Thoughtless

[Dissinger]

Closed to Karuka Tida

"You just couldn't stay dead, could you?" The words hung in the air, their implication resounding in the underground chamber. The distant sound of water dripping could be heard, ever a reminder of just how underground they were. The room itself was rather cozy, in an odd sort of way. Resting in a corner were several blankets and mattresses that formed a sort of bed. Resting upon the bed was a small girl who had been told to merely return to sleep when awoken by the intrusion of an enigmatic visitor. There was also a small dresser that served to hold most of the possessions of the two inhabitants.

A mirror pointed at the table, where the image of the table and the man sat. It was odd to look into it, for while the mirror showed one person seated at the table, there were in fact two; a woman dressed in a shirt and skirt skirt combo that kept her somewhat modest joined the man at the table. Her brown hair was left loose today, hiding her eyes from the enigmatic stranger that towered over her, across the table. A hand was left idly on the table, where it idly played with a dagger that ended in an arrow tip, the blade seeming to dance and come to life as she studied the man.

"I-" The figure tried to talk, only to the knife come to a stop pointed right at him to interrupt his forthcoming explanation. Her other hand gently lifted a bottle before it poured an amber liquid into a glass, probably stolen from one of the local taverns. The cup was slid across the table in a practiced maneuver that left it resting before the man who's own eyes were hidden under the brim of a hat. His long duster jacket covered over a rather tattered shirt and vest, which had seen far better days.

"I don't want to hear the excuses. You're full of them, and frankly I'm tired of hearing them flow from your mouth. You need the daggers; I can understand that, especially considering you only have one of your own. That however, isn't the problem," She said as a hint of anger entered her voice. The hand poured another glass as she held it up to the torchlight that illuminated the small chamber, tucked neatly below Radasanth.

"So then Sarah, what is?" The man replied as he leaned forward and sipped the acrid liquid. He could taste the ale that had at one time been his only saving grace. He looked at her before he set the glass down pointedly.

"You once again found your way back into my life. I don't want to deal with you anymore Seth, I don't want to see or hear from you anymore. Your entire life has been fucked up, and I frankly am tired of wondering if Liliana will kill me for seeing your kid. I don't need to worry about what you'll screw up next," Sarah replied as Seth looked down. He knew exactly what she was talking about, with his death Liliana would have been hysterical, said and done many things that were rash possibly. After all, when Seth had been set to be hung, she had pulled so many strings she nearly was excommunicated from her religious order to save him.

Seth sighed as he finished the glass and shoved it back to the vixen across from him. Finally he rubbed his eyes tiredly before he spoke, "Is that truly what you want? You think you'll be able to live a life without any problems if I'm not a part of it?"

"You screwed that poor girl up so bad, she doesn't know which way is up anymore Seth. I can't risk Kid to that, not when I've seen first hand what dealing with you causes," Sarah replied. She looked back at the sleeping form of the girl resting nearby on the mattresses before she looked back at Seth, "I'll give you your damn daggers back, but that's the end of us. From here on out, Seth Dahlios stayed dead in Revan. I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming."

Seth nodded softly before he said, "Done, if that's what you believe, I cannot change that."

Sarah sighed before she moved to the dresser. Opening it she picked up a box and sighed. A hand gently caressed the oak of the box, half remembering the stories that talked of Seth being afraid of these very daggers. They had taken much blood, the blood of Thomas Derrin, their mutual friend who had been a Lavinian guard. They had taken the blood of their parents, cursing them both to be forever damned by the greater population of Althanas. They had even stolen blood from the both of them, though never fatally. These blades had been the Legacy of the Dahlios clan, a legacy of murder and pain.

Ebony and Ivory rested in this box.

Moving back to the table she dropped the box upon it, before she pointed the way he had come into the chamber. Her voice cracked under the emotional strain as she spoke, "Go, and never come back."

[Karuka]

Karuka sat on the lip of a fountain, rubbing her sore cheek and playing idly with a small bell she'd gotten once, a long time ago, when some gremlins had tried to enslave her and a cat man that had ventured into their lair. Each time she tossed it up, a soft tinkle would sound from it, and it would glow softly, lighting up the barren cobblestone roads and fading to darkness.

Seth Dahlios, a dead man that she hadn't seen since she was sixteen, had randomly shown up in her life again just the night before, and for some reason insisted that he couldn't leave her. Tonight, he claimed that he had some business with someone, and hinted that she should find some other way to occupy herself while he did so.

Really, that wasn't a problem. All she had to do was sit and mind her own business and she'd be able to relax a little bit. Rather, that had been the plan, until the ghost of Boudicca...or rather, the woman herself, had shown up.

Damn Samhain and its tricks. Why must it pull them here, too?

Karuka caught the bell, letting its glow die in her hand, before leaning back a little to look up at the stars in the sky. There was the little dim arrow that pointed east, toward Dheathain, and Kebiras beyond it. There was the bright star that pointed the way north. That was the way to Alerar and Salvar, and if you went east by north, you could get to Raiaera. She knew people in every town within fifty miles of where she sat, she could almost walk Radasanth blindfolded.

And yet the mighty queen of the Iceni had still called the orphaned redhead "lost." Despite the fire that still burned in her blood, she had refused to recognize her as a Celt, intimated that she was as afraid of death as the Roman pigs who didn't believe in an afterlife.

Maybe I am lost.

With a sigh, Karuka tucked her bell down into her satchel, shaking her head and flinging away the cold droplets of water that the fountain had adorned her hair with. Lost...

Her eyes went unfocused as she mused, and suddenly a sharp, throbbing pain lanced through her head, and she curled up, tumbling to the ground as she clutched it, caught in a vision.

A crumbling stone building huddled in the trees surrounding it, almost as if it was ashamed to show visitors its once-proud face in its state of disrepair. On what surfaces of the ancient structure were relatively unmarred, there were symbols marking it as a place of worship.

On its own, it seemed unremarkable, just another vestige of dead gods and forgotten religion, but somehow it irresistibly called, pulled, drawing the viewer into the darkness of its interior.

All around there was a stench of malice and decay, a sense of foreboding, of danger. But more important was the person upon the altar. The dark hair and lines of her face made her instantly recognizable.

The vision swirled into darkness, which turned into pinpricks of light, created by the sheer force with which Karuka had her eyes closed. She relaxed a little, sitting up and breathing deep to try and settle some of her post-vision nausea. The cold stone of the fountain against the back of her neck helped greatly, but Karuka didn't move or open her eyes.

What was she doing in Corone? Or...what will she be doing?

[Dissinger]

When Seth finally appeared above ground ebony and Ivory had taken their traditional place upon his hips. Their weight was comfortable, reassuring as he stepped into the night, and he was glad for their presence. However, Sarah had raised some rather dire points. Had he truly screwed up people so badly that they couldn't function without him? Had he truly ruined whatever good was in Liliana?

He wasn't sure he wanted to answer those questions.

Moving forward to where he had left Karuka he heard the slight jingle of the chains on his arms as he moved. It was a subtle reminder of his enslavement at the red head's side, but one he didn't mind terribly for the time being. He would need to find a way to free himself down the road, lest he be stuck at her side unable to resurrect himself from the other side. As he came out into the streets he straightened his coat and sighed, at least he had eaten last night, and no longer required to do so. He'd have a few days before that unfortunate fate was thrust once more upon him.

Seeing the girl sitting by the fountain he walked up casually before he spoke, "I finished what I came here for, so where to for now?"

"For now, we stop yelling in the middle of the night. People are sleeping, you know," she muttered out through clenched teeth.

Seth raised an eyebrow before he sighed and said softer his voice more of a whisper as he tossed it by her ear, "Is that better?"

"Somewhat." Karuka opened her eyes, pulling herself up so that she could sit on the fountain again, rather than by it.

Seth frowned at the rather hostile attitude, but figured that she was merely getting used to the idea of having a personal caretaker. As he stretched he felt bones pop and joints crack as they released the stress his body had been placing upon them. Finally he looked down on her as he spoke again in her ear, "Alright, so should we rest or just get moving? I mean, it’s really your show for now..."

"We can get out of here in the morning. I'd rather keep you out of civilized areas as much as possible, you can understand." Karuka's fingers tapped slowly on the fountain, and she looked up at the stars again, as though they could provide her some advice. "Liliana either is or will be somewhere in Corone. And, although I can't be sure of it...I think she is or will be in trouble."

The words left Seth's mouth before he even realized he had said them, "Where? Take me there."

"I don't know where, exactly. Some old crumbling stone center of worship on the outskirts of Concordia. It could be almost anywhere."

Seth's mind reeled as he tried to figure out the puzzle. It was true that a few towns had rundown churches, but Liliana would have no reason to go to any of them. She was last in Berevar from what Karuka had told him, and that wasn't anywhere close to here. If she was in the Seraphs area of influence, she wouldn't need a church at all. That meant it was a church that meant something to them.

Problem was, they never talked about what she did. The idea was she wouldn't be doing it for long, and so she wouldn't need to tell him anything important about it. He almost wanted to hit a wall in frustration at how this situation had been brought on by his own callousness. If it was on Concordia Forest's outskirts that did narrow it down. However his own understanding of the forest was woefully inadequate as well, despite having been a former member of the Bandit Brotherhood, who claimed it as their home.

Today was certainly not the day to be Seth Dahlios.

He wasn't sure tomorrow was looking much better.

Looking at her he sighed in defeat as he said softly, "Alright then lets get you some sleep..."

[Karuka]

"I'll find a map tomorrow. It wasn't in an area I know, meaning it'll be somewhere I don't."

Somewhat gingerly, the redhead took her feet, then grabbed her things, heading back to the shabby, but adequate inn she was staying at. She hadn't had a vision in so long she'd almost forgotten she was clairvoyant, and now? For this? What was the significance? Did there even have to be a significance? And the future was far from certain, what if her vision depicted something completely false?

It was what she'd like to believe. After all, there wasn't a reason for her to be out of Berevar, and with a toddler about her, that made even less sense. Toddlers had lots of needs.

It would be a Hel of a lot easier to dismiss if I'd ever been wrong before...


~*~*~

Daylight found Karuka hunched over a rickety old table, holding a half-eaten chunk of bread in one hand and tracing along a map with the other. She'd been able to eliminate about half of the perimeter from her search; the area near Radasanth didn't have any old temples that she knew of, and she'd never seen anything in the other places she'd been.

"If I were going to visit a temple for no apparent reason, it would probably have to be one that held a lot of significance, somehow. So, if we start our search only in the places most likely to have significance..." she went silent, chewing on another bite of yesterday's bread while contemplating what her ideas of a "sacred" place would be, geographically, in areas unfamiliar to her.

Seth looked at the map with her. "I don't remember much about the forest, it's been years since I lived there." His finger traced along the perimeter before he stopped, frowning. "See this spot, how the forest almost seems to go around it before stretching out farther, south of Underwood..."

She shook her head. "The temple I saw was nestled in trees, and seemed to be a lone building, rather than a complex. It wouldn't be in an empty patch like that. Temples of significance generally commemorate an accomplishment of the people, are chosen for places pleasing to the gods, or are put at places that gather evil, so that it's locked away and helps safeguard the people. Disregarding any of the first sort...there are three places that I think it might be."

Her finger circled a small area on the edge of the forest between Underwood and Gisela. "Here there is high ground, which is closer to the gods, and on a route that is long established. More people would stop to worship, also pleasing, and a river passes near, to help purify the area. Here, just north of Jadet, would also be pleasing. But...it strikes me most likely that it would be here."

The area that she circled was farther north of Jadet, and just south of the Comb Mountains. "The ground is low, it's right by the mountains, and the closest strong river is almost a full day's walk. It's like a sink for negative energy, and based off of the vision's feel...that's the first place I'd check."

"Liliana did mention she occasionally ventured to the edge of the Comb mountains to make sure that the local church was still intact. Never occurred to me that she meant literally that..." Seth muttered, nodding.

"I doubt that it's intact enough...this is a dangerous time of year, as summer and fall battle for supremacy." Karuka stood up, shouldering her pack and grabbing her weapon. "Let's go...it's quite a walk."

She had no idea if he was joking with her and had just suckered her into walking with him so that he'd have a meal on hand when he got hungry again, and part of her shrank at that. She was young and lost, the last of her line. She'd like to be able to take at least one of those off of her list before she died. But another part shrugged. Life was Hel and then you died, and there weren't any two ways about it. At least if she died young, she wouldn't have to worry about any of those issues that older and wiser people dealt with...home repairs, jobs, raising children...it would be so much less a hassle.

Or so she told herself.

In any event, it was good to get out of Radasanth's stale air and breathe in the sweet scents of the grass in autumn.

[Dissinger]

It wasn't until the second day traveling that Seth finally grew impatient. He had initially offered to carry Karuka at the onset of this crisis, but now that she had refused and she was getting tired, he could feel something in him urge him forward, faster, he wasn't getting there in time. As he looked back over his shoulder finally he spoke, "I know you don't like the idea of me carrying you, but I gotta get there fast, and I can't afford to leave you behind..."

"People picking me up has never worked so well for me. I don't even know if this is real or even when it is. It might even be in the past, there's no way of knowing."

"That's a risk I have to take Karuka. I didn't die just to watch her die a few years later. I won't let it happen, not if there's a chance at stopping it."

"All right, Seth." Holding in whatever sound of irritation might escape her, Karuka put her hands on Seth's shoulders, jumping onto his back and holding on like she was a child riding on her guardian.

As soon as Seth shifted her weight to a more comfortable position he was off, sprinting through the trees. His speed allowing him to more than make up for the time they had lost arguing about this particular way of traveling. Trees were leapt and deftly avoided as he moved through the trees rushing to where the danger had been described. Sometimes he’d almost miss and be forced to use the tree as a launch pad, with Karuka stuck on his back, there would probably be a few complaints later, but he wouldn’t let her slow him down today.

Not with what was at stake.

Sliding to a halt he paused as he looked around the area, trying to get his bearings. They were definitely nearing the Comb Mountains but he couldn't tell if he had cut too close or not. The fact he wasn't even heaving with the exertion he had put his body through was certainly something of remarkable note, his undeath working in his favor for once as he looked about. Finally he looked over his shoulder and asked, "We in the right spot? Or what?"

"I don't know. Even if this is the right area, we have at least ten miles to search. And I'm only right if what I know about temples and evil influences holds true across worlds," Was the only reply as they looked about.

"Well thank the gods I'm fast enough to cover that quickly..." Seth grumbled as he sprinted along the range looking for the Cathedral.

[Taviri Ambria]

Nestled deep in the forests of Concordia was a church that had never opened its doors for service. It was a castle of brick and stone, giving homage to the gods, and in turn the gods blessed it with the ability to endure the elements and seasons, Mother Nature never harming the mortar and stone of such a house of the gods. While the church was rather small as cathedrals went, it was also rather deserted, or rather it had been.

The main foyer of the cathedral was a carnal house. Blood was splattered about the area as the scent of death spread through the air. The wooden pews, made from Nihon Redwood had once stood silent vigil over the years, standing resolutely in a row and awaiting the masses to return and pray to the gods. Standing before a modest altar where offerings to the gods could be placed stood a lumbering hulk.

The lower limbs almost resembled that of a dog, but that is where the comparison ended, at the waist and moving up, the powerful form of a human male could be seen. The bare chest was free of any scars or wounds, and as it flexed its arms, it became apparent chains were fastened at the wrist. However, long ago the chains had deteriorated and rusted, and even though they stretched from the beast's wrists, they were little more than pestilent, diseased weapons. The demon stood at full height as it roared a challenge to the heavens, before lowering its head, not unlike that of a wolf, were it not for the vestigial horns that sprouted from its forehead.

"Fall back!" The shout spread through the small group like wildfire as priests struggled to keep up with the movements of this beast. A roar filled the air as a metal chain swept through the area, breaking wood and hewing stone as it traveled. The shouts of the other priests soon became a chorus as one of the figures rushed forward only to be dragged back with the others.

"Paladin Ambria, fall back!" The priest held tightly onto the coat that marked the Cleric of Varias. His hat fell to the ground revealing his blonde hair, now in disarray by the sudden jerk back towards the entrance. Blue eyes locked with grey eyes as a battle of wills began.

"I won't leave my sister here, not now. Don't do this to me brother!" The cleric cried out before he was roughly pulled back.

"We all lost family here today Paladin, I can't allow your judgment to be clouded by sentimentality, if she's still alive there's hope for her," The other cleric replied as they reached the front doors of the cathedral.

Taviri was pulled from beyond the doors before the creature that had been unleashed in the temple roared through and slammed the massive doors shut. As they ran across the small clearing and into the forest they heard it roar forth in trade speak, "Look at you run, look at you hide, I see how you cower, I’ll watch how you die!"

With those words the beast hunched in front of the doors guarding it deliberately as it seemed to watch the clerics across the clearing. It didn't move, it didn't threaten anymore it merely watched, and waited. It was disconcerting to see such a monstrosity guarding the doorways, but as Taviri watched the beast he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. His eyes closed in defeat as he whispered bitterly, "Varias watch over my sister, and give me the strength I need to get her back."

[Karuka]

It was a horrible, bumpy ride, and Karuka hated being carried. She especially hated being rushed about without even knowing whether or not she was going the right way. If there was trouble, and an annoying itch in the center of Karuka's forehead gave her a feeling that there probably was, then running around without a direction was not going to help matters any. If she had the ability to give them a direction, she'd be more than willing. But her pendulum had stopped working for her on the day she'd witnessed Ragnorak.

The day I lost my way.

She gripped Seth tighter as one of his jarring vaults from a tree nearly shook her off. If this was right, they'd already be at the temple. They were lost.

The only way I know to not be lost...actually has nothing to do with who I worship...and everything to do with who I am.

Having made that realization for the first time, Karuka waited until they were on some relatively soft grass before pushing herself off of Seth's back, taking the brunt of the landing on her arms and then flipping to wind up on her feet. It was a suitable place, so she closed her eyes, and slowly gripped the lodestone pendant, sliding it off of her neck and letting the leather strip slip down her fingers so the whole thing was hanging down. She took a calming breath in, taking her time, then slowly let it seep out.

She felt the slight tremors of the ground beneath her feet; the vital melody of the land. She could hear birds chirping and could feel the touch of the wind in her hair. But she was waiting to really feel what she had in her hands.

Seth slid to a halt as once more he was without direction, and now without passenger. Looking back at the tawny red head he spat, "Hurry up and get back on, we need to find her now!"

Karuka's blue eyes flicked over at Seth in annoyance. "Is running around like a crazed dog going to find her now, or is it going to make you feel like you're doing something? Because if this works, I'll at least be able to get us closer. Unless you'd rather I just get on and you can keep running around like a mad dog."

Seth shot her a glare, but quieted, and once more Karuka resumed her concentration.

I am Karuka O'Sheean. My mother was Faylinn, daughter of Ingrid, daughter of Darra, daughter of Sheehan, who first strung this pendulum. For five generations, it has guided our path. I may be lost, but I will be lost of my terms.

A few words fell from her lips, a whispered command. "Nocht an slighe go mé..." Show me the way.

At first there was nothing, no matter how hard she willed it, and after a minute, her grip on the string slackened. There was no point to it, so it was time to give it up.

But at the moment she relaxed, the pendant swung a full circle, hesitantly probing its way around after more than two years of dormancy. It started swinging slowly, at first unsure of its direction and what its master wanted, but then it turned sharply, strongly, surely, leading them on, and Karuka started following it deeper into the forest.

A clearing. Maybe it's a clearing...

She hadn't thought of that before. Her boots crunched on the new fallen leaves, hurrying to find the cathedral she'd envisioned. But she still hoped she wasn't right.

[Dissinger]

He followed behind her, impatience almost making him snap at her, while she continued to lead them through the forest, almost unerringly. The pendant in her hand pointed eerily in the direction they were going, and Seth knew it had to be some kind of Divination device. While he wasn't an expert on the ways of Magic, he wasn't a complete moron when it came to such things.

Moving through the forest even the Ghoul began to shiver at the chill that pervaded the area. Moving deeper eventually he saw it, and the situation that had arisen. Before him was a rather large demon, of which Seth knew not the name. Chains much like his own dropped to the ground as it remained hunched in front of the doorways to the Cathedral. He felt a sense of foreboding as he kept following the girl, closer, especially when he saw a small group of men and women who were huddled at the edge of the clearing for the Cathedral.

They wore robes, just like Liliana's, and he could even make out a blond haired man, who he could have sworn would have died on his own long ago. Finally he gently tapped Karuka's shoulders as he pointed, "Isn't that Tav?"

He wasn't sure how he felt about Liliana's brother. The guy was a prick as far as Seth was concerned. They had never gotten along, and he could always feel a sort of uneasy tension around the man. He suspected part of it was the big brother thing, after all Taviri was all Liliana had in terms of family besides the daughter she know was taking care of. While he would have loved to have socked the man in the face from time to time, he had to remain civil.

As they approached the group Seth remained silent, even as the men noticed the two walking up. A few seemed on guard and hands went to weapons as Seth spread his arms wide, showing no sign of hostility. As the men froze and watched them Seth spoke, "Looks like you're in a bit of a bind gentlemen. Anything we can do to help?"

One of the priests snorted derisively before he spoke, "Good luck helping, the only thing you'll do is earn yourselves a quick death."

A few of the others chuckled, expect for Taviri, who seemed to be studying Seth, looking for something. Finally he spoke, "Perhaps one of them already found it, is that you Seth?"

Seth sighed as he took off the hat, no sense hiding if they knew who he was. He was more than certain a few of them had been the ones to bring him in. As he looked around the sullen group he spoke, "Yeah, that'd be me. Now, where's Liliana? If you're here, she can't be far behind..."

The group tensed as one, giving Seth the answer he needed. Still he had to hear it, and as he gazed upon Taviri he narrowed his eyes. A rage was filling in his breast as he looked upon the Cleric, who seemed all to keen at avoiding his gaze. Finally, the brother of the only person he cared about in undeath spoke, "She's in there, and we don't know what’s going on."

"You son of a..." The words never left his mouth before a punch was sent across Taviri's face, sending him sprawling thankfully to the ground, his body spinning with the force of it.

[Taviri Ambria]

Taviri was on the ground before he even knew what hit him. One second he was telling Seth where his sister was and the next, he was on the ground, his jaw hurting far more than was natural. As he gently probed his mouth he grunted softly in pain as he realized his jaw was broken, more than likely shattered by the blow from his esteemed colleague. His eyes found trouble focusing with such an intense pain, and even as the others rushed to his aid he knew damn well why the Lavinian Demon was pissed. For the same reason he was.

It just didn't help his jaw, which was hurting something fierce.

One of the nearby priests knelt beside him saying prayers even as the others broke up the fight. While Taviri felt a soothing relief of the gods taking mercy upon him, he couldn't help but feel indignant at the thief's apparent sanctimonious tone. As he got up he spit the blood that had pooled in his mouth before he hissed, "I didn't leave her there to die, that was these guys."

"Then why aren't you dead too!" Seth roared as he pointed an accusatory finger at Taviri.

Taviri didn't say anything. There was no reasoning with Seth, as much as he claimed to have changed; the man was still a prideful son of a bitch. Just because he allegedly martyred himself for her, everyone was to follow suit, and he was going to argue how much harm it had done to his sister. In the time since the Rangir War; when they had first met he knew that this man was a bad seed. The fact he had corrupted his sister with his nonsense, was almost irritating of itself.

Still, this was his only chance to get his sister back.

At he pulled himself up he dusted off his clothes before he said, "I tried, but my team mates decided me alive was far better than me dead, you can thank them that you even got an answer. Though, now that you're here, we can finally see if you are what you claim."

A few of the priests looked at Taviri like he had gone crazy before Taviri walked up to the ghoul, unafraid. As he stared into the eyes of Seth Dahlios, he could see the fires of anger and malice burning bright in them. Seth seemed to tense, ready to hit Taviri again before he spoke through clenched teeth, "What do you propose?"

"You're supposed to be some kind of killer, lets put that to good use for once. Help me get into the church and I'll make sure that whatever happens, my sister gets out safe," Taviri offered before he held forth a hand.

Seth stared down at Taviri for what seemed and eternity before he sighed and spoke sternly, "If you fail again, you will not live to repeat your mistake."

Taviri nodded solemnly as they clasped hands before he spoke, "If I fail again, it’s because I'm dead."

[Karuka]

How men could spend time punching and yelling at each other when there was a life they both cared for at stake was well beyond Karuka. Save the life first, beat the crap out of the other after. But Althanas was strange. It didn't have to make sense.

She, however, was Irish. She made sense. Maybe not to an Althanian, but a fellow Celt would surely understand what fire beat in her veins, calling her to act against the problem rather than a potential ally.

And right now, the thing that made sense in her head was to make sure that a little girl off in Berevar did not get orphaned at the paws of some demon. She'd left Seth behind when he'd muttered something about that being Taviri. Of course it was; if it hadn't been, Karuka would have been wrong about her vision, relieved about that, and not feel such an urgent need to save her.

The demon looked down at her as she crunched through the newly fallen leaves. While her stance and face remained bold, she seemed and felt very small indeed. It towered above her, taller than a house and with the biggest teeth she'd seen in a long time. But it wasn't the first time she'd faced down a monster. It wasn't the first time by a long shot, and she had more for her now than mere spit and vinegar.

"Where is she?" The words came out flat, firm, and edged; a well crafted blade made out of thin materials.

The demon snarled, but it was bound to answer any questions answered of it. "The one you seek is within. There's punishment due for great sins."

I hate it when oracles think they need to rhyme. At least I don't have any questions that can be convoluted into some cryptic mess that won't be understood for a thousand years.

"She has a child who needs a mother. Let me pass that I may prevent a child from becoming an orphan before she has any memories more real than fading dreams."

The demon could have laughed at the audacity of the girl. Did she not know he could squish her like a bug the moment he so chose? Did she not care? Was it her intent to die here so that she could ignore her destiny? Or was she just so stupid to not think that he was big and powerful, she was little and squishy?

"It is a mercy to let her die now," he rumbled, "to save much pain and furrowed brows. Leave now, child, for the greater good, lest you die sooner than you should."

Karuka's eyes narrowed, and something crackled around that slender frame so powerfully that it almost made him flinch back. He didn't see anything abnormal about this girl, but the aura that roiled off of her...was neither human nor demonic.

"Stand aside," she snarled at the giant. "Stand aside that I may pass."

The demon let out a roar that resounded over the brothers-in-law and their clasped hands, over the battered clerics, over the building, the forest, and into the mountains. Bold or not, this girl had crossed the line, and the demon's manacled arm raised.

"YOU ARE TOO BOLD TO SHOW YOUR FACE! FOOLISH GIRL, KNOW YOUR PLACE!"

The arm swung down hard enough to turn a human into paste...but Karuka's teeth bared, and a giant blue paw caught the terrible hand in mid swing. The cat may have been shorter than the demon by the height of a man, but it was still a full ton of muscle, claws, and very sharp teeth.

The great guardian of the Liviol Sanctum glanced briefly down at the slender redhead who had summoned him. They had a pact, she and he, and he was bound to that pact by an ancient king for as long as she held his totem. The Heart's Courier was now his ward in times of great danger.

Enraged at being stopped, the beast roared again, only to be matched in fury by the gigantic cat. When he grabbed at it, though, it grappled back, tumbling, biting, clawing. Flesh and blood flew in the battle of the titans.

Karuka turned away from the battle to look at Seth and Taviri. "If you want Liliana, go get her. This won't hold that thing for more than a few minutes."

[Dissinger]

Seth was about to turn to Karuka and see what she had been up to before he heard her shout. Part of him was furious at the girl, but the more rational part, the part that he liked to pretend was in charge was only sighing. He should have known better than to hope the girl would stand still, and as he turned to look, the girl was standing a few yards form the demon, which even now let out a howl of anger before throwing the cat bodily across the clearing. Seth stepped out into the forest opening before his eyes narrowed studying, and observing, "That was a short few minutes Karu. If I were you, I'd ask for my money back..."

Taviri followed behind as the rest of the group seemed to slink back, afraid of the man. Finally as they stepped forward Taviri pushed his glasses up his nose and spoke, "Its name is Durgoth the Corruptor."

"That's great Tav, how do I kill it?" Seth snapped as he shrugged off his coat and tossed his hat behind him. His eyes focused on the demon as the cat slowly crept back into clearing with its new found allies. The cat let out a vicious snarl seeming to echo the Lavinian Demon's question.

Taviri opened his mouth, seeming to answer before the demon swung a giant fist into the ground, sending a crack through the clearing, and silencing any words that would come from the cleric. It then looked at each in turn before it spoke, each word deliberate and carefully spoken, "This one," pointing at Seth it seemed to begin, "Is made of Flesh and Soul, his mind has been concluded." It then turned to Taviri before it spoke, "This one is made of Faith and Steel, his mind the more deluded."

"Tav, if I didn't know any better, I'd say it just insulted you, I think I like this guy-" Seth had begun, only to be cut off.

"Silence your tongue and acerbic wit, lest it be your body who feels the first hit!" It roared before it glowered at the girl and spoke, "You are not made of soul or faith, your path has been clouded, heading straight to the grave. Two compose one and one composes two," It then pointed critically at the red head before pointing straight at Seth, "the end of her path shall conclude with you."

Seth remained stoic as he glowered into the face of the demon before with a word, long chains uncoiled and draped along the ground. It was then Seth spoke, "You get in there Tav, and you do not rest until she is safe. Bring her to the door; by the time you get back, this beast will be dead."

"How are you going to-" Taviri had begun before Seth cut him off with a critical glare.

"I said that I will take care of it, if I have to rip it apart to the very essence of chaos that spawned it, I will do so," He then looked over at Karu then the cat before he muttered, "Should be done in two minutes, five tops..."

[Karuka]

Karuka's spear had lowered when the cat was thrown, but her stance had become more stony while the beast delivered his prophecies. She didn't hear the words that cocky Seth threw out, she didn't hear Taviri sputtering; the raw fire in her blood that had spurred her to action had focused into a roiling conflagration in her stomach. Who did this beast think he was to so freely decide her fate? How did he think he was going to make it come true? Kill her?

Only if he can. And it would take more than a mere meaty fist to extinguish her flame.

The blue prevalida tip of her spear lifted, and her amber hands gripped the blood red shaft, slamming the butt into the brown earth where she stood. Three times she pounded, and with each dull thud of wood on earth, the clearing grew quieter and the air more solemn. The demon glared down at the slender slip of wrath that had wrested the floor from his monologue and prophecies.

"I have neither need nor time to humor an oracle whose cryptic rhymes spout forth mere nonsense. I have a prophecy for you." Her voice was soft, in a crowded tavern, the only ones that would have heard her were the ones at her table, but in the thick silence of the vast clearing, it rang through with the power of a hammer striking an anvil. "This hour is your last."

"Thy words -"

"Pog mo thoin!" Her spear whipped forward and she started her charge. "And die." She ran for him, weapon leveled, and her cat used its last few seconds with her to pounce on the demon from behind, driving its knife-like fangs into the back of the demon's neck and shaking it hard.

Gaelic translated as: Kiss my @$$.

[Taviri Ambria]

The demon raged as it swung forward the long chains wrapped about its wrists clinking ominously. Before it could complete the swing chains of another type joined the first in wrapping about the demon’s wrists. As it looked at the chains it followed them towards what looked to be a rather irate Lavinian, who was holding onto the chains. Taviri was impressed with Seth’s determination, but in this case, it was good initiative, bad judgment.

Still, in cases like this, Taviri could use as big a distraction as he could get. Waiting for the right moment he watched on, even while Seth pulled on the chains and shouted out, “Come one and fight me you overgrown mongrel! I don’t think you got the balls to face me in a real fight!”

The demon took a couple of steps towards Seth, the ground rumbling with every step while the grass died from the essence of Chaos that infused it. The Demon then laughed as it rumbled, “Perhaps you mistake me for a fool, let me show you which of us is the tool.” It then jerked its hand, before Seth leapt, the pull rushing the ghoul towards the demon at blinding speed. Immediately the collision with the things head saw it topple over and out of the way of the doors.

Taviri saw his chance, and took it for all its worth.

Sprinting forward he rammed into the doors quickly. Before the demon could even raise an arm in objection he had barreled through the doors and stumbled into a sprawl just beyond the vestibule of the cathedral. He groaned softly, not used to voluntarily causing himself harm in order to succeed at tasks. That was more his estranged brother’s fighting method, and after entering the cathedral he wasn’t too keen on learning.

Picking himself up he looked about, quickly picking a shield and club from the nearby dead cultists, and arming himself for the coming battle. His eyes moved over the area, taking in the carnage and destruction that littered the floor, the walls, even the ceiling in portions. On any other day he might have been sick from the sheer gore alone, but today was not any other day. He had to rescue his sister.

Moving forward he moved swiftly for the area where he had last seen her, forward towards the altar, before one of the other Paladins had cut into the cultist leader, and Durgoth the Corrupter had risen from his corpse. Now that the demon was entangled in mortal combat with Seth, he was more than happy to take the time to figure out what exactly had occurred in the chamber.

The sounds of metal upon stone could be heard, before a scream lit up the cathedral. Taviri immediately turned and brought the shield into a protective position infront of him. Moving to watch, his eyes widened as he saw perhaps the last thing he had wanted to see. Years ago he had seen this woman on the verge of death, a woman that had entered the village and everyone had seen a noble woman, who they surely would have been rewarded for helping.

For Taviri, he had seen a hag, a woman who had sold her morality for petty vengeance. The figure of a corruption so complete that even Seth seemed pure in comparison. How she had come to be here, in this very Cathedral was a mystery, and one he was all too keen on leaving just that.

Now that he had the glasses to protect him from his true sight driving him insane, he saw what his parents had seen all those years ago. A figure of pure beauty, she wore robes that depicted the symbol of a long forgotten god. Her hair was in curls, and the ringlets falling about her shoulders and back, a crimson red. Even as she dispatched the cultists that had rushed her, she held an otherworldly grace that belied even more power.

As the last of the cultists fell, she turned slowly, the blood dripping from the tip of her blade, before a smile graced her lips. She looked forward at Taviri and gave him a jovial wave, almost as if greeting a brother or close friend. A flick of her wrist cleaned the blade of the blood that stained it, before her sword entered its sheath. Another flick of the wrist moved a few loose strands of hair from her face before she stepped before the altar.

“Hello child, don’t worry, its not you I’m after today, or even your sister. Today be happy my master’s plans coincide with yours, and enjoy the victory you will reap today. Merely do what you came here to do, and I will not harm you, or your friends. Attack me, and I cannot assure your safety,” The woman said in a straightforward manner.

“I know not why the Forgotten One called you here Amiya, but we shall meet again, when I am not bound by my duties,” Taviri said.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

[Dissinger]

Seth sped through the air, aided by the very strength of the demon. Rushing forward he tackled the beast head on, literally. The demon bellowed in rage as Seth began to pound his fists into the being of pure chaos. His anger was finally taken out on the devil dog, even while he pushed off the beast and landed on his feet nearby. He gently wiped his hands off on each other, the clapping of such and action echoing through the area.

The demon slowly rose to its feet, and glowered at the Lavinian Demon. Blood from the beating both Seth and the Cat had given it slowly ran down its shoulders and back. The fur was stained an pitch black were the dark ichor went, a sign of its otherworldly countenance. It swung an arm low whipping the chain out at the intruders attempting to take out the nuisances in one solid blow. Even with the uncanny demonic speed, the speed of Seth Dahlios was not any slower. He pulled daggers from his belt and let them fly, tossing them right for the demon’s stomach and leg.

The chain succeeded in its attempts at wounding the thief, as the ghoul was sent back into the clearing by more than a few feet. Blood flew through the air in the aftermath of the thief’s passing, a sign of a wound having been dealt. The problem then came when the demon began to howl in pain, scratching viciously at the areas the daggers had been thrown at.

Seth chuckled as he said loud enough for Karuka to hear, “I don’t think he liked Ebony and Ivory much…”

Karuka quickly retorted, “Right, because everyone likes being stung by little bumblebees.”

“I suppose you got a point there. I don’t like it when I prick myself with those bastards either,” Seth retorted. He then looked over at her, “Be ready, we only got one shot at this and I don’t like coming up with second plans…”

Before Karuka could even ask what he had meant he was off. Racing towards the demon it roared before whipping a chain at the ghoul. Seth immediately planted a hand on the ground and pushed off it, using his considerable strength to send him air bound. The demon laughed at the act and swung only to watch as Seth brought both of his own chains down in a slap that saw the Demon’s hand pushed to the ground. Immediately Seth landed in front of Durgoth before he used the last of his energy and sprinted through the beast’s legs.

“Your fancy tricks will not abide, I’ve seen how you fought, I’ll watch how you die!” The beast roared as it reached a hand towards Seth, from between its legs. The Lavinian let a roguish grin light up his face, before he jumped onto the beasts back. The hand that had reached for the thief clenched and missed, failing at even a meager defensive act.

Seth grabbed roughly into the mangy fur of the beast as he swung his chains around quickly letting them extend out as far as he could. The Demon continued to claw and grasp at the thief, who was at the small of the demon's back, and when the clawed hand was at its weakest position Seth acted, and wrapped the guardian chains forced upon him once more about its wrists. Climbing up the beasts back he wrenched hard on the chains, forcing the demon in a forward momentum that was supported by the fact its arm was caught between its legs. Feeling the momentum shift the demon began to claw at the Lavinian with its other hand roaring in indignation.

When Seth finally managed to reach the shoulders he jumped to the forefront, watching as the demon snapped at him in irritation. Soon he was hanging in front of the demon before he yanked hard, and brought the demon to the ground in a cloud of dust as the forward pull of the demon to bring its arm ever farther between its legs forced it to the floor.

“Go for it! Only shot you got! Make it a good one!”

[Karuka]

The wild nature of the way the beast flung his heavy chains made it impossible for Karuka to complete her charge, and if it weren't for Seth getting in the way of one of the demon's blows, she'd have had to retreat. If he'd been a normal man, he'd have been killed instantly...but a monster had a harder time killing a monster.

The redhead spent the time Seth was battling the creature to try and find an opening to deliver a fatal blow, but the two were jerking each other around too much for her to get in a decent blow. Every time she found an opening - a flash of belly, a glimpse of throat - a moment later the opening would vanish, until finally he managed to bring the beast down.

The tremors from the demon's tremendous weight hadn't had a chance to cease when Karuka made her move. Seth's instructions were unnecessary; she knew what she had to do. The ground sped by underfoot, and she leveled her spear at the beast's eye, clamping the smooth shaft tightly between her arm and side.

At the last second, he lifted his head, trying to haul back and regain his freedom from the hex ghoul's grasp, but he didn't move fast enough to evade his doom. Instead of going through the demon's eye and into his brain, Karuka drove the head of her spear into his throat, through his jugular vein, carotid artery, and into his trachea. Instantly, the metallic, acrid scent of inhuman blood hit her nose, and the creature spasmed and gurgled, fighting for its life even into its death throes. Karuka wrenched the spear around, now smelling burned flesh as the prevalida point discharged its electricity, opening the wound more, before yanking the spear out. She watched it choke and spit up blood, but it was fading fast.

Karuka stepped back, pulling out a cloth to clean the sticky black blood from her weapon. Then, wordlessly, she turned toward the cathedral, starting to walk in. A couple of paladins filed into line behind her, two of their own were inside, and who knew what was happening to them?

[Taviri Ambria]

The group of warriors came into the cathedral to spy the scene. Taviri stood stoically before the solid stone altar, his gaze even with the jade green eyes of his tormentor. He had not moved yet, and even though the ground had rumbled with the death of Durogath the corrupter, even as his chaotic essence returned to the realm of Sintyre from which it had spawn, the tension had not lessened, even with the witnessing of the final cultist falling before the blade of the Avatar before him

The paladins immediately slid to a halt seeing the woman bearing the robes of a demon hunter, much like them. Her red hair moved slowly as she walked towards the altar and sighed, a hand gently resting upon it. Her gaze moved across the group, before she stiffened visibly. Immediately words left her lips, “I wasn’t told he was coming.”

The tension increased tenfold as Seth had entered the cathedral. His boots echoed through the room as he towered over the others, entering from the vestibule of this small cathedral. The chains wrapped about his wrists clinked softly against the stone floor, before they stopped, swaying in rhythm to a hidden melody.

Taviri could almost feel the radiating aura of hatred as he spied the figure at the altar. Immediately he looked over the area he had seen Liliana thrown when Durogath had hit her, and rushed over to it quickly pushing over debris in the form of broken pews, knocked over candle stands, and incense braziers. He heard a groan from within the pile and felt his heart quicken a beat as he moved the last piece off. He could see Liliana was alright, but bleeding from numerous cuts and scrapes. She had taken a beating when the cultists had called forth an avatar of their own.

He had to get her out of here and quick, before Seth’s rage overcame him and he destroyed the cathedral in an effort to destroy Amiya.

Immediately he noticed some of the larger cuts and shook his head slowly. Before he could risk moving her he had to stabilize her bleeding a bit more. Were it not for the robes she had been wearing, she probably would have bled out, but since the cloth had absorbed a bit of it, it had not flowed as freely, especially when the robe had in places dried in her wounds. It would be painful, but with her blissfully unconscious, he could afford to take the time.

“Forgive me my sister, this is necessary,” Taviri muttered as he grabbed the hem of the robes and yanked, causing a whimper of pain to escape her lips. Immediately he saw the blood pooling in her wounds and preparing to flow anew, and nodded softly, “Varias, listen to my prayers, help us escape this day with the cathedral intact.”

His hands went to cover the wounds even as the prayer escaped his lips, “Kal mani.” His hands took on an azure glow, soft yet soothing, and he could see some of the lesser wounds close up. Nodding softly he gently picked her up before moving her halfway down the Cathedral, even as he heard the yells of the Lavinian Demon at his greatest adversary.

“Por Ex, Vas Jux! In Por Hur! In Por Hur!” Taviri shouted to the fellow hunters. They nodded as they moved for the doors holding them open as they poured out, knowing well what Taviri was talking about. Realizing for a second that the girl who had come with Seth didn’t speak the language of the Seraphs he shouted, “Move girl, before you get dragged into his grudge!”

[Dissinger]

“You filthy treasonous bitch! What in the seven layers of hell are you doing here!?” the words rang through the area, followed by a deadly silence. Even with each step forward it was a surreal experience, the words rang out to assault he ears of those listening. Seths face twisted in a visage of utter malice and spite. He had not even finished the words before he was halfway to the altar, facing the avatar who had seen him at his lowest.

“Treason? You of all people have no right to talk of treason, Lavinian.” The rebuttal was harsh as the sound of metal upon metal could be heard. Even though she was standing at the altar, in a twisted mockery of supplication she held her steel to the side, ready to be used on a moments notice. Her eyes opened as they locked into the dead grey pools that had hallmarked Seth’s decent into madness, “The last I checked, you came to me begging for the ability to reforge your soul, and it was you who agreed to that price.”

The paladins were hurrying out as Taviri moved towards the back and felt the fatigue of carrying his sister get to him. Setting her down near the back for a rest he looked on at the scene unfolding, even as the Lavinian demon seemed to roll up his sleeves. His eyes were an inferno of rage. The hands that held no gloves were clenched tightly into fists, and to the observant bystander, they could see the beginning of a trail of red dripping to the floor from his hands.

The creature known as Amiya spoke casually as she held her blade up, almost looking for imperfections, “Besides, you had every opportunity to turn back from your path. The last I checked, it was you who stabbed your mother in the heart, and brutally slit your father’s throat, Angel Slayer had nothing to do with those atrocities…”

Taviri froze at the name Angel Slayer, a blade that was legend amongst the Seraphs. It had been entrusted to the Seraphs of Sintyre following the traitor’s war, simply because it was too deadly. Amiya the Corrupted picked up the blade, and wielded it for her master Uriel, figuring they were the only ones with the ability to wield power and not be enslaved by it. How wrong they were, for the blade had corrupted both master and servant in an unprecedented move. It was a blade with one goal in life, deicide.

Angel Slayer was a blade crafted specifically to counter immortality. Those who sought to remain in the world through artificial means would find Angel Slayer their bane. Any injury inflicted would have problems healing, and further, lethal wounds could not be healed at all. Angel Slayer would kill even the gods themselves, hence its safety ensured by the Seraphs. Yet, there was no feeling of safety in the room as they looked upon the tainted blade of the avatar.

Seth grabbed one of the chains before he whipped it out, attacking Amiya the Corrupted where she stood. The chain moved over the debris, even before Seth’s follow up where he grabbed one of the few intact pews and ripped it from the floor. Hefting it as a javelin he launched it handily at the woman, feeling enraged at the mere sight of her, gone was his tactical prowess. Before he had been angry, yet in control, but it was hard to look into those eyes and see the Lavinian.

No, the only one found in those eyes, was the Demon.

[Karuka]

Under normal circumstances, any enemy of one of Karuka's friends was her enemy, and she would stop at nothing to aid them. But the revelation that poured venomously from Amiya's lips stopped her cold, freezing her to the crumbling stone floor. What manner of a man could kill his own parents, whatever the reason? What manner of man could make a deal with a demon where that was the price? Was it the same man that was now bound to her, or had the years changed him as to make him unrecognizable from the one that had slain his family?

Could anyone ever change that much?

Karuka's bright blue eyes flickered between the woman with firey hair and the creature that had once been Seth Dahlios. What should she do? Past aside, he was her friend. But what did that mean to him? If he could kill his family, how little would the life of a friend mean? Then again, he'd also run halfway across Corone on the off chance one of her visions could save the woman he loved. There was so little she knew about the Lavinian Demon, other than that she could remember a time she had felt the good still beating in his heart.

Her eyes flicked back to the woman whose huge sword pointed at the ghoul, ready to take him out. Malevolence roiled off of her like heat from a flame, and Karuka's hand tightened around her spear once again. An unrepentant evil deserved no mercy; she would speak with Seth when it was over.

Taviri, on his way out, turned to make sure Karuka was following, and called out to her when he saw she was about ready to join the fray herself. "Karuka don't help Seth, you can't help him with this fight..."

The redhead slowly shifted her gaze from the scene unfolding between the two monsters to look at the priest. For a moment there was a terrible, frozen fearlessness in her eyes, and then it was broken by a smirk. "I cannot help you right now, Taviri. Never tell a Celt what she cannot do." She turned away from him, squaring her shoulders in determination.

"People fight for two reasons, Karuka." Taviri tried again, speaking a little more firmly to the tawny redhead he'd once pulled from the grip of a Salvic winter. "They fight for pride or to defend something. If you help him with this fight, you will destroy what little pride he has rebuilt. He'll survive this, as anything else, but he needs to fight now, it's all he has left."

Karuka snorted, glancing back at Taviri...but then she wavered. The redhead looked back to the combatants, the woman who reeked of evil more than almost anyone she had ever laid eyes on, and the shell of a man that had insisted he was bound to her. Pride...she understood that it was a powerful reason to bear arms against an enemy...but the dead had no pride to them. And there was no question that Seth Dahlios was dead.

There was a time, long past now, when Karuka would have let a little clay tablet tell her whether to stay or go. But now she bore the responsibility of choice, the most difficult choice she had faced in years. When the dust settled, she would also bear full responsibility of the consequences choice brought with it. Which call should she answer? Seth was one of only a handful of people she could call friend; he was the closest thing she had to a Clann. Celts protected their Clann members. But this was a battle of pride, the man was protecting and avenging his family. That was a personal battle, custom dictated she should not interfere.

Her hands clenched her spear tightly for a moment, and then she turned to the door. "...Then his fate is in his own hands." She walked out of the temple, hollow steps drowned by the din of the battle raging behind her. She knew she would have been next to useless in that fight; a clash of titans was no place for a young woman to interfere. But she didn't like it.

The door shut behind her when she stepped out of the darkness of ancient stone walls and into the light of the clearing. The air was rank from the carcass of the demon slain mere minutes before, and Karuka walked away from the group, distancing herself from everyone. It was his battle, and she'd left him to it...but it felt like running, like cowardice.

Karuka's arms folded across her belly and her eyes fixed themselves on the Temple. Only one monster would walk out, she knew that already. But...which was it to be?

[Dissinger]

The pew sailed through the air, unerringly towards the crimson Avatar. Each second seemed to expand into minutes, even hours, even as she casually reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face. She soon moved her hand outward and brought it down in a firm motion that saw the pew shatter and splinter into millions of fragments that showered behind her, unerringly missing her no matter how illogical it seemed.

"Good, just you and me now darling. I had been worried you wouldn't be alone. That makes this much easier on me," The red haired woman said. She walked softly about the ruined Cathedral, each step echoing through the cavernous space. The sword in her hand moved up into a more ready position, even as she moved down the once grand main aisle of this carnal house.

The Cathedral had at one time stood in such glory, twelve pews straddling either side of the main aisle. A deep crimson carpet designed to keep it modestly warm during the winter was torn and ragged, dirt and blood having ruined it far beyond the ravages of time. Bodies were littered everywhere, dead from both the Seraphs and the cultists that had summoned Durogath the Corrupter in the first place.

Now, it would become a field of battle, and gone would be any glory it once held. The crimson haired witch swung at the Lavinian, who blocked the blow by raising an arm wrapped in chains to deflect the slash. Even before she could recover the hand reached out and grasped the front of the woman's robes, before lifting her up and tossing her as one would a coat or a backpack, across the cathedral, where she crashed into a pillar that supported the building.

Crack!

The sound echoed through the chamber, even as the spider web of cracks stretched across the stonework support. She moved to get up only to find a chain lashing out at her, trying desperately to wrap about her throat. Angel Slayer quickly rose up, and deflected the reaching tendrils before they could cause any harm to her vocal chords.

Before he could even jerk the chains to wrap about the sword she had withdrawn back a bit more, putting some considerable distance between them. A hand rose slowly, almost disdainfully to chest height, before the palm was raised to face him, and she spoke forcefully, "Ort!"

Seth felt as if he was fighting a dragon again, the force of the shove had thrown him off his feet and he slammed through a few of the Pews he had been standing near. A cloud of debris flew up around him, even as he rose to his feet and groaned softly. He was a mouse being toyed at by the cat, and his eyes burned with a heavy anger.

"So like you Seth, to blame someone else for your mistakes. I wonder if you even considered that the entire affair with me was your fault yet," Amiya replied even as she once more stepped into the Ghoul's range. Her eye shined with an amused humor, and when the Ghoul attacked once more the chain wrapped about her slender waist.

"Let's see how many hits it takes to decapitate an avatar!" Seth shouted, jerking the chain, and pulling her towards him, through the pillar. Another crash echoed through the arena, the dust continuing to kick up in response to the devastating attack. Immediately he sent out a vicious backhand that saw the woman fly backwards, reversing momentum. Even then she was jerked back with the hand, and sent out again with another hit. Each time the chain cut more and more into her flesh, and blood seemed to fly from her with each brutal attack.

Finally the chains unwrapped mercifully from her, and she slammed hard against the stone altar before falling prone. The Lavinian Demon looked down upon the avatar's fallen form, even before she slowly began to pull herself to her feet. Her robes had been torn in places from the constant beating she had been delivered and her shoulder peeked through the cloth. Snorting as he approached the wench of an Avatar he stopped when he saw something he could have sworn he recognized upon her flesh.

A small scar about three inches in length appeared in her shoulder. The location and size were in such a place that it reminded him of another woman in his life. This was the same woman that he had brutally attacked in Salvar. Who had merely been trying to appeal to his better nature. A woman who had raced to Lavinya upon hearing he had been captured, only to rescue him from the gallows and seek his freedom, at the cost of her credibility. The very woman he had tried to rescue by coming here.

The crimson blood that pooled underneath the woman told a story of a battle hardened warrior, but that scar was one of true loyalty.

The woman let a soft smile cross her lips before she spoke, her tone far more bold than it should have been, "So, you figured it out have you?"

"That's impossible," Seth said, before he picked up the woman by the front of her robes and hauled her to her feet. Spittle flew from his lips when he shouted in rage, "You cannot be her! She isn't like you at all! I refuse to believe that!"

Jade green eyes bore into his grey ones, and despite their difference from the warm brown ones, he could now see the similarities. The red hair was wavy and curly, unlike hers but that could easily have been fixed, and the eyes still held a bit of quiet reserve in them. No, it couldn't have been...could it?

"I am a creature born of your Malice. Today, you have begun a cycle that will slowly choke and strangle that poor girl. She will continue forward, distressed over you and your condition, and you will slowly continue to corrupt her. One day, you will wake up, and have realized you killed her, and put a creature like me in her place..." She spoke before a harsh kick sent the Lavinian sprawling. She dusted her robs and adjusted them back into position, revealing nothing. Then with a quick prayer the fabrics and wounds mended, wiping away all traces of what Seth had done to the Woman.

Seth raced forward his eyes clouded with a desperate grief, the hand reaching forward in an effort to shut her mouth. Immediately the hand that had adjusted her robes sunk into the soft underbelly of the thief, causing him to bend double over her clenched fist. She leaned over the thief as he tried to recover and whispered in his ear, "Why do you think it was so easy for me to find you? Why do you think I knew exactly what to say, what to do to destroy your family Dahlios?"

Immediately she pushed forward and sent the thief sprawling through the cathedral. Her boots once more clicked over the stone floors, each step echoing through the confused mind of Seth. Each step seemed an eternity, and in that eternity the truth hammered into his skull.

She straddled his form as she gave him a rare smile. It seemed to tease him even as she pressed her finger against his lips, the touch seeming too intimate, almost begging him not to talk, "You won't have terribly long. I don't have much time myself Love..." She looked back over her shoulder at the altar before she shook her head slowly, "...let's make this quick."

She slowly got up from the position atop him before she tossed him into the altar. He grunted from the impact before he felt the hand caress his chest lightly and grip the vest once more. He was lifted bodily up, and slammed upon the stone slab that served as the altar. He groaned once more, the shock of everything that had occurred washing over him, before he felt something slam down into his gut.

Angel Slayer, stuck to the hilt in his stomach, had pierced the Altar.

[Taviri Ambria]

Taviri hunched over the form of his sister. He was ignoring the sounds of battle behind him, which echoed through the closed door, and into the clearing. A few of the other Paladins would glance worriedly at the doors, even going as far to approach once, before a resounding crack could be heard. Immediately they retreated fearing the worst of the situation.

It wasn't hard; the noise level hadn't dimmed until recently. One of the two titans in that cathedral had to be dead by now, and it most likely wasn't the Avatar.

Shouts of anger sailed through the air, the speech unintelligible from this distance, and further the doors muffling the words. However, it was obvious to see that Seth had once again gone straight to yelling. Soon afterward, the silence reigned. Taviri continued to focus on his sister, desperately whispering another prayer of healing, while hoping his brother by law wasn't dead.

Despite the fact Taviri and Seth seldom saw eye to eye, he couldn't help but feel indebted to the thief turned murderer. When Liliana had told him that the man she had sacrificed everything for had given his life to rescue her from captivity, he had scoffed. The Seth Dahlios he had known was far too arrogant, far too childish to do such a thing. A sacrifice like that required determination, and the most profound love a person could have for another.

All that changed when Seth had entered the clearing. His take charge attitude hadn't changed one bit, and while he had whipped the hunters for abandoning Seth's love, he had set to rectify the problem. The selfless act of devotion to a woman, who had given everything for him, was something that caught the priest off guard. Taviri couldn't understand why he had done so.

Perhaps it was this question that burned in his mind, but when he heard a paladin speak, the words were lost.

"I'm sorry Brother Altin, what did you say?" Taviri said tiredly looking up at the fellow Cleric of Varias.

"I said I've been following the fight, and I could feel their presences. Seth was a frigid cold, and Amiya was like a hurricane. Neither was pleasant, but I can't feel either now..." The cleric replied moving to the doors. He placed his hands firmly against the doors and breathed deeply.

"What does that mean?" Taviri asked firmly.

"Either they're both dead, or Amiya's gone," Altin replied.

"If she left then..."

[Karuka]

The thunderous crashes from the battle within the dilapidated old Temple were the only reports on how the two brutes within fared. Throughout, Karuka stood in silence, just watching the building as though if she stared hard enough eventually the wall would evaporate and allow her to see what was happening. She didn't like being pushed to the side of a fight; she'd been known to step into fights that had nothing to do with her so deep ran that antipathy.

She'd met Molotov because of that tendency, and he'd taught her how to fight. She'd watched Damon Kaosi destroy the universe because of that tendency. She had hit the guardian spirit of the Liviol Sanctum on its nose because of that tendency. It would not have been unlike her to challenge Amiya on her own, despite the great disparity of power.

But instead she had turned her back and fled. It was all she could do to keep put, and her fingertips tapped rapidly in the little indents her hands had worn into the wood of her staff. Waiting was torture, it was hel.

But it was even worse when an abrupt silence fell upon the clearing.

The redheaded woman took a step forward, acting on impulse for a second before checking herself and sparing a glance to the paladins huddled together. The consensus of their conversation...

Damn it all, I knew I shouldn't have left him in there alone. She'd chosen to let the ghoul have his thrice-damned pride instead of standing and fighting. She'd chosen wrong.

Booted feet flew over the dying grass, and an amber hand grasped the handle of the heavy stone door that had contained and isolated the combatants. It didn't budge under an insistent tug, so Karuka set her feet and pulled with all her weight. Even so, it only cracked open enough for the slender woman to squeeze through.

Fragments of stone clattered down; rubble wedged in the door frame had made opening the door any further impossible for her merely average strength. What little light managed to penetrate the grave interior of the chapel drifted down hesitantly in cold little beams that were too afraid to touch the floor.

Bodies littered the floor. Some were dressed in the dark robes worn by Durogath's cultists, others sported the crisp white robes of the clerics of Sintyre. A little wisp of something smoke-like caught Karuka's attention, and much to her surprise it was the image of a man. There were others in the building, and it took the Irish lass a moment to realize she was seeing the spirits of men who hadn't been ready to die. It wasn't the first time she'd seen a ghost, but it had been a while.

Shaking her head, Karuka started walking down the rubble-strewn aisle, toward the figure impaled on the altar. Dust and death clogged the air, making it an oppressive endeavor to draw every breath...but that wasn't the worst of it. The most oppressive part of having entered the chamber was the dreadful silence that enshrouded the now-abandoned battle scene.

Nimbly, she picked her way through the rubble scattered in her path, eyes fixed on the ground to prevent her from stumbling. She was almost to the altar when a shadow moved at the edge of her vision and caught her attention. Her bright blue eyes snapped up, piercing the darkness to catch sight of a man in a robe. His cowl covered his face so that she couldn't see anything but his mouth.

A moment passed where she and the mysterious figure stood looking at each other, he considering her with a calm patience, she glaring upon him with suspicion. His hands didn't move, he was utterly still; her feet set themselves shoulder width apart for balance and her right hand clenched upon her staff in case it was foe she found herself face to face with. She wasn't backing down from another fight this day. She heard him make a soft sound, but whether it was a scoff or a chuckle she wasn't quite sure. Then he turned away and simply vanished.

Karuka turned her head back to the altar to see if what she thought she'd seen through the gloom was real, and a sinking feeling in her gut told her it was. Before her, as dead and decrepit as any other broken body in the room, was the body of Seth Dahlios, pinned like an insect by a gigantic sword. The sword the malevolent redhead had wielded, to be precise.

His soul was there, like many of the other mens', but his was different. Although ragged and tattered, incomplete, it railed, it raged, it slammed against the body and shoved at the blade impeding it. The other souls drifted. They'd quit. He would fight until his body turned to dust and blew away.

Karuka dropped her staff with a hollow clatter, hurrying up to the altar to see if there was anything she might be able to do. "Hold on," she told the spirit, unsure if he could hear or understand her at all. "I'll...I'll do something."

She reached for the sword, to pull it from the corpse, but the instant she touched it a voice screamed into her mind, lashing out at her. How dare she, a little impudent wretch dare to touch it, the Angel Slayer?

Startled, she let it go for a second. She'd never seen a weapon that could speak to someone before. Then her eyes narrowed and her lips curled back in a snarl. She grabbed the sword again, and this time her slender fingers wrapped tightly around the cold grip. Again, the sword started screaming and railing at her, but she only clenched her hand tighter.

"Shut the Hel up." In one smooth motion she withdrew the Angel Slayer from Seth's body, then stepped back to see if that made any difference at all.

[Dissinger]

"Admirable job."

The voice held a heavy hint of amusement. The pitch and tone were so vague that it truly could have been anyone's voice. The confidence and power were undeniable as well, however. This "anybody" could have been a king, or a god.

Amiya wasn't sure she could trust the robed figure, yet he had brought her here. No, he had forced her to come. She had been told to fight Seth Dahlios and hint at the truth of the situation to the ghoul. She almost relished the mission, until she realized how pathetic Seth had truly become in undeath. Shaking her head she gestured at the empty sheath at her hip. "I can understand telling me to attack the ghoul, perhaps even shattering his desire for vengeance and hopes further, but to leave the blade that keeps the other gods in check against my master? Are you crazy Time Walker?"

"This had to occur; did you forget the day that this is? It was a momentous day for the Seraphs," the man known only as the Time Walker replied. The arms crossed in a mocking way, almost underlying just how obvious what day it was.

A slender hand brushed crimson locks away fromt he female avatar's face before she looked back at the forest that surrounded the Cathedral mere meters below. It was a fact that probably would have caused the Lavinian Demon some pain had he known, especially in his efforts hunting down the fallen Avatar of Power. She looked back at the other Avatar before she let out a slow sigh. "Yes, it is the day the Demon Wars began anew. The Seraphs will hold the second conclave in five years, and begin mobilizing again, to protect the seal points. Sintyre will have already mobilized months prior and possibly shattered several key lay lines fueling the seal positions."

"It’s also the day you received Angel Slayer for the first time. When you go back to Uriel, tell him you completed your task, and that you need the Angel Slayer he had been told to hide," the Time Walker replied bluntly.

She glared piercingly under the cowl, angry that she could not pierce the deep darkness contained within, and shook her head. "You and your little games; its no wonder the other Avatars avoid you. They can't tell if their actions are fate or free will..."

The figure laughed bitterly. "Free will? That is the myth of mortals. Only the gods themselves have true free will. They define the river, the rest of us merely ride the currents of time's flow. You lost free will the day you were born."


~*~

It was dark.

He was alone, away from the cares of a warm and living world. This wasn't the friendly embrace of Death; this was the spurned torture of his ghoulish nature. It was cold, and he was in utter despair. Not only could he not find the light sought within himself, but he knew it had never been there in the first place.

He was caught in the truth of his situation. He was no shining beacon of hope to the ages, he was a menace. He was merely another villain in the play of life, waiting for the hero to come along and slay him. It wasn't that Seth hated being seen as such, it was more that he had been dealt the same hand repeatedly, while others got fresh and new cards.

He could hardly recall what other cards there were to play.

Soon he felt the tug. He was being released from the respite of death once more. At first it was a slight twinge in his gut. The call was weaker than his usual return to the land of the living. He hardly recognized it, yet when the second jerk to the land of the living came, there wasn't a doubt in his mind. He was to return and continue his vengeance against those who had grave robbed him.


~*~

A howl of rage, deep from the bowls of hell erupted from the mouth of the ghoul. The tone was of a man tormented and being forced into life, rather than the cry of life and the desire to continue. No, the wail of the ghoul was one of defeat, fatigue, and despair. It spoke of guilt, it spoke of rage, and it spoke of a desire to erase the world about it, so it could finally lay at rest.

Immediately it rolled from upon the Altar and let out another growl, feral and menacing. Its eyes crossed over the figures slowly making their way into the Cathedral, at the tasty young treat before him, and in an attempt to feast he lunged, only to fall to the ground, as the chains about his wrists latched firmly upon the altar.

Another cry of rage pierced the air. The ghoul was frustrated and hungry, and the claws upon its hands scratched furrows into ground in an attempt to reach the tender and sweet meat of the girl. Drool slathered from his mouth, giving the man an even more crazed expression, each grunt and cry begging her to come forth so he could kill her.

It isn't him... She remembered this, but only in a vague flash from a few days before, a monster lunging for his prey - prey that had been her. She didn't remember what had spared her that night, but now she knew that whatever had spared her then was sparing her now. She'd felt the wiry muscles moving under her with tremendous power during the mad dash to reach the temple. Something held him back, held him down.

Karuka took a step back, looking around; she held the sword that had pinned him before her, though in her hands it was useless, though its shrill voice resounded emptily in her head. What now? If he fed on flesh, as he'd told her he did, then there were plenty of corpses and near corpses. Dropping the sword with an abrupt clunk, she found one of the dark-robed cultists who was letting out one of his final breaths and dragged him over to the ghoul. Getting close enough to feed him meant getting close enough to be attacked, though. If she survived this, then she wouldn't need to worry about going to sleep one night and being devoured by morning.

Immediately a cry of victory, of the hunt ending, left it's throat. Without hesitation it tore open the robes and began to feast. Its jubilant cries echoed through the halls even as the priests and Paladins of the Seraphs made their way through the doorway. They each felt a cold shudder at the realization of just how inhuman the Lavinian Demon truly was.

[Karuka]

The inhuman cries and the figure of a man devouring a man were sickening, and as much as they made Karuka want to look away, as much as she tried, her eyes were fixed on the scene. This was disgusting, it was truly the act of a monster. This was what the man she had met so long ago had been reduced to; a ravenous animal cannibalizing corpses for its sustenance. It was nauseating. It was horrifying. And she was stuck with it.

But somewhere inside the monster were the tattered vestiges of a man. If his actions in getting to the Temple and fighting the demons hadn't proven that, her glimpse of his soul was irrefutable. He'd been set on a path and was stuck to it, had no choice but to see it through to the end. He'd just managed, somehow, to pull her along for the ride.

The entire grisly scene was over in a quarter of an hour, and the ghoul came back to his senses, standing up and shaking his head to clear it. He looked up at the young woman whose face held only a trace of disgust, rather than the abject terror most people would display when faced with something like Seth. He didn't say a word, just grabbed two more dead cultists and left the crumbling church.

Karuka shook her head, brushing a lock of hair away from her face with a dusty hand and heading back to pick up her staff. Her part here was done and she didn't want to be in the cramped quarters of faith long fallen anymore.

She passed Taviri on her way out; he was hovering near his still-unconscious sister. She gave him a weary, almost hollow smile. "May the grass grow long on your road to Hel from want of use," she offered as a farewell blessing.

Taviri shook his head, letting a bit of color return to his face before he gave her a brave smile and nodded."May the road rise to meet you, and the wind be ever at your back," he offered in return. It was an old Irish blessing, one she had offered him and Liliana the day she'd left them. Part of her felt odd at hearing a bit of Ireland come from the mouth of an Althanian, and part of her welcomed the feeling of home regardless of its source.

She nodded and walked off, into the woods, headed back to Radasanth. She wasn't sure what her next steps would be, how she would handle the responsibility of being immune to Seth's ravenous rage. The quicker they got him whatever had him out of his grave, the sooner he went back to rest and the fewer people he ate - murdered to eat. Or she could hide him away the rest of her life, keeping him as far away from people as possible...but that would see her living for however long she lived with a snarling, hungry beast. Then, when her life - her empty, unfulfilled life - came to an end, he would be free to do as he would, unchecked.

But if she let him kill and eat people, that blood would be on her head. Words spoken to her mere days before filtered, ghostlike, through her ears.

"Caillte," she'd been called. Lost.

Karuka sighed, looking up at the cloudy sky through the broad leaves of the trees. She was tired despite having done terribly little; the day had been trying and had forced her into more introspection than was her wont. Setting down her pack, she decided to make camp there. She couldn't see the battle ground anymore, and the smell of death permeating the air in the nearby clearing hadn't touched the silent copse in which she stood.

Making a little fire was the work of only a few minutes, and Karuka sat down to rest by it. Between her hands, she held a little red sphere that was hard as glass. It had always amazed her how warm it remained, despite the temperature outside, and she liked holding it, liked feeling the slightly bumpy texture between her palms. She had gotten it a long time before, more than two years, after fighting some brigands in Irrakam. Of course, she had nearly gotten herself killed that time, so she'd kept it not only as an oddity, but as a reminder of what happened when she acted too much out of idle curiosity. Of course, the reminder to be cautious didn't work when all of a sudden a man-eating ghoul decided to follow or drag her around.

"Caillte," she murmured, and then she slumped. "Is daonnan caillte." The thought was bitter, mouthing the words tasted like defeat. Acknowledging that she was lost forever left her with nowhere to turn, no path to take. Traveling with Seth was a death sentence...but a death sentence after a miserable, and hopefully long life.

For the first time ever, her hands slipped while she was handling her little orb, and before she could snatch it back it had rolled right into the fire. She reached for a stick to roll it out, but there was a series of popping sounds, and fine cracks appeared on the little red ball. Fine cracks turned to big cracks, and with a violent flare, the sphere burst.

Karuka fell backward, shielding her face from the intense heat of the blast that roiled over her. She recovered quickly, bolting up to see what had happened. In place of her fire was a mound of ash, and in place of her sphere was...a baby bird covered in red and gold fluff. It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, and looked at her with brilliant blue eyes. Without thinking, she reached down and grabbed it from the hot ash, dusting off the warm little body.

"So...you were really an egg." An egg that needed exposure to fire. She stroked the little fluffball. "Hallo, little Fallien fire bird. I wonder what you eat."

Translation of the Gaelic: Caillte = lost, Is daonnan caillte = I am lost forever.

[Dissinger]

"Let’s hope it's not ghouls, or this will be perhaps the quickest turn of the karmic wheel I've ever seen."

The ghoul walked into the light of the fire, beads of sweat from fear slowly falling as he sat heavily upon the log. His face was gratefully clean of blood, offering no remembrance of the ghouls eating habits. His eyes were hidden under the wide brim of his hat, even as he hunched slightly, hiding his face. He couldn't look her in the eyes, not again after trying to kill her twice in as many days.

His voice was soft, frazzled in the way that few people could appreciate. It was a time worn tone, one that spoke of wanting to get things over with, and returning to sleep. He didn't chuckle or even smile after the joke, more of an irony that had to be spoken, to break the tension, despite his desires to not have such a tension in the first place.

"I'll have to figure it out. Probably some sort of meat." She cradled the baby phoenix carefully in the palm of her hand, as though afraid she might harm it with one wrong move.

The ghoul nodded thoughtfully before he spoke, "I don't know why this had to happen to us; I'd rather not burden you with my presence. I know it would be better for you and me both, but fate seems to have tied us together."

"Fate...I'm not sure if such a thing even really exists." A fingertip stroked delicate red down, and Karuka looked up at Seth for a moment, and then cast her blue eyes back to the smoldering embers from which the little bird had sprung. Her mind drifted back to the harsh truths she'd been told only a few days before. "Caillte...nae..." She needed to figure herself out, and she couldn't do that in Corone. In fact...there was only one place in all of Althanas that she could. "I don't know how to get you what you want or need...but whatever else happens after, we're going to Dheathain next."

He nodded for a second before he spoke, "Fair enough, I dragged you here so your turn to drag me somewhere. I figure eventually we'll get lucky, I might find something those idiots stole from me..."

Despite what he had known of the girl, she seemed only to nod mutely. Her demeanor was more introverted than he had ever seen the girl, and he was more than certain she was dealing with her own demons. It was hard for the Lavinian Demon to fathom just what demons the girl had to be ashamed of, but he knew better than to ask. That was a personal problem, not something for a ghoul to worry over till it became relevant.

[Karuka]

After only a few minutes of life, the baby phoenix went to sleep. While it was getting into the afternoon, the sun was far from actually setting; the happenings of the day had merely been wearying. While Karuka had settled down and built a small fire, she'd more meant to gain a second wind than make camp.

Still carefully cradling the newborn bird, Karuka flipped her pack open, digging around under the stuff she'd acquired over the years, shoving the harder objects to one side and making a soft, cozy little nest for the chick with her old woolen cloak. It almost amazed her, how much more she possessed than she had when she'd first made her way to Althanas, but the heavy coin pouch that she tucked deep under the chick told her that if she wanted more, it was hers for the having.

After the little one was settled in, she arranged her other things to keep the weight even. Most of the stuff she'd held onto were oddities; a red dragon scale about as big as her hand, the little silver bell that had been cinched around her neck earlier on the same day she'd found the scale, a priest's ring, a small compass looking thing that Tura Preylor had given her to find Damon Kaosi on the day she'd failed to prevent him from destroying the universe. On her wrist she still wore the spiked bracelet that Molotov had given her after their defeat of a small Dheath gang, and around her neck was still the simple lodestone pendulum that was all she had of her mother. She couldn't even remember wearing the little jade necklace that Storm had given her, although that was still among her possessions.

At the very bottom, neglected, was the brittle bronze blade that was all she had left of the father that had deserted her and her mother, and when her fingers touched it, her hand recoiled. She blamed Atid for everything that had gone wrong in her life. It was his fault that Faylinn had been forced into a marriage with Calhoun, it was his fault that they had spent a decade in misery. It was his fault that she'd had nowhere to turn upon her mother's death, it was his fault she'd tried to get to India. It was his fault she was on Althanas. His fault that over and over again, she'd been in intense danger, that she'd almost been killed multiple times. She didn't even know why she still carried around that blade, since if she ever had the chance to confront the man, she would gladly spit in his eye.

The last thing she found in rearranging her belongings was a small pouch that clacked softly when she picked it up. She couldn't remember the feel of divining with them anymore, had forgotten what it was like to slide the cool tile out of its bag and glean priceless knowledge from it. For years, they had been her most faithful companions, her source of what little defense she could muster, the alternately comforting and cold grip of truth. But they had abandoned her more than two years before.

She opened the pouch for the first time in ages, smelled the musty air escape it after too long. She slipped her hand into the bag, grabbing a couple of the tiles that now gazed up at her with strangers' faces. She knew their names, she had selected Mann and Eohl, but they meant nothing to her. They should have; she'd known them with an intimacy she'd never been able to develop with another person.

Holding back a sigh, Karuka dropped the two runes back in with the other twenty three, closing the bag once more and setting it in with the other things. She stood, dusted off her worn vlince trousers, and picked up her bag, closing it gently and adjusting it on her shoulder and picking up her weapon. "Come on, Seth. I want to get back to Radasanth as fast as my own two feet can take me."

From Radasanth, she'd go to Dheathain. There were some ruins deep in Luthmor jungle that she had a connection to. Hopefully there she would be able to find her own path again.

She was tired of being lost.

Spoils request: The baby phoenix. I got the egg in this quest (http://althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=11995&page=2).

[Taviri Ambria]

If you tell her I was here, if you even breathe word I showed up today. I will hunt you down and I will make your death the most painful thing you could imagine. If you hurt her like that, I will make it my mission in life to make sure you will regret that decision.

What?

Imagine the pain she went through after my death, and imagine you giving her hope for rescuing me from undeath. If you tell her I was here, I will kill you.


~*~

Taviri was still in a daze as the two left the Cathedral. Seth's edict for Taviri to not tell his sister was the underlying problem. Then there was the girl's somber attitude as she saw just what she was traveling with. It seemed surreal in a sense, as if the gods themselves were seeking to test him. On one side he knew he shouldn't tell his sister just for the reason Seth told him. If he told Liliana Seth had been there, it would only serve to tear open the wound of his death.

If she found out her brother had hid the truth from her...

He wasn't sure what she would do frankly. In the time since Seth Dahlios' death in Revan, a story that he still hadn't gotten out of his sister, Liliana had fallen apart. It had taken her some time to return to any semblance of a normal life, and even then with the birth of Samantha, there was a muted sadness about the woman. She had come as an obligation to the Order, but any of the Paladins could see her heart wasn't in it. She wasn't a Seraph anymore.

Her heart was elsewhere, beating in the chest of a man who had single handedly rescued the day. The subsequent conflict with Amiya had served as an underline of the severity of the day, even with the defeat of the cult, there would be no peace. Already whispers had echoed through the group that the Demon Wars had begun anew. Only time would tell what would happen.

Looking at the wrapped blade at his side Taviri carefully picked it up. It was difficult as the blade had no sheath currently, but he knew one would be made. Angel Slayer would be kept, waiting for its owner to come claim it. If it was Amiya, the order could not stop her, even with Uriel's sanction. If it was someone else, the order could only hope they would break the curse of the wicked blade. Carefully attaching it to his traveling pack he sighed before he looked at her fallen form, they would go to Radasanth to patch up, before heading for Salvar, then straight to Berevar, and home.

His eyes graced his sister one last time before he carefully pulled his hat down, "This is the part, where it begins to go very badly."

Spoils:

Angel Slayer - A Titanium Sword, Angel Slayer has two unique properties. One, anyone killed by Angel Slayer may only be resurrected by the wielder of the Albion's Legacy. Two, Angel Slayer may kill any thing that is capable of experiencing death, including immortals, dieties, undead, or ordinary mortal life.

[Taskmienster]

{{ Due to the fact that I was offline and wasn't aware that you wanted little commentary, I went ahead and did a normal rubric. You can always contact me for questions and concerns as well. The numbers after a quote are the post they came from as well. I'll be adding in the exp/gp as soon as I post this and move to a different computer.}}


Thoughtless



Story

* Continuity * 5

Karuka

~ The first part of your first post is a bit of a run-on, though besides that it just seems like a really quick tale about the bell that was told as if it didn’t matter… like a sentence, really long, that was made for little else than a filler. If it has something important, give a little more about it and a reason for why you took the time to put it in the story, especially for the very opening.

Both of you did… alright. I had a lot of trouble figuring out what was going on with your background, and how you interacted with the other characters you introduced and wrote for, especially without any real form of background for them. Of course, I don’t want to imply you should go out and write every quest you’ve ever had in this… but more would have helped a lot. For the most part, I got a little of what was going on and could piece together what was going on for the most part.

* Setting * 5

Honestly, it was somewhat sad to see the lack of setting. I knew you were in a run-down cathedral, that you went to get a girl, and that it was near Concorida or so I assume. However, beyond that… there wasn’t a whole lot of setting to the entire thing. You used it somewhat through the thread, with the pews being thrown at the avatar, and Karuka commented on the mess when she entered at the end… I would have suggested that you threw in a lot more setting and made it feel more alive.

* Pacing* 7

It felt a little quick, but other than that it wasn’t bad.

Character

* Dialogue * 6

Dissinger

~ In the 15th post you have a bit of dialogue while attacking the demon that seemed out of place. Not sure if it’s just Seth’s attitude or not that made it realistic for him to speak while in such an intense battle or not… I mean, the last time we wrote against each other he always seemed a bit cocksure, and that would be fine. But, I mean, for someone who doesn’t know Seth that’s reading this for the first time, or someone that’s seen something in the past but without knowing too much… you seemed to not come off with enough actual persona in order to understand if that was dialogue that was out of place, or if that was something that would have been in character and perfect without emphasis on his character. That could be easily accomplished by either explaining beforehand about how he acts, and why he says what he does, or even putting the reasoning behind the speech directly after it is said.

* Action * 6

Giant demon, an Avatar… neither of which really made any sense to me for some reason. It was a little fast paced, but it was at least clear. I would suggest that either of you make it flow a little better, pull in the use of the setting, and make it so much more interesting with a good bit of advanced technique and it would all have come out better.

* Persona * 6

Karuka

~ “An unrepentant evil deserved no mercy; she would speak with Seth when it was over.” [18] ~ Not to pick on you, but the way it was worded, it seems that this is just a lackluster way to tell me something about how she acts/feels, but at the same time is somewhat strange in the way it was worded. You go from saying how his actions were evil, and then you’d just “talk” to him? I would think something more stern would be more realistic, though I suggest that you could probably do something as little as add a bit more to explain some emotional feeling regarding how she felt as well.

Karuka

~ What is the Queen of the Iceni? None of this was really well explained, so it was hard to follow and in turn made the first post really confusing.

Writing Style

* Technique * 6

Dissinger

~ “The distant sound of water dripping could be heard, ever a reminder of just how underground they were.” [1] ~ You used ‘underground’ the sentence prior. I’d suggest throwing in a different word to make it so that you don’t sound like your repeating yourself so much. It happened a couple times, but the other ones weren’t so major.

~ “Sarah sighed before she moved to the dresser. Opening it she picked up a box and sighed.” [1] ~ Sigh, move, pick up box, sigh. You don’t need to sigh so much, haha. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but at the same time I don’t think it’s necessary to put in ‘sigh’ so much.

~ I noticed that you have a much better writing style with Taviri instead of Dissinger, not sure what the difference is when you write the character, but it’s pronounced enough to notice it. I see a lot of strength and writing experience in the most common of ways in regards to your writing with Taviri. But with Diss, you seem to lack that same spark that you used to have, as well as what you express with Taviri. I believe it’s a mix of higher diction, as well as the way you phrase the sentences and drive through your writing with something a bit more engaging as far as the style of writing goes.

Karuka

~ For as much as I’ve seen you write, and as many things as I’ve not only written with you but also read on my own for the mere sake of pleasure reading… this is one of the most lackluster things I’ve seen you post in a very long time, if ever. There wasn’t a lot of feeling in the posts, there wasn’t anything especially alluring or inspiring, and it felt as if you were posting more to just force your way through a slump than anything. Perhaps that is the case, in which case I understand because I’ve done the same, but at the same time it’s a shame to see such talent not shine through with your posts.

* Mechanics * 6

Dissinger

~ “When Seth finally appeared above ground ebony and Ivory had taken their traditional place upon his hips.” [3] ~ There should be a comma after ‘above ground’ in order to make the reader pause at the correct time, as well as alleviate the winded feel to the sentence as a whole. There were multiple placed where this happened, not sure if you want more examples of them, or all the times it happened. I’ll undoubtedly add more as I go, since that’s my nature as a judge, but probably won’t catch all of them or will just not put all of them up.

~ “At he pulled himself up he dusted off his clothes before he said…” [9] ~ I know this is a Taviri post, but since it’s the same writer I’m going to specify that it’s Taviri and put it in the same writer’s area. This should be “As” instead of “At”.

~ “He then looked over at Karu then the cat before he muttered,” [11] ~ After Karu there should be a comma. It would also flow better if you read over it and just took out a couple words too. For example: “He [] looked [] at Karu[,] then [at] the cat before he muttered…”

~ “Before it could complete the swing chains of another type joined the first in wrapping about the demon’s wrists.” [13] ~ You should have a comma between “swing” and “chains”.

~ “Come one and fight me you overgrown mongrel!” [13] ~ “Come [out]”, used the wrong word, nothing big and it was the first time I noticed.

~ “Before the demon could even raise an arm in objection he had barreled through the doors and stumbled into a sprawl just beyond the vestibule of the cathedral.” [13] ~ You should have a comma between “objection” and “he”

~ “The fur was stained an pitch black were the dark ichor went…” [14] ~ “an” should be “a” since the word “pitch” doesn’t start with a vowel.

~ “It swung an arm low whipping the chain out at the intruders attempting to take out the nuisances in one solid blow.” [14] ~ The sentence should be: “It swung and arm low[,] whipping the chain…” Just another mistake in comma use. The way it stands now you can read it like you had an “arm low whipping”, and that doesn’t even make sense. Lol.

Karuka

~ “Her eyes went unfocused as she mused, and suddenly a sharp, throbbing pain lanced through her head, and she curled up, tumbling to the ground as she clutched it, caught in a vision.” [2] ~ This is a long run-on. Though grammatically correct, it seems that it was not only something that could have been easily broken up but something that could have been more clear as well. What is “it” in the context you used it? Things like that would have helped a lot.

* Clarity * 6

Dissinger

~ “only to the knife come to a stop pointed right at him to interrupt his forthcoming explanation.” [1] ~ Read this out loud when you read over and edit, and you’d see what I did. This sentence was just really hard to read. Other than that, there are a lot of places where the lack of comma’s made it rather difficult to follow at times and forced me to go over it a couple times.

~ “Soon he was hanging in front of the demon before he yanked hard, and brought the demon to the ground in a cloud of dust as the forward pull of the demon to bring its arm ever farther between its legs forced it to the floor.” [14] ~ This sentence, if you read it out loud, is quite hard to think of how it works. I don’t really know how to explain it, just that it seems out of place and wrong in general. I mean, I think the part that throw me off the most is this: “…and brought the demon to the ground in a cloud of dust as the forward pull of the demon to bring its arm ever farther…” Personally I think it could have been better if you wrote it something more like this, just a suggestion from the same point I just started at: “, the demon to the ground in a cloud of dust[.] The forward pull [against] the demon [brought] its arm [even further] between its legs[, forcing] it to the floor.”

Wild Card 7

Karuka ~ “She, however, was Irish. She made sense.” [10] ~ Awesome, haha. Though it’s not exactly true, being of Irish heritage makes this funny and kick ass. :p

Karuka ~ “"Pog mo thoin!" “ [12] ~ Heh, a saying that my ex… an Irish girl who loved the celtic language… always said as a joke. Hah, threw me off and made me laugh. But whatev.


[b] Score 54

Rewards

Dissinger: 3375 exp | 250 gold

Karuka: 2670 exp| 200 gold

Taviri: 1000 exp | 200 gold

[Taskmienster]

Exp and Gp added!

Karuka is now level 9!

Taviri is now level 2!