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Post by Destael on Apr 20, 2015 22:46:05 GMT -6
Exiting through the portal, the fully armored warlord landed gracefully on the smooth stone floor before depositing Ashen gently beside her. Standing, she took a breath of the warm air and enjoyed the power rush that came with entering her own plane once more. Unlike on the human plane, here her armor was nearly weightless, as was the glaive she still clutched in her hand.
The room that she had designated for portals was massive, as was every room in the palace. The ceiling was so high that it was bathed in shadows. Most 'well' palaces were built with enough room to traverse by flight and this one was no different. The doorway leading out was wide and tall enough to enter and leave on wings as well. The entire place was built by carved stone in an array of tall ebony pillars and smooth shining tiles. Barely a plant grew on the plane so craftsmen were strictly resigned to be stonemasons.
Magically burning torches flickered on the high walls, casting a red and yellowish glow across the room which glinted off the Destael's armor and horns. The warlord folded her wings loosely behind her before turning to glance down at Ashen. "Made it in one piece?"
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Post by Ashen Windsong on Apr 20, 2015 23:26:54 GMT -6
As Ashen was guided through the portal by D's grip on her coat. looking around she body tensed, she was back in the place she vowed never to enter again.
As her feet gently touched the ground Ashen breathed a sigh of relief. as she turned to look at D as she landed, her eye caught the look of the room. causing both eyes to open. one of jade, which was her natural look, the other violet flame in its place. She would still see though it if Cinder let her, which was rare.
Ashen continued to raise her head slowly, taking note of the shadows that consumed what should be ceiling. Her home, the scale, now felt so small. in her plane many called her scale home a fortress or a massive guild hall, but it was tiny. Ashen was at a complete lose of words, she never saw this part of the Demon plane before, only what halizar had shown her. the tattoos began to feel like fire, her own blood beginning to run hot. Everything felt so, different here.
Suddenly Ashen attention snapped back to D when she spoke. "yes...now so long as i leave in one piece, ill count this visit as a win lass." Ashen couldnt help but smirk nervously for a moment. everything made her uneasy, she feared anyone right now. even D, this wasnt her territory anymore...it was hers.
"what now?" Ashen continued to look around, like a child looked for a new toy.
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Post by Destael on Apr 20, 2015 23:39:03 GMT -6
The warlord tapped her foot on the floor, the steel of her boot echoing loudly on the marble as she thought. "I need to figure out a ritual that will separate the two of you. There's most likely one written in Balthezars accumulated knowledge." She pursed her lips before nodding her head towards the door. "Follow me."
Each step echoing loudly, Des crossed the span on the room into the hall. The hall itself was as massive as the room, stretched far and ending in a door. On the wall opposite the room, high arch windows were spaced evenly between the carved pillars that filtered in red light. Above them, a robed demon swept past on open wings before disappearing around a corner. The walk to the throne room wasn't a short one but D was used to it. For decades she had been forced to walk these halls with one wing while her kin flew on two.
The guard that had been posted at the door dropped to one knee before her as she stepped past him. "My lord." He spoke in a gruff voice, his eyes lifted to narrow at Ashen but quickly lowered to the ground when Des looked at him sharply.
"Stay at your post. Don't let anyone else out of that room." At Destael's command, the guard seemed to sink lower on his knee.
"Yes, my lord."
Turning to Ashen, she nodded for the woman to walk beside her. No one would dare cross her, but she would much rather have the kinto in her sight than trailing behind.
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Post by Ashen Windsong on Apr 20, 2015 23:50:11 GMT -6
to the tapping, Ashen turned to d and quickly stuck behind her as they walked. the sooner she was home, the better. Ashen couldnt seem to get around why this place was so massive. highly defined work on all the high arc ways, it was breathtaking.
Ashen flinched slightly with the demon that flew past. on her plane flight was abnormal, here, it seemed to be second nature.
As D stopped Ashen watched as another demon knelt before D. raising a brow, she was slightly impressed. only to return the narrow gaze the guard gave her.
seeing him sink lower once D had put him in his place, she couldnt help but smirk. nodding back at D, she couldnt help but enjoy the fact D was so impressive in the Demon plane. she was a leader, no warlord as she and other demons called it.
"impressive" Ashen muttered as she stuck close entering the room with D.
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Post by Destael on Apr 21, 2015 0:02:48 GMT -6
"We're almost there." The warlord spoke as they rounded another bend in what seemed like endless massive halls. Finally, a huge set of ornately carved double doors came into view. Des frowned at when there were three demons at the door instead of two. In addition to the two guarding the door, the third man that had been leaning casually against a pillar was wearing armor similar to her own. His golden hair and wings shone in the light as he righted himself.
"General." Des greeted the demon as she approached.
"My lord." He nodded to her and clasped his hands behind her back. Despite his single golden eye falling on Ashen, his expression didn't change and he kept speaking. "I was under the belief that you were to return much sooner then now."
"Yeah, well, this time my visit to the human plane wasn't for nothing." She glanced at the kinto. "This is Ashen. She needs a little bit of assistance."
"Another human, my lord?" The golden demon looked at Ashen dully. She appeared to be human...but there was something else about her. A familiar aura that made his own power want to flare.
"Not exactly. She's got a friend in there with her that you might be interested in." The warlord smirked and turned to address Ashen. "Ashen, this is General Zell."
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Post by Ashen Windsong on Apr 21, 2015 0:13:20 GMT -6
"I am not even human...i am a kinto" Ashen muttered. she always took being called and elf and insult, but it seems you go and lose and eye, suddenly your human.
either way, Ashen bowed her head to Zell. "Greetings. i am Ashen, Former Leader, of the Scale." Ashens Emotionless mask returned as she brought up her defenses agian. she was doing fine, until another demon showed that seemed to have a sliver of power near her. the way he looked at her, didnt sit well.
As Ashen finished her introduction, Cinder remained silent. any wrong move could give his powers away, and in the demon plane, could rip ashen apart at the seams. even though he was using her to live, she didnt deserve to die. binding your soul to the house, sometimes you get memories...
Ashen remained silent also, waiting for instructions from D. she looked to the warlord, almost in a way to check to see if she had done anything wrong. the kinto felt the need to fold her hand behind her back and keep her head low suddenly. She wanted to go home.
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Post by Destael on Apr 21, 2015 0:29:24 GMT -6
"Hm.." The golden demon nodded at her slightly, but didn't say anything. She could have been speaking a different language considering he only understood half of what she said.
Noticing Ashen's discomfort, Des smiled at her. "Don't worry about him, he's harmless." She then turned to address Zell. "Why are you here, General? Report."
"Thistle and the Ghost Division has successfully eliminated the group camped to the East of us. But you're forces are taking heavy damage from the enemy along the ravine. I suggest we sent them there next."
The warlord listened with pursed lips before nodding. "Do it. As for right now, do you have time?"
Zell narrowed single unhidden eye at her. "There is no pressing matter, why?"
"Ah, good. Both of you, follow me." Turning, she nodded to the two guards to open the doors to the throne room. As they swung open, she stepped inside. The throne room was one of the grandest rooms in the palace. Balconies carved in ornate while and onyx marble lines up all of the walls which were separated evenly by high carved pillars. The marble floors were smooth and had a spiraling pattern created out of shimmering red, black and white stones. At the end of the room a grande throne sat on a pedestal with a back drop of high red curtains divided by stone pillars.
Without even a glimpse around the room, Destael made her way to the throne but instead of sitting in it, instead ducked around it and made her way to the curtained wall behind it. Pushing the curtain aside, she placed a hand on the stone which caused a stone door to swing open. Behind the door, a dark and small spiral staircase led down. Without a word, the warlord started down the steps.
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Post by Ashen Windsong on Apr 21, 2015 0:40:14 GMT -6
Even with D's reassurance, Ashen's discomfort never left. though as D continued into the throne room, Ashen could help but look around. the room was so grand, Ashen had stopped walking slowly.
the way everything was presented in the room, even the throne was breath taking to Ashen.
with words almost as quite as a whisper the kintu spoke. "amazing, its so, pretty...nothing i imagined. nothing i saw before..." Ashens attention drifted back to D, seeing her open yet another door way. she knew now why they had wings.
walking slightly ahead of Zell, she processed to go to the area D had opened. Ashen paused for a moment as she looked down, it was dark enough Ashen had a hard time seeing with the light, and with an eye gone her vision wasnt what it used to be.
flicking her wrist slightly a small violet flame grow in her open hand, lighting a small area around her and giving her slight comfort. looking behind her Zell, was right behind her, causing her to quickly descend the stairs after nearly jumping in surprise, however keeping her collected diameter, or at least trying to.
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Post by Destael on Apr 21, 2015 1:06:19 GMT -6
Heading the three, Des descended the stairs with one hand on the curved wall. She had been down her so many times she could walk this path with her eyes closed. The sudden small flicker of violet illumination caused her to glance over her shoulder. "I wouldn't use his power down here Ashen. It will grow so powerful that I worry it will harm you." They were after all, approaching the well itself. Behind the kinto, Zell narrowed his eyes. So THAT was what Destael meant when she said that this might be interesting to him. If he had caught on to her story correctly then this...kinto...or whatever she called herself was possessed. Possessed by a demon who's power was a mimicry of his own. He growled under his breath, letting it rumble through his chest at the threat of his status of strongest but quickly composed himself. At the end of the staircase, Des stepped out into the round room. The space was illuminated by ever changing colorful lights coming from a grate in the middle of the room. Tendrils of shimmering mist rose above the grate before slipping back into it, glowing with ever changing color and moving as if sentient. The room itself was lines with simple stone benches and above them inlayed shelves. The shelves themselves were filled with an impressive assortment of collected books and artifacts of both the human and demon plane. A library of knowledge and power kept safe by the ruling warlord.  "This is my main well, Ashen." Destael laid her glaive on a weapons rack on one of the shelves that had been built for it. "Here is a direct tap to the power stream that demons draw their abilities from. But I'm sure your unpleasant guest already knows this." She leveled a wry gaze on the woman before turning to Zell who was watching her calmly. "In one of Balthezars books there's a spell that would include separating a demon from it's host body. We need to find it." With a great sigh, the general nodded. "And I'm the one that must help you because..." "Because unfortunately for you, I trust you more than any demon under my command." Zell only rolled his eye and picked up a leather bound book by it's spine before cracking it open and beginning to skim the pages. Des turned to the kinto and spoke. "How are you feeling?" The warlord was worried. They needed to be in this room to find both the knowledge of the ritual and to complete it. But the proximity to the well was probably super charging the demon inside of her, as it was supercharging both herself and Zell. "Try and keep him in control, this shouldn't be long." |
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Post by Ashen Windsong on Apr 21, 2015 1:31:35 GMT -6
To D's warning Ashen closed her fist chocking out the flame she held. "Sorry D." quickening her steps she got close to D near the end of the staircase.
Ashe stepped out into the rounded room behind D, getting caught off guard once agian. It was NOTHING to what she had witnessed before, almost a complete change. As D and Zell spoke for a moment, the light from the well caught Ashen's eye. Ashen focused in on it, feeling something running though her body that she couldnt quite put her finger on. it was a mixer of many thing, chased with a curious and overwhelming need to touch the well.
Snapping back to reality Ashen turned and looked at D When hearing her question.
"i-i.." Ashen shook her head, then continued still seeming to struggle with her words. "im not to sure how i feel, im over taken by what i see here...its nothing like what i saw on my first visit, there was death and blood...and a demon with more the two horns. That demon knew my name and the names of my children, told me to run back to the hole i came from...as for, physical.." Ashen felt the heat coming from her, Cinder was making it nearly impossible to breath properly. "im...very warm, almost unbearable so. with the heat i feel like im going to feint, and i suddenly grow tired will i feel something inside me, kind of like...something flowing through me. its hard to describe, its different." Ashen looked towards the well agian' watch the colors of it.
taking a breath, it seemed D was right. Cinders powers where getting boosted by the well, it was good she warned her to put out her fire before coming all the way down. "i feel the need to touch the well, and, this is no offence, i have a sudden urge to attack your general...i wont, clearly, this isnt my territory nor do i want to attack him...i think its Cinder."
She looked toward the Warlord in the eye, giving a slight smile; in a way of thanking her for her concern. "i could meditate, but i dont think talking with him will work. he just keeps saying 'if you remove me you'll regret it. its not time yet'. He told me that at the beginning of our contract also" Ashen looked back at Zell who was still near the books.
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Post by Destael on Apr 21, 2015 2:35:48 GMT -6
"You could certainly try." Zell spoke evenly without even looking up as he flipped to a different page.
Turning towards Ashen, the warlord gripped Ashen by the shoulder. "Don't touch the well. Not with him in you." She then narrowed her eyes. "And as for you, demon, if I had any mind I would just kill you, you parasite. But for Ashen, I will not. I can give you your body back, just stop making a fuss and shut up so I can focus, or else I might kill you unintentionally."
Guiding Ashen to sit on the stone bench, Des then stepped across the room to Zell and picked up a different book from the shelf. Flipping it open, she didn't even bother to sit down as her eyes scanned the page before flipping to the next. The texts were written in old demonic, so typical for Balthezar to make it even harder on someone trying to read them. She could, of course, but it took longer to put together in your head then the common tongue.
"Why am I really here?" Zell addressed her without looking up from the tomb.
The warlord frowned, glancing over to the Golden demon. "You know how much strength a ritual saps. When I finish with this, that demon that gets manifested will be volatile and I'm not sure I can protect myself and Ashen. There are so very few I trust with the task, Zell."
"Understood, my lord." Secretly, the general hoped that whatever demon the human had hidden away would indeed want a fight. Some deep primal thing within him wanted so desperately to wipe out that similar power.
Minutes passed slowly as the two scanned three and then four of the tombs until the general finally passed the book in his hands to Des. Accepting the offering, the warlord studied the page, her eyes narrowing. Looking up at Ashen, she nodded. "Got it."
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Post by Ashen Windsong on Apr 21, 2015 20:35:08 GMT -6
'ill fuss as much as i damn well please' Cinder cursed as Ashen allowed D to guide her to a stone bench. Ashen watched as the warlord walked to her general, dealing with haveing a demon clawing at Ashen to run away, using his powers to make her uncomfortable which increased every second she was near the well; being part angel also wasnt helping her pain. Sweat was already building on her brow, it was taxing to simply stand near the well, or in this case now sit.
resting her head in her hands, the heat was increasing steadily in her body. the metal glowing agian agianst her body.
"calm...Calm...please..." Ashen spoke in a quite whimper. she felt like she was bringing to burn from the inside out. Breathing though her mouth she tried to calm her body even more.
"got it" She heard, thanking the gods as she could feel the sweat on her forehead begin to drip, wiping it but keeping her head resting in her head in her hand once more.
'Ashen, a warning to a friend...' Cinders voice wasnt rash or harsh as it was earlier. "oh...now we are friends" Ashen chuckled quitely but speaking out loud to herself, or in this case Cinder.
'staying here, will kill you. removing me will Kill you also.' "it seems if you stay ill die also" Ashen argued her 'friend'
'Ash...there is many things i wouldnt mind killing, believe it or not your not one of them. i saw your past, what we did together in rosynwood...Come on Ashen...' Sitting up and looking towards the well before her, Ashen focused on breathing, which grew difficult. "if your really my friend as you say, stop hurting me...with the heat i know you cant control the angel part." Ashen becoming annoyed not caring if D or Zell could hear her responding to cinder.
'i cant help that, im near a well, im not a coward trying to claw out, being here is recharging me... replacing what you spent, i warned you before i had a lot of power...take off the coat, it will help, there is a reason im shirtless half the time.'
Ashen sighed as she listened, being warmer then the nine hells was more aggravating then the constant pain then haveing and Angel and Demon fighting for dominance in ones body.
As she did, the kinto was thankful she had removed her long sleeve shirt before D showed up at her door, only now in her armor and sleeveless shirt that covered it in a redish purple, the blackish violet body tattoos that belonged to Cinder, nearly glowed like coals in a flame. Cinder was right, it did help a little. the metal on her flesh still glowed as if it where being tempered, even her hair was becoming lighter.
with the levels of power that was being recharged, Ashen was already at her limit, perhaps even past it. she felt this same power before, when she was at rosynwood, however it was growing stronger then she ever felt. Cinder was holding back for Ashen, maybe he wasnt trying to be a complete asshole.
Ashen looked at the warlord, the kintu wasnt doing well, not in the slightest.
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