Another Form To Shift - Vali Takes A Favorite [Private Lyra]

Ice had brewed itself into a hardened substance that caused the walls of the cave to hold still despite the desperate beating of the wind which howled from the outside in. The cold aroma of something otherworldly hung in the air, completely natural without being hindered by other scents. The smell of something happening. The smell of something new to the earth, and something all too exciting. The smell of a certain allure that clung onto those that it wanted to cling to, before setting them loose to do what they would do naturally, in the most unnatural sense. That was just the scent however, and nothing more. Ice in the form of thousands and millions of snow flakes blew from as many different directions as was possible, often causing smaller tornadoes and blizzards of snow and ice to erupt from nowhere in particular. It all smacked together and began to howl like the wolves that roamed the night along the snow covered mountains, and icebergs. Strange pillars of ice stuck up from the ground like icicles that had been frozen and then planted in the ground as a way to keep people from traveling easy. It was the world's cruel way of offering welcome in these desolate parts. Snow had all but filled the ground, and covered the smaller ice crystals that stuck up like nails in front of the large opening that bore itself into the side of a particularly large block of what might look like rock and ice if it were not for the heavy covering of ice that simply gave it the appearance of what one might normally think of when hearing the word "cave."

Inside, the hallway was long, and seemingly all that there was. Light was kept within the cave, bouncing along the walls, with the support of many numerous candles that were posted atop large ice blocks, stones, and stuck within heaps of snow. By this means, there was enough light to mimic what normal lights would accomplish in a normal home. The floor was built on nothing more than snow. There was no mimic for carpets, nor was there a mimic for any kind of tiles. Water and slight melting had caused the water to re freeze as ice, giving the floor an extremely shiny glow in combination with the candles. The first ten yards of the cave was nothing more than this. Walls that rose up to about eight or nine feet, and rested easily that distance apart from each other gave a perfectly spacious feeling. The walls had suffered the same furnishings, having frozen into something much more solid than compact snow flakes, now something much closer to solid ice. The entire cave glowed with a golden gleam around the candles, and where the light was unable to touch, a solid and true blue enchanted the space. From this area, the cave split off into numerous ends, the floor and walls remaining the same, as well as the consistency of the candles. Random clusters of ice, smaller icebergs and groups of ice crystals, littered the cave's floor. Many of these clusters rose to be up to nine feet tall, reaching and joining the ceiling.

Vali was expecting someone. A female, and someone that he would find more precious than even he knew. In the deep room that could be easily found be going straight from the mouth of the cave, and into its depths, there was a chair. It was no ordinary chair and was more of a throne. What was more, it was not crafted, not was it made by any form of magic. It was almost as if it had been placed there for this occasion in particular - the entrance of someone fitting enough to naturally construct a throne from the earth's elements for - a god, in other words. A god that had plans, and a connection to the cold ice that stung at most humans. Out stretched fingers of Vali's image lay against the arm rests of the perfectly created throne, looking as though they were pressing against its cold nature. His grin was something of its own key signature mark, showing that he was not someone that was like anyone else. In fact, it would impossible to have someone that was to be exactly like the gods. Not even those bread with god's blood mixed into their own blood looked as though they were fully that of a god. Vali's eyes burned of purple, which stared across the room, piercing the very mist that moved in slow motion across the cold ground, hiding about two inches of the foot. Vali's black cloak hung about him in a robust fashion, neatly, and yet stylishly sloppy. His form fitting, and extremely skillfully crafted Asgardian garb clung to his body underneath. Despite his seemingly young appearance, that of somewhere around what mortals would recognize as about seventeen, his body was mature and toned. The fabric of the clothes, something of a combination between leather, spandex, and cotton clung to his body tighter around the areas where his muscle pushed at it. His raven hair feel in a similar fashion, stylishly sloppy about his face, the bangs falling between his eyes, something of look that was taken from his father's image - Loki, the god of mischief. However, Vali's location was not actually what it appeared. Instead illusions completely shrouded his position, making it appear as though there were large ice crystals covering him, in the same way that other huge clusters of crystals did, connecting to the ceiling. What sat on the throne was nothing more than the image that Vali had created with the same illusion gift that he had been given through the genes and training of his masterful teacher and father. It looked like the spitting image of himself, however the shadow of a dark hood caused his face to be hard to see. That did not, however, hide the perfect features that looked as though they were too well placed to be human - and this was because he was not. His bright purple eyes screamed of something other than human, his perfect nose and full yet petite lips. His flawless skin that rang with a clear tan, while still looking ageless and pure. Others hid in the other larger groups of crystals. Surprisingly shallow breaths came from the dark furred creature named Fenrir, hanging himself against the wall that was just over the door into the slightly larger room. Illusion based crystals of ice his his entire body, looking as though it was just a huge body of ice that clung to the ceiling, and that fused with the wall.

Another group of image based crystals hid Hel, the goddess of death and hell itself. Her entire person was hidden behind a semi large pinnacle of ice. However, that alone was not a perfect protection, and the rest of her body was hidden by the illusion crystals, that looked identical to the rest of the ice within the area. The other, and last hidden member of the group stood completely still, the closest to the wall by the throne of ice. Jörmungandr, the god of assassination, as well as the holder of a powerful venom was hidden, close to the wall by the throne, hidden by the image of ice in a solid wall formation. In the end, the room looks barren of life other than Vali, who sat in perfection in the throne across from the entrance of the cave. The howling wind that blew in from the outside of the cave easily covered the small noise that might be heard should you be looking for it in utter silence of breathing from the bodies within the expansive and echoing room. Vali had no plans to do anything offensive, unless it was needed. But that was just the problem. It was never known when it was needed. What was more, from his position, he could not only manipulate his image in a perfect way to simulate himself in just as realistic a way as he could do should he actually be there, but he could now easily conjure whatever other combative and manipulative strategy he wanted. From his position in the semi middle of the room, surrounded by actual chunks of ice, he would most likely be able to see the girl's profile, as well as her back and front, giving him the ability to see what she was doing, when she was doing it. It would not be the first time that someone had tried to sneak something upon him, and he would not fall for the same thing against a human. Although, that said, this human was one that was special. Vali's strategical way of going about hiding himself was perfect. In this way he had complete safety should he need it, and the only visible target was an image that was unreal, and thus unable to be killed. As soon as he could hear, smell, or see her, she would be in his illusion generated world, where she saw what he wanted her to see. It was nothing short of a majestic, albeit putrid perfection. Now, all he had to do was await her entrance - and he was ever so patient.

A small patter of snow lifted from the ground as a body fell inwards and forward. It was a female, only covered by a small amount of what looked like furs. Vali was unable to see her fully, only hear her falling. However Jörmungandr was able to see her easily as he was across from her. His eyes shifted to where he knew Vali's were, even if he could not see them. As if having permission he left his spot from the illusion based ice, and walked with a hurried pace towards the woman. So this was the one that Vali was wanting to meet with. Jörmungandr's body was tall, and lean. His skin was white, and sunk in like sick flesh, always infected by poison. And that it was. Even touching him was dangerous, and to such an animal like this, he could relate. He was something of a different individual himself, different from the rest. He supposed that Fenrir was the same. Not less but more than both a human and an animal, something much more celestial and noble. However within this room, it was clear which was the most divine - Vali.

Jörmungandr made it to the woman's side quickly, his knees bending to sit by her. Without touching her, he looked her over. Vali had given no description, nor was Jörmungandr sure Vali even really knew what his visitor looked like, just that one would come. That said, Jörmungandr did not doubt Vali's calculations, and knew that this was the right individual. Despite the fact that it was a cave in plain site, it was not something of a wise idea to go traveling into one, and thus one would have to have met invitation to go wonder inwards. That said, this girl hardly looked sane, dressed in her animal skins in weather like this. Jörmungandr's voice hissed out, silent and yet still audible, like someone stating the word "whisper" while whispering - the "s" hissing out abnormally. His eyes, dark, deep and intense, glared at the woman as gently touched her furs, so as not to push his toxic skin up against her. As he pushed at her, his tongue hissed into words, speaking with a controlled low volume, high enough, however, to make it over the whistling wind that banged itself against the walls in an attempt to rival and combat the speech levels of those within.

"Ssso you are the visssitor of which Vali ssspoke. Naturally hisss calculationsss have made of themssselvesss sssomething sssplendid."

(OOC: Dont worry about it. I dont mind short posts, in fact they can be very refreshing)

Jörmungandr looked onto the individual as she reacted by contorting her body into an awake form. Her eyes looked almost panicked, primitive. Jörmungandr's smile was instant, and lit up his face lie a snake slithering across it, slowly pulling itself from one side to another. The fear in her eyes turned into instinctual movement and reflex, allowing her to hurtle herself across the cave and take a crouching position. Her own lips hissed back, almost completely animalistic in nature. She was something else, that was for sure. There was not many times, if any at all, that Jörmungandr had run into someone like this. And yet, why would Vali want someone like this in his collection of valuable individuals. What drew him to her, and vise versa? Then it happened, the woman transformed into a wolf form, and looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time, and calming itself slightly. A shape shifter. Like Vali himself, only slightly different. Vali was the god of that art, and thus had a special connection to those that, without even knowing it, followed in his foot steps as mortals.

"I sssee. Ssso you are like my brother, and that isss what bringsss you here."

Jörmungandr took a slight pause, and a deep breath before he opened his palms towards the wolf, showing that he meant no harm. "I asssume you are very confusssed, asss you should be. However I mean no harm, nor am I the one that called you here. You ssseek my brother. He is the reassson you are here. That ability makesss me sure of it." Jörmungandr waved his hand as if to say 'come follow me' and turned his back on the wolf as he walked into the next room. He assumed that, like Vali the wolf would retain the intelligence of the original mortal body, and thus would be able to understand verbal commands. What a treasure he had here.