Encounters 3∼Tyler Burnett

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor was busy. Moving from the distinct Nations of Salvar, Raiaera and Corone, Lorenor had something to prove. Having obtained a certain level of mastery over his powers, Lorenor now sought to make a name for himself. There were still those warriors and magi of Althanas that surpassed the mutant in terms of sheer power and strength. However, Lorenor was seeking to remedy that. He would soon surpass the great Damon Kaosi, and Letho Ravenheart in terms of sheer power. It was written in the ancient pages of prophecy, and so, it would come to pass.

Needing to prove himself, the recent events of The Cell left a certain feeling in the mutant's gut. A swelling of pride as he remembered the dual-attacks of two greats in Althanas lore. First there was Seth Dahlios, he would later find that out from reading the registration of The Cell and locating a man named Dissinger. From communing with N'Jal, Lorenor would find out that the man had actually been Seth Dahlios of New World Order fame. Also during The Cell, Lorenor had encountered Letho Ravenheart in battle for the first time. True to his character, the mutant had successfully back-stabbed the self-proclaimed hero of Radasanth. Letho stood for everything that Lorenor hated.

It was that brief encounter, but Lorenor had stood tall against Letho Ravenheart until that bastard chef-magi named Elijah ended things so abruptly for the mutant. Lorenor swore he would gain adequate power to stand against those titans, and one day, he would make Max Dirks fall.

With his enemies in his head, the mutant knew it was time to challenge himself. It was time he challenged himself versus his friends and allies. He thought about opening a challenge to his companion, MetalDrago Scorpio, but he knew that his Captain was busy with other errands at the moment. So instead, the mutant decided that he would test himself against a newly acquired ally, the hunter, Tyler Burnett. And so, the mutant would test his friend's resolve.

He sent an invitation to Tyler Burnett.

***

In a cavern, Lorenor awaited. Several tunnels were connected to a main super structure. The cavern represented the caves of Haidia and were located deep underground. Lit by the dark-blue flames of ancient Dwemer (Dwarven) torches, the caverns were clearly a mining cavern. Worker tools were everywhere, but there was not a single Dwemer in sight. Long had they moved on to excavate the veins in the deeper sections of the Haidian caverns. They worked as slaves for the Vampire Nation of Haidia.

The cavern had its own secrets, symbols painted on the walls from whatever sentient had lived there. Lorenor looked around with a grim expression on his face. It was a hundred foot wide cavern, that had enough room to maneuver in with many side chambers and passages. Lorenor had requested this section of Haidia on purpose. It was a trip down memory lane, and most important, it was home. Lorenor drew his steel, masterwork sword, and waited for Tyler Burnett to show.

[TheOrganism]

Pain and death often went hand in hand, it was the universal code. No matter how strong somebody grew, they still felt pain. That was why Tyler hated the Citadel. He despised the idea of a false death. He could hardly justify the pain that accompanied death, or why anyone would possibly want to feel that on impulse. The whole idea of the Citadel was to animate that pain, without the fear of death, and that whole thought process baffled the middle-aged warrior.

However, he wouldn’t be the one to tell Lorenor that.

The man and the mutant had become rather close throughout the year they had spent in Raiaera, and Tyler knew, better than many, not to upset his mentor. It seemed Lorenor loved the Citadel. Loved the idea of a fight and the risks involved. It didn’t matter where he fought, he just loved it. Tyler had seen the mutant personally fight on many occasions, and at this point, he was cursing himself for even answering his invitation. But duty calls.

It had been almost three weeks since Tyler left Raiaera on his pilgrimage, one that would forever taint his soul with the living embodiment of N’Jal. Already he felt overwhelmingly more sinister. The new feeling of malice was accompanied by a new found strength. One the former hunter had never felt before. He would let Lorenor be a first hand witness to what he was becoming.

“Ugh, you again?” The familiar voice of a chubby robed monk came from the front of the registration line.

The Ai’Brone disciple had ushered Tyler to his last match a few weeks prior and somehow had remembered his face. This shocked Tyler because he was beginning to under go drastic physical changes. Even in the past three weeks his entire aura had began to shift. N’Jal was slowly taking her toll.

“Yes it’s me again.” Tyler stated calmly, remembering how an emotional outburst during his last visit had left him with a zombie filled arena. He hated the undead.

“What will it be today?” The monk questioned, his face never once showing a trace of emotion.

“Actually I am meeting a friend here this time. He should already be in a chamber.” Tyler said, passing the monk a letter labeled with the symbol of N’Jal.

“Oh,” the monk didn’t even have to look at the letter to know its maker. “Master Lorenor awaits you in his usual chamber. This way please.”


Fifteen minutes later Tyler was enclosed on both sides by walls of carved stone. He was in a cave system completely foreign to his memories. However, it was not foreign to his mind. Somehow he felt ties to this place, which was puzzling because he had never physically been there before. The feelings were so strong they almost took his attention away from his ghoulish mentor, who was waiting in the hollow clearing ahead.

He made his way towards the mutant, dragging the bottom of his black overcoat behind him. It picked up dust as he moved past an array of various mining tools, left by dwarves centuries before. The tools themselves were collecting rust, providing Tyler with the conclusion that the mines had been long abandoned.

“Good day to you, Lord Lorenor.” Tyler called to his mentor from a stone’s throw away. “To what do I owe this honor!”

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Within the ancient caverns of Haidia, the mutant felt at home. He'd come to explore the various passageways and side chambers in his early youth and developed a sort of mental-map of the structures and chambers within. From experience, the mutant knew that the chambers were never in the same position twice. Random acts of nature, some magical and some natural, would completely block off passages and whole sectors of Haidia forever. If you were unlucky, you would get trapped within them for all of time.

Nodding towards his chosen apprentice, Tyler Burnett, Lorenor extended an arm forward to make his cloak whip out behind his person. His other arm remained hidden underneath the Salvarn cloak. Despite the powerful heat within Haidia's caverns, Lorenor wore his Salvarn cloak at all times. It was a signature piece of his eccentric nature. Plus, Lorenor liked the cloak.

Currently, he wore a typically fashioned robe that was masterwork tailored in nature. Suited for the High Priests of N'Jal. It bore elegant markings of The Spider-Magi upon the gold-embroidered portions of it. The robed was dyed completely black and tied at the hips with a utility belt fitted for travel purposes. A single scabbard was attached the belt, which was the sole weapon he brought to the battle with his apprentice. Lorenor motioned with his exposed arm for his apprentice to follow him deeper within the cavern.

Upon the ground were various arrangements of stalagmites and stalactites on the roof of the cavern. The walls contained rough textures, and a few copper deposits were visible. Lorenor could smell ore in the air and had the distinct urge to mine them out of their prisons. However, this was not the time for that. Now was the time to prepare his apprentice for the battles he would face.

"Walk with me Neophyte Tyler Burnett." He paused at a particularly uninteresting patch of rocks on the ground and then pointed to the wall.

The walls had something very interesting indeed.

Symbols of the Spider-Magi.

"For the Rites of Benediction, you will need to cast aside your mortal senses and embrace your new self." Lorenor began. "For this to occur, you must prepare yourself to read the verses of The Spider-Magi."

With the naked eye, Tyler Burnett would see nothing on the wall. But Lorenor could with his enhanced senses. He looked at Tyler Burnett with a small smile on his face. "When you are prepared you shall sacrifice your eyes in the name of N'Jal."

[TheOrganism]

“I’m ready my lord.” Tyler said with full confidence.

The ritual of ascension was a test in itself. Tyler would have to lose not only his eyes, but also his ears, mouth, and nose. In their place he would be given a sensory grid of sorts, one that would allow him heightened senses.

“Before we begin, I have one ques…" Tyler was interrupted by a hair erecting howl that echoed endlessly off of the stone walls.

The earth under Tyler’s feet shook a little as the howl drew closer.

The walls trembled with each overpowering step.

The air grew a little more foul and tainted.

Before Tyler could move from his awe-struck state of comatose, it was too late. The halls around him and his mentor grew several shades darker. The duo found themselves staring into the bloodshot eyes of a pink skinned figure, with a pig-like facial structure. The beast’s frame was overlapped by pulsating muscles that looked like they were about to burst open and spew crimson mush across the cavern floor.

“It’s an ogre!” He yelled to Lorenor while withdrawling his steel blade from it's hip holster.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

"Hold your ground Tyler, I will protect you."

Lorenor found himself calling to his friend without realizing why. Then, he drew his weapon, the ogre attacked. It was a big, lumbering brute. Standing at ten feet in height, the creature easily dwarfed the pair. Lorenor saw that the ogre wielded a two handed sword of sort, fashioned to be a cruel hacking weapon. Metal spikes jutted through his epidermis, he wore a shoulder guard that was strapped to his upper body, and he wore steel gauntlets. Symbols of the ogre's tribe were etched upon the body of the beast. Lorenor had encountered Demons many times in his past adventures within Haidia.

Demons were at war with the Vampires of Haidia for many ages and no accord had ever been reached. Lorenor looked at the incoming brute and decided he would match the legendary strength of the demon-ken with his own. He looked at Tyler for a moment, issuing commands. "Flank him, we can take him down together!" Lorenor said casually. He expanded his sensory array to its full distance, and suddenly detected several more inbound creatures. However, those could be ignored. Lorenor was primarily focusing his attention on the ogre that stood before him.

It had no body hair, its skintone was a dark green-gray mixture, and it had piercing blue eyes. Wearing a helmet atop his head, the creature was bear foot. He also wore a belt that kept its loin cloth secured. Spotting Tyler, the beast took a swing for the hunter, but, Lorenor was prepared.

Sprinting quickly, the mutant intercepted the weapon of the ogre with his own masterwork weapon. Locked in a parried state, the two warriors looked at one another with equal portions of rage and hatred. Growling loudly, the beast was getting ready to make his attempt at defeating Lorenor. Matching the strength of the ogre with his own, Lorenor held his ground. His muscles were tightly knotted as he kept the creature locked in a state where either side vied for supremacy. Lorenor was grinning as he attempted to ward off the creature.

"You're interrupting a rite of N'Jal!" Lorenor cursed. "Leave now or forfeit your soul!"

[TheOrganism]

Tyler paused for a moment, locked in a battle with his mind. It had been years since the hunter had encountered an ogre, but he was trying his best to remember the brute’s weak points.

The tendons and throat, he thought with a foolhardy grin painted across his suntanned face.

As Tyler moved quickly behind the beast he took note of Lorenor’s posture. The only word that came to his mind was perfection. Lorenor stood weapon-locked with one of the most putrid creatures in all of Althanas lore, and simply smiled. It was that power and confidence that Tyler sought endlessly. It was that power that Tyler would remove his sensual organs and replace them with the Dark Mother’s sensory grid, and now only one thing stood in his way. One putrid mound of towering muscle and scarred flesh, called an ogre.

“Hold him off Lorenor, I’ve got an idea!” Tyler shouted, replacing his fear with raw determination and his sword with a blood stained silver dagger.

In one fluent movement Tyler slid his dagger across the Achilles tendon of the ogre’s right leg. It moved with ease through the beast’s rotted flesh, tearing out blood and flesh as it exited. With haste Tyler did the same to the ogre’s left leg, forcing it to scream a panicked roar.

“Go for its throat Lorenor!” Tyler commanded as the beast fell to his knees, giving the mutant a chance to free his blade.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Showing talent for the kill, Tyler Burnett proceeded to literally impair the ogre's ability to stand. Lorenor wasn't even paying attention to his friend's tactics as he struck the heel of the creature. Lorenor knew that the opening he needed was achieved. Taking his sword, Lorenor fluidly struck around the ogre's sword and chopped downward, hard. The movement was a tactical swing that paid off in spades when the ogre's sword got jammed into the ground forcing master to abandon weapon. Suddenly climbing up the top of the sword, the mutant ran up the arm of the beast. Having a considerable speed and reflexes advantage, Lorenor readied his weapon.

At about the middle of the sprint, Lorenor struck outward. Aiming for the beast's throat as he as commanded, Lorenor lashed out with the ferocity of a serpent snatching an egg from a nest. His muscles moved forward as he shifted his body weight appropriately for the maneuver, and a moment later, his blade connected with the ogre's throat. Making pitiful gurgling sounds, the ogre clutched at its throat as green ichor spilled everywhere. Clutching at its throat, the ogre fell to the ground on its back convulsing violently. Lorenor looked at the demon for a long moment, and then, ruthlessly, he readied his sword. Still on the ogre's body, Lorenor moved quickly towards the open mouth of the creature.

He struck. Pushing all of his might and speed into the attack, Lorenor jammed the blade deep into the throat of the creature until he felt the ground beneath the ogre. Then, he slashed outward, slashing the creature's skull into two clean pieces. Ichor, bone, tissue, and brain matter flew everywhere, super-heated. Lorenor continued the arching movement until he spun completely around. His weapon was stained with the green ichor, dripping down to the ogre's body in rivulets. Lorenor could still feel the beating heart of the beast. Using his sword suddenly, Lorenor made an incision across the chest of the ogre.

More blood spilled from the fresh injury. Then, Lorenor sheathed his within the sword's scabbard, not bothering to clean it. He reached into the wound with his clawed hands, tore the cavity open, broke the sternum, and examined the beating heart of the creature. Grinning, Lorenor reached down and proceeded to consume the heart of the ogre...