Kyrie, Ignis Divine, Eleison [Marakai Trin]

[AevumEternity]

" Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have Mercy"

The forest sang with the night's lovely voice. Cicadas screeching, dry branches rustling like thin bones in the wind, even the sky released a low whine barely below the edge of hearing. The Moon, pearly orb it is, hung silently over head, mocking the forest floor with the smallest shifting patches of light. Truly a beautiful night to be a monster.

The great wolf lumbered through the trees, thin, twisted muscles contracting and bulging with steady use. It was the sickening abomination between great wolf and man, relying mainly upon its back legs for support, bones twisted into the semblance of a canine's. Grotesque and admirable simultaneously. Occasionally, great foreclaws dug into the hardened earth, leaving a marking between a hand and paw print. The face alas, was the most odd but nonetheless fearsome- a long muzzle protruded forth, covered in short white-blonde hairs, mixing oddly between man and dog- though the eyes remained feral.


Slowly, the beast moved on, confident strides as it parted its great maw to drink in the sweet air. Looking, of course, for prey - not to eat, no, but simply to rend for pleasure. Bahamut had had a very long few days, being so tortuously close to his quarry but having them slip just out of reach... Ah, this is what madness truly was!

The great monster paused, scenting another - ears flickering faintly with interest. Who would dare wonder the forest at such an unholy hour?

[Marakai Trin]

Ahh, but who was the hunted, really? And the hunter? On a fateful night such as this, it was difficult to tell. For the other presemt certainly was not prey - no, this was an apex predator, deadly in the night, tracking by scent, sight, and sound.

The Dragon assassin known as Kranath sat literally right above the wolf creature, scenting him just as surely as the other was him. The scent was odd, a mix of man and beast both, and he could sense the same sort of primal, dark power that he had within himself.

This was a monster, truly.

Completely soundlessly, Kranath dropped from his seat in the tall tree, having previously been hidden in its vee. He landed very lightly, dropping nearly to his hands and knees.

Very slowly, he stood, reaching back and silently sliding his wakizashi from its sheath, the only evidence being the soft, barely perceptible sound of crystal against perfectly smooth, polished wood.

He prepared himself to creep forward, ready for any evidence the creature was aware of his presence. In the darkness, fiercely sharp red eyes were glowing, hot and burning.

The night smelled of blood. Oh....it was wondrous.

[AevumEternity]

The monster had stopped short, inhaling the air audibly before suddenly whirling. Feral eyes were no more then white orbs in the darkness as a fanged smile formed upon white furred muzzle," There you are..."

The voice was guttural, the throat that made it clearly more used to grunts and growls rather then full sentences. The short fur upon wiry muscles bristled, smile fading to a sneer as the beast began to prowl in a circle around the black haired man.

" Mmm..." it uttered a low, barking laugh, foam dripping from between yellowed fangs," What are you... You smell of dragon yet you smell much... Older. How quaint."

[Marakai Trin]

Kranath held the wakizashi easily at his side, his grip loose. His eyes continued to glow eerily, partially illuminating his face to give greater detail - thin, almost sickly pale, with Eldritch looking black lines crawling across his face.

Kranath's face remained completely emotionless, red eyes gaze seeming distant, desensitized to the beast before him. Uncaring. Cold. Devoid of any fear.

When he spoke, the air took on a noticeable chill, and the hellish light emitting from his eyes suddenly winked out, replaced with pure, jet black.

"And you smell of a dog, whom has rolled in something foul...what are you, creature, that speaks the words of man?" he said. The lines across his face continued to writhe and dance as if they were alive, moving in tune with his voice.

[AevumEternity]

Another guttural laugh ripples forth from the predator's lips, seeming to take on both the giggle of a man and wolf. It continued to prowl about him, sneering," Skin Changer, Lycanthrope, Primal Mage, whatever suits your fancy," it exhales so a great cloud of mist lifted from its lips.

" No need to be rude, vagrant, we are both monsters here," A great red tongue swiped around its muzzle," But you are of no importance to me, you do not have the scent upon you."

[Marakai Trin]

One thin brow arched, and the darkness in Kranath's eyes cleared, the fey lines across his face converging to form but two marks under them. The red once again came to show, brilliant in the darkness.

"You say not to be rude, yet you appear before me as a beast." His voice was normal now, without the void-like intonations. "You hide behind the mask of another form, yet I stand before you as a man, when I am so much more."

Kranath stood their passively, continuing to stare in one direction even as the other circled him, ears straining for the telltale sounds of attack from any direction. Let not one think that this dark one would be unprepared for anything.

"You speak of scent. What scent do you seek?"

His hand remained tight on the handle of his blade, still ready to lash out in counterattack, his powerful mind racing through scenario after scenario. Mage. Beast. Man. He could fight all three. At the same time, if need be.

But would an attack even come? He didn't know. Best to be prepared.

[AevumEternity]

At this question, the beast had nearly completed his frst circle about the man and released a sound nearly akin to a moan of delight," The scent." he responded in a voice utterly torn by pleasure, hatred and insanity," Her scent. The one that drives me away only to draw me forever back."

Another low, hysterical chuckle bubbled from the skin changer's lips as the wolf man swung his head to and fro in a scolding shake. His forepaws pressed against the harsh early, head lowering slightly between sharp shoulders as it now leaned toward the man.

" You have a goal, I can scent the desire for vengeance upon you. Is that not so?"

[Marakai Trin]

Her scent?  he idly wondered. What scent could possibly be such a sirens call to a beast such as this? What person? That was, perhaps, a question for later - the more personal question would be answered first.

"My goals are many. However, most of them are not my own." The dark Dragon inclined his head to gaze up at the moon, and continued speaking. "My Lady would be free again, to blot out Bahamuts hated light, and spread her scales across the land once again. My goal....my goal would be to see my brother in death, as he once saw me."

[AevumEternity]

The beast's smile fades into a low snarl," I am afraid you are mistake. If you seek a 'Bahamut' with light you have found the wrong one before you." Slowly, it paced forward, growling as crazed eyes focused upon him with such intensity, the pupils were mere pin pricks.

" Hmph... You speak in nonsense and riddles.

[Marakai Trin]

Kranath's eyes quite quickly resumed their void-like appearance at a sign at aggression, the assassin taking a step backwards so fast, it would almost appear as though he hadn't moved his legs at all. With a flash of movement that betrayed the appearance of extreme speed, he held his wakizashi in an offensive posture, one hand also over his shoulder to grip the long daikatana sheathed at his back.

"Keep your distance, beast. I am not well at ease with your proximity, and I will not hesitate to rend flesh from bone, and cause your corpse to dance throughout these trees."

Though his face remained relaxed, these words were spoken with an angry hiss.

"So. You call yourself Bahamut as well. Oh, sweet blasphemy, that you would be named as a dragon of Divinity." Though his tone was humorous, his face did not indicate it, nor did he laugh - other than the inflection in his voice, his visage remained devoid of any emotion.

"I serve the Dread Queen, Tiamat, mother of all my darkened kind, though it would be my fault that my kind walk the earth no longer."

[AevumEternity]

The monster paused, but merely through the slowing of his movements - almost as if in mockery of the man's now offensive behavior," So wish to serve the Dead Dread Queen, yet you are the cause of her forces diminishing upon the earth? Why not simply kill yourself, that would be serving her quite well."

Another low chuckle bubbled from canine throat as it stared at him unblinkingly," I am named after no one, as I am simply myself. I am Bahamut, not dead God can claim my name from me." slowly, the skin changer smirks.

" Tell me your story, and mayhaps to distract me from my madness I shall assist you. It is dreadfully boring wondering after a scent so sweet but always just beyond another mountain. Truly enough to drive monsters mad, you would know... You would understand if you saw her..." Its guttural voice trailed off somewhat woefully and there was a slightly pained expression, yet it did not give any indication as to whom this apparent female was.

[Marakai Trin]

"There is no need for me to die...I have once already. My soul has already opened its lock - there are but two left...unless I can give her enough souls to become strong enough to break the locks from her side."

Kranath lowered his head slightly. "And on her return, her scales will bring about a reawakening of my kind - the first scales became the first dragons, the most powerful...I and my brother are descended from a union of that first generation. Our blood is pure."

He dared to turn away then from the beast, confident enough in his senses to detect the others movements.

"I am the Dread Queen's avatar on the mortal plane. My actions are her will, and no others...when she is free, her darkness will cover all. Humanity and Dragonkind will both bow before her might."

He then looked over his shoulder, one void-like eye visible.

"For creatures like you and I...the world would be ours."       

[AevumEternity]

Another low chuckle lifted from rubbery black lips as the beast smirks, muzzle wrinkling in a grotesque expression," Unless your 'Goddess' speaks for all monsters of the darkness, then why would she bother with a skin changer?" the words rattle deep in its throat as it walked up to him slowly, standing at his side. It towered nearly a foot and a half above him.

Turning its great white head toward him, the beast narrowed its eyes," Nonsense of purity should make little difference when it comes to darkness, Avatar. All colors are but muddled together to make black." It seemed to have calmed considerably, the madness still obviously present, alas, it seemed to be less intent upon hunting its quarry as much as probing this so called messiah's message.

[Marakai Trin]

Kranath stared unflinchingly into the eyes of the beast before him, the darkness in his own eyes fading again to reveal their normal crimson hue. "You answer your first question with your own statement, Bahamut. For are we not all the same, in the absence of light? When there is no light to see by, is everything not the same darkness? Heed my words - when the night lasts forever, and the light is gone, there will be blood. Miles of it. The hunting will be unending, the chaos will burn the world, and my Dark Lady will extinguish the light of humanity. Crosis and Bahamut will fall to her darkness, and the world will be beautiful."

Kranath sheathed his wakizashi, then, and continued to stare the beast down. "I have answers your questions. Now, I have one for you. Who is it that you hunt?"

[AevumEternity]

The monster barked with laughter, strings of silver saliva wrenching free from yellowed fangs, the sound mournful, insane, pained, and hysterically joyful. The beast's body seemed to shudder with bliss once before sneering," T'would seem odd to you. To any who know of my quarry,"

Pausing, the beast settled upon its haunches, lifting its great snout to the night sky," My surviving family, my dearest sister, my mirrored image, Major Hakon Kilandre." he spoke the name as if it pained him to say it but caused endless ecstasy.

Slowly, steely eyes focus upon Kranath's unblinkingly," You speak of purity, of that which drives me mad." A massive fist slams into the earth, the sound of splintering bones sounding of the beast as it sighs idly," That woman is purity and bloodshed at its finest. And she is mine."

[Marakai Trin]

Kranath was silent for a long moment. This came as a surprise to him - the name was all too familiar, having just come across the owner of said name a few days before, in connlaoth. Coincidence, perhaps, or was Tiamat driving fate in a new direction?

However, best not to reveal what it was he knew just yet - he wanted to know the full story, if he could, and see just what Bahamuts fixation was on his sister.

"What drives you toward her in such away? You seem obsessed. I know my reasons for hunting my kin. Why would you hunt yours? What is the cause of this obsession?"

[AevumEternity]

Nostrils flared briefly as the lyncanthrope raised its shattered fist, the flesh briefly swelling as if burst from skin before retracting again, the claw as good as it once was,"..." It did not speak for a long moment before growling.

" She is mine, and I will make her so."

Shrugging idly, the skinchanger glared at him, as if daring him to ask any more questions.

[Marakai Trin]

"That is...rather vague. Make her yours how? She is your sister, yes? How much more yours must she be than that?" He was clearly perplexed, and either oblivious or uncaring to the glare sent his way. Kranath had, however, noted the seemingly regenerative properties the beast possessed, having watched his hand while the bones seemed to reset themselves. He did not appear impressed, and he wasn't.

After all, when your power is granted you by a Goddess, what are wounds but smoke in the wind? And that power aside, he was a dragon - even without the Gifts, he could regenerate flesh and bone almost as easily.

[AevumEternity]

" I do not know." The beast admits somewhat irritably, eyes flashing briefly as it snorted disdainfully, spitting a wad of thick bile from its throat as it trudged alongside the man. After a long moment of silence it spoke again.

" How do you plan upon making the world blackness and gore, seems to be a rather harsh goal when little to none shall support it."

[Marakai Trin]

"When Tiamat reawakens, she we remake the world in the way that she had planned it to be made in the beginning. All began with her presence, and all will end with it....it matters not who supports it." He snorted similarly to the other as he walked, arms both held behind his back.

"A dragon God needs no support, and neither do I. My power was once great enough to bring the greatest to their knees, and soon I will realize that strength again."