Memories No More (Msg for invite)

[Logan]

There was a solace to be found within the empty halls of what was once a only somewhat thriving locale. Natural light dimly lit each corridor, but only so much as where a window or two could be found. At last count there were at least ten stretches within the walls of the building which had no form of natural light, and thus found themselves plunged into absolute darkness.

Within one of these stretches Logan found himself unable to continue. Within the void of darkness he plunged, and he feared there would be no escaping its clutches that day. He began to wonder what brought him to that point, and what brought him to the Pagoda of all places. The Pagoda wasn't exactly a place he remembered fondly. The silence, however, brought him closer to an answer than he could've imagined.

"When I was but a child I thought like I child, spoke like a child, ate and drank like a child," the words echoed about in the solitude. Logan pressed himself against the cold stone wall grounding himself in the moment to the reality of where he was. He replied softly, "W...who's there?" The question rang out returning unanswered ten times over to the lone soul pressed against the wall.

"Do not try to toy with me," he declared defiantly, "Do you know who I am?" Logan's time in lead of the organization Vice had brought him a false sense of security. The question seemed rather stupid and unfounded to any who heard it, though it would be vain to assume any heard at all. The lack of a reply carried even more weight in the complete stillness of the abandoned building.

The sensation of cold, dead fingers pressing against his neck overcame his steadfastness. He found himself pinned against the wall the air around escaping with every rhythmic beat of his heart. Desperately he grasped the hilt of one sword sliding it from its resting place and thrusting it upward diagonally. He gasped for breath as the fingers seemed to release their grip.

Around him the stillness took form. His vision swirled as the demons within found themselves made physical by his fear. Grasping his blade once more, he shot to a standing position removing his other hand from the flat surface of the wall. The other sword pulled from its sheath joining the first in an arc. Neither blade found its mark and the figures neared.

With what strength he could muster amidst his gasps for breath the psion lifted both blades in opposite directions and then twirled them once before leaping forward. One blade sliced horizontally as the other thrust forward, both finding their mark in the target as intended. The first demon was felled.

[Silence Sei]

Scara Brae was a place where some of the best groceries could be bought. It was for this reason that Anita Orlouge had decided to shop at the small island nation today. With the young lady stood a strange creature indeed; the beast that Sei had affectionately named 'Misery. Anita seemed to ignore the looks she was being given by being in the strange things company, of which there were many. A sea of eyes seemed to focus on the beasts seaweed like head, it's two blue lights (which everyone assumed were eyes) shifted around the marketplace. Anita turned to the six and a half foot creature, displaying an apple to the green monstrosity that was anything but.

Misery reached out with its seaweed-like arm, taking the fruit in its bark like claws that peered out amongst the strands of green. After a few seconds, the food seemed to sink into the 'hand' of the creature. Anita raised an eyebrow towards her traveling companion, which was only replied with as much of a smile that something with a sewn up, vertical fly trap for lips could make. Anita just shook her head with her own smile towards the (for lack of a better term) animal. Even though she enjoyed the way the creature just listened to her rants, his rather awkward way of eating creeped her out.

"Seriously, Fluffy," Anita said to the creature, a moniker her sister had given to the beast instead of the depressing one bestowed by Sei, "if you keep doing that, I'm going to stop bringing you to market places." The creature made a sort of howling noise from what could only be described as its throat, to which Anita simply giggled. "I'm kidding, let's keep shopping."

At this revelation, Misery (or 'Fluffy') made a slightly less disheartening noise and followed the Daughter of the Dragon. After a few minutes of the carefree shopping, however, Anita's whole body tensed up. The girl could not explain why, but her head shifted straight towards the towering Dajas Pagoda in the distance. Something about the tower was sending all kinds of bad feelings straight towards the young girl. She was so immersed in her own fear; Anita could not even hear Misery growling behind her, as if something very dangerous was within the tower. The girl quickly turned to the creature, goose bumps now on every inch of the Orlouge girl.

"Fluffy," her voice was raspy, exhausted, "let's go get Papa..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The body of the first demon froze for a moment, its body collapsing to reveal a figure standing behind it. The mysterious figure in question was holding two bladed rings, carefully adjusted so he was holding them just right. A long cloth seemed to flutter and fight its hold upon the man's shoulder. Orange hair and blue eyes pierced through the darkness, and a gray karate gi would be the only things anybody needed to know who this person was. Sei Orlouge had arrived in the Pagoda, a large green creature standing behind him.

The mute looked to the assassin of the demon for just a moment before shifting down to his victim. The demon lay lifeless of the ground, an occasional twitch coming from one part of his body or the other. When Sei finally met with the killer of the evil creature, his serious demeanor transformed into one of shock. It had been a long time since the mute had seen or heard from this warrior, and now he was here in the Pagoda, demon-slaying. He took a step forward to ensure that this was not some sort of demonic trick, but the platinum like strands upon his hair, and the icy blue gaze did not lie.

Logan McCloud was back.

[Logan]

Evidenced by the sudden appearance of the demons Logan's fear was tangible. You could reach out and touch it, and know it was as real as the hair on his head. His fear was something from an alternate dimension crossed over into the physical realm. Where most who possessed such a 'power' had control, he had none. To Logan, his fear was not a power, not something to be controlled, but something which controlled him and manipulated him. And the feeling of being manipulated in such a way made him feel violated at his deepest levels.

Escaping such manipulation was not an option. His own mind was the very shackle by which he was bound, and yet his mortal vessel did not possess the means to break free. In that way he was a slave; a slave to his own mind, and he had been for a very long time. The moment, a short whisper in time with the power to change the course of the psion, was no accident. Somewhere, somehow it had been a path he'd been set upon quite some time before.

Still he forced himself to stand, to make appearances before the new figure which had appeared. A lowering of his head signified his acknowledgement of the one before him. There had been a kinship which found its birth between the men some many, many years prior. It was the type of kinship one did not, could not and would not ever forget. Not this man whom already saved the psion once before when he needed it most. It dawned momentarily upon his mind perhaps this man was some sort of guardian meant to prevent Logan from reaching some point of no return. As quickly as the thought dawned, it too found a means of escape.

The second demon seemed to have retreated for the moment, perhaps the defeat of the first had brought a sense of resolve back to the psion or perhaps something else was at play. He stood to his feet and glanced over the green creature behind the man. Flipping the blade to his fingertip the mental warrior balanced the tip carefully. Its focus aimed right for the midsection, if it could be called a midsection, of the beast. One final look at the man before him then to the beast, and Logan cocked his arm back preparing to fell the unfamiliar foe.

[Silence Sei]

The mute had reached out toward his friend, called out to him without uttering a single word. The invitation had been ignored by the warrior, who suddenly shifted his gaze to the monstrosity behind the Mystic. Logan launched himself at Misery with all of his might, sword at the ready to run the beast through. A slower man would have had to suffer the loss of one ally to another. A slower man would have had to watch as a respected member of his army fell due to a misunderstanding. A slower man would not have been able to act fast enough.

Sei Orlouge was not a slower man.

Within the span of a few seconds, Sei had jumped back, barely making it to the plant-like creature before the psion. The mute quickly placed his chakrams at his hips, reaching out and touching his large familiar with a pale appendage. The slimy feel of the seaweed that hid the beast's features sent a shudder down the telepath's spine. He was not afraid, an emotion that caused subconscious defense mechanism in Misery to activate. The mute had confidence that the sturdy 'chest' of the creature could probably deflect the blade of Logan McCloud, but there was no need for unnecessary risks to be taken.

The tip of the sword stopped moments before penetrating the front of the monster. In unison with the paused attack, the sound of shattering glass filled up the Pagoda, a sound that was all too familiar in this place of battle. The air itself began to crack around the forms of Sei and Misery, the Mystic instantly grabbing the wrist of Logan before the second effect of Mystic Protection took effect. Almost as if reading the thoughts of the youngest Orlouge, several black lines appeared in front of Logan, surrounding his entire form. With a sound not unlike that of a gun being fired, the cracked glass exploded through the arena, the direct contact with Sei allowing for none of the three beings within to be harmed.

Misery responded with a howl. Sei knew that the creature did not react well to fear, and even less to being attacked. The monster raised one of his large hands, the claws of the creature coming straight down for Logan's head. If Sei did not intervene soon, this would be a difficult situation to defuse.

"Misery! Stand down!" Misery listened to the barked order immediately, its claw stopping just short of Logan's forehead. Several drops of rainwater trickled down the digits of the beast, dropping innocently on the head of its intended target. Sei breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that at least one of the things in this room would listen to its friend and master. The Avatar of Alerar then turned his attention to the psion, a smile crawling across his features, his white teeth giving a slight glimmer to the entire floor of the Pagoda.

"Logan, Misery here is a friend," Sei spoke as if Logan McCloud had never disappeared, and restarted conversations as if they were long friends, "if you would listen to me for just a moment, I can explain the situation..." While Sei talked, he failed to notice the black vortex opening up from a few feet above the trio. A large red claw, one the size of most men's heads, began to reach out of the abyss, an attempt to gain a pre-emptive strike on the group of warriors...

[Logan]

"Friend..." Sei's 'voice' echoed through the psion's mind over and over, the rest of the words vaguely resonating within. The word itself wasn't deep, and certainly held no special meaning. However, this was a word Logan had scarcely heard in a very long time, and the very word all by itself was enough to rip him from his place of mental hiding. The Orlogue had broken through one of his longest standing mental barriers, and all with a single word which was spoken with no forethought to the power in it.

The black vortex appeared beginning to swirl with a purplish hue. The large claw seemed to reach out for Logan, but before it reached the psion he stood and spun to face it. His eyes swirled with red mist as tears began to stream. The Silence Blades left their sheathes with a speed and force he'd never known before. His feet bolted toward the red claw, swords slicing upward. The blades found their marks as the hand recoiled. The vortex, however, grew wider and began to swirl with a new reddish hue.

As he reached the opposite wall, he jumped into the air and ran upward flipping his body one-hundred eighty degrees to face his friend once more with swords at the ready. From within the vortex appeared two more human-sized creatures. One lunged toward Sei, the other made a move toward Logan. The psion spun his swords in his hands as he stepped forward and began to spin, the blades swinging in an arc toward the demonic being. The first sword connected and sliced from shoulder through midsection. The demon dropped nearly as quick as the second blade came for it's neck region, slicing through the form with little resistance. The head of the creature dropped to the ground, staining the floor a bright red.

Logan lifted his head as his chest rose and fell with each deep breath. The rage and anger faded from his face, his eyes returned to their bluish hue. His arm reached up and wiped the tears from his face. A smile crossed his lips.

"Friend."

[Silence Sei]

Logan McCloud had not lost a shred of the skill that Sei so fondly remembered. In fact, the warrior seemed to have improved on his technique since the telepath last saw, managing to not only catch a surprise attack on the trio, but readying himself for the next wave before Sei even had a chance to react. It was quite the impressive display to watch.

Their new foes were identical demons; blue elongated beaks, with similarly hued, leathery wings, three claws on each hand and piercing red eyes. Their bodies were humanoid, abdomens that revealed muscles that any warrior with proper training could have. Black hair was atop their head, bangs falling onto their ‘beaks’ ever so carefully. The steps of the monsters left splintered wood below them, hinting that they weighed more than what they seemed, Most men would not have time to take in such features while a demon was charging at them, but most men didn’t have a demon of their own.

“Misery,” Sei’s words were stern, and the beast began to move before his master even finished, “attack.”

Half of a second was all that it took for Misery to completely blink out of existence. The other half was spent appearing behind the monster that attempted to attack Sei. Misery grabbed the beast by his mouth, snapping the top portion of the beak to face the plant monster as easily as most men would snap a twig between their fingers. Sei chose his company well, and it was obvious that Misery would risk life and limb (pun completely intended) to save the orange haired Mystic.

The demon fell to the floor, its weight causing a small crater in the Pagoda wood. Sei smiled and nodded his appreciation to the creature before him. If Logan had needed any proof of the moss monsters loyalty, he now had it pouring out a small fountain of blood below the creature’s feet, staining the brown wood a crimson red. It was at this point that Sei now refocused his attention towards his fellow psion.

“It has been a long time, Logan McCloud,” Sei spoke calmly as he approached his friend casually, stepping over the broken demon corpses to do so. He brought his point home with a friendly pat on the back and smiled, though admittedly Sei was not one to have much force behind a physical gesture. “Where on Althanas have you been hiding, my friend?”