A New Begining (Page 201 of 214)

Well... That's all very interesting. And I'm glad you clarified it a little, because you made it easier for me to explain what happened to George later on.
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Since I don't know what you intend for George I'll have Tyrael keep them guessing.
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"Many things are not as they seem within this universe of you mortals," Tyrael replies, fascination clinging to the fringes of his voice. "Do not let your eyes deceive you; because you cannot see the Force does this mean it is not there? So too can a man not physically exist but not be dead in entirety."

His head turns and Leina feels the Guardian's hidden gaze fall to her. "Eventually the one you speak of shall find his way through the darkness and return..." he continues, "but in the end we can neither hinder nor advance the matter. For now we must proceed without his assistance..."

"Proceed?" Riordan ponders suddenly.

Tyrael motions towards the key before them. "Despair is merely one of the seven, no? Even now Mir'athorin searches for the other keys; he is one step ahead... as always. But you -and those who shall accompany you- have all been predestined to obtain and guard the valsai'ium keys."

Riordan shakes his head in disbelief. Predestined? The madness of this... place... "You speak as if this is our destiny... to undertake the task you place at our feet," the noble retorts darkly. "Fate is a twisted mistress who can change her mind about such matters at any time... Guardian."

Tyrael turns his attention to Riordan. "Such a fool," the Guardian scolds quietly, his words barely reaching Leina and Mat, "to speak as if I do not know you, Riordan Koga, or share the burden you bear..."

Riordan growls sharply, an unexpected response. "Ekam..."

Tyrael ignores the comment and continues. "Fate plays many tricks, yes, but Mir'athorin is the king of this game and no longer can she alter its path. The seven keys must be found..."

...Korriban...

Natayla walks along the wall, her blood stained nails scrapping into the stone like knives, leaving scars in their wake. Her movements lead her in a circle around Jester. "Drihten... it is derived from an ancient word meaning 'paradise'. It is where all the good little boys and girls so once death has claimed their pathetic bodies. And it is there... that the Force resides in a physical state..."

"Now what would happen... I wonder..." she continues, casting a dangerous glance in his direction, "should the Force itself become corrupted by our... power?"

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Ekam: a curse on your opponent's name; bastard

George: Tyrael is fixing to explain how to find the keys and again explain that they have to do it because of Mortis. Feel free to ask anymore questions or be like "But we don't know where to start" anything like that. ^_^

Also, when Tyrael speaks of "sharing someone's burden" this means he understands it more than actually bearing it himself. But I wonder what Riordan could be hiding for the Guardian to say that... hmmm...

Jest: Feel free to go crazy with your answer. And by "our power" Natayla means the "Force vampire power"

Be back to post later.
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Mat carefully placed the stone back into the pocket on his belt. He felt faint energy emanating from the stone, but he ignored it for the moment. He blinked when he heard that they have to go to Ordo. That damn planet is filled with bloody mandalorians. Mat couldn't listen anymore. It was too much for him. "When do we leave?" He asked.

Leina looked at him as if he was being rude. "I agree with Mar." She turned her gaze to Riordan. "We should leave. But first we need to know where exactly on Ordo we must go?"

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You can have Guardian answering simply "George will know". Or you can make up something else

Repost. Some change ups, some better writing, and more meaning.
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"Even I know not where your journey shall take you... I know only that each valsai'ium key acts as the guide to the next," the Guardian answers simply. "Keep them close and your feet shall find the path you seek."

The key abruptly stops spinning as the map is sucked back within. It begins to fall and Riordan reaches out, catching it with a heavy sigh of relief, terrified a piece of the answer he's long sought might shatter and be lost for all eternity.

"Now go," Tyrael orders sharply, his unseen eyes not leaving Riordan. "Leave this place. My divine task here is complete and my time not well spent in such desolation... I must return to my sacred duty quickly." He pauses briefly. "For whatever reasons may exist, a tremendous burden has fallen upon your mortal shoulders. In the end I fear it may be too much to bear..." he adds quietly. "Guard yourselves well. Do not let your souls take darkness company nor allow corruption entrance."

Seemingly satisfied and happy enough to leave, Mat and Leina turn and head back towards the short passageway which initially led them to the Sanctuary. Riordan, however, does not move, blankly starring at the dark key within his slender fingers. An overbearing presence brings the noble's attention up, his piercing green eyes rising to met Tyrael's faceless figure, the Guardian towering over him.

"Tread lightly... Riordan Koga..." the Guardian's deep voice resonates around the noble though his words do not reach the two Jedi, oblivious to the secret conversation. "'Tis a thin line which you attempt to so fervently balance yourself upon. A firm push and you shall topple one way or the other whether you wish it or not."

Riordan eyes narrow. This... being... did he truly know?

Sensing his thoughts Tyrael replies: "So quickly do you forget who I am... or perhaps it is because you do not believe even though I am before you. I knew of you long before your forefathers were yet birthed. I knew the curse would befall you and your brother in such a manner as it did. And I knew you would come to stand before me... seeking answers; a way out."

"But this," Tyrael bites, a slight nod motioning towards the key, "is no escape, mortal. Your fate cannot be altered nor your blood cleansed of its curse; even Drihten has no cure for your kind. Death is all you shall find."

"Fate does not govern me," Riordan growls. "Only those swallowed up by ignorance and fear or those who have missed a step fall into its rapid river. If I die it is not because Fate chose to take my life... but because I made a mistake. Grave errors cannot go unpunished."

Tyrael is surprised by Riordan's response though this does not show. "And you are willing to die for this petty 'cause' or yours, mortal? A vain death it would be indeed..."

"I would not expect you to understand something as this," Riordan retorts harshly, turning to leave.

The Guardian does not follow the man. He would fight his own battle like he always had. There was no need for interference. His voice rises so as to address the two Jedi as well. "Should you have need of me, call... and I shall heed your pleas."

And with that the angelic figure disappears.

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Tyrael Quote: "Do not let your souls take darkness company nor allow corruption entrance." Tyrael's saying don't die and don't fall to the darkside... basically...

Yeah, I know. I know. Again I was going to write the Force vampire part but I'm tired. Long day. I'm going to bed. I'll tackle it all tomorrow. Or something.

As a reminder: You can have them completely exit the Temple/Tomb in your post. Nothing else of importance remains there. So all the way back to the Gate Keeper and where Slade and Kain wait patiently.

No worries dear.
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One of Slade's eyes opens lazily, slyly peeking out at the Temple's entrance as the two ancient doors break apart, blinding light spilling out. Kain immediately stands to his feet and Rhiannon turns her horse to face the gate as well. The redhead's heart stops in his chest, however, when only three silhouettes begin to emerge through the light, Kain frantically reaching out through the Force to touch his brother.

"Kain..." a smooth voice halts his search, the man breathing a sigh of relief. His brother's voice was slightly strained but Riordan was otherwise unharmed as far as he could tell; an accomplishment considering Kain's earlier fears.

Slade's eyes narrow in suspicion as the light from the entrance fades away, leaving behind only Riordan and two Jedi. Two... where were the others? And more importantly... where was that Jedi? A cold shiver runs down the old vampire's spine, forcing him from his reclining position with a growl which escapes the notice of the others. No... he couldn't have... the curse was so fresh...

A incredible spike in overbearing Force power draws the blonde vampire's attention back to Kain who was also noticing the absence of that one, particular Jedi. The man's hand clench into fists and he approaches his brother.

"Brother," the hotheaded vampire manages, adding a genuine smile, "glad ta see ya made it... I was worried..."

Riordan's eyes find Kain's, the green pools echoing with sorrow. Kain wasn't the man he was before and Riordan was no longer a boy. The pits had changed them both for better or worse. But they both understood that; understood the change, how they worked and the meaning of their words as well as their actions... at least to come extent. Coming from Kain... those few simple words meant almost everything in the world.

"As was I," the noble answers, managing to return the smile.

Kain looks around briefly, eager to change the subject from what they both knew rested on the others mind. The past was the past. It was long ago buried and as far as he was concerned... it needed to stay that way. Eventually his curiousity gets the best of him. "So where's tha Jedi? Turn'd on ya did 'e? Good for nothin' bastard. 'ave to put 'im down like a dog did ya?" his smile turns into a sadistic grin and his eyes gleam with something sinister.

...Naitsu Inner Sanctum, The First’s Personal Quarters; unknown location...

Days upon days on end. Nothing but greed and war, murder and violence; corruption. Filth. How anyone could care for such rotten, worthless waste was beyond him. But his Master did. At least he had too... to some extent. With his level of power it was possible to eradicate the entire universe and cleanse it within days... yet he refrained.

If it were Razvan's choice he would unleash hell itself and slaughter them all like animals! If they were even worth such on his part. Truth be told he viewed them as not even worth the simple effort it would take to insult them. He'd watched their kind for ages and there exist more heartless savage wolves amongst their own flocks than within the ranks of the Force vampires. Such hypocrites...

So what was the truth behind this epic struggle which had been waging for millenia? Was it truly good versus evil? Or evil against a far greater evil?

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"... more heartless savage wolves amongst their own flocks..." A reference to the "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" fable.

Will add more Force vampire bits as we continue. Don't want to reveal too much before everything happens so I have to write carefully. Also Razvan's opinion on the universe and species and such is kinda significant during the whole storyline I guess but VERY IMPORTANT near the end. He views pretty much everything and everyone as trash... keep that in mind.

Not as good as it could be but it has been a long day so... I'll get back to better writing tomorrow.
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Kain smiles charmingly, surprising Leina to some degree as he turns his head, offering his cheek. “Go ‘head, Princess. We all know ya want ta hit me,” he purrs, his eyes flashing with a predatory gleam.

A chill runs down Leina’s spine as she catches the dark ripples in those piercing green pools and the hungry lurking deeper, among the shadows just out of view; much like Shirokami’s. Even now those cold blue eyes which belonged to the infamous blonde vampire inadvertently found Leina and Mat on occasion as if he were a starving animal and a forbidden meal had just been set before him on a silver platter. It was only a matter of time until temptation got the better of him...

Her eyes narrow as her attention returns to Kain. As for him...

Riordan snaps Shouten Yaiba towards the ground suddenly as if to break the tension with a distraction, the blade shattering to return to its neutral state as the simple grip of a katana. He then slips this into the fold of his robes, allowing his arm to rest there. “‘Tis not the time nor the place, Kain,” Riordan responds. “There are more important issues at hand I do believe....”

The noble’s eyes cut to the side as Rhiannon approaches the group, towering above them. Riordan nods curtly and, removing his arm from his robes, holds out an open hand towards Mat though he addresses the Gate Keeper. “So you know of some ritual which may help us?” he wonders, Mat carefully handing him the stone.

Rhiannon’s nods simply as Riordan switches the stone from one hand to the other to pass it to her. She reaches out with both hands to take it from him, cradling it as if it were beyond priceless. “Yes. The stone is very familiar to me and the ritual as old as time itself,” she replies, her delicate, blood stained fingers running over the smooth surface of the rock.

“Slade,” she almost whispers, her smoking blue eyes coldly jumping to the man. “You are a cunning hunter yes? You must be...” she pauses, the meaning she implies earning a smile from the older vampire.

Slade stands to his feet. “Yeah,” he answers, stretching, completely uninterested in whatever task she had for him. “Humans certainly make me work for it.”

She seems to ignore this as if the very thought brought about some terrible memory. “I require your assistance,” she continues. “The ritual demands the heart and blood of an mardok but I do not have the patience nor the time for such a hunt and I must prepare the rest of the ritual. Would you kindly?”

Slade sighs, stretching one more time, a few of his bones popping in the progress. “Might as well,” he replies. “Nothin’ interestin’ to do ‘round here anyway.”

And with that the blonde vampire disappears. Rhiannon glances back at the others. “You may remain here. I must go and prepare for the ritual,” she adds as she herself leaves.
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Okay so I decided you could have a little play in there (plus I need a bit to think up a really awesome ritual ). Rhiannon's going to prepare for the ritual while Slade is off hunting a mardok (which will be explained later ). You can have Leina and Kain start arguing about something or whatever comes to mind. Next post I'll do the ritual. ^_^ Gonna be good to have George back.

I'm looking forward to it. Well I ended up getting completely side tracked. But I'll post tomorrow or the day after that. Hope my ritual works out right so it doesn't mess with anything you have planned.
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Cool. Well, here goes.
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Kain flashes Leina a quick, feral grin as one of his strong hands clasps down on Riordan's shoulder, the young man allowing himself to be pulled towards a semi-seclusive spot away from the others. Though Kain's head remains slightly turned towards Mat and Leina -as if he were afraid to turn his back on them -his eyes cut to the side, the redhead's animalistic eyes finding his brother.

Riordan is shocked to find something beyond hunger and rage in those eyes he though he'd become so familiar with. But there it lies: sorrow and agony; regret and fear. Riordan suddenly sees his brother as the same young man from 60 years ago, burdening the weight of their world on his shoulder. The noble had suspected that what they had been through had changed Kain for the worse, that by forcing him to fight Mika had remained true to her words and broken him, turning the redhead into a monster which craved fighting and bloodshed.

But Kain viewed his strength and rage as much a curse as his now poisoned blood -something not many people would believe upon meeting the man or even after knowing him -and did his best to not let it control him. As the years went by, however, it was obviously more of a strain to keep his brash power on a tight leash. With the curse... Riordan's fears worsened, worried that his brother would lose himself to a far more desperate creature than that of rage.

In truth, Kain's "mental snaps" had become more common and his nightmares more violent and terrifying, the man often waking in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. The redhead had initially left Riordan's side fearful that he would not be able to withstand the effects of the constantly waging war within him and might hurt the one person he cared for. Yet Kain denied his cursed blood the joy of his body, refusing to allow anything but death to take him from Riordan.

"Well? Kain wonders, pulling Riordan from his thoughts suddenly.

Riordan's gaze had dropped but he quickly looks back up at his brother. "Yes?" the noble asks in response.

Kain shifts his weight, already impatient. "Ya wanna tell me what happened in there?"

Riordan does his best to appear clueless. "Nothing beyond what was expected. If it had not been for the Jedi I too believe we would have perished," Riordan adds, reluctant to reveal just how much George had truly helped them.

It was not like what happened would bother Kain as long as Riordan was safe and knew he would never betray him but still... the matter was the noble's own concern. He'd never liked depending on his brother and he certainly was not about to continue the trend. His fears were his own and he would deal with them accordingly.

Kain seems satisfied with Riordan's answer. He had enough respect for his brother not to pry for more than the other man was willing to give. "It's just..." the redhead quickly curbs his tongue, unsure if bringing up such a sensitive subject as the one he'd remembered would hurt his brother's pride. He decides against it. "I just don't 'ave a good feelin' 'bout all this, Riordan," he substitutes, concerned for his brother's well being. "I don't like where thins are goin'..."

Before Riordan can ask his brother the meaning behind those words, Slade appears near them, seemingly relaxed but the slight twitch at the blonde vampire's temple giving away his agitation. A large, dog-like creature is slung over his shoulders.

"Damn errand boy," Slade mumbles to himself before turning his attention to Riordan and Kain. "If you two are done wit' your lil' family reunion and all I'd like to get this over wit'. I don't like this damn place," he growls.

Riordan nods and calls to Leina and Mat who make their way towards the trio. "We will follow Slade to the ritual grounds," he explains. "But it is a long walk..." he trails off.

Kain smiles smugly. "I got dibs on tha Princess 'ere," he claims, stepping forward towards Leina only to be stopped by Riordan who shakes his head.

"I do not think that wise, brother. You and the Lady Naberrie do not seem to cooperate well. I shall escort her."

Kain grumbles, shocking Mat as the redhead suddenly towers above him and unexpectedly throws him over bulky shoulders, kicking and screaming. "Oh, shut up!" Kain roars, gaining compliance when the Jedi senses his building anger.

Without giving Leina time to react, Riordan grabs her hand and pulls her into his body, cradling her in arms which are much larger and stronger than the lose robes made them out to be. "I apologize, my Lady, but this is the quickest way." He looks at Slade who was watching Kain struggle to keep a squirming Mat balanced on his shoulder and nods. "Lead the way."

The blonde vampire returns the noble's nod and suddenly vanishes, Kain and Riordan proceeding to do the same. Within an instant, Riordan's grip on Leina loosens and her feet slip onto the ground, the surface wet and sinking in slightly beneath her. Kain growls, tossing Mat onto the ground, unconcerned for the Jedi's feelings.

The area around them is a dark and haunting marsh, sounds from various creatures echoing deeply around them. The air is cold and nips at them like a hungry animal. Slade drops the body of the creature, kicking it with disgust.

"Alright, Rhiannon. We're here. Time to start this lil' party of yours."

The Gate Keeper seems to solidify from thin air, holding the red stone in her hands. She no longer rides upon her black steed and small flowers sprout wherever her feet touch the ground. She looks at the corpse of what was apparently the mardok she'd been searching for. "You've done well, Rule Slade," she comments.

The ground trembles slightly as a small stone pillar erects itself in the swampy marsh not to far away from the group. "Rip out it's heart and give it to me. Afterwards take it's blood and surround the altar in a circle of sanctification."

Slade complies though it was obvious the vampire wished to be elsewhere. He bends down, effortlessly punching through the creature's chest to extract the heart. Rhiannon takes it from him and proceeds in placing the stone upon the altar as Slade creates a blood circle around her and the altar.

He tosses the empty corpse to the side and stands back away from the Gate Keeper with the others, watching with somewhat fascination as she begins to chant in an ancient language. Leina and Mat immediately recognize it as the same with which Riordan had communicated with the creature in. Strange...

The Gate Keeper pulls out a small dagger as she continues chanting, raising the heart over her head. Suddenly she slams the heart down on the stone, bringing her other arm down to stab through it and shatter the stone beneath. A shockwave erupts from the pillar-like altar...

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There you go, hon. Go ahead and bring George back. ^_^ The significance of the mardok is that it is a very powerful predator and often used to symbolic represent a "warrior" or a "warrior's heart".

Also if you notice during Riordan thinking about all that's happened and ya-de-da he notes 60 years instead of 50 (50 years being how long ago he and Kain were tainted). So what could have happened before then I wonder?