Creep

[Silence Sei]

It had started with just rumors. The other knights that lived closer to the underground tunnels known as Sei’s Tomb had started whispering about moaning and shuffling coming from below in the middle of the night. Much like a single spark being the only thing needed to set a forest ablaze, so too did these unfounded hearsay spread across all of Ixian Castle until it had reached the ears of Sei Orlouge himself.

Sei had lived in the Tombs for years without a single intruder, living or dead. So naturally, when the rumors had said that the souls of those past from what had been labeled ‘The Night of Debauchery’ still roamed the cavernous pathways seeking salvation, the Ixian leader had finally had enough. He had gathered only a small team of those he could trust; himself and his three daughters, Anita, Kyla, and Emma, to investigate these stories being told.

As they walked the long, narrow halls of Sei’s Tomb, a certain smell of musk filled the air. It was stale, but also mixed with that of something rather odd. The smell brought chills down Anita’s spine and made Emma crinkle her nose. Anita had lived with Sei behind these walls for many years, so her expertise in exploring the caverns would come in handy. Emma was quite good with a sword, and as such, was assigned to be Anita’s bodyguard. Kyla, on the other hand, was a powerful warrior in her own right, and had been assigned to stick with her adoptive father for the course of this mission.

Torches that lined the walls still burned bright as ever, whereas a few of the sticks were snubbed out either by wind or man. Their footsteps echoed down the halls, filling the rooms with an uneasy sound. Sei sighed as he looked to each of his kin and nodded.

Whatever was down here would regret the day it taunted the Ixian Knights.

((Closed to Lorenor and Amber Eyes))

[Mutant_Lorenor]

How Lorenor ended up in Sei's tomb was entirely coincidence. Or perhaps, it was something a bit darker than that. Searching the old crypts and tombs proved rewarding, even for the undead. Following the most recent lead, Lorenor decided to make a temporary base right underneath the nose of The Ixian Knights. He figured they would never check the security of the older sections of the tombs in regular intervals anyway. Under normal circumstances, Lorenor would have guessed right. But alas, with his age his faculties were failing him. Furthermore, he was a banished king and no longer the Grand Primus of the undead. Robbed of his purpose, Lorenor simply wandered trying to follow, he no longer attempted to obey. That is, obey the word of N'Jal herself.

He found himself completely banished from the way of his people, the way of the N'Jal priesthood. For a brief moment, he'd found his purpose and now he was once again empty. Resorting to robbing tombs in the countryside and hunting relics of the past, Lorenor did not have a purpose. It was robbed from him. Purpose defined the very existence for all adventurers of Althanas, and Lorenor was no different. He simply EXISTED. Without purpose, without definition, without any true sense of direction. He'd fallen into a state of despair and virtual madness.

Lorenor wanted the thing that was robbed from him.

He no longer cared about that bitch N'Jal. She had abandoned him like the rest of the riff raff. He simply traveled with a small escort of undead that he actually trusted, but that was waning too. Where once he ruled with an iron fist as Grand Primus, he now resorted to having simple lackeys with him at all times. Loyal lackeys, but lackeys nonetheless. He hated himself. He hated everything that he had become, and he hated having no direction and no singular drive to push him forward across the ages. When you were immortal like he was, time flowed different. You thought in terms of centuries, not hours. Your memories became fleeting as the lives that you touched.

In that state of growing madness, Lorenor found himself in the depths of Sei's Tomb. It was an elegant old Radasanthi crypt, a relic of the old Radasanth. When Heroes once walked Althanas with pride and strong sense of justice. Lorenor remembered them all. Findelfin. Neosaim. Devon the Star Slayer. Witchblade. The IceReavers. The Red Hand and Black Hand. All of them, snot nosed brats come and gone. Memories, no different than he. The more Lorenor tried to grasp the past, the more it slipped through his fingers like Fallien's sands. Lorenor sighed. He sat on the ground for a moment as he thought about the situation at hand. He was surrounded by a small group of Undead, and the Necronomicon, it's words so clear to him once, now sat with fading pages.

There was one female undead, and three males of various configurations and job classes. Lorenor represented the priesthood. As he stared at the emptying pages of The Necronomicon, his darkest fears were realized. N'Jal no longer held him in esteem. He sighed, the books were useless. Closing each one he, replaced them in their packs as the female undead looked at Lorenor. Lorenor nodded to her.

"It is as I have feared." Lorenor said to her. "We are N'Jal's unwanted children."

One of the males, a burly Jadet fellow growled. "Impossible!" He yelled at Lorenor. "You are The Grand Primus!" The man yelled.

"You don't get this do you? Do any of you really get this?" Lorenor asked. "We got fucked, we don't have a place in N'Jal's fold anymore. I am trying to find us a new purpose now." Lorenor felt a growing sorrow in his heart, and a feeling of rejection and abandonment. "Even the Necronomicon eludes me now. I was hoping to find answers for us in it somewhere..."

"So what do we do now?" The Jadet man asked.

"You don't owe me anything!" Lorenor suddenly yelled. "None of you do. You're all free to go do whatever you want. I am releasing you from service to me." They all looked stunned for a moment.

The Jadet man suddenly drew a sword and pointed it at Lorenor. "You son of a bitch." He said angrily. "I trusted you. We trusted you, you were supposed to help us!" The Jadet man attacked, and slashed Lorenor with a deep angular cut across his chest. Lorenor did not even resist. He fell to the ground, clutching his chest, and looking up at his companions with a sort of sad, empty expression. "Screw you, screw all of this. I'm out of here. And I recommend for all of you to ditch this old bastard too."

Lorenor laid on the ground as several of the undead left. All except one. All except her...Lucy. Lorenor looked at her as she knelt down towards him and ripped a sleeve off of her own shirt. She began to clean Lorenor's injury.

"Why...?" Lorenor looked at Lucy with an inquisitive stare. "Why would you stay when there is nothing...?!"

She looked at him as she cleaned his injury ever so gently. "I promised you that I would follow you to the depths of Haidia if need be." She smiled softly. "You have never lead me astray, and you won't start now. You will always be MY Grand Primus."

"Lucy..." Lorenor said carefully. "I thank you."

"Do not thank me." Lucy said. "I will walk by your side, even now, even in the end."

"The end of all things." Lorenor felt a kind of comfort knowing he didn't have to deal with whatever was next on his own. She would never leave his side, and that's what counted more than anything else...

[Amber Eyes]

It was not the first time an intruder visited Sei's tomb. Ixian Castle was well known as a safe-haven for the oppressed and hunted. Every so often a refugee would come to the conclusion that the tombs were the best option for safe passage to the castle wall. While indeed there were no enemies lurking below, the maze constructed below the city offered a test rather than a tranquil tour. A novice could get lost inside easily, and without the sun to guide them, even the most expert travelers could lose their bearing to the darkened labyrinth. These tombs were the mystic's home for several years an she felt somewhat confident each time she entered, yet from time to time the girl found herself in an unfamiliar area. She stayed tight with the group, listening for the cries of help that always accompanied one of these excursions. From Sei's demeanor Kyla could tell something was off, this wasn't just a normal rescue mission. Whoever was down here wasn't lost or there would be shouts of frustration and calls for aide. The person who they were looking for didn't stumble upon the tombs on accident, they were here for a reason. On look at Sei's hand instinctively reaching for his weapons every few steps told exactly what he thought they might find.

Kyla allowed the cool shadows to fill her body, pooling to her hands and forming twin long swords. The first she handed to Anita with a weak smile, the second she swing. The metal met stone, sending sparks through the air and leaving a single long mark in its wake. "Mark every corner," The mystic met eyes with her third sister, Emma.

"I know Kyla, you aren't the only one who has been down here, you know." Her eyes rolled as she spoke, making their way to glare.

"History class hardly counts Emma, now focus!" The elder sister pointed in the direction of a known hallway, directing Anita and Emma to stay in the safest areas.

"Who exactly put you in charge?" The younger retorted, annoyance flowing though her words like venom.

"How about when you can beat me in a fight you can be in charge, huh?" Kyla turned her back, ready to storm off.

"Steppenwolf said I'm almost as strong as you at my age." Emma's tone turned calm, almost mocking.

Kyla's blood boiled and she whipped around, pulling her sword into the air. "Getting your ass kicked by someone your almost as good as still hurts. Care to test it?"

Emma pulled her own weapon out, never one to back down from a challenge. Least of all against one of her sisters.

"That's enough! The command filled Kyla's mind and she instinctively and needlessly pulled her hands to her ears, dropping the sword that quickly faded into the shadows from which it came. She sheepishly looked to her 'father', awaiting the coming scolding.

[Silence Sei]

“The two of you are sisters! Despite the fact that you are not family by blood, you are still family. Do you ever hear me arguing with your Uncle Steppenwolf!?” Sei’s ‘tone’ was ‘louder’ than normal, with hints of annoyance. His had stood straight up, Anita shifting her way directly behind her father. The Daughter of the Dragon nodded as if she had been on the mute’s side all along. The eyes to both quarreling Mystic girls shifted downwards.

“No sir,” they both spoke in unison, their voices low. It was unclear as to whether or not they were upset at their argument, or the lecture that was following. Emma was tracing lines in the sand, and Kyla stood motionless, her eyes locked on a shadow. Sei’s eyes burned into the older girl, as if telling her that if she even thought about shadow stepping right now, she’d regret it.

“Do you ever hear me argue with Uncle Succed?” Anita, as if to answer for her sisters, placed her hands on her hips and shook her head, her brunette ponytail swaying back and forth behind her. Sei matched the action of his daughter, hands upon the hip, almost as if the girl had predictably mocked her father. Emma’s eyes slowly rose up, he lips trying to fight back the smile at Anita’s unintentional mocking of their patriarch.

“No sir…” the girl’s once again said in unison.

“Do you ever hear me argue with Un—” Sei paused for just a moment, Anita’s eyes growing wide as she realized how he was about to finish the next question. This pause was all Kyla and Emma needed to capitalize, both girls cracking wide smiles as they now met their father’s eyes.

“You were about to say…” Emma started the question.

“….Uncle Ciato, weren’t you?” Kyla finished, causing Sei’s cheek to grow bright red at the question. He had managed to lecture himself into a corner. Almost as if to avoid the query entirely, Sei turned around, his feet almost stomping the ground below, creating small clouds of dust. He could hear all of the girls behind him talking once more, giggling as if they were sisters and not rivals once more. Despite his frustration, the mirth of the girls, soon joined by Anita’s own delicate tones, brought a smile upon the warrior’s features.

“Let’s just find our uninvited guest, shall we?”

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor watched as Lucy cleaned his injury.

He laid against the cold stone of the feeling absolutely defeated. He partially wondered why Lucy even stayed by his side after everything that had gone on. He did wonder. However, there was little that could be done. He was several chambers within the tomb of Sei, the legendary mystic Hero. The name resonated with Lorenor and seemed somewhat familiar to him. Lorenor felt his injury healing at the skilled touch of his undying companion. Lorenor sat up once he was fully healed, approximately an hour later. He looked at Lucy with a soft smile on his face. His amethyst eyes glowing in the dimly lit room. He reached forward and touched the side of Lucy's head for moment and rubbed it gently. She closed her eyes and felt the energy that poured from Lorenor's body. The darkness.

As he looked at Lucy, he felt as though he should DO something.

However, he was never really good with the romantic crap. Instead, he was just there for her, and perhaps that would mean more than anything. Once she'd healed him, Lorenor stood up and looked around for a moment. His chaos engine, little more than useless relics of the past, rested in his packs. "I think I have decided one thing." Lorenor said casually. He grabbed a torch, and tossed his pack with the Necronomicon on the ground. "If there are copies of this damned set of books somewhere, I will never know. But I confine you to the same fate that we've all been confined to. Destruction." Lorenor said. He was still, in his black heart, a priest. He took the torch and set the Necronomicon on fire, burning all three fading books. The fire seemed to stay stationary as the books magics took hold of it. Anybody worth their weight in salt as a sorcerer would sense the disruption as the books were burnt.

"My lord." Lucy said as the books burned and energy crackled out from the fire. "Are you certain this is wise?"

"I am not certain of anything anymore, Lucy." Lorenor said in response. "All I know, is N'Jal has abandoned us. We have no use for weapons that are no longer usable by our power." Lorenor KNEW that N'Jal was perhaps seeking some darker purpose for their race. Lorenor, the rebel he always was, would have none of that bullshit for his people. He wanted FREEDOM for the undead, and had worked really hard to attempt to make the Free Forsaken. Only to find out that he would get stabbed in the spine in the end. Lorenor was a freedom fighter, but he no longer had that purpose. He no longer knew what he was supposed to do. As the chaos engine burned, Lorenor held Lucy's hand and the two stood there watching the old books fly apart like ash.

Lorenor sudddenly, unexpectedly, felt relaxed. For the first time in a long time, he felt peace as the great burden of that bitch, N'Jal, was lifted off his shoulder. Lorenor felt as if he were undergoing a change, as if all of his people were undergoing a change. They didn't NEED N'Jal. Nobody did. Just as N'Jal has discarded them as little more than trash, Lorenor would be certain to return the favor. He turned to look at Lucy.

"We will have our revenge." Lorenor promised. "I promise you."

And the two kissed.

[Amber Eyes]

The family walked quietly with Sei at the lead. The sisters were side by side, occasionally whispering to each other about something or other. Every few minutes Kyla or Anita would mark a corner, marking the way home. It was Anita who noticed first, her skin filled with goose bumps and her spine straightened. She stopped walking and began to look around as though she might just be able to see through the thick cavern walls.

Kyla was just about to question her sister when her own senses picked up on the energy. Every muscle in her body seemed to still. Something big was happening. Anita met her eyes and Kyla whispered, "Show me!"

Without another word Anita passed Sei and began to lead through the confusing corridors, Kyla and Sei were right behind and Emma followed, marking the walls. A million thoughts ran through the mystic's head, how had Anita felt it first? Her magic was much weaker than the others, had Kyla not been paying attention? Sei's 'voice' filled Kyla's mind, "You understand what is happening don't you?

As he spoke the truth donned on her, Anita had one thing Kyla didn't. She could sense the undead. "Whatever's in here isn't human is it? And...they...It felt like something died." Her words were filled with nerves, something about immortals and the undead always troubled her. How can you defeat someone who can't die?

Sei wrapped his arm around her head, pulling her closer and kissed her gently on top of her head, "Good girl, someone in this cavern has destroyed something powerful. Keep your head up and your sword ready. He released her, mussing her hair in the process. Kyla swallowed hard, attempting to clear the taste of fear from her mouth. She held her sword tight as Anita stopped and turned. Sei's face was focused on the girl and Kyla knew they were speaking. She held still until she heard Sei's 'voice' once more. "We are close. Anita believes there are several undead in this cave. Emma, you are to keep Anita safe at all costs. Kyla, you stay close to me.

[Silence Sei]

Anita lead her family with a stout determination, her demeanor completely changing from that of the silly acting girl just moments before. Whenever it came to the undead, as well as immortals, Anita harbored a sort of grudge. Ever since she was little, the girl had viewed these kind of people as ‘cheaters’ in life. To her, there was no difference in escaping death, and hiding a few extra cards ‘just in case’ on a poker night. They were all detestable degenerates, and Anita Orlouge was the one girl who could locate them at will.

She ducked and turned, zigzagging around the cavernous doors of Sei’s Tomb. As the second eldest daughter of Sei dragged her kin around, the mute overheard a conversation between Emma and Kyla. “So, why is it that Father could not locate the thoughts of this…whatever it is we’re hunting?”

“Telepathy doesn’t work that way,” Kyla explained, “you can identify whose ‘voice’ belongs to whom, but it isn’t a tracker. Sei’s probably been hearing the thoughts the whole time, but if isn’t in the person’s vicinity, he can’t find them. Does that make sense?”

“I … guess so?” Emma’s response came more as a question than anything else. Sei could hear her wondering about the mute’s ability to see through walls. In truth, the Mystic could have probably used his superior vision to find the culprits hiding within his halls, but such power was taxing on Sei when he was out of sunlight. If he did not locate the person (or persons) quickly within the first few minutes, his body would be spent, and the endeavor would have been for naught.

Sei had been a bit preoccupied thinking upon this when he almost slammed into the back of his daughter. He gave pause, managing to avoid a collision with Anita, only to have Kyla and Emma dually slam into his own back and lurch him forward. He stumbled, his arms reaching backwards so the other girls had something to grab to regain their footing. He straightened himself out and looked at the reason Anita had stopped. There on the ground, stood a very familiar face, passionately kissing a woman he had never seen before.

“Lord Lorenor?” Sei asked.

“Lord…” Kyla trailed off.

“….Lorenor?” Emma finished, mirroring the same question as their father, though in a much different context.

“Lord Lorenor.” Anita said, the only voice of certainty amongst the Orlouge clan.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

When the two broke their kiss, the room suddenly became lively.

An all too familiar scent touched Lorenor's sensory grid. "Orlouge...?" Lorenor suddenly asked as he looked at Lucy for a long moment. Every time that Lorenor reincarnated, he kept bits and pieces of his past lives. His eyes narrowed when he saw and REMEMBERED Sei Orlouge, almost the same as the first day the two had met. Lorenor saw a familiar flash of the mystic, recalling the adventure they'd had together. Lorenor touched his forehead. "I no longer hear the voice of N'Jal." Lorenor said, he looked at Sei for a moment. Then he looked at Lucy once more. Lorenor recognized the scent of the Orlouge bloodline. "Your family I presume...?" Lorenor asked of the mystic. He walked towards Sei, unafraid. Once the two were equal, once they were allies. Lorenor had never stopped seeing the mute as a nothing but an ally. Lorenor suddenly realized the likely reason that he was there. "Your tomb...then this...oh I understand now." Lorenor laughed an uncomfortable laugh for a moment.

"A lot has changed Sei." Lorenor said. "I am no longer Grand Primus. They took that from me, and that event has lead me to live in some rather unbecoming places." Lorenor felt somewhat embarrassed that the mystic would meet him under such a plight. Lorenor looked at his companion. "She is Lucy, an aide." Lorenor said and Lucy nodded politely. "There were some others, but they're long gone." Lorenor turned to look at the burning books, glowing blue fire still present. "Ah. That must have drawn you here correct?" Lorenor asked. Lorenor turned his attention to Sei carefully. "Sei." Even saying the name of his old friend nearly brought the old madman to tears. "I trust that you are not here for a social visit?" Lorenor asked. "I am sorry if we are intruding on your turf or something, but we didn't have anywhere else to go...WE ARE N'JAL's unwanted children." Lorenor said. And every time he said it that way he felt a part of him fading away. "I can't read the books anymore so I burnt them." Lorenor said plainly, regret etched on his very voice, pain and suffering was there too.

Lucy looked at the gathered folk. "Lorenor, who are these people?"

Lorenor looked at Lucy. "He is Sei Orlouge. These are kin, hence their smell." Lorenor said. "Sei once helped me get something VERY IMPORTANT."

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla watched as Sei interacted with the intruder, her weapon still drawn and her body still braced for battle. Emma leaned in an whispered in her ear and Kyla relaxed, giggling softly. Anita shot the a death glare and Kyla quickly focused once again on the reunion. She had heard the name before, Lorenor was a legend in his own right, though not the kind Kyla was used to meeting. He was a follower of N'Jal, one of the Thaynes Kyla had never had much time for. It was a story heard again and again, the Thaynes would use you until you were no longer useful and then leave you to clean up the mess.

Lorenor brought their attention to the book, and Kyla knew at once what the sick feeling in her stomach was caused by. No matter the source of one's magic you always feel something when it is used. The destruction of books of such power would affect any magical creature nearby. With that thought Kyla 'spoke' to Sei alone. "Shall I call for Misery? With that type power in here we should probably all get moving.

Sei didn't seem concerned, and he didn't answer. Instead he held out his arm for the girls to come closer. Emma looked as though she might be ill, her earlier joke long gone from her mind. She stepped forward though, and Sei introduced her with pride in his 'voice'.

"This is Emma, sure to be famous for her sword skills one day." Emma's nerves instantly relaxed at her father's praise, and she gave a nod to the strangers. "Pleased to meet you Lord Lorenor," she turned her head slightly and gave another nod, " Miss Lucy."

Sei gestured for Anita, holding his arm out and placing it on the small of her back. "I believe you've met my daughter Anita. She is a brilliant strategist. Anita curtsied, always the picture of perfect manners. A smile lined her face as she spoke, her voice soft yet formal. "It is good to see you again Lord Lorenor. I hope you will stay for a bit."

The patriarch held out his arm to the final of the sisters, and Kyla could see his smile stiffen just slightly as he thought of his next introduction. "And this is my eldest, Kyla. His words trailed off just for a moment and Kyla cleared her throat. " She is a general in my army, head of the reformation team as a matter of fact."

The young mystic suddenly realized exactly where this conversation was heading. She eyed Lorenor again, this time with different thoughts in mind. Her team was filled with petty criminals and the occasional man convicted of war crimes hoping to take a few years off his sentence, but an undead warrior?. On one hand having someone of Lorenor's incredible skill and history would prove invaluable to the army, on the other Kyla was quite frankly a little scared of the man.

[Silence Sei]

Sei could feel his daughter’s reluctance at what he was soon to suggest. It seemed the daughter of the dragon had still not grown accustomed to her father’s ways as of yet. He could not blame the girl; he had his own reservations regarding Lorenor as well. He had once been a spider magi, one of the most loyal of N’Jal’s servants. Sei had watched as the Thayne possessed this very man before him, and wipe out an entire platoon of well-trained soldiers with the most mediocre of movements. If such power still resided in his former ally, Lorenor could become quite the liability.

“Reformation?” The question itself seemed to tremble off of Lorenor’s lips, “As in, redeeming one’s self?”

“Indeed, Lord Lorenor,” Sei motioned for Kyla to step back up, the girl walking to her father’s side, now standing tall and proud, “Kyla takes those who feel that society has wronged them and makes them see the virtue of a good, honest day’s work. I can think of nobody better suited to this task than her.”

Sei’s praise was quickly interrupted by the sword of metal scrapping against stone. Turning around, the Mystic saw Emma at the ready, her sword running across the ground and causing sparks to fly every which way. Anita stood behind her sister, her hands clutching the shoulders of the warrior Orlouge. The second eldest Orlouge’s hands were shaking nervously. Before the two girls stood three shadowy figures, one more muscular than the other two.

“The necronomicon…” one of them seemed to growl like a snarling hound trapped inside a cage, “What did you do to it?!” Sei’s brows furrowed, a hand instinctively reaching towards the first weapon he could grab. His eyes shifted towards Kyla, the girl already starting to form some sort of weapon from the black shadows swirling in her hand. Whoever these people were, Sei could feel their ill will towards him and his group.

He did not know what the ‘necronomicon’ was, but he would be damned if he let total strangers have it.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor caught it right away.

The scent of his kin filled the air like a swarm of locusts.

Lorenor looked at his former allies for a long moment, then at Sei. He shook his head when the angry question was asked. There was still an arcane residue in the air, touching it with the powerful magic of the three ancient books. Forming a chaos engine, the books held unspeakable power for those who would follow N'Jal blindly. The books contained bizarre funeral rites, incantations, and the symbols of the Spider Magi. It was a weapon meant to bring about a dark fate for all of life, a virtual chaos engine. Lorenor was a priest who could once read the symbols on The Necronomicon's pages so clearly, and now, they were empty pages. The question that the forsaken warrior asked lingered in the air for a moment. Lorenor turned to look at the Jadet-bound warrior and shook his head.

"It's ashes by now." Lorenor admitted. "I have no use for weapons that do not function."

"Be mindful..." Lucy suddenly said. She looked at her leader, and then looked at the others for a long moment. "They mean to do you harm."

"He caught me off guard once before. I will not allow Clan Orlouge to suffer as I have suffered." Lorenor was allowing the one weapon that DID matter fill his empty shell. Anger. The black substance pumped his black ichor and filled him with psychotic rage. He drew his weapon. It was a steel masterwork sword forged in the aesthetic design of N'Jal. Forged in the fires of war. Lorenor's body began to glow with a tremendous darkness, but it wasn't N'Jal's darkness any longer. It was a different kind of evil, an evil that would rebel against any king. Any god. Any madman. The fury that would one day shape the world. Lorenor looked at the Jadet man. "You caught me off guard before." He moved into a skilled combat stance. "I won't allow you to harm me or anybody that matters, ever again!" Lorenor yelled. Without having to command her, Lucy moved.

She seemed to vanish into the shadows but was in actuality flanking the group of undead upstarts.

Lorenor held his weapon aloft. "This is your last chance." Lorenor said, attempting to plead with the group of undead. "If you stand down we can be SAVED! Sei Orlouge can provide all of us with a new purpose!" Lorenor said there was a passion, as well as a rage in his voice. For that one instance, Lorenor felt a spark in his soul, a spark in his heart. That spark made him feel something like his old self again...even if only for a moment.

[Amber Eyes]

When Lorenor’s former ally answered his plea in the form of a lunge towards the scary man, it was all Kyla needed. In an instant, the girl faded into the shadows that surrounded them all, as if something had instantly pulled her under blackened water. When she stepped out of the shadows directly in front of the attacker, the three razor sharp blades of Sophia’s Mane had been released from the opera glove.

She slung her fist as she would swing a punch at the man’s gut. The sharpened claws gutted through their victim easily, a black aura glowing around the glove. These men were still loyal to the darkness of Lorenor’s former mistress, still tainted by her evil hold.

“Maybe we will find a use for you someday,” Kyla whispered as she withdrew her weapon from the man’s sternum. His blackened hair had fallen to the front of his face as his body collapsed upon the ground. His tanned skin was Fallien in nature, and his easy to anger attitude was probably reminiscent of the warrior caste. She shook her head as she reviewed her ‘kill’, her eyes never leaving the corpse even when the second man came after her.

The rune engraved blade of the Raiaeran bladesinger was met with a similarly anointed sword. Emma stood in front of her sister, her mouth moving as if she were singing, yet no lyrics escaping from her throat. Kyla shuddered as she watched Emma work, a fireball forming behind her foe and quickly raining down fury upon the former elf. The immolated mage joined his brethren, the thick gray smoke coming off of his body smelling of burnt hair and flesh.

“You do know it creeps me out when you do that, right?” Kyla spoke to Emma as casually as if they were having tea.

“Why do you think I learned it?” Emma grinned, making a ‘clicking’ sound which sent shivers down the girl’s spine.

“Stop it!” She said and shoved her family, pointing to the Jadet man. “There’s still one more!”

“I got this,” both sisters turned to find Anita with her trademark blue backpack open.

[Silence Sei]

Sei crossed his arms when his second eldest dropped her blue backpack to the ground unzipped. She bent over and reached into the seemingly infinite bag of holding and withdrew a hammer from the accessory. The handle in and of itself was three foot long, far longer than the length of the book bag, and the head on the weapon was a solid cement brick. The weight of the weapon almost caused the girl to plummet with it as the top slammed into the ground, making a small crater.

The Jadet man smirked at the display, leaping towards the girl and shoving her sisters to each side of the narrow hallway as he made his approach. Sei could see in the Jadet man’s eyes that he knew he was going to die, but hoped to at least take one person out with him. He withdrew his sword, swinging it through the air at the girl, only to have it meet with the large cement block of her sledgehammer. The blade was wrested from the man’s grasp and slammed onto the floor with a metallic clink.

Anita swung again, putting every ounce of effort into the motion as it slammed against the Jadet man’s ribs, sending him spiraling into the wall alongside his sword. Anita breathed heavily, dropping the shaft to her weapon as she turned around and looked towards her sisters. Each girl gave Anita a nod of mutual respect before the girl looked to her father for approval. Sei nodded as well, a smile plastered upon his features.

None of them even noticed the Jadet man getting back up, grabbing his sword, and charging towards the defenseless girl…

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor acted.

Thanks to his supernatural speed, he moved upon the Jadet man. In that moment, they had all forgotten about the mutant, and that was always the mistake that people made. Once forgotten, the shadow could come at your back and stab you right then. Lorenor was already upon the Jadet undead, his sword moving with lethal precision. he stabbed in an upward fashion at the creature's spine.

As he stabbed he moved his steel masterwork sword in such a way, that he cleanly impaled the warrior.

"Forgive me." Lorenor said carefully. "This could have all been avoided." Lorenor pushed his blade all the way through the man, and then maneuvered his wrist in such a way that he cut the Jadet Warrior cleanly in half. "Lucy!" Lorenor commanded.

She knew what to do. She grabbed a torch and lit the Jadet man's two halves on fire before either piece landed firmly on the ground. Lorenor smiled coldly. He then sheathed his weapon in it's scabbard. Looking towards Sei and his clan, he nodded with a profound respect. "Your kin has grown powerful, Sei Orlouge." Lorenor looked at Lucy. "This is a friend, a trustworthy companion. Lucy." Lucy bowed towards Sei and his companions. Then Lorenor looked at the trio.

"You are in charged of the Ixian Knights are you not?" Lorenor suddenly asked. "Would it be possible for someone like me to join your ranks in some fashion? As I have aided you before, now I am the one in need of an assistance. I seek...a purpose."

[Silence Sei]

Flashes of the evil that had once been Lorenor flashed through Sei’s head. This was a man who had committed atrocities in the name of N’Jal; some of them only heard by the mute, and some witnessed first-hand. He shuddered when he thought of the sheer destruction Lorenor had caused once before, when Sei helped him ward off the Knights of the Dawn. The blood alone in that massacre was enough to fill a swimming pool. And Lorenor had also sacrificed many of his own men for his own ends.

However, everybody deserved a second chance.

Sei looked behind him to his girls. Anita nodded her head so hard that it looked as if it were going to fall off. Kyla merely smiled and Emma looked away, shrugging her shoulders with empathy. He looked back to Lorenor, his demeanor no longer that of a friend, but as leader of the Ixian Knights. “Lord Lorenor, I would be honored to count you among the ranks of the Ixian Knights. I have stood by your side and seen your power with my own eyes, and if you truly mean what you say, I think that your strength will be put to great use for us.”

Sei extended his hand towards the man, trying to forget the corpses in the room as he acted like an official leader. “However, due to your past crimes, I cannot allow you to just go freely roaming around the castle at your leisure, not without a safe guard in place. You will become a member of the Reformation Division, directly under the leadership of Kyla Orlouge. If you ever do something she deems inappropriate for the situation, she will have access to a key phrase that will make you lose consciousness instantly. All she has to do is think this key word, and you will drop out instantly. Only if that is acceptable, do I ask you to take my hand.”

Sei stood there with his hand still out towards the former N’Jal avatar, hoping that his terms were agreeable.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

As all things went, there were the terms of a contract.

No. A DEAL.

Lorenor listened very closely to what Sei offered. Lucy stood by his side, and the undead corpses surrounded them. Lorenor sheathed his majestic weapon, and looked at Sei for a long moment. I have decided long before you found me here. Lorenor thought to himself knowing that the mystic could hear me. He turned to Lucy for a moment. "Lucy." He began. "First thing's first. I am going with Sei. You don't have to come with me. But if you do, I will be by your side for all time." Lorenor promised. Lucy nodded.

"My lord. You don't even have to ask. I will accompany with whatever Sei has in store for us." Lucy said.

Lorenor smiled. Then he turned towards Sei. He accepted Sei's hand. "I don't expect Kyla to have to use her ability over me too often. I give my service and myself freely to you, Sei Orlouge." Lorenor then looked at Lucy. "She will accompany me as well." Lorenor said in addition to the terms of the contract. "It would be my honour to accompany you in the Ixian Knights." Lorenor held Sei's hand for a long moment. A sign of true respect, and perhaps something a little more than respect and admiration. Friends. Perhaps that was what Lorenor longed for in his old age. "I shall do what must be done to join the Ixian Knights."

"And I shall as well." Lucy added. She bowed curtly towards Sei and his daughters.

Lorenor looked back towards where he burned the three books of The Necoronomicon. "Hide it's ashes Sei." Lorenor explained. "I am sorry to have put such a foul object in your Tomb." Lorenor continued. "It seemed appropriate however that I destroy such a relic and begin my new life here though. Just as that bitch let me go. N'Jal..." He spat on the ground. "All I want is a purpose to keep on going. Fighting alongside you once more, I think I can find that purpose once more." Lorenor looked deeply into Sei's eyes, and saw something there. Perhaps a mutual understanding. "I seek to understand why I am here, what my purpose." Lorenor said carefully. "And walking by your side, I am confident I can find my purpose once more." Lorenor said. He nodded. "And with that, Sei Orlouge, I am humbly at your service." Lorenor said.

[Lye]

Thread Title: Creep (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26178)
Judgment Type: No Judgement
Participants: Silence Sei, Mutant_Lorenor, Amber Eyes

Silence Sei (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?30) Receives:


1,160 EXP!
60 GP!


Amber Eyes (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?14169) Receives:


800 EXP!
60 GP!


Mutant_Lorenor (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?3023) Receives:


576 EXP!
75 GP!

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added!

Amber Eyes jumps to Level 11!