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Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

Lightning growled atop hell's highest peak some 10 kilometers into the sky, 1 kilometer off and the ground gave up a bloody red mist that swirled around the feet of a lone dark-skinned woman as she walked forwards, her steps steady and resolute, though she had no definite idea of where she was or where she was going. She only knew what she had heard and what she had seen.

A very long time, years ago, she'd left her clan, her home, and everything she ever knew to sit and study a manifestation of power: mankind with its dizzyingly complex technology and its clever manipulation of the world around it, seemed much stronger than the matriarch of the hyena clan the woman had been born into, and thus she'd come to assume the shape of one of them. This shape, she thought, would help her as she sought after the power to accomplish her own goals, for power was all that mattered in this existence.

But even when she came in to observe the fires of man, there lay an even greater fire that had nothing to do with the humans. This power was her legacy, though she only now knew it through her own powers of observation. The woman's mother had died with her first litter, as was fairly common among a species both blessed and cursed with an extremely masculinized birth canal that made rape impossible at the cost of deadly childbirth. The demoness had murdered her sister as well, as was also common, for she had been born with teeth and claws and the comprehension to use them. Only seconds after she was born she'd won her first battle and made her first kill, she comprehended that should she falter in her ascension to strength at any point the world would promptly give her the fate that she had given her unfortunate sister mere moments after they left the safe harbor of their shared devilish origins. That place grew cold and as she grew she only became more ruthless, more cunning, more conniving and intelligent, and her clan, with their simplistic worldview and their brute inability to comprehend the power that lay in the power of the mind and oppression of the weak, only held her back. The weak could nourish the strong with more than just their meat. The weak could offer their services. That is what they were for, at the end of it all. They were there for her pleasure... her reward for being strong.

With such a philosophy in mind, the demoness approached a crumbling "courthouse", a remnant of a concept that would be thoroughly foreign to her. Justice. Protection of the weak, or at least the building appeared to have such a purpose in its past life. This purpose, to judge the law, was just as foreign to the young monster as the very concept of laws and the ancient world that had produced such a work of architecture.

Nonetheless, it had endured the ages, and having done such it intrigued the curious, spotty-haired woman as she drew close to one marble column and scratched it with a single claw.

[ EXP: 621 || +1 TEXP ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

Normal habbit would have another take his place here, in the place where his own clan called home. The demons of Pride. Oni who had grown to feed on the portion of the pysche that generated pride. Honour. Ambition. And because of this. They became manifestations of that very ideal. Here in this crumbling court house, the clan held its base of power. The " Seat " of Pride. What use a court house would have in hell is unknown, whether it was the the authority of a single fiendish despot or perhaps a truely balanced court based system was far beyond todays knowledge. In the back of the deralict building, lay a single stone " throne". The literal seat, of the seat. The one that belonged to the clans leader. A seat that the demon lurking within today, wished to usurpt for himself. Jack Wiseman, an advocate of the Pride Clan. Recently returned from an excursion dealing with issues for the leader. Wiping out a group of desire demons who had become little more than an annoyance. In doing so he had gained his own little piece of evidence that would strengthen his position. And weaken his leader, Jowan.

Jack lurked among these dark halls regularly, prefering it far more to the outside. It was no that he hid from others or that he was by nature a hermit. But rather that he just didn't like the usual dry acrid nature of the underworld. Within this building, there was a cool breeze, and a clinging moisture to the air that never seemed to let up. Regardless, this place was for the most part avoided by other Oni. For the single purpose that Pride Demons didn't like visitors. So, surprised was Jack. When the taint that ran through his veins began to boil. Indicating the presence of another not too far away. Just on the edge of his senses. He followed the power of that taint. Moving closer and closer. His cane (which contained his sword). Clicking ominously across the ground as he trod forward. The sounds of his footsteps echoing within the empty halls of Pride.

OOC: Sorry for the shortness =p wrote this 10 mins before I had to run into the course.

EXP: 416

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

Iskra, as absorbed as she was in the curious fact that someone had actually found a stone and shaped and manipulated it in a manner that allowed it to uphold and exist as part of a structure, would have to be near deaf to have missed the steady clicking growing louder from the background. Click... click... click... like a clock, if she were familiar with such a device. Footsteps accompanied it, and before she ever saw the source she knew a few things about the approaching entity. One, it was two-legged. Two, it was either a confident spirit, the owner of the domain, or one who lived here. A raider or a weak person would have approached quietly, seeking some circuitous route that would impede her ability to know he or she was there.

The second of these observations lead to a good news/bad news scenario. If he approached loudly, clearly whoever it was wasn't trying to sneak up on her for a kill. Whenever she wanted to eat something she always made efforts to conceal her presence until it was too late, which this person wasn't doing. On the other hand, approaching boldly sent a message. Bears, rhinoceroses, lions with their foul tempers, mankind in general, and all the powerful creatures she'd come across in her life had the sort of confidence that allowed them to approach loudly. It was their way of declaring that they felt non-threatened by anything in the area, and reading that message put her on her toes.

Yet, she didn't hurriedly stalk away as might have made sense in the context. She knew hell to be dangerous. It was why she went out of her way to avoid the cities where the greater demons congregated and ruled. It was why she sought the woods and infernal trees where she might encounter someone one-on-one. The onikonjou down here had a wisdom that she sought, skills in dark arts and powers she had only glimpsed in the material world. It was better to die seeking this power than to live in weakness, so she risked her life to learn more.

Likely, if this entity was confident enough to approach with a bold walk, he probably knew something she wanted to know, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to go into the building to find him. Her past was that of a wild animals, and all such creatures have a deep and profound fear of the trap. Of having impended freedom to escape from danger and hurt. So she remained outside, half hiding herself behind the pillar out of an uncertainty before calling out, "Someone lives here?"

[ EXP: 526 || +1 TEXP ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

Jack made it to the end of the corridor. Stopping there for a moment. Stepping outside into this weather. How bothersome. He had been hoping to stay inside all day, putting off going out until he was actually given a task. However, much like the curious researcher, he found it odd that this creature was still hanging around the Seat of Pride. Surely it would have heard him coming, he had made no attempts to hide that fact. And yet. It remained. Curious. If nothing else. And that’s when he heard the voice calling out to him. A voice asking, with slightly tinges of uncertainty if anyone at all lived inside. He couldn’t help but feel that familiar tug of a grin on the side of his face. What an odd question to ask. And with that Jacks distinct sense of curiosity only increased. Now he would want to venture outside. If only to sate this sense. After all there was nothing wrong with it was there? It had to be some kind of luck on either, this creatures part. Or his own, that at the moment the rest of his clan were out warring away with the demons of Madness. Leaving Jack the sole proprietors of the Seat of Pride. So with no more delay he pushed open the old oak doors and walked into the outside. Once again, the dry air and breeze pulled the grin that had came earlier back down.

“…I suppose the answer to that would be yes…as much as anyone can actually live in the spiritual world”.

The Oni, as it clearly was. Was still trying to avoid direct contact with him. Smart. The smart ones did do that, but even the dumb ones who attacked didn’t usually speak first. This. Was new. Jack placed his cane in the centre in front of his legs and leaned ever so slightly forward, putting his weight onto it. “ I would think of warning you that this is not the safest place in the realms to be…but then what else can one say about the underworld?…”. There was something else in the air mixed along with the taint. Two things he could sense, one to tell that demons were nearby and the other…a source of power. Ambition? So this demon was here for a reason. There was something that it wanted. Good. It might be somewhat enjoyable yet. “ Come out creature. Tell me what it is you wish here at the Seat of Pride”. This was probably the one thing demons of pride and demons of desire had in common. They’d both lure out others with thoughts and dreams of what they could achieve. Pride centred more on ambition and honour, whereas desire tended to flirt more with lust and greed.

It was one of the reasons they were dangerous. They put you in a position where you would think dealing with them would give you anything you wanted. And then before you knew it. You wish you’d never done so. At the moment, Jack wasn’t sure whether or not he’d bother feeding on this one. Still. The acts were like footsteps in a dance to him. Second nature, and done without thinking.

EXP:579

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

"It has a name then," she said bluntly, simply speaking the first thing that came to her mind with little concept of etiquette or the fact that she should perhaps answer the man first before she answered the building. Such a territory this man had. He must be powerful, she thought, shifting her gaze until she was looking the pride demon up and down, sizing him up.

However, when he beckoned her forward, she didn't hesitate to show herself. She walked out from behind the pillar with confidence she didn't truly have but had been taught to project. The first thing noticeable about the creature was her white, spotted, shoulder-length mane which fell about her shoulders and stirred gently in the sanguine winds. Her blue eyes regarded the well-dressed man before her with a mixture of curiosity and mistrust, as she wasn't used to dealing with spirits that looked so... human. Her body wasn't clad with finery as his, only some utilitarian clothes she had scavenged from a ruined store somewhere on Terra Regnum. They were brown and unassuming, several shades lighter than her skin color.

"Pride?" she asked. Abstract concepts held her fascination, and the fact that one would name a place after such an immaterial thing heightened her appreciation of the man and this fine piece of territory he'd managed to secure. Speaking of which, "It must have been hard for you to secure this area for yourself." She waved a sharp-nailed hand at the vast, dilapidated structure. "So you must be powerful. I want you to teach me how I can have power such as yours."

It didn't occur to her to be anything other than straightforward and insistent about her wants.

[ EXP: 379 ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

Interesting. He'd never really much held a conversation with an Oni for too long outside of his own kind. The longest would have probably been that desire demon he strapped to the table and brutally mutilated until she'd spilled the answer about their leaders location. But even then he'd never really gotten much into depth with it. When this demoness spoke of "it" having a name. He was at first confused as to just what " it" was. Before realising. She meant the building. The Seat of Pride itself. Was it odd for places to have names? Perhaps his people were just odd in that respect. Or perhaps this one was just odd. Either way. He didn't know. Her gaze was locked. Actions, animal like. She was looking at him, but not in the way of equals or kin. The look an animal gives when trying to decide if whats in front of it is either prey or a predator. Her appearance was, different. To say the least. She wore clothes similar to the human scavangers he had encountered on his last visit to their realm. But she was clearly an Oni. Did that mean that she lived in Terra Regnum? Perhaps. But then Perhaps not. One couldn't always jump to conclusions. Jack stepped forward, allowing his cane to take movements as well. Clicking across the ground with his footsteps in tune. Always in front of him though. After all. The thing held his weapon. He would want it nowhere else. Her next communication involved only a single word. Pride. As if she was asking just what he had meant when he said this was the Seat of Pride. It was easy enough to explain, and he did so coming to a hault. Slightly closer to her now. But not so close as to not see an attacking coming if it was attempted.

"..Yes...I am Pride, or...a demon of it anyway....and this is my seat, my home, my place of rest".

He gestured to the building behind him, hoping to impart some of the concept of it onto her. He smirked as she brought up the next point, hard to secure the area for himself. " Things are not always as difficult as they would seem. Others are wary of this place. But you...". He flicked up his index finger from his cane, pointing it at her, and then lowering it. " You are different. Whether this is because of ignorance to the danger, or...something else...we shall see..". And there it was, blunt and on the table. She wanted power. He let out a cold, dry laugh. ". Power you say?....And just what would you do with this power hmmm?". Each word was laced with a pulling nature. Making her think of what she would do with the power was precisely his game. And it was a fun one at that.

Exp: 517

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

So this person embodied an abstract concept. This she found an even greater curiosity, though she felt she understood what he meant by his words. Concepts like truth, love, and sin were all things that she attempted to discuss with her kin, but they always gave her the same answer: a short sort of growling phrase that translated to something like, "Those words form a sentence, but they do not make any sense." They were born or awakened to a state of innocence despite the base brutality of their behavior. They had no concept of right or wrong. Even the strength that they valued so much didn't exist as an abstraction, simply as a property of a given being. Properties didn't exist independent of their objects, and the suggestion that something like power or authority, even pride, could be isolated and discussed as a thing on its own merit was something that eventually drove her from her clan.

But now she had a form that allowed her to speak freely using these words that allowed a property to exist independent of its own. A demon of pride. A demon of an emotion that most creatures with even a basic social structure had, that is, the feeling that ones life and person and mind have an importance that others must respect. A lot of the aesops concerning this property weren't ingrained in her as a cub as children often had such morals pressed into them from the very cradle. This was fresh territory she walked on, so naturally she didn't know that the danger of it all wasn't directly physical the way a large, sharp-toothed demon might present. The concept of a mental danger was one she had a complete lack of experience with.

He spoke in these abstractions, however, and she hadn't spoken with anyone who demanded such a level of thought from her. It showed in how her bone-white eyebrows furrowed and her gaze fell to the ground as she thought for a minute. She understood "power" as the property that she wanted, but primarily she'd sought it because her entire life it had been promoted as the thing that makes an entity worthy to live, and above all else she wanted to live. Like all life, she wanted to thrive and grow and consume other life that she could continue to live. Power was the currency of the society she had emerged from not long ago, and she felt like a beggar being asked by some plutocrat, What would you do with this money?

"I would live," she said reflexively, as if the question had put her continued ability to draw "air" into doubt. "Well, I..."

The more she thought on it, the more she realized that she didn't presently have any greater goals past being able to live without suffering the ability of others to end her life. "...I don't think people without power can live very easily. There are many strong ones who kill the weak because that's their job. I would rather be the killer than the victim."

[ EXP: 620 ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

He saw in her face...confusion? Perhaps. Her answer was admittedly a simple one. If nothing elsse however it was honest. It was after all the main reason demons down here persued that darwinist style of living. The strong killing the weak, living on. Gaining power, growing ever stronger. But in such things laid its own trap. He could see that even though her answer was simple, to the point and to her probably made all the sense in the world. His answer. he thought. Might give her something to chew on for a bit. " True, there are the strong that kill the weak....". Jack's own gaze would now lock onto hers. His eyes almost demanding the attention of the one in front of him. "...But in strength, and power...comes its own cost...Those with power are driven into battle and conflicts....such is the nature of of our kind....and inevitably...there is always someone stronger than you....one day the weaker of two strong ones...might be yourself...". And there was his own imparted message, but he felt things were getting a tad too philisophical for today. He thought for a moment, just what would the demon want from him? To teach her the ways of demonic magics?

" Very well I've decided you....interest me enough to teach you a few tricks...".

But then again, there was a cost to everything. And Jack wasn't going to just teach every random demon that captured his interest just how to get stronger. He'd want something from this girl. And she would give it to him if she truely wanted power. " But, there will be a cost". Of course, his ideal was nothing material, nor was it in any way sexual. Such things, at the moment. Failed to interest him. What did ensnare his interest however at this point in time. Was the idea of the mortal realm and just what he may have left behind there. " I require someone to...find something for me in Terra...I'll be....nice....enough to teach you before hand..you'll have no insentive other than your own word...". He shrugged and looked to the side. " Welllll...that and the idea that if you didn't I'd have to skin you alive...great insentive no?". Once again, the Pride Demon leaned forward on his cane.

" So whats it to be?".

EXP: 441

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

When he stared into her eyes, she made it a point to only sustain the contact for moments before looking rather suddenly off to the left, at some marble shard or invisible insect. Eye contact flagged aggression, or at least her thinking it so once again illustrated her origins. She could see him still, yes, but only out of the side of her eyes. It was a gesture of respect.

Honestly, the thought of another being stronger than her didn't seem to make sense in the context of her previous statement. What if she simply wanted to be the best? Then she wouldn't have to worry about being the weaker of two demons. If she was weaker than her opponent, then she was weak no matter who else she might be stronger than. Then again, that would make her journey near endless. She would have to surpass the dead god who had birthed the world if indeed she was immortal and woke up to reclaim it.

Her increasingly deepening thoughts were interrupted by the other's offer to school her in the magical arts. Ostensibly she was interesting. She smiled at the thought. This important-seeming person found her interesting! She giggled lightly at the condescendingly kind words: a famed sound from her previous form. Gradually she was making room for compliments past admiration of her strength. She'd need it to sustain her morale for the rise to power ahead.

She made no guesses as to what he wanted. In her position, the wild spirit couldn't comprehend what one such as this person could possibly have want of from a creature with nothing but the clothes on her back, but it seemed he wanted information. Perhaps he guessed by her disposition that she hailed from the material realm. The creatures in Onitoshi definitely had a different manner about them than the woodland spirits she was so familiar with.

How he knew was not important, however. What was important was that she accept his offer and keep her ears open for the wisdom she was sure he would impart. The threat of being skinned alive was one she intentionally didn't dwell on. Worry wasn't a constructive or strong emotion. "I will do as you ask, Pride." She addressed him by his abstraction, as she knew not his name.

[ EXP: 477 || +1 TEXP ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

" Wonderful!, then we should start as soon as possible".

Eyes closed in that strange manner whilst smiling in an all too mischevious way. This is usually the point in stories where in some strange manner a burst of flames and smoke appear next to the demons hands forming some kind of contract. Jack needed no such thing. No blood contract was required. He trusted in this creatures, simple. But straight forward way of dealing with things. Well. And his own simple and straight forward way of punishing those who screwed with him. Teaching this girl magic wouldn't be difficult. Particularly the dark magics held by demons. Since she had that taint already in her blood it wouldn't take much to oughst the darkness within her out and form it into demonic magics. " First thing about our magic...and when I say our...I mean Oni...demons....dark magic. Everyone assumes...goth...death...depressing. Hardly. Dark magic doesn't take its power from death, but rather it takes its power from life. Be it yours, or...your enemies". Jack walked further towards this creature, making a move to put his arm around her shoulder. Almost like a close friend, or relative. Or overly friendly teacher.

" Life. Is.Suffering. The moment you come to understand this...the moment so many doors open up on this path for you!".

Once more, that grin. The one that wasn't to be trusted. " There is power in suffering, and there is power in blood". He looked down at her with dark eyes. " And let that be your first lesson of the day.....". That reminded him. She was calling him pride. " Oh..yes...how rude of me....My name, you can call me...Jack".

EXP: 329

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

Her eye twitched momentarily at the man's arm around her shoulder, though she made no move to resist the gesture. If they were somewhere in the forest and she wasn't a single "hyena" she might have felt somewhat more comfortable, but the entire environment of Barathrum Regnum put her on edge a bit.

However, her powerful focus on the mission at hand, part of which was simply trusting this demon, Jack, enough to draw the lesson from him, allowed her to avoid reacting visibly to the touch despite timeless instincts of self-preservation screaming for her to at least move.

His words resonated with her own life experiences properly enough, though she was unfamiliar with the concept of "demon magic" specifically, having never seen it in action outside of her thus far brief foray into the bowels of hell.

She looked away again, respectfully. He had such a profound darkness about him that was somewhat new to the woman who in her twenty odd years hadn't experienced much outside of the woods and the Village of the Moon. Courage was important, though, and she summoned the virtue to her mind. "I see... Jack." The idea of life being defined as suffering was a thought her impressionable mind had to evaluate for a moment. She was living, yes, but she wasn't suffering all of the time, and if life was suffering, wouldn't she be suffering even as she stood there? Perhaps the coloring of the area was a bit alarming, and perhaps being so close to someone she was convinced could stop her from living at his pleasure was a little uncomfortable, but she remembered many moments unlike this. There was running through the abandoned meadows between the villages, leaping in the moonlight and snapping at fireflies. There was lazing in the sun next to her clanmates, full off of a recent kill. There was the hand of the human, Lethe, running behind her ears...

But all of those things were so long ago. This new form that she thought would make her wise, powerful, and possibly immortal had brought with it only confusion and misery. Indeed, when she was a mere beast of the fields... before she knew anything about this world, she enjoyed it more. Maybe she simply didn't understand the fullness of life when she was younger, especially since there were so many of these new experiences suddenly coming about. "I understand. Continue."

[ EXP: 503 ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

" Very good".

There had beeen for a moment, something on her face. Not that he could understand but it had shifted slightly. Not important though. Her answers were enough that Jack got the message. She wanted to move on. Honestly though Jack had little experience in the ways of actually teaching the dark magics of demons. Or anything for that matter. So all of this was relatively new ground for him as well. Still, it was removing one stick in the mud for him. Finding that person that may hold the secret to his past, and getting Ceila's little reprise out of his head. " Ok so, I suppose, the best way to demonstate this to you is by actively showing it to you...". Jack removed his arm from around the girls shoulder and walked slightly in front of her. Removing his sword from the cane sheath, then placing the sheath down onto the ground. " Watch now...this is the fun part...". Jack bit at the glove on his hand, removing it, then spitting it out onto the ground. Laying his hand flat, he placed the edge of the sword onto his palm. And quickly, ruthlessly. Dragged the steel across his palm. Blood instantly welled up from the wound. A blood almost darker than normal.

With his hand he wiped the blood on the sword. Immedietly, there seemed to be a sense of...wrongness. About the blade. Danger. " Blood, is power". He repeated his earlier words. Jacks magic for the most part held around this single principle. Blood magic. A magic that used the taint in his demonic veins to fuel its destructive power. He raised his hand to his mouth, letting his tongue slide along the wound, lapping up the blood with an inhumane grin on his face. Like a twisted thorn vine. Filled with venom. " Magic, comes in several different kinds of varities, demonic in particular, should depend on yourself...using your own nature against your enemies....so tell me girl...". He held out his bloody hand to her.

" Just what is your nature....do you like the taste of warm blood filling you?".

EXP: 404

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

Iskra almost sighed in relief when the finely-clad arm retreated from its rest about her shoulder, only to be further perplexed by the ritual enacted in front of her. Well, it made sense that she hadn't stumbled across such powers in the past. The idea to cut herself or use her own blood never even crossed her mind.

But clearly these unusual methods were yielding results. Almost as soon as the blackened blood contacted the blade, she could feel a resonant weirdness about it. The feeling came to her first when she walked onto the long path that lead to hell, and it had been sort of a background sensation for her tenure here, but she hadn't felt it as powerfully as she felt it now.

It was the sort of thing she would have immediately run from if she didn't have a purpose in mind here.

He sure seemed excited, though, in a way that made her entirely uncomfortable all over again. The demon gazed longingly at the way she had come, mentally charting a path out of the area and ultimately back to Terra.

Her freshly-developed rational mind knew that would be a stupid and probably deadly move, though. It would be a waste to flee now even if she could. She pulled her attention back to the present and to her teacher's question. "Yes!" she answered enthusiastically, with a rare smile that quivered and died when she saw the expression on Jack's face. "Well, uhh... I killed a lot of things to eat, yea... and it's fun. Isn't everyone like that, though?"

[ EXP: 337 || +1 TEXP (2nd thread) ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

" Oh don't we all wish it but unfortunatly no".

He wiped the hand on his trouser leg and then bent down to pick up his glove, slowly sliding it back on. Still moist under all the blood. Still, it would heal over quickly enough. " Not everyone has that predatorial instinct, some are just born prey". He poked his sword at the ground. Humans for example. The majority of them showed signs of both, but mostly the prey aspect despite ruling their realm over all other species. " Like how some are simply born to lead, others to follow". It was a simple enough analogy. And yet he felt as if they were getting drawn to much into the whole aspect of philosphy. Whilst it did relate to magic in certain areas, by all means understanding certain bits of wisdom wouldn't be what led to the whole power thing that she wanted. Using his own tainted blood for his magics had all been part of his nature. Much like feeding off the pride of others. All just to do with who and what he was. He imagined this would follow in a similar line of thought for the girl. " Right well, I suppose we'd best be starting to see if we can teach you something....hmmm....ok, first I want you to....close your eyes...I know, this is hell. Its dangerous. But block that out. Listen to me. And only me....". He rapped his fingers against the pommel of his cane sword.

" When you are ready, I want you to listen...not to the enviroment, but to yourself....to your heartbeat...to the sound of that little drum beating away, calling you to war...listen to the words marked in your blood...in your nature....let them take form...And when they do....". He opened his palm.

"Take from them power".

Exp:337

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

Well, clearly this man had results from his method, she thought, but maybe they had too many differences? She certainly hoped not... well, it was stronger than hope. Iskra outright refused doom to a lifetime of mediocrity. Somehow, when she thought of her options as either death or weakness, she found herself angrily unafraid of the risks this sort of training entailed.

So she shut her eyes and her fears gradually quieted like crickets at a stranger's approach. Behind her eyelids was the blackness of sleep and the faint red of the flesh that composed her eyelids. It wasn't a simple thing for her to concentrate initially. Meditation lay not in her nature, but she willed the calm over herself. The surroundings were quiet enough, save the distant rumble of infernal thunder and the faint, eerie noise of the floating spirits and the way the very ground here seemed to constantly murmur in resentment at its own abominable state. It was a grinding noise that was the atmospheric sound of this plane, and the sound of it took her back to the simpler days and the feeling of her teeth grinding through bone. Yes, eating quickly was more important than ensuring the creature had a humane death. She'd often swallowed great chunks of living flesh, lapped up great pools of live blood, absorbed the sound of a creature's final scream, for all creatures from mice to pigs to men knew how to scream. It was a noise that always brought a grin to her face, for the crunching of bones and the shrieks of unmatched pain that came from a creature disappearing alive down the throats of a dozen hyenas at once with full comprehension and horror of its fate had the same joy-bringing effect on her that the crunching of waffle cones and the music of an ice cream truck had on children of a bygone age.

Above all she recalled her friend, Lethe, and the way that his father, a hunter and an enemy of her people shrieked like a hog at the butchers as they tore into him, dismembering him with their jaws and carrying off pieces almost playfully before the matriarch finally bit down on his skull until a sharp crack filled the night and gray matter filled her mouth. To Iskra in those days, the humans were gods, and the blasphemy inherit in polluting one's flesh, of pulling one apart and defiling its body with their appetite was daring and exciting.

The images had a nostalgia and a comfort to her now as she dwelt on them, and a doggish grin crept across her visage. She even began to giggle in the mirthless way that her fellows giggled. It was only a call, after all, but in the giggles were murmurs to words she didn't know on a conscious level. It was almost as though she was born knowing what the words were, but had forgotten them over time, and they were in a language she didn't know, though she understood the meaning behind the blackness that she verbalized onto the air. Yet, to her that blackness wasn't darkness or evil. It was simply her. They were words that rose out of her from the feelings aroused when she was fulfilling her purpose as a predator as her unknown ancestors had for eons before the Dawn. The feelings when, long ago, the first predatory spirit fell upon its brother in a gluttonous passion. The horror inherit in the thoughts didn't frighten her, but they instead charmed her with all of the electricity and beauty of an aurora. It was as though she was dumbly watching the show instead of allowing the show to live through her, the sky that held the lights, only half aware of the powers channeled through her relatively small form in the great macrocosm of this world and its magic. For that moment, she became a part of something much older than she was, and forces much greater than she could hope to comprehend or describe.

And the visions of bloodshed and delight... warm, moist, rose-hued affairs continued to dance across her daydreams like some sanguine colorguard crew until the grumbled growls of pleasure formed themselves into understandable syllables.

"Hot like the sun... wet like the rain..."

Rather surprisingly to her, she released those emotions in the form of a half-formed spell. It was aimed at the only living thing she detected in the area, that is, the Pride demon, but she had only succeeded in channeling the wrath of those dead spirits into a potentially harmful, abstract mass of suffering in the air. Her surprise prevented her from being able to target it effectively, but she did feel that there was something and that it had been released through her thoughts and words in the general direction of Jack.

[ EXP: 956 ]

Veteran Rep! : 5

The member 'LittleMariko' has done the following action : Dices roll

'[ Novice ]' : 43

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

The girl as suspected seemed either wary of his suggestion. Or perhaps just downright doubtful of its effectiveness. However, there seemed to be something in there after the first few seconds that got to her. A twist on her face. And then. Pain. Jack didn’t quite know how to describe this mental agony, He grasped his forehead. Unable to really know how to react to such an assault. It wasn’t something you could really defend against, or particularly see coming. She had unleashed, something. That much was sure. And it was continuing to eat away at him. Jack gritted his teeth against it. The spell whatever it had been. Was wild. Untrained. But none the less. Effective. Even against a beind such as him. Knowing he had to overcome it. He knew that showing weakness to this demon was going to be a dire mistake. He had to concentrate. Had to bade it off as little more than nothing. He forced his eyes open. And let out a sigh. “ That…wasn’t bad…”. The pain was ebbing. Whatever it had been, wasn’t enough to put him down. At least. As it was. This girl had potential in it. That much was clear. “ Good. We can at least see from that you have….talent”. Brushing a strand of hair aside from his vision Jack thought about just what to bring on next.

“ What about….your true form?”.

It was a good point to bring up. As human as this appearance was, Jack knew it wasn’t his true form. Even if it had been the open he had awakened in. There was something else inside of him. Something far more powerful, far more demonic. A power that showed his true infernal nature. And he didn’t doubt the same was to be said for this girl. “ As handsome as I am…this is not my true appearance. And if you are like me…much could be said the same….”. He closed his eyes for a moment. Jack rarely ever did take this form. It certainly wasn’t one that he had shown Jowan or any of the other demons of Pride. All they knew him as was Jack. The guy who looked human…ish. The air would take a shift as things around Jack began to change. The clouds above them would begin to darken. Lightning would streak across the sky. Jacks own natural demonic aura took a shift. Pulsing out into the environment and pushing down on Iskra like a lead weight. An oppressive gravity. Darkness shifted around him like a smoke. Like mist obscuring vision. From that darkness. Two large demonic wings emerged. It faded away. And the creature that stood there. Was no longer the human appearing Jack.

It had a humanoid figure. Bipedal. It stood at approximately 7-8 feet tall. Muscular. Hardened. Black leather skin. Purple eyes. And horn shaped upon its head, that looked similar to a crown.

“ What about you creature?”.

Spoke Jack in a multi-toned voice. “ What is it that you truly appear to be…have you mastered the power to change your form between fragile trickery and truth?”.

EXP: 575
Transformed: Archdemon
All stats +1

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

Now the hyena-spirit had just recently come into demonic affairs and there were many instincts and lessons the wilds had taught her that she outright abandoned in her mad pursuit of greatness. Standing near someone who didn't look threatening, though her internal wisdom told her that he was, took a bit of restraint. Closing her eyes in a dangerous environment had as well. In fact, even coming down to hell itself was a challenge that required her not to think excessively about what she was doing.

But there was nothing so plainly scary as the events that briefly took place. Lightning. Darkness. A winged figure of nightmare emerging. It was Jack, she could tell before he even began to talk with that familiar speech pattern, but that didn't do much to mitigate her fear in the face of the fact that he was now a large, horned, winged thing that was much more physically intimidating.

Even his presence seemed like some heavy weight on her frame, though she wasn't sure were the actual atmospheric effects of his powers stopped and her own powerful phobias began. Either way, her mental stamina was running low, even if she herself felt like running and couldn't. Though it wasn't in her nature to freeze with fear in the presence of something frightening as it was in a deer's or a rabbit's, she did so, dumbly for a minute before she spoke. Her concentration had been consumed by this event, her stamina had been consumed by the prior ritual she had somehow performed, and she felt as though she'd need to rest elsewhere for the moment, far away from anything that could eat her.

And yet, for once she wasn't sure if she wanted to verbalize that in a straightforward manner. Lying wasn't something she had much experience with, though bluffing was. Her rational mind told her there wasn't anything to be afraid of at the moment, however, so the truth was told. "Jack, I am uh..." her hand was trembling. She steadied it with her other hand in an awkward way that seemed to say Yes, I am not used to this form. "...tired. Perhaps a little hungry. I can't concentrate on making any more magic, but that is very..." The demon found it hard to look directly at the transformation as she reflexively found it hard to look directly at anyone she thought of as strong, but she did anyways. "...awesome."

[ EXP: 509 || +1 TEXP (1st post) ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

Being in this form was always odd. For one the change in height tended to shift his perspective on others. Added weight meant adjusting balance. But the added muscle mass and strength did a lot to help with that. And then there was the wings. Powerful enough in of themselves but it took a few seconds to get used to the feeling of having them every time he took this form. Despite it being his “ True Form”. He felt far more at home in his smaller frame. There was also the odd effect on the environment and well. Other demons he had. In this form his power seemed to radiate from him and make being around him in general just difficult for others. But it seemed the last spell had tired the girl out. Her stamina reserves as far as magic went didn’t seem to be too deep for now. But then again. The spell had felt powerful despite its wild nature. And she was a novice at demonic magic. No doubt it would take far more than expected out of her. “ I appreciate the sentiment” . Well if she was fatigued then there was no point in continuing it for the day. Likely it would have been best if she could go on her way. But that wasn’t the best option for the moment.

Even if he explained her task to her. As she was she might not even make it back to Terra. Best she rested up and ate something before leaving. “ Very well, if you are tired. Come inside the Seat, other demons tend to stay away as I said…so its likely the safest place to rest for you in this realm”. He began to walk towards the doors. A flash of blackened colour as he transformed back into his human state. Pushing the doors open. “ No beds though”.

EXP: 326

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

The hyena demon found herself openly relieved when he changed back, and she sighed as though she'd been holding her breath for a very long time.

Originally, she might not have considered ever sleeping in such an area as enclosed as the Seat was. In her mind she'd already dubbed it The Chair, oddly enough, and it seemed like an ideal place to rest now that she was sufficiently tired and sufficiently trusted her teacher, even if her trust was only the same level of confidence that she might have for a rotten wood bridge that she was halfway across that had failed to collapse beneath her feet. Simply, she trusted him because at the moment it was more comfortable for her to trust him.

So the woman cautiously stepped forward, regarding the old building with a mixture of relief and suspicion. After all, if he were planning to kill her or let her get hurt, he wouldn't have given her a mission. This she decided logically, and decided that logic was a comfort in times such as these.

Crossing through the doors and finding herself not-dead, she thought for a moment in silence.

At length, she turned to the pride demon and asked, "What's beds?"

She misinterpreted the word as some sort of verb, and she wanted to clearly understand what constituted misconduct in this territory of his.

[ EXP: 296 ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

It was easier to get the grl to accept his offer than he thought. Typically from what he had seen so far like so many of the other Oni out there she was more animalised. And wandering into the den of a dangerous predator wasn't really the typical behavior of one such as her. But then again. Perhaps that showed a bit of trust in him. Or it was merely a side effect of her being so fatigued. Either way with her here like this he was tempted now more than ever to feed from her. To take what he needed and then more. But then. He had a task for her, one that he needed done. And for that reason. He would have to leave snack time for someone else. For another time. " Beds?....oh, human things...they use it to sleep..honestly rather nice, softer on the back than the stone...but it makes you just as soft as the padding against the stone". Lack of hardship made a softer person. It had been one of the reasons he left. Only one however, many more had to follow. Which was one of the reasons it was her going through first and not him.

" Sleep where you drop, I don't much care, I only have one rule".

He pushed open the last door of the corridor. It opened into the large hall, with the stone throne at the back. " Don't sit there....".

exp: 252

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

A soft place to sleep? Sounded absolutely wonderful. The forest floor had been very comfortable, especially when covered with a layer of moss, fallen leaves, or snow... not that sleeping on stone bothered her that much. There had been some days and some nights that necessitated sleeping "indoors", that is, in a small cave or abandoned burrow of some creature, and that's what this place reminded her of at its heart. Rather, she insisted that it reminded her of a cozy enclosure instead of a cage. Some of the vertical aspects of some of its design would cause her to equate it with something cage-like by default, but fear would only serve to make her stay here difficult.

The titular chair of the Seat distracted her easily, however, and she peered at it through squinted eyes. The piece of furniture was stone and somewhat unwelcoming like everything else present, but something about it held her attention. She wasn't fully acquainted with the concept of a throne; that was one of those things from human society that had no analogue in clan living, but she did get a certain feeling from it. In her rational mind, she assumed it must be the idea that sitting on the chair would hypothetically prove her dominance over this strong person... by breaking the singular "thou shalt not" given to her in this domain.

Of course, she didn't plan to do it now, but as an inherently dominance-seeking creature she began to look forward to the day when she could simply sit there and nobody could do a damned thing about it, even if she didn't grasp the abstract concepts of authority that such a seat represented.

The demon looked upon the throne room and smiled in the odd, possessive way that she'd often smiled at some creature she intended to capture in the past. What a wonderful feeling to have goals.

"I understand," she answered simply.

The throne room seemed as good a spot as any to take a rest, so she walked past Jack and immediately settled on the floor in a far, dark corner of the room. She curled up, forgetting that it might be awkward since she now had 2 long legs instead of 4 shorter ones, before remembering that bipeds generally slept flat like leaves on the ground.

Thus, she shifted until she got as close as she possibly could to "comfort" and closed her eyes, attempting a fitful sleep.

[ EXP: 507 || +1 TEXP (1st post) ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

There wasn't much to be said or done anymore. The girl had her place to rest and now it was time for him to take his own. Yet as much as this girl no doubt feared him. He didn;t quite trust her. After all they were both Oni. And Oni were anything but trsut worthy. So. He would remain awakened. Standing an ever lasting vigil in this place of pride. A place where justice had once reigned now reduced to the seat of a demonic despot. And one day he would take that seat and become that damned despot. But for now. He'd take care of his own priorities, one of which included figuring out how to deal with this girl. He figured that it was probably best to find her something to eat, she had said she was hungry as well. However her idea of eating might not be on the same level as his. After all the only thing to eat in these places were other demons. There fore it was a kind of unified cannibalism. But then. Maybe she wouldn't care so much. He took his leave, walking out of the building. For a couple of hours he went in search of something to find and kill. And eventually found something or, someone. That looked animal enough to be editable. So. Simply put. He killed it. Made a fire. And cooked the flesh.

The girl would awaken when she awakened. For now he took care of himself. Taking his own share of the meat. When she emerged. He would feed her. Give her her task and send her on her way. When she returned. He would have more to teach. Such was the ways of the oni. One never got anything for nothing.

EXP: 303

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

The demon woman lay uncomfortably on the ground for hours, not because of the unyielding, rough texture of her resting place, but because of a dream.

In the world behind her eyelids, she was a small cub... no, a spotted mouse, her whiskers twitching on the ground. She yawned, her little rat mouth opening wide and exhaling so hard that she blew an approaching roach onto its back. Curiously, she sniffed the insect and looked beyond it to see where it had come from.

There was a magnificent snow leopard corpse. She didn't know on a conscious level that one of her ancestors was a very confused snow leopard, but her subconscious knew. It was eerie. She climbed up the mountain of thick, white fur that literally turned to stained snow at the peak and looked out over the grass... no, the trees. The timberline below was stained with blood and in that moment she felt oddly powerful. Her little rodent paws were those of the snow leopard. Her tail was fluffy and her voice was a tremendous growl, empowered by her ancestor. She swung at the sky and it ripped with the force, angels and other such good spirits falling to the ground. People fled below her giant steps that left ice in their wake. Thousands of roaches... wait, they were demons. Thousands of demons bowed before her, ready to do her bidding.

But then a shadow flew over her and the roaches scattered. Confused, she looked up at the sky and she realized that she was very alone. There was no ice, only fire and blood and smoke, and the little spotted mouse coughed. She ran, knowing some great hurt lay hidden in the darkness and the sparks.

And she found herself suddenly snatched up into the air, a talon through her chest. She looked down and there was that damnable forbidden chair that in her confusion she'd accidentally sat on. She coughed blood and looked up at the owl that had snatched her little body up and impaled her...

But it wasn't an owl. It was the pride demon. And it wasn't a talon, it was a sword. He smiled and his teeth were sharper than she remembered them... so very sharp.

With a grunt of profound dismay, she jumped several inches into the air despite her sleeping posture, landing on the ground with a panicked look in her eye.

A dream. It was a dream. Iskra's breathing slowed as she suddenly became embarrassed.

With a mumble, she faintly smelled warm meat on the air and cast a look of disdain over at the throne that's presence she'd fallen asleep in, suddenly angry. The fear made her angry.

"I'll piss on you, bastard," she grumbled at the seat, angrily marching out of the ruin, which was suddenly scary once again.

So annoyed was she that she wanted some way to demonstrate that she wasn't just some pussy. Wrath practically boiled her blood as she sat down next to Jack and gave the most terrible, nasty snarl she could muster, though she wasn't making eye contact and wasn't growling at him in particular.

[ EXP: 625 ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 26 Location : Behind you

Cooking the meat reminded Jack of Azazel. The Pride Demon who only a few days previous he had killed via blood poisons. The man was a wonderful cook, made even the canniablised bodies fo the underworld taste wonderful. Jack wasn't so much of one, he cook cook the flesh and make it taste bettter than it would have just raw and dripping. But. Well. He just didn't have the same secret touch as that one. Selfishly thats probably all he'd miss about that one. Still it was something that he would miss him as opposed to just shoving a body into a magma pit and saying aduer. There was movement behind him that he picked up, through both his tainted blood sense and his sharpened hearing. In a rather sarcastic tone he plucked a piece of the meat from a stone platter in front of him. Dangling between his index finger and thumb. Then placed it into his mouth. Not bothering to savour. Not enough flavour for that. It was mechanical. Chew. Swallow.

"And the princess awakens...let the peasants rejoyce..".

The sarcasm present in his tone was clear as day. Whether or not the girl would actuallly make heads or tails of it didn't much matter to him. He was content with his own jackassery. As she sat next to him, he had to wodner whether tha snarl was aimed at him for his witty comment or simply because she was female and had just awakened after sleeping on a hard cold surface. Probably the latter. After she sat down he passed over the platter to share the food or, spoils of the kill. Although this may have been taken as a gesture of kindness. Once more in this place nothing came without its own reasoning or costs. She had rested. But an empty stomach would provide no energy for fighting or running, both of which she'd probably end up doing before the day was done. " Eat up, you'll need it". Jack folded his hands in front of his face. Collasping them and leaning forward, his chin pressed against the double ball of his hands. " Now to business". Jacks eyes would be focuses ahead on the first, but the eyes were misty. Distant. Almost as if he wasn't looking at the first, but through it.

" Theres a woman I need you to find, she may. Or may not have company with her. Humans travel in bands, keep together normally....however it shouldn't be guaranteed...I understand that hunting one woman would be difficult without a particular focal point to hone in on, however...there is something that should pick her out".

He had thought about it, and after the whole song and dance with Jowan accidently fathering a child in the human world. It had got him thinking to the possibilities of him actually doing it as well.He had after all spent a year with the woman before discovering his true nature. " The one you are looking for...if she exists...her scent should be similar to mine...". That alone said enough of it. However he would make his dead locked point. If he did have a child. Just what would he want to do with the half breed? The first and perhaps most obvious answer was. Kill it. He couldn't have anything that could be used against him in his rise to power. And although there would be no real emotional connection....he opened his palm staring at it. there is power in blood . There was however. An alternate option. Use it.A good craftsman never threw away a potiental tool.

" If you find such a creature, I want you to attack. If it is strong enough to fend you off...then I may have plans for it...if not...then it is not worth my time".

His eyes flashed over to her. " Either way...escape or kill...return and report to me what you find".

EXP:720

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

Unaware of the rudeness of the gesture, she snatched the meat like a hobo snatching a purse. The well-cooked flesh disappeared down her throat with astounding speed. It was simply the way she was accustomed to eating. Dining in hyena clans held many similarity to eating contests or races. The fastest almost always got to devour the most, and she'd always been among the speediest.

Though Iskra was busily choking down the other demon's meat, she did catch his snarky remark. It didn't bother her, but she assumed that by calling her "princess" he was feigning submission even though he was stronger than her individually. That was proper for a male. Rather, her default thoughts caused her to dismiss the comments as such without considering the irrelevance that her former values held in this setting because she didn't stop to examine the situation in depth.

Briefly licking the juices off of her fingers, she decided that cooked meat wasn't that bad. There weren't many occasions she'd had to sample broiled or baked flesh, but it was properly tender. Now she understood why humans didn't need jaws that strong to eat with.

She missed being a hyena once more, however, when she went to try the bones. In her original form, they presented as much a challenge to her jaws as a granola bar might to any given hiker. Now it took a bit of effort, and it made her teeth hurt a little when she actually did crack one and start slurping at the marrow and listening to the mission.

And she listened very carefully.

For a moment, she met his red eyes with her blue ones. Fire and ice.

And slowly, like the hour hand of a clock, she leaned in his direction, the broken bone still between her hands, dripping sauce into her lap.

She leaned until her face was perhaps a few inches from the pride demon's neck.

Rather creepily, she inhaled through her nose.

Then leaned back and continued her challenging meal.

"I understand," she answered in her simple way. It was rather troubling that she had to get within inches of someone to fully know what he or she smelled like now, but she accepted it as a limitation of her new form that she'd have to work through... at least until she figured out how to regain her old self.

Sticking her tongue into the hardened shell of the fibula, she fished out the last of the marrow and stood up. "I will return to you as quickly as possible. I wouldn't hold my breath for this person to remain alive."

Without anything else to say, she began the long trek back to the mouth of hell. She had some questions, yes, but they could be saved for when she got back. The goal was to prove herself competent to this strong person.

[ EXP: 587 || +1 TEXP (2nd post) ]

Mystic Elder Rep! : 31

Thread Totals
EXP: 6943
TEXP: 7
Total EXP: 20,943

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