Izzabelle deftly slides the crystalline device holding Reavrix’s soul, into one of her hidden pockets. “No Lord Salkeen, I will not let you command my future. You have taken everything from me. If Sericon and I chose to be bonded eternally in a life bond, it will be our choice, made in our own time.” Izzabelle sighs she knew that this was a hopeless endeavor, yet she had at least thought to try. “Have you not taken enough from me already Lord Salkeen? Obviously not as you seem so he’ll bent on destroying what is left.” Izzabelle turns and starts to walk away “Go and make whatever preparations you can Lord Salkeen. Without the companion bond to Sericon, the power bond to Master Isaik cannot exist.” Izzabelle throws her head back and laughs tears filling… “aren’t you the hypocrite…” her mad laughter is brought up short when Jericha grabs the sides of her head.
Izzabelle hears Jericha’s words but has trouble discerning their meaning, the madness that Suzuna had chased away is starting to return, webs cloud the edges of her vision. “Trapped? What…how?” Izzabelle feels completely lost, she couldn’t have her bond to Sericon, she felt her soul shatter… Master Isaik?
Isaik listened to Izzabelle’s thankfulness before watching her head out to take a truly challenging task of her life head on… The dark Master pondered slowly, he was sure that something had felt slightly off with Izzabelle, he could usually recognize such magics in place around him…
“I am sensing something at play that will soon need to be dealt with…” Isaik hissed turning to Yumara, “Many paths are opening up before us and each will be filled with conflict…” The dark master hissed glaring around his vessel… Perhaps fortifications would not be enough…
Locking his eyes on one of the many echoes working around the vessel… “Contact the Artificer… We must ramp up construction immediately…” Isaik hissed, he pondered whether or not to just summon the man now… Not yet, he was more useful within the lair… Turning back to Yumara, he looked into her eyes, “You once graced the presence of the unholy halls of my lair, the birth place of homunculi… Yet you have not met the Artificer…” Isaik hissed, “The person responsible for the massive scale of homunculi creation…” Isaik continued, he moved towards the portal he had sent Izzabelle through…
Isaik hissed in a blast of shadows Isaik lunged forward coalescing into pure shadows before funneling into the portal and appearing on the other side… Isaik reformed on the other side into the regular monstrosity he usually was… Isaik immediately glared around the room taking in all the knowledge before settling his visage upon Salkeen, Isaik gave a small smirk… Sometimes that wrathful fool has no idea how to deal with the minions that surrounded him… It appeared Salkeen had actually attempted to make Izzabelle feel better about him and this whole ordeal, as usual his abrasive mannerisms undercut the whole thing. “You wished for me to kill Ebony when the time came yes?” Isaik asked in a hiss, “After I purge Izzabelle of his filth, you will take the ore and release them both… This is not negotiable… There will be no other demands…” Isaik growled, before turning his attention to the rather uncertain Izzabelle…
Isaik tilted his head slightly before looking to Izzabelle, “I will need you to be still, are you prepared?” Isaik asked, if Izzabelle was to say yes he would use his magic to levitate her flat in the air and prepare to rid her of her magical affliction…
Maleok crashing hard stayed down for a bit before he pushed his arm out and braved it onto the earth… With several sickening snaps the Drakkari’s bones were mending and setting as his flesh regrew over his body… One of Maleok’s massive arms had been completely separated from his body and laid on the ground nearby twitching… The massive Drakkari could’ve made a spectacle of reattaching his broken limb but decided showing the true power of his troll nature would be more fun… With a heavy grunt the Drakkari’s severed stump cracked and groaned as new bone, tissue and flesh regrew into a full fledged arm, unlike Varicar who regrew due to his enhanced homunculi nature, Maleok was a undead troll still loyal to his loa, they returned the favor with troll regeneration even beyond death! Maleok lumbered forward holding his great bone mace and preparing himself to rid the world of those troublesome humanoids…
Maleok growled as he moved closer commanding the shards of bone around the battlefield to rise up and form into long calcium spikes… With a mighty roar the razor ended bones flew towards Myrandah and Smuggs, hopefully softening them up for when the massive Drakkari would reach them… He still heard the commands in his head, kill the gnome…
Maleok couldn’t take it anymore and roared as he barreled forwards like a charging mammoth, raising his bone mace high he leapt a short distance into the air and brought it crashing down where Smuggs and Myrandah used to be! Even with Varicar temporary incapacitated the others would finish the job…
Izzabelle looks at Master Isaik, and bows slightly as a sign of respect. “This trap has been tied to me for a very long time from what Jericha has said. So a few more minutes shouldn’t matter!” Izzabelle says as she looks over at Lord Salkeen. She had felt his Flames earlier when they had exploded throughout the room unchecked. Not that they had burnt her, she had just felt them. “There’s something I must know, something that tears me apart every second that I think of it.” As Izzabelle says this she cannot stop her voice from breaking. “Lord Salkeen is to much of an idiot to see what is really destroying me. I’ve tried to tell him in so many ways.” Izzabelle takes a deep breath and walks across the room, swiftly approaching the burning Lord. “Lord Salkeen you will cease with this Reckless behavior, this instant.” Izzabelle knows that Lord Salkeen doesn’t like it when he is given orders by his minions. Izzabelle knows that she might get punished for this. That Jericha will most likely want to kill her. Reaching up She snags hold of Lord Salkeen’s head, jerking it down she lightly presses her mouth to his through the mask he is wearing. Still holding him Izzabelle looks him straight in the eyes. “Lord Salkeen do you want to keep me? Forget about this fate and what it demands of you. I need to know, do you want to keep me?” There’s a edge of desperation in Izzabelle’s voice as she says this.
That little flare of jealousy Jericha felt, prevented her from recognizing the power Lord Salkeen had given her. Yet that wasn’t the only thing, there was something else that was bothering her. Still she would do as her Lord Commanded, she would always do as he commanded. Even when she wanted to wring his neck
Had Jericha been actually paying attention to their reactions, she would have noticed the reverence and loyalty that echoed through her mind as they answered her command… her Lords command… for a personal harem to accompany them, to confront Suzuna. Had Jericha noticed, she most likely would have been taken aback by it. Jericha needed to be controlled, the more power and control she had the more distant and hateful she would become. Had she wanted to rule she could have stayed with the Void covenant that she was high priestess of.
Jericha is about to leave when she noticed a quick shimmer of magic dance over the blacked scales of Izzabelle’s demonic hide. At first she thought to ignore it, but something about it bothered her. An intricate scan left Jericha reeling as her artifact eye revealed the complexity of an ancient trap. An ancient trap that Ebony Darkskill had been building for over a century. This wasn’t something that could be easily removed, even for someone as powerful as Lord Salkeen’s Dark Master. Yet he was the only one Jericha knew of, that had the possibility of removing it. Yet the thought of being near his m filled her with dread and unease as she thinks of that cursed tome. The one he attacked her with, not all that long ago.
Shaking her head she clears her thoughts, then let’s Lord Salkeen know not to break the contract with Izzabelle quite yet. As she says this Lord Salkeen seems to lose it. Jericha can feel his rage as his flames tear through the room. Jericha looks at Izzabelle who still seems shocked. Could she not feel the rage Lord Salkeen was feeling because of her. Not because of what she said, but because of what was bing done to her. Jericha can only sigh slightly as she lets Lord Salkeen know his Har…Vanguard is ready. She is opening the door to leave the room when she feels it. The skin crawling feeling of dread, that heralded the coming of the Puppet Master. Jericha expected to feel that overwhelming terror that would have her fleeing back to the Ered’kiel, as she had no safe place aboard this vessel yet. However something seemed off, wait she didn’t sense the dark tome in his presence. Jericha was still unsure as to whether or not Lord Salkeens Master could be Trusted.
Jericha moves back into the room, her body trembling noticeably as she slowly approaches Master Isaik. As she does she hears Izzabelle say that she needs a moment before making her way over to Lord Salkeen.
She was going to kill her… Jericha sincerely hoped that Izzabelle wasn’t their last line of defense against this cruel fate… because she was going to freaking kill her… and then him… still before she killed them there was something that she needed to do. She stops for a moment to steal herself for what she is about to do. Shaking like a leaf in the wind, she moves to stand before Master Isaik. *This takes much more strength than even Jericha had anticipated that she would need. She goes to speak but fear paralyzes her vocalcords. So she chooses the only othe option that she can. Reaching out her hand lightly brushes against Master Isaik’s, as it does Jericha purposefully drops the shields that protect her mind. She needs Master Isaik to see what she saw when she looked into Izzabelle just moments earlier.
Izzabelle intire being was surrounded and infected with hundreds, perhaps thousands of layers of ancient Magic’s and spells. These Magic’s didn’t only effect her physical being, but her spiritual, magical, emotional, and psychological as well. Every part of her was afflicted by this ancient cursed magic. It moved through every cell of her existence. Coalesced throughout were heinous traps meant to destroy, the spirit, body and mind. There were also traps meant to eat away at the very magic that a person contains. This magical trap wasn’t something that was just haphazardly cast upon her… No! Ebony had spent well over a century placing and building this multi layered ancient trap upon Izzabelle. He was patient, and he had pain stakingly weaved the spells upon Izzabelle while his Clueless granddaughter and her moved about his Tower believing themselves safe from his power and influence. This wasn’t something that Isaik would be able to simply remove with a wave of his hand. This would take days to unravel in its entirety, perhaps weeks… Some of the traps were specifically made to be triggered. These couldn’t be dispelled or magically disarmed, the only way to move passed them would be to trigger them, and protect against the magic released. Jericha moves away from Master Isaik, and back towards the door again. She stops before exiting, with everything happening she wasn’t certain if she should be leaving. Instead she send a mental command to one of Lord Salkeens commanders to send a battalion of Felguards to Centralis. They were to clear a massive area, of hostile… and not so hostile creatures.
Once the commands are given Jericha’s slinks up behind Lord Salkeen, her form growing as her other two sets of arms break free. Jericha slides all six of them around her Lord and squeezes, none to gently. She glares at Izzabelle who is still holding her Lord Salkeen’s face within her hands Jericha hisses in Lord Salkeen’s ear… “Should the rest of us leave, so the two of you can be alone…” fel flames, and bursts of void, are rolling off of Jericha in waves… and the growls coming from her are now quite noticeable.
Why didn’t that damned fool believe what he was doing was a kindness this time? Salkeen merely commanded her to do exactly what he had thought she wanted, to remain with Sericon… He refused Reavrix as a sign that he didn’t need to bargain for more power, he could just never get through to this minion!
Within moments Isaik had appeared, the first thing he did was threaten Lord Salkeen… The demon lord growled with latent rage, rage at Ebony for continuing to meddle in his life, rage at Izzabelle for neber understanding, rage at his master because he was there… Salkeen hissed giving Isaik a sign that he would obey… For now…
Salkeen looked at the disrespectful women with slight shock, just because he would reluctantly release her from his own contracts did not mean he would let her talk to him like this!
Salkeen had not been expecting such a action, inside his demon raged to take advantage! Salkeen could have both women, a demon with lust and greed at its max he would keep both girls with him. They would be his, his to own and prey upon…
Yet something inside his very soul barely pushed back hard enough to halt the inner demons all consuming greed, wrath and lust…
Salkeen pushed Izzabelle away, looking at Jericha he spoke with great command, “No… That will not be necessary…” Salkeen hissed before looking back at Izzabelle he had a new respect for her but still it had to be done. “I still do want you with us, but not like that…” Salkeen said the second part with much trouble, his demon very much wanted to keep her bonded and physically…
Salkeen flipped back through the air landing a bit away, it was hard enough to control his demons ravings normally, now he had to much temptation… He needed to remove himself before something happened he might regret… Salkeen glanced at Jericha mentally commanding her to follow him immediately, they had to leave.
Sericon had been following Izzabelle behind her the whole time, the debates with Salkeen fell apart so fast. Sericon wondered what it meant for him at all, Perhaps he would break his own contract, he knew that he could if given enough power and time…
Things got even more heated and aggressive when it was further discovered that Ebony had placed magical curses and traps throughout Izzabelle… Sericon cursed, it seemed like this group would always be plagued by this Soul Thief…
In one last attempt to talk to Lord Salkeen, Izzabelle approached him and asked if he still wanted her… She kissed him… A move that hurt Sericon inside, but what happened next wiped that away… Salkeen said he still wanted her with them but rejected her affections, probably for the wiser, as Jericha was right behind him… As Lord Salkeen made a hasty retreat it was time for Sericon to make his move…
Coming up behind Izzabelle quickly, he wouldn’t let her have time to mourn the loss of Salkeen. Sericon grabbed Izzabelle before pulling her to him and laying a small kiss on her of his own… Looking into her eyes he spoke softly, “I’m right here…” Sericon whispered, “But don’t do that again.” Sericon said before trying to kiss her again.
Izzabelle lets out a barely audible contented sigh. If she had been looking up at him, he would have seen, the new founded respect that she now held for him as well. She always knew it was Jericha, and she had no real intentions of taking him from her. I just needed to know… for as long as I can remember, I’ve felt these feelings. Feeling that I couldn’t fight, that I didn’t understand, yet they were there. A part of every breath I took, they pulsed with every heartbeat. With every step I took, they stayed with me. Even after the foundation was removed, those feeling remained. Like shadows haunting the dark recesses of my mind. Moving like ghosts through barren corridors, whispers in the silence. I needed to know. For the first time since Lord Salkeen separated her from Jericha. Izzabelle’s mind feels at peace. Oh course Izzabelle doesn’t quite realize, had Lord Salkeen not been able to control his inner demon, things might have ended a lot differently.
Izzabelle watches as Lord Salkeen quickly removes himself from the situation. Jericha following close behind him. She doesn’t thinkmto follow him, she has other things that must be tended to. Izzabelle stood there staring at the door Jericha and Lord Salkeen had exited through. When this was over, she wasn’t sure what her and Sericon would do. Perhaps they would return, to serve the Phoenix of the legion once more. Maybe they would remain, with Master Isaik, Yumara, and Varicar. Maybe they would strike out on their own, forging their own destinies. The future held countless possibilities, one thing was certain though, Izzabelle didn’t…
Izzabelle is startled and emits a soft gasp when Sericon Grabs her and pulls her to him. When he lightly kisses her, it lights up her world. It brings warmth and a feeling of belonging to all those barren and hollow places. Reaching up she gently cups his face with her hands, and lovingly brushes her lips to his. “I know you are right here Sericon, and I am sorry. I will never do anything like that again. Izzabelle pauses and turns so that she can look at him while she talks. Taking a quick breath she starts… “For nearly as long as a Jericha has, I have loved Lord Salkeen, or at least I thought I did. When I first began to experience these emotions, I couldn’t begin to understand them. My mind was constantly filled with these emotions, of love, desire, lust, jealousy, need, all for someone I had never met. I couldn’t begin to comprehend, I also couldn’t fight them. After a while they became a core part of who I was, always there lingering at the forefront of my mind.” Lost in thought for a moment Izzabelle grows silent. “Then Yumara created the shield to protect my mind from Jericha’s stupidity and influence. Suddenly the constant ever present feeling of love, lust, desire… etc was gone. Yet the shadows of it remained, whispering in my mind of things that might of been. It might have been because of Jericha that this love for Salkeen developed. Still to me it was real, and moving past it wasn’t easy. It became even more impossible when I saw him, all those emotions came rushing back. I wanted to be his, to serve in the same capacity as Jericha did.” Izzabelle looks at Sericon and smiles… “Then I walked into the hanger of the Ered’kiel and saw you. I couldn’t explain it, but felt things that seemed so real for the first time. Then everything happened so fast, I realized when we sat in my mind together, that it was you. I just needed to Finally put to rest, these feelings I’ve had for Lord Salkeen.” Izzabelle hugs Sericon to her. “I also needed to know he wanted to keep me. I never actually needed him to keep me. All this time I just needed to know that he wanted to.” Izzabelle says softly before looking over at Master Isaik. Taking Sericon’s hand she pulls him with her as she returns to Master Isaik. “Master Isaik I’m ready, ready to have that Bastards foul Magic’s removed from me.”
Suzuna makes her way down the corridors f the vessel, retracing the steps that lead her to the room, that felt of Jericha. She moves among the demons as though she is one of their own. it is one of her many mind powers. To be seen by those around as a part of the group. To those she passes, she would be nothing more than an imp or a wyrmtongue, scuttling about the ship. Those more powerful demons she could easily sense, and would stay out of their range. It is but a few minutes before she is back in the forest. Once their She is back on high alert, they’re dark creatures moving about the canopy of leaves and branches above her. Like with the demons she uses her powers to make them see her as one of their own. Or as something non threatening, something to be ignored. Still she had never encountered such twisted beings, so manipulating their collective minds wasn’t easy.
She is deeper in the dark forest, approaching the ruined citadel when it happens. She hears the sounds of the branches above her, creaking beneath the weight of those that moved above her. The slight rustling of the leaves, as they push their way through them. She feels a slimy like substance drop onto her shoulder. Hissing in pain she quickly jumps back, as the highly acidic drool begins to burn away at her flesh, painful white sores rise up on the effected flesh. Like bubbles rising to the surface of the water. They explode, releasing a whitish yellow puss, which eats further down into her flesh, before slowing eating away at the muscle. She wastes no time in curing her arm, just as three twisted monstrosities drop down on top of her. They resemble a cross between a botani, and a flesh beast. Yet they look emaciated their fingers like long gnarled claw like branches, reach for her. Nails like sharpened iron, rake at her armor and flesh, tearing away strips and chunks of muscle and hide.
Suzuna drops down and jabs her staff out catching one of the creatures in the face. She grins maliciously at the crunching sound she hears. As the end of her stall shatters bones, sending fragments back into its brain. Just as it strikes she releases a penance blasting the monster head from its body. It drops to the ground, steam rising from the neck of its now headless body. Just as its lifeless body strike the ground , she casts smite on the one closest to it. The holy light strikes it in the chest leaving a large crater like burn. The thing screeches and leaps at her, with amazing dexterity, and speed. It latches onto her, claws dripping with a unknown sap like substance. Jaws dripping with acidic saliva latch onto her upper arm. Pointed jagged teeth, like rows of broken glass, and steel, shred flesh, and muscle. Suzuna cries out in pain, as she takes hold of its mind and completely crushes it. Blood and bits of brain, explode out of its mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. It hits the ground, convulsing wildly for a few seconds before becoming still. The third prepares to leap on her back, but finds itself pinned to a nearby tree, by a huge halberd. It emits these high pitched screaches, which damage the ears to all those around it, as its clawed hands tear at the weapons hilt. It looks about desperate to free itself, from its pinned position. Suzuna backs away as a group of Felguards moved towards the trapped monstrosity. It spits a stream of acid at the closest Felguard, who brings up an arm to protect its face, and neck. The Felguard makes a pained sound as it reaches out with its good arm. It’s hand closes over the hilt of the halberd, as it does fel flames shoot down along the weapons length. Using its strength the Felguard brings the weapon up, cleaving the creatures body in two.
Suzuna takes hold of the minds of the three Felguard, making them see her as something that they needed to protect at all costs. Having a heavily armed escort, will make moving through this twisted forest much easier. With the three now flanking her she continues to make her way towards Reavrix’s destroyed citadel. Once there it takes her a bit to find an opening amid the rubble, that leads down into the depths of Reavrix’s underground layer. She sends the Mind controlled minions in first, she has no idea what could of survived down their, and wasn’t about to take any unnecessary chances. She had no idea if the one she searched for even still lived, if not she would at least find the body and return it to their place for a proper burial.
Isaik watched the whole scene emotionlessly, the only thoughts in his head were whether such things would affect the future goals, the groups cohesion and such… Perhaps luck or fate, Salkeen passed some sort of test Izzabelle asked of him, not a true test, but something she needed to know…
Isaik grinned wickedly, “I will easily remove such nuisances…” the Master waved his hand over her body causing dark magic to lift the women up horizontally… Though he had said such things in truth this might be tough, though the Master, Zalak specifically rivaled the Soul Thief in age, the careful craftsmanship and time spent into making the magical curses was the true issue, this would not be as easily done as ripping weeds from a garden like before… Isaik would levitate her in place while he prepared to examine her condition… Isaik only had to ponder for a moment, he would start with the mind, the hardest of things to salvage…
Placing his boney hand over her head the master infiltrated her mind with microscopic tendrils of his will… To fight this curse would be tricky, Isaik started with the first of the many layers, slowly forcing his tendrils under its very magic seals before carefully prying it lose in pieces… Isaik knew he might have to double down, his form seemed to sink into the floor as he brought his other hand over her and anchored her to himself… If something triggered it would be fighting against his very power to whisk her away, but under that same principle, the magic released would need to vent out somewhere… Being around Izzabelle and Isaik was probably the most dangerous location…
It was now or never, Isaik forced his will stronger and commanded the microscopic tendrils to begin fully dismantling the first of several layers, it was going to be a wild ride!
Throggore himself rose from the detonation of those dwarves, far better off then Maleok, Throggore cracked his neck and readied to attack once more! He didn’t like it but this was what he was forced to do at the moment… The Orc watched as Maleok rose up and got ready to continue the fight, his presence only meant one thing, Isaik had taken his friend as well… But something make Throggore second guess something, that similar stance in combat, the features in his face, it still seemed like the Maleok he knew…
Throggore shrugged it off and climbed higher into the trees, taking more hallucinogenic poisons he coated both his blades in a thick paste of the stuff… When Maleok choose to engage them and got them sufficiently distracted Throggore would strike… At this point the Orc was more than ready to just end this so he could return home!
As Maleok lunged at Myrandah with his mighty bone mace, Throggore dove for Smuggs intent on trying to get one of his eyes! Dropping down like the shadow of a bird of prey the Orc came upon Smuggs his blades extended, slicing a thin line across his face and over his eyes! The gnome would not be able to rely on such things this time!!
As Lord Salkeen tells Jericha, that leaving the room will not be necessary. Her grip on him relaxes slightly, and the threatening growls and hisses coming from her mouth die down. Jericha understood why Izzabelle did what she did. Yet understanding why something must be done and excepting it are two different things. Seeing Izzabelle kiss Her Lord Salkeen right in front of her. Filled Jericha with a rage, that she was barely controlling. She wanted to strike out at them both, until her Lord spoke to her with such authority. The power of his voice as he commanded that Jericha not leave the room had her backing down immediately. Still Jericha didn’t release him, but she returned to her normal height, and her extra arms vanished. Jericha watches as he pushes Izzabelle away, a little reluctantly. Jericha has been around Demons long enough to know, that for Lord Salkeen pushing Izzabelle away was hard. It went against his very demonic nature, not to claim all the power beings that he could. Jericha cannot see the expression on Izzabelle’s face when Lord Salkeen says He wants her with him, but not like that. She doesn’t know if the action will drive Izzabelle over the edge, and she doesn’t get the chance to find out.
Jericha obeys the silent demand without hesitation. She doesn’t turn around once, to look back as she exits the room, at Lord Salkeen’s heels. She can feel Lord Salkeen’s, inner demon raging, at the sheer thought of letting such power, such temptations go. Once out of the vicinity of the room, and the primal desires that lay within it. Jericha reaches out and lightly grips Lord Salkeen by the arm, halting their progression. Without thinking Jericha pulls him down and bites into his shoulder. Her teeth while not as sharp and long as her Lords, still manage the break through his hardened demonic flesh. Releasing his shoulder she licks the blood from it… “You are mine, Lord Salkeen, until the end of the universe, in every world, every life, every time, YOU ARE MINE. Even if you should ever fall to temptation, in the end you are still mine.” With that said Jericha releases Lord Salkeen and steps back. “I will say, I have known of Izzabelle’s feeling for you for quite some time. Even if those feelings weren’t originally her own. As they grew over time they became her own. I knew that because of them, once she met you, she would eventually act upon them.” As Jericha says this she cannot stop the jealous growl that falls from her lips. “One does not feel as strongly as she does for you, for as long as she has, and not act upon it. While the act itself didn’t surprise me Lord Salkeen, the rage and hurt I felt did.” Jericha stops for a moment to reign in her void and fel magic’s.
“I knew what she wanted from you Lord Salkeen and in theory, it didn’t bother me… part of me even leaned towards the idea… The three of us together, what a power house we would be. Both of us under your control, yours to own, and command. When I went to retrieve Izzabelle these thoughts filled my head.” As Jericha speaks a slight smile curves the corners of her mouth. “When she listed her demands on the contract, I knew she wanted more from you than just your commands… 4 I will serve Salkeen in the same capacity that Jericha serves him She wrote it that way for a reason, and back then I was excepting of it…” Jericha stops and reaches out with her mind, she feels it as Suzuna takes control of Lord Salkeen’s minions. She knows that her Lord feels it as well, and it would be a distraction from the recent events. “Shall we go and meet Suzuna now Lord Salkeen, it would seem that she seeks something within the bowels of Reavrix’s ruined citadel.” Jericha can feel Lord Salkeen’s har… vanguard waiting for them, Jericha is picking up feelings of fear, and uncertainty from them… although she isn’t sure why. Their Lord demanded them be his Vanguard, they should be pleased, and thankful for the opportunity. Even if Jericha herself wished to rip their wings from their backs, and beat them to death with them…
No way that her mind was no longer filled with all these conflicting feelings. For the first time since Lord Salkeen walked into Jericha’s room, Izzabelle felt at peace. Knowing that Lord Salkeen wanted to keep her with him, help to heal the despair she was feeling at the thought of being separated from him. Despair borne of feelings that she couldn’t comprehend. While Izzabelle still didn’t understand why Lord Salkeen didn’t bind her soul to his. It was probably in the end a good thing. She had seen what Jericha looked like after Salkeen had finished removing her soul from her. Izzabelle hangs her head slightly, as she recalls Jericha screaming, and sobbing. The constant litany of sorry’s That poured from her mouth. Izzabelle realizes that she was wrong, Jericha might of let it happen, but it hurt her as well.
Still holding Sericon’s hand, Izzabelle stands before Master Isaik. Her mind firm on the knowledge that once this magical taint was removed from her being, Sericon and her would be released from Lord Salkeen’s control. Izzabelle would then be life bonded to Sericon and power bonded to Master Isaik. The Soul Thief thought that steal her away while she was free of her bonds of service. Luckily Jericha had sensed something was amiss. Izzabelle is certain that Master Isaik probably felt the foul Magic’s about her as well. Izzabelle still holding Sericons hand looks at him. “Are you ready, things are going to start changing.” Izzabelle then turns to Master Isaik, and nods she is more than ready to have Ebony Darkskill’s foul magic struck from her body. She was also under no illusions that this would be easy. No! This was going to be a long, painful dangerous procedure. Yet it was one that must be done, and Master Isaik was one of the only ones Izzabelle knew of that could Rival Ebony in power.
Izzabelle surrendered control of her body to Master Isaik. It was imperative that she trust him, if not the Soul Thief’s maddening whispers would be her undoing once more. She closes her eyes, retreating to that safe haven within her mind, that she had briefly shared with Sericon. She feels Master Isaik’s dark Magic wrap and twist around her. It lifts her from the floor, as it maneuvers her body into a horizontal position.
As Master Isaik’s microscopic tendrils work their way into Izzabelle’s brain and mind. They come across the first of many layers of this complex spell. When the tendrils start to work their way beneath the magic, its defense kicks in. At first trillions upon trillions of tendril appear. They weave and coalesce together, trying to keep the layer attached. Still after a good hour or so, Master Isaik’s Infiltrating tendrils prove to be a bit stronger… as they begin unraveling and lifting the first layer of the spell.
As the first layer of the spell shatters Izzabelle’s eyes fly open and she screams. Flames tear through her mind, burning away many of the invading tendrils. As that is happening a cloud like mist, is spewed from her mouth. It swiftly encompasses the area surrounding her. Infecting all those within five meters of her vicinity. Those who inhaled the mists would feel nothing at first, as the plague like spell took effect. It wouldn’t strike until it had infected most of the body. Then it would feed off the Magical affinity that existed within a person. Be it an affinity for fel magic, fire magic, light magic, nature magic. The type of magic didn’t matter, the spell would devour not only the magic you possessed. It would also devour the very aspect that allowed you to wield said magic. Ebony Darkskill had ended the lives of many a spell caster with that spell. Once it was done feeding on a persons magic, it would begin feeding on their memories, their emotions, leaving them naught but brainless husks before devouring their bodies. They way to destroy the curse was to over feed it… to much of any specific magic to fast, would cause the spell to explode… meanwhile Izzabelle whimpers as it feels like millions of microscopic swords are hacking away at her brain. Faces of family are starting to blur along the edges…
Within Izzabelle’s mind Isaik can practically hear the Soul Thief Laugh…
Salkeen stopped his rush to exit the vessel as Jericha grabbed his attention in the most peculiar way…
Salkeen stopped and listened to her closely his ears twitched as he listened, in truth he felt the same way…
Salkeen turned to look closer to his minion, his Jericha as she spoke, the feeling of jealous quite apparent, Salkeen gripped her on the air as she spoke asserting that he wanted her…
Salkeen finally spoke, “The demon inside always wants to act upon such acts of hedonistic desire… But know who I am, I see you as mine as well…” Salkeen spoke, he needed her sometimes as much as she needed him…
Salkeen pulled her closer, holding her, “I felt that desire in you too, but know I would only have you…” Salkeen spoke in command before pulling his mask up and kissing her in a warm embrace…
Both of them felt Suzuna take control of the felguard, the very act caused a bit of rage from Salkeen to rise up… Holding Jericha close with his claws for a good few minutes while they embraced he released her, claw marks along her arms…
“Yes, let us meet the one who so boldly commands my minions as her own…” Salkeen hissed, the vanguard of succubi appearing nearby… Salkeen did not even look at them, they were nothing to him, raising his claw he cut one of them down and used the creatures blood to form a fel portal near the citadel… “We go now…” Salkeen hissed directing them to follow as he rushed into the portal and appearing on the other side. Before them all was the ruins of the citadel covered by a new darkened forest, a place Salkeen scowled at… Salkeen stood back waiting for the others to arrive.
Isaik hissed as he felt the raging fire wash through Izzabelle’s mind, even his own tendrils were burned and pushed back… Yet as some survived they allowed the Master to reassert some control over Izzabelle’s mind, He would not allow himself to be pushed out… Of the things he could do, recreating a mind was the hardest, they were almost never perfect… Isaik felt himself, the images of the people in Izzabelle’s families start to blur, exerting his power he did what he could to keep them intact…
Isaik felt the treacherous mist around him, it was easy to keep it outside his body, Isaik didn’t exactly breath, with his magic he blocked his own face in a shroud of his own dark mists… Isaik couldn’t help but watch as Sericon was forced to inhale the toxic miasma… Isaik had been urging him mentally to move away but that stubborn fool, he felt he needed to be by Izzabelle while they worked…
Isaik couldn’t stop there however, he had to push on continuing with the mind Isaik made his attempt to completely unroot all of the curse… He pushed harder searched into parts of the mind that the Soul Thief might hide, his hideous laughter prevalent within the precipices of her mind and consciousness… Isaik hissed as he ensured he burned every bit of the Soul Thief from her mind, his curses and anything else…
After preforming such a act Isaik knew he would need to work on her soul next, the easiest thing for the Master to create was a body, thus that would be saved for last. Isaik continued to work turning one of his eyes to watch Sericon…
Sericon stayed with Izzabelle the whole time, he wouldn’t leave her to fight this and endure such agony alone. Sericon could even feel the mental suggestions likely from Isaik to move away lest a accident occurred, but Sericon could do no such thing, he wouldn’t leave Izzabelle…
Izzabelle screamed as a spell trap was activated! Her eyes burned with fire as a thick plague spread around her, Sericon put his hand over his mouth but to no avail he was forced to breath the toxic miasma into his lungs… He felt nothing, perhaps the master had defused such a trap after all, Sericon stayed by her side ready to continue when it finally hit him!
Sericon arched his back thrusting his chest forward as the curse activated within him! He could feel the power of his chaos weakening as is being swallowed by a black hole! Sericon roared out in pain, trying desperately to call forth something to his hands to defend himself… Sericon gasped as his reserves of magic energy, what done might call mana dried up and his body became a wasteland for magic…
Sericon flipped over vomiting up his energy into thick green piles… The elf gasped as he saw his hands between his violent expulsions… He was growing pale as the void energy curse from the Soul Thief consumed his very being…
The elf pulled himself to his knees ripping his robes apart to reveal his chest spotted with void like splotches, he was changing into something else! The changes continued as Sericon called out in agony, he had but one chance! Mustering his strength he tried to summon all the fel energy his body could, Sericon pulsed with fel energy as it fought the terrible curse, his fel fighting against the ancient spell! With a final push Sericon sat on his knees roaring in agony before in a explosion of shadow and fel his horns shattered from the crown of his head, the void spell had broken the very part of Sericon’s fel power! Sericon fell backwards nearly not moving, it appeared the curse would win, consuming its host…
But that was not this day, Isaik hissed he despised doing things he had not seen but if he remained inactive Sericon would die and then Izzabelle would fail without him! Isaik focusing his will to stay within Izzabelle’s mind and purge the traps, had no choice but to turn his other hand upon Sericon and filling him with void energy!!
After a second short blast Isaik destroyed the plague within Sericon, but at a cost, with the Soul Thief and Isaik’s Void clashing throughout and within Sericon’s body his body had been changed… Sericon opened his eyes to see he had undergone a transformation much like the ones called the Ren’dorei… Even with such a change his first words were, “Is Izzabelle ok?”
Myrandah isn’t sure how long the Foul Flesh corrupting Monk will be occupied. Her and the Gnome needed to get away from there. The sudden disappearance of Gregor, and Grundel, left the two of them hurting for allies. Myrandah watches as the massive Undead Drakkari’s body seems to pull itself back together. A moment later he was lumbering towards the duo. Myrandah could only hope her Consecrated Ground would help with slowing him down. Yet it didn’t seem like he would need to cross the ground at all.
Speaking a few words a shield of holy energy appears around Smuggs as Myrandah asks her god to gift him, with the Blessing of Protection. She herself however had other plans, she grits her teeth and prepares for the agony. She doesn’t have to wait long, one moment she is standing firm, the next she is screaming. Dozens of razor sharp bone spikes, of different lengths, and thickness, strike her. They strike every part of her, strips and chunks of flesh, and muscle, are ripped free from her, arms, legs, torso and face. One of the large spikes tears through the upper thigh, on her left leg. The massive calcium spike shatters the femur, as the razor sharp edges tear through the muscle and flesh. Myrandah drops to the ground her left leg, partially severed from her body. Another strikes the right side of her chest, splintering rib. Dozens of tiny bone splinters puncture her right lung, which rapidly starts filling with blood. A third strikes her abdomen, if it wasn’t for her armor, she would be picking her gut up off the ground about now. As it is, she can feel the internal bleeding as her intestines are crushed.
Gasping in pain and filled with rage she calls upon her holy light. With but a single word she unleashes her Holy Wrath… 200 percent of all the damage she had just taken… returned to them. Of course the fel Monk would be caught up in the spell as well. Just as she finishes casting her holy wrath, she casts a quick shield of vengeance on herself… if the chose to attack her again, they would be harming themselves even more. Casting light of dawn Myrandah practically becomes a beacon of light. Most of her wounds close up under the lights shimmering brilliance. Still she wasn’t sure how much longer her in the Gnome would last without divine intervention. She knew one thing for certain, if she was to die here. She would take that foul fel Monk with her. The Orc and Troll would simply kill her and be done with it. That hideous creature that resembles a Blood Elf. Would turn her into an abomination, and gift her to his dark Masters… No she would live, she would free Yumara from the dark being, that enslaved her. If Izzabelle was trapped by them she would free her as well. If the Warlock Eago, was still around she would ask him to rip Jericha’s mind from her body… then permanently enslave it inside of a soul gem. Then put her to sleep for an eternity. Myrandah pulls her hammer from her back as she rises to one knee.
Jericha reaches and lays her hand against the side of Lord Salkeen’s face. Her sharp nails lightly graze his skin, as she caresses the side of his face. “I will never doubt that I belong to you Lord Salkeen.” Jericha says her voice no more than a sensual whisper. While speaking she moves her free hand to her throat. Tapping the air just a hairs breadth away from her skin, causes a collar of blood to appear. It encircles her neck, and is one of the many marks of ownership of Lord Salkeen’s that Jericha proudly wears. Jericha smiles as the collar fades away again. She knew that he owned every inch of her, every aspect of who she was belonged to her Lord.
Jericha grins at her Lords words. “As I would have none other than you Lord Salkeen. Yet I will freely admit that I myself sometimes experience those hedonistic desires. The desire to claim those weaker than myself. Force them to crawl on the ground before me, begging…” all of Jericha’s words and thoughts come to a crashing halt as Lord Salkeen pulls her close and kisses her. She slides her arms around him and returns the kiss with equal passion. They break apart a few seconds later, when they both feel Suzuna take control of a few of Lord Salkeen’s minions. Jericha cannot help but think Suzuna might have just made a mistake. Lord Salkeen had lost a lot recently. She had given him the power of a Goddess in the form of Yumara. Yet his Master saw fit to rip that gift from him and claim it as his own. Then Yumara had ordered Izzabelle to kill Ahcirej in a most hideous way. Forever unbinding her from all things, including her bonds to Lord Salkeen. Recently he realized that even though he wishes to keep her, he must give up Izzabelle. Izzabelle who was meant to be a part of them. Just a short time ago, he finds out he will also be losing his best pilot. No Suzuna taking control of Lord Salkeen’s minions even the lesser ones, was a grave mistake on her behalf. Lord Salkeen was looking to add all the power that he could to his army.
Jericha nods and cannot help the malicious smile that turns up the corners of her mouth as Lord Salkeen, cruelly sacrifices one of the succubi to open a demonic gateway to Centralis. Jericha steps through the portal right behind him. She takes in the darkness of the forest surrounding them and scowls. Yumara had left her taint on a world Lord Salkeen had rightfully won. She turns just in time to see Suzuna into a crevice between two broken walls of the broken citadel. “Shall we stop her before she gets to far Lord Salkeen, or before she can reach out to her sisters for help?”
Ahcirej is moving like a ghost through the halls of Lord Salkeen’s new vessel. Shortly after arriving aboard the demonic ship, Ahcirej noticed that she could become non corporeal at will. So she had spent the last hour or so moving through the corridors. Weaving in and out anong the many demons moving aboard the vessel. She followed the young woman that looked like her, and the one that resembles a cross between Jericha, and Lord Salkeen for a short time. Until they vanished into one of the many rooms lining both sides of the corridor in this area of the ship. Once the door closes she heads off to find Lord Salkeen and Jericha. At first she can only feel Jericha’s presence aboard the vessel. Then Lord Salkeen’s presence flairs into being, along with his presence comes Izzabelle’s. Yet Izzabelle’s signature seems off, feeling an overwhelming need to speak with Izzabelle, Ahcirej rapidly starts heading towards the area of the ship, where her presence is the strongest. Yet she is barely halfway there, when Izzabelle vanishes again. With Izzabelle disappearing, so to did the overwhelming need to see her. Still she wished to see Her Lord again. Even if she couldn’t be bonded to him, she was still his.
She turns to walk down the hall lead g to the den of pain and pleasure. When she feels Izzabelle’s presence flair into being once more, this time it seemed better… still a few seconds later Lord Salkeen exited, Jericha right behind him. She moves into the room to speak with Izzabelle and watches as she falls back her body and mind being controlled by Master Isaik. She senses that staying in the room might prove to be dangerous, so she opts to leave. Ahcirej decides that the best thing to do would be to follow Jericha and Lord Salkeen. She steps out of the room, just as Salkeen and Jericha vanish through the Gateway he created. She blinks and quickly appears near the gateway and rushes through it. As she appears on the other side, she returns to her corporeal form. Ahcirej stumbles slightly as she goes from being weightless to having mass. This is going to take some getting use to.
Ahcirej noticing the expression on her Lords face decides to take matters into her own hands. She summons white hot fire into her hands. Concentrating she builds it up in both heat and energy. After a few minutes she she holds a small star within her hands. Turning toward one of the overgrown forested areas, she unleashes her power. It streaks toward the trees, and the creatures moving within them. The destruction that follows is nothing short of total devastation. Hundreds of trees are reduced to splinters, hundreds more are partially shattered, and burned. Both dark, and light, fey creatures and primals are incinerated by the all consuming flames. The cocophy of screams of those creatures still living fill the air around them. Yet those screams quickly die as those doomed creatures our quickly devoured. Ahcirej turns to Lord Salkeen… and smiles. “Lord Salkeen.” She bows respectfully before him.
Within Izzabelle’s mind, she watches as an onlooker, as images of people she knew. Wait did she know them… she was having trouble recalling some of their names… she could of sworn those two Dwarfs looked familiar… Then she feels it another presence, one much stronger. It tries to hold the images together. The dark void it brings with it, slowly devours the all consuming flames. It takes but. Moment for Izzabelle to realize and remember that Master Isaik was trying to remove an ancient multi layered spell the Soul Thief had spent over a century p,acing upon her. Her mental form felt like it had been torched by a dragon and tossed into a pit of broken glass, and sharp metal shards. Within her mind Izzabelle drinks from her crimson vial. She fall against the wall emitting a soft moan of relief, when the pain subsides. She knows that she has forgotten things…
As Master Isaik, fights to undo the many spells the Soul Thief has placed upon Izzabelle… He activates more traps… luckily he was able to destroy a few of the more deadly ones. However one of the traps has Izzabelle’s body thrashing about in mid air. She screams as the blood in her body starts to boil. Her flesh starts bubbling up… as thousands of blisters start rising all over her skin. The blisters swell and burst, releasing a hot oily substance that burns and eats away at her muscles… within moments nearly 65% of Izzabelle’s flesh has been destroyed, and about 15% of her muscle. This happens just in time for the second trap to trigger starting with the smallest it would cause the bones in her body to start shattering. The bones in Izzabelle’s toes and fingers start to explode. All to soon her hands and feet look like they went through a meat grinder. Void Tendril suddenly lash out at the Dark tendrils trying to remove the spell layers from Izzabelle’s mind. The strike at them knocking them away. As they do dozens of void tentacles rip free from Izzabelle’s burning form and lash out at Master Isaik and Sericon.
That Izzabelle heard… and hearing Sericon scream in agony like that, set her into motion… No longer would she remain cowering within the deep dark recesses of her mind. She was a fighter dammit… and she wasn’t going to be some meek wallflower, that bastard Ebony could destroy. Within her mind she changes into her natural High Elf form… she equips her armor, and weapons, before going into stealth mode. Her mental self rapidly moves through her mind, approaching Master Isaik’s and Ebony’s Tendrils. All around her thousands of throwing blades and shurikans made of shadow flames appear. With a flick of her wrist, the fly towards the Soul Thief’s tendrils shredding many of them. She can feel Orion’s magic kicking in and her body starting to heal. Once her body was in healing mode it would continue healing through almost any damage that it took. Still her mind and soul were in danger. She psychologically calls upon her spiders and sends them to track down and destroy with fel some of the lesser spells. She speaks into Master Isaik’s mind… I don’t know how much of a help I’ll be, but I sure as hell, am done hiding.
Izzabelle feels tears come to her eyes… Idiot you should be worried about yourself