Bringers of Doom (M)

[You had to see it]

The night had settled over the small cabin of the formerly prestigious diviner, Vange Cayce. His advancement in the field made him a celebrity among the academia of Serendipity. Yet today he is widely regarded as a paranoid madman. His predictions soon became overwhelmed by apocalyptic visions of the end of life... or was it the enslavement? Every time he saw these visions it would be a different entity that would bring about the end. He might see the outer gods one day, then Tiamat the next. He devoted the rest of his life to finding out which visions were true to better prevent them.

Tonight was no different. He frantically went through the papers of his bedroom upstairs, before going downstairs to compare them to the living room papers. His house was a mess of notes and magical knick-knacks he thought could aid him in his divining. Little did he know that he did have one item of substantial power. It would cost him his life.

As he shuffled papers about, he suddenly stopped to listen for a noise. He could have sworn he heard a horse outside. Yes, there it was again! As well as the clanking of armo- The door burst open with a kick, and a tower of blackened metal entered the cabin. Vange looked on in horrific realization as he recognized the armor. This was one of the figures in his visions, one of many who could bring about the end. He approached the diviner as he fell over himself trying to get away, scattering papers everywhere. The man in black armor hoisted the small man up with one arm.

"The orb, I know you have it," Ulfric said, in a voice resembling waves crashing upon the rocks.

"W-w-w-wha-what? I-I-I-I-I don-" Before he could finish his stuttering, he was sent crashing into a wall. He didn't have time to taste the blood in his mouth before he was picked up by the throat.

"The orb," He repeated in a tone that implied he would not ask again.

"I-I-I-I don't know wher-" His throat was crushed before he could end his sentence. Ulfric had no patience for the weakling. He knew it was in the house somewhere, he just needed to find it.

[Marakai Trin]

Up the hill, just a short distance, a dark watcher listened to the goings-on inside the cabin amongst the trees. Baleful red eyes, glowing brightly despite Tiamat's full moon above, observed unblinkingly, catching the shudder of the buildings framework as a man was thrown against the confines of the wall.

Kranath had been tracking the titanic figure in dark armor, having sensed the darkness surrounding and permeating his essense several days back. And so, he stood in the boughs of a tree, one hand splayed against the trunk. A brief wind fluttered the bottom of his black long-coat, also blowing about the long silken strands of his jet black hair. Moonlight played across deathly pale flesh, cheeks marred with symbols of darkness writhing just beneath his skin.

He could smell blood and fear - it was delicious. And he could sense power, separate from the towering man he had tracked here. Something....almost alive, yet not, as if it were a living piece of something greater than itself. He couldn't explain it, but he didn't need to.

It was power. And he determined that Tiamat - and him, by extension - would have it.

The dragon assassin leapt silently from his perch to land just as quietly upon the ground, hitting the ground running. The soft soles of his shoes made nary a sound as they flew across the leaf-strewn earth, not a single piece of the littered foilage betraying his approach with even a rustle.

This was his work. Silence. Stealth. Darkness. And murder, if need be.

He was naught but a shadow as he entered the shattered doorway of the cabin, and his expressionless gaze flicked down to the crushed corpse on the floor. As if reacting to a dangerous presence, his blood-hued gaze suddenly flooded with utter darkness, the whites and retinas of his eyes completely hidden by blackness.

When he spoke, his voice echoed oddly, filled with a silken, dark power that could invoke paralyzing fear in the stoutest of hearts.

"I can smell you... I can feel your darkness... I would have it, and I will take it."

His thin lips curled into a wicked, predatory smile, and the dark symbols across his face spread outward into a dark network of Eldritch lines of black, giving his face a broken appearance.

"The night smells of blood....and I would taste of it..."

[You had to see it]

Ulfric looked about the room as he dropped the man's corpse. It seemed that every available space on the walls was covered with mad scribblings. He didn't pay them much mind as he began to look for his prize. For weeks he had been led along a trail of riddles and puzzles in order to find his next artifact. The orb of Zuraxos was rumored to allow the user to look through another person's eyes. Yet it appeared his troubles were not over quite yet.

The creature that entered the room was wreathed in shadows and unreadable symbols. Its voice reminded Ulfric that he was still human, as his hair stood on end. There was a time where he would have been paralyzed by such a creature, unable to even speak. The quest had ground out such fear, leaving him with a purpose in place of terror. Yet this creature was still able to evoke a fraction of his old emotions.

"If you wish to have my power, all you need do is ask." He calmly replied, unsheathing the ever burning blade. It's light illuminated the room more than the candles ever could.

[Marakai Trin]

When it appeared as though voidspeak had little effect Kranath's predatory smile spread into a grin. This...man, if he could be called that....had been tested by  fear before, whether by experience or by effect.

Wonderful. This could be a challenge. The blackness that had flooded his eyes gave way again to brilliant redness, the glow nearly enough to match the illumination of the others flaming blade. The hellish, crimson-eyed gaze looked over the others sword.

That grin widened further, and the man before him would be able to see his teeth in that nearly manic visage. Kranath reached over his shoulder, and drew forth his daikatana.

The blade almost appeared fragile, forged of a substance that seemed to be no more than glass. Symbols of ancient draconic were etched over both sides of this pitch black blade, running up and down six feet of deadly sharp crystal. These two blades seemed completely opposite each other - one, bright and flaming, the other cold and utterly black.

When Kranath spoke again, his voice was different, more normal, a sonorous bass.

"Why ask, when I could simply tear it out from your squirming, twisted soul? The Dread Queen will be...quite satisfied with the power you hold..."

[You had to see it]

Whatever remained of Ulfrics fear was turning to anger. The arrogance of this pathetic creature, smiling like an idiot as it talked of ripping away the power he had earned. The voices from below only egged him on. This fool knows not what he confronts, they claimed, The insane slave of a long forgotten god, his death shall be one more step on the crimson path.

The creatures sword appeared feeble, yet the symbols along the blade made this idea seem unlikely. Enchanted or not, it would not taste blood today. Ulfric unstrapped his shield from his back, holding it in front of him with his left arm.

"Fool, your master shall taste no victory. By my blade you shall feel the fires of hell, then they shall claim you forever."

[Marakai Trin]

The smaller man sneered, red eyes flaring brightly as he brought his sword to bear, gripping it in both hands in front of him.

"We shall discover who the fool is...you know not whom you face. And my soul is claimed already - there is nothing here for you to burn." The sneer curled again into a smile.

"Tiamat tells me of the voices speaking to you...you are backed by great denizens of the hells. This should be a worthy encounter."

Those baleful red eyes dimmed as he sharpened his focus, the smile vanishing as his gaze and face turned to a look of utter unexpression.

There was a sound like a wind fluttering a curtain, and to a mortal man it would seem as if the assassin had simply disappeared. In truth, this man was far more than mortal.

As his daikatana swung powerfully at the man from behind, he wondered if his demons had informed him that he was facing not just a man, but a dragon hiding in human form. The swing would exert a strength far beyond what a man of his size and musculature could deliver, a strength that was exhibited by a creature far larger and fearsome than what was attacking now.

[You had to see it]

Ulfrics brow furrowed underneath his horned helmet. It appeared he was being fed information by his patron as well. No matter, thought Ulfric, for even the gods would bend to his might once he completed his quest. Just as he thought this he noticed his adversaries facial expression go blank, and prepared.

He was surprised by the speed of his enemy. Were it not for the enhanced senses given to him by Seroch he would have never been able to see the movement, let alone react to it. Ihasauch, lord of knowledge, laughed from beyond the veil before telling his mortal servant exactly what he was facing. He is a dragon in the guise of a man he whispered, He has great skill and power, but cannot match the blessings we have given you. Quickly turning on his heels, Ulfric swung his shield to block the attack. Sparks flew as the magic of his shield seemed to shriek at the attack. He continued to turn his body, swinging his blade towards the stomach of the dragon.

[Marakai Trin]

The strength behind the shield, not to mention the speed with which the armored man was able to react, came as a slight surprise to Kranath. This surprise was mirrored only by a slight widening of his eyes.

An instant after his dragonstone daikatana came to contact the shield, the others blade was swinging in Kranath's direction. With the same speed with which he'd moved and attacked, he drew his wakizashi from its sheath at the small of his back in a reversed grip, putting it in the path of the larger sword to block.

He felt the heat near his hand, a heat powerful enough to kick in his regeneration as his skin began to blister. A miasma of black fog rolled off his flesh as it healed just as fast as it burned. With one  arm pushing against the shield and a second pushing back the sword, he leapt up and away from both hellish armaments, coming back down with both his dragonstone weapons to aim a blow at the man's helm.

[You had to see it]

As his blade struck the wakizashi, he noted the strange design of both weapons. Both blades appeared to be made of some sort of crystal as opposed to metal. Despite the exotic design, the strategy behind the two blades was common enough. The larger blade would be used to attack while the smaller one would be used to defend. What was unexpected however was the strange black fog emanating from the hand of his opponent. Ihasauch said nothing, simply taking in the unusual occurrence and noting it for later.

When the dragon applied acrobatics, however, Skarnox, Lord of War, finally spoke. The fool has sealed his doom, he exclaimed, Let him fall upon your sword so that he may know hells wrath! Rather than blocking the aerial attack, he thrust upwards with his blade, aiming for the chest. Even as he did this his enemies blades were impacting his helm in a metallic screech.