The earthen triplet's menacing gaze locked on to the multiplies man burning with rage in front of them. They relished in the beams of blazing heat barreling toward them, receding behind a reinforced dome of sandstone and marble that encased them as they brought their forearms up in a stalwart defense. The blast of hellish flames scorched around the perimeter of the earthy defense, obscuring the triplet from view and illuminating the fortified barricade blocking their only exit from the building. Outside, intense flames spewed out through the thin holes in its defense, jetting forth like dragonfire. The crowd gasped as they looked on in abject horror as their once peaceful desert oasis was wracked with a blaze of destruction.
In a quick move, Azul drifted through the crowd like a breeze and raised his hand to the sky, creating a galeforce wall of wind that sent the roaring fire shooting into the airspace around the crowd, protecting those too close from utter smoldering. His jet black hair whipped wildly around his disgruntled face, unsure of what to expect from this wild encounter on the perimeter of a community staple.
Rafal stepped forward to Azul's back and used his formidable size and large hands to gather the fearful bystanders around.
"Alright, alright," he said, scooping and shooing many of them away from the scene of the conflict. "This is no place for bystanders! Anyone who wants to leave with all their bits needs to--"
"He's going to scorch the whole city!" a female voice screamed well over the bluster of Azul's gust and Rafal's coaching.
"We'll burnt to a crisp!" another male voice hollered at the same level, almost like a speaker turned up to drown out the natural sounds of the scene. Rafal scoured the crowd, trying to see where these voicees could be coming from, but he was interrupted by the rest of the citizens's fearful clangor.
"It's not enough that he defaced the Janus Chamber! He's going to kill us all!"
"Why can't these outsiders just leave us alone?!"
"I won't let him take my children from me!"
"What are you going to do? Just stand there?!" rang out whole decibels over the rabble of the crowd with a mechanical whirring underneath and sent them into a panicked frenzy, bodies bumping into one another, some trying to literally climb over Rafal to get past him.
"That other Venkage is probably in cahoots!" rang out from the crowd.
Rafal had no issue gathering the people from behind Azul's back a few moments prior. but once they were incensed by the amplified voices of discord, his gentle demeanor had to take a more fortuitous stance as the uncoordinated crowd evolved from timid and fearful to angry, some seeking retribution for the crimes against their sacred homeland. Being a traveler, Rafal had seen the effects of nationalism and fear on a populace, sending them into a frenzy against who or what had been designated as an enemy to the public. He made Uran his home because of the peace that once pervaded its dusty streets, and now watched as it descended into a state of disarray right before his eyes. He almost shed a tear for the home he once knew fondly.
Back inside, from within the stone dome that grew to molten levels before the masked triplet's eyes, they swung their fists in a wide arc around their bodies, twisting the molten stone from the protective dome into a spiraling wave to protect themselves. There was enough of the stone cascading in front of them to still stem the flow of belligerent flame flowing at them, but slamming their fists into the ground in Dazuma's direction and raised a molten wave to the ceiling, obscuring their opponent's view of themselves behind a spiked wall.
This is it they thought to themselves, clothes singing away in the great heat with a single goal left to complete. From behind the cover of the second wall they created from the material of the first, the triplet launched themselves into the wall in front of them off a strong slab of upturned earth and slammed into their spiked wall like a wrecking ball, sending molten shrapnel barreling towards Dazuma like a hail of giant blades of blazing fury.
David had been working on retrieving his satchel from across the room, but when the wave of stone had reached the ceiling, behind Bo's newfound rage and lion clad fury, he quickly wrapped himself, Veronica and Lana in about as much liquid as he could to keep them from the blaze. The heat in the lobby had grown and evaporated a good amount, making a steamy fog he would have enjoyed while bathing before the whole situation went up in smoke. But with Zero, his comrade, and the anthropologist behind his liquid orb, he took one thing at a time and protected them from what came next.
Everglow: Interlude
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Dalazar Denkou
- Drifter
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:39 pm
Re: Everglow: Interlude
The earth rose at their call to impede his flames once again. His irritation was growing, burning profusely in the form of the inferno seeking to devour them all. His azure rage illuminated the expanse with a grimly blue light that one could not help but feel the despair clawing from Dazuma's soul. His blood felt like hellfire, tearing him apart from the inside out. The longer these flames stayed in control, the more severe his injuries would eventually become, like a wildfire wafting in the winds, a star soon to collapse.Back inside, from within the stone dome that grew to molten levels before the masked triplet's eyes, they swung their fists in a wide arc around their bodies, twisting the molten stone from the protective dome into a spiraling wave to protect themselves. There was enough of the stone cascading in front of them to stem still the flow of belligerent flame flowing at them, but slamming their fists into the ground in Dazuma's direction and raised a molten wave to the ceiling, obscuring their opponent's view of themselves behind a spiked wall.
* In Dazuma's Soul space*
"These people welcomed me with open arms. Fed me when my belly was empty."
In the recess of his soul, faint echoes of Dazuma's thoughts rippled through his inner space. There was nothing but darkness, a perennial night stretching well beyond infinity. There is no glimpse of light, not even the concept of hope, nothing save for the runaway prince. He stood in the openness of the void; his head hung low, his eyes bloodshot red from the stress of crying.
"And they killed them. Without fail, without mercy"
His fist tightened, gritting in spite.
"Is that not the fate of the weak? To serve as sustenance for the strong? Is that not their role?"
The realm of shade would seem to bend and twist as the voice of the flames that dominated him spoke with authority. From beneath him, the form of what looked to be several spires pierced through the black, the "floor" lifting him to incredible heights. Once it stopped, two massive orbs, the only light in this place, would open. Like sapphire moons, they illuminated the abyss around him, revealing a harrowing sight. A giant entity whose body looked like smoke or fluid shadow.
Lambda's words came back to mind. The truth was not a single possession, not some babble resting at the bottom of a sunken ruin. It was"I feel like it's easier to say truth isn't a one way street."
A familiar voice slipped into Bo's ear, attached to a body occupying the seat next to him. Lambda returned with her own plate, noshing on goodies from another booth in the marketplace. She sat pleased, cooing contently as she devoured her food.
"Isn't it more like an intersection? It's true that Coeurls eat Limrus to survive, but what is pedestrian for the predator is chaos for the prey."
The Rise and Fall
Push and Pull
Kill or be killed.
"Their weakness....as well as my own. It allowed for this chaos. This death. Had they strength... they would have had order. They would have lived instead of dying...like ants."
Dazuma's scowl ran deep. A menacing smile cracked open the darkness where its mouth out to be.
" The blood awakens, Denkou-Shi. The death lust within you aches; it longs and suffers. Your people were fearsome, natural-born slayers. In their chaos, they were weak. Cogs in the machination of greedy lords and wretched tyrants.
The creature's cage around Dazuma began to loosen as he hovered in the palm of the spirit's hands, giving him the illusion of freedom.
"They sought to bring order to that land. That order required power...their power was fed by death. A remarkable thing. The soul. Its nature is bewildering and yet integral to the existence of all things. A soul that cannot be devoured. A flame that cannot be snuffed out. Dazuma, ask yourself..."
*Back in the real world*
The flames from the clone that cast the beam gave all it could to devour the stone. Though with injuries his original body was sustaining, who could say what this battle of attrition would end? The three of them against him. Devilish odds. The murderous venom of his bloodline's true nature was taking hold. All he could think of was the smell of their burnt flesh staining the air. The remnants of their sinew charred beyond recognition. Risking his very life to make this dream a reality.
The clone that ushered the beam would see the molen stone morphed into a spire. Despite every fiber of its being wanting to be the one to topple this tower, using the last embers of its power in that way would be fruitless and surely result in their collective ruin. Instead, it would release its ego, ceasing its beam of magic, and instead, it would spontaneously combust into a large plume of sapphire flames. The clone fortifying the barrier felt its double's sacrifice and would not leave its wildfire unsatisfied. It would carry the torch of its desire for vengeance in its stead. With incredible speed, the clone appeared in front of Dazuma. One hand touches the barrier, and the other begins glowing brightly before the plume of flames was absorbed.
The power of the cerulean heirloom coursed through the clone, adding its vigor to its own, and with it, the barrier spell was embellished. This collected fortification would wash over and invigorate the barrier, causing it to evolve. It became denser, with hexagonal patterns making up its structure. The clone looked back to its original, who was still performing mystic signs and showed no sign of stopping. The original's magic was reaching fear-inspiring proportion, but the weaving of his spell was not yet done. His focus had to be held until exact completion, and nothing could deter him sooner. Just like its twin was created to attack, its purpose was to defend.
And defend it would until the last of its flame flickered away. The hailing molten blades would beat down on the barrier with astonishing force. Even fortified as it was, it would not hold long. The barrage heralded a horrible death should they break through, barreling down on the barrier with enough power to split the earth around them. The clone grits its teeth with gusto, releasing a primal roar as it exhausts its life to sustain the barrier.
*Inside Dazuma's Soul Space*
"You must ask yourself. In a world where the weak herald the strong. Where they flock to power like a moth to a flame."
The eyes of the entity would narrow.
"Will you be a moth, a guileless beast wandering endlessly through the dark? Or will you be the flame, wielding power to protect whatever you desire or vanquish whatever threatens it?"
Dazuma had always believed in kindness, honesty, and justice. He had always fought for people to get the things they needed to be the best reflections of themselves they could imagine. The power of community, openness, and trust. He truly thought those things could rise against any challenge, so long as the heroes did not lose faith. He knows they are fairytales. In the face of raw power, ideals such as those only leave room for death. An open invitation for chaos to have its way. Power created order. Power ditacted truth. Power saved lives...
It also took them.
"I..."
*Back in the real world*
The barrage of searing stone was great; cracks within the barrier had already begun to give way. Splashes of molten fluid seeped through the landing just beside Dazuma. The clone fell to its right knee. It was about to run out of fuel. So be it; the magical machination had served its purpose as Dazuma finished the last of the invocation; his hands emitted an insufferable deep blue aura, and his eyes looked at molten rain with a Cheshire cat smile on his face. Meaning without the fear of death despite it being so very close to him.
"You are mere moths..."
Eyes beaming with diabolic umbrage, glaring the triplets down.
"I am flame!
He raised his hands above his head, and his surging magical might would hold with him. The fog nor the triplets being obscured from him was of any consequence. His magic sense could still feel where their presence was. He did not need to see that to end their lives.
"Flame Magic: Cradle Of Azar"
With that, Dazuma unleashed a legion of flame magic threads similar to the magic he used earlier, only on a much grander scale. This magic was stronger, condensed, and refined as it pierced and sliced through the upper levels, stretching to the outside through the roof of the fourth floor. Everything directly before him was a target as his hands plummeted; a deluge of hell thread fell upon anything in his line of sight, including his clone, the barrier it upheld, and that entire segment of the resort. Scorching, eviscerating, a spherically chaotic manifold of lashes reduced many of the blades of molten earth that could've killed him to dust and aimed to do the same to the triplets should they find themselves unable to resist. The magic reached its apex in a blistering flash, reducing it all to rubble and sending a flurry of stones flying everywhere. Dazuma fell to the ground, his body writhing in agony. He was starting to lose his mobility. His body was grimly affected by the backlash of such blatant magic. The repercussions of which were dire indeed as he howled out in torment, spasming on the floor; the flames, still holding captive over him, had reached a point where he could no longer ignore the damage they'd done, threatening to devour him now entirely.
Re: Everglow: Interlude
The top floors of the lodge and bath house combusted into blistering chunks of luxurious molten rocks. The initial strike sent a plume of lava and ash to heights twice as tall as the lodge from which they erupted. The shockwave resulting from the explosion floored most of the citizens standing watch outside except for Rafal and Azul who held enough composure to stumble only slightly. As the people of Uran scrambled to rise to their feet, scrawling and grabbing at one another to get everyone away from the imminent grave danger, Rafal shuffled around to assist in the evacuation and took a survey of the scene. On one side, Azul regained his footing as simply as he could take a step up a flight of stairs. The jet black haired Venkage then stepped off of a tuft of air into a backflip flashing a kick into the open sky. It sent a concussive wave of wind that rapidly cooled and slowed the falling magma. Rafal appreciated the quick thinking, but he also caught a glimpse of something far less appealing, a pair of individuals who moved through the crowd to pick up their neighbors, but they looked so strange to him. This man and woman slithered through the screaming, fleeing crowd and helped them up while whispering something into each of their ears. Uran was a unique place with a very specific local look, and these two looked decidedly foreign, clad in some strange manner of tech fabric that could only have been imported they stood out like a sore thumb.
“What in the blazes?” He asked himself, bewildered at the sinister nature of their involvement. He couldn’t place the feeling, but they looked out of place. “Hey!” He bellowed across the chaotic scene, letting the citizens retreat around him as he marched over to the foreign pair working the crowd. Their eyes both turned to Rafal and they smirked at him knowingly before disappearing into the dispersing crowd. THey left Rafal and Azul to feel the brunt of the second wave of pressure rushing through the ground. Bo was bringing down the house, all that molten sandstone raining down on the earth rending opponent whose defense disappeared in the rain of fire. In his prideful rage, Bo stepped up to he plate and made an opening for the newly acquainted party to escape, but at what cost? Lambda exhausted all of her resources to bring together a team of people who would be able to find Zero Venkage and bring him to justice for his treachery. In her diligence, she found herself inviting wolves into her den, bent on his destruction at any cost. Diamond Dust’s intervention only did so much, staving off casualty as much as they could. Was it luck that brought Bo and Zero to this city just in time for him to be hounded by mercenaries, hunted by the ghosts of his past?
The smoke and ash drenched the scorched lobby in dread.David and Lana were able to get Veronica away from the wake of Bo’s fearsome transformation, shielding her from the fiery backdraft with a thin film of liquid he kept from evaporating at the last moment. Land stood and took the brunt of its force, the scorching damage it did to her skin only leaving minimal lasting markings on her. And still as they surveyed their ravaged surroundings, for the first time since leaving the Janus Chamber, they felt they had done all they could.
Bo’s arrival with Zero in tow made for a situation they had not in any way prepared for. They expected plans and negotiations with these interesting characters from all over the world, hoping that Fenri’s worries were far less founded than the data suggested. Their intel on the Arcenauxs, The Gemini Triplets, and HNTR and VNYM was spot on from their demeanor to their appearance, but the lengths they would go to to get their hands on Zero were massively underestimated. In the cooling rubble, the earthy triplet disappeared from sight. The smoke began to clear and no sign of them or their stone defense remained, just a pile of scorched stone and glass billowing smoke out of the three story open air ceiling. David sat next to Veronica while Lana caught her breath, heading hoarsely from the dried, sooty air.
“Who could possibly still be screaming?” she asked, confused by the sustained screaming and white noise still filling the room.
Lana scratched her head looking for the source of the screams, everyone looked to have made it out of the building already and they sounded like a whole crowd of people, not some stragglers left unfortunately in this battleground lobby. The mechanical whine was something she found just as strange without knowing why. Assessing the state of the room, the floor was clean of any of the bodies that laid there before Bo became the lion king and brought the house down. No blood, no people, no sign of anyone maimed in an indiscriminate shootout, but the screaming persisted.
“That’s not a recording, is it?” David said while working to rouse Veronica. She started to wake up after the second blast from Bo’s belligerent magic, but the chaos of the scene unfolding around her still had her dumbfounded. Bo smoldered with a lion’s mane energy blazing around him and Lana scoffed at their dire circumstances.
“I think we just got played, David.”
“We can still fix this, right?” David asked himself more than Lana. He stared at the bottle on her hip holding the subject of this whole ordeal, Zero Venkage. He could have been asking Zero as well, since their intel hoped he had a personal relationship with each of those adversaries before, making their involvement in Lambda’s initiation that much more ominous. It wasn’t a case of one ghost crawling from his history to take advantage of the situation, multiple personal acquaintances of Zero’s from his time bullying the high seas in his life before The Fall, before finding the meeting place of hope, Arcturus. Aside from interactions directly with Zero or Leviathan Order, his old running mates, the Twins, the Arcenauxs, and the pair of assassins had nothing in common with each other. Their concerted effort painted a much darker picture in David’s mind. “Zero! We can still fix this, right?!” he pleaded with the man in the bottle, quickly growing agitated as his assessment of the facts painted himself, Lana, and Diamond Dust as the perpetrators of another heinous crime, one much more relatable to the everyday person. A massacre carried out on a criminal being brought to justice with only his known compatriots as survivors, the shameful headlines would read on every published piece across Vescrutia. Diamond Dust implicated in a massacre orchestrated by one of the Big Blue’s most notorious pirates, one of the Trinity who perpetrated The Fall of Arcturus, found an ally in the self proclaimed humanitarian organization at the site of a massacre.
Fenri would be pissed is another massive understatement.
Tscene outside the bath house and lodge cleared out except for Azul and Rafal, both watching the building with bated breath to see what else could possibly come from it. The both of them only shared cursory glances before moving towards the massive cavern made out of the roof of the building, Azul leaping deftly onto a solid enough pylon of stone and Rafal climbing the sheer face with his bare hands. Azul called into the smoky scene “Hello?” as the scorched earth within obstructed everything from view for him.
“Our goose is cooked,” David said to himself, scrambling over to where he saw his satchel and clothes still intact, covered in ash. Lana didn’t know whether or not to answer, unsure of who was calling to them. She thought they were caught red handed with the criminal right at her hip and had no idea of how to begin explaining what happened to anyone who might have been outside already.
“Fenri’s gonna be so pissed…” Lana muttered, unsure of where to go from here. Without Lambda here to vouch for them, they looked like another unsavory set of outsiders besmirching the sanctity of their home. David and Lana picked up Veronica and prepared to face the music.
“What in the blazes?” He asked himself, bewildered at the sinister nature of their involvement. He couldn’t place the feeling, but they looked out of place. “Hey!” He bellowed across the chaotic scene, letting the citizens retreat around him as he marched over to the foreign pair working the crowd. Their eyes both turned to Rafal and they smirked at him knowingly before disappearing into the dispersing crowd. THey left Rafal and Azul to feel the brunt of the second wave of pressure rushing through the ground. Bo was bringing down the house, all that molten sandstone raining down on the earth rending opponent whose defense disappeared in the rain of fire. In his prideful rage, Bo stepped up to he plate and made an opening for the newly acquainted party to escape, but at what cost? Lambda exhausted all of her resources to bring together a team of people who would be able to find Zero Venkage and bring him to justice for his treachery. In her diligence, she found herself inviting wolves into her den, bent on his destruction at any cost. Diamond Dust’s intervention only did so much, staving off casualty as much as they could. Was it luck that brought Bo and Zero to this city just in time for him to be hounded by mercenaries, hunted by the ghosts of his past?
The smoke and ash drenched the scorched lobby in dread.David and Lana were able to get Veronica away from the wake of Bo’s fearsome transformation, shielding her from the fiery backdraft with a thin film of liquid he kept from evaporating at the last moment. Land stood and took the brunt of its force, the scorching damage it did to her skin only leaving minimal lasting markings on her. And still as they surveyed their ravaged surroundings, for the first time since leaving the Janus Chamber, they felt they had done all they could.
Bo’s arrival with Zero in tow made for a situation they had not in any way prepared for. They expected plans and negotiations with these interesting characters from all over the world, hoping that Fenri’s worries were far less founded than the data suggested. Their intel on the Arcenauxs, The Gemini Triplets, and HNTR and VNYM was spot on from their demeanor to their appearance, but the lengths they would go to to get their hands on Zero were massively underestimated. In the cooling rubble, the earthy triplet disappeared from sight. The smoke began to clear and no sign of them or their stone defense remained, just a pile of scorched stone and glass billowing smoke out of the three story open air ceiling. David sat next to Veronica while Lana caught her breath, heading hoarsely from the dried, sooty air.
“Who could possibly still be screaming?” she asked, confused by the sustained screaming and white noise still filling the room.
Lana scratched her head looking for the source of the screams, everyone looked to have made it out of the building already and they sounded like a whole crowd of people, not some stragglers left unfortunately in this battleground lobby. The mechanical whine was something she found just as strange without knowing why. Assessing the state of the room, the floor was clean of any of the bodies that laid there before Bo became the lion king and brought the house down. No blood, no people, no sign of anyone maimed in an indiscriminate shootout, but the screaming persisted.
“That’s not a recording, is it?” David said while working to rouse Veronica. She started to wake up after the second blast from Bo’s belligerent magic, but the chaos of the scene unfolding around her still had her dumbfounded. Bo smoldered with a lion’s mane energy blazing around him and Lana scoffed at their dire circumstances.
“I think we just got played, David.”
“We can still fix this, right?” David asked himself more than Lana. He stared at the bottle on her hip holding the subject of this whole ordeal, Zero Venkage. He could have been asking Zero as well, since their intel hoped he had a personal relationship with each of those adversaries before, making their involvement in Lambda’s initiation that much more ominous. It wasn’t a case of one ghost crawling from his history to take advantage of the situation, multiple personal acquaintances of Zero’s from his time bullying the high seas in his life before The Fall, before finding the meeting place of hope, Arcturus. Aside from interactions directly with Zero or Leviathan Order, his old running mates, the Twins, the Arcenauxs, and the pair of assassins had nothing in common with each other. Their concerted effort painted a much darker picture in David’s mind. “Zero! We can still fix this, right?!” he pleaded with the man in the bottle, quickly growing agitated as his assessment of the facts painted himself, Lana, and Diamond Dust as the perpetrators of another heinous crime, one much more relatable to the everyday person. A massacre carried out on a criminal being brought to justice with only his known compatriots as survivors, the shameful headlines would read on every published piece across Vescrutia. Diamond Dust implicated in a massacre orchestrated by one of the Big Blue’s most notorious pirates, one of the Trinity who perpetrated The Fall of Arcturus, found an ally in the self proclaimed humanitarian organization at the site of a massacre.
Fenri would be pissed is another massive understatement.
Tscene outside the bath house and lodge cleared out except for Azul and Rafal, both watching the building with bated breath to see what else could possibly come from it. The both of them only shared cursory glances before moving towards the massive cavern made out of the roof of the building, Azul leaping deftly onto a solid enough pylon of stone and Rafal climbing the sheer face with his bare hands. Azul called into the smoky scene “Hello?” as the scorched earth within obstructed everything from view for him.
“Our goose is cooked,” David said to himself, scrambling over to where he saw his satchel and clothes still intact, covered in ash. Lana didn’t know whether or not to answer, unsure of who was calling to them. She thought they were caught red handed with the criminal right at her hip and had no idea of how to begin explaining what happened to anyone who might have been outside already.
“Fenri’s gonna be so pissed…” Lana muttered, unsure of where to go from here. Without Lambda here to vouch for them, they looked like another unsavory set of outsiders besmirching the sanctity of their home. David and Lana picked up Veronica and prepared to face the music.
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Zero Venkage
- Drifter
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:43 pm
Re: Everglow: Interlude
From inside the bottle, Zero got to bear witness to the whole scene in slow motion. From the bullet storm to the firestorm, he took in the ambush and sabotage from the sidelines, only able to reflect. It started as a massacre but devolved into a strange theater where all the injured disappeared into thin air and their screams remained. Bo sent himself into overdrive, something he never saw coming in a million years from the mild mannered traveler he brought along for the ride. Zero thought he’d be able to handle himself and up until now, he was proud that he relied on his fast friend. His honest nature might have kept Zero out of Lambda’s line of direct fire since he was intending on bringing back what he stole in the first place. And what does he get in return? Burnout. And even David and Lana found themselves wrapped up in his drama and at odds with skeletons in his closet. THey were all too good to take the fall for this sabotage…
He also didn’t want to be brought to heel in front of Fenri either, an almost guaranteed future if he stayed in his bottle prison.
Since he knew it impossible to succeed if you don’t first try, he played the ballsiest move in his repertoire at the moment.
“David, let me out and I’ll fix it. I promise you, I got it.”
He did what he came to do, the Waves of Horus were returned to their rightful home, even if they were a bit damaged. Azul and Gunther were conveniently on the scene and they had experience working with Mistral so they could probably figure out a way to repair them, or at least start on it until Zero could meet up with them again. WHatever the case, he wouldn’t be able to help from inside this bottle or on the edge of Fenri’s sword.
“Dude, come on, trust me.”
He also didn’t want to be brought to heel in front of Fenri either, an almost guaranteed future if he stayed in his bottle prison.
Since he knew it impossible to succeed if you don’t first try, he played the ballsiest move in his repertoire at the moment.
“David, let me out and I’ll fix it. I promise you, I got it.”
He did what he came to do, the Waves of Horus were returned to their rightful home, even if they were a bit damaged. Azul and Gunther were conveniently on the scene and they had experience working with Mistral so they could probably figure out a way to repair them, or at least start on it until Zero could meet up with them again. WHatever the case, he wouldn’t be able to help from inside this bottle or on the edge of Fenri’s sword.
“Dude, come on, trust me.”
Re: Everglow: Interlude
“You can’t be serious! That’s absolutely not going to happen!”
David whispered, but yelled. Zero had some nerve, just asking to be set free to ‘fix’ their current situation. WHat could he do outside other than fight off whoever might be coming to pin him down. There could have been other people here waiting to pounce on the chance to strike while they were still reeling from the previous action. With so much happening at once, David came to an impasse.
Lana kneeled over Bo and started taking some vitals from his scorched body. He heaved in pain as the rush from his spectacular display of blazing magic. Her forte was offense, she had no clue how to help him now that he looked like another victim of Zero’s treachery.
Then her heart grew warm with a flash of inspiration.
“Maybe we should…” she said, rolling Bo onto his back next to Veronica in case she had to administer CPR to his body. With David’s satchel back in his possession, he had a number of tools to heal up Bo and wake up Veronica if need be. But as he was tossing his clothes on, he paused with a single arm and his head poking out of his shirt.
“You’re kidding, how is that a good idea?”
“We can let him take the fall and they can do what they want with him. We both know he’s not about to actually massacre these people, he brought the Waves of Horus back. So we give him to the people and let things take care of themselves.”
David stared at Lana appalled that she could even stomach such a risky plan, a Hail Mary throw at the directive of their mission. Fenri wanted him corralled and detained, but Diamond Dust couldn’t afford to be implicated in such a damning situation. He had a very tough decision to make very quickly as the smokescreen started to fade and he could see two figures standing atop the blown out walls leading to the city’s streets, sparsely filled with wild eyed people astounded and hurt this kind of carnage could befall their remote oasis. David tossed Lana a small glass vessel with a greenish-blue salve inside it Lana quickly took and applied to some of Bo’s burnt body. David mulled it over quickly, knowing he only had seconds to spare.
David whispered, but yelled. Zero had some nerve, just asking to be set free to ‘fix’ their current situation. WHat could he do outside other than fight off whoever might be coming to pin him down. There could have been other people here waiting to pounce on the chance to strike while they were still reeling from the previous action. With so much happening at once, David came to an impasse.
Lana kneeled over Bo and started taking some vitals from his scorched body. He heaved in pain as the rush from his spectacular display of blazing magic. Her forte was offense, she had no clue how to help him now that he looked like another victim of Zero’s treachery.
Then her heart grew warm with a flash of inspiration.
“Maybe we should…” she said, rolling Bo onto his back next to Veronica in case she had to administer CPR to his body. With David’s satchel back in his possession, he had a number of tools to heal up Bo and wake up Veronica if need be. But as he was tossing his clothes on, he paused with a single arm and his head poking out of his shirt.
“You’re kidding, how is that a good idea?”
“We can let him take the fall and they can do what they want with him. We both know he’s not about to actually massacre these people, he brought the Waves of Horus back. So we give him to the people and let things take care of themselves.”
David stared at Lana appalled that she could even stomach such a risky plan, a Hail Mary throw at the directive of their mission. Fenri wanted him corralled and detained, but Diamond Dust couldn’t afford to be implicated in such a damning situation. He had a very tough decision to make very quickly as the smokescreen started to fade and he could see two figures standing atop the blown out walls leading to the city’s streets, sparsely filled with wild eyed people astounded and hurt this kind of carnage could befall their remote oasis. David tossed Lana a small glass vessel with a greenish-blue salve inside it Lana quickly took and applied to some of Bo’s burnt body. David mulled it over quickly, knowing he only had seconds to spare.
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Dalazar Denkou
- Drifter
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:39 pm
Re: Everglow: Interlude
The waves of magical thread took to the skies, reducing all they touched within their whimsical cat's cradle of destruction to debris. Freedom from the resort came, but indeed, at what cost? The injuries that Bo sustained physically were mortal wounds, sure, though the wounds to his soul ran far deeper. Dazuma had always taken the peacefulness of his realm for granted. There was little to fret over when your every whim was met. He spent hours staring out his window, dreaming of the world beyond. The days with his nose buried in novels whose plot was nearly always some wayward adventurer braving the odds and discovering the vast beauty of the world around them. He thought that was what he was doing here. To find buried treasure beneath the dunes of a city whose history and legend paled compared to its true grandeur. His wanton display of violent indignation had vandalized the architecture he was so enamored with. As his body lay riddled with agonizing burns, his eyes strained to stay open, immobilized by the severe damage the backlash of the cursed flame magic caused. He stared into the gaping maw the spell created with sorrow.
*Inside Dazuma Soul Realm*
The clutches of the Giant shadow had him all but consumed. In the depths of his anguish, Dazuma found nothing but more self-loathing. The memories his mother had sealed away returned to him the mortifying trauma of his childhood and unveiled horrific accusations about his people's true nature. Since childhood, he lamented not having the might of his brothers, the power to change the world around them. Now, he sees that power comes with a price.
"Pitiful boy, A shadow of your elder brother. A true King. The power to see his kingdom protected. He is a man of little words whose actions do not lack the power too force his convictions as law. He will no doubt prove to be the perfect vessel. Once you are gone, the last scion of Ains, the Beryl Sun will finally set as flame reduce the Denkou to ashes from its fallen dust, and a new dynasty shall emerge. One that only the strong will reside. "
The darkness slowly continued to encroach upon Dazuma from all angles. His face befuddled with loss and regret. It cradled him, welcoming him into its finite embrace. For nearly a year now, he has run from his brother. There were even times Dauma wanted to give up his search after experiencing the freedom to travel unabated by the prospect of a king's duties or princes. Outside the kingdom was a nobody who dreamed of seeing the nooks and crannies of the planet his ancestors once walked on. To go on his own pilgrimage and find what could liberate his people and bring the smiles back to their disparaged faces. But now?
"Your convictions are so easily swayed. What kind of pillar could you truly have been? A powerless pylon is nothing more than fettered wood. If you blame anyone, blame that wretched mother of yours, Onohall. She inherited Ain's true legacy as the light bearer. And because of her weakness, which she passed down to you, you will die a moth. Scorched by the flame that will soon raze the Denkou kingdom and Madeira to the ground!"
"Mother...forgive me. I...I doubted you. I've just been so alone. So angry...that I couldn't protect you... Father I"
The darkness encroaching upon him had slowly been sinking him into its essence. Every trace of light, every bit of ambition, joy, pain, love, all of it was being consumed. All that he was, all he had been, all that he could have become devoured by the infinitesimal hatred of the interloper within, drowning in loss as a deafening silence was all that remained of the Denkou's last hope of salvation. A legacy dead. Until...
The dreamscape of Dazuma's soul realm quakes dramatically, responding to the brimming power of the Emerald Soul awakening in him.
A dazzling aura engulfed the soul realm, filling it with a burning blaze of emerald light. Dazuma could feel the weakness in his body leaving; the carnation of his legacy standing next to him gave him a sense of pride that he could not even express with words, like the first drink of water after trekking the searing winds of desert sands. Hearing the words he once witnessed brought the entire kingdom to tears yet ignited their soul with pride. A declaration of security. A promise of safety
Father? Father...I can't believe this; how is this?"
Dracovis would look over his shoulder, his stern gaze softening for a moment as he gave his son a gentle smile before turning his attention back on Azar, who now had a form far less vast than before. His presence in Dazuma's soul realm was belittled by the belligerent benevolence of the Emerald Soul's presence. The very power that felled him once back.
Dazuma's heart swelled with an almost knee-weakening sense of pride and love, and the majesty of his father's aura filled his soul with rejuvenating light that all but erased the crippling doubt that had submerged him. How could he let himself sink so low? He was never one to give way to his doubt. Dazuma, despite having limited magical power, trained and studied fiercely his sense of duty bound by a vow to protect and heal the woes of the ailing. His healing magic, in its almost incredulous potency, was a testament to this. His unique magic power, Concentration, is only as powerful as his determination and belief in his intentions. His mind and will must be stalwart.
Since the first manifestation of his birth that caused his mother's magic to fail, returning part of his memory to him concerning his brother's hand in his father's death and the loss of his birthright, Dazuma had become more unsure of himself than ever before. When faced with the gruesome fate of the massacre, the great pain he recounted when his full memories returned, the brother he lost. Well, one could not blame him for wavering. But here and now, with the carnation of all that he aspires to be and surpass, standing before him in the face of a once overwhelming darkness standing up on his behalf. How could he stand here before his greatest role model and cower in the dark? His father was right...he journeyed here for the truth, and now that he had it, albeit not the full truth nor the one he wished to know, he could not let himself falter. If he did all of this, the many lives lost, the risk of his life, this entire adventure would have all been for naught.
No, he needed to stand tall, to raise his head before the shadows did not crumble beneath them. If he was ever going to call himself the Emerald King, he needed to be brazen and believe he could achieve whatever he wanted. Brute power was not the only determining factor of what made a great ruler. Though it most certainly helped. To be a king...
"Is to be an impeccable listener. Father, thank you. You've given me the courage I needed to see beyond the dusk. To see the light on the horizon of a brighter day ahead."
Dazuma gripped his fist and walked to his father's death, who dwarfed him in stature. He could feel the Emerald essence causing through him, invigorating every fiber of his being. Dravocis stared ahead to the shadowy carnation of Azar, whose face was remarkably stoic despite his predicament. He was even smirking.
"Ah, the derelict king returns. A phantom flickering from the echos of the Lightbearers mag-"
With a befuddling speed that Dazuma could barely comprehend, his father shot off in a coruscating trail of fury, sending his crackling fist into the shade, sending it spiraling across the realm far off into the distance.
Dazuma looked at his father. To see him move with such purpose and focus and deliver a blow like that as if it was mere child's play. Knowing he could possess that diction gave him hope for an otherwise bleak future.
"I don't understand. How are you here right now?"
Dracovis turned to him, his scowl only loosening slightly.
Dazuma was in disbelief. From what he understood, the ascendant gene was a lesser version of the emerald gene that holds the inheritance of the Emerald Soul.
The term he had heard before when he first arrived here. A menacing howl from Azar erupted from way off in the dark distance but seemed to be getting louder and closer rapidly. Dracois turned to Dazuma and placed his hand on his shoulder. He tried to hold his scowl, but starting into his son's pure green eyes, his bravado melted. With a strong pull, he pulled Dazuma close to him, trading now the embrace of darkness earlier for one of cradling love and light.
Dazuma hugged his father back, never again wanting to let him go. He was tired of this, losing the people closest to him. This would happen twice, and now he would have to say goodbye to his father. It was an unbearable pain, but knowing that his father believed in him and was willing to stake the rest of what life and spirit he had left to bring out his full potential to save his life emblazed his resolve. Doing this would mean no matter what, he would have to complete the Path of Kings and face his brother. Once Azar gains complete control over him, there is no telling how deeply he will make the Denkou suffer in his petty-fuelled gripe against his ancestors. Dracovis pulled Dazuma back, whose eyes were filled with a fierce determination that made him proud.
Dazuma held his hand before him, remembering everything that had happened since he set out on this journey. All the places, people, and things that have left lingering impressions on his heart for better or worse. This remembrance steeled his nerves as the rumbling of his domain became ever more vigorous from Azar's accosting wrath. He looked at his father and gave him a nod, signaling his readiness before closing his eyes. The magic in his spirit began to grow in tandem with the overwhelming emotions flowing through him. So much had happened, and yet still, so much was yet to be done. He was still unsure about many things, but one thing was certain. He refused to allow himself to die here, knowing that his mother and all the rest of his family were in peril. The thought caused the well of his power to overflow. His father would send him his name telepathically, and just as the monstrous shadow was about to consume him once more, he spoke it.
Dalazar Ain's Denkou 4th Emerald King; Second Beryl Sun!!
With that utterance, the soul realm changed in nature after a blistering bolt of lightning magic sundered the domain. Purging the hateful essence of Azsar's malefic spirit from his soul. A soul once blanketed by black now shimmered with clarifying light, revealing a domain of serenity. Speaking his true name released the veils of magic that once held his truth back from him. He could only hold his face as tears streamed down his face. The aura that his father emerged with now emanated from him instead. The now-fading phantom of his father stood before him.
As the battle within his soul ended, his body began to emit a pervasive beryl light. It wrapped him, healing the worst of his wounds and saving him from certain death, leaving distinctive scars. He remained unconscious as such an intense physical and spiritual war left his body needing rest. By the time he would awake, he would have been changed in ways that he wouldn't yet understand.
*Inside Dazuma Soul Realm*
The clutches of the Giant shadow had him all but consumed. In the depths of his anguish, Dazuma found nothing but more self-loathing. The memories his mother had sealed away returned to him the mortifying trauma of his childhood and unveiled horrific accusations about his people's true nature. Since childhood, he lamented not having the might of his brothers, the power to change the world around them. Now, he sees that power comes with a price.
"Pitiful boy, A shadow of your elder brother. A true King. The power to see his kingdom protected. He is a man of little words whose actions do not lack the power too force his convictions as law. He will no doubt prove to be the perfect vessel. Once you are gone, the last scion of Ains, the Beryl Sun will finally set as flame reduce the Denkou to ashes from its fallen dust, and a new dynasty shall emerge. One that only the strong will reside. "
The darkness slowly continued to encroach upon Dazuma from all angles. His face befuddled with loss and regret. It cradled him, welcoming him into its finite embrace. For nearly a year now, he has run from his brother. There were even times Dauma wanted to give up his search after experiencing the freedom to travel unabated by the prospect of a king's duties or princes. Outside the kingdom was a nobody who dreamed of seeing the nooks and crannies of the planet his ancestors once walked on. To go on his own pilgrimage and find what could liberate his people and bring the smiles back to their disparaged faces. But now?
"Your convictions are so easily swayed. What kind of pillar could you truly have been? A powerless pylon is nothing more than fettered wood. If you blame anyone, blame that wretched mother of yours, Onohall. She inherited Ain's true legacy as the light bearer. And because of her weakness, which she passed down to you, you will die a moth. Scorched by the flame that will soon raze the Denkou kingdom and Madeira to the ground!"
"Mother...forgive me. I...I doubted you. I've just been so alone. So angry...that I couldn't protect you... Father I"
The darkness encroaching upon him had slowly been sinking him into its essence. Every trace of light, every bit of ambition, joy, pain, love, all of it was being consumed. All that he was, all he had been, all that he could have become devoured by the infinitesimal hatred of the interloper within, drowning in loss as a deafening silence was all that remained of the Denkou's last hope of salvation. A legacy dead. Until...
"Azar you Insufferable flea. Both your greed and hubris are truly boundless. To think you would try to claim only not one of my sons but two?"
Just as Dazuma was swallowed up, a voice echoed with a familiar tone. One that once spoke for the entire nation of Denkou. Teacher and Guardian. Guide and father. His word spoke life into the hearts of those around him. Unbridled tenacity to protect the ones he loved safeguarded that life. The silver lining, piercing hope. Azar's eyes would flare with anger, losing their grip on the boy for just a moment as fear ran through their souls. " And despite my warning, you've uttered my Queen's name yet again. Know that you have sinned against me now for the final time.
Dazuma's eyes shot open, and as they did, he saw a hand of light reaching out to him. He scarcely wanted to believe it or give himself the vague notion that this was happening. Another trick of the evil sports wrath. Why did he insist on making him suffer so? He had won! Dazuma no longer had the will to live. He wished it let him fade into the darkness and from the memories of those who knew him."Well, son, are you just gonna stay down there and leave your old man hanging?"
No, there was no mistaking this. This feeling only one person in his entire life he met with such a warm, inviting, but overwhelmingly transcendent presence. Like a sun beaming over a horizon after a storm. He reached out towards it and felt a strong grip grab hold of his hand. The moment their hands touched, Dazuma would feel an electrifying surge of power and emotions flood through his soul. This sensation was followed by a vivid bolt of iridescent lightning barreling from above piercing the darkness with a light so resplendently brilliant the gloomy shadows that had infested his son's heart could not help but give way to its existence. With thunder that roared like an ancient dragon woken from a thousand-year slumber. Dazuma would now be standing in front of him, which was a sight he hadn't seen since he was a child. 
I am the Emerald sea. Spark behind the artist's eyes. Laugh, that lightens pain.
Those words, Dazuma's heart pained with a strange blend of happiness and grief. There was no mistaking the person before him. Skin the shade of sun-kissed bronze. The flowing white hair coursed like wool but was light like clouds that cascaded behind him. A jeweled crown of gold with an etching of emerald lining through its runes shimmering with magical power. A man of such decorum, one could mistake him for nothing else than a king."I am the Union. My dream connects, not divides. Words that flare, Inspire. The courage to resist desire. I am summer rain. Cloudburst onto the barren The Bud, The Seed, The Hope I...!!!"
The dreamscape of Dazuma's soul realm quakes dramatically, responding to the brimming power of the Emerald Soul awakening in him.
I am the Third Emerald King: Dracovis Czar Denkou! And you, jaded fiend, will have made the most terrible blunder of causing my child to cry. If you expect a trace of mercy, perish the thought. Your petty notion of vengeance is but a fleeting wind in the storm that is my indignation!
A dazzling aura engulfed the soul realm, filling it with a burning blaze of emerald light. Dazuma could feel the weakness in his body leaving; the carnation of his legacy standing next to him gave him a sense of pride that he could not even express with words, like the first drink of water after trekking the searing winds of desert sands. Hearing the words he once witnessed brought the entire kingdom to tears yet ignited their soul with pride. A declaration of security. A promise of safety
Father? Father...I can't believe this; how is this?"
Dracovis would look over his shoulder, his stern gaze softening for a moment as he gave his son a gentle smile before turning his attention back on Azar, who now had a form far less vast than before. His presence in Dazuma's soul realm was belittled by the belligerent benevolence of the Emerald Soul's presence. The very power that felled him once back.
"You, Azar, are nothing more than a passing ember, a sullen cinder bitterly chasing its past glory. My child is nothing like you! Within his chest beats a heart as strong as a dragon, yet it is filled to the brim with loving compassion, invigorating all who meet him. He is a guiding star on a bleak night. Destined to become a king that surpasses even I. The Emerald Basin, that which holds all his people's hopes, dreams, fears, and doubts will pave the road to a brighter tomorrow!"
Dazuma's heart swelled with an almost knee-weakening sense of pride and love, and the majesty of his father's aura filled his soul with rejuvenating light that all but erased the crippling doubt that had submerged him. How could he let himself sink so low? He was never one to give way to his doubt. Dazuma, despite having limited magical power, trained and studied fiercely his sense of duty bound by a vow to protect and heal the woes of the ailing. His healing magic, in its almost incredulous potency, was a testament to this. His unique magic power, Concentration, is only as powerful as his determination and belief in his intentions. His mind and will must be stalwart.
Since the first manifestation of his birth that caused his mother's magic to fail, returning part of his memory to him concerning his brother's hand in his father's death and the loss of his birthright, Dazuma had become more unsure of himself than ever before. When faced with the gruesome fate of the massacre, the great pain he recounted when his full memories returned, the brother he lost. Well, one could not blame him for wavering. But here and now, with the carnation of all that he aspires to be and surpass, standing before him in the face of a once overwhelming darkness standing up on his behalf. How could he stand here before his greatest role model and cower in the dark? His father was right...he journeyed here for the truth, and now that he had it, albeit not the full truth nor the one he wished to know, he could not let himself falter. If he did all of this, the many lives lost, the risk of his life, this entire adventure would have all been for naught.
No, he needed to stand tall, to raise his head before the shadows did not crumble beneath them. If he was ever going to call himself the Emerald King, he needed to be brazen and believe he could achieve whatever he wanted. Brute power was not the only determining factor of what made a great ruler. Though it most certainly helped. To be a king...
"Is to be an impeccable listener. Father, thank you. You've given me the courage I needed to see beyond the dusk. To see the light on the horizon of a brighter day ahead."
Dazuma gripped his fist and walked to his father's death, who dwarfed him in stature. He could feel the Emerald essence causing through him, invigorating every fiber of his being. Dravocis stared ahead to the shadowy carnation of Azar, whose face was remarkably stoic despite his predicament. He was even smirking.
"Ah, the derelict king returns. A phantom flickering from the echos of the Lightbearers mag-"
With a befuddling speed that Dazuma could barely comprehend, his father shot off in a coruscating trail of fury, sending his crackling fist into the shade, sending it spiraling across the realm far off into the distance.
"I thought I said not to speak on her again."
Dazuma looked at his father. To see him move with such purpose and focus and deliver a blow like that as if it was mere child's play. Knowing he could possess that diction gave him hope for an otherwise bleak future.
"I don't understand. How are you here right now?"
Dracovis turned to him, his scowl only loosening slightly.
I know you have many questions, and if I had the hands of time, I would give anything to answer them all. But we have only precious seconds. Your body has suffered horrific damage from Azar's magic. Your only chance for survival is to awaken the power of your mother's bloodline as an Ascendant right here and now.
Dazuma was in disbelief. From what he understood, the ascendant gene was a lesser version of the emerald gene that holds the inheritance of the Emerald Soul.
"I know what you're thinking, and based on the common knowledge that the upper echelon of Denkou fabricated, you would be correct. In truth, though, there are two types of Emerald Kings. Those like me who do not inherit the Ascendant gene but still have the Emerald Soul are tasked with protecting the kingdom and keeping Azar sealed within themselves. We do not even appear often, hence the need for other houses. The other kind of king is even more of an oddity. They possess the great might of Fulgora Djynn of Lightning, and inheriting the gene is only specific to the next evolution of the Denkou bloodline. Those capable of still accessing the ancient power of our former past lives. As the Denkou-Shi, the power of shinobi. It is called being an "Alpha." When a vessel bearing both genes is born, their magical ability and potential are often astronomical. Only two of these paragons of unbridled magical power have ever existed. They are known as the Beryl Suns. Our founder Ain's and now you."
The term he had heard before when he first arrived here. A menacing howl from Azar erupted from way off in the dark distance but seemed to be getting louder and closer rapidly. Dracois turned to Dazuma and placed his hand on his shoulder. He tried to hold his scowl, but starting into his son's pure green eyes, his bravado melted. With a strong pull, he pulled Dazuma close to him, trading now the embrace of darkness earlier for one of cradling love and light.
Dammit, son, you truly are a gentle soul. Had I been stronger, I would have kept that heart of yours gentle and kind forever. But I have only been able to hold back the curse you inherited because of your mother's magic. What we are about to do will purge Azar from you and save your life, but he will seek refuge in Myos, who has already been primed as his vessel. There is no turning back from here. Understand? It is an unfair thing we have done, choosing to shelter you instead of trusting in what we, as your parents and the people in our kingdom, knew the moment we saw the glimmers of divinity flicker in your eyes at birth.
Dazuma hugged his father back, never again wanting to let him go. He was tired of this, losing the people closest to him. This would happen twice, and now he would have to say goodbye to his father. It was an unbearable pain, but knowing that his father believed in him and was willing to stake the rest of what life and spirit he had left to bring out his full potential to save his life emblazed his resolve. Doing this would mean no matter what, he would have to complete the Path of Kings and face his brother. Once Azar gains complete control over him, there is no telling how deeply he will make the Denkou suffer in his petty-fuelled gripe against his ancestors. Dracovis pulled Dazuma back, whose eyes were filled with a fierce determination that made him proud.
"To protect you, your mother sealed away the memory of your true name along with the powers of the ascendant and the trauma associated with the loss of your brother. Remember this day well when you lift this seal and your true self returns to you. Azar may be many things, but he has told no lies here. We were once a merciless embodiment of fear and death with the ability to consume the souls of those we killed. That blood and the rage that comes with it will ignite within your veins again. But I have complete faith that Just like Ain's once did, you will conquer the fury within you and usher in an unprecedented peace. Now, speak it. You whose true name is."
Dazuma held his hand before him, remembering everything that had happened since he set out on this journey. All the places, people, and things that have left lingering impressions on his heart for better or worse. This remembrance steeled his nerves as the rumbling of his domain became ever more vigorous from Azar's accosting wrath. He looked at his father and gave him a nod, signaling his readiness before closing his eyes. The magic in his spirit began to grow in tandem with the overwhelming emotions flowing through him. So much had happened, and yet still, so much was yet to be done. He was still unsure about many things, but one thing was certain. He refused to allow himself to die here, knowing that his mother and all the rest of his family were in peril. The thought caused the well of his power to overflow. His father would send him his name telepathically, and just as the monstrous shadow was about to consume him once more, he spoke it.
Dalazar Ain's Denkou 4th Emerald King; Second Beryl Sun!!
With that utterance, the soul realm changed in nature after a blistering bolt of lightning magic sundered the domain. Purging the hateful essence of Azsar's malefic spirit from his soul. A soul once blanketed by black now shimmered with clarifying light, revealing a domain of serenity. Speaking his true name released the veils of magic that once held his truth back from him. He could only hold his face as tears streamed down his face. The aura that his father emerged with now emanated from him instead. The now-fading phantom of his father stood before him.
"So-Dalazar, you've done well. Take this second wind, and do not allow yourself to falter again. From here on out, you must learn how to wield the birthright and the lust for power connected to it. Make way to the Rite Of Kings, speak your vow, and save your people...save your mother."
Dracovis would hug him before he could rebuttal, squeezing him before bursting into light particles. Dalazar would be there, standing on the breezy island of his soul realm, still in shock."Remember my son...you chose love"
*Back to reality*As the battle within his soul ended, his body began to emit a pervasive beryl light. It wrapped him, healing the worst of his wounds and saving him from certain death, leaving distinctive scars. He remained unconscious as such an intense physical and spiritual war left his body needing rest. By the time he would awake, he would have been changed in ways that he wouldn't yet understand.
Re: Everglow: Interlude
David took the moment to toss on his clothes and retrieve his satchel. The dust settled and Lana was at Bo’s side, assessing his extensive damage. She swung her hips to knock Zero around in his bottle, appalled at the audacity of his request.
“There’s no way I’m letting you out, not after all this!” she whispered loudly. David dashed to their sides, bringing a glass flask of bright blue fluid over. He motioned to Lana to roll both him and Veronica Over. Luckily, she had been mostly protected by Bo’s scarf, avoiding the brunt of his fiery backlash. With his tools back in his possession, David had all the tools at his disposal to make quick work of their wounds and ailments, bringing the flask to Veronica’s lips while Lana reached in and grabbed a salve to put to Bo’s burns. He sighed heavily as the dense smog began to flit away, the shadow of a figure loomed over them in the new roof Bo made for their escape. “You’re gonna pa—, What are you doing?”
David reached to unhook the bottle from Lana's hip and she grabbed his hand like a vicegrip. "What are you doing? We have orders and you're not about to tell me you trust him?"
"Our orders were to make sure nothing bad happened and we're smack dab in the middle of the worst case scenario. Do you have any idea how impossible this is going to be to explain to anyone outside?" David pulled himself free from Lana's grip, its strength sapped by the dire nature of their situation. She took a quick glance through the smoke and only saw two downed innocents in the wake of an explosion, a destroyed hotel four stories tall, and none of opponents they faced off against even remotely in sight. Even as the smoke cleared and she assessed the room in a quick moment, there were no bodies on the ground anymore. Not a drop of blood aside from some sinew around Bo, presumably from his own injuries. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed the screams coming from inside the building stopped only after she noticed there was nobody left around them.
Azul ran his eyes over the battlefield and read the currents of the wind moving in the room. It ran over the floors and flowed around a group in th emiddle of the floor, but the room was empty otherwise. Strange, considering he just heard screams coming from within just a moment prior that stopped once he alighted blowout. "Are your guys okay?" he called down to the group, leaping off the crumbled wall into the smoke. His mastery of wind currents whipped the air around him into a bubble that insulated him from the smoke and helped increase visibility for Rafal who accompanied him waving his hand.
"Don't be shy now, we might want to see an encore," Rafal jeered at the mysterious culprits within, both he and Azul oblivious to how familiar they would be.
"Shit, but..." Lana recognized both voices, one from the booth they were greeted at when they arrived, that big guy who could throw down on the grill. The other was the Venkage who escorted Lana away and seemed to know what to do with the relic Zero removed from the Janus Chamber. She never felt more scared to see a familiar face.
"Look, if you don't trust him, then trust me," David said as he yanked the bottle from her hip and popped open the top, releasing a plume of static from the neck. He pleaded with her with his eyes, knowing they could work with Fenri far more easily than with the citizens of the city they were brought in to work for. Without a better plan to go with, Lana resigned to their fate and tried to keep herself from shedding a tear, feeling like all the work they did till now was pointless. But she trusted David with her life and knew he would never betray her, no matter how dire the circumstances. "You better not botch this," he muttered to Zero in the bottle as Azul and Rafal slowly started to come into view before them.
“There’s no way I’m letting you out, not after all this!” she whispered loudly. David dashed to their sides, bringing a glass flask of bright blue fluid over. He motioned to Lana to roll both him and Veronica Over. Luckily, she had been mostly protected by Bo’s scarf, avoiding the brunt of his fiery backlash. With his tools back in his possession, David had all the tools at his disposal to make quick work of their wounds and ailments, bringing the flask to Veronica’s lips while Lana reached in and grabbed a salve to put to Bo’s burns. He sighed heavily as the dense smog began to flit away, the shadow of a figure loomed over them in the new roof Bo made for their escape. “You’re gonna pa—, What are you doing?”
David reached to unhook the bottle from Lana's hip and she grabbed his hand like a vicegrip. "What are you doing? We have orders and you're not about to tell me you trust him?"
"Our orders were to make sure nothing bad happened and we're smack dab in the middle of the worst case scenario. Do you have any idea how impossible this is going to be to explain to anyone outside?" David pulled himself free from Lana's grip, its strength sapped by the dire nature of their situation. She took a quick glance through the smoke and only saw two downed innocents in the wake of an explosion, a destroyed hotel four stories tall, and none of opponents they faced off against even remotely in sight. Even as the smoke cleared and she assessed the room in a quick moment, there were no bodies on the ground anymore. Not a drop of blood aside from some sinew around Bo, presumably from his own injuries. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed the screams coming from inside the building stopped only after she noticed there was nobody left around them.
Azul ran his eyes over the battlefield and read the currents of the wind moving in the room. It ran over the floors and flowed around a group in th emiddle of the floor, but the room was empty otherwise. Strange, considering he just heard screams coming from within just a moment prior that stopped once he alighted blowout. "Are your guys okay?" he called down to the group, leaping off the crumbled wall into the smoke. His mastery of wind currents whipped the air around him into a bubble that insulated him from the smoke and helped increase visibility for Rafal who accompanied him waving his hand.
"Don't be shy now, we might want to see an encore," Rafal jeered at the mysterious culprits within, both he and Azul oblivious to how familiar they would be.
"Shit, but..." Lana recognized both voices, one from the booth they were greeted at when they arrived, that big guy who could throw down on the grill. The other was the Venkage who escorted Lana away and seemed to know what to do with the relic Zero removed from the Janus Chamber. She never felt more scared to see a familiar face.
"Look, if you don't trust him, then trust me," David said as he yanked the bottle from her hip and popped open the top, releasing a plume of static from the neck. He pleaded with her with his eyes, knowing they could work with Fenri far more easily than with the citizens of the city they were brought in to work for. Without a better plan to go with, Lana resigned to their fate and tried to keep herself from shedding a tear, feeling like all the work they did till now was pointless. But she trusted David with her life and knew he would never betray her, no matter how dire the circumstances. "You better not botch this," he muttered to Zero in the bottle as Azul and Rafal slowly started to come into view before them.
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Zero Venkage
- Drifter
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:43 pm
Re: Everglow: Interlude
“All right, it’s showtime,” Zero said to nobody in particular, rubbing his hands together getting ready for action. David popping the top on his well designed cell gave Zero a great whiff of the smoky scene outside. He regretted not making it into the city limits, just shy of his nostrils grazing on the fields of aroma Uran provided. The cast gathered to track him down and put him to trial was really impressive in all their ability to cooperate, even if the people of Uran and this lovely hotel had to suffer for it. Zero recognized the Gemini Triplets and the Arcenauxs from his time abroad, having run into both of those groups in his search for his clan’s crafted relics. Not for nothing, but the kinds of people he came into contact with during that period of his life were far from the quality he assumed a remote region like Uran and a stickler for rules like Lambda would employ, but their pedigree denoted great skill and unique experiences.
Lambda’s call to action was very much in line with her character as a leader of the Urani Historical Society, tasked with the preservation and protection of the mystic nature of the Janus Chamber and its contents. There they preserved artifacts from the different clans that populated the city, a physical ledger of the Vestige the city was built around. That secrecy and the mystic tools surrounding it was what brought him to these reaches of Uran the first time, and his reckless abandon is what caused him to leave with their most prized possession on him. He knew Lambda would probably try to find him, but was also confident in his ability remain hidden from the world after The Fall. Most people who knew only his reputation thought he disappeared with Arcturus. Anyone with a connection to his true identity might have missed him for a time that he sequestered himself away to complete the initiation into the Jaidan Way. Lambda kept herself more than busy amassing a team of hunters who specialized in their quarry.
Zero saw nothing like it before, although the reckless abandon of his youth sent ripples throughout the world he never cared to recognize before, like the beat of a butterfly’s wings opposite the world, those ripples reverberated through and washed over the city a wave of unrest.
The responsibility was his, and it seemed he took it to heart too late. Even his attempted retribution unfurled into calamity on par with his voluntary disruptions he gained a reputation for as a member of the Vorpal Order, his adopted family he found after defecting from his homeland. His youth and their derelict nature imprinted on one another and he roamed the seas in search of treasure to his liking, at the behest of his whim and the agreement of the group. It was a dynamic lesson in teamwork he took with him to every facet of his life afterward with all the bad habits and manners it brought him. Their time together created the monster in David’s bottle.
His hands were alight with bright purple, sparking energy. Looking around at the room from inside the bottle with the familiar, ornate carvings, he took just a second more to come up with his story. He wanted to be certain to come with the perfect amount of gusto to sell the solution. As the two figures faded into view, Zero recognized one of them was definitely Azul and the other a much larger man that seemed to have jokes even in this crisis. Azul never sounded like he was in the mood for jokes, and the other man had an imposing presence, even from a ways across the room and shrouded in smoke. Better to strike now and control the flow of the conversation than allowing them to ask questions.
Zero tapped his shoes and transferred the energy from his hands into his feet, sending a blazing fast roundhouse kick to the side of his translucent containment. With the bottle still in David’s grip, he planted some more kicks to the the glass walls to bounce it into the space heading off Azul and the larger gentleman assessing the scene. The bottle bounced, clinked, and rattled as Zero planted a few more sparking kicks before the bottle cracked and exploded in a glowing plume of shimmering smoke. Zero roared behind the veil of shattered glass and decompressing Naten, waving his arms menacingly and cackling maniacally as his body returned to its normal size before everyone’s eyes. The decompression dispelled a lion’s share of the smoke still filling the room, leaving the whole scene visible to their new guests. Zero looked back at Bo, burnt and bruised and felt a little proud, he didn’t completely sell him out and also managed to keep the situation from devolving into pure calamity, just high concentration chaos. Small wins were small wins.
Lana did well holding onto him and providing backup upstairs, but faltered when the scene got wild, probably why she was paired with David who somehow lost his whole bag trying to relax for a second and letting this whole scene devolved into pandemonium. An uncanny failure on the part of Diamond Dust would be heard for decades and who knows how their reputation would falter, so in exchange for David’s trust, he chose his next words wisely and precisely.
But who was the other woman lying on the ground when all the other bodies disappeared? She’d be fine.
Zero turned back to Azul and his large friend, fully in the flesh and able to move every muscle. He couldn’t help but crack a smile face to face with Azul. Seeing his face, the first Venkage Zero laid eyes on since departing the Marlboro Archipelago, one of his few childhood friends, and his oldest mentor and rival. He hadn't seen him in so long, since long before The Fall when he pillaged the pillagers on the highest seas of Vescrutia. Whether or not Azul would be gleeful in meeting again remained to be seen, since their departure from one another was absolutely not in good taste or spirit. The cast was assembled, so Zero began the work.
"So this is what I get for being a good Samaritan? I try and do you all a favor and bring your toy back and you treat me like a criminal?"
Zero looked back at Bo and his crew nursing their wounds, shooting a coy pair of finger guns back at David.
"You all never stood a chance."
Zero laughed loud and proud, bellowing far deeper than his natural tenor of his voice, filling the open air lobby with his arrogant defiance.
"Not a chance at all! You think I survived The Fall and came back here just to be locked away? You're more delusional than Lambda was in bringing you here to find me! It doesn't matter how many losers you bring with you, you couldn't find me because I didn't want you to!"
Zero just started yelling his own praises into the air as far as his voice could carry them. Though a bit on the more slender side, Zero was a party animal and total ham who loved to make a scene out of any conversation. The theatrics of dialogue and communication were just as important as the words being said, if not more so, and could be the deciding factor between your idea going over the heads' of your audience or landing directly in their hearts. Here in the midst of friends and associates old and new, Zero knew the only way to find a silver lining in the wake of this horrendous situation:
Double down.
"You all'd better stand back before put another hurting on you! The people of Uran couldn't afford to lose allies like you to the likes of me, yeah, that's right, me, Zero FREAKING Venkage! Uh huh, you just got that right! I'm responsible for ALLLL THIS! You'd better know who you're dealing with in the future!"
His arms were flailing, the energy was high and he gave the best monologue he could, having found a space of peace within his mind to perform a soliloquy straight from his mind's eye. He pointed a big, confident finger at Azul, sneering at him like an opposing team at the championship face off. This man had one goal in mind, and that was to focus every bit of attention on himself.
Lambda spent time, energy, and probably a pretty penny gathering ghosts from Zero's past to hunt him down. Uran was so far from most other inhabited destinations on Vescrutia, he wondered if she traveled herself to enlist their services or sent someone on her behalf. Did she herself find a way onto the Marlboro Archipelago to find Azul or did he find her while studying abroad? And why were they so close? How did she not know about the reputations of the guns she hired?
The Gemini Triplets were skilled bounty hunters, venerable in their own right and hold the top three spots in their guild while being the youngest in the guild's history to hold those positions. The Arcenauxs controlled a sizeable portion of the Aeon continent from producing the technology for its citizens to survive the frigid temperatures, but were also known in their own city for silencing dissidents and competition. HNTR and VNYM upstairs were hired guns he wasn't even sure belonged here, let alone with an invite to the table. They held the background with the largest body count as hands of the enigmatic organization known as The Foundation. The Foundation has been shrouded in shadows and whispers of treachery all throughout history, people commonly entered The Foundation's custody and were never heard from again. The questions he had for the ragtag band brought against him scurried throughout his mind, but he relegated them to the background of his mind until he could devote more active time to deciphering the details of Lambda's arrangement.
The likelihood of her offering any insight to him disappeared with the hotel's top floors. That just left Zero smack dab in the center of the chaos as its central perpetrator and a repeat offender against the city.
Lambda’s call to action was very much in line with her character as a leader of the Urani Historical Society, tasked with the preservation and protection of the mystic nature of the Janus Chamber and its contents. There they preserved artifacts from the different clans that populated the city, a physical ledger of the Vestige the city was built around. That secrecy and the mystic tools surrounding it was what brought him to these reaches of Uran the first time, and his reckless abandon is what caused him to leave with their most prized possession on him. He knew Lambda would probably try to find him, but was also confident in his ability remain hidden from the world after The Fall. Most people who knew only his reputation thought he disappeared with Arcturus. Anyone with a connection to his true identity might have missed him for a time that he sequestered himself away to complete the initiation into the Jaidan Way. Lambda kept herself more than busy amassing a team of hunters who specialized in their quarry.
Zero saw nothing like it before, although the reckless abandon of his youth sent ripples throughout the world he never cared to recognize before, like the beat of a butterfly’s wings opposite the world, those ripples reverberated through and washed over the city a wave of unrest.
The responsibility was his, and it seemed he took it to heart too late. Even his attempted retribution unfurled into calamity on par with his voluntary disruptions he gained a reputation for as a member of the Vorpal Order, his adopted family he found after defecting from his homeland. His youth and their derelict nature imprinted on one another and he roamed the seas in search of treasure to his liking, at the behest of his whim and the agreement of the group. It was a dynamic lesson in teamwork he took with him to every facet of his life afterward with all the bad habits and manners it brought him. Their time together created the monster in David’s bottle.
His hands were alight with bright purple, sparking energy. Looking around at the room from inside the bottle with the familiar, ornate carvings, he took just a second more to come up with his story. He wanted to be certain to come with the perfect amount of gusto to sell the solution. As the two figures faded into view, Zero recognized one of them was definitely Azul and the other a much larger man that seemed to have jokes even in this crisis. Azul never sounded like he was in the mood for jokes, and the other man had an imposing presence, even from a ways across the room and shrouded in smoke. Better to strike now and control the flow of the conversation than allowing them to ask questions.
Zero tapped his shoes and transferred the energy from his hands into his feet, sending a blazing fast roundhouse kick to the side of his translucent containment. With the bottle still in David’s grip, he planted some more kicks to the the glass walls to bounce it into the space heading off Azul and the larger gentleman assessing the scene. The bottle bounced, clinked, and rattled as Zero planted a few more sparking kicks before the bottle cracked and exploded in a glowing plume of shimmering smoke. Zero roared behind the veil of shattered glass and decompressing Naten, waving his arms menacingly and cackling maniacally as his body returned to its normal size before everyone’s eyes. The decompression dispelled a lion’s share of the smoke still filling the room, leaving the whole scene visible to their new guests. Zero looked back at Bo, burnt and bruised and felt a little proud, he didn’t completely sell him out and also managed to keep the situation from devolving into pure calamity, just high concentration chaos. Small wins were small wins.
Lana did well holding onto him and providing backup upstairs, but faltered when the scene got wild, probably why she was paired with David who somehow lost his whole bag trying to relax for a second and letting this whole scene devolved into pandemonium. An uncanny failure on the part of Diamond Dust would be heard for decades and who knows how their reputation would falter, so in exchange for David’s trust, he chose his next words wisely and precisely.
But who was the other woman lying on the ground when all the other bodies disappeared? She’d be fine.
Zero turned back to Azul and his large friend, fully in the flesh and able to move every muscle. He couldn’t help but crack a smile face to face with Azul. Seeing his face, the first Venkage Zero laid eyes on since departing the Marlboro Archipelago, one of his few childhood friends, and his oldest mentor and rival. He hadn't seen him in so long, since long before The Fall when he pillaged the pillagers on the highest seas of Vescrutia. Whether or not Azul would be gleeful in meeting again remained to be seen, since their departure from one another was absolutely not in good taste or spirit. The cast was assembled, so Zero began the work.
"So this is what I get for being a good Samaritan? I try and do you all a favor and bring your toy back and you treat me like a criminal?"
Zero looked back at Bo and his crew nursing their wounds, shooting a coy pair of finger guns back at David.
"You all never stood a chance."
Zero laughed loud and proud, bellowing far deeper than his natural tenor of his voice, filling the open air lobby with his arrogant defiance.
"Not a chance at all! You think I survived The Fall and came back here just to be locked away? You're more delusional than Lambda was in bringing you here to find me! It doesn't matter how many losers you bring with you, you couldn't find me because I didn't want you to!"
Zero just started yelling his own praises into the air as far as his voice could carry them. Though a bit on the more slender side, Zero was a party animal and total ham who loved to make a scene out of any conversation. The theatrics of dialogue and communication were just as important as the words being said, if not more so, and could be the deciding factor between your idea going over the heads' of your audience or landing directly in their hearts. Here in the midst of friends and associates old and new, Zero knew the only way to find a silver lining in the wake of this horrendous situation:
Double down.
"You all'd better stand back before put another hurting on you! The people of Uran couldn't afford to lose allies like you to the likes of me, yeah, that's right, me, Zero FREAKING Venkage! Uh huh, you just got that right! I'm responsible for ALLLL THIS! You'd better know who you're dealing with in the future!"
His arms were flailing, the energy was high and he gave the best monologue he could, having found a space of peace within his mind to perform a soliloquy straight from his mind's eye. He pointed a big, confident finger at Azul, sneering at him like an opposing team at the championship face off. This man had one goal in mind, and that was to focus every bit of attention on himself.
Lambda spent time, energy, and probably a pretty penny gathering ghosts from Zero's past to hunt him down. Uran was so far from most other inhabited destinations on Vescrutia, he wondered if she traveled herself to enlist their services or sent someone on her behalf. Did she herself find a way onto the Marlboro Archipelago to find Azul or did he find her while studying abroad? And why were they so close? How did she not know about the reputations of the guns she hired?
The Gemini Triplets were skilled bounty hunters, venerable in their own right and hold the top three spots in their guild while being the youngest in the guild's history to hold those positions. The Arcenauxs controlled a sizeable portion of the Aeon continent from producing the technology for its citizens to survive the frigid temperatures, but were also known in their own city for silencing dissidents and competition. HNTR and VNYM upstairs were hired guns he wasn't even sure belonged here, let alone with an invite to the table. They held the background with the largest body count as hands of the enigmatic organization known as The Foundation. The Foundation has been shrouded in shadows and whispers of treachery all throughout history, people commonly entered The Foundation's custody and were never heard from again. The questions he had for the ragtag band brought against him scurried throughout his mind, but he relegated them to the background of his mind until he could devote more active time to deciphering the details of Lambda's arrangement.
The likelihood of her offering any insight to him disappeared with the hotel's top floors. That just left Zero smack dab in the center of the chaos as its central perpetrator and a repeat offender against the city.
Re: Everglow: Interlude
Azul surveyed the room with all the smoke an debris cleared. There were smoldered marble strewn about, sandstone and glass dust sprinkled throughout the lobby. Zero stood in the middle of it all, David and Lana staring at his back, slack-jawed in amazement.
“Are you serious? Will you pipe down?”
Azul groaned as he ran his hands through his jet black hair, moving it from in front of his face. He got a good look at the man in front of him, just as loud and boisterous as he was twenty years prior. And then behind him was a set of casualties. It was the whole crew that departed the Janus Chamber with Zero in custody.
Azul locked eyes with David, whom shared a determined, but defeated look while bringing Veronica back to her senses. Lana looked dumbfounded, amazed at the audacity of the newly released prisoner before them. Rafal showed a more curious expression as he assessed the group behind Zero's monologue, recognizing the newcomer, Bo, facedown and covered in carnage. It was only a moment between them all, a quick silence they shared drinking in the wake of the alleged assault on the bath house.
Azul sighed heavily, now addressing David as Zero rambled on, his face curled in distaste.
"You said that bottle could hold him as long as it stayed closed" Azul grunted through his teeth.
"I said it could probably hold him," David replied, breaking eye contact to return to tending to Veronica, mumbling to herself trying to make sense of the situation now. "I guess he's just craftier than we thought."
Azul let Zero loose hoping to blast him into the wall opposite the entrance to the lobby, some kind of recompense for the scene Zero caused, though not in the way he was taking credit for. Azul felt partially responsible by not vetting the full list of hired hands Lambda gathered from all corners of Vescrutia, trusting that the capable members of Diamond Dust would be more than capable of keeping trouble at bay with David's craft and a bit of Mistral. The same qualities that made the Waves of Horus a prime candidate for Zero's self serving treasure hunt created the two of the ties that bound him today, and David swore by their efficacy with Diamond Dust's name on the line. Now, they were just another item outclassed by the reckless nature of this prodigy of disaster.
With everything laid in front of him, Azul groaned again, cutting the air pressure from around him and wiping as much frustration from his face as he could. From the looks of it, despite the screams throughout, there were no corpses lining the floor like he expected when alighting lodge's roof. No blood anywhere, just a bunch of broken marble and stone, tattered sculptures and derelict fixtures.
"What actually happened here? You picked up extreme, petty vandalism on your list of non plussed extracurricular activities?"
"Vandalism?" Veronica asked, unsure of whom she asked, but sure she couldn't be affiliated with common vandals. As an anthropologist and adventurer, she brought honor to her homeland in her unyielding fealty to the Kingdom of Loire, and represented the kingdom with the utmost grace and patient benevolence. Waking up to a destroyed building, riddled with bullet holes, the beautiful fixtures she remembered arriving to dashed in the blink of an eye. Where did her drink go? How did they wind up in the middle of the floor and why did Lambda's friend look so upset? Veronica realized she missed quite a lot after... taking a sip of that drink.
Azul paid no mind to Veronica who seemed to bounce back to her normal self similar to David and Lana, maybe slightly more annoyed and a far deal more confused than they. But he turned his attention directly to them and the exhausted body laid out before them. Getting a good luck of the whole crew, Azul's pity grew from a pit in his stomach. Even for all the preparation they did, Zero Venkage still found a way to thwart their plans. Even standing across the room from them now as the self proclaimed sole perpetrator of this crisis, Azul knew he was still up to some sort of no good beyond the praises he sang of himself. Bo was covered in burns and the only person to suffer any real damage here. The anthropologist looked sleepy and Diamond Dust seemed to hold their own very well judging by their calm demeanor and barely tattered clothing. Add the fact that David's glass vessel prison was said to be impregnable, especially when crafted with Mistral, and Azul had on his hand an open and shut case for Zero's execution now, but the stories didn't add up. Everyone was alive and Azul saw firsthand what happened to people who got in the way of Zero's journey.
Many times, Azul caught up with the trail he left on the high seas at the behest of Zero's mother and his aunt. Most of those times, he traced a trail of blood to get there. For Zero, even for vandalism, this was an eerily calm job.
“Are you serious? Will you pipe down?”
Azul groaned as he ran his hands through his jet black hair, moving it from in front of his face. He got a good look at the man in front of him, just as loud and boisterous as he was twenty years prior. And then behind him was a set of casualties. It was the whole crew that departed the Janus Chamber with Zero in custody.
Azul locked eyes with David, whom shared a determined, but defeated look while bringing Veronica back to her senses. Lana looked dumbfounded, amazed at the audacity of the newly released prisoner before them. Rafal showed a more curious expression as he assessed the group behind Zero's monologue, recognizing the newcomer, Bo, facedown and covered in carnage. It was only a moment between them all, a quick silence they shared drinking in the wake of the alleged assault on the bath house.
Azul sighed heavily, now addressing David as Zero rambled on, his face curled in distaste.
"You said that bottle could hold him as long as it stayed closed" Azul grunted through his teeth.
"I said it could probably hold him," David replied, breaking eye contact to return to tending to Veronica, mumbling to herself trying to make sense of the situation now. "I guess he's just craftier than we thought."
"Huh..." Azul grumbled, taking slow, deliberate steps toward Zero. "A good Samaritan doesn't act the way you have."Zero Venkage wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:21 pm
"So this is what I get for being a good Samaritan? I try and do you all a favor and bring your toy back and you treat me like a criminal?"
"That's not very much for you to decide."
"Bro, you literally sound dumb right now," Azul said, reaching Zero finally and grabbing him by the shirt and throttling him back and forth, trying to shake some sense into the reckless moron. Wind whipped around both of them, wind pressure exerting from him like a wind tunnel. "You're a selfish moron who can't help putting your own fleeting desires above everything else that exists in the world! And now look where you've gotten yourself and this city!"Zero Venkage wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:21 pm
"You all'd better stand back before put another hurting on you! The people of Uran couldn't afford to lose allies like you to the likes of me, yeah, that's right, me, Zero FREAKING Venkage! Uh huh, you just got that right! I'm responsible for ALLLL THIS! You'd better know who you're dealing with in the future!"
Azul let Zero loose hoping to blast him into the wall opposite the entrance to the lobby, some kind of recompense for the scene Zero caused, though not in the way he was taking credit for. Azul felt partially responsible by not vetting the full list of hired hands Lambda gathered from all corners of Vescrutia, trusting that the capable members of Diamond Dust would be more than capable of keeping trouble at bay with David's craft and a bit of Mistral. The same qualities that made the Waves of Horus a prime candidate for Zero's self serving treasure hunt created the two of the ties that bound him today, and David swore by their efficacy with Diamond Dust's name on the line. Now, they were just another item outclassed by the reckless nature of this prodigy of disaster.
With everything laid in front of him, Azul groaned again, cutting the air pressure from around him and wiping as much frustration from his face as he could. From the looks of it, despite the screams throughout, there were no corpses lining the floor like he expected when alighting lodge's roof. No blood anywhere, just a bunch of broken marble and stone, tattered sculptures and derelict fixtures.
"What actually happened here? You picked up extreme, petty vandalism on your list of non plussed extracurricular activities?"
"Vandalism?" Veronica asked, unsure of whom she asked, but sure she couldn't be affiliated with common vandals. As an anthropologist and adventurer, she brought honor to her homeland in her unyielding fealty to the Kingdom of Loire, and represented the kingdom with the utmost grace and patient benevolence. Waking up to a destroyed building, riddled with bullet holes, the beautiful fixtures she remembered arriving to dashed in the blink of an eye. Where did her drink go? How did they wind up in the middle of the floor and why did Lambda's friend look so upset? Veronica realized she missed quite a lot after... taking a sip of that drink.
Azul paid no mind to Veronica who seemed to bounce back to her normal self similar to David and Lana, maybe slightly more annoyed and a far deal more confused than they. But he turned his attention directly to them and the exhausted body laid out before them. Getting a good luck of the whole crew, Azul's pity grew from a pit in his stomach. Even for all the preparation they did, Zero Venkage still found a way to thwart their plans. Even standing across the room from them now as the self proclaimed sole perpetrator of this crisis, Azul knew he was still up to some sort of no good beyond the praises he sang of himself. Bo was covered in burns and the only person to suffer any real damage here. The anthropologist looked sleepy and Diamond Dust seemed to hold their own very well judging by their calm demeanor and barely tattered clothing. Add the fact that David's glass vessel prison was said to be impregnable, especially when crafted with Mistral, and Azul had on his hand an open and shut case for Zero's execution now, but the stories didn't add up. Everyone was alive and Azul saw firsthand what happened to people who got in the way of Zero's journey.
Many times, Azul caught up with the trail he left on the high seas at the behest of Zero's mother and his aunt. Most of those times, he traced a trail of blood to get there. For Zero, even for vandalism, this was an eerily calm job.
-
Zero Venkage
- Drifter
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:43 pm
Re: Everglow: Interlude
He caught himself from being completely blown away, but instantly missed the spats he and Azul met in before. This trouble reminded him of home more than any moment since before The Fall, not even tropics able to match the nostalgia Zero felt being chastised by his old rival.Fate II wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 11:44 pm
"What actually happened here? You picked up extreme, petty vandalism on your list of non plussed extracurricular activities?"
Many times, Azul caught up with the trail he left on the high seas at the behest of Zero's mother and his aunt. Most of those times, he traced a trail of blood to get there. For Zero, even for vandalism, this was an eerily calm job.
"I! I... I!" he began, unsure if vandalism was his best option of explanation. It left a lot of room for interpretation and didn't take into account the bodies that he saw people see drop to the floor. Now, it was free of any corpse or sinew and recently air dusted by Azul's anger. He hadn't made sense of it yet, but the more people who were aware of the traitors in their midst, the better.
"I! Made sure all your mercenaries knew not to mess with meee!" he screamed into the void. Hopefully, a crowd started to draw outside to hear his side of things. Bo being downed still actually did him a favor, being the sole casualty left on the scene and breeding more questions than Zero would want to answer to an angry mob. Angry mobs were the last people he could ever expect to reason with, having failed on record at least seven specific times in the past. The specifics aren't as important as the fact that he's failed multiple times dealing with incensed crowds and could probably hope to fare no better here. Instead, he buffed up his own reputation to save that of his former colleagues, Fenri has enough to deal with and shouldn't be worried about the reputation of his organization. Word travels surprisingly fast on Vescrutia, and hearing the planet's best and brightest failed to stop an ambush on a single man could spread like wildfire.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave me be! I have much more important things to do than beat up on those who couldn't hope to restrain me! Why? Because it's me, Zero!"
It was the least he could do at this point.
Though he'd love to take credit for the acquisition of the Waves of Horus all for himself, there were many other people who played their role in him achieving his goal, whether they knew it or not. One in particular, a man with a falcon's eye glare brought him to the doorstep of the Janus Chamber before Zero went and claimed the Reliqs du Ven for himself. Zero didn't look back and hadn't seen that man since they split. In some twisted way, Zero hoped that taking on the eyes of the city, hopefully salvaging Diamond Dust's reputation, and waiting for an opening to actually escape made a perfect situation for him. Azul and Gunther were already on the path to fixing them, something Zero never in his life thought could happen, he gets to Public Enemy Number One in Uran, and he avoids an execution. Win win in his book and he'd play his hand through till the game ended. No part of his story involved getting fingered for theft, no matter how valuable. Violent crimes are how he built his reputation for quite some time on the high seas.