A Life for a Life

[Goldie]

Time...

There was no time....

The one thing she needed the most and she had so little time.

So little time....so little time...

She couldn't breathe as she ran through the forest, clutching her stomach as indescribable pain stabbed her from all angles, threatening to tear her apart from the inside out.  The creature she was carrying...it was coming...it was coming and oh Gods she wasn't ready.

The magic had been forced upon her because of her slave status in the community she had run away from...run away but not escaped, never escaped.  As many times as she had tried, nothing could rid herself of the growing creature within her, growing too fast, far too fast.  Now her lover was dead, his sacred blood spilled by her own hands as the magic within her took over, sending daggers out to slay anyone and everyone in sight.  She couldn't fight it anymore, and now it was too late...too late for anything, for forgiveness, for sorrow, for regret...

A scream errupted from her lips as her stomach began to open, a deep slit stretching from her navel to her breast.  The blood ran cold from the wound, leaving a trail of deep violet that was unlike anything she had every seen before....and the pain.  Oh the pain.  Nothing could have prepared her for the acid that ate her from the inside out.  This was it...she was done....over...her chapter was ending to make way for a thing that fed off of everyone and everything.

Something dug at her skin, pulling her up into the air in a blaze of silverwhite light.  It was coming and there was nothing she could do to stop it...nothing she could do but scream in complete and utter agony as her last seconds flashed before her eyes.

Loriillea Lorillai, Maiden Formed from Cloud and Sky

The chant sounded in her head.  She tried to stop it, screaming as loud as she could to try and drown out the incantation that would destroy her and bring life to the thing within her.

Urriooal Lamarie Giving Life So One Shall Be

The split extended, taveling down through her pelvis and upwards untill it touching the tip of her chin.  Her screaming disappeared into a gurgled cry before long translucent blades exploded from within.  Her hands fell away, sliced completely through at the wrist, the elbow and the shoulder, her legs falling apart in the same manner before her torso was completely severed in half and the broken shell of a body fell to the ground in a gory heap of violent and crimson blood, eyes staring out at nothing.

In the cloud of blinding light a man appeared with the destruction of her body.  His hair was long and pure white hanging to his waist, completely contrasting to his olive skin.  Long translucent claws extended from his fingers visible only because of the blood that dripped down their length, staining the tips of his fingers with crimson.  His eyes were a deep shade of violet that matched the blood that had been shed from the wound in her stomach.  He was free from his human prison, his magic had escaped and he lived.

At the price of another life.

I name you, Jocan The same voice who had spoken the incantation sounded in his mind.  With those last words, the light disappeared and the man floated down to the ground and laid a few feet away from the carnage, his mind slowly awakening to a world that he knew nothing about.

[Anonymous]

The light trickled down from the sky in small droplets through the covering of the trees. Through the speckled light the forest gave a sense of serenity and tranquility. The forest had a soft floral scent that blew in the small breeze, tickling her smooth skin. Her feet crunched the small amount of leaves that were found on the forests floor, and she hummed a small tune, as she walked along. A gust of wind blew stronger than before and tossed her garnet hair into her face. Smiling she tucked it behind her ears and peered off into the distance. The light grew brightly far off, and the smell of fresh blood filled her nostrils and her face grimaced. Such a strong and elegant light…..A powerful magick must be at work..... With this thought she quickened her steps and traveled straight for glorious light. The air grew stale and the stench of death began to consume her senses. The forest seemed to grow dim as the light witnessed before her dissipated and left behind only shadow. Deeper still she traveled her heart racing with wonder, just as her mind was…. What caused that light? I hope all is well…. Horrible memories tried to overcome her, her past catching up to her; she clenched her temple and choked back the tears. It wasn’t time to focus on her something had happened and she had may be needed. How pompous to think that she easy important enough to be needed, a nomad in a new place, though it was better than fighting her past. The once serene landscape had been overrun with a gloomy air. Every nerve in her body tensed up as the residue of the magick seeped into her. Soon her hazel eyes widened her face turning from a smooth peach to a distressingly pale pigment, she had spotted a trail of crimson, she knelt down and gazed closely at the droplets, blood it was warm and it wretched of dark magick. With a sigh she rose from her knees and gripped her oak staff tightly she followed the trail, opening all of her senses for anything ahead. In the near distance she made out a shadowy figure lying on the ground. With a gasp she rushed over and saw a man seemingly unconscious on the ground, he was drenched in blood and body parts were scattered near him. She was horrorstruck for a second she hesitated afraid to see if the man was alright. Afraid that he mutilated this person who was in two many pieces to place a gender upon. Slowly she abashed those fears and knew she had to help, it was her way, there was no fighting nature and for good or ill she would aid this man. She knelt down beside his face and listened closely, he seemed to be breathing. Glancing around she saw he had long talons protruding from his fingertips. Strange they only seemed to exist where the blood covered them. She was no one to judge, life was life and she had pledged to honor life. Wincing with a kind of terror she took a deep breath and continued to awake the man, she tapped lightly on his shoulder trying to awaken this creature. Heart racing she hoped  he would awaken, though that horrible pestering voice in her mind, the one who would not let her forget her past, would only allow her to fear his awakening.

[Anonymous]

Aithne trudged slowly through the forest, still looking for anything, anyone to meet outside of her home. Her waist length hair felt endlessly heavy as tied it back quickly and kept walking, feeling the energy of the earth surge into her to sustain her stamina.

"Maybe there is nothing outside of the wood.." she whispered with an intense stillness as a look of concern washed over the young light elf's face. The only thing she could hear outside of her own thoughts was the soft jingle of her numerous bracelets as they bumped into each other time and time again.

She licked her lips, dehyrdation starting to affect her, if only a tiny bit until she heard a terrible noise.

"Squish."

She looked down and saw a deep red splatter on the ground under her small foot. Raising it, she noticed what she could only describe as flesh. She furrowed her brow and turned quickly to see if anyone was in the area to explain the gore lying before her.
She saw a thin trail of blood and followed it quickly.

"Well, I hope that bloodshed isn't the only thing I meet on this, my first venture out into the world," she thought ironically as death was what she had hoped to escape.

She stopped suddenly, noticing a .. female creature of some sort which she could not entirely determine (as she had not seen anything other than her tribe of elves) with deep red hair leaning over a man, a long staff wrestled carefully on the ground next to her.

"Excuse me," Aithne said forcefully, at once afraid for the man and excited at first contact, "is he all right?"

[Goldie]

Hazy lights swam in circles beneath his eyelids as his mind slowly was forced to emerge.  It had been years since light had filtered into his eyes, and he was not entirely sure if it was light for he had been shrouded in darkness for so long a time that he had lost count centuries ago.  Yet if he looked back, black was all the he could remember.  Any thought of his previous life were erased from disuse, forgotten.....

Long since remembered.

He felt a surge of power course through his veins as he tried to stretch his arms, finally regaining feeling in his fingers but forgetting what they were used for.  He could smell fear....he thrived on it....he needed it.  His destructive instincts instructed his fingers, calling out the six inch blades from his fingertips and his arms exploded opened, no longer caring about the encasement that held him tightly bound, no longer worrying about anything but feeding off of the fear his portal was portraying.....

But now...now he could not explain what had happened, as his eyes fluttered slowly opened, strange violet eyes that seemed to glow with their own light seeing this strange world for the first time....this place that he had chosen to be born again.

Feeling presences around him, the blood in his veins pulsed with a new found fury.  He liked silence....he liked solitute....these creatures would pay dearly for their interfearance.

Without a sound his eyes snapped opened fully and he spun his body around, grabbing the first woman kneeling beside him and pressing his bloddy blades against her throat.  If she attempted to move the blades would do more than just rest gently against her skin....her perfect flesh that, he could smell, had never been tainted by lust for blood.  But he wanted it...he needed blood to keep him living, to keep his spirit alive....

[Anonymous]

A Struggle:

Artemis stared into his violet eyes; she knew that it was him who had left the horrible gore behind, though why she found him passed out was beyond her. She wanted to say something anything, but no words would come. She could feel his talons upon her neck, the blood of the disfigured body dripped onto her neck, it was still warm and smelled thickly of magick, and she now knew the deceased was now clearly under some spell. New questions raced through her mind faster as her pulse rose, despite her fear she still felt sorry for the man, he was lost and had only instincts to act upon, his thoughts seemed clouded by his lust for blood. He trapped and consumed by his instincts in a world that was clearly foreign to him. The air grew stagnant and her heart raced faster. “Please, sir, we didn’t mean to disturb you, I merely thought you were hurt, I see now that isn’t so, I will be on my way and you may return to your slumber now undisturbed.� She spoke softly and did not allow her words to come out broken, they were stated clearly and nicely as if engaged in conversation rather than being help hostage. Her eyes slowly looked over and for the first time had a chance to see the young elf that had spoke to her. She looked concerned and Artemis could not allow her to be in danger, as she was. She closed her eyes and began to focus, it has been so long since she had used her telepathy that she hoped it would still be useful.

“Listen to me please, get out of here this, and be safe, you can escape while he is busy with me.â€?  She spoke directly to the elven maids mind and it worked, she became a little woozy but quickly shook it off and looked again into the cold violet eyes of her capture.

[Anonymous]

Aithne shook her head quickly, not expecting the telepathic message from the young girl.

"Oh yeah. Run. Sure." she thought to herself. Immediately, she called upon the earth and summoned a ball of fire into her hand staring directly at the man as she created a sort of Mexican stand-off. There was not even a moment of doubt that she should not show strength against the man.

"Leave her alone. And I won't use this. But if I see you even flinch, I'm letting it go. I'll get her out of here no matter what," she said, realizing that perhaps he wanted to feed upon her. "Even if she's dead, I'll take the body. And what would the point be in killing her if you got nothing from it?" She spoke forcefully with no fear.  

She concentrated upon the earth, using its energy to form a small forcefield around herself to protect her from any magickal attacks he might shoot. She had been trained for years for moments like this, and she was perfectly willing to defend herself and anyone in trouble.

"Now, I'd rather not force such violence." she said, her body glowing with the earth's strength flowing throughout her entire body. She felt both numb and energized at the same time, and in was enthralling.

[Anonymous]

A thin smiles was creased across Rhien's face as he walked slowly through the trees that surrounded him, several rays of sunlight penetrating the canopy and casting shadows here and there.  His arms were folded behind his back as he wandered along, his current destination unknown.  It didn't matter - he was enjoying the peace, the solitude of the forest that enshrouded him.  Out here he was one with Nature, as much at home as were its native creatures.  He slowly picked up his pace, his leisurely walk turning into a steady trot, and from there into an all out run.  His smile widened as he dodged and spun around the trees in his path, ducking and rolling beneath low limbs, occasionally leaping at one and swinging himself atop it before hopping back down to the ground.

He came to a stop a few minutes later, panting slightly as he stood and caught his breath.  A familiar scent had just wafted to his nose and the aroma caused him to frown.  He'd smelled it many times at the training grounds and even more often on his father's uniform.  Blood... he thought silently to himself as focused his hearing and listened for any signs of anything out of the ordinary.  Over there...voices...they were faint, but he mapped out the location and began to head in the direction of the sounds.  His left hand fell down to rest on the hilt of his weapon, a habitual action that always seemed to reassure him.  He crept through the brush, the smell of blood filling his nostrils as he neared the scene, doing his best to stay out of sight of whatever lay ahead.  His keen eyesight made out two feminine figures, one of whom was apparently being held hostage by a white-haired man.  The other woman seemed to glow with a magical aura and in her hand she held a ball of flame, clearly marking her as a mage of sorts.  Realizing that the two might need his help, Rhien moved as silently as he could through the trees, keeping his distance as he circled around to position himself behind the man, his right hand stealthily pulling his sword from its resting place.  Let's see if I can give these ladies a hand... he thought with a slight grin as a ball of flame appeared in his free hand.

[Goldie]

Jocan could smell the fear reeking from the woman's skin, wafting up to his nostrils like a taintalizing dessert that needed to be tasted.  He knew nothing else but the blades that extended from his fingers and the cold blood that ran down the strange weapons.  He heard nothing but screams of people in the past of whom he had no recollection...other than the screams.

And that was what he wanted.  The fear, the screams...the familiar lives being snuffed out by his hands....

But he didn't know why, and he never thought about the reason for his existance, the instinctive chaotic destruction that ran through his veins.  As he tore his way from the cucoon that was the woman, he had felt like he was finally able to satisfy his hunger.  Too many years had he been asleep...too many years had darkness shrouded his vision, his senses, the blood lust.

Now it had returned, and with the hunger of a man who had not eaten in years.  He needed to satisfy the lust for blood...he needed to...

Jocan's violet eyes flashed as he looked over at the second elf, his mind calculating her words and judging her through her eyes.  She had no fear....nothing that might attract his attention towards her...not even the fire growing in her hands.  He had felt fire, it didn't phase him.  Let her burn him, for she would only be burning the one she was trying to protect.

Then there was another creature....he could hear its breathing, sense the magic it was drawing out of the earth...and he had stuck behind him.

Without a second thought, the strange man pushed Artemis with all of his strength into the woman with the fireballs and turned toward the forest, his expression calm and calculating, like this were simply a game where nothing was at stake.  He could feel the mans presence, and turned his eyes toward the spot where the trees kept him hidden.

If he would not come out, then he would have a guest....

[Anonymous]

The fangs pressed just enough for Artemis to feel their presence, she breathed normally trying to conceal her fear, however not the fear that was to be expected, she had no fear for her own life anymore. Those fears left her for good moments after she had been grabbed, after all her life had been meaningful, she had helped a good many people and was satisfied with her life, after all death comes to everyone. Though she was scared for the mysterious man. He was so trapped within his instincts he was blind to the world; to emotion….he was to blind to see his own life. He was more untamed animal than man at all. These fears now came to her mind, she watched the elf as she cast her earthly spells to save her, it was noble and kind, though not what Artemis had expected. Then the claw bearing man had pricked his senses and felt something else, something that Artemis could feel only through her captor’s mind. She then felt a great force upon her back and had begun sailing through the air towards the elf maiden. Quickly her body became moist and her outline started to seem less defined, her body hit against the elf’s earthen shield and splashed into droplets of water seeping into the forest floor. A moment later she had reformed standing next to the elf, just outside her barrier. She shot the elf a smile

“Thank you for offering to protect me, it was very kind. But now I must help him, I don’t believe he knows what he is doing his soul its so empty.�

With those words Artemis dashed away following the soulless man, scooping up her staff as she did.

[Anonymous]

His eyes widened as the strange man tossed his hostage at the woman trying to help her, as if she weighed nothing at all.  They grew considerably wider as the airborne female sudenly shifted into a watery form and splashed against the shield of the other elf, pooling into a mass of water on the ground and reforming moments later before running off.  Hells... Rhien cursed quietly as the man turned around and looked directly at the spot he'd hidden himself in.  Looks like I got his attention... he thought grimly as he gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, the flame in his hand being absorbed into the ruby in the hilt, causing the sword to give off a faint reddish glow.  He slowly began to move towards him, holding his sword out in front of him, the tip tilted slightly towards the man before him.  "I don't know who you are," he began, "but I think it'd be wise if you left these women alone.  Unless you want to have to deal with me, that is."  He'd already determined that this man was hostile, and the blood on what appeared to be his fingers further convinced him.  He wasn't about to take any chances.  His eyes glanced momentarily at the other elf who'd stood her ground, hoping that she'd be of some assistance in case he attacked.  Just what the hell happened here? he thought curiously.

[Anonymous]

Aithne furrowed her eyebrow slightly as the woman seemed to dematerialize and regain at her feet. She shot her a surprised look, but followed it with a smile.. happy that she was safe.

"Why would he run?" she thought.. feeling a tug at her mind telling her that there was another presence nearby..
"Gosh," she thought, "All this wandering without seeing a soul, and now I've seen three people."

She decided to follow the other woman's lead and come to the aid of the other creature she could sense. After all, the odds were three to one in their favor.

So, she ran, keeping close behind the crimson haired woman.

[Anonymous]

As she ran through the forest, further from the gore, the forest regained its sweet aroma. She was able to track her attacker from the strong magickal aura he gave off. When she came up upon him, minutes later…he must have traveled with an intense speed. She saw him, his long white tassels hanging down to his waist, his talons still dripping with the blood from the mutilated body, the blood that had dropped upon her own neck. She quickly touched her neck and was certain the blood had left her body when she changed form. Her assailant had been standing near another man, with a blazing sword. Who was he? Had he been tracking this beast? No…He must have just seen our struggle. She thought had this been a less stressful time she would have laughed at how populated a large forest became so quickly. She glanced behind her and noticed that the elf had followed also; she smiled and thought “In for a penny. In for a pound.â€?  An expression her mother had always used, it never made sense until now. Artemis closed her eyes gently she could see the man clearly in her mind, she could feel his exact distance from her and it was too close for her to like. She concentrated, his mind would be difficult it was clouded and had a thick magickal aura. She concentrated with all her might to send her message to the clawed and hostile man. “Why are you doing this? There is another way.â€? Her voice was to sound soft and melodic in his mind. She was confident that it had work, but confirmation could only be achieved with his reaction, and she was ready weather it be hostile or otherwise she was ready.

[Anonymous]

Aithne paused next to the crimson haired woman, not entirely sure of what she should do next. Sure, she had studied combat, but this was her first real experience with it. The adrenal gland was busy secreting, while she rushed through all the information that she had accumulated.

Crimson girl - can apparently liquify and is telepathic. Also, she appears to be inherently kind and forgiving, a trait I hope I can muster.

White haired guy - shredded some poor creature to pieces; attacks first and asks questions later... He has what seems to be no fear, and he balked at fire. Perhaps another element will help?

She now turned her eyes upon the last chivalrous party. He appeared to be intensely strong and skilled with his blade. Only time could tell her what results would emerge from a situation wrought with energy.

She felt a buzz at the back of her mind...
"She must be communicating with him.." she thought suddenly, aware that someone or something was using telepathy. So, she decided to use a skill that she seemed to share with her to hopefully gain the upperhand...

"So, do we have a plan?" she probed, concentrating on the woman with all her energy. Her telepathy was vastly underdeveloped in favor of her physical and magickal strengths, but she could still use it. As her question resounded in her mind, she called upon the strong wind to aid her as a new weapon since fire appeared not to help all that much. So, she created an intense gale around her, holding close to the body as a forcefield whilst simultaneously arming herself with her bow and arrow; not to fire.. but to have some sort of leverage with the man.

[Goldie]

Jocan did not evey flinch as the armed man stepped out from behind the trees, his violet eyes just as cool and calculating as they had been the moment he had awoken in this strange world.  His white hair brushed against his back in a fashion that reminded him of the others.  Although he could sense them, the new figure had taken his attention and left the others in the back of his mind.

A warning?

Once the worlds left his new apponants lips, the strange man couldn't help but feel the corner of his mouth twitch into a smirk which transformed his calculating stare into cruel and sadistic.  It showed that he understood what he was doing, and that he was not phased by the blood on his fingers, the blood that stained his arms and chest but had somehow stayed clear of his hair and white skirt.  He understood very well that the blades protruding from his hands had killed...had mutilated...

And he loved it.

The power behind what he did...that he had control over who would live and who would die.  These people were testing his patience....sorely testing him.

About to lundge towards the man and his blade, Jocan was stopped by a small voice in his head and knew immediately who it was from.  That bastard girl was in his mind, and he was not about to settle for her peaceful intrusions.  His mind was his own, his sanctuary, his domain where he could replay his kills over and over again...they were his, there was no otherway.

Turning around to face her, the sadistic smile widened as his violet eyes met hers, a strange force glowing behind them.

"No.." he muttered, that once word laced with so much malice that it felt like a slap in the face.  Within a few seconds his eyes glowed brightly and he filled his mind with power, finding the link that the stupid wench had connected them with, and forced it through with as much strength as he could muster.  If she wanted to be peaceful, she could suffer in ways that did not include bloodshed...

[Anonymous]

Breathing normally Artemis had left a connection with the beast man open. Her garnet hair falling slightly out of place, she fixed it so compulsively her mind was unaware she was doing it. Her face then scrunched up as if straining to focus on something, the elven maid who had helped her, she was whispering in her mind, Artemis smiled softly after deciphering the words that were spoken directly to her mind. Without much concentration, she replied “No not yet really, just going out on a limb. However I am up for suggestions.� She let a sweet smile pass her lips, and for a mere split second her hazel eyes left the hostile creature and glanced upon the elf. Her earthly shield had been replaced by a swirling torrent and Artemis now understood why a being that was devoted to magick struggled with telepathy. Giving her focus back to the white haired stranger she sent another message to the elf’s mind. “I can teach you to hone your telepathy skills, after we survive this if you like, a being with such a skill in magick as you should pick it up quite easily.� She smiled again, however this time keeping her attention on her adversary. The man clearly got her message as he now turned to face her, unthreatened or concerned for the sword wielding man in front of him. He muttered a single word in a voice that only could be described as evil. His eyes gave off a terrible glow and within instants Artemis felt as if her mind was going to erupt. She was wrong about this man there was no helping him, his soul was not lost it was merely dark. This man was a demon and one she swore she and hopefully her allies would stop. The pain was horrible and her body twitched slightly, but her mind was her most powerful weapon, she could play his game, she only hoped better than he could. She focused hard fighting away the energy of his evil mind and her hazel eyes turned brighter from hazel to yellow and then to pure white. The energy she was creating became visible and the purest light ever imagined began to swirl around her body. Then it seemed to disappear, however in reality she had used the link between her and her attacker and sent his mind blast back at him with the added power she was able to muster. She took a deep breathe multiple times and severed the connection to his mind, as soon as she unleashed her attack upon him. Panting she propped herself up with her staff and stared into the demons eyes hoping he got exactly what he deserved.

[Anonymous]

Aithne returned the smile that she saw flicker upon the woman's lips in a brief moment or camraderie amidst the violence that she hoped would not occur. She turned away for a split second, to regain her focus upon the gale she was trying to strengthen. Wind was not her strongest gift, but he seemed unfazed by pain. She hoped to focus on distracting him .. or breaking his concentration instead.

In the moments that she turned away, he had unleashed an attack on the garnet locked girl. Aithne heard a slight cry and turned to her, unsure of what to do.  She paused long enough for the girl to regain some of her strength and fight back with whatever power the two seemed to be battling over.

Without even thinking about what she was doing, Aithne decided that now was probably a good time to act.  She leaned forward aggressively, sending forth the rolling wind in the hopes that her power combined with the other woman's power would knock him off of his feet in enough time for Aithne, the man, and the woman to escape.

[Goldie]

ooc: hey guys, I think that we should put this thread on hold until Shounen Inu gets back.  I don't want anyone to get lost and left behind.

[Anonymous]

((I thought he was leaving on Sunday? Because I saw that and thought about it, too.. but I thought he could get a tiny bit more in. I dunno. But I agree! We'll wait for him to be like..

"Yo. Wassup. I be back. Hurricane no causin' me pain." Because he's a stereotype of a Jamaican person?.. :-) ))

[Anonymous]

(OOC: Yea, I really don't wanna hold you guys up, but today is the last day I'll most likely get any online time, so I'm gonna try to get as much in as possible.  But as for now, I can get a few things in  :D   And what's this about me being a stereotype of a Jamaican person?  :?  If it was a joke, then it went waay over my head.  Of course, I'm only 5'4", so that aint to surprising...)

IC:

Rhien had hoped the man would strike at him first, so that he could scope out his tactics and be further prepared, but when he whirled around towards two, supposedly when the female elf exchanged her earthen shield for a swirling windstorm.  Not wanting to hold off any longer, he let out a low growl and rushed forward, his katana swept back at his side in his right hand, his left snapping in front of him and sweeping upward.  A wall of fire sprung up just behind the man, a bit of a distraction he pulled moments before he burst through the crackling flame, his sword already starting to come down.

[Anonymous]

OOC: Ok lets take a break here and wait for everyone to be ready to start up again.