A New Begining (Page 202 of 214)

Oh, of course Slade doesn't know everything about what happens with George. ^_^ But he has suspicions which are pretty damn close. Like I said he's just a very complex character.  Will post in the morning. Promise. 
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Well I was talking to my friend a few days ago (the one who designed and drew Kain, Nanashi, Daisuke, Sabien, and Dante) and was telling him how much I loved Kain's character design. What do you know he drew more pictures! *squeel* ^_^ So here's another pic of Kain in his normal, everyday outfit just because I can. [Ignore the sword]

He did more pictures but they're a little different so I'll be using them later on in the RPG for something. And yes, those are lip piercings. I did not notice them until this picture but I looked back at the other ones and sure enough... there they were. Also another Nanashi pic with color so you can better get an idea of how he looks.

And have you noticed that for the last few posts I've done about the Force vampires, Razvan has had his normal voice and there's no strain? Eh? Yeah. He can talk now. lol Why... well I might go into that later.
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Last edited by Beautiful Chaos (2011-08-20 16:40:32)

Mortis's sneaky too. He hasn't lived this long to be outsmarted by a ragtag team of Jedi and fullbring I assure. you. He knows what he's doing in the long run. lol And the twins and Nanashi are my favorite. Dante and Dmitri were kinda added as secondary characters because I figured Mortis needed more then four generals.

Again the dreams/vision part will be in italics but also with * at beginning and end to clarify. It gets kinda tricky cause George goes in and out of consciousness during the scene in the medbay but it's all one dream/vision thingie which kinda skips bits and pieces cause he keeps regaining consciousness during it.

Also for the dream/vision... eh... might want to prepare yourself... just a little bit. I mean I did my best not to do too much but I at least had to do this. I'll explain at the end. Just don't hate me! *tears*
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Riordan catches the display of sadness which sweeps across Leina's face only to quickly retreat. The noble, however, remains distant and cold as if he hadn't even seen it. This woman did not want pity or arms to hold her and comfort her in the dark. If she did the Malinov noble was not the man she was looking for.

"Do not fret, my Lady. The Jedi shall be fine," he assures her smoothly, his voice one which children would trust without hesitation. "The journey is just begun but already our hearts grow weary and our shoulders slump, heavy laden with a burden far beyond our means to bear alone. But we shall all survive... as he... given time," the noble adds. "Simply allow him rest, my Lady. He is far stronger than we've been led to believe..."

...Medbay...

A dark shadows slithers across the floor of the medbay, vainly stretching out as if wishing escape but constantly anchored to the black boots which silently stride over the plated floors. A tall, menacing figure looms over the Jedi's sleep, its shadow racing up the side of the bed before falling onto the peacefully oblivious man.

A mouth opens on an inaudible, meaningless sigh, heated breath forming faint clouds which quickly vanish. The Jedi shivers, his body adjusting to the sudden nipping chill in the room but showing no signs of waking, his mind enveloped within a familiar, unrelenting hold. A hand reaches out from his partially lit bedside, steady fingers peeling apart clothes until his bare chest is exposed.

A single finger extends now, hovering inches above the center of the Jedi's chest. Eerie, demonic whispers echo within the confines of the room as faint smoke begins to swirl around that hand, unstable black smoke dripping like liquid from the tip of the finger onto the Jedi's skin, sizzling though the man displays no signs of discomfort at its contact. Cruel, icy blue eyes narrow...

You'll only end up getting burned...

The hand moves slowly, the finger lightly touching the Jedi's chest, black smoke clawing beneath tanned skin and sinking deep, ready to consume...

* The sound of footsteps... closer and closer. Footsteps? No. There was no one here... was there? He shifts his body, attempting to wake himself only to be greeted by a painful ache in both his arms and the feeling of cold, unforgiving stone beneath his knees. He shakes his head groggily, cold metal bitting at the skin around his neck in the process and giving chains the needed momentum to clink together in horrific rhythm.

Wh-what...? This... this wasn't the medbay? Where was he?!

A sadistic chuckle echoes around him. Shivers run down his spine and a drop of sweat falls from the tip of his nose. He'd know that sound anywhere... *

A flash of gold as calloused but tender hands run over his burning skin, brushing aside the rest of his clothes from the upper portion of his body. A fiery but chilled voice murmurs intelligible words in an ancient language as black smoke dances across sore muscles.

* "Let me go, Razvan!" ... He wants to scream those words, wants to demand his freedom but even as his mouth opens his voice falls silent, stolen from his body by that demon of a man's dark power. His eyebrows furrow together harshly and his eyes focus on the red which obscures his vision, as if he put enough hatred into the glare the cloth would catch on fire and his eyes could find that man.

Not that he could harm the monster much in such a state. He was chained to the ground, forced on his knees, his arms suspended out on either side of his body like a crucifix sacrifice, the brutally fashioned Force collar around his neck leaving him helpless against his captor...*

A hand beneath him, fingers sliding down to the small of his back to effortless lift his body away from the table as a cooling cloth dances across his skin...

* He attempts to jerk away from the hand which reaches around him, cold, merciless fingers suddenly snaking around his throat to firmly hold him back against a muscular figure. Razvan.

"Such a foolish boy," a familiar emotionless and deep voice accuses, distain and supremacy dripping from every word, "to believe you could escape my grasp so easily. Just like your sister," the vampire purrs, its icy breath at his ears sending an even sharper shiver down his spine.

Razvan's fingers spread, the chilling digits trailing over the vulnerable flesh of his throat. "You are mine..." Razvan smiles, the curl of the vampire's pale lips evident against his skin as the monster's teeth sink deep.*

George's heart pounds frantically, the Jedi immediately sitting up in a frenzied panic, his hand rushing to his throat to rip away that demon's hand. But there is nothing. Nothing. The man sighs heavily, his body shaking faintly beneath his sweat drenched clothes.

His eyes widen suddenly as his senses tingle, picking up the last remaining traces of... power. Someone... someone had been in the room! His vision might not had been real but the rest... no...

George almost rips his clothes trying to get them open so he can examine his own body. While there is no sign of any form of the black smoke he'd allegedly seen while between consciousness and unconsciousness his upper body is completely bandaged in a cool cloth which hums faintly through the Force, a blue hue clinging to it.

H-healing...?

Vampire healing...

...Gathering Room...

Kain rolls his eyes at Mat, uncaring if the man caught the action or not. He returns his attention to Mekura, his fingers dancing softly and with care over the blade as if it were the second most important thing in his life. Mat catches the redhead murmuring to the weapon in an ancient language as if it were a person and for a moment almost believes he hears the dark whispers of a woman answer...

The doors to the Gathering Room abruptly open and Slade strides in, the blonde vampire's eyes avoiding any contact with either Kain or Mat, his black boots thudding lightly over the plated floors as he makes his way to a convenient sofa and plops down...

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*cowers behind a shield* I'm sorry! But really want better way could Razvan torture a man who hated him? And it wasn't that bad. Seriously... it could have been much worse. And there's a reason it gets cold when Slade walks into the medbay but that's a later story point...

No Slade did not poison George with the vampire taint... even though he does possess the black smoke. If you remember Slade's aspect of death is Intoxication (Poison) but poisons are often used to heal other aliments (such as snake poison used to cure such-n-such, etc.).

And no he doesn't do anything weird to George while the Jedi's asleep. He's merely bandaging George and using his vampire "magic" to heal him (helping those 'soul wounds' you were talking about earlier). It seems a bit... well you know but I meant it that way. George was having that vision about Razvan so it seemed a bit fitting that it looked like Slade was doing something when really he was being all innocent and helpfully. ^_^

Shows ya not to judge people... 

P.S. Slade's healing takes longer than it seems. With George drifting in and out of unconsciousness the whole scene in the medbay takes at least 30 minutes. The vision's just short because it takes a while for the unconsciousness to... ah... settle in again I guess you could say.

No George has not been poisoned again and I'm not going to make it a plot twist later where you find out he actually was poisoned again. lol Slade has learned to use the black smoke to augment his own powers but doesn't let it eat at people like Razvan. This calls for a great deal of control of course and takes a heavy toll on the blonde vampire when its used in excess.

And despite being rid of Razvan's black smoke influence, the First has fought against hunters far longer than George has fought vampires and is going to know how to get under his skin. Plus he did still kill George's family (even if they weren't his real, real family) so it wouldn't be surprising if nightmares still occurred. It's also possible that the contact with Slade's power merely caused a momentarily relapse...

Regarding the language, its certainly possible that after so many years around the vampires George would have picked up a few words (more than likely curses and such seeing as he was never a friend to any of them) or chants of power. I'll add certain words in and put translations at the bottom (cause I like making fake languages so I'm not just going to put English words in italics! lol)
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Riordan stands, for the most part, silently in the cockpit, overseeing the pilots' fervent work to ensure everything was in order. As a Malinov noble it was almost a requirement for one to possess proficient skill in a variety of different fields. While flying wasn't necessarily the noble's forte he certainly understood what needed to be done and how everything was intended to function.

Riordan's head turns slightly, his ears catching Leina's grumbles long before the door to the cockpit slides open. A woman scorned... how wonderful...

Truthfully it was exactly this type of situation which had lead the man to remain in the cockpit instead of wandering about the ship. The cramped cockpit seemed a far more spacious and inviting environment than the Gathering Room filled to the brim with smothering tensions of every nature.

...Gathering Room...

A low growl rumbles deeply in Slade's throat but his face remains as stoic and prideful as ever; as if nothing had changed; nothing had happened. It was partially because of this very attitude the Jedi had come to harbor a general disliking for the man so early on... but this... George's hand unintentionally finds the tiny scrap of charmed bandage dangling from beneath his clothes. What did this mean coming from such a man...?

Slade's eyes casually find George watching the Jedi for any sign as to why the hell he would care as long as he was better. However, while the blonde vampire is obviously rather displeased that George had managed to partially break his hold during the healing process he makes no move towards denying the accusation. It was a start... if anything...

The man suddenly sighs heavily, closing his eyes, the action reminding George of one very particular Malinov noble. Slade props his elbow up on the arm of the sofa, leaning into it as he crosses his legs in a kingly manner. The pose suited him.

"Saye, Jedi..." he begins, one eye opening to peek out at George, "you got to make everything more complicated don't ya?" Another sigh as both eyes open, their cruel, chilling gaze not wavering from the Jedi's face. It had to be impossible but the vampire suddenly seems more intimidating. "What's done is done. It was nothin' but a favor so don't get your damn hopes up, kid. Just leave me the f**k alone and we'll call it all even."

Though Slade musters every amount of truth and scorn he can manage in those words George senses there is something else and the faintest glimpse of a shift in those unrelenting eyes tells him he's not too far off. It wasn't just a favor. Slade didn't like him. He knew that. Slade hated him. Wouldn't mind killing the Jedi himself... he could at least see that truth in those eyes, hear it in that voice which seemed to change when the vampire spoke to Riordan or Kain even if it still held its edge.

So why then... had Slade truly saved him?

...Naitsu Inner Sanctum, Throne Room; unknown location...

"And you're sure of this?" the deep and calm voice rings almost in a sing-song like way.

"Yes, my Master," Razvan answers submissively. There was no mistaking it. The Jedi's chains had been broken and Razvan's bonds to him severed... but not just by any hand... "It's him..."

A charming smile curls the infamous Vampire King's lips and his eyes hold a delighted gleam they never seemed to lose. He turns his attention back to the chess board effortlessly balanced upon the top of his crossed legs. The board seems to be missing a few rather key pieces and others are not at all in the right position but Mortis doesn't seem to care.

He picks up the black king and studies it with what seems to be fondness though it could easily be a charade. "So Shai'tan... finally a step forward, my dear friend..." he comments, placing the black king back on the board, one space in front of where it had been before.

The Dark King moves to one of the black knights, his slender but sturdy fingers trailing along the ridge line of the small horse-head piece's neck. "And this... Jedi... how interesting..." he adds, sliding the piece forward three spaces.

Mortis's eyes flash with humor as his hand jumps to one of the white knights. "Ah but you remember this wolf at your back don't you, Shai'tan?" Mortis chuckles, his fingers running over a peculiar looking chess piece.

Instead of the standard knight piece this one resembles a wolf's head. He slides this three spaces forward so it is face to face with the black knight he had moved moments ago.

"Will he be the one to bring you down this time, 'O Mighty King'? Or..." he ponders, his hand slowly turning the black knight in the opposite direction it should go, facing its own king.

"Will he turn your own knight against you?"

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Okay, really, really long after post comments and stuff but it's all very relevant so stick with me.

Vampire Vocabulary:
Saye: f**k

o.O.o

I don't think anything fun can happen. lol Hyperspace travel doesn't take much time. To get to Ordo from Naboo... they're both in the Outer Rim Territories so...

o.O.o

To go ahead and explain something... Mortis Quote: "Will he be the one to bring you down this time, 'O Mighty King'?" - mainly meant metaphorically... which we'll find out about later...

o.O.o

Vampire Chess... Mortis's Way...?

OMG Mortis is freaking playing chess?! WTF? *completely lost* This is a reference to a post from a long, long time ago. Well... not so long ago. It's on page 197.

Quote from Mortis's thoughts, page 197: "Mortals were such easy creatures to influence. It was like a game of chess. Move certain pieces and the others have no choice but to move accordingly."

So yes, it actually has meaning! Chess played Mortis's Way... whoo! ^_^

Basically there's a few pieces missing and few added pieces but every single one represents someone, somehow. I figured he knows all about Shai'tan and they'd have some previous involvement seeing as they were both 'dark ones' as you said back in that fancied up post of yours. And they seemed like rivals so... here ya go. This is what happens when I'm given new ideas. lol

So vampire chess... so far we know that:

• The Black King represents Shai'tan.

• The Black Knight here represents George cause I know (which means Mortis knows...) that he's somehow working for Shai'tan... or something...

• The White Knight [in the shape of a wolf head] obviously represents Slade. 1: His first name [Rule] means wolf (French) and if that wasn't good enough 2: His title Shirokami- White Wolf... white knight piece in the shape of a wolf head... ya got it.

• And we may assume (correctly) that the White King is Mortis...

Ooh... I bet now you're wondering how Slade's all involved with the purebreds and connected to Mortis and really wondering about his real motives behind helping George...

Hehehe...

I'm glad you liked it. And that post of yours about the Bore and everything. Even had paragraph indentions. Fancy... ^_^

Better ideas? *sarcastically* Sure... But yeah I'll take control of Mandalorians and all. Whoo! Be back to post tomorrow.
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Well... Slade is a very mysterious character.

Ouh, and may I recommend that we find another character for our group. A female one. Just to add on a little spice on the story?
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Everything was quiet in the Gathering room, even Soldiers got bored of talking. George noticed that Kain was looking at hhim, so he nodded. Like that would ease the tension. Suddenly Mat stood up and screamed victoriously: "Yes, I've  won!!!" But he shamefully sat back, when he noticed that all eyes were pointed at him. George smiled an they started another round...

...Cockpit...

Leina frowned when pilots couldn't find anything on the comm, but she removed the frown when she turned to answer Riordan.
"I understand that, Lord Koga. But even so... Who else could have healed George?" She seemed to think about something before she continued. "And more importantly. If we know that Slade hates Jedi so much, why did he help him?" She looked at Riordan, like she may find an answer.

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Ou may... You plan something nasty I sense.

While we are at nasty. I always wondered why the cockpit is called like that. I mean just look. Cockpit. Nasty xDDDD

I intentionally developed Slade like that from the very beginning. He's got all kinds of secrets. And I'll bring in a feisty new woman. OMG so many characters! What to do with them all? And yes... cockpit... lol

And he's one of the characters in the RPG, Prince. I do sigs for most of my characters at one time or another simply because I feel like it.
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Riordan turns his head, averting his gaze so Leina cannot see the shadows those mossy pools hide, the noble allowing his eyes to wander aimlessly among the stars still visible in the cockpit's view window. He sighs heavily. The last few days had taken a good deal from the man and without proper rest... it was starting to show.

"Even if it was Slade who helped the Jedi, my lady, I know not why," Riordan replies. "He is a very... complex man to say the least. Kain and I know him perhaps more than we should have been permitted but it is almost completely insignificant when compared to the whole. The savage he may have been prior to our paths crossing is not know to us nor is the man he was in the ages before the curse tainted him. Even he remembers little of that time void of such wars as these," the noble concludes.

Leina watches Riordan closely, searching for a crack in his walls, a moment of hesitation; anything to show her the weight of the noble's words. But Riordan remains well-guarded and distant, his eyes -or what she can see of them -not revealing anything more than they ever had.

"We've got something," the pilot interrupts rather reluctantly.

Riordan leans over the back of the man's seat to observe their findings. "A... a Mandalorian... distress signal?" he asks in disbelief, shocked.

The pilot nods, his eyes focused on the almost nonexistent dot on their radar as he listens to the faint and distorted words from a weak transmission. "Seems so. It's real weak but its there alright."

"Take us down immediately," Riordan orders and neither pilots dare question the authority in the noble's voice. The ship begins to descend towards Ordo.

Riordan turns on a heel to face Leina. "This does not bode well," he says sharply. "Mandalorians are not weaklings or cowards; they would not transmit a distress signal on a whim... something is not right."

Riordan glances at the nearing planet below and his eyes narrow.

o.O.o

The ship's ramp opens, sand swirling and dancing in a raging storm around the metal beast which had roused such a tempest. The first to make their way down the ramp, Slade waves a simple hand, immediately suppressing and calming the sands which gladly settle back into place. The blonde vampire relaxes significantly, obviously happy to be freed from the confines of that prison and on safe, hard ground. Here he had the advantage over anyone who tried to attack him. He could work with that.

The others follow Slade's lead, taking in the troubling sight before them. The Mandalorian outpost -which at one point had thrived -now lies ruined, deserted for some time it seems. But that couldn't be right. There had been a distress signal here. Which meant someone was keeping it alive...

Slade grins sadistically, bringing up his arm suddenly to block a blazing blue blade which sizzles against his iron skin. The vampire's cruel eyes narrow taking in the worn and ragged figure before him. A woman? He huffs. Gotcha. He pushes back against the lightsaber with little effort, grabbing the second lightsaber with a firm hand and yanking it away from his opponent, obviously surprising her with his brute strength. The weapon, however, deactivates without its Masters touch and Slade allows it to fall to the ground, useless for now.

The woman flips over Slade with a Force jump, hoping to catch him off guard but the vampire's impossibly fast reflexes allow him to judge her movements, the blonde partially turning and catching her wrist, twisting it violently, the warrior immediately crying out in pain and dropping her lightsaber. Slade releases her with a firm kick which sends her to her knees as he simultaneously pulls both of her lightsabers to him.

He performs a flash step, instantly reappearing behind his attacker as he activates both lightsabers, holding them in a X-like fashion near her vulnerable throat, the vampire preparing to remove her head from her body. Jedi... his inner demon hisses with distain, overjoyed with the chance to feed.

"Stop!"

Slade freezes, the sharp demand ringing in the blonde vampire's ears. His eyes widening in disbelief and his body shakes with sudden rage, his beast horrified that someone dared to deny him his kill.

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Jedi woman! *cheer* ^_^ Yup, you'll find out what she's doing on the Mando planet in the next post. You can have any of your characters be the one to have yelled at Slade though I picture George being the only one with the balls to do it. lol

You can also have whoever you want pull her hood away from her face. She has blonde hair not white (and the facial tattoos from the first pic) but I didn't feel like changing the colors at the moment.   And she's completely blind. She can use the Force to see a little bit (in order to fight better) but there are no details to anything.

Gonna try and stick a Force vampire part into the next post as well. Whoo!

Nah you did a great job. No need to change anything. ^_^ lol Your Highness. I could get used to that.
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The woman hesitates to answer for a moment only to suddenly bow, her nose almost touching the ground as her arms slide like desert snakes upon the sand, her fingers softly brushing the material of George's boots. The Jedi stiffens slightly, the woman's power shooting through him with such a simple touch. He quickly realizes she is merely observing what her eyes see for themselves... though she beings delving deeper than he would like.

She senses George's uneasiness and immediately withdraws, her fingers falling silently to the ground near his feet so he no longer feels threatened. To someone as her who had to rely on keen senses to survive she had no trouble pushing aside even his strongly built walls to find the man beneath. But it was not her place...

"Thank you for saving me. I am Safira Matahari... an Arkanian," she finally answers, her voice soft and delicious, like rose petals and sweet honey. A voice a man could fall in love with. "You're human..." she continues, her white eyes glancing up at George from their lowly position before she averts her gaze once more. "So is the one I fought... though I've never met a human man with such power..."

Slade growls, the sound no longer holding the edge of an annoyed man but the deep rumble of a caged animal -some proud beast -forced into submission. The vampire's body shudders as he does his best to suppress his boiling anger and rein in his inner demon. For a moment George believes he catches the faintest glimpse of black smoke forming in those clenched fists and that teasing voice whispering darkly: Kill, kill, kill...

Riordan casts his brother a worried glance, the redhead warily watching Slade's pacing, the blonde vampire's steps heavy and quick. Slade was not one to easily get riled, especially due to something so mundane as a fight. There was only one explanation. Kain's eyes darken and the man lets out a heavy but soft sigh. A fully changed Force vampire could survive years without feeding if their last meal had held any worth.

But that didn't mean they didn't crave a kill or the lavishing taste of warm blood sizzling on their tongue. Kain swallows thickly. He didn't like the idea but he had no other choice in the matter. As soon as he was able he'd pull the older vampire away from the group and feed him. He'd do it now but he doubted anyone would want to see the gruesome exchange, especially when two very aggressive and sadistic vampires were involved.

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Safira is an Arkanian Offshoot - Human Hybrid

I'll let you write for your characters just so you can get all their reactions to the situation and everything (cause your characters are complex too I'm not really sure how they'd react ). Didn't really write much I know but it's just one of my off days. Promise to make up for it tomorrow. Currently writing vampire plot point for the next post I swear so expect it then... its gonna be long.

Safira sits up but settles back onto her knees, refusing to stand or meet George's prying gaze. "So it seems he is," she replies smoothly, "but his heart doesn't belong to the monster you say holds his form. There's still a man beneath all that iron skin and I didn't expect him to retaliate so mercilessly against a woman..."

Slade's pacing immediately halts, eyes narrowing. For a moment those glittering pools darken with the faintest hint of shame which quickly vanishes, along with the vampire himself. Kain hesitates to follow. His relationship with Slade was not a very good one most of the time; it was likely the blonde would provoke him more than Kain would ease the other man's anxiety. Kain glances at Riordan who gives a curt nod. The redhead sighs and disappears, hot on Slade's trail. This wasn't going to be pleasant...

Safira relaxes significantly without Slade pacing behind her. "In truth I attacked him because he seemed the most vulnerable to the situation. I was expecting him to refuse to fight a woman..." she stops suddenly but quickly continues, avoiding whatever she'd planned on saying. "I intended to force him to surrender... at which point I could have used him as a bargaining chip so you'd help me."

"But it wasn't the man who blocked my blade..."

...Naitsu Inner Sanctum, Main Corridor; unknown location...

Night. In a place where there is no sun it is impossible to tell night from day or day from night. Or perhaps there is no day, no light. Only night, darkness in which terrible horrors lurked. Colossal white doors close silently behind the pale figure making his way back to his own personal quarters from the throne room. The man suddenly stops, black smoke swirling in the bottomless depths of cruel eyes.

"Is there something you need, Nanashi?" Razvan's emotionless voice seems to growl. He was in no mood for games.

The shadows along a nearby wall swirl faintly, giving rise to the form of a man which then emerges. Nanashi's amber eyes run along Razvan's pale back like burning fire. He knew Razvan would sense him even had he tried to mask his presence. The First relies on his senses more than the other vampires. He was impossible to take by surprise.

"It's late to be wandering around Naitsu, Razvan," the Second accuses. "What were you doing in the Throne Room at such a hour?" Nanashi didn't need to change his tone for Razvan to know what he was really asking.

"The fullbring have arrived on a planet which harbors another valsai'ium key. I was informing Lord Mortis to see how he wished to act," the First answers casually, glancing over his shoulder at the Second.

A lie; but Nanashi knew that. Amber eyes narrow with a smirk. "That wasn't all you were doing..."

A pale hand suddenly constricts around a lightly tanned throat, nails biting past iron skin as Razvan pins Nanashi against a nearby wall with crushing force. Two pairs of white fangs flash in the dim hallway.

"I suggest you learn your place quickly, Nanashi, and avoid matters which do not concern you," the First hisses. "I will not grant you leniencies because of your absence."

Nanashi eyes hold the smile his face dared not. He'd gotten his answer. Even without the words he was looking for.

...Unknown location...

The wind howls its lonesome song, swirling mist veiling majestic mountains blanketed in pristine white. Two figures trek through the frozen land, leaving behind soft footprints which quickly vanished, buried like age-old treasures beneath ever-falling snow. Atop the summit of the icy slope they'd braved, the wind nips at them like a hungry beast, thick fur cloaks wrapped around masculine shoulders dancing in the wild breeze.

Sharp blue and piercing golden green eyes rake over the forbidden valley below they'd long searched for where in the side of a massive mountain a crystalline temple lies silently, almost completely hidden by snow and rock. Finally. They'd found it. Haunting sky colored eyes move beneath dark red bangs to find the other figure.

"Let's go, Sabien."

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Not as long as I hoped but oh well. Want to keep the suspense going.

"But it wasn't the man who blocked my blade..." - Safira is basically alluding to the idea that Slade and his "inner demon" are two separate beings entirely and that during fights the man is pushed aside in lieu of a tainted beast. This is metaphorical in meaning but still... something to think about...

Oh my. The things that happen at night in a place like Naitsu. Other than that, seems Daisuke and Sabien have found a temple on a frozen planet. One of the valsai'ium keys may lie within...