mountain. Trees billowing under the pressure of the wind, red leaves waving in the air and shifting around her feet; the soft crunch behind every step a calming reminder that she had no need to be afraid of her own son, and yet she still hesitated when spotting him. There, watching over the land beneath them with the type of presence only an aikekunai could command, stood Gahbreal. The moonlight just barely cast a reflection on the pitch-black armor covering his entirety. As the wind settled for a moment his cloak draped over him, covering him in a veil of dark. Surely, as she looked upon her son, there was no doubt in her mind that she had created the perfect aikekunai. It's what she was born to do.
His head turned slightly, his eyes like two pools of glimmering blood under the night sky before his eyes turned to face her. There was a moment of silence, both watching one another as if to measure the other’s position. Then, with a voice both monotone and calm carried over the wind...
“Do you know what it means to face true madness?”
“What do you mean, Gahbreal?” she responded as if to test him.
“I mean the very depths of it. Few people can really, truly feel the weight of that madness and return unscathed. Only our house can tolerate its darkness.”
“That is the way of darkness, of our house, of Dimea. What has called on this odd question?”
“What if there were something deeper?” The very suggestion caused Kikana to shiver. “What if the darkness reaches even further? A depth we had not known all this time. A space in which madness is everything; a darkness that surpasses darkness. The deep, the darkest of darkness... the abyss.”
She didn’t have time to ask questions, the very air around them growing deeper, darker, until they were surrounded by black silence. There was no point in speaking now. She had been chosen, as many others had been before her, as one of her son’s examples. But an example to herself? The very thought confused her. She did not waver, did not budge; only looking directly at him with a stern gaze meaning to tell him that she was not fazed. As he had said, darkness carries traces of madness within it and his is even a step above that. However, he did not relent and instead focused his eyes on her with even more curiosity.
“Good. You are unscathed by this depth.”
“Did you think this would be enough to move me?” Kikana responded.
“If you can handle this, I suppose you will be a good test subject,” he said as his eyes swirled like red spirals. “Now I will show you a glimpse of the deeper abyss.”
She looked at him for a moment, wondering if he would begin. Had he been overselling this realization of his? Kikana found herself thinking that "perhaps this would serve as an example for her son involving cockiness"... then she could not think at all.
The silence had invaded her mind. She could not form a thought. When she attempted to speak no voices came out; when she blinked her eyes, her son was gone. Then, in a rush, she could hear everything all at once. Like every single existing sound throughout all known universes were echoing in her ears all at once. She didn’t even attempt to shield her ears, as the sound was directly occupying all spaces, both inside and out. Her feet seemed to sink into the darkness beneath her. A viscous darkness, like liquid rising up her ankles before submerging her underneath; the feeling of falling and sinking both at once, the feeling of drowning and yet only air filled her lungs. She coughed, her body not knowing how to respond after receiving a mouthful of liquid air, before she could finally see around herself again.
The moon was gone, only darkness in the sky. The ground beneath her feet crumbling and falling away repeatedly; over and over, as if to never let her feel at ease. The clouds passed by as if days were moving by in a single moment, but the water far beneath them looked as still as resting oil. There was no wind, the sound of everything all at once still filling her ears. The world around her seemed to be consistently moving in frames and yet it was all in shades of black and darker black. Yet now, unlike before, she could see him again. Gahbreal standing right in front of her with his eyes still locked on her. He looked more shadow than man, as if the darkness had corrupted her vision as well as his being.
“Can you taste it?” his voice peppered her. It wasn’t in her head like the rest, rising over it directly to her ears and fading away with a slow echo... It felt as if each word were physically assaulting her. “The abyss, the very depths of darkness I can reach. Does it not fulfill you to walk here?”
“What are you showing me?” She attempts to speak and yet the words do not leave her mouth.
“I wanted you to see this. Feel this. This is the madness I command. An all-powerful darkness not even the Dimea can retain their sanity within if ill prepared. Reaching past the boundaries of what we call normality. A madness that can destroy or build, a madness which can kill alongside me as well as nurture. Imagine the possibilities. Within this abyss, I can leave signs and symbols for others to see. Messages hidden within insanity. It pierces the mind and bombards those within; showing them the truths in madness.”
“What truth?” She could now barely hear her voice and then... silence again as everything returned to the stark black background. Featureless.
“Madness is no one thing. It can help you grow, make you grow; weaken you or even squash you under its pressure. It is like an entity of its own. It can show you what you need to see, show you what you want to see, show you what you do not wish to see, or show you what you never could imagine. But what it more than often chooses to show you is fear. Insanity. It warps the mind and distorts the senses, leaving only a husk of who once was. Madmen, touched by the abyss.”
“And why are you showing this to me?” her voice echoed in the dark.
“Why else?” he said as he pointed to her feet. “When faced with a choice, I chose to face madness. I defeated it and made it my own; added it to my power. Now I need you to understand it. As my mother it is only necessary that you be capable of surviving an aikekunai. Exist beside me... or fall beneath me.”
The ground beneath her splintered like glass before she found herself falling. Where she was falling there was no telling, but as she looked around, she was met with memory after memory of her past flashing by her as she descended. All normal, all treasured, and all starting to morph and change. Faces becoming deformed and replaced with visages of darkness with eyes and mouths running red with blood. Fire sprouting all around her before turning black like coal and yet torching her skin. Then, once more, she felt herself hit the surface of water; the wind forced from her lungs. Surrounded by darkness again, bubbles rising from her lips to an unknown surface as she attempted to swim back up only to find no breach above.
Seconds became minutes, and within several of those she found herself losing the little consciousness she had been attempting to hold onto. Then, just before she could fade as she sank lower, she fell from the water and slammed against what felt like smooth ceramic stone. She coughed again, gasping for air as a black and viscous liquid poured from her mouth and blended into the ground beneath her. She looked around, pushing herself up to her feet while attempting to gain some hint as to where she was or what she could do to break this spell, but it was at that same moment she heard a footstep behind herself.
She turned on her heel and found... nothing. Another step at her back, and again there was nothing there. Each step getting louder, each step getting closer; the intervals between each growing tighter and tighter until it felt as if thousands of people were rushing her from all directions. She clutched the handle of her sword, eyes growing wide as she considered cutting through the very darkness itself to escape this madness, but then there was silence yet again. A silence which only lasted for a few seconds before another step could be heard at her back. She quickly turned around and again found... nothing.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance.”
She turned on her heel and found... nothing. Another step at her back, and again there was nothing there. Each step getting louder, each step getting closer; the intervals between each growing tighter and tighter until it felt as if thousands of people were rushing her from all directions. She clutched the handle of her sword, eyes growing wide as she considered cutting through the very darkness itself to escape this madness, but then there was silence yet again. A silence which only lasted for a few seconds before another step could be heard at her back. She quickly turned around and again found... nothing, again.
"It seems familiar, doesn't it?"
The woman’s voice came just as quickly as the sword to her throat. There wasn’t a second to react before the blade slid across her neck. She could feel it all so vividly, almost past the point of reality. She could feel every inch, every cell of her skin severed, the flesh hiding beneath it, the breath in her throat, the bone of her spine so very accurately! Her senses running on overdrive as the very world seemed to slow! And as her head went spinning into the air, black threads fluttering around it as if attempting to defy fate, her eyes were inevitably drawn to her daughter who had committed the act.
Perhaps she was right. Perhaps I should have simply killed her. Perhaps I need to-
Her eyes were immediately met with the same view she had left behind at the start. Gahbreal standing in front of her at the top of the cliff, his eyes looking down on her as if examining some creature. She, on the other hand, had at some point fallen to her knees. Her hands gripped at her now messy hair as if attempting to rip at all out; her eyes refusing to close themselves for even a moment. Her jaw remained slack, as if her body were still incapable of believing what had been experienced. She was a mess, and she had no idea when she had ended up that way. It was all just a blur, and yet there was one thing which remained stuck in the recesses of her mind, scraping at her sanity, gnawing in her mind... the urge to slay her own daughter.
“What did you experience?” the male inquired.
“Huh?” his mother responded. “I don’t... I...”
He looked at her for a moment, his eyes blinking once slowly before closing entirely as he released a sigh. Kikana had finally lowered her hands, her eyes now looking down at them as the sound of Gahbreal’s heavy steps could be heard approaching and passing her by.
“That will be all... I will call on you again at a later time if I require your assistance... go rest.”
“If he has reached that point, he will only end up following the same path as the other lives which have done the same. Curiosity leading him further until he wanders further into the abyss. If that happens, we run into a different problem.”
“Is that right?” Hellfire unenthusiastically responded. “This is important, why?”
“Don’t be so dense,” Mayray reprimanded him. “Almost all his past lives have dealt with the same situation, excluding two. The abyss warps the mind indefinitely, if mother's word is to be trusted, and its effects never go away. In Gahbreal’s case he will end up changing just as he did in the past. He leaves fragments within their soul which will force them into seeing what he or wants them to see, effectively warping them to be just like him in both ideals and actions.”
“Okay... and what type of change are we talkin’ about and why is it so important?”
“The first,” Kikana responded with a look in her eyes full of uncertainty. “He will see what the first saw and inevitably have his mind warped in the same manner. At that point, his first life will take the reins entirely and begin his initial hunt for the lost.”
“Our brother is... odd, Hellfire. His lives all live by a specific code they pass down with their skills; essentially binding them to their hunts for the lost. However, the targets are all preferential. Once he sees whatever he sees in the abyss he always ends up the same, and since the first requested to always be brought back the same person it only intensifies the problem.”
“Whatever he sees I believe is always the same, whatever it is always drives him to the precipice of madness, and then first Gahbreal awakens... the name is not so much a title now as it is an ideal. Him seeing the abyss is him becoming Gahbreal. Once he becomes that true Gahbreal he only cares about hunting the lost. But the first Gahbreal, my Gahbreal, condemns much of the claimant populace to already be lost.”
“And you’re saying he’s going to go on some kind of killing spree?” Hellfire questioned them.
“Not exactly. He’s not that crazy. Best case scenario is that he gets another apprentice. Thankfully Cyva was an exception among them brought on by Jaiho’s request, but he has only had two others; both are massive problems and entirely loyal to him and no one else.”
“The idea is simple,” Mayray started with an annoyed expression. “He sees the abyss; he starts to plan and plot again. If we’re lucky then he’ll just get a new apprentice. If we aren’t then we must act before he takes the worst step possible.”
“And what might that be? The idiot isn’t that powerful, you two can deal with this without me.”
Their mother clasped her weapon back into its scabbard; the darkness gone the very moment it happened. She placed the weapon back down at her side as she sat and looked at her now warm dessert. It did not help that she had already been made to see just how extreme his madness could force a person. But even with that information and experience, regardless of how powerful she could become, it was something she did not want to face again. It placed within her mind the thoughts of killing her own daughter; made her believe it was the right choice only for a moment, and she had believed it was the right choice ever since regardless of how much she refuses to do it. It made her stomach turn, her very mind turn, and neither of the two with her would know unless they were made to face it themselves. All they could see was the discomfort on her face as she closed her eyes tightly and placed her hands on her lap. A deep breath and her eyes opened again. She looked at Mayray who was now more focused than before; then at Hellfire who did not look pleased but did look interested. In her mind she felt it was not wise to tell him, but there was very little choice and even fewer capable hands.
Gahbreal, in his past lives, had always faced this hurdle and failed to overcome it. Perhaps it was set up to remain incapable of being overcome, but the fact remained the same. Their entire personalities changed to mimic that of his first life, making it all the easier for him to simply become himself. As if attuning his soul to have his soul fit the body it is within. Always Gahbreal, always the same. Although they all had their own personal traits which differentiated them from the others, they always ended up the same in the end. There weren't many people Kikana could think of who could confidently plot something like this alongside him, but there was a single culprit who would even dare to place themself with her child in this manner. Having him act in a way which means to have him crave madness... a single woman with the authority he considered capable of giving him counsel.
“Hellfire. No... Jerimyha. I’ll need to explain a something to you so that you can understand this situation like we do. For that to happen we’ll have to start from the beginning and explain the relationship between Gahbreal and his predecessor... Lilith.” |
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