Re: In Strange Aeons

by **Nine Tails** June 17th 2014, 11:16 pm

The void opened before them in chaotic brilliance. It was not vacant. It was not lifeless. It crawled and moaned in apathy. "We once crossed over as we pleased." Claws from deformed limbs formed and tried to scratch into the room, but this far from the epicenter of void, they fell to the ground. "Our influence ran as far as we pleased, but then the Void entered." A mouth sharp with razors of black jagged teeth formed beyond the forest sanctuary. "It is a force from beyond anything we have ever known. A manifestation we could never understand. It looms between the realms devouring any who try to cross. The portal I've created has shortened the path so the Void cannot manifest its strongest incarnations."

The face broke from the entity called the Void. Two arms descended and pulled forth a black body. Two more faces burst forth and threw down their arms. No distinguishable marks gave them uniqueness. Black ooze dripped from their bodies forming large pools of darkness. The faces darted forward, trying to bite at Sean. After the initial waves of attacks, the pools of darkness would harden and rise up, granting each one of the bodies a third appendage from their chest. With the pedestal limb holding them in place, they began to make swipes to ravage the body of the dragon.

To open the third wave of attacks, the creatures would attempt to pull Sean directly into the Void by snaring one of his legs. A direct wall of moaning faces began to form around the large abominations. Each face kept the same look, but none of them were large enough to burst forth, but they all gazed upon the companions within the sanctuary. "These creatures are more powerful than I last remember." Misaki shot forth an oil slick over one of the forms and then lit it up with her fox fire. "Still, these creatures are not the most powerful this place can unleash."

by **Arcana** June 17th 2014, 11:43 pm

One the edge of the forest sanctuary formed something, a blackness that could not be fathomed and a power that one could not simply grasp. The Void within his resplendent darkness would manifest a face, teeth sharp as death itself and a voice filled with apathy for all that stood before it. The fox spoke of it, and how it antagonized her, cutting her off from the realms, ones that she had so freely walked before. They were not even the most powerful manifestation of the void, but something told him that he should not underestimate this void any less, if he wanted to make it out of here with his head in tact. Within his hand would form energy, black ringed with red that would formed what appeared to be a hilt and then from it would sprout a blade. While he had his physical strength, something about the use of a bladed weapon seemed right within the situation.

Within an instant they would begin to assault Sean, biting at the dragon with powerful gnashing teeth that perhaps could have torn through his flesh, something that he was not willing to risk. With as much time as was afforded him, Sean would react with a flick of the wrist and a flash of the black blade that was within his hand he would deflect one of the biting faces. The tendrils that were on his back would move, parts wrapped around Amethyst still around her as she was tossed away to the ground behind him, as Sean was left with a few more limbs. Another would come his way, nearly biting into his shoulder, but finding one of the constructs on his back shifting into a large fist and swatting it away with immense strength.

The last was kicked away, Sean grumbling something to himself as he prepared for another assault. Next would come something else, powerful swipes that were aimed to ravage his body, something that Sean would prepare for with equal force. Stepping out of the side of one of the claws, he would bring down the Nether blade and sever the void hand, watching as it would slink back to the source. A few of the other limbs would rake against his flesh, drawing small annoyed red lines within his tan skin, but not blood. So it seemed that at least their claws could not break his skin, only irritate it, but he would not allow himself to get damaged. A few more swings of his blade would end this assault, but bring about the next strategy, which was trying to drag him into the void itself.

Caught off guard by the strategy, Sean cursed under his breath as he buried his draconic claws into the ground, drawing lines as he was being pulled forth. Without really having time to give a thought, his tail would lash out at the limb that was trying to pull Sean into the blackness, slamming into it with such ferocity until it could not longer hold on and Sean rolled back to his feet and made some distance. He would check upon the alchemist, who seemed to be alright for the most part, forming a sort of protective cage about her while he did what he did. ”These aren't the most powerful it can unleash?” Sean question with a certain surprise before glaring at the void monsters that stood against him. A low growl emanated from his throat as he considered a counter measure.

”Well I guess there's no use wasting time.” He muttered before taking in a deep breath, chest seeming to expand like a balloon almost and exhaling, he released a large burst of black energy much like a dragons breath. This powerful burst would stretch out, destroying anything unfortunate enough to be in its way.

by **Nine Tails** June 18th 2014, 12:10 am

No powers could save Amethyst. In a silent state of terror, Ame knew her only salvation rested in her captors defeating the horrors around her. The ground flew towards her face as she crashed against the forest floor. A swipe from one of the creatures broke towards her with enough force to cleave her in two, but the same nether binding her shielded her. She felt relief until she noticed it crafting a cage around her.

The power of this dragon seared its opponents with a fierce vitality. This man left Misaki in Awe and Amethyst in silent terror. "Well done my Lord Dragon." Misaki smiled with all the grace of a hungry wolf. "And you allowed no harm to come to my honored guest." Before her opened her home. A desolate wood, full of creeping eyes gazing out. Misaki stepped forward out of the circular portal that once stood as part of a museum. In all actuality it still existed on Earth in this very form, but much more devoid of life. The flight of the fox merely pulled her forward from one world to the next as they overlapped each other. Once she could walk from one to the next with no problems, but now, any travel to and from would mean death.

"I will bring forth a host." Misaki stepped into the woods while the Void grew restless. "Hold the rest here and I will close the gates behind us." Two more creatures would spawn forward in the same motion. One would spit forth a vile ball of concentrated force. It would send anyone it hit back, but after the initial hit, it would spawn forth another creature of smaller proportion, but just as savage.

Once the creatures no longer threatened the safety of the realm, Misaki would return with her brown haired attendant and a spell would close the portal behind them. "You can release our guest now. She has no where to go, and humans are always welcome in our home. Are they not?"

The attendant did not speak but kept her gaze focused on the newcomers to the realm. Her harsh eyes showed no mercy or kindness.

"Show some acceptance. One of our friends is a Lord of the Dragons. And he is my Lord Dragon." Misaki's eyes showed kindness, but no mercy.

by **Arcana** June 18th 2014, 12:54 am

The darkness would radiate from Sean, the darkness of both death and something else. Sean heard it, scant praise from the fox woman and praise that he would take, smirking lightly as his mouth closed and ceased to release the powerful flow of nether from his body. It seemed that for a second he had stemmed the flow of the monsters that were trying to stop them, powerful monsters that had drawn painful lines along Sean's flesh, and annoyed the powerful titanic dragon more than anyone should. The blade within his hand would increase in size, from macabre katana to a larger blade that would serve better to cleave through flesh. Within a matter of moments the fox would begin to open the portal to where they were heading, a place that was far less dangerous than The Void.

Two more of the monsters would draw forth from the darkness, and unleash a powerful force that caught Sean unaware and knocked him back, a low grunt coming from him as he slammed his blade into the ground and slid a few feet. The force alone stung, but it did not leave a mark as the claws had done, which meant that it was most some manner of diversion, for another attack to fall upon him. Another would spawn from the creature, and Sean mumbled an annoyed something under his breath. So they wanted to play hard ball? Well two could play at that game, but Sean did not waste time with that. His blade would blaze, darker in color as red sparks burst from the weapon and he gave it a swing, extending at a rapid pace as it would cleave through the preliminary and the spawned creature.

This was enough to give them the time they needed and the portal closed. Once that was done, Sean's attention fell upon a brown haired attendant as all Nether constructs that he had created would fall away, save for the ones that bound Amethyst. The woman that seemed to have brought him there suggested that he release the female and with a nod he would do so, the black bindings fading away and unfurling from her body. 'I...can release her.” Sean noted with a low growl, raising an eyebrow at the rather intense looking female. ”Hello.” Sean said inclining his head to the female, with a wide toothy smirk that would could almost take to be jovial. ”So this is your realm? It seems like a rather.....interesting place.”

by **Nine Tails** June 18th 2014, 1:56 am

Amethyst felt relieved to feel the bindings remove their grip from her, even as she hit the ground with no bracing. With a deep sense of dread, Ame lifted herself to her feet. The lack of blood from the tightness of the bonds left her legs limp, but she slowly regained her poise. "What is..."

"Only speak when spoken to, dear." Misaki saw her attendant grow more severe at the sound of Ame's voice. "Don't make me regret releasing you."

A soft word came from the mouth of the attendant catching Misaki's attention.

"Then we should not keep them waiting." Misaki turned to walk deeper into the forests. An unnatural darkness hung over the forest canopy. No vision came from beyond the branches and the lines of the faces of trees seemed masked by the blankets of darkness. "Within this realm, darkness is a force. Outside of our world it merely exists in the absence of light, but it lives here and inhabits the creatures gazing upon you."

Amethyst sought to raise a response, but kept quiet at the risk of enacting the threats of Misaki and the rage of the dragon. Her magic carried an element to light to it. Misaki witnessed some of her magic already and Amethyst knew the fate of the museum curator only meant Misaki needed her for some reason. Or some delight.

Once the veil of darkness peaked, the face of a mountain stood before them. A narrow opening stood before them. "We will meet with those of this realm. Once we have their blessing, we can begin joining our realm to the physical world." Another soft word spoke over her shoulder. "Yes. That will join the realms my dear. We must be patient thought."

The cave twisted downward until it opened to a reflecting pool surrounded by three different rock formations with circular openings in the their hearts. Energy flowed from the pool. A dark line moved to the left, a red trail to the middle, and a green stream embraced the right. The attendant moved forward to an elevated platform to overlook the reflecting pool as the energy filled hearts looked on. "Life of the Realm. The Enchantress Misaki stands before you."

Within the pool formed the faces of a fox, a black cat, and a green woman. Misaki took the place of her attendant and spoke to the pool. "I have returned. The end of our enemy is at hand. I have brought my Lord Dragon. He will be our vessel. I have with me someone born of the physical world to act as our anchor to their world. She will tether a line we will use to traverse what was once ours."

by **Arcana** June 18th 2014, 10:33 pm

The human would open her mouth and find herself silences by the fox demon, something about rhe authority that she wielded amusing Sean, and drawing a low chuckle from him. The attendant would say something and only amuse the titanic dragon even more, as he smiled wickedly to the alchemist. ”And I thought I was the severe one.” He noted amused, something about his voice sounding slightly care free as if he had temporarily cast off the pretenses of seriousness, though it may have been him wearing another mask. One could not really tell with Sean but that was how it was.

With his attention snapping from the female, he woul continue to walk along within the forest, ground beneath him almost welcoming within texture and he wondered why the Titans had not managed to reach this place as of yet. Here darkness was not simply the absence of light but something else, a living force that looked upon him with mute curiosity. They would continue to walk through the winding path until a narrow opening would greet them, one that appeared to lead into a cave. Something within Sean did not like the idea of entering into the unknown cave and something else was seemingly fine with it.

Perhaps it was the part of him that was once human trying to talk sense to the dragon of death, but that side was soon silences by what was stronger. He would venture into the cave, and see what lay within its bowels. He would step through the lips of the cave, and venture down into it, silver pools darting about and taking everything in. Soon enough they reached a pool that was split into three separate sections, each a different color and each likely representing something.

Misaki would begin to speak, to the pool where faces had formed and what caught his attention was something about him being a vessel. That suggested that he would be bearing something, and that was something he would not blindly accept. 'I will be your vessel?” he asked curiously, a little incredulous at the implications.

by **Nine Tails** June 19th 2014, 12:54 am

Misaki achieved her goal. Now she needed to procure the rest of her objectives. "Our time within this sacred place has come to an end." With her attendant in tow, Misaki ushered her guests to leave the cave. "You as the vessel will procure a line like no other." The brown haired woman beside Misaki made no motion, no real intention to even understand or add to the conversation. She knew her ladies notions and understood her role in what would need to happen. "You will wed my attendant. I do not care for your affection nor for your consent. I need to know that my realm will be strong and you have proven just that."

Amethyst brought up the rear of the travel. The notion of Misaki marrying off someone in such a political manner surprised and disgusted her. It also made her fearful of the future if this fox demon grew even more powerful in the future. This woman possessed power to shape entire realms, with an army at her back, she could destroy a world and rebuild it to her likeness.

They stopped before a large tree, fallen to the ground and splintered. The trunk of the tree stretched out into the darkness of several hundred feet while it stood taller than Ame could fathom. Inside the tree looked nothing of the outside. More attendants with sharp faces bowed before Misaki and showed her in. She removed her coat and held out her arms to accept the kimono around her body. Turning back to Sean, she sought what she came for. "The Void continues to hound us. With the tether we can continue to and from the world of men. I do not seek a way to build a bridge from this realm to the next. I seek to overlay this world to that of theirs." Misaki turned her attention to Amethyst. "Do you understand what I desire?" Ame remained silent as she looked around the lavish entry way. Misaki violently grabbed Ame's chin between her thumb and index fingers and pulled the alchemist's face to her own. "I asked you a question."

"Yes, yes." Ame spoke against the force wresting her jaw.

Misaki broke her grip and back handed Ame. "I didn't ask you twice." She returned to Sean. "If this attendant will not do..." Her hand maiden grew more severe at the slight. "I have others. More suitable to your tastes perhaps. I have others on the realm of men in my geisha houses. You will father my army. Bestow the gifts to the spirits to take back what is mine. I will return Lord Darkness to men. No longer will it merely be the absence of light."

by **Arcana** June 19th 2014, 1:19 am

He was to wed this woman’s attendant? Sean's eyes widened in both shock and disbelief at such a notion, that he would be forced to wed to such a woman, especially considering his own....inclinations. Did she intend for him to breed with her, and to create with her some line of powerful children that would further whatever goals she had? The power within her voice was immense, and he could feel a strange pulse moving through his body, starting within his gut and moving outwards. Did he have much choice within a realm of demons such as these? Even with the titanic legions at his back? His mouth would all agape, the reaction of Zell to such a preposterous notion more than he could even hope to conceive and the pressure form his council more than he would likely want to bear.

They would want him to wed one of the demons, to take her in and to put her with his child, to cement the bond that he had with these spirit creatures and to create another ally. Ahead of them stood a large tree, one greater in size than he could hope to fathom, silver eyes scanning the length of its barky exterior as his mind continued to reel from such a revelation. As they walked through the entrance, Misaki donning a kimono and turning towards him. She would speak of something, The Void still hounding them, which did not sit well with Sean who had not long ago fought the creature. Her attention would then turn to the alchemist for a moment, asking her a question as Sean rubbed the bridge of his nose, and sighed deeply. He had gotten into something far deeper than he had ever intended.

She would then turn her attention back to Sean, who blinked a couple of times at the woman. ”I....um...no she will do fine.” Sean found himself answering, going over everything and finding the action logical. Of course she spoke of fathering a new line, and he would....be partially fine with that, but that would be all really. ”This...union would perhaps be advantageous to both of us in the long run.” Sean admitted with a small nod crossing his arms over his chest and glaring slightly at gthe hand maiden.

by **Nine Tails** June 19th 2014, 2:11 am

"The deal is done." Misaki pulled forth a long edged knife. Her attendant opened her robe and took a breath. Blood burst forth against the wall of paper fans Misaki's hand maidens put up to keep the blood from their lady. The maiden slumped to the ground. "I release you from your shell. Go with him and guide him." Drops of blood fell one by one onto the ground, but the deep stain still soaked the blade. "If you can see the advantage, then you are wise beyond your years, my Lord Dragon." Misaki would slice at his torso to tear a wound open, allowing the blood to seep into him. "Accept your bride and give her new life. She will find a way."

Ame took a step back at the sight of all of the oddities. A hand grabbed her arm and kept her from retreating. "Where would I go?"

"Take the tether with you. Keep her safe so The Darkness can return to the world of man and carve out my kingdom." Misaki began to walk deeper into her estate. "I will return to the world of Men later. For now, I need to plan my return and the downfall of the Void."

Freed from her shell, the fox spirit seeped into Sean. She would share his thoughts for the time being, but would seek out the first form she could take in the world of Men. Once she left him, she would carry some of his power with her, creating a new lifeform all together. Once she created the new entity, she would remove herself from the husk again and find a new host to place her spirit into.

by **Arcana** June 19th 2014, 2:36 am

Blood would splash out from the maiden, a dark color that both excited and confused the dragon. Was this how the fox demons went about with their marriage ceremonies, or was he dealing with something else entirely? The fox woman would turn and slash at his torso, through cloth and flesh as a wound found itself open upon him and seeping with blackened blood, joining with the strange blood that coated the dagger itself. He could feel her seeping into him, drawing a slight gasp from Sean as his eyes widened and he looked to the fallen body of the maiden that had been cut low. So he had accepted this bride into himself, though what that would lead to he could not rightly tell.

His attention return to Amethyst, the tether so to speak and he was to take her back to the world of man. Eyes would narrow as he considered how he would go about doing so, returning to the world of man as she had put it. He would take a deep breath in, before letting a small shuddering sigh out. Within an instant the titanic markings would begin to fade away, as well as the cut that hid drawn his blood and the red markings that marred his seemingly flawless tan skin. His muscle tension would ease and any fatigue that he felt would fade away, leaving him as fresh as when the whole thing started. ”I will bring this tether with me.” The now indestructible dragon muttered, flashing a toothy grin. ”So, do I let myself out?”

Chaos control reallocation:

by **Nine Tails** June 19th 2014, 3:56 am

No response came from Misaki as she disappeared into the depths of her den. A voice from within Sean gave the response he desired. "We must return to the other side. A path will be hard for us to hold." It indeed would, for the way they initially came would surely be overrun with the creatures of the Void. Paths back to Earth could open more easily due to the familiarity of the constellations needed to pull the worlds together. "The alchemist with us must have more familiar knowledge of constellations. She can take us to any place on the planet you wish to return to. She will be very important for us. We mustn't let her escape us."

Even with the departure of Misaki, Amethyst still felt uneasy about her role in this. If she refused she would die for sure in this realm of trickery and darkness, but her role in bringing about a figure of Darkness to the world felt worse. None of her complaints or suggestions would turn either entities mind, and Ame felt she would be forced to follow Sean willingly or not, remembering how he carried her here in the first place. "Did you get an answer?"

by **Arcana** June 23rd 2014, 2:40 pm

”No answer? Alright, i'll get back on the power of unicorns and faerie farts.” The dragon muttered impertinently to himself, rolling his eyes dramatically. It was a voice within however that would give him the answer that he sought, a female voice that resonated within hiss being and made Sean's very cells tingle. They were to return the way they came and that did not bode well with the death dragon, as he would have to blaze a path within the same void that they had fought through to reach there in the first place. Either way, it wasn't as if he had much choice within the matter and Sean did not feel like being trapped within this realm, one that was so alien to him.

It was all within the hands of the alchemist now, and he had a feeling that having his life within her hands was not a favorable outcome. Sean would turn towards her, making sure that his eyes bore into hers, piercing silver that appeared that they could teal the very soul from her body. ”Alright, heres how iits going to go alchemist. To get back to...our realm, we will likely need your help. Don't mistake what i'm saying for you having any kind of choice within the matter, because you do not. You help make the path back, and I think I can arrange to have your kneecaps remain in one piece.” His draconic tail would flick menacingly, waiting for an answer.

'If we have a deal, then I guess we can get moving.”

by **Nine Tails** June 24th 2014, 12:57 am

Well the threat to her knee caps only came in as the fourth or fifth worst thing to come across her today, so Ame took it with a grain of salt. From what Misaki said, Ame just needed to understand the star patterns of where she wanted to go. Luckily, Ame only knew of one star system, so she would not need to worry about kicking the stars around.

"We need not tarry. The Void will not." The voice spoke from inside Sean. "Have her align the stars. We need to return to Japan to make use of our Ladies resources."

Even though no trails cut through the forests, the direct paths always seemed to present themselves. Once they reached the wardstone, Amethyst would enter an old encirclement. When they first entered, Misaki used the stones to pull them to this world. Pulling out the astral directions for Japan without the use of any maps really proved quite a challenge. An astronomical amount of mistakes could happen and really only about one thing could go right. Now Amethyst need to fight past infinity to one odds.

A few stars looked familiar. Then a few formations. Finally she could make out where in the night sky Earth would be. After what seemed like an hour, Ame finally put the last stone into place and felt the henge begin to close.

"These stones have been dormant for centuries. I did not know if they would activate. I still wonder if the defenses will allow us to pass undetected." Winds picked up from inside the structure. No openings to the interdimension presented themselves and no slots ran the course between the walls. Each stone slowly turned to emptiness, the emptiness turned to Darkness. "We are bestowed."

The Darkness held the sides of the antechamber as they began their slow descent towards the world of Men. Amethyst felt a discomfort come over her as she knew she willingly undertook an operation to bring twice as many extra dimensional creatures into the world as she left with, but she could not control the devices of this technology well enough to destroy the capsule or stall it to allow the Void to devour them. She only hoped something could stop them.

by **Arcana** June 24th 2014, 1:23 am

With his threat spoken, he would let the human alchemist get to work, while he let his mind run over what would happen. While the Titans were inter dimensional conquerors, he knew almost nothing about most dimensional travel, save for how to use The Abyss as a way point to enter other dimensions, though he had a feeling that would not work with this one they were leaving. 'trust me, I have no intentions of waiting.”Sean assured the voice within, turning to Amethyst and then smirking. 'Alright, align the stars, we need to get to Japan.” He noted to her with a slight growling tone, though that was mostly him showing that he was indeed in charge, the one in control of her. However it seemed that something was going wrong, something that caused Sean to bristle and growl, though he calmed down soon enough. ”So the descent begins.” Sean muttered smoothy.

by **Nine Tails** June 24th 2014, 2:01 am

"I don't think we are descending." Ame felt the motion of the momentum in her legs; it neither sent her sense of vertigo above or below her. Instead she felt a pull to the inside of her. As though she slowly lessened in absolute mass.

"She is right. We are not leaving. The world is simply leaving us." Sean's foxbride stayed in constant contact with him during their diaspora. While Darkness kept them elusive, a number of creatures pressed their appendages against the sidings of what made the barrier between them and the Void. Claws broke through without malevolence. A face brushed black peered into darker insights before stepping back. "We are safe. We cannot be be seen."

The hedge opened up to a the paper walls of an upscale geisha house. The Darkness they brought with them moved from the sides of the encirclement and entered into the body of the nearest attendant. Her eyes turned to a black shade while flash of black fleshed out her veins. Under the weight of the possession the vassal collapsed to the ground. Her mouth opened and a face emerged from the gap. It spoke no words, traded no looks, and made no gestures. Then it left.

"We must keep our prisoner safe. We will need her for Lady Misaki to return"

by **Arcana** June 24th 2014, 4:31 pm

Amethyst noted that she felt as if they were not descending, and upon further inspection Sean could feel that they were indeed not descending. Why the hell were they not descending? Was the woman doing something wrong, or had they simply been barred from advancing by some unseen force? Either way, Sean did not like the sound of this and the fox spirit confirmed what he was already told by the female. However what came with that knowledge was also a small comfort, as apparently they could not be seen. Hopefully this at least meant that they would not have to fight more of the void monsters, as Sean was not really looking forward to something like that.

The hedge would open and reveal an upscale geisha house, something that Sean had never expected to find himself walking into within his lifetime, granted as a dragon his lifetime was greatly increased. Darkness would enter into one of the attendants and her eyes would blacken before she collapsed, drawing a curious noise from Sean. ”Keep our prisoner safe?”Sean asked turning to Amethyst with a smirk. ”Alright, I think I can do that.” He noted nodding a couple of times shooting her a wilting glare.

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