|
Post by Daegan on Jan 18, 2008 12:40:48 GMT -5
His eyes narrowed, the Soul Fire arching over his upper torso as the undead patrol stopped and turned, growling at the sudden appearance of the Sage. Daegan suppressed a growl as he brought his left hand snapping upwards. Soul Fire leapt from his body moments later and then seemed to vanish in the darkness, the undead stopping as the same eerie aqua blue color of the Soul Fire began to glow about there bodies.
“Take me to your master; I seek council with the Sage of Darkness.”
The glowing around the undead became more vibrant as the small patrol halted, staring blankly at Daegan. The Soul Fire began to burn over his shoulders as Daegan kept his left hand out from his side, palm facing the patrol. Almost reluctantly, the undead turned and began to walk towards the citadel in the center of the City of Darkness. The Sage was rather uneasy and emotions swept through him like a maelstrom.
He wanted Sitherack dead, but for now, it was time to be somewhat diplomatic.
|
|
|
Post by Sitherack's Soul on Jan 20, 2008 20:42:24 GMT -5
The guardians of the entry way of the Citadel stopped the Undead patrol and watched Daegan cautiously, once it was made known that He was seeking an audience with Darken he would be escorted to a small but comfortable meeting chamber on the lowest floor of the citadel, and a messenger dispatched to inform Sitherack of his “guest”.
Sitherack was still sleeping when the pounding of his door woke him from the rather disturbing dream that he had been having. The last words of that bizarre young woman echoing in his head like a ringing of a gong. He shook his head and rubbed sweat from his forehead as he sat up. The messenger did not knock again as were Sitherack's instructions, he would simply wait patiently no matter how long until Darken saw fit to answer.
He took several minutes pulling himself together before he saw fit to open the door. When he did eventually open the door he looked like hell. Dark circles under his eyes betrayed his lack of restful sleep, his skin was pale and sweat slicked, almost as though he were sickly, but he was not. The messenger blinked at the sight of him but bowed respectfully.
“Lord General, the Sage of Shadows had visited the city seeking an audience with you sire. He appears to have come alone, however it is apparent he has taken personal control of a small patrol of undead legionaries upon entering the city.” The messenger swallowed nervously upon delivering the news to his Sage, but seemed relieved when Sitherack answered.
“How odd, I shall deal with it go on about your business.” He turned and held his arm out toward the Arc of Darkness and it vanished from its prop next to the night stand of his bed and reappeared in his hand. Then he turned and marched thoughtfully down the hall towards Deirdre's quarters. He didn't bother to knock, as she had no longer any need for privacy.
Opening the door he was unsurprised to find her sitting in a large throne like chair that faced the doorway where she had been retired to after the last strategy meeting. She hadn't moved from her chair, still sitting nude save her strange tattoos the Arc of Death resting across her knees, her head down staring blankly at the weapon which had so consumed her, body and soul.
“The Sage of Shadows has arrived to meet with me, you are to go and retrieve him, bring him to my personal war room, oh and one other thing, he Seems to think he can control your legionaries, Teach him otherwise, then bring him to my personal war room and we shall see what is so pressing that he risks certain death.”
She stood and walked past him without so much as acknowledgment that he had spoken. Such was the way of her now, the living held little or no interest for her, not even one whom she was compelled to obey, everything was at the bare minimum of acceptance. Soon he would have to take the Arc from her otherwise it would consume her completely and he would loose even what tenuous control he had over her now. After she left he made his way to his war room and stood looking silently out the window at the completed city of Tarthia, the obsidian citadel rising high over the city gave a spectacular view, but it did not please him, his mind was occupied with dreams.
|
|
Deirdre
New Member
Death Sedi Daughter of Deagan Sister of Wynne, Zinerva and Raeghan
Death Daughter of Daegan
Posts: 8
|
Post by Deirdre on Jan 20, 2008 20:44:16 GMT -5
She moved silently through the Citadel, the Arc of Death gripped loosely in her left hand, but bonded to her more tightly than any part of her body. She ignored the looks of some of the Male Sedian elites in the lower levels that could help but stare at her seductively naked form. She may have been undead, but she certainly looked alive enough for them. Her cool skin had a deathly white shade, making the dark blood tattoos more noticeable, her movements were graceful, and her eyes alert. The seeming disinterest she displayed earlier was still there but underneath there was a keen intellect working. The Arc of Death had its own purpose, with her as its instrument she could hear the cries of the souls of all the dead for countless generations. The invisible souls cloaked her and caressed her form, whispering things to her that she only half heard even now.
The Door outside the chambers Daegan was waiting in opened and she glanced at the Sage of Shadows. Her eyes stared through him unrecognizing,empty in their own right but aware, disturbingly aware. Her grip on the Arc of death tightened slightly and the Undead under Deagan's control snapped upright, a brief whine escaping from them before they crumbled to dust right there.
“There is no room for the weak at deaths door.” Her eyes turned unfeelingly towards Daegan and her curled a finger at him. “Come, The lord General awaits you... Lord General.” A slight curl to her lips betrayed the first emotion, a slight wry sense of amusement.
|
|
|
Post by Daegan on Jan 20, 2008 21:03:46 GMT -5
His eyes narrowed and the door swung open, the Soul Fire burning brilliantly in his eyes. It raged along his shoulders like a hundred wild fires, creating an intense amount of shadows in the already darkened room. They snaked and seethed around his form, wrapping upwards like serpants around the Sage’s body. He gripped the Arc of Shadows tightly in his right hand, his left hand sticking out from his body at a ninty-degree angle from it. His hand was cocked and open, fingers splayed in some sort of bizarre pattern as a small ball of Soul Fire hovered inches below Daegan’s outstretched palm.
The auras around the undead patrol Daegan had ceased control of flickered and then faded from view as the undead crumbled into dust at his feet. A light growl escaped his throat as Daegan’s head shot up, locking his burning eyes onto those of Deirdre. His angry expression twisted into one of confusion as he stared at the undead visage of his daughter. He dropped his arm as if it were a limp noodle and tilted his head slightly, studying his daughter’s appearance and the Arc she held in her hand.
“Deirdre… it’s me. It’s daddy, Deirdre. By the Shadows I’ve found you at last…”
Cautiously the Sage moved forward, watching his daughter’s face and body, reading her stance. His ears twitched, and the Soul Fire continued to blaze brilliantly in his eyes and over his shoulders. He still gripped the Arc of Shadows tightly in his right hand as he moved towards his daughter.
|
|
Deirdre
New Member
Death Sedi Daughter of Deagan Sister of Wynne, Zinerva and Raeghan
Death Daughter of Daegan
Posts: 8
|
Post by Deirdre on Jan 20, 2008 23:53:44 GMT -5
She cocked her head to the side, a flicker of recognition in her eyes that came and went in a blink. Insanity ruled her mind now, true it was coherent enough but everything was interpreted in a way the living couldn't possibly understand. She smiled and turned away, starting to walk in the direction of the ascending staircases. Even as she walked she spoke however.
“Perhaps you are perhaps you are not, perhaps you are a shade, here to taunt and trick a lot, never the less you are here, and we need to be there, I suggest we start walking. And don't call your shadows to take you anywhere here... you would not like where you end up. Its cold.” Her voice had an absent quality, her mind alert but lost, thoughts scattered, her actions compelled.
She continued to walk but paused for a second, her back stiffening as though in pain briefly before turning to glance at him. “I'm not lonely you know. Solitude is a privilege not granted the damned.” The souls around her wrapped her form, invisible to the eye, but caressing, she could feel them, not on her body, but in her soul, they craved the Arc, were drawn to it like a moth to the flame, and for now, she was the wielder, so the souls were hers.
|
|
|
Post by Daegan on Jan 21, 2008 12:28:30 GMT -5
The ravenous look in her eyes and her words struck the Sage like a hammer as he nodded. The Soul Fire flared one more time and then blinked suddenly out of existence, the aqua ring around his dark eyes quivering for a second and then became still. The Arc of Death negated what nether energy he could call upon from his dealings with necromancy and the images from his dreams were flickering back into his mind.
“Your sisters… Deirdre…”
Daegan trailed off as he followed his undead daughter to where she was taking him. He secured the Arc of Shadows at his side as he walked, the shadows falling away from his body. He could feel the darkness around him, suffocating him, but he remained stoic on the outside, head tilted down slightly.
“I’ll always love you, Deirdre. Never forget that.”
A single tear slid down Daegan’s cheek as they walked, sorrow once more filling the Sage of Shadows. He looked dead himself, his normally pale skin even more white, much like Deirdre’s. His face was expressionless and what little shadows that existed within the Citadel remained where they were instead of slithering to him like usual. He looked like any other Sedian male only dressed slightly better. As if he was but a shade of his former self.
Slowly, Daegan stepped into the War Room, eyes narrowing slightly as the saw the back of the Sage of Darkness, staring out into the Land of Eternal Night. His right arm twitched, and it took all of Daegan’s self control to keep from grabbing the Arc of Shadows and diving at Sitherack. But he held his composure. Daegan knew it might be suicide coming to Tarthia by himself, but part of him wanted that. He wanted Sitherack to attack him, to strike him down in one last epic battle. And then his grief would be gone.
Daegan then stopped, standing just past the doorway as he spoke, hands folded behind his back.
“I bring word from Lasius. It seems our troubles aren’t over yet, and keep getting worse. The very Elements that bind us all together are threatening to fail which will end us as a whole. We seek the Arc of Life…”
He then trailed off, images of his dreams floating through his mind. Sitherack standing next to Deirdre and Zinerva. It made his stomach turn, but still Daegan did not move. His head remained slightly lowered, his eyes locked on the black ground before him. There were no shadows, no nether energy to speak of. It was as if Daegan was completely alone in the Land of Darkness.
|
|
|
Post by Sitherack's Soul on Jan 23, 2008 1:49:31 GMT -5
Sitherack ignored Daegan's entrance into the War Room, as was his customary reaction whenever presented with one of his rivals, ignore them until they became a threat, or aroused his curiosity at any rate besides his mind was still half existing in the bizarre dream that provoked his thoughts so. However when Daegan spoke his attention promptly snapped back to the here and now. It wasn't anything Daegan said however that caught his attention, but rather the tone with which he spoke.
The man sounded unlike any other time he had ever spoken to Sitherack, and this caught his curiosity. He turned and examined the Sage of Shadows noting the inactivity of the shadows the lack of soul fire, the downcast stare. The Sage looked defeated, weakened and on his last legs it was odd in its own way, he had wanted to defeat Daegan, but to see the man in this state was not the kind of victory he had in mind.
“I have never seen you like this Sage of Shadows, it does not bode well for the Sedian Race to have a man as powerful as you defeated and broken in this way. You may not share my vision of a united Sedi under darkness, but you are still a symbol of strength for many of our people. You being in this state does not bode well for the nation as a whole. I'll not lie to you I would be one of the first to strike you down Daegan, but to see you like this is discouraging.”
He leaned on the table and looked Daegan square in the eye his stare penetrating and without an ounce of sympathy. It was the gaze of a predator looking for weakness in his prey but something more, some ounce of interest in preserving the man, for some odd purpose unspoken but in its own right necessary.
“Something has obviously happened to you Daegan, and it has nothing to do with my brother, the fact that you have come here, to seek me out and not him bespeaks of it far more acutely than anything you could have said, so tell me. What is it that has caused such devastation to you?”
|
|
|
Post by Daegan on Jan 23, 2008 7:30:42 GMT -5
The words of Sitherack seemed to melt away from Daegan like rain striking a greased surface. Daegan did not fear Darken, nor did he fear the death that was surely awaiting both he and his people around the next corner. Slowly, Daegan’s head rose, his eyes locking onto Sitherack’s. There was still no Soul Fire, the aqua ring around his eyes deathly still. The shadows still did not linger.
“Devastated?”
Like a thousand explosions, all the rage in the world burning in Daegan’s eyes. It wasn’t any sort of physical manifestation like usual, but it was certainly there. The fury that coursed through Daegan’s veins like the very blood that sustained his life. The energy that drove him now. The feeling of Vengeance.
“The whole of our people are ravished or ripped back from beyond the grave and now we are plunged deeper into peril as the very souls that bind us all together threaten to be destroyed. We are all devastated, Sitherack, not just me.”
His voice remained the same, but the rage was still there, still burning in his eyes. He made no moves at the Arc of Shadows, his hands staying clamped tightly behind his back.
“The Arc of Life must be found for there to be any chance at survival. How our people are united and which flag they stand under is a matter for another day.”
|
|
|
Post by Sitherack's Soul on Jan 23, 2008 9:56:54 GMT -5
His eyes went distant again as he turned away and went back tot he window, gaze returning to the darkness so very reminiscent of his dream, the glittering pinpricks of light from the city below seemed almost unnatural here. He seemed unconcerned at the news, however there was a slight tightening of his muscles that would likely go unnoticed.
“So there is a little fire left in you after all, like a candle beside the sun that you used to be but perhaps all hope is not lost. Nevertheless you are a poor liar Daegan, I don't doubt that the danger is as very real as you have stated, but the Sedi as a race have faced similar perils throughout our history. The people deal with such things because they know people like yourself, my brother and I are here to save them. Remember that.”
He turned away from the window with a slightly haunted look in his eyes as his mind turned over the impossibilities of uniting his race without the devastation of those responsible for its salvation countless times. And of course there were those haunting words that washed over him, what do they have that you lack? It crawled under his skin and festered there.
“Blasted dreams...”
He glanced up at Daegan and sighed. “The Arc of Life is not in my possession, but what I can tell you is that its not simply laying around the world somewhere. Awhile ago there was an incursion into the outer perimeter of the Tarthian defenses, it was small, one of our undead was killed, but after examination Deidre concluded that it was annihilated using pure life force. The trace of energy was overwhelming, no mere Life Sedi could have accomplished the task, it had to be The Arc.”
“There is another thing you probably ought to report to my brother...”
He cut off as a knock sounded on the outer door, and glanced to it.
“My apologies it slipped my mind to inform the guards that I wished not to be disturbed, I will send the messenger away.” He gestured obscurely and the door opened. To reveal a medium build man in the worn uniform of a Sedian Elite, who saluted immediately.
“Lord General, I bring word from the south Sire, Field General Zinerva reports reconstruction of the Gate is proceeding ahead of schedule.”
Sitherack nodded thoughtfully, smiling with a pleased look in his eye.
“Very well commander, you may go.”
|
|
|
Post by Daegan on Jan 23, 2008 12:35:56 GMT -5
Daegan’s eyes narrowed as Sitherack turned away from him, the aqua ring around his eyes quivering for just a split second. His right hand twitched, as if begging Daegan to reach down and grab the Arc of Shadows, but the Sage remained firm and steadfast, hands remaining behind his back. His gaze did not leave Sitherack’s form, all the rage in the world still boiling in his eyes.
“The severity you place upon this situation is up to your judgment, Sitherack. Whether you chose to believe our destruction is imminent or not is entirely on your shoulders. I am merely the messenger. The Arc of Life must be secured or we are lost to oblivion.”
The aqua ring around Daegan’s eyes quivered again, the shadows in the room bending ever so slightly as Sitherack mentioned his daughter’s names. It was an intense feeling as Daegan fought back his emotions, feeling the anger churn inside his very being. It was as if he had all of the Arcs assembled around him, wearing the God’s Armor created from joining the mighty weapons. But still the Sage did not speak, did not make any movement towards Sitherack, or at all. He remained exactly where he was when he first entered the War Room.
“Darkness and Death…”
His words were hardly audible, even to himself as Daegan’s eyes returned to the ground. Once more the Soul Fire ring quivered in his eyes, the rage almost becoming unbearable. The Sage of Darkness had rebuilt his stronghold and fortified it, using the eternally damned fallen Sedi and his two daughters to achieve such a goal. Daegan’s left hand curled into a tight fist, his right holding the balled hand loosely behind his back. His fingernails bit into his skin, tiny rivulets of blood forming from the wound.
“What news for Lasius? And then I’ll be on my way.”
He brought his gaze back up from the floor, to lock onto Sitherack’s own gray eyes once more. The Soul Fire quivered slightly as Daegan spoke, his tone still flat and void of emotion. It was getting taxing just being in the Land of Darkness, let alone hearing of his daughters aiding Sitherack. Daegan was beginning to struggle to keep his composure.
|
|
|
Post by Sitherack's Soul on Jan 24, 2008 11:41:48 GMT -5
“On your way? Just like that? Well I don't suppose there would be much point to inviting you to share a meal, rest comfortably for the night...” He smirked wryly but then seemed to snap back into a serious frame of mind as though the small moment of humor he had displayed had never existed. “The Sedi wielding the Arc of Life left no elemental remnant behind. You would think that they would have used their element at some point, but there was nothing, only the faint life energies of the Arc remained. At least there was nothing we could detect.”
He sighed debating whether or not to share this fact with the dreaded rival before him, but in the end reason won out over emotion, they would have no rivalry if they all ceased to exist, besides there was little value of the information now that the situation had changed so drastically.
“The only possibility would be if the Sedi wielding the Arc were of the Time of Existence elements. Since they haven't existed here in this world for countless millennia its entirely possible that most Sedi, even really old ones like us have lost the ability to trace their elemental energies.” He frowned disturbed again by the possibility that one of these outcasts still lived. Their powers were completely out of control, and to add to that the immortality of the Arc of Life was daunting to say the least.
“Take that news back to L...” He cut off mid word his eyes widening in shock, a look of horror crossing his face. A single ray of sunlight lit a patch of the table in front of him, between Daegan and Sitherack. He spun almost frantically, towards the window seeking the source of the rouge ray of light. It didn't take long to find it, the sky was fractured. Darkness still covered the vast majority of the sky, but like a widening crack in a piece of glass the light of noon day was spreading across the Land of eternal night in a vicious demented version of a sunrise.
He pulled the Arc of Darkness in front of him and filled himself with the power of darkness reaching out tot he skyline to heal the shattered night, but nothing happened. The Darkness was there, beckoning to be used, but it would not obey his commands.
The Arc of Darkness slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor, the sound shattering the silence of the War room as Sitherack stared at the insane skyline. “It cannot be...” He stepped backward then again, increasing in pace till his legs came into contact with the table where he reached behind to steady himself. His thoughts raced He had not prepared himself for the failure of the Darkness element on such a broad scale.
“I must accompany you Daegan, we must go immediately...”
|
|
|
Post by Daegan on Jan 24, 2008 12:39:53 GMT -5
Sitherack’s sudden panic made the corners of Daegan’s mouth tug into a slight grin, but only for a split second. It was like a hissing sound, the darkness recoiling as the pure ray of light shattered it. Daegan could feel the surge of shadows as the light penetrated the darkness, could feel them pulling at Daegan. Begging to be used.
“I told you it was more serious than you thought.”
It made the bile rise in his stomach as Daegan sighed, his voice beginning to brim with slight tones of concern. It not even the Arcs could stop the failing of the Elements, then things were a bit more dire than he had initially thought. The rage still boiled in Daegan’s eyes as his right hand snapped out from behind his back, his bloodied palm wrapping around the hilt of the Arc of Shadows, pulling it from the scabbard at his side.
“Our differences will be dealt with at a later time, Sage of Darkness. And brace yourself; the Shadow Realm isn’t a pleasant place.”
As soon as Daegan’s hand touched the Arc of Shadows, they leapt from the corners and cracks of the room, surging to pool around Daegan’s feet and snake up his body. The Sage moved slowly towards Sitherack, the aqua ring in his eyes quivering and then exploding suddenly. Tiny bolts of Soul Fire crackled from his eyes as the eerie nether energy erupted over his shoulders and arms. With the growing sunlight, more and more shadows accumulated in the War Room, pooling and wrapping around Daegan.
As he reached Sitherack, tendrils of the shadow began to jump from Daegan’s body, flying through the air to latch onto Sitherack like some sticky, mud substance. There was no heat from the shadow, just a strange sensation, almost like a field of static electricity was beginning to form about the two.
Daegan sighed and closed his eyes, his grip on the Arc of Shadows tightening. The shadows began to pool around Sitherack’s feet as well, snaking up his body as Daegan reached out to touch the Sage of Darkness with his left hand.
He looked at Sitherack one last time, all of the hatred in the world present in his eyes. He let the look linger for only a second, making sure Sitherack saw before the two completely flickered from view, the shadows snapping back into there places in the now empty War Room.
|
|