The Battle For One's Soul.

[Silence Sei]

(Closed to Revenant)

"Papa, you hate the citadel, what are we doing here?" the eighteen year old girl said as she looked to her father. The orange haired mystic stood outside of the doors to the massive building. He could not even recollect when the last time he walked through the doors and nearly took a life was. "Anita," Sei said, "An old friend of mine has asked me to help him with something. Do you not remember the dark days?"

Anita closed her eyes and shuddered. Who could forget the couple of years when Sei had been seduced and bitten by a vampire, thus turning himself into one. Anita would have to run out and gather all the food for the two of them while the market was open. Every day she would have to stop by the citadel, asking if they had actually stored any blood from battles so she could go home and allow her father to eat. It was odd for a seven year old girl to request such things, but the monks knew her as 'The Hero of Radsanth's' daughter, so she was never questioned.

"I never want to go back to that, Papa," the blonde teenager said. "Nor do I, sweetie," Sei said with compassion in his heart for the one thing he loved the most in this world. "There is one similar to myself from the dark days. He has been tainted with evil, much like Logan McCloud used to be." "Uncle Logan?" Anita asked, "I remember that time, but are you telling me that there is someone being possessed through his mind?" Before Anita finished the question, her father was already pushing the doors to the citadel open.

Upon hearing the entrance, a short monk ran up to the mystic. "Lord Orlouge," he said with a slight bow, "I am humbled that you would come and aid me in my endeavor." Sei waved his hand slightly to the monk. The blue eyed man had never wished to be a hero, never asked of it. He detested his fame in a way, for he knew that it was harder to stop the crimes that went on about Radasanth when everyone was keeping an eye out for it's 'hero'. "Please sir, I should be humbled that you thought I should be the one to take care of this task for you."

The monk rose as Anita caught up to her father, panting a bit. "What's going on, Papa?" Sei looked to Anita, and then back to the monk, giving him a slight nod. "Of course," the monk replied, "right this way, Lord Orlouge." He was guided though the maze like hallways of the citadel, regaining that sense of surprise he felt about the massiveness of the building. Anita too was cautiously looking around, suspicious that a trap may be laid before them.

The monk had led the duo to a large yellow door, Sei took a minute to admire the intricate runes placed upon it. "This will be it then," Sei asked the monk, who nodded his approval, "It's perfect."

Anita blinked as the monk began to open the door. "But Papa," she said, "You don't even know what the battlefield is supposed to be!" Sei began to walk through the doors and Anita, puzzled began to follow. "Stop. I must do this alone, Anita. While I appreciate the fact that you wish to help me, this is a task best suited for me alone." Anita was, rightly so, furious. Her father never went into battle without her. Who could possibly be so haunted that Sei Orlouge would not allow Anita Orlouge to accompany him?

Anita's blue eyes shot an icy stare at her fathers back as he entered the room, the door slamming behind him.

Sei closed his eyes and sat cross-legged for a moment, breathing heavily and concentrating on what he was going to do, what he was going to say. He could feel the hairs all over his body tremble. His foe was not one he was to take lightly. As Sei opened his eyes, he smiled.

The place of battle was a wide open meadow with a border of clouds between them. The side Sei was on was filled with flowers of beatiful and varying color. Sei glance his sky blue eyes upward to see an illuminous rainbow above him, shooting straight into the dark clouds ahead. Sei set his eyes back forward to notice the destroyed terrain under the clouds, lightning cackling about. Each time a lightning bolt struck the ground, Sei could barely make out skeletons of several species of animal, as well as dead foiliage.

"This is an accurate representation of my opponents soul," Sei spoke aloud in case his opponent were standing in the darkness. "The more human his soul is, the more he will be allowed to come into this meadow. However, if the evil side takes control of his body, the runes on the door shall activate and knock him back into the darkness, a little further each time. I will stand at the end of this meadow and wait for him, remaining still in this spot. "

"If he gets to my being, I will sureender the battle to him, but if he can not reach me within two hours then I will assume there is no hope for his soul. If that happens, I must purge the beast through whatever means needed." Sei was not going to make it easy, he had every intention of throwing his chakrams and fans as well as using his strategic mind to try and anger his opponent, see if he would let the rage fully consume him, or if he would maintain his composure and be able to overcome his demon, however temporary it may be.

Sei walked to the end of the meadow and turned around, waiting for sounds insinuating an opponent. He knew that if his foe was not already in the room, that the monk outside with Anita would explain the rules of engagement to him.

[Revenant]

Dark and sinister, the shadows cast by the Citadel of Radasanth grabbed hold of William Arcus the instant the ancient stone edifice came into view. It had only been a handful of days since William had last come to the Citadel to use the violent services that it offered, and William had not intended his day’s route to take him past the Citadel’s temptations. Yet here he was, caught fast in the shadows of the very building that weighed heavily upon his mind.

William had first journeyed to Corone and the city of Radasanth with dim hope that battling in the famous Citadel of the Ai’Bron monks would satisfy the ever-present desire for slaughter that lurked behind his eyes. He hoped to drown out the demon in his mind with blood offered by people where the magic of the Ai’Bron monks could heal them rather than venting his rage upon innocent flesh. His plan was doomed to failure however, as the Citadel revealed a surprise that cast everything William knew about himself into doubt.

Fighting in the Citadel was the first time William had called upon the demonic power flowing through his veins instead of fighting against it. Despite carrying the tome of the sorcerer Kal’Necroth with him, William still had no idea what Kal’Necroth’s infernal binding ritual had done to him. Relying on the backwoods stories and folklore he had heard as a child, William assumed that the sorcerer’s magic had summoned a demon into his body and that, when the rage overcame him, the alien entity would control him like a blasphemous marionette. But by calling on the demon’s power William had discovered what being a revenant truly meant.

William Arcus, the former woodsman, no longer existed. Neither, for that matter, did Belesavius, the creature of demonic essence which Kal’Necroth had bound to him. Instead, the two of them had been merged together, mortal and demon, into one single soul inhabiting an undying body. The dark whispers William heard and the violent urges he felt were not the product of a separate, coercing entity but of his own longing. The rage-fueled, murderous blackouts did not come from a possessing spirit taking control of his body, but from the repression of his desires.

William was the demon.

The revelation had shocked William to his core, but he had continued his journeys to the Citadel, convincing himself that he was only doing so to further understand exactly what he what he had become. Initially, weeks would pass between his visits, but the further into himself that he delved, the less time he took to for the Citadel to draw him back.

Realizing that the human portion of himself was being subsumed by the demonic portion, William had turned to the silent Ai’Bron monk who had become somewhat of a friend to him during his visits. The monk offered help and guidance to William on maintaining control of himself, but even that seemed doomed as William came to crave the raw pleasure of letting go of his darker self. Where once William had felt like a prisoner in his own body, he now felt like the shadow of a man riding the wave of an unstoppable addiction.

Coming out of his reminiscence, William was surprised to find that he had crossed the plaza and mounted the worn steps leading up to the Citadel’s main door. The portal stood open and inviting, just as it had on that first fateful day. The Citadel had left an impression on him that day, one of a great beast luring prey into its maw with promises of glory and fame, but the illusion of glory was gone, replaced by the stark, grating truth of the place.

Almost shaking with the desire for what came next, William entered the Citadel. The familiar burn of his power was already welling up under his skin, plastering a stinging spider web of pain throughout his body. It was all he could do to keep from letting the transformation overcome him right then and there.

Inside, William was greeted by the sight of the same nameless monk who always attended to him. The excitement bubbled up within him, clawing to get out. William smiled.

I’d almost say we were friends, William thought, waiting for the monk’s customary greeting, If I didn’t want to gut him right here and see his entrails spill across the stone.

“Come this way, William,” the monk turned and walked into the twisting maze of passages that filled the Citadel.

William dropped his smile.

The hell? The monk had never acted like that before, even during their first meeting he had offered a greeting.

William followed the silent monk, quietly thinking through the monk’s actions, until the monk brought him to a rune covered door, yellow and massive. It was unlike any battle chamber door William had previously seen.

“What is this?” William asked, suddenly feeling very wary.

“This is what you asked for,” the monk’s emotionless face quirked to the side, as if he didn’t understand William’s confusion.

“But I just arrived,” William protested. This wasn’t at all what he expected.

“No,” the monk shook his head, “you were already here.”

“What?”

“This,” the monk gestured to the door, “is you. You have come here today to enter into yourself so that you can see you for what you are.”

“Ah,” William let his breath out and then laughed a bit, “I get it. This is something that you’ve come up with. I guess I’ll have to face a myself in combat to see that I really am stronger than the demon.”

“No,” the monk shook his head again, “that would be silly. There is no ‘demon’. There is only ‘you’.”

“Then what the hell is in there?” William was utterly confused again.

“Your salvation and your damnation,” the monk shrugged.

“Bah,” William threw his hands up in exasperation.

Looks like only one way to find out, he thought as he dropped the heavy wool cloak and bandages he wore to the floor. Bare chested, William opened the yellow door and entered.

As always, the world around him shifted and reformed when William stepped into the battle chamber. The Citadel had always provided complex, dangerous battlegrounds for his fights, but this time was different. There were no fields of grasping dead, no storm tossed ship timbers, and no volcanic platforms threatening imminent and gruesome death in this room. In contrast, William found himself standing amid a scorched, blackened plain looking upon a bright, flowery meadow. One side peaceful and serene, the other a raging tempest.

Monks and their symbolism, William snarled.

In the center of the flowery meadow stood a lone orange-haired man, tall and lithe where William was stocky and muscular. Seeing his opponent sent all of the monk’s cryptic words fleeing from William’s thoughts. Nothing existed within him now except the twitching anticipation of slaughter. His opponent, in contrast, remained still and serene with the patience of a seasoned warrior who hid nothing from himself.

The difference between the two men could not have been more obvious. This was no mere fledgling warrior seeking to test himself in Citadel combat. This man knew who he was. William alternately craved that inner calm and felt an overwhelming desire to rend it apart.

“I guess that makes you my salvation and my damnation then,” William called out to the warrior as he summoned forth his demonic power.

[Silence Sei]

“I guess that makes you my salvation and my damnation then,” the voice called out to Sei over the ear shattering claps of thunder. The mystic could feel William's presence as he had entered the arena, felt the humanity within him screaming to get out. Sei mentally wept for the poor man, who would probably go through a lot of pain or worse by the time this battle was through. The telepath stood firm, his feet planted in the ground. As Sei did this, he was hit with a powerful wave of energy.

The demon was taking over.

The bloodlust had rivaled that of a vampire, bringing back Sei's memories of starving in his home, of going out on the nights that Anita returned late to kill unsuspecting animals. The copper taste of their blood had been satisfying, but it was not what his body had wanted. He wanted to go on the hunt for prey that could defend itself, that had a chance of slaying him. He had wanted to hunt down, kill, and drink the blood of humans.

Now, Sei stood a good distance from a demon that had the same urges he once possesed. It was quite a frightful thing, comparing his former life to that of the man half a mile down the field. Between strikes of lightning, Sei would take in the features of his opponent, study the seemingly physical stregnths and weaknesses. He's somewhat muscular, Sei thought, but not overly so.

Then the smell came. Sei had retained most of his vampire senses due to the fact that his body still thought they were needed. As such, even under the rain, and through the meadow which smelled of lavender, fresh cut roses, and lilac, Sei could smell William's charring skin. His sight soon picked up the light smoldering peaking out beneath the heavy clothes of his opponent. He must be in constant pain. His human form is literally fighting internally with everything it has.

Sei stood silent no more (no pun intended). William would hear someone elses voice within his mind, though the mystic's mouth made no actual movement. "Creature of darkness, release the man you have taken possesion of! If you cannot, then you are doomed to live forever where you stand, alone in a barren wasteland. If you destroy everything, where will you find your pleasures of the hunt?"

Sei knew what monsters thought like. He had first hand experience as a monster, as well as fought different kind of monsters on the streets of Radasanth every day. Sei knew that there was a chance that 'William' was a horrible person, perhaps even moreso than the demon within. The thought had crossed his mind that if his opponent did indeed reach him and gain some bit of his humanity back, the human portion of him may be the one to lop the mute's head off.

The thought did not frighten Sei. Being dead was far better than being undead. While he did not ever have a demon inside him while he was a vampire, Sei thought he understood his opponent's pain, his misery. "I want your name, demon," Sei said, "and I want the name of the human you control. I am 'Silence' Sei Orlouge, Protector of Radasanth and the Dragon of Drantrak. If you can not reach me within two hours, I will end your misery, both human and demon." Sei stood quietly and awaited a response.

[Revenant]

”Creature of darkness, release the man you have taken possession of! If you cannot, then you are doomed to live forever, where you stand, alone in a barren wasteland. If you destroy everything, where will you find your pleasures of the hunt?”

A voice rang out in William’s mind, bold and strong. His opponent remained still, making no motion of body or speech, yet William knew without a shadow of a doubt that the words had come from him. The resonating clarity of thought in his head made it clear that this man had mental strength the likes of which William had never before encountered.

I’ll see how strong his mind is when I slide my claws into his eyes, the demon snarled in William’s mind.

The change had fully taken over William’s body, leaving only charred, smoking ruination in its wake. Tortured flesh screamed in protest as the surge of power burned throughout him, and though the pain of it was almost unbearable, a part of William rode the tide in exultation, relishing the freedom of release.

”I want your name, demon, and I want the name of the human you control. I am ‘Silence’ Sei Orlouge, Protector of Radasanth and the Dragon of Drantrak. If you cannot reach me within two hours, I will end your misery, both human and demon,” the man, Sei, called out again in William’s mind.

William merely roared a bloodthirsty response and charged. The distance between the two closed rapidly, the heavy footfalls of William’s thick traveling boots kicking up the dry, ashen dust of the blasted plain. Soon enough, he would be at Sei’s side. Soon enough hot blood and viscera would set the perfumed pastels of the flowery meadow alight with raw, vivid color.

William extended his claws in front of him and flexed them in anticipation of the first spine-tingling strike. Soon enough …

The world stopped, shifting abruptly, and William found himself hurtling backwards. Something had thrown William backwards, sending his body tumbling through the air like a wet rag doll. Grey and green, cloud and earth, all mixed together in one indistinguishable blur and William couldn’t sort anything out until a lightning blasted tree stump fell from above, stopping his reckless flight.

Or was it he that fell from the sky?

Disoriented, William floundered like a water-starved fish. The red tide of the demon’s rage surged around him, carrying him through his mind like a flooded river and threatening to bear him under with its weight. William had to tear himself, screaming, from the red tide’s icy grip.

It took him a moment to right himself and shake his vision back into focus. He lay, twisted, on the tree stump that had halted his flight. Charred bark and gritty ash dug into the raw, red meat in between his charred flesh, making him feel like he had been run through with sandpaper. His entire body ached, which said something given the fact that he was already in constant pain from the demonic power literally consuming him. Still, it seemed he had suffered no real, lasting injuries.

Whatever defenses this Sei had established were stronger than he had guessed. He was so used to minor skirmishes with the fools who tried to hold him off with nothing more than sharpened steel that he had been completely caught off guard by Sei’s attack.

The insolent meat-puppet is going to pay dearly for this, the demon snarled as William struggled to his feet, swaying slightly. His body had been thrown two hundred yards from the edge of the border between the blasted plain and the meadow. Quite an impressive distance.

“You want to know who I am,” William snarled, finally calling out his response to Sei’s mental inquiry. “I was William Arcus, a woodsman, just as I was Belesavius, essence of demonic destruction.”

William stalked forward as he bellowed, shaking off the last of his disorientation.

“I was those beings, but now I am both and neither. You want to know who I am?” William broke back into a charge as he bellowed, “I am your death!”

Expecting the powerful repulsion this time, William recovered quickly when he was thrown back at the line of demarcation. He rolled with the landing to soften the impact, pounced back to his feet, and surged forward again, and again he was thrown back. By his fourth approach, William had stopped trying to cross into the flowery meadow and just dug furrows in the ashen soil with his blackened claws.

Once again William screamed, but this time it was not a scream of bloodthirsty rage, but one of frustration.

[Silence Sei]

His speed was uncanny. That was the only thing Sei could think of when he saw William's intial charge towards him. Clearly, the training as a woodsman combined with the innate abilities of the demon created a rather nimble hybrid of skill. As the claw neared Sei's face, the mystic began to think that the effects of the runes did not apply to this particular demon.

Then, just as fast as William had shot forward, so was he slung back, further even, than when he had started. Sei smiled at the effects of the room, and regained his composure. Two beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and would probably not go unnoticed by William. Sei's eyes watched the rather violent situation with the stump with appeasement, a smile crossing his lips.

That will help get him angrier faster, Sei thought, perhaps the rage the demon expels will burn out his control for a bit.

“You want to know who I am,” his opponent questioned, prompting a nod from the mute one. “I was William Arcus, a woodsman, just as I was Belesavius, essence of demonic destruction.” This was good. Now Sei had the names, knew who he had to study in case his intial and contingency plans failed to come to fruition. If the youngest Orlouge failed, he would study up on this Belesavius, learn his powers and weaknesses, and expel him from the woodsman.

"I was those beings, but now I am both and neither. You want to know who I am?” Sei smiled at the question, for he knew what the demon would say next. Evil was sometimes so predictable. "I am your death!" Sei said at exactly the same time as his opponent, and watched as he tried once again to strike.

Sei noticed that this time he had caught himself, and each time, was learning more and more about what was going on. This demon, when under pressure, could actually think. This was something Sei was not expecting in his strategist brain, but quickly formulated measures to deal with the beasts 'evolution'. Sei kneeled down and watched William pace about the border.

The demon was playing cat and mouse, Sei was playing chess. He watched William plant his hands into the ground, and then spoke to him. "Those claws of yours would more than likely leave quite the nasty cut, my friend." Sei used the last two words in a condescending manner, withdrawing a vibrant white, azure and gold colored battle fan. The gold dragon upon the fan was breathing a white flame across the bluish backdrop, symbolizing the purging of the evil from the dragon.

Some people use placebos to cure disease, Sei thought, perhaps if I make him -believe- I am purifying him, the demon will loosen his control a bit. Then I would be able to talk to William for a moment. Sei grinned as he continued to stare at the claw. "Do you know what this is? It is a Holy Fan. Anything evil hit by it will surely perish due to it's otherworldly origins. If you are truly a new, demonic being, this fan--" Sei threw his weapon with all of his strength in the meadow, the fan itself hiding in the grass and screaming towards Williams right claw. William would only be able to see the fan once it crossed the border, but by then it would be too late.

"--will cause you to perish completely!" Sei had intentionally waited before ending his sentence. Evil was predictable, but good could be as well. Sei could not let the demon think like him. If he did, this battle would be over before it even begun.

[Revenant]

”Those claws of yours would more than likely leave quite the nasty cut, my friend,” Sei’s voice intruded upon William’s thoughts, this time laced with condescension. His words drew William’s ire, causing the revenant to cease his futile, raging attempts to burrow under the protective barrier between him and his prey. Eyes burning with all of the hate and anger that he could muster, William glared at the mute across from him.

The surprise of what he saw sent a thrill of snarling pleasure down his spine. Twin trails of moisture marked a path from Sei’s brow down the side of his face.

Not as calm as you want me to think you are, eh? William grinned at Sei with his dagger-like teeth. If he could break Sei’s cool, perhaps he could break the repulsive barrier. As if sensing William’s thoughts, a prospect William couldn’t discount given the man’s mental prowess, Sei pulled an emblazoned battle fan and presented it to the revenant.

”Do you know what this is? It is a Holy Fan. Anything evil hit by it will surely perish due to it’s otherworldly origins. If you are truly a new, demonic being, this fan,” with a flick of his wrist Sei sent the fan flying towards William, ”will cause you to perish completely!”

Panic flared in William’s chest. He hadn’t expected his opponent to produce such strong magic, and given his own lack of knowledge about his current state of existence, he wasn’t sure what effects the Holy Fan would have on him. He pulled his claws out of the furrowed, ashen soil and scrambled backwards, but the fan was hidden by the high grass and came on too fast. William had no time to dodge.

Jerking back as best as he could, William was still struck on his right arm, just above the wrist. A brief flare of pain erupted from the site where the Holy fan struck, but it was swallowed by the sensation that washed over William, as if his entire body had just been submerged in a bath of ice water. Saying nothing, thinking nothing, the revenant closed his eyes and held his breath, waiting for the Holy Fan to work whatever otherworldly magic it possessed. Even the whisper of violent desires in the back of his mind stopped, leaving William in a blank sense of stasis.

And then, through the silence and the stillness, William felt a tingle. The tingle pulsed, becoming a humming buzz that quickly spread throughout his body until he was laced through and through with the resonating throb. With a start, William opened his eyes. His demonic transformation was still upon him. Though his mind felt clearer than it ever had when he called upon his power, the Holy Fan’s magic had failed to banish the demon’s soul, his soul, from him.

William bent down to pick up the Holy Fan from the ground in front of him and turned it back and forth, examining the golden dragon artwork. Bemused, he looked from the fan to Sei’s kneeling position. The expectant look on the man’s face struck William as quirky, and the revenant began to laugh. It was not the harsh laughter of a hunter tormenting its prey, but a deep, human laugh.

“Your magic appears to have failed,” William spoke through his laughter, “perhaps you should take it back to get it checked.”

William stepped forward, presenting the battle fan to Sei and, forgetting about the repulsion field, casually crossed into the meadow. He took two steps towards the kneeling man before his mind registered that the barrier was no longer holding him back. He looked into Sei’s eyes in that instant, his own burning orbs somehow reflecting sorrow, until his desire to rend Sei leapt back to the front of his mind. The humanity once again faded from his eyes, replaced by the burning glare of a maddened predator.

A clawed hand shot out, but by then the repulsion field had kick in again and William was violently shoved backwards, far away from the orange-haired mystic.

[Silence Sei]

Sei watched William, or rather Belesavius, scurry back like a scared Akashima Chipmunk. Just as Sei had frightened the demon, so now had the demon been frightened by the powers of the 'Hero of Radasanth'. The fan found it's mark just above the wrist and caused William to let out a loud howl. Sei first assumed it had been broken, but then was a bit taken aback when he saw that the arm was not being coddled.

He was so busy in this shock that for a moment, he did not notice the slight change in Williams energy. Whereas Sei could sense the sheer evil seething off of Belesavius, he now felt the small glimmer of hope that was William fighting for it's existence now. When William snapped out of his slight coma and picked up the mute's fan, he admired the artwork and then laugh.

That laugh. That laugh that had not sounded like Belesavius at all.

“Your magic appears to have failed,” the slightly new voice spoke, “perhaps you should take it back to get it checked.” Sei was bemused at this and watched as William calmly crossed the field. That's it William. Come out of there slowly but surely. Sei thought as he saw William present the fan and then look into Sei's eyes.

Sei saw the sadness that was within William when he met his gaze. He was in there. He was a good man. He had to be rescued. These were three facts that made Sei determine that, like himself, William could be saved from the darkness. Just as Anita had done for Sei, and Sei had done for Logan McCloud, the mute was now going to help William through any means possible of expelling his evil.

Then, like a wave of savagery, the demon took control once more. The eyes were once again filled with rage and hate. A claw shot out towards Sei's face, to which the mute slightly moved his head to the side to dodge. The claw tips did not actually hit the mute, but he felt the back of the appendage make contact with his left cheek. The sheer force behind the blow was uncanny, and Sei knew that his face would be heavily bruised by the morrow for this single blow.

It was a small price to pay to save one's sould.

Sei's hand shot out with similar speed towards William. The blow towards William's hand was not aggressive, but one of theivery, as Sei grabbed his fan quickly before his opponent once again was slingshotted back. As William flew, Sei sat down once again, slightly ignoring the fact that his face had just been smaked by what felt like a cinderblock. He then withdrew his two steel chakrams, looking around the meadow.

It would be hard to see Sei in the grass now, only his orange hair sticking up above the grass and not moving. If his opponent focused on the hair, he would more than likely get tricks played on his eyes, get confused. This was one of the reasons Sei sat in the first place. The other was if William did not focus on his hair. If he overlooked the orange among the sweet smelling flowers, he would more than likely be swept over with a wave of paranoia.

Both paranoia and confusion were negative traits whether you were demon or human. If the demon was caught up on either of these there would be a chance for even more of William to reveal himself. Sei added to whatever feeling, if any, the revenant was feeling by speaking. "You were prevoiusly, a woodsman, correct? I do not suppose you have a spare piece of wood on you? I'd like to whittle something while I wait." His question was in and of itself a strategy for William's humanity.

First, the negative feeling would now increase, since it would probably make his opponent realize he won't be able to hone in on Sei's 'voice' if he did hide among the grass. Secondly, it would appeal to Williams humanity by bringing up his job, and possibly reconnecting him with his previous life. The third and final plan was that Sei was trying to enrage the demon anymore. Coupled with so many negative feelings as Belesavius, he was hoping he could find not only humanity, but some commradire as William the woodsman.

[Revenant]

The force of William’s weight drove the air from his lungs as he landed in back in the blasted ash.

Damn him, the rage roared while he squirmed in the ashen earth, gasping for breath, why won’t he just die?

A warning note pushed through the hate-filled thoughts of William’s murderous impulse. As Sei had barely moved since William’s entry into the arena, William had no basis with which to judge the man’s abilities until Sei had reached out to retake his fan. The movement had been lightning quick, almost faster than William’s mind could register. Sei had dodged a close-in strike and had snatched his Holy Fan even as the repulsive field threw William away from him like a straw dummy.

William thought about Sei’s speed, giving himself a few more seconds to regain his breath before rolling over and pushing himself back to his feet. Though the barrier had thrown him violently, it had only tossed him dozen feet from the edge of the meadow, almost as if it had reacted with less force than it previously had.

Does that mean his power is weakening? The thought gave William a little hope, but it was dashed as he realized he had a new problem on his hands.

Sei had disappeared.

Where the hell did he go? William cursed. When Sei had been kneeling, his orange hair had barely been visible over the high grass and flowers of the meadow. He must have ducked into the grass while William had lay collecting his breath.

Damn, William scanned the grass for signs of movement, but was shot down as a gentle breeze swirled around the meadow, causing the entire field of grass to shift and sway. Where is he damn it? Over there! No, flowers. Damn. There? No. Shit!

William slowly approached the edge of the green field, pushing one arm slightly into the repulsive barrier to test if it still held. His claws broke the meadow’s plane of only a second before the barrier’s pressure asserted itself and pushed his hand back out. William was stuck in the open while his opponent enjoyed full cover, and though he was no tactical genius, he knew that he was in a very bad situation.

A wave of annoyance and frustration rose in William’s mind, and he was gripped with the desire to let his primal nature take over, but William forced it down.

Now is not the time to go crazy, William reasoned. I need to think. Though his power remained manifest, the rage subsided somewhat.

What’s this guy’s deal? William questioned as he paced in obvious agitation, stalking the line between the blasted plain and the meadow like a restless predator. He could feel the mute’s eyes upon him, watching him, waiting. The thought of it sent William’s agitation building towards full-blown paranoia.

"You were prevoiusly, a woodsman, correct? I do not suppose you have a spare piece of wood on you? I'd like to whittle something while I wait."

Startled, William jumped a bit. His eyes reflexively sought out the source of the words, but Sei’s mental communication threw him off. The general mash of greenery continued to hide the man, as if the mute had melded into an illusory weaving.

“Come out here and I’ll give you something to ease your boredom,” William snarled trying not to let Sei know just how much the mute was getting to him. His fights had always been physical, visceral ones and he had no defenses against Sei’s mind games.

William was almost panicking now, and in the back of his mind he felt demonic side of him urging him once again to let go and give himself over to the rage. William was amazed at how easily he pushed the suggestion aside, knowing that in his vulnerable state, Sei would easily strike him down if he went into a blind frenzy.

My desires don’t rule me.

In a sudden moment of clarity, William had a vision of his nameless monk friend watching outside, waiting.

I understand, a ray of light illuminated William’s mind.

Drawing on the willpower of his humanity, William steeled himself, I get it now. I can beat him.

“I don’t work in wood anymore,” William called out, looking back and forth for any sign of Sei.

Over there? No.

“In fact I barely remember anything before that damned sorcerer did this to me.”

Ha! Found you. No. SHIT!

“And I what I do remember is just a constant reminder of what I’ve lost and what a monster I’ve become.”

Where the hell is he?

[Silence Sei]

“Come out here and I’ll give you something to ease your boredom,” the words were all Sei needed to know to realize his plan was working. The mute cut down a few pieces of grass with his razor sharp chakrams as William fought amongst himself. This battle had completely gone the mystics way from the second his opponent entered the door, and Sei loved every minute of it.

Sei could feel the inner struggles of his opponent. William was debating whether to go crazy or to remain calm. The demon wished to let out all of his desires, while the -real- William wanted to stay focused and calm. The next few seconds were going to determine Sei's next course of action. If William let loose, Sei would put him down. If William had composure and tact, then the mystic would not have had to use much effort to win this match.

“I don’t work in wood anymore,” William said, as Sei felt his eyes glance over him.

“In fact I barely remember anything before that damned sorcerer did this to me. And I what I do remember is just a constant reminder of what I’ve lost and what a monster I’ve become."

Sei smiled to himself as he realized William had won. While he was still trying to fight the mute, Sei now had the utmost confidence that there would be no slaying for satisfaction on William's part. He could still feel the influence of the demon lingering over William, however, and knew that he had to give William one final test.

"How tragic," Sei said, "In my experience, keeping up a hobby will do some good for you. It keeps the boogeyman away." This comment was referring to a way that William could more than likely tone down the influence of Belesavius from his body. If he kept himself occupied with other activities at a consistent rate, there was no doubt that the demon would not have any time to fufill sick urges.

Sei stood up from the tall grass, making himself visible to his opponent once more. Taking several steps, Sei arrived at the border. He could feel the cold wind of the darkness meld with the warm sunlight of the meadow. It was how he had felt this entire battle, unsure of how he were to rescue this man's soul. Now he understood that he could only do one thing more to know if William was indeed still inside the body.

Sei dropped to his knees and shethed his chakrams. He bowed his head as if offering it to his opponent. "The day is yours, William. I am too fatigued to fight any longer. The whole point was to find you some shred of humanity, and now I think I have. With my mission done, you may take my head. You will be able to claim you have slain the 'Hero of Radasanth' in battle. Fighting you has made me understand you, William Arcus, and if you are indeed William Arcus, I have no qualms with you doing what you feel needs to be done."

Sei knew that William could be just as heartless as his evil counterpart, but he did not care. In the citadel, William and Belesavius could be revived if Sei killed them. It was never the mystic's intention to slay the being before him. Quite the contrary, Sei planned to slay his assassin -outside- the Citadel where the chances of revival were severely slim. This was just to prove whether or not William was a good man. According to the monk just outside the door, he was.

Sei, however, could not just leave it up to a single monks word. He had to make sure in this one moment of surrender.

What would William, or Belesavius decide?

[Revenant]

Movement in the grass drew William’s attention. His strategy to keep Sei distracted by talking about himself had worked.

”How tragic,” Sei’s voice intruded once more into his mind, ”In my experience, keeping up a hobby will do some good for you. It keeps the boogeyman away.”

William snorted.

Sei stood suddenly, two dozen feet from the spot that William was watching. The revenant would have sworn that Sei had only been there a moment before.

Damn it all, I’ve got nothing on this guy, William spun sharply to face Sei and dropped into a defensive stance as Sei approached the edge of the meadow.

Noting Sei’s chakrams, This will be quick. I’ll likely only be able to dodge one of them. If I’m lucky, the second won’t wound me too much and I’ll be able to beat him up close.

Sei moved to the edge of the blasted plain and William tensed, ready for the mystic’s attack. But to the revenant’s surprise, the mute sheathed his weapons, dropped to his knees, and bowed his head.

”The day is yours, William. I am too fatigued to fight any longer. The whole point was to find you some shred of humanity, and now I think I have. With my mission done, you may take my head. You will be able to claim you have slain the 'Hero of Radasanth' in battle. Fighting you has made me understand you, William Arcus, and if you are indeed William Arcus, I have no qualms with you doing what you feel needs to be done."

William exulted. Sei’s blood would finally be his. A vicious grin split his face and he tensed, clawing subconsciously at the air in front of him.

No, William pushed his bloody desires aside, this isn’t right. He’s playing at something. I need to be careful.

Cautiously, William took one step, and seeing no motion from Sei, a second.

“If you really understand me,” William ventured, drawing closer to Sei’s motionless form, “then you realize that you’re killing yourself by giving up.”

He was close to Sei now, so close that if he lunged, the man had almost no chance of escaping. Slowly, he reached out towards Sei, until the tips of his claws almost touched the mute.

“And it won’t be painless,” William continued. “If you really understand me, then you know that I want to kill you slowly. You understand that I want to take my time and enjoy the sound of tearing flesh and the feel of hot blood.”

It would be so easy, William thought, feeling the raw lust for violence in his mind.

Suddenly William relaxed, dropping his arm to his side. His claws fell, unbloodied, away from Sei.

“But I see now that even though I’m not really a human anymore, I’m not a demon either. I need to learn that though I want to kill, I don’t want to kill needlessly. I’ve spent so long trying to control my urges, that I’ve forgotten to control myself, and my desires have ruled me for too long.”

Reigning in his power, William reversed his demonic transformation. Almost instantly, the life essence permeating his flesh began to restore the damage his transformation had done to him. Back in human form, he took two steps back to give the mute some space.

[Silence Sei]

William approached, but he did so with extreme caution. Why wouldn't he? Sei was superior in almost every aspect of this fight, and now he was offering his head. Finally, the reluctant woodsman spoke to the mute. “If you really understand me," he said, “then you realize that you’re killing yourself by giving up.”

Sei nodded with his head bowed, not making any eye contact with his opponent. Even in surrender, Sei was showing no fear. He would not cower as the demon tried to taunt the youngest Orlouge. He knew exactly what was to come if the demon had even a moment of control now. Sei sighed and hoped his opponent would make a decision soon.

“And it won’t be painless. If you really understand me, then you know that I want to kill you slowly. You understand that I want to take my time and enjoy the sound of tearing flesh and the feel of hot blood.”

Hot blood. How could Sei forget the feeling of grim and savage euphoria when he once tore through living creatures like a wild animal? Of course the evil part of William would relish the moment of tearing Sei asunder, of defeating an opponent he knew was his better. As William had spoke he had extended a claw towards the mystic's face. Sei could feel the heat coming off of his opponents flesh once more. He could smell charring skin and knew that this might be the end of the battle.

Do it. Sei thought this over and over again in the sheer seconds that William's claw was near his face. If you're going to derive your sick pleasure, just do it already.

Sei found himself surprised when William pulled back, his cheeks feeling the cool breeze of the meadow brush against his face once more. Sei now looked up at his foe, his look of wonderment still upon his face.

“But I see now that even though I’m not really a human anymore, I’m not a demon either. I need to learn that though I want to kill, I don’t want to kill needlessly. I’ve spent so long trying to control my urges, that I’ve forgotten to control myself, and my desires have ruled me for too long.”

Sei blinked in amazement for only a second. William's smell began to disappear and give way to a more human fragrance. I did it, Sei thought as he rose to his feet, bowing to his opponent. "With that, William Arcus," Sei said as he rose from his bow, "you have truly won the day. You must now realize I was never your opponent. I was your focus, your center. I have myself been a servant to the dark arts before, and I too have learned to control them."

Sei extended his hand out to William. "I consider you a kindred spirit, William Arcus. If you ever need an ally, you have one in the Hero of Radasanth. I have taught you all I can about sel-control, and probably a bit of strategy as well. I would advise once you collect your thoughts to thank your friend outside. It was under his suggestion that I came to do this for you."

Without realizing whether or not the woodsman had shaken his hand, Sei dropped his arm and turned his back to William. "I bid you farewell, William Arcus. I will be watching you from afar, and as I said before, I am here to help. Be it with your inner or outer demons, Sei Orlouge is now among those you can count on."

Sei began to walk down the meadow, until he would fade from William's vision. In reality, Sei had made his way out of the door, to Anita and the monk. With only a nod to William's friend and a raised hand to stop Anita's questions, Sei began to walk out of the citadel. The shorter time he spent in this bloodsport arena the better.

William Arcus. The Revenant of Corone. May we meet again.

[Revenant]

The marks of William’s demonic transformation had been almost completely healed by the time Sei moved. The mute rose fluidly from his kneeling position and, in a surprise move, bowed to the bare-chested revenant.

”With that, William Arcus, you have truly won the day. You must realize that I was never your opponent. I was your focus, your center. I have myself been a servant to the dark arts before, and I too have learned to control them.”

Sei’s words shook through the hallways of William’s mind. He remembered the words the nameless monk gave him before the beginning of the contest.

You have come here today to enter into yourself so that you can see you for what you are, the words echoed in his ears.

Sei extended his hand gently, and a paranoid voice flared in the back of William’s mind, warning him that this was a trick. But the revenant swatted the voice aside and lightly took the mute’s offered hand.

"I consider you a kindred spirit, William Arcus. If you ever need an ally, you have one in the Hero of Radasanth. I have taught you all I can about self-control, and probably a bit of strategy as well. I would advise once you collect your thoughts to thank your friend outside. It was under his suggestion that I came to do this for you."

A flush spread on William’s cheeks, though this was a flush of embarrassment instead of demonic rage.

”I bid you farewell, William Arcus. I will be watching you from afar, and as I said before, I am here to help. Be it with your inner or outer demons, Sei Orlouge is not among those you can count on.”

And with that, Sei turned and walked away, fading slowly from sight. It was an interesting and dramatic effect, even if it was just Sei departing from the chamber. But William, not ready to leave just yet, didn’t follow.

Somehow knowing that the repulsive barrier would no longer be an obstacle, William crossed into the tall grass. The warm sunlight in the meadow felt pure and refreshing on his bare skin, a warmth completely different from the consuming flame still burning under his skin. Closing his eyes, William spent several serene minutes smelling the fresh scent of nature and basking in the light of the sun.

A slight creaking behind him broke brought William back to attention. He glanced over his shoulder to see the nameless monk, standing in the chamber’s open doorway. Giving the meadow one last wistful look, William joined him.

The monk stood motionless as William approached, smiling a smile that lit his eyes with warmth.

“He told me that this was all your doing,” William returned the smile which, for once, was a genuine smile of friendship.

The monk just shrugged.

William laughed, a deep, boisterous laugh, and soon the monk was joining in. It was a pure laugh, one of warmth and camaraderie; a laugh of triumph to wash away the stains of past defeats.

“Then if that’s the case, my monk friend …” William started, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Kenneth,” the monk interrupted.

“Huh?” A look of confusion crossed William’s face.

“My name is Kenneth,” the monk explained.

During their first meeting, the monk told William that he would refuse to tell the revenant his name until William “could control himself.” The sudden revelation was sobering, and William was immediately humbled.

“Well then, Kenneth, you have my thanks,” he said.

Still smiling, Kenneth nodded once and then departed back into the winding depths of the Citadel.

Eager to do the same, William quickly gathered his belongings. But just before he left, he gave the rune-bound door one last look. The two fields were still visible through the small portal, and a cursory glance into the sky showed that the storm clouds over the blasted plain had lost some of their coherency.

“You’re still there,” William spoke aloud to no one in particular, “but today I get to enjoy the sun.”

[Duffy]

The Battle for One’s Soul

Silence Sei vs. Revenant

Welcome, children, to the day of judgement. Light commentary was requested, and thus, light commentary is what is being delivered. If you have any questions regarding the resolution of your battle, or would like to discuss any points raised, or have any questions, please feel free to contact me in the usual manner. Without further ado we have Sei’s scores to the left and Revenant’s to the right.

Story (18/15)

Continuity – 5/4
Repetition of dialogue from a former post is not only difficult to digest, but somewhat apathetic. When referring back to things said that are relevant to the continuation of an action or discussion, try to refer to it with a simple answer from your own character, such as “Ah, I agree” said Edward, in response to the taunt screamed across the cavernous expanse. You both did this to some extent, though Revenant more so.

Setting – 6/6
The arena is well established and concrete, with a lot of internalised thought compounding the atmosphere further still. Sometimes I felt that Sei’s previous history and reflexive nature addled this somewhat, and Revevant’s over reliance on shadow and darkness based terminology (which is understandable given his character) prevented you from bringing the Citadel to life in more lucrative (and thus higher scoring) style.

Pacing – 7/5
Despite the issues with continuity, and thus clarity and pacing, Sei’s superfluous integration of dialogue with cut and thrust of sword and less use of back quoting gave him the lightning quick edge here. Lengthen the horizon between speech and action, and extend the description of your movements ever so slightly, without becoming too protected and flowery, and this should balance itself out Revenant. You have certainly improved on the whole in a very short space of time, from what I have read of you before.


Character (18/15)

Dialogue – 4/4 A little clichéd from the both of you, and colloquialisms, although not entirely incorrect or misplaced, especially Earth ones, detract from the authenticity further.

Action – 7/5 Sei shines here, blatantly a combat whore.

Persona – 7/6


Writing (17/16)

Technique – 6/6 Less of a cliché, more of a hero without cause or righteous zeal is what I’d suggest for Sei, and mix up or tone down the daemon within your character, Revenant. Simplify the drive, and get back to basics, both of you have good strong technique in portraying your characters actions and thoughts, so consider utilising the writing you have and improve your dialogue.

Mechanics – 6/5 Apart from some formatting issues, and grammatical errors with dialogue and clauses, both did well. Sei, several instances of new speaker and no new paragraph, although this is based on the rubric, and would work otherwise, as it was made clear through which was the speaker or the listener. Some spelling mistakes which could’ve easily remedied your scores were also present, “Sei dropped to his knees and shethed his chakrams.”

Clarity – 5/5 Neither difficult to read nor crystalline, but hampered by dialogue and continuity scores above.


Wildcard – 5/6 An enjoyable read, hampered perhaps by speed of posting or not enough detachment from the writing during the proof reading process. I will most certainly be interested in seeing where you take your characters after this! Sorry for the brevity of commentary, if you’d like to discuss anything above or receive notification of more specific commentary, as before, contact me, I’m more than willing to help!


Totals:



Silence Sei scores 59, and receives 2100 xp and 250 gold.
Revenant scores 52, and receives 600 xp and 52 gold.

[Taskmienster]

Exp and GP added.