Surveying his surroundings Raziel was greeted to what seemed like an endless vacuum of space and stars, yet there was breathable air (not that he needed to breath anymore) all around. The large mass of ruined rock-like land he found himself on seemed to float endlessly in the void of this realm, also he noted the landscape while he seemed to consist of a natural rock; the formations all looked like they were purposely designed like one would a castle.
While not a planar mage or well-versed in the knowledge of sensing the ethereal make-up of a realm (outside of his expertise in shifting from the Spectral to Material realms) the wraith could tell just by the way this place felt, he was no longer in Nosgoth. Another oddity that struck him was that he did not feel the usual tugs of his material body’s essence seeping away; somehow much like the Spectral realm this place sustained his body like time was standing still as it did in the underworld.
”Considering I did not know if I could return to the Material realm if I was forced back to the Spectral realm thus trapping me for what might be an eternity if a route of escape was not available in this dimension, this was a boon I would take advantage of as long as I could. There was also my concern that the Elder might also have ties to this dimension’s underworld and was simply waiting for me to be sent back like the patient parasite it is.” Raziel thought to himself as he started to walk toward the rocky canyon before him. As he strode deeper he found more signs that this place was indeed crafted by a hand that was not that of natures’ own.
”As I moved deeper into this canyon, out of the corner of my eye I saw a far off section of this landmass where a spec I could barely make out was moving fast toward the inner area of this place just as I was, kicking up a large dust cloud in its wake. I just hoped such a fast creature was not out to look for a meal, I wanted to avoid combat as much as I could until I could obtain some answers of what this place is and why I am here.”
A short while later Raziel suddenly felt a gathering of living auras close by. Despite his aversion to keep away from a potential conflict he knew his best chance for answers about his location might rest with the inhabitants, assuming they were friendly of course. Stealthily running through the jagged rocks he finds himself a perch above a small circular drop in the canyon. There he witnessed dozens of beings with green skin, pointy ears, yellow glowing eyes, and humanoid features. Their appearances vaguely reminded him of the “goblins” from Nosgoth folklore. Save for a few, they were all archers with their bows drawn taunt and ready to fire with deadly precision.
One of the goblin-like creatures that caught his eye was a female who was very tall and well-built, how what drew his attention more however was that her arms slightly above the elbow were gone only a pointy stump remained. The wraith also noticed that there was a sizable hole through her abdomen and forehead; oddly enough the remains within the hole were smooth and shaped like a vent of some kind. Her garments while of a skimpy variety indicated she was a holy figure, a priestess no doubt.
Next to this priestess was an unmistakable abomination, a Lich. Strangely he did not sense the strong undead magic a Lich usually carted around in its tainted aura, yet the scrolls floating nearby held tremendous power. In the creature’s arms the red-robed undead carried a swaddled bundle, an infant and an infant that was unmistakably under the influence of a sleep enchantment which also explained why the babe did not cry in fear of the monster holding it.
In the center of this gathered group was a woman, a werecat woman. Raziel had not seen a Lycanthrope in ages since the Sarafan wiped them out after branding them allies of the vampires. However he had never seen a werecat with golden fur and black spots, also her garments were beyond any he had ever encountered, nor had he ever seen a female so well…endowed. That last strange thought aside he could tell from the glowing orange outline on her body was a stasis spell that held her in mid-air at the mercy of the archers.
This was none of his concern; in fact he should leave before he found himself at the wrong end of those arrows. He turns to leave but stops as he hear the booming, gravely dark tone of the Lich begin to speak.
"Why, Britanny..." the lich in question spoke in a tone that reverberated with power, the reverberations coinciding with the glow of the four scrolls, "What an unexpected surprise..." He chuckled with dark mirth. "Especially because I thought for sure that I had cast you off into the abyss on my way here!" His shoulders shrugged. "Oh well... We'll soon remedy that oversight..."
Britanny struggled against the bonds, but with no effort. She was enveloped firmly in an aura which would not cease its hold on her.
"And it is nice to have a relative visit my sanctum. Well..." He chuckled his dark laugh again, his ribcage rising and falling, ribs clattering under his elaborate robe. "Truthfully, Oblivion isn't mine yet... But I'll be more than happy enough to take full possession of the Elve's dirty little secret realm soon enough..."
The woman grits her teeth, struggling more as she felt fear in every ounce of her body. She could see the Gaoblin rearing back their bows, EVERYONE aiming at her.
"The Gaoblin here are so very willing to enforce my will across the rest of this realm," he told her haughtily. "Corrupt elf-kin that worship death are a lich's best friend, you know... And you've seen firsthand how territorial they are! Protective and obedient. How can I ask for more?"
”If I still had blood coursing through my veins I am certain it would be boiling over. The arrogant, selfish, and downright cruel tone this lich used reminded of the Elder, Moebius, and to a lesser extent Kain. What angered me even more was he revealed he was kin to this poor woman he was tormenting! Which also meant the child must be the werecat’s I know I should just leave this damnedable place but I feel compelled to linger here.” Raziel thought as he watched the spectacle continue on like some horrific drama.
The werecat's struggles ceased as her body began to tremble with fear from the realization of how useless her own ability to defend herself was... tears began to trickle from her eyes, streaking down along her facial fur. And then she spoke, in a soft, shaking voice...
"Grandad... please..." her voice cracked, tears streaming faster down her face. "All I want... is my baby. PLEASE..." She managed to choke out, the strain of the fear and sadness taxing on her voice. "I'll do ANYTHING...! Just give me back my baby..." she managed to finish before sobbing harder.
Raziel felt his entire body shake, anger... and something else an emotion he could not recall raced through his ruined body. The woman Britanny’s honest and genuine plea for the safe return of her child, this symbol of undying maternal love struck a cord in Raziel’s undead heart (if he still had such an organ in this form). His eyes narrow weakly as a faint but powerful memory suddenly echoes through his mind.
”MAMA!!”
”RUN RAZIEL! THE VAMPIRES HAVE GONE MAD! SAVE YOURSELF CHILD!”
The soul-devouring wraith shook, his mother, yes his human mother. She gave her life so he could run and hide as feral vampires, driven mad by the blood thirst cursed upon them came to his village to feed in a frenzy of blood and murder. Her loss was what drove him to join the fanatical order of the Sarafan; and now another tragedy like that was starting to unfold before his very eyes.
”Damn it all to hell…” Raziel murmured lowly to himself, his mind made up on what he should, no HAD to do!
The lich raised his left hand to his chin, as if considering her words. A cruel smile spread across his withered, dried, corpse-like face. "...No." And then he raised his left hand, snapping his fingers.
Britanny's eyes widened, her vision slightly blurry, as she felt the weight in her heart crush her. It was over. She failed her child. “Tifanny...” she thought what was sure would be her last thoughts. “I'm sorry...”
Suddenly a loud cry filled the air, drawing everyone’s attention as a blue blur lunged down from the higher rock face toward Britanny. Gathering telekinetic energies onto himself, Raziel unleashed the power of the Force Glyph spell and sending out a powerful telekinetic wave around himself and Britanny; in turn all the arrows were deflected harmlessly to the ground.
Landing firmly on the ground Raziel quickly summoned the Reaver, the wraith-blade forming itself around his arm into existence at its master’s whim. Moving into a defensive stance before the stasis-kept werecheetah Raziel held the blade up as if ready to strike any foe that cares cross him. “This is your only warning, return the child and leave… or you will all die in a most painful and agonizing manner.” He said as coldly but powerfully as he could, his vacant white eyes glowing ominously.
Britanny's eyes went wide as she saw the person... the THING standing before her... almost like another corpse, but with what could have been the remnants of wings hanging like dead-eight behind it, her hair stood on end at the close proximity to such a terrible power!
The Gaoblin were stunned by the appearance of this blue, deformed being. Some had their bows up, ready to fire on command while others kept at the half-raised stance unsure of what to do.
The priestess Gaoblin took a very good look at this being. His visage reminded her greatly of the Ancient beings that aided the Goddess before her untimely death. His eyes widened when she took a greater look at its weapon, within the phantasmal energy blade was the visage of the sacred blade of Blood and Souls. =Holiness!!= She spoke to the Lich in Eldritch tongue. =This newcomers resembles the ancients and his weapon bares a resemblance to the holy weapon!=
What...?" The Lich spoke, in wide eyed shock... However, surprise waned as his eyes narrowed in realization from what the priestess who was named Crescens had said. "... The Soul Reaver..." He frowns this could be VERY bad for his plans. If this creature swayed the Gaoblin because of his resemblance to the Ancient Vampires, his plans could very well be for nought since he knew how revered they were to the Gaoblin he could be superseded.
Thankfully for the Lich he did not have long to dwell on the bad outcome on his end; a reckless Gaoblin holsters his bow and after drawing an ether blade lunges at Raziel with a fierce battle cry.
Raziel carefully dodges the lunging strike, bringing his leg to kick the Gaoblin in the face as he did a twist-dodge. Once the Gaoblin was stun he swung the Reaver and jammed the devil-blade into the Gaoblin’s chest. The blade howled as it began to feast, devouring the soul of the enemy Raziel presented it. Normally Raziel abhorred feeding the accursed weapon but he wanted his point clear to his enemy. After the Gaoblin impaled on the bladed cried out in soul-wrenching agony for a few seconds he feel limp and slide off the Soul Reaver as the blade’s glow became more intense after being feed.
”Does anyone else wish to die pointlessly?” Raziel shouts to the Gaoblin. “Now return the child!”
The Gaoblin Archers all fully drew their arrows to fire on instinct but still withheld until they were ordered to fire, least they enrage this creature further.
Britanny stared in shock at what was going on. She couldn't believe what was going on. Someone was coming to her defense?
Crescens stared wide-eyed, as she realized what happened. Seeing one fo their own die, FINALLY die... But to not go on, only to be exhausted from existence and faded to nothing, only to feed the hunger from a monster...
=FALSE PROPHET!= She cried out in her eldritch tongue. She was about to try and sort things out, but seeing a horrid death that this newcomer brought with him; it was more than enough to let her know that he was not the embodiment of death that they had come to expect.
The Lich grinned quite happy the newcomer had screwed up and got on the bad side of the Gaoblin, regardless he had a phantasmal representation of the revered Soul Reaver weapon. =Indeed priestess he is a false one sent to stop our holy task, he must be eliminated.=
=By the Goddess and your will Holy One. Archer FIRE!= Crescens commanded.
The archers once again began to fire upon the wraith with their Fallen Archery, arrows of ebony raining down once more.
Raziel cursed and prepared to unleash another Force Glyph spell but he found himself exhausted of Eldritch energy. The years trapped in the Underworld had weakened his magic supply to an extent.
”Damn!” He curses and tries to slash at the arrows to prevent them from hitting the woman or himself but too many were passing him. He expects to see the woman Britanny impaled and killed by the hail of arrows but something jumps before her and deflects the arrows.
”WHAT?” The Lich cries as yet another accursed wannabe hero appears to save Britanny. He then gets a good look at this second foe after the arrow hail stopped momentarily. “N-Gniess…” He hisses recognizing the handiwork of the creature that appeared.
Britanny's eyes widened as before her and her protector as ANOTHER form stood. Looking like something out of Asiatic Myth, the huge monk-seeming statue stood, a few arrows having managed to stab into it, and sticking out.
Raziel eyes the stone creature, he had seen and fought plenty of golems in his time but this one was flawless in not just design but the feel and power coming off of it. “You wish to protect her and save the child as well?”
The Sentinel looks down at Raziel slowly nodding to confirm his questions answer. Looking back toward the Gaoblin it enters a martial arts defensive stance.
”Then let us protect and rescue then.” Raziel held the Reaver up at the ready. “One head at a time as my former master once said.”
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(Posted Tue, 25 Jul 2006 21:27)
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