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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2022 7:51:43 GMT -6
Continuation of Moonlight Castle...
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Post by Mya on Feb 23, 2022 12:53:30 GMT -6
His young ward had been quite the handful today. Fortunately for him, the harder they played, the harder she napped. He sat at the edge of her bed and made sure the blanket was pulled up all the way and that her favorite stuffed animal was close at hand. Sure, Dante might only be a glorified babysitter… but to him this was the closest he would ever get to being a father considering his late wife refused to have children and his niece and nephew were both grown by the time he had allowed himself time away from his post at one of the many gates of hell.
After checking in with whichever Deimos was around and not busy, he was relieved from his duty for the time being and granted some free time. Walking towards the main entrance, Dante whistled a tune. As he approached the door, he heard a knock.
Strange, it wasn’t very often that they got guests this far out in the woods. Humans generally stayed away. He frowned, running through his mental check list of who he expected to come and go from the castle grounds today. Nobody he could think of that would knock instead of barging in. At any rate, Dante was going out for a smoke so he would find out the intentions of this guest. After the showdown with Demancia, Mya giving birth, the disappearance of one of the twins and Helena’s coronation… he felt a little on edge. Things have been a little too quiet in the last few weeks.
Opening the door, he greeted the newcomer. “Hello there, state your business.” Dante’s violet eyes scanned the man’s appearance. The first thing he noticed was the sword in his hand. Instinctively, Dante went to grab for one of the many knives he kept hidden on his body. The buffering wheel in his mind spun for a moment before information loaded. He pointed at Vasili.
“Hey! You’re…that guy!”
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Post by Mya on Feb 24, 2022 20:48:45 GMT -6
A sharp toothed, shit-eating grin spread across his face as Dante’s posture relaxed. “Volcano, buddy, how the hell have you been? I haven’t seen you since we graduated! You never returned any of my letters! It’s a real shame we couldn’t have been stationed together.
“Invite you inside? What are you, a vampire? Come, lets go find you somewhere to put your stuff… we can spar another day if you're tired from your travels.” Dante picked up Vasili’s duffel bag, slung it over his shoulder and motioned for him to follow. As the pair walked through the foyer and down through the guest wing of the castle, Dante prattled on and on all kinds of trivial nonsense. "... and that's when they decided just to ban me from that bar. I barely maimed him and he was being a dick. Ah, here is probably good." He opened a random door to an empty guest suite and tossed the duffel bag onto the bed.
"..but for real, Vasili, it's good to have you here. I'm not sure when Yuko will be back. We've got, uh, a bit of a situation on our hands," His face hardened as he tried to think of the best way to explain things. Fortunately for his friend, Dante could be serious when he wanted. He gave Vasili a quick run down of the pecking order of the castle denizens and his new job description. He told his secondhand account of what happened over the last year or so. Dante still didn't fully understand what exactly went down but was able to offer up the bit of information on Demancia and how he had taken possession of Brandon, that they knew it wasn't over.
"Yuko will be back sometime soon. She will likely be coming to get supplies for my sister. We could go bug the Princess... on second thought maybe we will leave Lu alone. My eyebrows just grew back. She told me that her current project is delicate, but I think she just has a hard time being around my irresistible good looks," He brought his hand to his chin and flashed a charming smile. Somewhere in the castle, Lukana probably felt the urge to cringe. He laughed. "Actually now that I think about it, you're more or less stuck with here with me. Alone. Until someone else surfaces!"
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Post by Mya on Feb 25, 2022 18:18:17 GMT -6
Walking tornado was certainly a good description of Dante. He was a chaotic individual since the moment he was born into the world. He knew he was a handful but just couldn’t resist. It was so entertaining to push people’s buttons or make a mess, but when push comes to shove, Dante always pulled through. His berserker nature thrived on it. Where others might feel overwhelmed in a situation, he felt most comfortable. Of course, there was always a few exceptions to this.
“Yeah the kids ain’t kids anymore. The kids are starting to have kids of their own. Kinda weird to think about. Just wait until you see our little Shikira,” Dante turned with Vasili and kept up with his pace. He pulled out his wallet from the pocket on the inside of his blazer. He showed his companion pictures of his young ward all while gushing about all her adorable mannerisms. As they rounded the corner, he shifted the conversation towards describing the layout of the castle. There were still many nooks and crannies he had yet to discover. Fortunately, Shikira loved to play hide and seek. A few more months and he would likely have stuck his nose in every dark corner and secret passageway.
“My sister isn’t taking any guests right now. I’ll inform her later of your arrival and have her come brief you on her side of things. Most likely she will bring Yuko with her at least. Those two have been inseparable since the, uh, incident. I’ll take you to Helena though. She’s around here somewhere. Lets check the garden,” Dante steered Vasili outside. Helena could be anywhere in the castle but would be alerted their arrival the moment their shoes touched the garden.
“Where the ‘Hel’ are you?” Dante called out to the garden before he turned to Vasili, his mouth open in a big smile. He appeared to be looking for some praise on his terrible joke.
~~~
“If you ever make that joke again, I will have the vines with those sharp thorns you enjoyed so much crawl up where the sun don’t shine,” Helena had been busy weeding one of the several garden beds. She got to her feet, dusted off her hands and stood in front of Dante. It might have been a little comical, this just over 5’ tall short-stack trying to square up against the 6’3 gatekeeper.
“Please don’t,” Dante replied immediately. He approached his niece patted the top of her golden-haired head. She smacked his hand away with a scowl. “I love you too kiddo! Hey, so, my old buddy is here looking for a job and has some questions for you! Vortex and I go waaay back to our days in the Acadamy. Velcro, meet my niece Helena!”
Helena regarded the much more serious man in her garden for a moment. Vortex? Velcro? Was Dante getting his name wrong on purpose. The shit-eating grin on his face helped her determine that was the case. “I’d apologize to you for him, but then that would mean I have to acknowledge that Dante is part of my clan,” Helena chuckled a little. Dante gasped dramatically and put a hand on his chest like he was shot by an arrow. “Nice to meet you sir… ” She trailed off so Vasili could give her his proper name.
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Post by Mya on Feb 28, 2022 0:41:54 GMT -6
"Pleasure to meet you, Ser Gadiel. Please make yourself at home while you are here. Your assistance will be most welcome," Helena nodded in response to his salute. It was something she had slowly been getting used to since her coronation. Some days it didn't even feel real. At least in this castle she didn't have to don a tiara, but the crescent moon on her forehead marked her family lineage. It still hadn't faded since the day she received her mother's godhood. When Vasili began with his questions, she couldn't help but be a bit impressed. He asked some good ones. Having someone fresh on the investigation would prove to be useful. Emotions still ran high at the castle, so it may prove difficult to discern the truth behind the events that took place. Where to even begin?
"Quite frankly, the whole situation was pretty bizarre, even for this place," Helena sighed. How many times did she relive the horrors of that night in her mind. She first spoke about the mirror shard that they were able to extract from her father's forehead during the battle, how she still wasn't sure of it's origins. Her father seemed to have some post traumatic stress when she did try to ask him about it and she didn't think he was quite ready to give a full report on his dealings with Demancia.
"As for Aiden and his sleep, I'm not entirely sure how he was put to sleep. He woke up a short time after we managed to exorcise..." Helena looked around her before continuing, still nervous to say the demons name. "...Demancia from my dad's body. I think he had some awareness of what was going. Aiden was rightfully pissed when he arrived and had a pretty good idea of what went down. You would have to talk to Aiden for more details there. He is doing some investigating of his own. He should be back in a few days I would imagine."
"Missing plants? Hmm..." Helena closed her eyes momentarily, letting her magic spread along the garden. Hello my darlings, she used her powers to speak to the garden, is there anyone missing? The garden's flora hummed a response. Her eyes shot open as she looked towards a neglected corner of the garden. Wordlessly, she marched over and stared at a small section that looked like it had been dug up some time ago. "There is something missing... the garden says that there was a man that had planted something here. I guess in Mya's weakened state, she couldn't sense something was amiss."
Dante let the two of them talk, but listened carefully. He wasn't nearly as knowledgeable in magic. He was more of a smash first and ask later fellow. That didn't mean he wasn't paying attention however. Some of the parts that were more difficult for Helena to speak of, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to let her know that his presence was meant to be supportive. He followed Helena to the corner of the garden and stared at the ground. There didn't seem to be many clues left from when it was dug up. "Helena, I don't suppose your garden can tell you what was here before?"
Helena shook her head, "No, Mya's magic was gone when happened. Whatever was planted here didn't communicate with the other plants. This is something I hadn't considered before." She frowned and sighed again. "...I'm not really in the mood to listen to her just yet, but we can bring her here to see if we can get any more information." She looked to Vasili, "Sorry I don't have much more information for you. If you can give us time, I can arrange for all the information we have gathered so far compiled into a report for you... or you can ask everyone yourself. Not sure who all is here at this time, but nobody should be away for long."
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Post by Kodaka on Mar 18, 2022 18:12:36 GMT -6
Heavy boots crushed the gravel and kicked up the dust of a wide dirt road that would eventually lead to the old stonework of Castle Moonlight. A thick forest on both flanks, a tall and broad-shouldered man carried himself down the path. He was vaguely familiar with the lay of the land, though this was admittedly the first time he took the main road instead of other more cautious means. His confident stride parted a loosely buttoned cloak that was hung lazily over his shoulders, which revealed a belt of daggers and knives slung over his shoulder and looped to his opposite hip.
He wore no shirt under the cloak, choosing rather to keep his prowess on his display as either a warning or a challenge to any passersby. His skin was as a white as snow, with scars dulled by age scattered about. It worked in both repelling unwanted interactions with the common folk and also garnering attention of the more confrontational types. Although there was more to him than his style of clothing that may offend or scare people.
The man was tall, probably over seven feet in height, which didn’t include the polished azure horns that erected from a nest of messy dark hair. Piercing icy blue eyes glowered from a visage of pale face and chiseled chin. His limbs were an impressive formation of muscle and every movement he made was with purpose and precision. His people have been called a few things in the past, but anyone with any sense of magic or well-traveled enough would know he was Nephilim, a race of mighty warriors unjustly banished from the heavenly plane to live a mortal life on the earth.
This Nephilim was a mercenary from the looks of him, armed to the teeth almost from head to toe. Besides the dagger belt, an ebony sword hung at his left side, indicating he was probably right-handed. A worn and sun-faded pack hung between his shoulders, full of either rations, weapons, or very possibly a mixture of both. Every so often the large man would pause and look off to the side, his eyes darting behind him before trailing across the edge of the forest. He wasn’t paranoid by any means, but the last time he was in these parts the Nephilim was crashing through the woods while chased by a group of formidable paladins. The man allowed a small smile play at this lips as he recalled the memory.
Luckily for himself and the castle he was clearly traveling to, the man wasn’t on the run this time. He had learned from his mistakes in the past that the denizens of Moonlight understandably did not appreciate such things. The Nephilim grumbled something under his breath and continued onward toward a slight elevation in the road as the tops of great towers started to peek over the hill. He quickened his strides until the entire castle and its grounds was within view. There he stood at the edge of the castle grounds and silently surveyed the place. It was as quiet as ever, but a few beams of light leaking out a window here and there told him the place was probably still occupied. The Nephilim rolled his shoulders and tightened his grip on his pack, continuing his march forward and finally onto the castle grounds, ever alert and ever quiet.
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Post by Mya on Apr 12, 2022 12:17:35 GMT -6
“I think the mirror shards should stay where we can deal with them. I don’t feel comfortable letting another demon take it away. With all due respect, Vasili, I don’t know you or your contacts well enough. I will talk with some of the others and come to a decision. I’m sure you are fine… but in light of recent events, we need to proceed carefully and it’s not my decision alone to make.”
“ Little Lena, I assure you that Vasili is someone we can trust,” Dante placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded. “ Hmm… Aldwyn, yeah, I remember him. He was a really cool dude. Rolled with my punches well. I respect that. Also got better grades than me so of course I had to give him a hard time. It’s the right of passage for you nerds,” The demon grinned, exposing his sharp teeth. Dante was, without question, a meathead back in his academy days… but he wasn’t an outright bully. Some people just made themselves easy targets. Helena rolled her eyes at her uncle once again. She may seem fed up with Dante and his antics, but she did trust that he wouldn’t allow anyone with bad intentions into their household. She turned to talk to Vasili some more about the garden. “ Mya gardened here for a long time… I’m not sure exactly how long but decades for sure. It used to be a regular garden before she began managing it. I’m sure she can tell you more about it,” Helena reached over to tenderly stroke a vine that had been slowly moving closer to her. Despite having her mother’s power, the garden knew she was different. The garden yearned for it’s original mistress though they may never get to bask in Mya’s affections ever again. “ I’ll come see you later, kiddo,” Dante ruffled Helena’s hair slightly earning himself a lovely scowl from the girl. Before letting her go, he leaned in and whispered in Helena’s ear, “ Please come with me tonight to see your mother. You two need to make amends.” “ I shall let you carry on. I will call on you if I need it… and Uncle, I will give it some thought,” Helena bowed politely to the men as they turned to leave. She stared at the spot in question in the garden for a long moment before she resumed the weeding she had been working on before she was interrupted. Satisfied with Helena’s answer, Dante continued the tour with Vasili. He gave little bits of information on the castle and what history it had that he was aware of. When Vas mentioned Scarlet’s name, his demeanor faltered momentarily. “ Ah, yeah. I still miss her like crazy. It took me a long time to come to terms with her loss. She wouldn’t have wanted me to dwell on it either… so I took the time to have a vacation. I came to see my sister and got wrapped up in all of this. Crazy lucky that Lady Yuko offered me a job here. I’m the personal bodyguard to her granddaughter…” He pulled out his wallet to begin showing him pictures again. “ She’s just the absolute cutest and you can’t ever say no when she gives you those eyes…” Dante gushed for a while. “ I guess I missed out on my actual niece and nephew’s childhoods so I’m very grateful to have been given this chance. I’ll do anything for this family… even if I gotta square up to the big man himself,” Not that Dante would ever have a chance to win against Seth in a true fight. Not unless Seth lost the power that comes with his throne. " Sometimes I wish I was afforded the opportunity to have a runt of my own, but I don't think it was in the cards for me." Dante stumbled like someone pulled on his arm. He furrowed his eyebrows in concern while turning to look down one of the halls, " We got company."
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Post by Mya on Apr 12, 2022 12:26:21 GMT -6
The air was still a bit chilly outside. Mya pulled her sweater over her head, careful not to snag it with her horns. It had been months since she had become a demon and she still wasn't used to feeling the cold. She missed being a creature of light, but that felt like the distant past after all that had happened. She paced around her treehouse, checking in on the large toddler in his crib once again. Yuko hadn't returned from her hunt. Mya wasn't concerned for her friend, but she was getting hungry. Ever since her transformation, Mya had a hunger that took great lengths to be satisfied. Yuko took on a lot of the hunting so Mya could stay home and look after the child.
Checking on the child one last time, Mya was satisfied that he would not awaken. She made way for the exit while raising the protective ward around the house. It was designed to keep everyone out and everyone in. With how quickly the child had grown, Mya couldn't be too careful. Helena was still quite hostile towards her and the child and who knew what other bumps in the night would try to enter.
Once outside, Mya took a deep breath of fresh air. Even if the forest couldn't speak to her, she felt at ease amongst the tall trees. She tucked some of her dark hair behind her ear. Violet eyes scanned the darkness as she listened for any sounds of prey. Quietly, Mya crept along the game trails, looking for tracks that would lead her to her next meal. A bush could be heard rustling in the distance. With a practiced step, Mya crept closer towards the sound until she came across a whitetail deer cleaning up a berry bush. Mya could feel her mouth start to water as she eyed up her prey with hungry eyes.
A loud groan from her stomach gave her position away. The deer looked her way before quickly darting the opposite direction. Mya cursed under her breath. It would be her luck that her hunger scared away her prey. She took off after the deer, weaving around the trees. She wasn't fast enough on two feet so she got down onto all fours and pushed on ahead. Mya leaped with all her might, managing to just barely get onto the back of the deer. It freaked out, trying to buck her off. Unfortunately for the deer, Mya was much too hungry to let go. The deer broke through the tree line onto the road that led to the castle. This would be the last move it made. She growled before taking a bite out of the deer's shoulder while reaching around to slice it's neck with her dagger. The deer screeched before collapsing on the road, dead. Mya wasted no time ripping past it's hide and sinking her teeth into the gamey flesh underneath.
That was when she heard the footsteps. A large horned man was coming down the road. She had nowhere to hide nor not enough time to take her meal with her. In her mind, she reached for the thread of magic that connected to her brother and gave it a hard tug. She didn't recognize this man and wasn't sure if he was dangerous or not. Judging by the weapons he carried... she couldn't be too careful. Her cold, violet eyes stared at him hard. Mayhap Kodaka would vaguely remember her from when he had visited some time ago with Nightfire. Her appearance had changed but many of her features were the same. Last time they had crossed paths she had been practically comatose in the garden.
Mya clutched the deceased animal in her arms defensively and stared up at the man approaching. How would he react?
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Post by Kodaka on Apr 14, 2022 20:33:26 GMT -6
The crunching of dirt and gravel under the Nephilim’s heavy footfalls begun to have a rhythm to them, slow and methodical. Clouds of dirt stirred away from his boots as the road bore his weight. The man continued to scan the castle with every step he took, almost as if he was expecting a volley of arrows to blot out the sun and rain down on them from the battlements. That would’ve been a first for sure. Looking past the castle now, the large man would’ve noted there was a chill in the air, if he hadn’t grown up in the cold. Instead, his eyes seemed to gloss over as he reminisced about something.
Just a year ago, the Nephilim temporarily set aside his own goals and aspirations to help someone else carve a new life for themself. It was the right thing to do, especially if he were to right a grave mistake he had once committed that changed this person’s life forever for the worse. The Nephilim always envisioned himself delivering justice to the fools that wronged him and being ultimately redeemed in the eyes of his people. What he set off doing now was in the same vein of all those things, but it was much smaller in retrospect. He wasn’t just doing this for himself anymore.
Kodaka was a bad man. He was a mercenary, a sell sword, a killer. He’d taken countless lives during his career and not all of them were soldiers on the battlefield. The Nephilim never batted an eye at cutting down anyone in his path, young and old it made no difference to him. Kodaka went about early life with the belief that nothing was safe from the horrors of the world. Everyone had an invisible knife held to their throat, Kodaka was just the hand that guided it. He was a fucking monster for the sake of amassing power and strength, egged on by the voices in his head in the form of his ancestors.
Up the path a short distance ahead, a blur crashed from the tree line and onto the road. Instantly, the Nephilim’s nostalgia trip was cut short and his wary gaze was fixated on the scene down the path. The creature let out a shriek and suddenly collapsed upon the road as quickly as it appeared. A bit perturbed by this, Kodaka paused and firmly planted both boots onto the road. He reached for the hilt of his longsword and grasped it with a firm grip. It was a comfort such a reliable weapon at his disposal, especially when the other means he had to defend himself might’ve been too showboaty. With a frown, he continued slowly down the road toward the motionless animal.
Kodaka had approached a few more yards when the scene appeared much clearer. By the time the scent of blood hit his nostrils, he had already realized there was another creature perched over the deer and had begun tearing into its hide. Cold violet eyes stared him down the entire time the man approached as what he recognized as a demonic humanoid. Kodaka held her gaze with his own icy eyes, though he looked more curious than wary. At least they were both aware of each other’s presence, Kodaka figured.
The Nephilim stopped his approach about a stone’s throw away from the demon and her kill. It was as if Kodaka knew what the respectable amount of space apart from a possible adversary was, then deliberately took a step or two forward anyway. It was a tactic he liked to use to test someone’s mettle or it could’ve been just to be a cocky asshole. Either one of them were plausible. When the woman clutched the kill in her arms, the man raised his brow and put a hand on his chest.
“Don’t worry love, I can’t say I’m hungry enough to fight over a meal right now,” a deep voice like the shifting of gravel would reach the demon’s ears as the Nephilim parted his lips to speak. He spoke a bit slower than most might, as if a lot of thought and consideration went into what he said.
The Nephilim loosened his grip on his sword and placed his hands on his hips, his body language suggesting he appeared much more relaxed than he probably felt. Kodaka scrutinized the demon and something about her made him think he’d seen her somewhere before. He tilted his head as he tried to quickly rake his brain for where that might’ve been, but nothing came to mind yet. “I never cared that much for venison anyway,” he shrugged. Kodaka didn’t even know if this demon would understand him, but he didn’t mind playing it off as him thinking out loud.
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Post by Fina on Apr 19, 2022 12:53:54 GMT -6
Clawed black feet hopped lightly across the loam of the forest floor. The chilly breeze whispering through the branches above drew the raven to a pause. A keen pair of storm gray eyes searched the stand of trees as the trunks rose tall into the sky. With a hop and the rustle of feathers the raven beat its wings and left only a plume of dust in its wake.
Bursting through forest canopy, the raven made a croaking call before the updraft caught her wings. The currents of the wind sent her soaring over high over field, rock, and stream. She had no apparent destination, so imagine her surprise when a castle tower sprang from the trees. What was this? This was on no map she'd seen of this region. Her curiosity peaked, she banked left to get a closer view.
Landing on a sturdy branch, the raven studied the castle now in her full view from this perch. "What this the place?" She wondered, tilting her head. Whatever it was, she gathered it was built to be a fortress given the mighty towers and parapets. Glancing below, she recognized a road laid below before a voice sounded in the distance. Were the castle grounds not as abandoned as it seemed..? Perhaps she should go knocking, gently knocking at the door.
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Post by Kodaka on Apr 25, 2022 15:38:27 GMT -6
If someone told Daniel Hawthorne that he would one day be riding the back of a dragon, he’d think they were mad, absolutely out of their mind. Yet there he sat, straddled around the neck of a great, black, winged reptilian beast.
‘Hey!’ A voice that wasn’t his own snorted inside his head, ‘you do know I can hear you, right?’ Daniel felt his legs vibrate briefly as the dragon huffed from deep within his throat. Startled, Daniel gave the dragon a friendly pat along the side of his neck.
“Ah, forgive me, Nightfire. I’m not accustomed to, uh, well any of this I suppose.” The man’s English accent was prominent even through the filter of his gas mask. “For the record, you’re quite the handsome beast.”
‘Oh, I know.’
Daniel was glad he decided to forgo his usual business attire and instead opted to wear a simple shirt, vest, and tie. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, which revealed skin that was dull and grey with faded white scar tissue scattered throughout. He wore a fitted and relatively modified Cold War style gasmask that covered the entirety of his head, the glass goggles tinted just enough to hide his eyes in all but the brightest light. While his slacks were made of tougher material, the suit jacket would’ve definitely been ruined by Nightfire’s abrasive scales.
Though it was quite cold this high up in the sky, several hundred meters Mr. Hawthorne guessed, the warmth that the dragon naturally radiated was enough to beat back the chill. He clenched his arms a little tighter around Nightfire’s neck as he stole a glance at the earth below. The landscape was but vague splashes of colors that lazily passed them by, with just enough detail for him to differentiate pockets of forests, settlements, and the occasional body of water.
‘So, what do you think?’ Nightfire asked, breaking the silence. He turned his head slightly to peer back behind him at the human on his back, his midnight black scales glittered dazzlingly with the movement as some of them caught the sun and his blood red eyes shimmered with excitement. The question was asked in such a way that it reminded Daniel of his past life, when a young Daniel Hawthorne had tried to cook for his mother and stood by her as she took the first bite to see if she liked it or not.
Daniel shifted his position and sat up straighter, trying to appear more carefree than he actually felt at that exact moment. “Oh I think it’s pretty brilliant,” he said sheepishly, but when he realized there was little fooling the dragon he added, “though still rather terrifying.” Daniel heard a short and repetitive rumbling sound travel up the dragon’s throat that he identified earlier as laughter.
‘You’ll get used to it! You’re actually fairing a little better than I thought you would.’
“Thanks, I think?”
More rumbly, dragony laughter followed before Nightfire’s head snapped toward the direction of the ground. ‘Ah, there’s the castle. We’ll be losing altitude rapidly soon so hold on!’
“Begging your pardon?”
‘Hold on!’
Daniel’s stomach did a complete somersault as Nightfire’s wings caught the wind and he turned onto his side until the both of them were almost perpendicular with the ground. Nightfire wasn’t kidding, they dipped toward the earth so quickly that it had taken the man’s very breath away. Daniel squeezed his eyes shut until he could feel the dragon slow the descent, his heart beating like a drum against his chest. When he opened them again, Nightfire was gliding slowly downward, letting the wind do most of the work.
Nightfire looked behind him at the man seated on his back when Daniel finally felt comfortable enough to loosen his grip. The dragon cheekily cast him with a knowing look, but brought the question to light regardless.
‘Are you well, Mister Hawthorne?’
Daniel slumped back in the saddle and released an exasperated sigh, muffled of course through his gas mask. “I— was that maneuver really necessary?”
Nightfire rumbled thoughtfully in his throat and looked away, his eyes locked back onto their target. ‘Well no, not really. I just… kind of overshot our destination, that’s all.’
Daniel grinned faintly when he realized the dragon was embarrassed. He patted Nightfire on the side of his neck in reassurance, to which the dragon replied with a begrudging yet appreciative grumble. They continued the slow descent toward the ground, Nightfire’s wings acting as two great sails. The castle sat atop the horizon some and as they drew nearer the both of them could tell just how impressive of a fortress it really was.
Nightfire pumped his wings every few seconds to keep their descent slow and steady, Daniel found it oddly hypnotizing as it developed a sort of rhythm. Soon he realized they began circling the castle from high above, before Nightfire banked off and followed a path that led from the fortress to the surrounding forest. At least that what it looked like to Daniel, since the path was just wider than his finger from their altitude.
‘So what exactly are we doing at the castle this time?’ Nightfire asked, Daniel could feel his growing curiosity through the linking of their minds. He shrugged from atop the dragon, then realized he probably didn’t see the gesture. Instead the man pictured himself shrugging and Nightfire understood. ‘I remember flying here with Kodaka some time ago, it was an interesting visit to say the least. I didn’t think of it for a rendezvous point though. It’s kind of an obvious landmark, isn’t it?’
“Kodaka claims it’s a safe place for us to lay low. Castle Moonlight has a dark history that deters most visitors from what he’s told me,” the man began as he recalled the mercenary’s vague explanation and his own research about the subject, “but I feel as though he’s only stating part of the reason we’re going.”
‘Wait a moment, “lay low” he said?’ Nightfire snorted, trail of black smoke jetted out his nostrils and obscured Daniel’s vision for a moment. He waved them wordlessly away, hardly phased by the obstruction. ‘Oh, sorry,’ apologized Nightfire. ‘That almost indicates we’re hiding from something. What could the three of us possibly be hiding from?'
Beneath his mask, Daniel smiled. He and Nightfire had only known one another for a short time, but it was long enough for Daniel to be able to tell that Kodaka had influenced the dragon in a number of ways. Combined with that, his youth, and the confidence of a dragon, Nightfire was still just a little ignorant of the world around them at times. Like the other side of a coin however, Nightfire had times where he demonstrated just how wise beyond his years he could be. That was the thing that caught Daniel off guard still to this day. He appreciated the dragon more than he might realize, especially after Nightfire had saved his life on two separate occasions. That however, was a dark story to recount for another day.
“A number of things, really,” Daniel answered with a pat on the dragon’s shoulder. “It’s also easier for us to plan things when we’re not on the road all the time. I believe I speak for all of us when I say we need a good rest.”
Nightfire grunted in agreement. ‘Just as long as we’re not resting in the garden.’
“That’s an odd request. What’s your worry over the garden?”
‘It felt… alive, Daniel. Sentient even. I remember feeling its consciousness the moment I touched down upon the greenery.’ Daniel observed in surprise as the scales on Nightfire’s neck stood up slightly and a small shiver ran down the dragon’s spine. ‘It was like the earth could ensnare me at any second if it so wished. It was a… a vulnerability I hope to never be subjected to again.' “Ah, that’s indeed troubling,” observed Daniel, “but I’m sure it would’ve only done so in self-defense. I very much doubt you’d try razing the place down unprovoked.”
‘Only in self-defense,’ returned Nightfire as he turned his head to glance at Daniel. He winked with an audible click of his scaly eyelid. ‘Though I mean it when I say we’re not landing there again. Hope you don’t mind legging it a bit longer.’ Then, the dragon’s reptilian eyes locked onto a landing spot at the castle grounds below. He snorted when his gaze fixed unto a scene below that very much did not surprise him. ‘I see Kodaka. He’s on the road to the castle but something or someone’s stopped him it seems.’
Daniel sighed and looked over the dragon’s side, “Well as long as he’s not fighting, this won’t be nearly as awkward.”
‘Daniel, I smell blood in the air. It may be too late to hope for that…Should I land behind him for dramatic effect?’
“What? Just land somewhere, please. My feet long for solid ground again.”
‘As you wish.’
They circled above no more than a half-dozen times before Nightfire’s keen eyes scoped out a proper landing zone. He dipped to the side, folded his wings to lose altitude, then quickly unfurled them again at the last moment before his talons reached out to grip the earth. All in one graceful move, the midnight-black dragon, scales glittering as the sun’s rays caught his form, landed a stone’s throw away behind Kodaka and well away from his new friend, buffeting them with not just a sudden entrance but a gust of wind and a cloud of dust as well.
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Post by Fina on Apr 27, 2022 14:59:40 GMT -6
Posted on her lofty tree branch, the raven stood sentry as her hearing strained for any further sound. For a living forest, it was awfully quiet for her to have detected those voices carried on the wind. She tilted her head as her skepticism grew, her gaze sweeping the landscape below. Perhaps it had been a figment of her imagination brought on by her mounting fatigue?This notion didn't seem too farfetched to her at the moment. After all, her journey had been long thus far and a sense of urgency had encouraged a grueling pace. As she resettled her wings, she welcomed the peace that settled around her listened to the ambient chorus of the forest. The tell tale beat of wings interrupted this beautiful moment and drew her gaze to the sky once more. When a large silhouette passed overhead, her icy shock was palpable.
The raven's ebony wings flared as she scrambled instinctively away from her perch with an alarmed, croaking crow. She tucked her wings to swoop low where she sought cover to conceal her as the beast circled overhead. The moment of irony was not lost on her as her heart thundered in her ears, however. A dragon a stones throw from a castle? What's next? Would it besiege the castle grounds to lay claim to the princess? Gods give her strength..!
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Post by Mya on May 7, 2022 16:26:32 GMT -6
There was a long silence as the Nephilim and Demon regarded each other. Mya clung onto the body of the deer as if she was concerned he was going to take her meal. As Kodaka reached for the longsword, Mya attempted to shuffle backwards. The weight of the deer threw her off balance causing her to fall onto her bottom. She broke the silence, "Owwie..." she grumbled as she rubbed her lower back. Wait, why was she shrinking away? Mya questioned herself. The last few years she had spent with her power waning, but that was no longer the case. Mya had been given another chance at her cursed existence, and with that chance came power. With the short snack she had started, Mya felt strength coursing its way through her veins.
She finally released her grip on the deer. Mya was a demon now, and demons weren't ones to back down for a fight. Quickly jumping back onto her feet, she widened her stance and clenched her fists. Surely an experienced mercenary like Kodaka would easily see that she wasn't much of a fighter. Her body language betrayed that she wasn't trained for combat. No, at her core, Mya was a mother... but a good mother would fight to the bitter end to defend her family... not that Mya could be considered a good mother after going back on everything she had taught her eldest children.
Kodaka's posture relaxed which sparked curiosity. She tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brow. Then he spoke. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly. "Heh, I certainly hope you don't. I wasn't expecting any company. As you can see I didn't set the table..." Mya covered her mouth to try and hide her chuckle. This man didn't seem to have bad intentions. She supposed that it was fair for him to be on guard as she had been in the middle of a hunt when she had appeared before him. She took a moment to examine his appearance. Something about him looked familiar. She had never met one of his kind before, but Mya had read many books over her many years. His horns, skin tone and sheer size had her mind ticking as she tried to piece together the picture that was forming in her mind. Keaira had often spoke of a man that fit this description. Judging by how the castle rarely got visitors that didn't know of its location, perhaps this was that mercenary that Kea spoke so fondly of. Mya snickered. If it was indeed Keaira's bedwarmer, he certainly wasn't what Mya expected.
"Are you...?" Mya opened her mouth to ask Kodaka who he was when a sound above them alerted her. She glanced up at the sky and could barely make out the dark silhouette of a great creature in the sky. It circled above them before descending quickly. She observed as it landed behind Kodaka. Mya put a hand up as if it would somehow stop the wind and dust from getting in her eyes. The dust made her cough once and then sneeze. She wiped her nose with her sleeve, although it wasn't the best choice. Mya's clothes were soaked with blood and now was also smeared across her face.
Now that the dragon had landed, she could see a man on the back of the creature. She frowned. Of course it would now be three against one. Her posture tensed up. She wouldn't let them see her fear. She would stand her ground until her brother hurried up to help even out the odds. What was taking Dante so long? She narrowed her eyes at the trio in front of her. "W-who are you? Why are you here?" With all the events that transpired, Mya couldn't be too careful. She shifted her weight on her feet, ready to start running at the first sign of aggression.
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Post by Kodaka on May 9, 2022 20:09:34 GMT -6
It doesn’t matter how seasoned of a fighter or a trained killer a man could be, when something much bigger crashes into the ground behind him enough to shake the earth at his feet, any man would spin around to meet the disturbance. The shadow from the sky that passed him over but a moment ago should’ve been enough to tip him off about the unexpected company, but his eyes would merely flick up toward the source of the eclipse in minor irritation before he would return his gaze to the woman in front of him. Kodaka was glad she seemed to warm up to his presence and he allowed himself a small smile as the woman stifled a chuckle. What was so funny anyway?
She was about to say something, but that’s when the dragon landed behind him. Kodaka visibly winced as the resulting gust of wind stirred the folds of his attire, his hood would’ve even flipped all the way over his head were it not for his horns. His mouth curved into the shape of a frown and he turned on his heel in a single motion as the wind settled. He was careful not to turn his back completely to Mya, instead keeping a shoulder pointing at her and one at the dragon. The man waved some of the lingering dust clouds off before he crossed his great arms and glowered as he beheld the scaly creature.
“Now why’d you go and do that ya big dumb lizard?” The Nephilim lifted his voice enough to reach any nearby ears. To any onlookers unfamiliar with him or the dragon he had just chided, they appeared to either know each other to an extent or the mercenary had the balls to talk down a dragon. He turned to look the woman’s way when he heard her speak, it didn’t take a genius to tell she was on edge now and Kodaka didn’t blame her. His hard eyes softened a little in reassurance before he retuned his attention to the scaly beast.
The dragon meanwhile looked completely indifferent to Kodaka’s remark. ‘I smelled blood. So I came down to investigate,’ he answered dismissively, projecting his words onto any nearby minds within earshot that weren’t barred from his telepathic communication. ‘Besides, we were getting tired of letting you scout ahead.’ Nightfire’s voice was actually quite pleasant which might be surprising from such a large creature. It could be described as silky smooth and even singsong when he was in a particular mood. Though he was younger in years than anyone else present, he possessed an alien intellect that could be sensed by any who dared pry into his consciousness. Nightfire had the kind of presence that could certainly be intimidating, but he came off as friendlier than he looked most of the time.
Kodaka wasn’t having any of it. “There’s a reason I went ahead,” he growled and placed a hand over his own heart, “The folks here’d be reactin’ just like she is right now if you came to their doorstep with us three onboard.” Kodaka’s arms hung loose at his sides as he seemed to realize something. “Wait, you passed over us from the north jus’ now. Did you go on even further ahead to the castle already?”
‘We— I was curious! I am confident no one noticed us circling the castle this time. Maybe a raven or two.’ The dragon lowered onto his hunches to allow his passenger to disembark. Daniel Hawthorne swung a leg over the custom-tailored, dragon-fitted saddle and gracefully hopped to the ground. The man turned toward Kodaka and the woman and cleared his throat quietly. He reached toward his tie and tightened the knot and made sure to straighten his vest and roll down his sleeves. Daniel carefully stepped over Nightfire’s tail and approached Kodaka. He was a man with a dignified and well-practiced stride, even out in the middle of the wilderness on a worn down road. He might have been a stark contrast to some of the company he kept, but he wore it proudly.
“Kodaka,” Daniel Hawthorne greeted as he stepped before the mercenary. Daniel wasn’t a short man by any means, just shy of six feet with his hat, but Kodaka still dwarfed him when the two stood face to face. Daniel peeked past Kodaka toward the woman whom the Nephilim was speaking with and he tilted his head in a quizzical fashion. “Ah, hello! Are you quite alright? I hope Kodaka here hasn’t caused you any sort of trouble.”
“Wh- trouble?! We were doing just fine ‘til you two fu-" “-I am Daniel Hawthorne, at your service. You’ve already met Kodaka,” he gestured at Kodaka briefly before he nodded at the midnight-scaled dragon stretching out catlike some small distance away, “but the scaly one behind me is also a dear friend of ours.”
“Oh so I don’t get to introduce myse—"
The dragon opened his maw and let out a sharp whining yawn at the sky, impressive rows of sharp ivory teeth flashed as though polished and when his jaws snapped shut, his serpentine tongue slithered out to taste the air. The dragon swung his neck to set his ruby red gaze on the lot of them and with a blink a soothing voice entered their minds. ‘I am Nightfire, son of Voltaire Nightstalker and Talath Ironbreaker,’ he squared his shoulders and opened his wings then stood tall and proud for all to see. He ignored Kodaka as the Nephilim man buried his face in one of his hands out of embarrassment and groaned, the dragon figured he was just in awe of his dragonly might and couldn’t bear the sight anymore.
In a slowed motion, Nightfire closed his wings and kept them tight against his back as he sat down on his hunches. His tail coiled loosely around himself, the tip lazily swaying every so often. The dragon’s gaze fell on Mya’s violet eyes and his head tilted inquisitively. ‘Forgive me but are you perhaps Lady Mya?’ He sniffed at the air audibly and lowered his head so his gaze was level with the other two-legged folk. 'Your appearance and even your aura has shifted since we last met, but this nose remembers.’ Then the end of the dragon’s leathery lips lifted into what mimicked a closed-mouth smile. ‘It is good to see you alive and… well; I hope?’ He recalled the memory when he and Kodaka were in the castle’s garden, when Mya was wrapped in a cocoon of plant and vine and not looking nearly as lively as she did now.
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Post by Mya on May 18, 2022 23:43:11 GMT -6
Mya folded her arms across her chest as she watched the interactions between the two men and the dragon. She might have been surprised by the dragon's voice in her ear if she wasn’t used to the connection that she shared with her family that allowed them to speak into each other’s mind if they were in a certain radius. She raised a brow, listening to the banter. She nodded as the introductions rolled in. Mya was correct in her assessment of Kodaka's identity. The Nephilhim's description was fairly unique enough. She was not aware that he travelled with this Daniel character and certainly had no idea about the dragon.
What was confused her the most was that the dragon knew her name. She squinted at the dragon, trying to remember if she had ever met any of his kind before. Nothing stuck out but then again, there were many memories lost to time. "It is a pleasure to meet you all... and yes, I am Mya... though I'm not entirely sure we've met?" The lady demon tapped one of her fingers on her lips. She paused for a moment before realizing that she was still soaked in the blood of her dinner. "Sorry for, um," She gestured to her attire. "I can assure you that I don't usually look like this."
Her violet gaze lingered on each one of them, before she began to walk close to them. Mya walked past both of the men and stood before the young dragon. She peered up at him, admiring his smooth scaly appearance. "I've never laid my eyes on such a magnificent creature..." Mya murmured before taking a few steps back to give him his space. The trio seemed harmless enough.
~~~
"Something arrived out the front roadway. Any of the towers here you should be able to have a good enough view. If there's trouble, you'll know," Dante clapped Vasili on his shoulder before taking off running himself. He tugged on the thread that connected him to his sister to try and get some more intel. She wasn't answering him. Dante frowned. Were they under attack?
Finally, he exited through the main doors and booked it down the path. The stench of blood hit his nose and he felt a pit in his stomach. Was Mya safe? Faster...Dante's feet picked up the pace. Within minutes, Mya had come into view with two men and a dragon standing before her. He let out a ferocious bear-like roar, "Get away from her!" Mya was now within his reach. He placed his hand on her shoulder and inserted himself as a buffer between his sister and the new arrivals. Dante put up his fists and assumed a defensive stance.
It took his eyes a moment longer to adjust to the darkness. He looked to the dragon, Daniel and then Kodaka. His brain processed who he was looking at. "Oh hey, it's you again!" He grinned at Kodaka... then the smile vanished from his face as he frantically looked around. "Dude, I know you're cool and all but like... now she's going to show up," Dante shuddered.
He turned to Mya and grabbed her shoulders, "Are you okay? Did these guys do anything to you?" He examined his little sister with conern.
"I'm fine, I was in the middle of dinner. Sorry for making you worry..." Mya pushed on Dante's arms to make him release her and motioned to the dead deer that was laying on the side of the road. "They surprised me, that's all. Honest."
Dante let out a breath of relief, "Oh. Well... that's good then," He turned back to the others. "Uh, sorry about my entrance. I usually give a warmer welcome... but in my defense, you spooked my sister so I had to come running," He ruffled Mya's hair much to her annoyance. "Kodaka, I remember you... but I don't think I've met your companions." Mya introduced Daniel and Nightfire. He bowed gracefully, perhaps a bit in mockery. "Dante Ionis. Nice to make your acquaintance. We welcome you to the Moonlight Castle. May your visit be a pleasant one... provided you don't summon that she-devil."
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