Revaliir

Author: Steele, Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 9:29 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Steele and Dante, obviously outsiders to the affairs of Rosenites and particularly of the ones from the Black Court, both seemed at odds with this punishment. Dante, merely because the thought never crossed his mind to have a child- that just seemed like it would put a damper on his fun and Steele because it just never crossed his mind period. Then again, he didn’t think he would be as close as he was to a Rosenite, much less Eldora out of all of them. So he was conflicted by the matter and how this would play out towards the future.

While Dante was tended to by Lotus, Steele looked to Eldora and shook his head. “There is still time to digest all of this. Not that I am afraid of this, just confused on what to think about all of this. This is something that was sprung up and we just happened to be here”, he cared to explain while looking towards his brother. Dante nodded as he collected his nerves. “Despite what I think about the boy, Colden can’t be allowed to die, not under the circumstances his mother wish for him. Regardless of what happens, I tend to see her demise with my own eyes, being present there to see which of you get that honor of ending her.” Dante looked to Lotus, “Worried? Me? Of course not. I was just…shaken up a bit, love. I just want to see this all end and we can do as we do best.” He masked his worries with that all too well known smile of his.

It wasn’t by any means to belittle the Rosenite law, it was just ironic that they spoke of laws and rules when it came to the center of chaos itself. It cared not of order from mortal or god alike, save for its master. But the conversation was lead back to Colden and Steele shook his own head. “The length he would go through to spite those he thinks are against him, couple with his sin of envy will make it seem like ending him would be the better option and spare us of headaches. It goes further than just Cyprus for once; he thinks he destined for your throne”, he spoke to Kirika. “Obviously even father wouldn’t support his crazed attempt any longer when he learned that he would die in the trials. And your mother will fuel his ambitions if it means getting him to comply with her whims. I suppose that if we can severe his love for her and get him to see that he will not have what he seeks, then getting him to see reason and such will make it all the more easier.” He didn’t know if the boy had a type of woman he’s prefer, but obviously his sisters knew a lot more than his brothers did. Dante perked up a bit when he overheard this Crystalline. “Perhaps I should go and meet with her first? I have to make sure that she is…compatible with Colden…” His smile wavered just a tad with Steele’s disapproving glance. “Never mind then”, he pouted.

Everything fell back into place with the initial reason for the meeting and peeking onto the map, he could that Cyprus was hiding someplace in the mountains. Looking to Eldora, he thought for a moment before sighing. “I suggest that if this is to be done, then we need to be prepared for it then. If you wish to go on or stay, then fine. I will remain here until tomorrow. You too Dante.” He didn’t give the Rabbit a chance to vote on this one.

Author: Eldora, Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:50 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“It would honestly be more logical that she has multiple hiding spots that they stay separately in just in case of danger like this. She had anticipated Eldora getting involved so much so to kidnap another oracle. It would make sense that she hid a force away from where Eldora didn’t think to divine. She was, after all, looking for Colden and Mother… not a force. Though Mother is dumb and probably wouldn’t think that far ahead… I’m not going to put it off that it isn’t a possibility. That being said… A group of rogue Rosenites would be no match for the group of us.” Kirika shrugged a bit. “Eldora herself could light the entire place on fire but getting Colden out alive would be hard if we did that.”

Lotus leaned over and bit at Dante’s ear. “Later, I’ll just show you and demonstrate.” Eldora groaned at the sign of affection.

Kirika nodded to Dante about his father’s message. “Trust me Angela was just as blunt with them with her own threats. Very rarely does she feel the need to get her hands dirty but she hasn’t forgotten the pact she made.” Eldora was comforted by the petting as she leaned back into it as the yelling quieted down.

When Lotus saw Dante’s reaction she immediately got a cloth and wiped his lips a bit. “I meant it when I said it didn’t have to be you. You are someone who doesn’t need to be tied down in such a way.” She offered a smile and it looked like Eldora was comforting Steele in the same way.

Kirika tilted her head at the scene and shrugged. “It’s because Arri has such a population problem. We have our numbers but not a lot of men… add it in that Mother killed several sons in her little stint that it has made people upset. Most of the council is filled with mothers who lost their sons to her. I can understand why they are so upset. It is a miracle to have a son in Arri. As much you don’t want to think of Colden like that… His birth was very rare.”

Lotus moved to help Dante pour his wine. She sipped on hers and helped steadied his hand. Her eyes stared at him in a calming way. “Don’t worry about it. It won’t have nothing to do with you if you don’t want it to.” She was doing her best to comfort him.

Eldora looked at Steele as he came around her waist. “It isn’t necessarily us who would ultimately get punished if we stayed here. Lotus and I could stay here and not get in trouble at all. Kirika, on the other hand, would take the full complication of us skipping out on this rather nice punishment.” Eldora reached up and patted him on the head gently. “It’s for Kirika. Otherwise, I wouldn’t care.”

“Well, I thank you for looking out for me. I could have probably argued for the next five days about it if it wasn’t for Bryony coming to get me.” Kirika sighed. “Either way it's settled now.”

There was a chuckle now from Lotus. “If you think that we absolutely need Colden’s consent for this… Well, that would be something to watch. When the Goddess of Life is your aunt strange things tend to happen. I’ve seen her get pissed off and impregnate a man just by looking at him. It would be no shock that if he didn’t cooperate Angela would just make it happen so the rest of us didn’t suffer… However, it would probably look better for him if he cooperated. He has a lot to make up for with all this going on.” Lotus mused. “Besides we need to pull together as a family as much as Colden damn well hates the lot of us. He only hates us because he thinks Mother loves him so much.” Lotus gagged a bit on the last few words.

“Besides any man who sees Crystalline wouldn’t dream of not touching that,” Lotus now added. Eldora laughed a bit at the thought too. “You would need to see her to understand. Though her grandfather was once the God of Wisdom. She was raised there to learn to deal with her blindness. She’s quite intelligent and kind but I image the kindness comes with her blood.” Lotus brought the drink up to her lips now and Eldora smirked.

“Could always pair him with Liz.” The wine shot out of Lotus’s mouth as Eldora spoke. There was a laugh that followed with Lotus.

“Oh god. Because Colden needs to be around a depressed lycanthrope. That’s just what he needs.” Lotus spoke before glaring at Eldora. “Are you ready yet? I would have assumed you would interrupt us as soon as you were ready.”

Eldora chuckled a bit. “I was more interested in the conversation but yes. I’ve been ready.” She fetched a map and took the new talismans that Kirika gave her. She rolled them onto the map and the parchment began to sizzle as scorch marks appeared. Kirika leaned in to get a better look. “Not Kurayo. She is hiding out in the mountains near Baltil. Underground.” Eldora mused a bit.

Kirika tilted her head. “Aaryona had said she hadn’t seen Mother in Kurayo when I asked. She was at the meeting briefly. She doesn’t know what Colden looks like so she couldn’t tell me what he had been doing there.” Looking at Dante and Steele she sighed a bit. “Aaryona runs a vampire family there for the time being. She is one of Angela’s brood.”

Lotus stretched a bit after putting her wine glass down. “Guess we should get ready to go kill her. Unless Eldora isn’t fully recovered just yet.”

Author: Steele, Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:18 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“I suppose…”, he spoke with some uncertainty when it came down to the comparison between him and the rather eccentric queen that just set fire to the Luzil with dragons. Somehow he was sure that the two of them did not compare, but he decided not to voice it out loud. Dante had found it rather humorous and made no sign to hide it with his laughter. Of course it only earned him another death stare. Coughing, he turned his attention back to the subject at hand. “Yes, but to conceal them in the short time they had been in Kurayo and having to relocate- its logical sense that she didn’t bring nearly as many as there were in Arri then. Otherwise, large numbers of such abnormalities would be spotted easily and blow her cover. Sounds to me that it would make the fight rather easy, but how strong is each individual creature?” Dante was interested as well as he kicked his feet up on the table and looked to his brother who was now glowing a bright red color in his cheeks. It wasn’t out of anger, that was for sure. Overhearing Lotus and then Eldora’s threatening growls, he looked nonchalantly at Steele. “Ooh, do tell. I can only imagine what sort of things were going on through her head”, he spoke pleasantly. “Knock…it…off”, he replied. The images he saw were the last things he wanted to think about. “Have to agree with Lotus though, the lot of you don’t need to be so serious.”

“Anyway…she can keep playing around and running about, but sooner or later we will corner her.” And rescue that damn fool Colden. He would have loved to slap him silly at some point. He was old enough not to throw himself into trouble for the sake of trouble, especially when it came to his damn mother. But as Kirika was made to explain the situation that the Black Roses were in because this council of theirs, Steele stared onto Eldora and then her sisters. They were in trouble? All of them? Sure he could see Colden being held accountable for his path chosen, but his sisters as well? Eldora was worried, Lotus was frustrated and Kirika had to be the one to calm them all down. Dante had decided to pour himself some elvish wine and handed Lotus one as well. He hardly had time to bring the wine to his lips as the words of Colden’s suggested fate came and immediately felt his father’s anger echoing in his head. It was like that of countless flies buzzing. “Well, Father isn’t too keen on that”, he replied, rubbing at his delicate ear as the echoing ceased. “He can hear this conversation and needless to say, he wouldn’t let that happen. That council of yours would all lose their heads, he said.” Steele was hardly surprised by the news and attempted to pet the back of Eldora’s head as the girls yelled about the injustice. The Rabbit wasn’t thrilled with his lover on lockdown and the Wolf certainly wasn’t pleased with the punishments either.

It hadn’t dawned on them of what the new punishment meant until the bit about children were made. At that time, Dante was drinking his wine in the middle of it, nearly spat it out while his brother looked on in disbelief. It hadn’t been one day with Eldora and already children had been mentioned. He was unsure what to think at the moment but the Avatar was certainly not too thrilled.

Something else was obvious- Colden would be even less open to the idea. But it seemed like he had no choice in this matter. Not if he valued his life. “Father…I haven’t heard anything from him about that tidbit. Guess he doesn’t care as long as he isn’t dead.” Steele was still thinking about this subject and sighed. “Certainly…an interesting punishment…” His voice trailed off, still contemplating. Dante poured more wine into his glass, needing it badly. “Children…right…little darlings, right?” He was nervous in his speech and it showed how he was pouring his wine. It was far better when the conversation kept coming back to Colden and the choices for him.

Steele relaxed a bit more, more so than how Dante was taking this all in. “The law exist outside these walls, yes. But such things do not exist in this domain”, he gave a slight chuckle as he held onto Eldora’s waist. “Despite that, how do you plan on getting Colden to agree to all of this? I’ve only met him a few times, as have Dante” The younger brother nodded quickly before downing his drink and pouring some more. “And..the boy is less than reasonable. He’s downright idiotic when it comes to using logic.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 5:47 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“Reason would have only gotten us so far. For you of Xunatar’s lot, you would be free…” Kirika mused and she laughed. “The rest of us would still have to deal with her. She is hellbent on destroying us.” Kirika took a seat at the table while Lotus sat comfortably on Dante. “It doesn’t take a lot of time with her to hate her and the way she works.”

Eldora looked at Steele and smiled up at him. “Toya reminds me of you. She is fiery wrath though I’ve heard she is quite soft with her husband.”

Kirika scoffed a bit. “Yeah, she is a pain in the ass everywhere else though. She is really intelligent but her impulsiveness is the reason why the four of us have her on a short leash. If her family is threatened she is like a rabid wolf, poor Blaine has a hard time handling her. I don’t know how they’ve been married for thirty years.” The sisters laughed at the thought.

Kirika turned her attention to Dante and shrugged it off a bit. “They are her calling card but she would have amassed MOST of them in Arri. I would imagine she has a living force with her wherever she is.”

The growling from Eldora continued until she reached up and touched Steele’s nose showing him all of the dirty thoughts that Lotus was having about him. “Hey! I didn’t say you could show him!” Lotus yelled at her sister. Eldora hissed at her again and Kirika groaned loudly.

“If you’ve ever wondered why Arri has such strict laws… Prime example number one is happening right here. Rosenites are typically territorial over their mates. It’s led to a few murders. Lotus has almost been a statistic before.” Kirika shot a look at her lusty sister and Lotus reclined back on Dante.

“Tell me something new. Rosenites are so uptight.”

“That’s what happened when there is only one man per every ten females. Rosenites happen to be monogamous too, shockingly.” Kirika was straight forward with her sister.

Kirika listened to the theories and shrugged a bit. “I’m not quite sure if she is in Kurayo. Colden might have been but Eldora saw him before she executed the oracle. I would say my mother moved them again. Though Eldora should be able to find them again.” Eldora was quite proud of her skills as she beamed a smile at everyone. She seemed to have been calmed down enough to stare at Kirika oddly. “You know if you asked before you read someone’s thoughts that would be awesome.” The youngest sister looked to the oldest in the room now as Eldora tilted her head.

“The council ambushed the queen meeting?” The oracle mused. “Didn’t sound like it went too well before you shut me out.”

Kirika sighed a bit. “No, it didn’t go well at all. The council is seething pissed. At all of us. You, Lotus, Colden, and I… They even had a few words about Cinder.”

Lotus put her hands on the table and straightened up. “If they touch her I’ll kill them. She’s five she has nothing to do with this.”

Kirika sighed a bit more now and shrugged. “You are right but she is Casimir’s and he is missing. As far as they are concerned he could be a part of this. We’ve kept Cinder’s birth a secret from our mother this whole time but the council is tryi–”

“What did the council want to do to us?” Eldora was now upright staring at Kirika. “It’s not fair they aren’t in power.”

Kirika put her hands up for a moment to stop Eldora from getting emotional. “What did I just tell you about reading my thoughts?” She sighed a bit and stared at Eldora. “They want punishment for all of us. Lotus for keeping everything a secret until the last minute. Eldora for knowing about everything and not saying a word to the other oracles. Colden for being directly involved… and I am the head of the family I take responsibility for all of you.” She put her hands in her lap now. “The council was put into power by the people because of our mother. They have overstepped their boundaries. They’ve told us to do something or their recommendations will happen.”

Lotus glared. “I don’t much like being threatened Kirika. What the hell were their recommendations?”

Kirika got silent for a little bit guarding her mind against Eldora as she pieced her words together. “For Eldora’s involvement… she’s to be imprisoned in the Oracle house in Sularia for the rest of her life or until they deem her not a threat anymore.” Eldora looked distraught but she let Kirika continue. “Lotus is to be restricted to the Black Court grounds until further notice and interrogated for how much she was actually aware of… Colden’s suggestion was death by Casimir.”

“And yours? What the hell was yours?” Lotus shouted.

Kirika frowned a bit. “To have children until the proper child is born with the mark. My sentence is the same as Colden’s.”

Eldora had an outburst first. “That’s not fair! You didn’t do anything wrong!” Lotus joined in on the shouting and Kirika let out a sigh and put her hands up again.

“Obviously we said no. Council is right pissed about it but Angela has a pact with Xunatar to protect Colden at all costs. Not that they would have agreed to these terms. She outright told the council that if they try to even attempt their recommendation she will have no mercy on them. We’re still checking the castle for damages because Angela shakes the earth quite a bit when she’s pissed… She wasn’t the only one Toya almost put them all on fire right then and there. Everyone stood up for us including Willow, who never attends these meetings.” Kirika let out a sigh of relief as the pressure in the room from Eldora finally came down.

“So… You had to come to some sort of punishment for each of us… You had to because you couldn’t just not do it so you all could save face.” Lotus leaned back again.

“This is true. Politics get nasty and to keep the peace with the public we had to agree on something between the six of us.” Kirika rubbed her hair and bit sheepishly. Eldora tilted her head confused now. “We decided that our punishment would be to regrow the Black Court line.”

Lotus’s jaw dropped and Eldora had the same look of astonishment that Lotus did. “How the fuck did you manage to go from death and prison to children?”

Kirika coughed a bit. “It is a punishment for most of us.” Kirika eyed Lotus. “The only one with a stipulation with how it has to be done is Colden. They don’t much trust him to actually pick a good person to have a child with.”

Eldora looked amused for a moment. “Sorry, I’ll ask next time… but if I got your thought correctly… The recommendation was that he has a child with one of our cousins?” Lotus now looked amused. “Which one might I ask?”

Kirika laughed a bit now. “To be honest, that was Angela’s idea. Toya said it wasn’t going to be one of her’s over her dead body. It was actually Crystalline who volunteered herself. It was a rather intriguing idea from her. I think she honestly just wants to help.”

Lotus looked even more amused. “The self-centered whiny brat and the selfless blind guardian angel? Oh, I am amused. Though you are right… Crystalline’s condition doesn’t let her help often. Her loving demeanor might offset Colden’s dumb personality.” The sisters were all chuckling. “Though that does leave Eldora and I… doesn’t it?” Lotus looked distraught as she looked at Dante for a moment. “You got us out of prison Kirika… at the price of each of our first born.”

Kirika shook her head. “We’re not taking anyone’s kids. We just asked for them to be born. There’s a ten-year time limit on it. The fact of the matter is when it comes to family lines we are the smallest. It’s only Lotus, Eldora, Colden, Cinder, and me. Aria isn’t really our blood but I am glad to have her around she is Cinder’s mother after all.”

“Still right pisses me off that Casimir just up and disappeared on us without a damn trace.” Lotus groaned a bit. “I don’t blame him though. He was protecting Aria and Cinder.” The sisters nodded a bit and sighed individually. “About the children thing though… I feel like we need to say that it's not obligated by our current loves. They don’t need to be chained down like this.” Eldora nodded with Lotus. “We’re too new for this and we can’t ask them to help us in this situation.”

“I can respect that.” Kirika gave both women a smile. “The other recommendation for Colden was Antheia.” The girls laughed at that thought but they didn’t explain it. Though she switched her attention to Dante and Steele. She sighed a bit and looked at Eldora. “You might want to divine her new location Eldora. If you guys have any questions about the judgment… You can ask them but… Just know that the law is the law.”

“And the law is harsh.” The other two interrupted her to finish the saying. “Because Rosenites are idiots.” That wasn’t part of the original phrase but it made Kirika laugh.

Author: Steele, Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 3:52 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Steele hadn’t been thrilled too much to learn what Cyprus had done to the siblings, knowing the connection Eldora had to her family. He honestly couldn’t wait to get his hands on her but for the moment he had to refrain from his lust of violence. Instead he tried to focus on her. The exact explanation was a bit lost on him but he understood the gist of it and here they were, receiving the message loud and clear that her demented mother was going to stay in the game of thrones they were apart of. So be it.

He wasn’t too thrilled with having company over, particularly his other brother about. But it seemed like he couldn’t refuse any of this now that it spilled over to the others. He fell onto the bed and she fell onto him, still recovering from that torture. “Either way this game will end soon.”

—
Dante had been been content with the day with Lotus right up until she carried a strange look over her. Raising an eyebrow, he came over to her before she explained the situation. He had nearly forgotten that her sister had been in the Cradle for a bit now. Of the details of why she was there, he didn’t know and wasn’t sure that he did want to either, but the two were off as he summoned a portal to his father’s domain. One of the few perks of someone in his position. They crossed over and appeared to be front of the doors to his father’s throne room. Pushing them open, they were met with Steele and Eldora. His brows narrowed at the sight of the two of them together, particularly with their hands together. Eyes shifted towards Lotus and shrugged, “Uh, yeah. My wonderful but temper prone brother, Steele. I see you met Eldora…” Steele looked him dangerously before the latter waved it off. The elder brother had no times for these games. “Yes, as Dante put it. Forgive me for cutting the pleasantries short, but I am sure you are here to get this all over with. The nightmare your mother has become to me in such a short time is unbearable as it was, and I’m sure that you wish for your family to be freed from decades of it.” It wasn’t long before her other sister came about and looking at each one of them, he could tell plainly enough of their resemblances. Dante, on the other hand, had already thought ahead and let the woman discuss their matters while eyeing his brother with a taunting look. “I thought you were reclusive, Steele. I suppose Colden will be just thrilled to learn that his siblings of both sides have…gotten along well.” There was no point in arguing- Steele knew that Dante was like a bloodhound when it came to these sort of things, and could likely smell the Rosenite on his body. Especially since they had only had sex recently. “Knock it off”, he warned him with a soft growl towards Avatar before he gave a playful shrug.

Dante turned and with only his mind and the power of the Cradle accessible here, brought forth a table long enough for them all. The top was filled with maps and other things they could make use of. He took one side and Steel sat on the side to the right of him. “War is unavoidable. Perhaps if she had listened to reason to our father, then this could have been all avoided. But needless to say that she has burnt that bridge with him”, the warlord spoke out loud. His tone still laced with venom that only Cyprus’ death could take away. He had no clue as to how the Rosenites would deal with her, but better in their hands than his own.

Eldora fell onto Steele’s lap and brought forth a vision of what was happening in relation to one of their queens dismantling the main force of their enemy. Dante looked on with awe, but not as much as Eldora had, but Steele would not blame her for her satisfaction. No, Cyprus deserved all that was coming for her.

“So what does she have left then?”, Dante asked Kirika, “If those…things are her calling card and have been eradicated, then at this point shouldn’t we strike then?” Steele was in agreement with him for once. “I don’t care what she has up her sleeve. We know where she is hiding, and she won’t be ill prepared that we can waltz in there. But so what? She’s been running amok since she got free.” Clearly he wasn’t the sort for negotiations but considering the option that was in front of them, they didn’t need him to be. His attention turned to Lotus and for a moment he was positive he didn’t want to know what she was meaning, especially as something sparked in Eldora and she took it very badly. Both brothers had their eyes glued on her for a bit in disbelief, while Dante leaned his head back to Lotus. “Didn’t know she had some claws in her. Guess Steele would know a lot better than I would, though.” Steele frowned and with her still on top of him, he navigated his arm over to the closet map. “Kurayo had been the last place Colden has been spotted. It would be an appropriate place for her to take refuge in without detection. But I doubt that she would be someplace there where she could be seen.”

“But if we allow her time to pick up and leave, then who knows where she will head…”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:02 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

She supposed that she needed to tell him about her condition. She took his hands in hers, not that she had much a choice with how he was gripping. She smiled at him. “When you stab a voodoo doll you hurt the doll and the person its tied to. Imagine that my siblings are that doll and I am the person cursed. However, there are limitations even for me. It seems like the limits of where the pain is actually physically reenacted are on my non-vital organs.” She showed him all the scarring and where it was visibly oddly missing. “The only ones who know this are the oracles, Willow, and Lotus.”

It was pain as day how Cyprus got the information. “She cut into Colden in places she knew it would effect me. Meanwhile there was enough time between the cuts so she could heal him so he didn’t bleed out on her. The healing wouldn’t have effected me. I’m not that lucky. It is a delayed vision and it will loop once before the pain actually happens. That’s why I was trying to make it to the doll.” She took a sigh as she realized she had made it to the doll too late.

She gripped his hand as she got to the part about her mother’s madness. “No, she doesn’t. When she found out that I was alive I was already well into my powers. I was so strong at such a young age… I ragdolled her across an entire field as she attempted to take my life for her experiments. It is against the laws of Arri for me to kill her. I can only assist. I might have broken the law when I killed that girl but I’m sure that I can be forgiven for that.”

His care for her made her be wide eyed at him. He was trying to help her but he knew that she was stubborn. So he helped her be comfortable instead. She gave him a smile as he told her exactly what he would do to Cyprus if her mother hurt her again. “Thank you for protecting me.” She said it as if he would protect her in the future but maybe it was because that was just how she felt.

She leaned over and gave him a tender kiss. “No, it won’t be long at all they’ve already crossed the span using magic. That’s not the only thing… Kirika is on her way as well. I feel her moving.” Her fingers itched a bit. “I think there’s going to be a war council.” It was interesting to think about. Eldora pulled him into bed with her and she rested against him. “I’ll tell you when they enter the cathedral.” She yawned as she pushed her head into him.

When the time came she pulled him out of bed and she got dressed again. It was much like the dark blue dress from before but this one was black with gold accents. She bounded to his side with the doll in hand as they walked to the throne room where Xunatar normally greeted people.

The doors opened and it was Lotus and Dante first. Lotus looked distraught as she watched her sister. However, her hands immediately went to the hands of the two. “What the fuck?” Lotus whispered it up to Dante. “One of yours I presume?” She tilted her head. “You must be Steele since you fit the description Dante has told me.” She patted Dante on the chest as she curled up into him.

Eldora tilted her head and before long the darkness rolled in like the thick of night. Though it was bunched aorund Kirika much like an extra accesory. “You’ve grown into your power since the last time I saw you.”

Kirika tilted her head back at Eldora and smiled. “Partnerships were forged with the Mother Darkness.” She moved her cloak back to reveal the jar of ashes. “A gift from Angela. Consider it a favor from Bryony. She told me I needed to come see you. I might not be as in tune with you as Lotus is, obviously, but you are still my sister. Plus this waiting game is becoming tiresome.” Kirika’s blue eyes met everyone’s in the room.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Lotus turned and looked at Kirika. “Eldora was just attacked and you want to talk war?”

Kirika frowned a bit and approached Eldora putting the jar of ashes in her arms. “War was what this became as soon as our brother was taken Lotus. Don’t kid yourself into thinking anything else. You might think of Colden as a cretin but I don’t intend to leave him to die. Eldora being attacked is the least of our problems. I need something from Eldora as well. I was going to ask where she was anyways but this happened.”

Eldora perked up more as she left Steele’s side finally. The jar of ashes in tow and the doll with Steele. “You want something from me? No price this time.”

Kirika nodded a bit but brought up some rather large bones. “These are dragon bones. The best talismans are made from them. They don’t break as easily.” Eldora eyed them like a child and Kirika put them on the floor. “I need to know who this belongs to.” She brought out a knife and uncovered it. She was careful not to touch it. Eldora took the blade and looked it over. “Did the person who owned this knife use it last?”

Eldora’s eyes flashed a bright blue for a tiny moment. It was one of the easier jobs she could do but when she was done she nodded. “The owner did it. I saw it.” Kirika’s frown came onto her face deeply.

“I figured but I wanted to make sure before I acted.” A sigh left the young queen’s lips as she whistled. A shadow that had showed her appeared by her side. “I recommend death by Casimir for Markus Legave. Make sure the other four hear about this.” The man nodded and disappeared.

“Markus? He was one of Mother’s top people back in the day. He was so loyal to you.” Lotus shivered a bit.

“Obviously not enough. Speaking of which pods of Luzil have been found in the desert. She’s been using shafts and other means to hide them underground near Arri. I’ve asked Aunt Toya to take care of it.” Eldora’s eyes got large.

“Right now?” Eldora asked with excited breath.

“Just before I left.” Kirika tilted her head and watched as Eldora formed a water mirror. She hurried back over to Steele and curled up on him.

“I want to watch.” The picture was perfect. The crazy queen of the white court was barking orders and her voice made Kirika flinch a bit. She was always a bitch when she had to be. It looked like Toya had set up a bunch of dragon knights around the desert. She hopped off her own dragon and positioned Karith in the direction of one of the shafts. Toya’s command to fire was loud and clear. Eldora bounced with excitement as the dragon’s shot fire down into the holes, shafts, and other compartments. There were explosions from oxygen pockets. Some of the Luzil managed to make it out. They were ichor creatures, the ichor was coming from all the cracks on their bodies. Toya was taking her sword and slamming it into the strays. Eldora had set the jar down enough to clap.

“At least she is entertained by it.” Kirika chuckled a bit as the mirror disappeared. “We’ve been hunting them for months. We asked the oracles for a map of the locations they were hiding. Figured she had stashes of them for an ambush. Can’t imagine she is overly happy right now. Most of her forces were stashing in the desert.”

Lotus nodded. “That make you happy Eldora? Those things were what Mother was going to kill you for.” Eldora looked up and nodded.

“I am very pleased. Aunt Toya did well.” Eldora smirked.

“She is the tactician of Arri. I have to admit I didn’t think of using the dragons to filter the fire through the shafts… It was ingenious especially when she knew it would combust. The only issue were if living things were down there. We used Angela to get out anyone barely infected or innocent. She is treating them back in Arri as we speak. Lily is warding the shafts so nothing undead can get back in… and Cathrine is looking into the Luzil for another possibly way to stop them from being created. I’m just cleaning up the mess now. The loose ends. Especially traitors. I imagine they’ve begun to run from Arri now that we have things under control there.” Kirika crossed her arms.

“They want us to finish this?” Eldora was more excited now. “I can help?”

Kirika mused a bit. “They said that we’ve been pained enough and that we should have the honor of getting her. Yes, that means you can help. I would rather take the fight to her then risk losing Eldora’s body to a curse though. I’m sure we could all do that. Get Colden out and get him to a healer, have Angela come here if need be. Make sure Mother hasn’t done anything to him for just in case she fails. That’s her style. No happy endings for anyone. You’ve also been pardoned for killing an oracle without permission. They deemed it necessary.” Kirika eyed Eldora now.

Lotus cocked her head to the side. "You've been a busy bee Eldora. Getting yourself a man, killing oracles, why look at you." Lotus admired Steele from where she was. Suddenly Eldora was up on Steele's lap. A low growl left her lips until she began to hiss at her sister. "Easy!" Lotus got behind Dante and peeked out at her sister. "I wasn't going to do anything!"

"YOU WERE THINKING IT!" Eldora yelled at Lotus with the growl still coming back at the end of her voice. Kirika let out a sigh a bit as if this was typical behavior and it really was.

Author: Steele, Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:04 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

It had felt like ages after his father left him with Eldora in the silence of the room. It disturbed him greatly as he could do nothing but watch as she rested from the traumatic experience. If anything else had happened to her, then Steele would do absolutely everything in his power to find her mother and rip her apart, piece by painful piece. No person had ever made him want to kill as much as Cyprus had.

He felt torn between his emotions- he felt anger, sad, pain…He was a whirlwind of emotion as their tumbled around inside him. He had no idea of what his father was planning on doing, and honestly as long as he didn’t have to worry about this happening again, he didn’t care. The moment she stirred from her endless slumber, he immediately went to her side and sat nearby. He was happy yes, but he was still fighting inwardly to keep his temper at bay.

“Father had came and healed you. He knows it was her that did it, somehow.” He was a bit thrown back by the mentioning of Colden and then as she further explained, he frowned deeply. “What in the name of the gods’ did she do to him? To you?” The boy may have been alive for now, but until they could save him from both Cyprus and himself. “I’m aware of the idiotic plan she wants to carry out, but I don’t think even she will be strong enough to control that which she wants to bring to this world. Does her madness know no bounds?” Slowly his hand crept up to take onto hers and held it tightly.

When she went to sit up, he instantly came towards her to try and stop her from doing so. The event had harmed her in many ways and he didn’t wish for her to overexert herself. But he refrained; she seemed determined enough to do so. His frown was renewed towards her and how she was able to stir these feelings in him. Before he didn’t need to watch anything more than his anger, but now he was struggling to keep much more than that in control.

His hand remained with hers with precious care. “The next time she does something like this, I will rip her beating heart from her chest and devour it right before her eyes.” That was the wolf within speaking as he looked into her eyes, dead set serious on his promise. “I suppose it won’t be long before those two arrive. Especially since Dante is blessed with being Father’s Avatar.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Sun Apr 9, 2017 3:26 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

She hadn’t been focusing hard enough to hear Steele calling for her. She was too busy trying to get to the doll before the vision hit her full force. It was worse than what she had imagined but she had found herself unconscious.

It wasn’t a long nap after Xunatar had healed her but in the distant lands of Iria Lotus looked up from the pile of books she was looking through. There was a worried look on her face. Dante asked her what was suddenly wrong, they were having a good outing. “Eldora’s been hurt.” The two of them left Iria almost immediately to make their way to the Hollow Cradle. Lotus informed Dante that she was no seer but she had her intuition and it was quite good.

When Eldora did wake up she let out a groan of pain. She found Steel petting her face and it relaxed her greatly. While the wounds were gone the pain was still vibrating through her, it wasn’t something that she had been expecting. She reached up and pulled at her black hair as if making sure everything was grounded where it should have been. Her eyes had hints of tiredness in them as she turned her head to Steele.

“Colden is fine.” Well fine as he could be. She let go of her hair and left her arm where ever it had landed. She was out of energy again but her eyes were wide awake. “She had a healer there making sure that he wouldn’t die from his wounds. Though I doubt he was a willing participant. She wouldn’t be dumb enough to kill Colden if she still wants her plan to happen she needs him alive.”

She was less concerned about herself it seemed as she struggled to pull herself up to a sitting position. “Lotus and Dante are coming home.” She rubbed her head as if trying to get rid of the headache the visions caused. “What a mess.” It took her a few moments but finally, she looked at Steele and realized he wasn’t worried about Colden but her.

Her blue eyes were wide a bit and she frowned softly. “I am fine. Just tired.”

Author: Steele, Posted: Sat Apr 8, 2017 8:38 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Steele felt as ease that he wasn’t alone in feeling this strange and wondrous thing in him. Neither of them knew what they would do from this point and it was rather out of both of their territories. Needless to say though, he felt as though he didn’t mind it as much as he worried about. Heaven knows that Dante would be humored once he learned on this, after all the grief Steele gave him about falling for a Rosenite. Now look at the wolf demon himself. Internally he groaned to himself while still holding onto Eldora as if she would slip away from him.

But soon that would become a reality as he felt her pushing away from his hold and quickly got out of bed. He fling up in a sitting position, confused about the issue she had. “Eldora? His eyes looked about as the room shifted in color. What was going on? He watched on as she brought up her hand from her stomach and he saw the blood. Was it hers? How? He scurried off the bed and rushed to meet with her as she collapsed with the doll she sought out. Reaching her, he immediately saw the message written in her blood and then looked to her eyes. It was clear that someone had gotten to her, and it wouldn’t take long before he realized who it was. That bitch! He could feel his anger spiraling out of control and perhaps that’s what reached his father’s attention as he appeared sitting on the now soiled bed, one leg rested on top of the other. There was no smile across his lips; instead he looked impassively at his son and Eldora. Snapping his fingers, he ceased whatever magic or curse Cyprus placed onto her. “Father…”, Steele said through gritted teeth before Xunatar place his hand up to stop him. “She continues to test those that are against her. And now she wishes to do so in my home.” Red inked his normally blue eyes and soon the place shook a bit, mirroring his own rising temper. “If she thinks Parvpora will protect her forever…she’s in for a rude awakening. Calm your anger boy. Bring the girl to me.” Steele huffed and tried to do as his father said, but he was still livid with what happened. Still, he did as he was told, lifting and carrying Eldora over back to the bed while the doll was still clutched in her hand. Xunatar’s finger traced along the words carved into her stomach before they melded away as his touch left spots of her skin.

“She will be fine. I am more worried about your brother. I do not know if he is still safe or if she is doing gods know what with him now. If she ends his life, I will find her, even if I have to sink the world around her to do so.” Xunatar looked to Steele and blinked the red ire away from him. “You wish to be with her, then so be. I care not either way, but do not lose sight of your objective. Surely if Dante hasn’t, then that will be easy for you. She is still useful to me, so watch her.” He didn’t wait to see Steele’s nod of understanding as he left the room, unknowing of what his father was scheming. Slowly he got dressed and kept his attention onto her as she rested. He still wanted to tear her mother apart, but this served to make such hunger so much stronger now.

Author: Eldora, Posted: Sat Apr 8, 2017 5:02 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora looked pleased with him as he said he would stay. She softly rubbed her nose against the first skin she could reach that belonged to Steele. It was relaxing for her, it was comfortable. She felt safe overall.

She was happily back in his arms and snuggled up to him. Tilting her head her blue eyes looked up at him and shrugged a bit. “I’m not sure.” She mused how she was feeling and her cheeks seemed to flush. “I do.” She kept close to him and laid there with him for a long time. Eldora looked happy maybe even happier than she had ever been but something made her startled as she pushed herself off of Steele.

Her eyes were horrified for a moment. She scrambled off of him and ran for the doll that Xunatar had given her. She got as far as the last bedpost before she held onto it. A crimson tang filled the room as blood began to fall to the floor. She wasn’t making any noise as she gripped her nails into the wood of the post. Wood shavings fell to the floor as she stifled a cry. It was more like a whimper.

She put her free hand on her stomach and held it up in plain view. The blood was thick and it was making her dizzy. By now she was sure that Steele had jumped up too. She was too dizzy as she finally got to the doll except she slid on her on blood and landed on the floor.

Deep heaves left her lips as she held the doll close. It began to glow and terrified screams of what sounded like Colden left the doll. She rolled over just enough for her stomach to be in plain view. Despite all the blood, it was obvious that it was a message. In deep cuts along her stomach from hip to hip. “It’s not over.” She was in pain but not as much as when she was feeling both Colden’s and herself. She finally let out a wail as she tried to ground herself. It stung much like salt to a wound. She was actually pretty sure that Cyprus had put salt in the wound.

That wasn’t all though. She whimpered at Steele before she blacked out either from the blood or from the pain.

Author: Steele, Posted: Fri Apr 7, 2017 9:37 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Words were not needed between them, not a sound left either of their mouths as they mingled with one another’s. Fate was a strange thing; he had sworn not to fall into the trap his brother had, and yet here he was with the sister of Dante’s lover. Yet, there wasn’t a thought that delved in his mind other than that of Eldora right now. More and more he opened up to her, physically and emotionally as his kisses became more driven with want. His touches and caresses traveled down her form. Somehow, someway, articles of their clothing were removed and though she may have seemed flawed, he only saw the beautiful in her, scars and all. Soon there was nothing left but their bare skin and he hungrily savored every inch of her. For the next few moments, he was lost, drowning in ecstasy and perhaps he was being too leisurely as his sin was coming out. Anger pent up within him too a new form as he was starting to get rougher with Eldora, nips and bites replace the sensual kisses and his hands grew rougher with his grips. But he stopped when he felt the pain resonating from his head and one look from her told him everything he needed to know. If he couldn’t stay in control then she would do it for him. Rather than it fueling the fires and making him more upset, he nodded before kissing her again and his aggression ceased save for a moment or two of weakness.

They kept going for as long as the both of them could handle, in the privacy of her room without prying eyes. Lust filled the air around them, making it hard to breath for him. But he kept going until the end and before long he found himself out of breath and fell back first against the bed. She soon joined him while he was still thinking about what had transpired just now. Were there any words strong enough to explain what had happened? Steele very much doubted it so but he didn’t care. He felt the warmth in her growing stronger while he held onto her. His body felt much heavier now; he had expended a lot more energy than he had thought at the time. He felt her warm breath kissing his neck up until she left momentarily to grab the blanket to cover them up.

Steele, with all of this still fresh in mind, started to sit up. He was planning to leave the room and think more about what had happened between them. But he froze once he heard her. It seemed like she was commanding him to, which normally wouldn’t bold well for someone that wanted him to obey an order. But there was something in her eyes that screamed something else. Knowing her like he did, she meant something entirely different from her word. He stared at her for the longest time before slowly falling back down. “Yes”, he spoke in agreement. “I’ll stay as long as you wish…”

He took her back into his arms and for what seemed like forever, he held onto her, holding her close to him. It was odd yet comforting to the wolf at the same time. This thing they had started was weird and frightening but it was satisfying at the same time. “What now…”, he asked out loud as he turned to face her. “Do…you feel any different? I kind of do…”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Fri Apr 7, 2017 9:00 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“Perhaps but for people like us who don’t know… How can we tell?” She cocked her head to the side a bit which was a feat for someone laying on their side like she was. She was genuinely curious if there was something more to this attraction that Steele and herself found themselves in. She told him not to stop and they continued where they had left off.

They never did fully stop. Not one peep from either of them as they laid into each other. It was more on instinct as they unclothed themselves in haste. With Steele’s strength, he was able to quite literally rip the clothing off. In tatters on the floor, they were, not that it made Eldora sad. She didn’t really see the point in clothing too much. She just knew she had to wear it to appease people around her.

Before they got too far she waved her hand and the door slammed with a bang. She let Steele have whatever he wanted. She gave as much as she could right back. It was far different than with Xunatar, Steele tired. It wasn’t just that, it was the ferocity behind everything that Steele did when he was lost in the moment. He was lost in his sin.

When he went too hard or was overly rough there was a spike in his mind from Eldora that brought him back just enough to know he went too far. She knew that he didn’t have full control over it but a person like Eldora? She could bring him right back and she wasn't afraid too.

At the end, she was curled up into him. She had obvious bruising on her skin but it was quickly disappearing with each moment that she had her eyes closed. She wasn’t asleep but she was resting on him. Her nose was pressed lightly against the nape of his neck. Her breathing was much softer than it had been and her warmth had begun to return and she found herself stretching to reach for the blanket.

Her blue eyes opened and she leaned away from his neck just enough so she could her short length to reach the blanket that they had so eagerly pushed off. Using her foot she grabbed a hold of it and lifted it up with extreme flexibility on her part. She wasn’t one to ask for help unless she absolutely needed it. She grabbed the blanket from her toes and laid her leg back down and pulled it up over them.

“Stay,” it came off like a command one would give to a dog but when her blue eyes looked at him it was clearly read to be a plea. She wouldn’t lower herself to beg but she couldn’t find the words to ask so that was all she had.

Author: Steele, Posted: Fri Apr 7, 2017 6:38 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“Yes”, he spoke without hesitation. Perhaps Eldora had felt her life had been cursed since before she was born. Honestly he could not blame her, but even so, fate wouldn’t be so unkind to deny her even a glimpse of happiness. Steele hadn’t bother to wonder about whether or not he deserved it, like her, he didn’t quite believe it was for him. It was more of a liability with his sin still being able to escape at times and gods knew what it could happen when such an episode occurred. He couldn’t be sure if he would be able to fully control and not endanger someone he could care about.

He lacked the great charm that some of the other males in his family held, but he had some form of honor that they didn’t. He wouldn’t try to seduce Eldora for the sake of it; his intentions were more pure despite who they were coming from. The kiss was…exciting. It brought to him a thrill that the fights he’s been in, the slayings he had done could not measure up to. Why was it her that brought him this? Confusion and caring about it was pushed away from the front of his mind as they broke away.

She gave permission and he followed through in short order. He suppose that it felt like the closest to heaven that he would ever be allowed to have, surely he would not be heading there in the afterlife. She still felt cool to the touch, something that bothered him only a little. There was strangely still some comfort taken from being this near to her. He hadn’t thought about it until now, but his mind wandered to that of his father and how he would had felt about it. It didn’t seem like he was possessive of her. No, that wasn’t Xunatar’s style. It was surely a one time ordeal and even if it had, wouldn’t she had stopped this from continuing? In any sense of the matter, Steele started to care less and less about his father’s approval and focused on this moment. “Suppose you are right… I just wonder if there’s any more to it than just that.“

Him admitting what he did was confusing not only to her, but himself as well. There hadn’t been a feeling like this in him in so long, perhaps not ever. But rationality and fear were both flung from him as she kissed him. He meet her lips with equal ferocity and passion. His arms grew more confident as they wrapped around her, his lips meeting with hers before they found themselves pressing against the side of her neck. With one quick motion, he moved onto top of her, yet careful as to not place his full weight on her. Instead he was over her on his hands and knees as he kissed back up to her lips.

He didn’t wish to ever stop, and he wasn’t sure that even if he did, she would let him.

Author: Eldora, Posted: Fri Apr 7, 2017 8:47 AM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora nodded just a tad as he put his hand on her waist. It felt nice. “Most of the time when I travel I do not pay attention to how I get to a place. I could have tracked the beach and not even noticed. When I am seeing my visions… when I am carrying them out… I don’t know where I am. I just know my destination.” She gave a frown to him.

His hand petting her hair was relaxing and she liked it. She couldn’t explain why it made the fear roll off her shoulders. “Do I?” It was more of a hushed question like she was questioning herself. When he pulled her head back away from him she looked sad at first. She didn’t understand why he was taking the warmth away from her. Soon though he was shifting himself so they were laying equally with each other. When he asked she took only a half second to recognize and nod. Gingerly her arms went around his shoulders and pulled him as close as she could as they kissed.

When he broke it Eldora let her blue eyes watch his for a few moments as she processed what was going on. It was an odd thing and nowhere near what Xunatar had done. He had been gentle at first that was sure but this was different. Steele was different. “You can try.” She echoed him. That was all they could do.

Now it was his turn to pull her in closer, not that she was sure that they could get any closer than they already were… but it was nice. “I’m not really sure anyone really gets it.” Her eyes closed and she thought about the words as she felt his body’s heat against her. Listening to him she gave his arms a comforting rub as she thought about his words. “We’ve never had anyone we could relate to before.”

His last confession puzzled her and she leaned in and kissed him gently. “Then don’t stop.” She couldn’t see his eyes because they were closed but her hands came back from around his shoulders and she cupped his face so she could kiss him again.

Author: Steele, Posted: Fri Apr 7, 2017 12:07 AM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Steele looked at her sincerely every since the kiss happened. He hadn’t expected for her to jolt back quickly but then she came back and returned it which kinda threw him for a loop as well. There hasn’t been a plan or thought before of being so close to her, and yet he wasn’t displeased by it. It was rather…intriguing. She was intriguing since he had first got sight of her. She had been surprised herself- was it because she hadn’t expected him to be so forward, or was it because it was different from what she may have experienced previously.

“Fair enough”, his words trailed off when she offered him some advice. He assumed that it meant that Eldora didn’t mind it at all, but then again he was willing to try and help her understand all of this. Little did he know that he was also learning about it as well, whether he wanted to admit it or not. A small smile crept up to his face, one that had eluded her eyes before now. He felt her touch against his arms and shoulders, slowly she seemed to be moving more sensually. Whatever storm was rolling about in her head could have felt the same to what he was feeling. Either of them were the sort to open up and expose themselves to the world freely like their siblings could. He’d imagine it was among these similarities that made it more comfortable to speak with her about them.

His own hand fell onto the top of her waist, slowly caressing it in return. She was much smaller than he was, a good foot for certain. “You’ll find someone. You can’t let fear drive you away from such a thing. I am more absent minded about the matter mostly. Out of all your fears, that one may be the easiest to deal with the right person with you.” He sounded like he was often repeating himself, but it was all he could do to keep from rambling nonsensically. It was the half-demon’s honest attempt to help her. “I do not see the beach in being that hard to come across, given our location”, he spoke with a tilted look. “I’m surprised that you haven’t been to one recently.”

The hand slid down towards her stomach and remained there for a moment before he brought it back up to her side. The feeling of her form felt…nice. It felt even nicer when she drew herself nearer towards him and fell into his chest.

“Your request isn’t an unreasonable one. In fact, it’s one that you do deserve like everyone else does”, he spoke as his hand came to the back of her head and petted the dark locks. Lust and love were very different things to go through. There was no emotion needed for lust, it was an easy thing. Love, on the other hand, felt like it was a much difficult situation to deal with, let alone thrive in. Swallowing hard, Steele moved her head up so that she could look straight up to him before he shifted himself down so that his face within inches of hers. “May I?”, he asked, hoping that she remember what she had said before he brought his lips against hers again , this time the embrace was longer and more…wanting. Before it went too far, he broke it.

“I don’t know what will happen. I’m not sure if I can promise you that world, but I can try. I didn’t think there would be anyone for me either, being as what I am. Of the sins I carry. I forget at times that I shut myself away from a world that doesn’t understand me, when I don’t understand myself.” He was a far more honest individual than his father ever could, not that the god had minded to anyway. His arms wrapped around her body and drew her in as close as possible. “I don’t really get love…but with you, I don’t feel as though you are just some woman. You relate to me and vice versa, otherwise I wouldn’t have cared to share anything with you. I don’t know…I’m confused about this whole matter…”

He closed his eyes and took a deep sigh, his tongue felt like it was getting tied around before he continued speaking. “There only thing I am certain of is that ever since I kissed you…I didn’t want to stop.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Thu Apr 6, 2017 11:09 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

When he climbed into the bed the last thing that she had expected was his arm around her. He was warm, very warm. Her cheeks flushed a bit as she thought about it and she scooted herself closer to him and put a hand on his chest so she could snuggle her head into his arm. It was nice, at least she thought so. Her blue eyes closed for a moment or so. She pondered what he asked her and peeked a blue eye at him. “Hmm…” She thought about it longer as both blue eyes were open now. “No, I think I am capable of it but I don’t think there has been a soul that has wanted to try to break the wall I’ve made for myself.” She gripped at his shirt with her hand that was on his chest and thought about his other question. “I think… I like it much more than what Xunatar showed me. That’s all I know for sure.”

Soon he rolled on his side and they were so close together. Her hand was still balled up on his shirt keeping a light hold on it. “You are the closest person I’ve met that has gone through similar things. It might not be with the spirits but you fight your sin. You also think you’ll eventually die to it like I do.” It wasn’t down to the line perfect what she was saying but she was hoping that he could help her piece it together.

She was pondering his questions when he kissed her. She jolted back almost immediately but it wasn’t far. Her blue eyes were wide and she soon pushed herself against him returning it. She didn’t want him to think what he had done was unwanted. “All you have to do is ask…” Her voice was hushed as she watched him a bit more carefully now. Not that she was upset with his actions it was quite the opposite. It was more like she was studying him.

Her hands moved finally as she adjusted herself and she was hesitant. Her hands flinched a minimum of ten times before she put her hands his shoulders and rubbed his shoulders and arms contently. Moments went by and she just laid there silently. Her eyes were more eying his chest for the few minutes she was quiet. Her heart, however, was beating loudly. Her eyes flickered back up to him. “Not die. I haven’t really thought about what I want to do with my life. Most of it has been spent trying to survive.” She tilted her head a bit and she struggled with her fears. “On pitch black nights, despite how at home most of my Court feels… I’m terrified of it. I think it is because that is what I saw when I died. I fear truly being alone. I fear never finding someone who will take genuine interest in me without having a motive.”

Her hands caressed his arm softly in more of an absent minded way. “I want to be able to walk the fields of Arri again. I want to feel the sand between my toes on the beach, I haven’t been to the beach in a long time.” She mused. What would she have done? “I don’t know… Most Rosenites have babies and mates…” Her eyes looked up at his. “I think I would go to every city… every landmark… I would paint them all. At the end when I’m finished… I’ll pick something new to do and paint that. I’ll continue the cycle. If I didn’t have the spirits maybe I would have had someone, maybe I wouldn’t have lost all the decades I have.” She mused a bit more now.

Her chest seemed heavy and she realized she was sad. Her eyes reflected this as her mood dipped just a tad. “I want to be loved and to love. When I am upset I want someone to be there and listen. I want someone to understand what I am saying and why I feel the way I do. I want to be warm at night when all of my warmth is seemingly sapped away.” She moved closely to his body and pressed her cheek against the warmth of his chest. “I want to be vulnerable and not feel like I need to lock myself up. I want someone to tear down this wall I’ve built but only so they can get in.” She closed her eyes and gripped at his shoulders.

“Anyone can lust and have sex. That’s not what I want. I’ve missed one thing my whole life and that thing was love. I want to understand it… but I also want to drown in it because it seems so nice. I want to be vulnerable for just one person and that’s it.”

Author: Steele, Posted: Thu Apr 6, 2017 9:59 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

He wasn’t too sure whether or not he was the right person that could be teaching her such things. Steele wasn’t the most emotional person aside from his temper at times. In fact, he was rather cold and distant, but then again so was Eldora. It wasn’t very often that he would expose himself to anyone, especially a complete stranger that he had just met only a couple of hours ago. But it sort of felt like it had been longer in his mind.

“Yes, that is half the battle. I suppose you are right. Otherwise, we would have more of the sort of people that your…pursuer is like running amok.” That was the part of the lesson that was harder for some to grasp- that unrequited love was a fool’s path. It was something he didn’t even bother going through because he had been so focused on controlling himself and distancing himself from other people. He could understand from where she was coming from really. “When it comes down to it, there are chances one must take when it comes to love. Even if the other expresses no interest or refuses you, then it is said that’s better than being left in the dark to wonder what if.”

“Perhaps that’s what is alluring about the idea of having someone. The time and effort of winning someone over. And even then, it's foolish to think that they can’t hurt you. In fact, they will be the ones to cause you both the greatest pleasure and pain. They will know you, nearly everything if it is true. Your strengths…your weaknesses…” Perhaps that’s not what she wanted to hear, but it was bits and pieces of what he had observed in his lifetime. A lot of it was not from experiences of his own but of that from others. The half demon glanced onto their joined hands and couldn’t even muster the thought of prying himself away from her. Why? Why was he behaving like this? “…I guess… I can’t say that I never had been curious about it.” Steele never had that sort of thing before. Tryst? He had the occasional one in comparison to his brother, but for Dante it had been about conquests. His brother on the other hand, it was satisfy a need. But even then there was a void left in him, and for the longest time he was unsure as to what that could be if his carnal needs were taken cared for.

He finally gave her a nod to show that he was willing to help with this. But what he wasn’t expecting was the kiss upon his cheek. There didn’t seem to be an ulterior motive behind it and he looked wided eyed for a moment before he relaxed and slid himself onto her bed to join right beside her. One arm wrapped around her back and met with her shoulder, closing the space between the two of them. Now it was his turn to look up towards the ceiling and she was the one that wished to know his own questions. “I do know a lot about you in such a short time. Is there anything at all that I had missed? If anything I wish to know what you think about this whole thing. Do you honestly think you are incapable of love?”

After some time, he leaned onto his side and faced her, “I don’t think you won’t find someone to love you. Despite it all, you are capable of being understood, though it may be by those that have gone through similar ordeals in their lives.” His eyes drifted about Eldora’s form. While he hadn’t admitted it out loud or recognized it until then, but she was indeed gorgeous from head to toe. And she was pretty intelligent and had a good head on her shoulders, no matter how strange she may seem. No everyone could appreciate that, certainly so.
“Do you have any goals in your life? Fears? Desires? What is you weren’t plagued by these spirits and was free to live your life? What would you do?”

He pondered what if about his fate plenty of times, but he assumed that not much would have changed for him. What was his own answers for such questions? One had come to mind, though he was hesitant in speaking anything of it to her. But he preferred to show to her then and without a warning, he leaned towards her and kissed her lips briefly. Drawing himself back, he let the taste of her lips linger, her scent fresh in his nose. His heart raced a bit, more so than any tryst he had been with. Perhaps because he didn’t feel anything other than lust before. “Sorry, I just wanted to see what it was like..”, he said a bit shyly.

Author: Eldora, Posted: Thu Apr 6, 2017 6:32 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Tilting her head Eldora nodded softly. That was one thing that she could agree on every time. She never stopped to think about the things she liked. It was more like she was always on the move and couldn’t stop herself… but she had loved painting since she was a girl well before the visions started.

The difference between lust and love was what was really confusing her. She had seen it happen before her very eyes and yet she couldn’t pinpoint the moment it started. It honestly terrified her that there was something she didn’t understand but she didn’t voice that matter. Eldora disliked overly different amounts of change. “I never said I wouldn’t let myself feel anything but until recently it was more of a survival thing. I don’t fancy wanting to die or gouge my own heart out.” She chuckled morbidly.

She didn’t reply when he said she had a reason for asking but her eyes nearly glimmered like Feeorin when he did. “People are more difficult than plants Steele. They have to find interest in you as well. I could love a plant from now until my death and it wouldn’t argue with me, hurt me, or any of the other dumb things that other people do. I want to feel but I don’t want to be destroyed. It is an interesting problem.”

Her blue eyes watched as his hand took hers away from his face. She was saddened by it because his face, no his whole body, was so warm to her. It felt good especially when her life essence was so weak. “I would like that but if you are accepting… then you must be curious as well.” She squeezed his hand back and smiled. For someone who was supposed to be wrath incarnate, he was a gentle soul sometimes. Maybe not all the time but right now she could see it.

She pulled on his hand and pushed herself up with her free one so she could meet him half way. It was gentle as she pressed her lips against his cheek. “Lay with me and talk. It’s getting exhausting to sit up like this.” She laid back down on the bed and stretched as she turned her eyes away from him for a second. “Is there anything that you want to know Steele? You must be curious about me.”

Author: Steele, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 8:37 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Steele looked at her puzzled but then sighed as he gathered his thoughts together. “Hm…never really thought of that before. I guess my favorite smell is that of a roasting fire, like in a fireplace or campfire." He relaxed his shoulders a bit more, “The sounds of a summer night like crickets chirping. I mainly enjoy the evening hours and I prefer reading. Never had the talent to paint personally.”

His eyes lingered towards hers and slowly he nodded as she seemed to grasp the bits he was telling her. His father seemed incapable of giving her what she wanted, and he was sure that she knew that as well. “Yes. Love and lust can be intertwined but they are not the same thing”, he offered before frowning a bit. “I am uncertain if that may be true or not. You may find that for yourself one day.” Steele would have gone on, but then he froze up once she touched him again. He hadn’t expected it but it…wasn’t completely unwanted. The woman was convinced that no one would ever love or care for her the way she had seen others do. When he thought about it, he pondered about himself. It was a worry that he went without for so long that it started to bother him a little. “Only if you don’t let yourself feel such things, then yes you will not be able to find it. What the others have may have been by luck or fate. It isn’t a simple matter. I believe it is said that attraction is the first step towards a relationship. If you want the person badly enough that when you so much as think about them, something stirs inside you.” Steele wasn’t the best at explaining this sort of thing. It was painfully obvious that this wasn’t his specialty.

“I wouldn’t rely on those like my father or Dante for something like that”, he shrugged it off. “Lust is strong with the both of them though Dante seems to be allured by your sister. He’s never known to stay with someone for too long before he met her..”

The request..it made him shy away a bit; the wolf didn’t favor being put in a vulnerable situation like this. He was a killer, a soldier and a destroyer and yet she asked him to care about her. “Apparently… you must of had a reason of asking me that though…”, he stated, his tone surprisingly soft as he stared at her for a few moments. But then she shifted gears and allowed him to take in her own answers to the question. Meanwhile he still was conflicted about this whole thing. He had went over eight centuries not having to worry about these things and now it seemed like she would have to draw that out in them.

It wasn’t fair.

He did take notice of her interest in these Soul Twigs flowers and how passionate she seemed about them. “That’s the sort of thing I speak of. If you can feel that way about someone the way you do about those plants, then it's basically the same thing. You need someone that can actually make you feel, Eldora.”

Sighing, Steele took her hand away from his face, but he kept onto it as he contemplated something. “I suppose I could do as you asked if you’d like. You may be one of the few whose company I don’t mind at all.” His hand squeezed at hers gently, despite it being from a normally ruthless demon.

Author: Eldora, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 7:49 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora stared at him for the longest time as he told her his tale. She tilted her head at him as he finished and nodded a bit. They had different backgrounds and that was to be expected but she smiled a bit. “What is your favorite smell? Sound? Time of day? Do you like to read or paint?” She was looking for things that she had heard during her visions, things that made the utmost sense to her. These were little things. “If you answer me I’ll answer you.”

She thought about what Xunatar showed her and nodded at least partially. “He showed me one side of the coin I was looking for. The other side of the coin is what you are trying to explain to me now. From what I can gather IT is the same coin. It is just different based on how you feel towards another person.” She frowned a bit. “I doubt anyone could ever care for someone like me.”

She put her hand up to his face and cupped his cheek. “No one could ever love me. Have a connection with me. Be with me. I’m convinced they can’t unless they are dead. The dead are the only thing that truly understand me right now.” She was sad and it showed on her face. “They are the only ones who know my pain, my suffering, and why I am the way I am. I get annoyed easily at people and there are a few that I do not. You, Xunatar…. Dante stares at my sister way too much.” She laughed a bit.

“I could ask for you to care about me but I don’t think it works like that.” She mused lightly. After a while, she finally answered him like she told him she could. “My favorite smell is lavender mixed with mint, lightly but not overly. For some reason, it makes me calm enough to center myself. My favorite sound… is crickets at night and the gentle breeze that often comes with. My favorite time of day is dusk. I also know how to paint and I do it on occasion when my burden isn’t overbearing. I like to read but the voices in my head often distract me from it. I love reading old scrolls on fairy tales. Being able to see them happen in my head even if they are fake… and sometimes if they were real I get to see how they actually played out thanks to my powers.” She chuckled a bit and rolled on her side and propped her head up.

Her color was coming back a bit. “I miss the meadows of Sularia the most. They had fields of lavender but not the mint. I don’t know where the mint comes from. When I think of home… that’s where I am. I can’t ever go there ever again but in my mind, I am there when I am at peace during the night. When I meditate I am in those fields. Under the twin full moons… I think that was the last time I stood in them.” She looked lost for a moment as she tried to think back on her life.

“It feels so long ago… It has probably been decades now.” She chuckled. "My favorite flower isn't lavender it is called a Soul Twig. It is a blue flower… small like baby's breath. on a deep purple stem that grows near the Koschei Forest. I saw them once in a merchant's cart. I was in love with them but I can't ever go there and pick them. They bloom under the full moon. Stay alive for the next few weeks and die. I love them…"

Author: Steele, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 7:29 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

As long as she proved useful, Steele couldn’t really see any reason why Xunatar would cast her away to her demise. Then again, there was a lot that he could do that didn’t make sense until the end. While he didn’t trust every word or action his father took, he was at least certain enough to keep his children alive. The useful ones anyway. He didn’t worry about himself nor Colden in that regard. Dante would be protected since he was now the lord’s chosen Avatar and the others would be alright as well.

He actually had to ponder about what he could tell about himself. It was so strange to have someone want to know about him, even if it was because just so that they could work better together. “Uh, I suppose I can start. Met my mother a few times- she was an afflicted werewolf when my father met her. He hadn’t known at the time- he thought that she was a normal human and it helped that she couldn’t transform while pregnant but eventually he learned soon after my birth. I am the oldest male among the Sin children. As before, for the longest time, my sin overshadowed me at various times, and it alienated me from others. The only time I would have interactions with others was when I was fighting them. Even at a young age I was strong enough to kill, but I never took a life until my nineteenth summer. After that, it came easily for me.”

His mind trailed back to that night, of course the man had deserved his fate as far as he cared. “He had attempted to rob me and was ready to kill me when I refused. Afterwards, I saw the world as a place where you must do everything you can do to survive, and also that trust is hard to come by. Over the years I have gotten better with my temper and I occasionally lose it from time to time..”

He could only agree when she explained Lotus a bit more to him. That would have certainly been a treat for his brother and unlike many several other conquests, he had seen the woman more than once. Eldora looked troubled before she rose up and came close to him. Steele watched her with care before she started to go through her problem. Much of it he could see why she struggled trying to grasp the concept; much of it to him seemed like luck based. “What I’m guessing my father showed you and what you truly want to learn were two different things. We both know that. What you want to understand is the connection people can have. It’s beyond the physical pleasures; it's about just looking at the person and knowing that they feel different from anyone else to you. There is an understanding and a desire to simply be with them. It’s kinda hard to explain.” It wasn’t that he understood it fully; it was just things that he picked up on along the way as he lived. “It is said that there is someone for everyone. Perhaps you will find that someone that will care about you the way you’ve seen others do.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 6:29 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora tilted her head and gave him a smile. “I will be careful. I am not so naive to believe everything that Xunatar promises me. For right now this is how I have to live Steele. For I will die if I leave too soon. Then I will most likely have to strike up a deal with Angela.”

She watched his face change for a few. She chuckled a bit and she could taste the hesitation coming off of him. “Everything that you haven’t told me already. I’ll tell you everything you want to know as well.”

When talking about her sister she tilted her head. “Lotus is part succubus maybe that is why Dante loves her so.” Love was a weird concept to Eldora but that was what she was still uncertain about. What made that so different from what Xunatar had shown her? Her face looked more concerned about it for a moment. Finally, she pushed herself up and got closer to Steele when he asked her.

“I can see everything Dante and Lotus do. Some things confuse me and I don’t watch because I want to. They made me.” She spoke of the spirits. “Xunatar showed me lust and that was similar to the beginning but now that isn’t how that is now.” She shook her head and stared at Steele. “The way they look at each other, the way they touch each other, it is very odd. I don’t understand it at all. Why do people need each other?” Eldora was frustrated and stared at him for the longest time.

“People who never needed anyone else suddenly have someone else. Lotus and Dante have each other now and it is odd to watch. Angela has Drae and she has never had anyone else. Would anyone ever see someone like me like that? Can I see someone like that? How would one do that?”

Author: Steele, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 1:32 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“Perhaps you are right. I have no doubt under my father’s guidance, he will be in far more capable hands than Cyprus’. All she will lead him towards will be death and decay.” The boy wasn’t as stupid as many thought, even though it was very easy to get caught in such a pitfall. All they would need to do was get him away from her clutches.

“I’d be certain to be careful. My father does things for his own accordance. Right now, your needs and his may coincide right now, but eventually he will call in all markers when it ceases to benefit you. Though perhaps it may be a good thing considering that you are among his clergy, but even so be careful, I suppose.” There truly no way of guessing what went on in the chaotic mind of the Lord of Lies. Even his own children weren’t safe from him misleading them if it proved to be entertaining for him.

Steele’s face nearly drop its stony look and for a moment, shock was evidently written across him. It wasn’t that she could relate to him that had drawn this out, but rather she wanted to learn even more about him. The warlord wasn't sure what she meant by that and already he had revealed a lot of his innermost thoughts to her. The man leaned back up and considered her request. “What is it that you wish to learn about me?” The question came out hesitantly from his lips, the words felt so foreign coming out from him that it shocked even himself.

If they were going to be around one another, it would be better to be on good terms, so it made sense to him. “I have nothing to hide, not after everything else I shared.” Heaven knows what sort of things Eldora wanted to know of him.

Steele glanced over to her with eyes softly narrowed; Xunatar’s teaching were often given with his own personal touches. When she continued on, his suspicions was starting to see more valid. But still with all that, she wasn’t understanding of the situation that men and women undergone. “I wouldn’t know; I never met her. If I had to guess though by the sort of woman that could captivate my brother, then surely you are different. But that’s nothing wrong. I am very different from Dante, by the luck of the gods.”

He was hesitant in speaking something that was on his mind, but soon the warlord broke the silence slowly. “What is it that you know and what you are having trouble understanding with the subject?”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 1:09 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“Colden is too much like our mother but he is still young enough to change still. I do believe that is why Xunatar is hopeful.”

Eldora tilting her head and smiled. “I think that’s why I ended up on Xunatar’s doorstep when he ascended. I have no other choice. I wouldn’t live long if I had ignored it. I could have already done it for as long as you have.” She tilted her head enough as she laid down on the pillows and smiled when he understood her. “I can’t go home to Arri and see the realm thing because of the Soul-Stream. This is the closest thing I have to home now.”

She looked into his blue eyes and tilted it. “I would like to believe that. I think for once I’ve found someone who can understand what its like. I was born after the time of the last Nizeva so there is no one I can relate to anymore. Perhaps though I have been searching in the wrong books, scrolls, and people. We sound much more alike than I could have imagined.”

She was musing as she closed her eyes and let out a yawn. “From the sounds of it we will be working together for a long time. I want to learn more of you Steele so we can understand more. The better we know each other the more we can work together. I doubt Cyprus will be the last time we shall have to join each other.” She planned on sticking around a long time.

“Xunatar tried to teach me why men and women spend so much time together.” She chuckled a bit. “I don’t fully understand it yet. He said it was weird a Rosenite didn’t. Am I that much different from my sister Lotus?” Her blue eyes looked up at Steele. “I’m not so sure.”

Author: Steele, Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2017 10:13 AM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“A loin driven brother, a sister that thinks the world will end when she does, another sister that is a glutton in just about everything , a sister that needs motivation to do even the easiest of tasks, another that will steal everything that isn’t bolted down and the other brother is one that is too damn much like his mother- wanting to do absolutely anything to get what he feels is his. They all live with their sins as if it was as essential as breathing. Meanwhile I do not indulge in it, at least not willingly.” At this time, his head to around, pale blue eyes lingered onto the resting woman. If it wasn’t for that, perhaps he would find some liking to some of them at least; at best, he didn’t wish to run a sword through any of them though who was to say when that could all change. Colden was becoming dangerously close to testing that line should he play his part in his mother’s demented game.

“Numbing yourself will only go so far. Trust me, I’ve done it for a century or two and it didn’t help. They will rise out, one way or another.” Right now he wished he had a bottle of whiskey to down, but that wouldn’t really help the matter either. The room, on the other hand, kind of was easing him bit by bit. It was certainly more healthier than drowning himself in alcohol. Her explanation stirred his attention to her. After a long moment of silence, he turned away again and closed his eyes. “No…it’s not stupid. I understand what you are saying. When one can’t even be safe inside their minds, they need something to keep them somewhat afloat and from drowning in the deep abyss. It seemed like only in combat did I channel myself into something other than pure anger. You want to feel free of the burden and not have to worry about the things that will come to plague you inevitably. If you don’t have something to hold on to or an outlet, then you will merely be a drifting piece of wood in the sea, swept continuous by it with no hope of going against it.”

Steele turned himself around completely to face her and rested his head onto of one of his closed hands. “I am more than just wrath as surely as you are more than just the vessel of spirits all around you.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Tue Apr 4, 2017 10:01 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora nodded a bit in understanding. “Those like the other oracles can bathe in their powers all they want. They can walk the edge of all three realities and it wouldn’t bother them. It burns me, drains me. I want to do what they can but I can’t. I want to, though. The nature of my power is more chaotic and destructive than theirs. Theirs is made to protect and I think mine is made to destroy. Why else would I be given the tools I have been. I understand your pain, Steele.” She was highly more talkative perhaps because she didn’t want to dwell on the pain resonating in her body at that moment.

“If it wasn’t for Bryony I would be alive right now. She taught me how to hold myself together. I taught myself how to blank and not feel. How to be stoic to keep the pain away. She was always there as my mother. Even after I left Sularia she would come when I needed her. Even now she would come here to help me if I asked.”

She must have been so light when he picked her up and laid her down on the bed. She bathed in the strong scent of her favorite smells. She watched the ceiling for long moments as she contemplated. “It was my safe spot in Sularia growing up. I never knew I had a mother or siblings for the longest time. Done so to protect my existence. Bryony let me live with her in the Oracle Mansion in Sularia and I had my own room. It was exactly like this.” Eldora closed her eyes as she relived the happy memories.

“I was about five when the visions started and the pain. They started as nightmares and soon they became every minute of every day. It was so strong in Sularia. The screaming. I can’t shut it off like the others. So Bryony took me away. We went all over Revaliir together. We stayed away from places where the spirits were too strong for me. She taught me how to live. Eventually, though it got too strong and I became seemingly emotionless to deal with my life. I wasn’t living anymore. I was fortune telling and mediating. Decades slipped only moving for a few days every year. I’ve not lived much of my life.”

She opened her eyes and looked around the room. “I lived in this room. It was the last place I felt truly alive in. I can’t remember how long ago it was but I remember the happiness. Bryony was the best mother anyone could ever ask for. I remember being so scared but she calmed me down the best she could. Angela came and gave me sedatives to calm me but they only worked for so long before I got used to them. I’ll be honest that I don’t know Colden. I barely know Lotus or Kirika. I don’t know Cyprus. I was gone from Sularia by the time she figured out I was alive. That’s the story of this room. It’s my head space. My happy place if you will. The last place I can truly be myself.”

She looked up at Steele. “Does that sound stupid?”

Author: Steele, Posted: Tue Apr 4, 2017 9:46 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Her words were quite true, the very ones whose mind weren’t strong enough to resist the alluring nature of those like her mother were made the perfect little toys for those like his father. Though they used different means and methods, Cyprus and Xunatar had a few things similar when it came to toying around and using people. “I’ll give the devil her dues. She knows how to achieve things, though as stupid and foolish as her goals are.” But the end result would still be the same in his eyes; she would be dead and finally out of their hair once and for all. “She stole a goddess’ child. She has defied my father several times. She has acted over of irrationality. I ask what she was waiting for because she fails to learn the patience my father had offered her several times. Reason is beyond her when she acts so childish.” He hardly cared if she had walked into her sister’s domain or her former home and get eradicated. It would save everyone a lot of trouble and effort. “Fair point, but if my father wants her, he will get her one way or another. He’s patient enough to watch and wait. She can hide for only so long before she is driven by her desires…yet again.”

His arms crossed tightly, “She had made far too many enemies and her tricks will only last for so long. Soon the daggers will come and surround her and she will perish. Salt the damn bones afterwards to make sure she won’t be resurrected.” Steele nodded towards her; she was right after all. Cyprus just couldn’t leave well enough alone and soon she would be back where she belonged. Rotting on the outside like she had in the inside. At least her children weren’t like her, though Colden was dangerously close to that edge. Perhaps he would have been far better being raised with his father instead.

He wasn’t too sure why he was helping her, aside from doing as his father had instructed. They had to work together to play a part in the witch’s destruction. For him, he wanted to keep it on a professional level, or close to it. Her scent hit his nose more being so close to him. Steele sighed a little at her comment, “Stopping is what I am capable of, but not completely. My sin is a burden, more so that what you or anyone else can understand. The other six that are alike me delve in their sins. They bathe in it gleefully and only I am the one that has to keep myself in line. My youth was riddled with fighting after fighting. Pain physically on many levels when I couldn’t control my rage. Even after so long, I can’t contain it when it gets at its worse. Had it not been for my father, I wouldn’t have made it as long as I have.” He wanted to bite his tongue towards the end; he revealed much more than he wished. “I wouldn’t wish to have your fate either though. To have such power only to fade away when the time comes. I’ll likely burn myself out with my hellish temperament one day.”

But he was determined not to go down like that. He’d preferred to be bested in combat and not of self-undoing.

He looked at her with somewhat of a confused glance as her hand reached for his cheek. But Steele did not shy away from her touch, letting the bitter coolness of it come to him. “I suppose. It wouldn’t surprise me as you have have done.” Despite the protesting in his head, he helped her over to the bed and placed her onto it. Afterwards he sat at the edge and looked around the room some more. “Why all this? I am aware of him allowing those like you to do as you wish with your chambers, but why did you pick this settling?”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Tue Apr 4, 2017 9:11 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

She tilted her head about what he meant about her kind but didn’t ask. She suspected it had to do more with how those like Lotus acted. She had pondered about it. “Why do others circle around a cult only to mass kill themselves? It is generally weak minds and charisma. My mother does not lack the charisma of my people. No matter how stupid she is.” Tilting her head she smirked. “What is she waiting for? IF she went into Canelux at this moment to storm Arri… She would get defeated the moment she tried. The five queens are nothing to scoff at even without Angela’s god powers. Angela by herself could destroy the entire army. Adraejen is now a god, Angela is a goddess, and the four other queens are strong. She would lose before she started. She is nowhere near strong enough to take Arri. One oracle wouldn’t have saved her. As long as she stays in Parvpora she will be fine. Arri won’t act and Angela doesn’t have the power to destroy an entire army.”

Once they were inside her room she looked at him looking at her. “I’m the last one of my kind. The rest have killed themselves because of the pain.” She mused lightly. “Don’t we all wish to do that? Run a sword through her cold heart that is.” She chuckled a bit thinking about it. “I never trust anything when it comes to her. She is tricky like that.”

She thought about the ashes and shrugged. “Shouldn’t be hard. I can ask Bryony to get them for me. I don’t like going to Angela’s realm. It gives me a headache. Too many loud spirits. To close to Arri’s soul-stream.”

Eldora felt extremely weak as she held onto Steele now. A chuckle full of pain left her lips. “For someone like me… There is no stopping. If I stop I die regardless. It isn’t from loss of blood. It’s my actual life force being drained by the very spirits that brought me back. It’s their price for me using my abilities at that level. It will take time for it to heal back up. If I was human I would have been dead just from casting it.” She leaned into his warmth and almost felt like she was bathing in it. Her skin had lost the color to it.

“You are lucky in the aspect that you can stop. I can’t. If I hadn’t come here and had those spirits bound to that doll I probably had less than ten years left. I was slowly not myself anymore. Still am sort of lost to the fogginess in my mind. Great power comes with great backlash. I can’t remember how old I am. No one can. When I die people will likely forget I have existed. It is the nature of this magic. There is no glory at the end of my tale.”

She moved her hand up and felt his warm cheek. “You’re so warm. It has to be the lupine blood you have. I’ve heard you run a lot hotter than others… At least from what my aunt says about her husband.” Her eyes looked so tired. She looked to the bed. “Stay here until I feel better?”

Author: Steele, Posted: Tue Apr 4, 2017 8:48 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Steele shrugged at her; Eldora had proven her point and he had been mistaken yes, but he was still crossed about the matter. His temper started to rise when she offered him sound advice over his creed. “I do not go about fighting all the time, contrary to popular belief. I know when bleeding for a cause is worth it.” Though upset, his tone was still strangely calm. The hairs on the back of his neck however spoke a different volume. “I will take it to heart of your claim about my life being long, at least for now.”

He stood there in now but a sleeveless shirt and pants when he offered her the coat. It was a rather weird thing that she didn’t grasp the concept he was giving her of not being naked to the public eye. Perhaps it was a Rosenite thing; he didn’t know much about them but what little he did know, Steele pondered if their race knew nothing of shame. Heavens know demons didn’t either, else Dante wouldn’t be like how he was. Or his father for that matter. “It’s common courtesy, though I suspect your kind are more…liberal about that sort of thing.” Or it was more so Eldora’s understanding of it the more he listened to her. Really he had offered it because she had done him a kindness and he hated owing other people favors. She wore it of course and lead him from the throne hall, albeit she wanted him to follow for whatever reason. He obliged and kept to her side, watching her travel with some difficulty because how small she was in comparison to the coat around her. “An army? I knew about the mindless cretins she created, but what sort of beings in their right minds would join her cause?” How was it that she was able to establish so much in such little time? Steele was annoyed that the news only arrived to him now, and what made it worse was that Cyprus was willing to risk everything to get what she wanted. As much as he disliked his brother, he couldn’t let anything happen to Colden. Xunatar would be livid otherwise and he wasn’t looking forward to that storm. “She has all of this in her possession, so what is she waiting for?” The question was more to himself than anything, though it was loud enough for her to catch wind of it.

They reached her chambers and he took back the coat but was not ready to cover his form with it again. Straightening it out, his eyes watched her form before casting them away. He would not get trapped in what caught Dante’s sniffing nose when it came to her sister. The lustful bunny didn’t need any help in indulging himself in the pleasures of the flesh, but now it seemed he had one in particular that captivated. Her scars didn’t bother him any, even the fresher ones. “A pity.” He turned slightly and looked at the room some more. “I couldn’t imagine a worse fate for anyone. Powers like that are double edged. Sometimes the side of one blade though is much sharper than the other.”

He could remember his own power back in his youth, it gotten him into a lot of trouble and woes. His tongue was silent in addressing them for the time being. His eyes latched onto her when she spoke of deaths, his brothers’ in particular. “That monster will not claim him, not if I have anything to say of it. Colden is a fool, and I can’t stand Dante at times, but they are my blood and is essential to our cause. She will die and hopefully I’m the one to run the sword into her cold empty heart. Cyprus will burn alone as she was intended to.” His tone was filled with bloodthirst, craving for the day he could get his hands around that wretched woman’s throat. “I wouldn’t trust anything completely when it comes to your mother.” Steele paced further into the room, walking around in circles as he tried to calm himself. Had he been like he had in his younger years, it would have proven futile but he was starting to relax. Perhaps the scenery around them was the cause of it, bring the wolf a peace that didn’t seem possible in his life. “I rather see her in a place where she can be all by herself and never burden anyone again. But whatever works, works for me really. If we need the ashes, how difficult would be it to obtain them?”

He waited for an answer, but instead he saw that the now dressed Eldora was ready to slip onto the floor. Steele immediately rushed over to her and caught her in the nick of time before she landed face first against the floor, his arm around her waist and back tightly. He looked at her bewildered for the Rosenite was surprisingly cold. “You alright?”, he asked as he assisted her back up to her feet. The arm lingered there for a bit. “You’ve lost a lot of blood, and you still keep going?” He just didn’t understand her at all.

Author: Eldora, Posted: Tue Apr 4, 2017 7:31 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora freed his hand and looked up at him. “You issued a challenge. It was my job to deliver. If I would have told you what was going to happen it wouldn’t have been as effective. Rule one about proving your power to someone. I don’t just claim to be the best because I have a large ego. I am the best because of my skills. They will only become better over time as I refine them. I am young yet for a Rosenite.”

She tilted her head at him as he told her that he was fine. “To bleed unnecessary leads to death and your death isn’t foreseen anytime soon. You need your blood to not fall unless called for.” She patted his hand. “Good.” She said as he replied to her about his hand.

She tilted her head at his coat. “I don’t understand.” She spoke with a curious look in her blue eyes staring into his. “Why is it so bad? Are we not all truly naked in the beginning and in the end? It is nothing to be shameful over.” She mused softly but did as he asked. She took it and put it on. It was much more like a luxury long dress as she began to pull at it so she didn’t step on it. “I don’t understand but thank you. Not a lot of people have done kind things for me.”

They would be working together to end this problem with Cyprus. A frustrated sigh left her lips as she pulled on the edge of the trench coat. “Come with me. We’ll talk more. If you require me to be dressed I would rather not trip over myself.” She tugged his arm to follow her and along the way she stepped on the edge of the coat and almost tripped herself up.

“She still has the luzil, her army, and Colden. She will throw all of it at us in self sacrifice. Before the end of her last time she did the unspeakable in Arri. Stealing a goddess’s child. The demon power she had been obtaining for years is the only reason ripping her from limb to limb did not kill her.”

Once they got to her room she took off the coat and handed it back to him. “You can stay in the room. I am not bothered by you being here while I dress.” She just didn’t understand still even after Xunatar’s demonstration. The wounds on her were still fresh as she had ripped one open when she had tripped. The blood ran down her side as she moved over to her armoire and began to go through it. She tilted her head at all the dresses. “I’ve only ever had one set of clothes before.” She mused aloud.

She froze up a bit and looked at Steele. “I wasn’t raised with my mother and siblings. I was dead when I was born. The original conduit for the Luzil she uses today. She couldn’t use me so she plunged a dagger into my dead heart. Bryony came and took me from her. The spirits of Arri brought me back to life. I was raised by Bryony until I was five. That was when the visions started. I’ve witnessed and felt all the pain of my siblings since the beginning of all this. If anyone has a reason to want her dead it is me. I am selfish. I don’t do this because of my siblings but because my powers are tied to them. I feel the pain of others but for my siblings it becomes hell. I’ve seen Colden’s death. It is very violent in the end.”

Her blue eyes turned to back to the dresses as she took one out. It was a dark blue halter. She didn’t bother to heal her wound as she put it on. “I have seen Kirika’s death. I have seen Lotus’s death. Her intertwining fate with Dante. His death is there too now. Protecting each other.” She shrugged a bit. “My mother will watch the world burn or she will burn with it. That is her intent.”

She mused lightly. “A curse won’t kill her because of her demonic blood. However, we can now track her down and put a sword through her heart. We’ll need something to bind her completely to the bowels of hell.” She tilted her head. “Angela has the original ashes of my mother’s body. If we could get those… I could use them to bind her to make sure she never comes back. I don’t leave things to fate. If Dalanesca were to fall she could just climb right back out of hell. I would rather not risk that…”

Her fingers combed through her dark hair and Eldora took a step forward. She began to stumble and fall. The oracle was tired from her curse. It wasn’t necessarily the magic from casting it but the counter-curse she had to fight off.

Author: Steele, Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2017 8:35 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

He shrugged at her comment, “You should have been more direct with how much you wanted. Bleeding and causing others to bleed is my business.” Steele wasn’t invincible and even believed in such a concept. He had fought in many battles, and many times he found the battlefield covered with his own blood. Bleeding for this cause wouldn’t deter him in the least. Xunatar knew that as well, but he kept his comments among himself for the time being. He wouldn’t cower from bleeding nor from pain, he could handle it being demon and lycan, as Eldora had said. Both men looked onto the map and talismans she withdrew. He thought they were just some trinkets and yet she seemed to know what she was doing with them. When the time had arrived for his part, Steele came over towards her and followed her directions thoroughly. He remained somewhat skeptical but there was little choice but to go along with her plan.

These spirits that she summoned, their whispers entered throughout the room, puzzling him greatly as his eyes scanned about for the unforeseen. His father returned to his seat and looked on like a child watching something extraordinary. Before long the map seemed to be no more and the vivid imaging of Colden was there, along with some girl who seemed to be the one Eldora was looking for. But it was the voice of that witch that made his stomach churn. Xunatar looked unamused by his former lover’s tone nor her terrible lack of thinking things through. It would soon be her undoing. Steele was going to question why Eldora needed his sword, but she made it rather clear and the next moment, he was in dire pain of his hand impaled. Gritting through his teeth, he withdrew enough of the pain to watch his blood pour onto the map and soon the girl felt the pain of the curse.

And then she too was on fire as per the counter curse.

Steele looked to his father, who sat there passively. “Watch, boy.” Looking at her again, Steele could see that she wasn’t harmed, at least not severely and noticed that her clothing was completely gone. It seemed as though Cyprus had lost a major advantage in this war. He winced again as he was freed from the blade’s bitter kiss. The pain stung greatly, but his hand was still usable thank goodness. “Suppose you have proven your power to me”, he stated as he rubbed at his blood stained hand. “I don’t mind pain, but I do like knowing what is to come before it happens.”

“No, you didn’t.” he spoke flatly, “You need not worry about me. I bleed for whatever I am needed for.” Steele looked over to his father’s throne, but Xunatar was gone now. To where he was, it was anyone’s guess. Sighing, he felt his hand being taken again, this time she decided to heal rather than to continue maiming it. As much as he was frustrated with the course of the events, he would admit that the execution went very well. “Yes…”, he spoke while looking to the side. She needed not to heal him, it would have done so in time. When it was done, he quickly removed his trench coat and handed it over to her.

“You…shouldn’t be standing there like that in the home of a God”, he muttered to himself. “That is why I’m offering this to you, nothing more… “ He wasn’t used to such kindness, even if her intention wasn't so. It was even harder for him to display such a gesture. “So… what will be the next move in this? She knows that we know of her plans and intentions. What would she have left in her arsenal?

Author: Eldora, Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2017 7:42 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

The Dante comment made Eldora laugh. “That is exactly what he told me actually. The second time we met. The first time we got to speak.”

Her fingers twitched a bit as Steele. He was quickly on getting on her nerves but she knew that he would be shown the way one way or another. That was the way of the world. Adapt or die. The smell of blood hit her nose and she smiled just a bit. “Love this is a death curse. You need a lot more blood than this.” She dipped her finger in his blood and nodded to Xunatar.

“It will be done and your line is strong so it shouldn’t hurt Steele too much. Being a lycanthrope will do him good.” She got a map and some talismans. “I will need more… she has broken my last batch from the magi that Lotus and Dante got me the last time they came to me.” She frowned a bit at the thought of such a loss. “They were my favorite.” She set up the map and threw the talismans without looking like she did anything at all.

This room would do her good. She stalked around a bit before she held out her hand to Steele. She beckoned him over to the map. There was now a fire on the map where she had thrown the talismans. She stood on one side and she was clearly instructing Steele to stand on the other. She beckoned the man to give him her sword. She pulled his other hand where the blood was. She was whispering. The room was suddenly hazy. “Find Colden. Then find the eyes near us.” The whisper was becoming more intense. Slowly it wasn’t her voice anymore doing the whispering. It was around them.

The map erupted in deep azure flames. “Find her.” The haze of the room became a more clear picture. It was Colden in a room with a hazy figure but there was a small blonde girl nearby. She was pleading for her life. Eldora leaned and bathed the sword in the azure flames. She could hear the girl pleading to let her go and she simply didn’t care.

“Your eyes are no more. Your spirit returned.” Eldora whispered softly into the already chaotic whispers. The other oracle snapped too and was now in a panic.

“She’s going to kill me.” The girl was screaming now.

“So do what I told you to. My daughter isn’t that smart.” Cyprus’s voice was clear as she snapped at the girl. Eldora had a smile as she jammed the sword’s hot tip into Steele’s hand. The blood gushed out of him and onto the map.

The girl began to erupt into a pyre of azure flames. Colden almost fell out of his seat and Cyprus was scoffing. The screams of the girl filled the room and a green set of flames backfired back at Eldora. The scene was gone and Eldora had dropped the sword to deal with her body that was now on fire.

There were no screams from her. When the fire died down Eldora was nude in the room. There were scorch marks on her skin and harsh cut marks across her stomach. Her wounds slowly began to heal and she looked tired as she moved to pull the sword from Steele if he hadn’t already. She was wobbling but she was more exhausted than anything.

“I thought so. Your power in your blood… tastes like ripe strawberries.” She chuckled. “We should be able to track my mother and Colden now without a problem. The oracles are more aware so she can’t catch another one.” She spit the green flames out now as the map fully burned up. The cursed was completely sealed and there was a scorch mark on the floor. She tried to get rid of it with her foot.

“Did I hurt you too badly?” She tilted her head and looked at Steele. She moved her hand up and wiped some blood off her lips caused by the damage the counter-curse had tried to do. “She was as weak as I thought she was. She couldn’t completely throwback Steele’s powers but if it had been Xunatar’s… It would have kept looping until I was killed. I made sure that the body was completely destroyed so that Mother couldn’t bring it back.”

She took Steele's hand after that and the azure glow came back this time in a healing light. "Is this better?"

Author: Steele, Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2017 7:04 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

It was plainly becoming obvious that his father was going to allow Cyprus’ children in on the plan in slaying the she bitch once and for all. As far as he was concerned, they would be best staying out of his way when the time arrived. Steele wanted a good hunt and he wanted Cyprus gone so they could worry about bigger things. At least now, they were killing two birds with one stone. He could put aside his petty dislikes for the time being, his focus would be kept on ridding the world of a vermin that should have been destroyed a long time ago.

He knew that his father would know his wants, his desires and exploit them like he had everyone else. Not even blood could make the demon king docile when it came to his children. They were exploitable and expendable just like any other pawn, though he was more so careful with him and the others like him. He pondered if Eldora knew how deep such devious mindwork her God had, but no one could reach inside that mind. He hardly doubted if anyone if even want to. Xunatar’s eyes fixated onto his seer and chuckle darkly. [b“Dante wouldn't be willing. He would claim he’d need those for…personal reasons.”

Steele wouldn’t have put it past his brother to use such a pathetic excuse. A small snarl left his lips at the mentioning of the cursed woman having another edge in the situation. Meanwhile Xunatar lifted himself from his throne and made his way over towards them. While he contemplated the situation with Colden, Steele was met with Eldora coming towards him once more and took his hand without permission. “What do you think you are doing, woman?”, he spoke, his voice holding a slight edge to it. “Conduit? Curse?” He couldn’t believe what she was saying. His father tossed him a warning glare and he immediately ceased an argument he was about to start.

If Cyprus could use the very things that gave Eldora an advantage, then what was the point? Steele wasn’t the sort to dillydally in her profession, he preferred blades and fist over the mind. While she might have been pleased with the idea tossed out, the wolf wasn't nearly as ecstatic. “As long as she is ended, I will do what I must.” Which led ultimately to Eldora’s plan of still using a conduit, but not his father. He looked at her with a cautious glance, not sure whether this would truly work but he supposed that he would try anything at this point. Her mother had done a well job pissing him off to this level.

“You claim to be the most powerful oracle, then prove it.”

His eyes never left hers as he drew out the blade enough from the sheath to be exposed before his other hand gripped tightly around it. He winced but a little as the blood flowed through his palm and he held it towards her, palm up. “Make certain that this doesn’t go to waste then, Eldora.” The lord looked on, entertained with his son’s showing of determination and recklessness at the same time. “Well, you have your answer then, no? Do as you please with him if it furthers your objective.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2017 11:30 AM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“That would be a shameful waste.” She mused as she thought about Xunatar just throwing his body out. “Maybe he will let me have his knuckles… The man is an idiot but he is a gifted mage.” She hummed it softly as she thought about it. “I bet I could get ten divinations out of his bones… Maybe five depending on what the job is.” It was a rather curious thing to really think about.

She knew well by now that Xunatar’s blood didn’t favor her blood too much but she shrugged it off. “I am not like them you know. I wasn’t raised by them, only her blood flows through my veins and it is barely there. The spirits purged all things related to her.” She wasn’t overly concerned with Steele liking her. “My siblings are all idiots. Even Lotus has her moments.” She hummed as she put the doll in his arms. She was glad he did as she asked even though he didn’t sound pleased about it. She saw the jump at the screams. Once things had calmed down she took it back. “It is a gift from Xunatar. Don’t break it. It’s a good gift.”

When he didn’t seem to get her joke she frowned a bit. “I was just kidding. I have many lycanthrope cousins. My aunt is married to one. They all have such keen noses. Half one like you, they are.” She walked with him and made sure he was following behind her.

“No, she wouldn’t have.” She appeared upset a bit that she hadn’t been able to pinpoint her mother on the map. Some type of magic was making her unable to see her and whenever she divined with her talismans the knuckles would crack. “Had to kill a lot of magi to get my talismans back because of her.”

When Steele spoke up she paid attention. “I know, I saw his sin. Just like I saw Dante’s. Shame that Dante wouldn’t give me just one of his knuckles… Lotus would be quite cross with me if I took something from him.” It was another dry joke from her as she gave the Lord a pair of smiling eyes though her face was still quite stoic.

Eldora looked gleeful when his plan came out. “And the pain will end, right? Not all together but the type she brings. I don’t enjoy it.” She had various scars down her body that she wasn’t hiding at all. They hadn’t been things that she had done or had happened to her. Eldora walked up to Steele and stared at him. “I have an idea to get my sight back.” There was a tsk from her face. “She did it again.”

She looked at Xunatar. “Colden is running from Kurayo. Just as I thought he would. She is using a medium to keep an eye on what I see and I think I have it figured out.” She went over to Steele and took his hand, she looked at his palm. “She is baiting me. I could have stopped it a while ago. I knew what she was doing but all I had was Xunatar. I could not use him, though.”

Her blue eyes drifted up to Steele. “I’m powerful but I need a conduit for a curse. If I were to use Xunatar and she has a counter-curse ready it would bounce off her and back to me. It would be fine if Xunatar’s powers weren’t limitless. The backlash would go on forever and wouldn’t end. I can handle pain but that would kill me. I’m not suicidal.” She tilted her head. “I’ve known it for the last two days. I confirmed with Bryony about the disappearance of one of the Oracles from Arri. It’s a young one. Not terribly powerful.”

Eldora put Steele’s hand down and turned to Xunatar. “Arriese Oracles are powerful and if she wanted to block the others she could no problem. My powers are a bit different than the others. She can’t block me easily. I think she killed the girl and resurrected her as one of her playthings. Enough to control the abilities that oracles get. She can block me and watch me. Even if she didn’t kill the girl… I have no problems killing my own. I would kill whoever you asked me to, honestly. I don’t care much for bonds or family. However, my visions are deeply connected to them so that is why I wish their suffering to end. The more they suffer the more I do.”

How old was she? She began to ponder on it. “I’m old but I can’t remember how old. Some say I’m younger than Lotus while others say I am the oldest. My existence has been one convoluted mess because of her. Like my other siblings, I was once a half demon like you Steele.” Her blue eyes peeked over. “A dagger to the heart out of anger that I was already dead when I was born changed that. I was purged of everything impure. Everything the spirits didn’t want. The screaming doll is Xunatar’s gift to me. All that screaming was in my head day in and day out. When I went to bed and when I woke up. I’m the most powerful oracle in all of Arri but at a cost.”

She mused lightly now. “If I leave this place, I’ll most likely die now.” When she spoke of leaving it was more so permanently. “What made me survive all these years was not understanding and now I understand. It’s also made me more dangerous.” She tapped her fingers against the doll. “I can do a curse on the oracle and kill her but I will need Steele and his blood. All he has to do is agree. She is banking on me using Xunatar for my conduit. I might have before without a clear conscious of the situation.”

Author: Steele, Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2017 10:59 AM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Steele’s arms crossed against his chest, contemplating if it was a good idea to leave the man alive. He was working under his lord, yes, but he seemed to be more trouble than he was worth. If he wanted to stay breathing in this world, then surely he would have to prioritize his responsibilities correctly for the remainder of his years. The wolf demon hadn’t seen blood in such an awful long time and it wouldn’t have bothered him to rid the world of one less scum. It wasn’t out of kindness or of some chivalric code that he had threatened him. It was out of pure annoyance. With that out of the way, he was left with the woman. She seemed to be telling him the truth with every word that came from her mouth. At least he was more convinced to listen to her than her stalker. “Do as you wish then. Father can easily replace him without needing a second thought. I doubt he favors him enough to even toss his corpse out and watch it fall into the sea below.”

Steele dropped his arms and allowed one hand to rest against the end of the handle before taking quick notice of her approaching him and took a step back in response. Eldora seemed very strange to him but he pushed it aside for the moment. “Yes, it's a dominate trait from our father. It’s a tell sign among us.” Steele wasn’t the sort to keep secrets like the others, he saw it as a waste of time. It was one of a very few traits he and Dante shared. Eldora went onto explain who she was in relation to him and mentally he sighed at her detailed answer. “Charming. I suppose I do not need to introduce myself but, I’m Steele.” He wasn’t too thrilled with dealing with any more of the Black Roses, particularly those blood related to Colden, the whiny little brat.” But she seemed to be of some use, otherwise Xunatar would have cut her loose long ago. When he was about to ask what she was doing with these crystals she gathered, he reluctantly took hold of something into his free arm. Gripping it, he looked on with a dumbfound look at what appeared to be a doll modeled after the lord. “Why on earth…”, he begun to protest but then refrained and did as she asked. It wasn’t long before he nearly dropped the thing when he heard screaming from it. There was a good reason why he had avoided any sort of interaction with Colden’s other family. A few more unorthodox things later, he wanted this all to end and be done with. He couldn’t fathom what the hell she was up to until the nightmare ended and she subtly filled him in.

That man was more trouble than he was worth.

Perhaps he was better off killing the servant, but then came the issue with her bring a hand up to his face and he looked on, unsure what she wanted. Her question combined with the gesture clicked in his mind of something, he immediately he was annoyed. Steele had thought that she was thinking he was dog like but she looked so serious. “Yes, I am. At least a half one.” He smelled the scent from it and confirmed it had a flowery essence to it. He couldn’t help but to ponder for a moment whether all of her kind smelled like that or not. “Yes, I am here to see him." Looking to the doll Eldora took back into her possession, Steele shook his head. “I do not care for titles either.” It seemed as though she knew where his father was, so it couldn’t be helped that he would use her to get to him. Trailing behind her, his eyes met with hers every time she looked back, as if he was going to disappear at some point and she looked only for reinsurance.

Of course when they made it to the throne hall, he could see his father residing upon his throne. “Steele, my boy. I see you made it. Did you have trouble through the maze once more”, he spoke so whimsically. His son responded with a huff before the God’s eyes fell from him to Eldora who quickly briefed him of her news. “She wouldn’t leave him too far away from her, not if she wanted to continue with this quest of hers." She wouldn’t risk the chance of him leaving her clutches. Xunatar tapped his finger beneath his chin; Dante and Lotus wouldn’t be able to make it in time should they need to get to Kurayo, and even so, he still held some of the cards that could undo her. Materializing the vial of blood that belonged to her sister, he studied it casually between his fingers.

It had been some time since Eldora’s stay, and truly his actions hadn’t been completely selfish. She had a better grasp at understanding the feelings of others and even more, herself. Still, she was in control of herself, a lot more than Cyprus ever could.

“She’s fighting a losing war”, Steele called out, the look in his eyes spoke hunger for blood. He wanted to end her life once and forever to be freed from that banshee. “She has caused us too much time and effort in worrying about her. Why not send me to go and hunt her down?” The God looked on as if he was expecting such an answer from the wolf, which of course he was. “Excuse him, like Colden and Dante, he also is essentially a sin incarnated. Wrath is a terrible one to deal with, but in his five hundred years or so, he has since dealt with it better.”

Looking from Steele to Eldora, a wonderful idea sparked and it spoke from the deep curl of his lips.

“I called you here because you are a strategist, Steele. Eldora is my seer, and I find that both of you will play a significant role in her destruction. So…I wish for you two to work together and think up a way that we can trap Cyprus and save your brother from her and his own stupidity.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Sun Apr 2, 2017 10:39 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

After Eldora had thrown him to the side her eyes caught the attention of someone coming. She could feel the presence and she could smell Xunatar. However, it wasn’t Xunatar but it also wasn’t Dante or her brother Colden. She tilted her head and watched as he came over to inspect the man. She didn’t move and she barely even held the notion of answering him. “Yes,” she answered not quickly or scared, it was just a matter of fact. “I told him to leave me alone.” Her eyes flickered to the man as he got kicked in the chest and soon Steele was asking her about his father. “I’ve known him since before he was a god.” It was the truth and Eldora answered without a skip in a heartbeat.

She went to raise her hand again and the man who had scurried away flinched. She tilted her head and watched the man put a sword to the bother’s throat. “If there is a next time I will kill you.” The words left her lips. “There won’t be going to anyone else.” She didn’t need someone to help her. It wasn’t that Eldora had the authority to do so but she had explicitly warned several times now to leave her be.

At first, she didn’t hear Steele’s words. She was more focused on the point where the man had run away. “Next time I’ll take his eyes out first then.” Maybe then he would leave her be. She tilted her head back up and looked at his blue eyes. “Eldora.” For a moment she got closer to him. “You all have the same blue eyes.” She wasn’t so much admiring as she was studying.

“I’m Colden’s half-sister. Your half-brother Dante is screwing my half-sister Lotus. I’m here as an oracle.” That seemed to be all the information he would need. She walked over to the table and put another crystal in it. Crystals were vast spirit containers, communicators, and otherwise the perfect conduit. Her situation with his father didn’t seem nearly as important since it was only one night and she wasn’t about to make a bad habit. She came back over and put the doll in his arms. “Hold this. No breaking it.”

She turned around to do something else to the crystal she had put down and the doll began to emit screams. Eldora straightened up in an unnatural movement. She put a finger to her lips and shushed them. “I know.” She translated the screams as she moved over to the blood that had dropped on the floor. She was quick to put a crystal down on it and stomped on it hard. The crystal splintered and a scream filled the Cradle. She looked back at the doll and it had stopped moving. “Wretched men never learn.” She came back over and removed the Xunatar doll from his arms. She held it in her arms and looked Steele over.

She was dressed in a long black gown. It’s front was sweetheart shaped and it went off her shoulders. It was trimmed in gold. Her long black hair almost blended in with the fabric as it came around her waist. “He tried to get in my room,” was her only explanation for what she did. “Most likely a curse spell from what I saw. So I took an eye.” He was still useful at least. Eldora was a good foot shorter than he was.

“You are a Lycanthrope, yes?” She held up her hand to his nose and tilted her head. She wasn’t about to reveal how she knew but he probably assumed that it was her visions anyways. She wasn’t doing so to be funny with him or condensing it was just how Eldora was. The curious nature in her showed brightest in her eyes as she watched him. She brought down her free hand from him and played with her temple again as if trying to make something go away. “Help me?” Her blue eyes went up to his. “Unless you need to see Xunatar, I need to see him too. Now at least.” Her words were curious as she mused what she saw. She squeezed the doll and mused.

She knew he wasn't used to her as her blue eyes turned up to him. "I don't do titles. Not out of disrespect but time. Takes too much time to say it." She was sure he would have thought her rude as she began to shuffle off towards where his father was. She would stop and make sure that Steele was following her every once in a while, her blue eyes searching for his. Once they found Xunatar, Eldora went up to him and began to whisper in his ear, after pulling him down gently so she could reach. "Colden has moved again. This time to the outer banks of Kurayo." She let him go. "And your other son is here." She was sure that Xunatar could see. "And Dante is with Lotus in Iria now." She had been keeping tabs for the past few days. "My mother, I can't feel her still. She is hiding but she has sent Colden with something that I don't like. It's cold feeling but not a dead feeling." She mused. "Probably the Luzil she likes so much. That or she has something similar working for her to keep an eye on Colden."

Her blue eyes flickered back to Steele and then she looked to Xunatar. That had been the first time she had touched Xunatar since the first night she got there and she let him go without a second thought as she wandered a little bit from them to put another crystal down, hidden between a little indent in the wall. She came back to them and stared up at Xunatar. "Crystals balance the good magic and the bad. They also can collect the energy for times of crisis. Force of habit." It hadn't been long ago that she had to do all these things to keep her sanity. Now Xunatar was the bridge.

Author: Steele, Posted: Sun Apr 2, 2017 9:34 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Steele had been in disbelief once the news of his father’s ascension had reach his ears. Fate had such a wicked sense of humor and it was made only more apparent when he arrived upon the Cradle and through the trek hell and back, he arrived to see his father on the throne, waiting with a sinister smirk across his face. It was almost as though he had hidden his truest nature before all this occurred. Nothing that would surprise one of his elder sons in the least; Carrie, himself and Dante were the oldest of his sin children and were the most trusted, though more often than naught, he didn’t like being paired with a prima donna and a horny little half elf. But he tolerated them for they were all family, whether he liked it or not.

It had been some time since he came to see his father, but he was summoned days ago upon the God’s request. And so he obliged as he entered through the golden doors and found that the Cradle wasn’t going to play any sort of games with him this time with that maze that many were doomed to be lost in. Fortunately he was in one of his better moods and he took off the glasses from his face and tucked them into the pocket of his black trench coat before making his way through the the long hallway. There were some familiar scents of the Stewards employed by the lord and then there was some fresh ones; new blood that followed him no doubt. The very eyes of the man that carried all of this was glancing about through his son’s head, through the wild black locks that ran on top of his head.

Heavy boot steps drew nearer to a scene that stirred the wolf demon’s attention; a strange woman was standing over someone, a Steward that he quickly learned about in his first visit. One that he truly loathed because he was akin to Dante, though at a much worse level. His sword hand was itching to draw out his sheathed blade on his side, but he refrained from falling into his vice. At least for the time being. He didn’t stop his approached until he was pass her and kneeled down to the unconscious man. After taking a bit to inspect him, Steele held a passive look across his face before he stood and turned to the woman. Those icy eyes of his fell onto her and then back to the man. “Did you do that?”, he asked, his voice free from conviction or malice. Instead it was with a strange calmness that he spoke such words before shrugging his shoulders. “He deserved it either way. He is like that of a mangy dog; ready to try and hump anything that moves.” Steele kicked him in the chest, to see if he would stir awake, but most so out of furthering his punishment. “Your scent has lingered here for a bit, so I suppose that you have met my father, the Lord of this Citadel?”

“Lord…Steele?”, the man started to cough up from the assault. When he finally came to, he realized that it was indeed the wrathful wolf and immediately started to scurry against the wall. “My lord, she…attacked me. With no good reason. Please, help me.” Steele looked onto him and narrowed his eyes dangerously. “I’d believe you if not for my father. He had taught me some ways of telling when someone is lying to me. I can hear your heartbeat rapidly, but the beats don’t seem to like that of you being just afraid. That and I know of your…reputation.” Steele was growing tired of seeing his face, so he casually drew out his sword and pointed it straight onto the fool’s throat, allowing it to taste some of his flesh. A tiny river of blood flowed from the cut, “Leave her be. If she is to ever tell me that you have bother her again, you will be without both tongue and a few other things.” The blade fell lower to the Steward’s thighs to strengthen the point. “Now, leave us.” Steele had the authority to do that and more as the Lord’s son so the Steward nodded quickly and ran away to safety. “You aren’t the first to catch his eye, but you may be the last”, he spoke once more in a calmly tone as he sheathed his weapon. “What is your name?”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Sun Apr 2, 2017 9:02 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora felt the energy he gave back to her. Her mind was excited about it and her body responded this time. They went on for a while longer fulfilling Eldora’s wish to know everything there was to know for the night. When they were done she laid on top of him and felt his hands rubbing her lower back as she curled up on him for sleep.

Her dreams were lonely without all the voices but oddly it was more peaceful than she had ever thought it would. Flashes, visions, those things were normal for her but the endless screaming was gone. It was residing in that doll that Xunatar had enchanted. She felt for a long time, perhaps longer than she should have. Eldora took the days after that become acquainted with the temple. She paid attention to Xunatar if he wanted it but she mildly ignored him otherwise. She wasn’t a typical female to went to the ends of the earth to impress. She just did the things she had always done.

She was currently taking crystals and hiding them in places in the temples. Tiny crystals. Though she had a person who following her around asking her a ton of questions. If one could see her dislike of what the person above her head they would see mental daggers. This person had been following her closely for the last few days. She got up and pushed the man out of the way. He was apparently one of Xunatar’s stewards.

She groaned a bit as another question left his lips. Live men spoke way too much as she reached hands up and stroked her temples. She stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned on her heel. “Leave. Me. Be.” Three words shot a shiver up the man’s spine. She could see the fear in his words as she had been so calm when issuing a very real threat.

“Please, if you would just talk to me you would see that I too am like our lord. You could favor me as well.” The man was hesitating but the woman before him was beautiful just as much as she was weird.

“I don’t care.” She hissed softly. “Dead men have better tales than you do.” She was attempting not to lose her temper any more than she was. Still, the man either was really dumb or had hoped that she was bluffing with him as he took another step towards her. A mental sigh left her lips and a tsk left her lips. She lifted her hands up one went to her lips as she shushed and the other did a choking motion.

The man began to choke and went to grasp at his lips. “No more speaking.” Eldora’s eyes were a bit amused with the man now. “You want to be with me?” The man didn’t have the breath to respond to her. “Only the dead can.” That was truly how she felt. She flung her hand and the man was launched across the room into a stand. She took a sigh as the man was knocked out. She lowered her hand. “Just leave me be.” It was more of a silent request that he couldn’t hear.

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 8:44 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Seduction was but one of many talents Xunatar had acquired over his years. They certainly weren’t innate but as he had mingled into the affairs of mortals, he had learned that they were susceptible to the right touches. It also made his task of procreating until he had his sought after children far easier. The girl had everything she needed except for a teacher. Clearly her mother wouldn’t have gave a damn to try and her sisters were far too busy; one was ruling over a court and the other was too into her own vices. Particularly when it came to his son as well. He clearly did not mind for it was but another way of corrupting, tainting what innocence Eldora had kept amongst herself. And it was quickly noted that she saw nothing wrong about any of this despite the common link which was her brother whom he’d fathered.

She was an all too eager student, and of course he would allow her to learn whatever he wished. A haughty chuckle slipped from him before they kissed fiercely. “You should be careful what you ask. You may just get it.” There were times of tenderness, well he would lay his lips upon her flesh all over, watching her reaction with each one planted. His hands traveled about her, allowing her to enjoy the caresses. The kisses soon turned to his mouth sucking on her skin and his tongue traveling about. And then there were times where he grew rougher; his kisses on her lips grew more sinful, his hand around her hair tightened and yanked at her and fingers that had once glided down her turned to his nails digging a bit without causing her to bleed.

His teeth nipped at her ears and neck and he pressed himself rougher against her smaller frame. Xunatar noticed every now and then on how well she adapted to his lessons; she partook on her to see what worked and what didn’t. Obviously he would know when to not take it too far, though it was few and far whenever he reached that level with her. Eldora was quick minded and soon he felt her coming onto her own as she returned the favor of gifting him both pain and pleasure.

Eventually even he could feel himself fall into lust’s trap and he carried her from the pool, wet and all, and laid her onto the bed. She had been a virgin prior but it hardly seem to be the case the way she took to his body. It seemed taboo that she was giving herself over for the first time to a demon, let alone one that had divine blood coursing through his veins. Even with her Rosenite endure, he could surely outlast her by a mile, but he had to recognize her willingness to go on. He felt her body tense up towards the end and yet she wanted to continue.

She wanted to continue to live in the thrill of it all. Xunatar contemplated himself over the next course of action as a slight frown came upon his face before it shifted into a grin. He urged her back up with a hand tugging at her head and and laid the other against her stomach and soon her body would feel renewed energy secreted into it. A couple of stifled chuckles slipped out from his smug look as she would get her wish to continue through their lessons.

Author: Eldora, Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 8:02 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

The height difference was a problem that Eldora was still attempting to figure out but soon Xunatar had her on the right path. It had been more tiring to attempt to push herself up to his level but with her legs quite firmly around him now as she held onto the sides of his shoulders. It wasn't a hard pull on her hair but it was enough to move her as she closed her eyes and felt the kisses to her neck. It made her yearn for whatever else he had to teach her and she was sure that was the point of doing what he had just done to her. Her blue eyes peeked back open as they resumed their kissing.

As he spoke her lips were just barely grazing his. She had stopped for a moment, her breathing was heavy and she was thinking about every word that had come out of his mouth. She flickered her blue eyes up to his and kissed him again to give her a few more moments to think on it. She wanted this and she knew it but she was obviously thinking about where to start. "So teach me everything. Start where you want to start and we'll continue going down your list." She had pulled back just enough so her breath wasn't directly on him. Her arms looped around his shoulders. "I've been told that my kind is blessed with energy for days. So by all means, teach me and I'll listen." She leaned back in and kissed him again. "And I'll learn."

There was something about Eldora when she was learning things that shined brightly about just how intelligent the woman was. How she was quick to catch on when she wasn't hesitating. How she could fill in the blanks rather quickly about what he was trying to teach. There was an aura about her that spoke more of the unrelenting power she had stored within her. She let it all come crashing out onto him. There was no reason to hold back what she had, no reason to fear it, and from what she had learned… He had no reason to fear it either. She was quick to identify what she liked or what she didn't… and there wasn't much if anything she objected to. Matter of fact everything he had to show her in one way or another was well liked by the oracle. She was more flexible than most and her tastes were as varied and far as the man who was showing her. Where she had hesitated and was stoic before when she was being intimate it was completely something else. She was confident and headstrong and it had only taken a few dozen minutes for that portion of her show through.

She was quick to ask if she could try things out on him if she could. If he would let her she tried a wide variety of things that maybe would shock the demon lord. The more he showed her the more she learned. If anything the woman accelerated at learning in a way no one else could. At some point during everything, they had wound up on the new bed. It was a disaster and Eldora didn't really care one way or the other. She was actually sitting atop the god at the very end of their grand adventure. Her body heaving for her to stop but the woman didn't look as if she had a limit in sight. Instead, she pushed her fingertips upon his chest and down again. Her face looked like it was oddly contemplating something. Leaning down she kissed him again and tried to move her hips softly as if to tease. She ended up putting her forehead against his in a bit of disappointment as her body too tired to move didn't do as she wished. Her mind was willing but her body was not.

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 7:22 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Words could hardly explain the situation Eldora had been conflicted about when it came to how lovers were. Words simply couldn’t do the proper justice for it; actions on the other hand were far better. Not that Xunatar had minded of course. There weren’t too many lines he wouldn’t cross and for the ones he wouldn’t, there were exact reasons for them. It mattered to him not that she was Cyprus’ daughter; hell to be frank, he had simply forgotten that the two were even related because they were far from anything resembling mother and daughter. On the surface, it could be seen that she would belong to the mad woman, but beneath it was quite the different story.

At least he would be able to tolerate Eldora because she had far more sense than the other ever could. She was still fairly young in the eyes of the ancient demon and she was more compliant as well. She had sought him out, but not for power but out of curiosity. He suppose that he should have paid more heed back when they had first met. She was quite the strange one, that was until he had come to see why her behavior was what it was.

The kiss was single sided at first, but as the lesson progress, he could feel her lips begin to stir and follow his lead. They moved in tandem as he felt his student giving her into it. Perhaps for the first time ever, she would fall victim to lust and see how it felt to be treated in this matter. Of course, it wasn’t a free lesson but he felt that the payment would come rather soon. All it took was one look at her when he pulled away and saw her refusal to cease this to know that he was going to have his way. The space between them was closed once more and he felt her pulling him into the embrace. The hunger was made present in him as their lips met, his hands fetching her hips again.

“There will be no point of turning back”, he spoke in-between kisses before he moved her against the pool’s edge and lowered his hands behind Eldora’s thighs. With far little effort, he lifted her up by them to grant her easier access due to his height. “Now, wrap them around me”, he instructed her and waited before one hand moved to her back and another wrapping around her dark locks and pulled at her head slightly to allow him access to the side of her neck. His lips trailed down it in a teasing motion before before coming back up to her lips.

“Just tell me how much you’d like to learn. Being one that have lived as so long as I have, I have seen people partake in many things. Some like the gentle caresses and other like a more firm touch. Which would you prefer to learn…first..?”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:42 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

His voice startled her a bit since she had been enthralled with what he was doing. Her blue eyes were quick to snap up to his own. She breathed deeply as she tried to figure out just why her body loved what he was doing to her. What he was speaking of had been true even she had these instincts to her even if she wasn't readily to admit that they existed. His head tilt had been enough to tell her that he was being playful with her and that much was a relief. He got closer and she felt like the entire ocean was crashing up against her as she watched him and before long she was almost drowning in him.

Her lips were frozen in one position as he kissed at her. The movements were fluid from him and she was genuinely confused at how to handle him. It was gentle but that wasn't what was making the woman so hesitant. It took a long moment before she even figured out that she wasn't breathing, actually, she didn't need to but breathing was so easy… how did she forget to do it? The breath she had been holding finally came from her frozen lips before she nodded. The oracle realized that Xunatar was teaching her. So like all good students she did exactly what he had told her. She was a bit hesitant at first but as they progressed her movements were much like the water they were in. His tongue flicked against her lip and she froze just a bit more, if only for a second.

Her back met the back of the pool finally as she found the edge. It didn't help the feeling of the crashing ocean but she found herself too preoccupied with Xunatar to really care about the heavy feeling she had. Her whole body was practically screaming at the demon god now. She was quick to shake her head at him as she looked at his hand separating from her body. "Only a fool would tell you to stop." It was the only words she could muster as she closed the gap to him this time. Her kiss wasn't nearly as gentle nor perfect as his had been but it was enough. Her fingers were at his chest now as she began gripping at nothing but his skin. She relaxed herself as she pulled back and stared up with her blue eyes. It was actually harder to reach Xunatar than she had anticipated thanks to her own height.

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:44 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

He could sense her confusion, which was intoxicating to his senses. Xunatar loved a challenge- the more difficult to handle and solve, the better. Eldora was a clever girl, yes, but he suppose that due to her somewhat awkward state when it came to social interactions, she was deprived from it. It was the only thing he could truly think of for a reason as he felt her pull away from his advances. It might have been uncomfortable, even stress inducing but clearly she would have stopped him if she had wanted. Xunatar was a predator, but not in that sense.

But soon he could feel her melting, finding their little situation bit by bit more interesting. He studies her with every touch and even when he cease them. She may have no idea what was going on, but her body was reacting on instinct, as if it did know what it was like to be caressed in such a way. That alone made his grin all the more wider. “Yes, is that how you truly feel?”, he asked rhetorically before continuing with them. He could feel her giving into it, the sea of lust stirring within her. While there might have been fear about going into uncharted waters, the curiosity would string her along the voyage. She cupped his own hand that rested on her face and he tilted his head playful before he closed the distance between them. She was a Rosenite, so it was hardly a surprise that her form was attractive, her skin so supple and smooth and her lips inviting. His own body pressed against her, just enough for her to feel him before he sank down to press his lips against hers.

The kiss was gentle despite it coming from a full fledged demon, but then again it was all a part of the game. A long lingering moment later, he barely pulled an inch away from her before he took possession of her hips with both hands. “Go along with it, Eldora. Just follow the motions”, he spoke above a whisper before he drove right back into another another kiss. It was as gentle as the first, but soon it started to grow more carnal the longer it continued. His hands gripped tighter around her and his tongue licking upon her lips, hungering to enter inside her mouth. Like Dante, he could lust with the best of them, but he carried more control than his son. After a bit, he pulled away again and widened the space between them. His hand released her body and his breaths were a bit heavy.“Understanding it a bit more now? Would you like for this to stop?”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:15 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora didn’t understand the act of procreation herself. She knew it existed but she didn’t understand the hows. She had gone her whole life ignoring it. Her whole life knowing that perhaps it wasn’t for her and that no one would ever want to touch her. Yet her body almost reeled away from him. Away from this person who wanted to show her. Her breathing was labored a bit only because she found herself more confused. She had never felt any of it because she had no reason to. Lust wasn’t a new concept. She had seen it many times in her visions but she herself had never experienced it. She had just been told that was what her visions had. She didn’t understand the whys or hows, she just knew.

Her blue eyes moved to watched him undress as she tilted her head. She watched as he reached and tied his hair back and her hand found her way up to her own long hair. Maybe it was in the way? She didn’t even remotely know where he was going with this. That alone made her more excited. Though her face didn’t show it past the stoic look that she tended to carry.

She was hesitant to let him behind her as her blue eyes shifted to see what he was up to. Her body goose bumped as he touched her. It was more of a euphoria. Her lips quivered just a bit and when he stopped she whipped around to plead her not to. However, she just bit her lips a tad and took several breaths. “Is intoxicating the right word?”

She pushed her hand into his fingers as he caressed her cheek. She was merely watching wide eyed. “I’ve never had anyone want to be near me.” The words came out in a sad way but perhaps she knew it was because she was broken in a way that scared people. She didn’t move back from him she quite liked his touch.

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:33 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

A decent man would have looked away out of respect as she paraded around naked before going into the water. A gentleman would have did one better and immediately excuse himself while she had her clothes sliding her body. Of course Xunatar was neither of those things, in fact he was far from it. From the moment she had stripped herself down to guiding him over to the pool she summoned and got into, he was merely watched her without shame. At the time, he thought nothing more of it- he had seen his fair share of flesh, including that of her mother. As pretty as Cyprus had once been, he had some regret over procreating with her to make Colden.

After some time beneath the water, he leaned closer to see if she was still alive only to watch her resurface. It was rather…odd to see her like that now, though he couldn’t pinpoint it at first why. Perhaps it was that he was so used to seeing her one way that now that it seemed as though Eldora changed slightly but enough to be noticed. The more she cleansed herself, the more apparent that she looked like the rest of her family, though mentally she still differed. Pulling himself back into sitting along the side of the pool, Xunatar remained still, smelling a combination of the salty air of the sea mixing with that of the soaps she used. He swung his legs over so that his feet fell into the pool and he leaned against his knees.

Eldora’s question was indeed weird, but in her situation, he suppose that it only made sense that she wouldn’t understand. He knew nothing of Kirika’s relationships, but he had known that many that dealt with Cyprus had been seen as pawns to her game and with Dante as his Avatar, he could very well see that Lotus was with him but at the same time, she lusted over others. Confusion smothered her innocent mind and he couldn’t help but to chuckle among himself.

“A Rosenite that doesn’t understand this sort of thing, that’s a bit ironic…” He drew closer to her, “The reason is simple yet not. The original idea with men and women are to procreate. However, mortals have took it upon themselves to turn the act into something further. Something more sensual that could be enjoyed. Such as this.” He slid his fingers onto her arm, drawing them along her as if they were walking. There was hints of wonder whether she could feel what he spoke of or not. “No bonds are needed, not at first. There is typically attraction that takes place; physical attraction from the opposite or even the same sex that the other party feels. What I speak of is lust, Eldora.”

It was strange that he had to be the one that spoke such things to her. The lord guess that she may need a better way of understanding, so it was his turn to strip himself of the fabrics around him. He moved from the pool to remove the robes on him and tied his hair into a long strain behind him before joining her in the water. Moving behind her, he drew his hand down her back and slid it down her until it reached the small of her back. “How’s that?” He caressed her back once more before coming around and invaded her personal space even more. Carefully he stroked at her face if she allowed for it, running his fingers down her cheek to her neck and then to where her collar was. “And that? That’s merely samples of what people partake in one another with.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 2:43 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora was admiring her old but new room as she heard Xunatar’s voice. “I’m not scared of my mother. There was and still are great consequences if I was the one who killed her. Otherwise, I would have killed her. I knew and know every moment she could make. The only reason I can’t see it right now is because she is blocking it. She is at least that smart.” So her powers could be blocked but she shrugged it off. “I would have killed her when my powers woke up if it was an option. Even when I was young I was far stronger than she ever could hope to be. I just don’t go around bragging about it like she does.”

Xunatar was perhaps the only person to hear Eldora say those words. A smile came to her face as she pet the doll. “She fears me the most because she thinks she knows me. She fears me for all the wrong reasons.” The smile disappeared. “It was the spirits. Arri is one big pool of spiritual energy. It runs underground where most people can’t see it. Angela taps into it now that she’s life but it has always been there. For whatever reason Rosenites are able to gain powers from it. Enough that our bodies die at birth when selected. Reborn with the spiritual presence we are able to communicate with them. I am no different except stronger. Perhaps because my mother angered them… maybe because of the type of demon my father was. I do know that when the spirits want you they purge your blood of impurities… for some reason, they love Rosenites in Arri…”

She brought up her hand and looked at it. “So that’s what I am. Because of the high spiritual presence, the screams are so loud there that it feels like your head is going to explode. Few places are like that Arri is one of them. Koschei Forest is another. But Arri is by far the worst when it comes to the screaming.” Visibly she shivered but she regained composure enough. “My favorite place… wasn’t worth the torment. I’ve been homeless for much of my life. More nomadic than anything. Always listening and watching.”

Once she was undressed she appeared indifferent about him taking her hand. It wouldn’t have bothered her a bit if he had left her there but she was glad for his company at least. Eldora watched his hand leave hers before she slid into the water. It looked like the pool was deep enough that the woman couldn’t touch. She went under immediately and stayed there for an unnatural amount of time. Finally, she came back up and the water was glowing with power now. It was the glowing the same as her blue eyes.

“Water is our second home. The Oracles of Arri have a deep connection to water… Maybe because it is so sacred. Maybe it is because of the lake under the castle in the catacombs… Where we are reborn.” She waded and the pool seemed to come up to meet her feet now as she pushed herself up out of the water just a bit more. The glow died down and she grabbed some soap off the side. She didn’t question where it had come from. She just knew it was scented with oils. Her favorite scent.

It wasn’t a sickly sweet but… it was sweet enough. The smell was that of lavender and a hint of mint. She took it and washed her hair. The dark rich black was finally showing from under the layer of dust that had been there. Her skin was a few shades darker than Lotus after the dirt came off. If there was one thing that Cyprus had done right, it was that she had many pretty daughters. Perhaps that was why she tried to mutilate them. However, the problem with Eldora was that she didn’t understand.

“Can I ask something weird?” She tilted her head and came over to the edge where he was. She folded her arms on edge and put her head down on them. “For everything I understand… I don’t understand the differences between people. Dante and Lotus. Angela and Drae… I don’t get it. I don’t understand why or how. I suppose it's because I lack the basic ability to form bonds with people. So why do men and women like to be together? I’ve never cared to ask before but I am curious I will admit.” Or maybe it was because no one had ever tried to form any kind of relationship with her but Bryony?

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:23 AM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

To say that he was a cruel man, that point could certainly be true but he preferred to known as one that took opportunity after opportunity whenever they presented themselves. He was simply a person who knew what he wanted and goes after it. In this world, there were those like him and there were others that weren’t as ambitious. For as long as he breathed, he had heard excuse after excuse from various people across the so called spectrum of good and evil. He surrounded himself with those of liked-minds and merely saw those that weren’t as but scapegoats and pawns. What would Eldora be? That was completely uncertain, but at the very least she was smarter than her worthless, crazy mother. Cyprus had played her part in his grand scheme and now she could be put away; Xunatar was unconcerned with the “how” bit of it.

Once she had took hold of the blessed doll, it seemed as though she had found some solace from the spirits, at least for the time being. While the Lord of Lies was capable of keeping his word, there was plenty of evidence that pointed else wise. But the thing was that the favor had to be equal to some value he could obtain personally, and servitude was among the top incentives

Through her own eyes, Eldora had seen that Cradle served to be an extension of himself and yet he granted those that were worthy of his recognition some samples of his power and the room they lodged in was but a taste of that. Should they prove their worth in his eyes time and time again, then there would be more rewards. It all depended on how much she pleased him. He kept the consequences amongst himself as he watched her vision of the room come to life. It didn’t take long for her to explain the setting, which only made sense soon afterwards.

“And why did you depart from your favorite place? Your mother? The spirits?”

Xunatar leaned against the doorway as he allowed her to explore to her heart’s content before she began to undress. His eyes lingered only because she hadn’t requested him to leave her. If anything, she could have requested privacy and very well received it. But then again, she was a Rosenite and from what he had gathered, privacy wasn’t really an issue with them. That sort of vanity like quality was truly stolen from their vampicy ancestry.

Looking towards the hand, he had pushed away from his spot and took it as she lead him towards the pool. He released her by the time they got close enough to the water and sat around the rim. He wasn’t sure what to make of her actions considering her mind worked in far different ways than any he had seen before.

Author: Eldora, Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:46 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

A sigh left Eldora’s lips. “Soul, brain, whatever else was completely ripped from her at birth. She is utterly stupid.” She tilted her head and contemplated. “She could have had an army of strong children to back her powers if she hadn’t turned her hand against them. She could have mastered the powers that the throne of Arri brings if she hadn’t misused them. She could have been smarter about her dealings with demons but here we are. Obviously, she was not. She has the act and movement of a desperate child hungering for power… Oddly she had power but she refused to acknowledge what Arri gave her. We call people like those morons.” Finally, they let the amusement over her mother die down and she told him of Drae.

“Curiosity killed the cat.” She gave a smile. “Satisfaction brought it back.” She mulled everything over. “However, I don’t always go head first into situations. I do so here because it is an irresistible urge I have to fill. I cannot claim to know why maybe it’s because my madness sings to this place.” There was her pride as an oracle of course. Xunatar could most likely make her see things that weren’t ever to happen but she didn’t know if he had the ability to see things for himself. It appeared like he could not even with his abilities. Her nose took in the scent of sea salt and she found herself in a much deeper place than home.

She offered the doll up to him once he asked her for it. She watched as the doll grew and went back to normal. When she took the doll back she felt her mind… gaining a sense of peace. She heard his sigh and she blinked a few times. The doll would help her. She cradled the doll close now and she followed him as she got up. Eldora walked with him into the corridor and she tilted her head. She began to count, though a bit silently. Every door. Every room. There seemed to be a reason to her madness. When she had settled the door was opened and she peeked inside the blank space.

She had never had a room before… Not in recent memory. She lived not in taverns, no castles, not anything. She had lived in the wilderness. But she had remembered her oracle quarters. Oracles lived like royalty and while she couldn’t stand the voices in Arri… That had been her room. So the room evolved and showed her what she missed.

She could have whatever she wanted but the one thing she wanted was taken from her because of the closeness that Arri had with the spirits. The room was clothed in a deep ocean blue. From the large bed with a deep blue velvet canopy. To the paintings on the walls of many things. It reminded her of her childhood home that she had not seen in a long time. Of course, things had changed as well within it. The pile of pillows in the corner looked to be a place of deep meditation. The giant scrying bowl not far from it hummed with a soft power.

There was a pool of water with a large fountain that poured over into it not far and the wall seemed cut to overlook the ocean though it didn’t appear to be a window at all. At least not a window you could open. The sounds of the ocean made her shoulders relax. She looked over to Xunatar and nodded a bit almost to her. “Home.” Turning to the demon lord she gave a gentle smile perhaps it was one that had been hidden away by all the voices that were now silenced.

“I’ve been kept from it for so long.” It was one of the things she wanted. “Oracles have their own court. Their own manor to live in. My room… was my favorite place.” She ventured over the bed and just looked at it. “Before the visions started.” She didn’t touch it because she felt like she would ruin it. “Then I left. It has been a long time.” She wasn’t sure if he was interested but without much thought Eldora began to take her robes off. She didn’t understand the differences between people. She didn’t care to.

After her dirty robes hit the floor she took the time to take whatever it was that was keeping her black curls up. It looked to be a hairpiece made out of some sort of bone. She threw it in the pile with her clothes. Eldora looked more like a cross between Kirika and Lotus. She had more of an innocent posture but her form was more like her succubus sister’s.

She turned to Xunatar and held out her hand. It was a beckoning of sorts but there wasn’t anything emotional about it, not on the surface. It was more like she wanted his company still. The doll sat safely up on the edge of the bed as if it had a mind of its own because she had not placed it there. Rather she had made it appear there.

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:14 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“Most people don’t have such mindsets, but then again you aren’t most people” For many, his identity wasn’t quite known yet and some even believe him to be naught but rumors and tall tales. It was something that he could use to his advantage for if they could never see him coming, they would be ill prepared. It was all just a game for him. “Do not take it to heart, I for one do not. I am made of much sterner stuff and my pride will not be weakened that easy. I can not say the same for the other deities.” Mainly because he had yet to meet some of them. The boy god that he met in town certainly wore his feelings upon his sleeve, Dalanesca had seemed to be in a mood when they spoke and Angela didn’t seem to have held anything against him. But Xunatar suspected that not all was what it seemed. Call it being over cautious; he rarely left anything to chance. The others had yet to be seen but suppose that in time it would change.

The lord would have burst out laughing gallantly over Cyprus being ridiculed by her own daughter. Instead he kept his composure, breaking it only to lit out a few snide snickers. “Many people believe that we can magically grant them power, one way or another. In truth there are only quite a few number of demons that can do that. Even I couldn’t back then.” But now he could. “And more often than naught, the consequences are far more grave than just carrying a child of theirs. One’s own soul is a common payment, and the realization of surrendering such a thing doesn’t hit a person until their deathbed. You mother may of had a problem dealing with these elite demons because I doubt she has a soul to give.”

While he allowed the last bit of amusement to die down so they could continue conversing, Eldora had informed him of the other god that ascended around the same time he had. He had forgotten about that in his short reign and in learning who it was, he found himself recalling from the horse’s mouth of who imprisoned her so long ago. He spoke nothing of it but gave a simple nod. Eventually their roads would cross, as would each and every one of the other divine. Again he spotted cracks in her stoic armor as emotions slipped out, likely without her awareness. This time her father was the catalyst for it. Xunatar find himself shaking his head and clicking his tongue a couple of times, “I am sure you are able to. Perhaps he was merely afraid of your power.”

Regardless of that, here they were now, and she wanted to remain her to quell the constant storm she faced on a daily basis. He suppose that it didn’t matter if she chose to come here or if she was following the spirits. The doll would be blessed by his power and it would fair well for her. In exchange she would be his personal seer. As he stood in front of the window, he motioned one finger onto the glass and started to watch as the it illuminated, bit by bit until it disappeared and he could see outside where the seas softly churned, waves crashing against one another below. “Many things are…interesting, Eldora. But take heed in that curiosity may bring you into situations that you may wish you were never in. You are correct though; you are nothing like Cyprus. She is truly like a child that yearns to get what she wants and throw tantrums when she doesn’t. You are least put thought into your doings.” Still it was strange that he stroked her interest. “Also, I have to admit that seeing the future can undoubtedly be a fantastic thing.” He turned around and let the sea air flow into the room as he paced back to his throne. Yet he refrained from taking it and instead leaned against its arm and turned to her.

“I suppose you have proven that you are capable of serving me through all of that. Allow me the doll one more time.” As soon as he had it, he channeled some of his magic into the doll, which started to shift in his grasp. For a moment, it looked as though something was causing it to inflate before it fell back into normal and he handed it back. “Once you take it, then things should start to be clearer to you.”

Hardly had he looked onto her but once his eyes befell her, he sighed and beckoned her to come with him. The doors she had entered through previously flew open just as he was about to walk into them and he turned to the where the doors that lead to the Quarters were. They too opened before his gracious and he allowed her to pick a room. The door would open and he allowed her entrance. All that you would desire, let it flow from your mind and into reality, Eldora. Such things will come to you for as long as you are in my service.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 2:23 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Oracle eyes turned up to Xunatar. For a moment they began to swarm like whirls forming in the vast ocean. “I wasn’t speaking of you in general.” She blinked a few rapid times and the eyes she possessed began to calm down. “Many people have tried to lie to me and it has never ended well for them. You are different. You can fool me. You have the power to do things that most cannot, you and all the other gods. However, the fate strings were what I spoke of. It is hard sometimes to separate myself from it. Honestly, it's thrilling to think someone could deceive me. That they could tear me apart with their words. Thrilling… Absolutely.”

She tilted her head and thought about his words. “Madness is the clear understanding and perspective of the world around us. However, it comes with the price of what it inflicts on its host. For most, they cannot grasp what they have learned.” She scoffed as soon as he brought up her mother. “All the power in the world and that woman doesn’t even realize it. She couldn’t utilize the vast amount of power she had because she was too busy thinking demons had more and that made her weak.” Her eyes closed. “The powers that the spirits give is just one of the perks of being queen in Arri. The other is the Himiria Stone that is implanted within the queen. It’s an arcane augment. You can see it most in the other god that rose.” A smile came to her face.

“Mother is turning in her grave right now. The one who gained the most power out of her greed was the man she tried to possess. Adraejen is now a god as well. I felt it. I felt the movement of the Himiria Stone. It means that Arri has gifted some of the meteor to him… For what I don’t know.” She gave him insight into the other god that rose.

“My father is a coward.” She spoke as soon as he said he had never employed. “Worried that I would befall the fate of his kind. Any other demon who hasn’t risen… Any of them.” Her voice got quiet. “I could defend myself well enough. I am not weak just because I have my seer abilities.” She appeared to be distraught and upset over her father thinking she was weak. She calmed down again and took a deep breath.

Her eyes closed as she thought about what had led her here. “Myself? Maybe. I struggle with knowing my own wants compared to that of the spirits. Maybe it’s because madness blends with madness. Eventually, it all feels the same. Inside and outside all blends as one.”

Her voluntary servitude to Xunatar benefited her greatly. Even if he didn’t bless her, this place was helping her mind. She had felt it clawing at her insides before they went quiet. This place made them shake. It was good that they would be scared. Scared for her? Maybe but she would prefer it this way.

She caught the doll and stared down at it. “That would make things rather simple for me, I must admit.” She could find herself again. She could finally figure out who she was. It had been so long. “I do like that idea greatly. I wish to find myself and to find myself I need them not to scream like they do.” Her fingers traced the doll lightly as she watched it. Her blue eyes snapped up at him. “You interest me.” It was a simple thing. “I’m not like my mother. I don’t kill the things that interest me. I don’t try to dissect them to understand. I simply want them to be.” She tilted her head. “Seeing the future is one thing even a god benefits greatly from. If it could help you then I would do it, simply because you interest me.”

She brushed some dust off of herself and there was even rubble, very small but still there, from when this place had been made. It showed just how long she had been there simply waiting. “My skills are among the best of my kind. The only thing I would leave for would be when Bryony calls. She raised me. She protected me when no one else could. She could barely do it but she still tried. I wish to do the same for her. She is a better mother than my mother. That should be protected.” She mused lightly. “Rarely does Bryony call.” She seemed sad by this. “But she is strong and wise. Older than most Rosenites. Her strength with the spirits might not have happened overnight like mine did but her power is on my level.” She thought aloud. “She is the first, the mother of the oracles. That’s why my mother hasn’t struck at Bryony. She would be a fool to try to. Oracles rarely intervene with Arri business. Which is why we haven’t said much on my mother. Maybe it’s because on some level her demise has been verified and we don’t feel the need to get in the way.”

She got up from the chair and her eyes watched as the dust drifted off of her. “May I bathe? I would rather your temple not get dirty. My meditation goes for months at a time to deal with the spirits so I tend to be dirty.”

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:47 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Her sense of humor made the lord grow silent and eyes stared impartially. Should it had been any other person in his stead, such words would have surely been taken as insults. From there, punishment would likely be the first thought to stroke their egos back. But Xunatar’s lips slowly carved out a smirk before soft rumbles of laughter echoed the room. He was someone that had always liked a challenge and to be challenged. It made life more enjoyable, he found it. “Perhaps so, though I do give warning that the titles were gifted to me for very good reason, dear lady. I have no intention of fooling something that is beyond one’s control, but…those that aren’t fate are fair game”, he spoke, waving it off as if it was nothing. She may had her spirits to aid her, but in this house, they would do no good. He could easily twist their messages and even conjure up fakes if that would his wish. Though it was more of a formality than anything, nothing truly against the woman before him.

“Madness is something people try to avoid. It is simply the norm among society to not want to understand things they know nothing about. But it does exist either way. Sometime it gives us a clearer understanding of this world.” Some were stirred into the abyss of insanity by birth; for others, it was a experience shaped by their nurturing. She dangled along the line between sane and madness, tipping towards the latter he’d imagine.“At times, they can drive us to do irrational things. Take your mother, for example. I tried to lecture her about her temper and to think and plot her moves more clearly. Shame that she doesn’t have the sense you and the rest of her children have.”

It was a pity that she would soon be dealt with once and for all. But he was over it rather quickly; the woman was more of a hassle being left alive than dead. If things had been different then surely he would have assisted her or perhaps welcomed her into his fold. His mind was drawn back into the doll and the meaning behind it and its companion that laid shattered. “I see. I have heard of such creatures, but never really employed them myself.” The more she spoke, the more he realized that it was her father that had left her these things. Unlike Xunatar or Lotus’ father though, it seemed like he didn’t wish to defend Eldora from the dangers of Cyprus. Her wrath was something that most didn’t wish upon anyway. All of this was to lead her here, to see him and that’s where Xunatar was left puzzled. “Is that on your own accord, or that was what the spirits suggested?” How could he help? Her sisters were hunting her down and it seemed as though Angela wanted to finish what she started. True, he had the blood of her younger sister at his disposal and should he be able to get his hands around her neck, there would be silence in this world once again. But for all her stupidity, she was a smart one and would send someone else in her stead if possible. And he had no time for such games.

As he dangled himself right behind her, he paid close attention to her reply. It was rather strange that she knew what he could be like, though she volunteered herself to be employed to the lord. Such an offer made him think; there was no telling on how viable her visions could truly be and there was potential that he could take advantage of. Leaning in closer to her, Xunatar released the doll back to her possession. “It is rather simple- I make that”, he spoke while pointing to the doll ,”Into a conduit for your spirits to speak with you, rather than pulling and reaching into your mind. I think that would help to ease you of this feeling, or lack of. Enchanting it would be none too difficult. And in exchange, you are to serve me.” Coming back around, he crept over to the windows and looked upon them. “How is that for an idea?” The stained glasses flicked with different lights as he gazed at them. He was not without giving perks to those beneath his grasp; it was far better to lure flies with honey rather than vinegar. It was one of several lessons that were lost on Eldora’s mother.

“And why is it that you are so willing to help me?” He turned his head enough to see her while his hands clasped behind him. “As long as you serve, you may stay here then. I suppose that it only makes sense in this realm of senselessness.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 3:03 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora’s blue eyes were brilliant… They stared at him for what seemed like a thousand leagues. For the first time since their meeting, a small smirk appeared on her face. “How long I wonder… would deception be able to keep me rooted? Lies only work when the person doesn’t find out fast.” She reached a hand up and tapped on her head softly. “It’s not that I have forgotten. It’s that it is irrelevant. Not that the titles you possess aren’t amusing. It’s not that… You can’t fool fate strings no matter who or what you are. When you are in perfect harmony with the very strings of reality… It’s depressing that nothing can surprise you.” She wasn’t there yet but every year she felt that tug.

She tilted her head at him and nodded. “Yes.” There was no lie in her eyes or from her tone. They spoke of her madness and she knew it existed. Not many could stand back and look at themselves. Not many knew that deep down they were crazy. Eldora existed on all three planes. She could see herself. She understood what many could not. “It’s easy to remain when you can pull yourself from the fabric of the present and see what many cannot. To understand that you are mad… not many people can do that. Survival is what my siblings and I excel at. It is hard but it is not impossible to deal with this gift.”

Her head tilted the other way and she stared at him for a long time. “Perhaps because emotions make us weak. Fleeting happiness can be destroyed in an instant and with it yourself. If you feel nothing or are blank, you survive even the hardest trials. Maybe that’s why.” She didn’t answer him right away on if she wanted it fixed. She knew he would have his price.

“They were a gift.” Her eyes looked down at the doll. “By a demon who feels remorse. He doesn’t know that I know.” She stared at the dolls. “Kreviz Demons are known by the same strings as Oracles. They see things like oracles do. Sometimes they see more. Used by the Demon Lords of their area they are able to predict weaknesses in their enemies but at a cost. Most of them die to the visions they see. Much more violent than what I have.”

Her fingers twitched. “He’s remorseful because he thinks that it is his fault. He was told I was dead. Despite all the visions in the world he didn’t know.” Her eyes flickered up. “Powerful oracle demons. That’s what my father was… is? He leaves gifts. But he doesn’t have the heart to look at me knowing what I go through.” She frowned a bit. “I shouldn’t even know but the spirits talk about him. He leaves me things that will help my journey. That will help me.”

She stared back at the doll. “The breaking of the Cyprus doll means that I would have liberation at last. For yours… I must meet with you. You hold something that can help. It doesn’t say… if you will. It just says you can.”

Letting her fingers bunch at her robes she appeared more at ease as they spoke. “I’ll hear of your idea.” She tilted her head once more. “In exchange, I’ll stay here and help you. Aside from when duty calls I have no where to be. No one that could make use of what I can do. I suffer but I have no purpose for these things I see. Perhaps that is what he wanted for me. He knows Sularia is too much of a headache for me to live in. It hurts. Angela’s hurts too. Where the spirits are strongest. It hurts.”

She moved her hands up and touched the doll softly. She was much smaller than some of the others in her court. “I feel at home here.” It must have been weird to hear of such things. “I want to stay.” She turned her head enough so she could look up at him. “Things are beginning to happen now. I need to stay here so I can tell you.”

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 12:41 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

“In…a matter of speaking, yes”, he spoke beneath a soft tone. This room, as with all of the cradle was an expansion of his domain, of his own power. It was kin to being alive for it was ever changing depending on either the situation or whim. While the room could provide those in it with what they sought for, it was a double edged sword. Some would regret their decisions while others would be denied by the lord should he wish it. For the time being, he hadn’t mind the images projected but was more intrigued with what went through her mind. Before he had suspected that her awkwardness and abnormality was due to being directly subjected to her mother’s parenting but he was proven wrong. It was what she had done to her other siblings and having to relive it time and time that had done the deed. It was a rather curious thing to take sight of.

“I have been called many different names and titles before all of this, dear Eldora. As far as being Chaos…” Xunatar give it some thought before replying, “Yes…and no. Absolute Chaos is unbound by the rules of nature or of man. It can not fully controlled and it truly unpredictable. I am it and yet not truly.” His face wore a most brilliant smile as he looked to her, “And yet do not forget about what another part of me- I am that of Deception as well. Therefore you would take my words with some heed.” This Nizava she spoke, it seemed to take quite the toll considering how many still stood. Or rather, was sitting in his presence. Xunatar wasn’t the sort to deal with the spirits or of the future, but that wouldn’t mean that he didn’t pay close attention to what she was telling him.

“You mean to tell me that you knew that I would ascend to godhood, or at least something much grander than before?” He felt no sense of lying coming from her and her unorthodox means had once told him of Colden’s predicament with his mother before. Oracles were a tricky lot, that much was certain. He brought the doll back up and pushed its hair from its face. It seemed so much like him and from what he gathered from its broken counterpart, that was Cyprus. Had it been an accident of its demise, or was it foreshadowing the future?

If Eldora sought for a confidant, then it was a most curious thing that she chose this God to speak with. Then again, he seemed to had made an impression on her one way or another- much of which he guessed it was due to these spirits she spoke so highly about. He observed her struggle to keep herself in check; shades of emotions every now and then slipped from her. They didn’t go unnoticed by her host but he kept it among himself. He shifted his legs to get more comfortable and his head rested the back of his hand. “I’ve seen the madness lurking in you all right. To think that you’ve dealt with it for so long, it's a wonder you still remain with what bit of sanity is left.” [

Then again, the more they discussed this, the more he had to take recognition into his mentality. It had been molded back from his trials and surely he didn’t possess the state of mind he had once had so long ago. A great deal of torment that could seem everlasting could do that. In Eldora’s case, the length would actually seem like a whole lifetime, if not several. “To go without feeling anything is nigh impossible. I read you very carefully Eldora; words and body movement alike. That too could be a part of chaos itself for aren’t feelings a tempest in of themselves? Can we not go from being blissful to angry at the snap of the fingers? Every single thing that is born into this world can feel and feelings are chaotic. Myself included. All of this you have shared seemed to have suppressed it. It may be in my hands that it can be fixed.” Once more he grew restless and pushed himself from his throne and came towards her. He slipped behind her chair and brought the doll right up front of them. “Of course it won’t be free. Hardly anything in this world is. But you may tell me one thing, where did you get this from?” He was curious as to how much it looked like him, but the lord didn’t feel as though this was purely coincidence.

“I may also have an idea for your spiritual visitors as well. You nor them would be harmed, do not fret about that.”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 9:27 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora was stoic. Vastly. It was the images and the screams that spoke so much. She tilted her head to him as he spoke to her. He was right, Cyprus might as well have. She got up and followed his direction as he let her sit down in her chair. For the first time, she let her blue eyes wander around the room. She was silent. Like she had told him she liked the silence. Her attention snapped to him after a bit. Her hands gripped at the fabric of her oracle robes.

“This room,” she looked around and she knew why. “Grants people what they want most.” It wasn’t an accurate description but more so her own way of saying that it comforted her. “No one knew,” the words were hard to come from her lips. Her Arriese accent was so much thicker now than it had been when she was divining the future. “They call them Nizeva. Connectors to the spirit realm.” Her eyes drifted over his. “Special Rose Oracles who are more connected than anyone else. They are the strongest.” Her voice drifted in and out. “Most cursed. Most hated.” The words continued to pour through her mind and she brought a hand up to her head to stop it.

“Of the three born to that order, I’m the only one left. The others committed suicide.” Her eyes drifted. “Nizeva can feel the pain of their visions. Most only see what the spirits want them to see. Nizeva feel and smell…” Her eyes looked over everything before finding his way back to him. “Why?” She appeared to be answered the purpose. “Why not?”

Her hand came down and gripped at her robe again. “You are chaos are you not?” She had felt it in these hollow halls. “My souls, my being, everything sang to you the day I first met you. But why?” She cut herself off and looked at the doll. “I knew something was changing. Someone’s death had become a part of the fate strings permanently. I knew someone in the room would become great but not in the typical sense like when I divine future kings.” Her once broken speech was becoming clearer.

“Someone in that room was going to break boundaries. It wasn’t going to be Lotus… or Kirika. That left just two people. The spirits liked you best but I couldn’t tell why.” She dazed off and looked at the room again. “Then the world shook and I knew. I saw.”

Her eyes snapped back to him again. “It’s not something Angela can fix.” She knew that he had probably wondered it. Any sane person would wonder it. “Because theoretically there is nothing wrong with me. The Soul-Stream doesn’t bend to just anyone. It listens to Angela because it respects her but it would never stop whispering the maddening things it does to me. You were right when you said she might as well have.”

Her blue eyes closed. “I was a happy person. I remember happiness. I remember it… kind of. This light fluttering feeling. It made your chest beat from laughter. It’s so vague anymore. It started when I was five. The visions. Past, future, present. It didn’t matter and god help you if it was future. You see it again and again. They try to stop it but you realize that it isn’t something you can stop. Over and over again your siblings die and you feel every slice… every bone break.”

She was getting mad but she stopped and suddenly the emotion was just gone. It just vanished and her eyes were wandering again. “They didn’t have a word for what I go through at first. This chaos.” Her face twitched softly. “It's just there. Numb. Nizeva don’t normally come into their potential until they are older. I was different. They thought it was different. The tides of what Cyprus did had pushed the floodgates open. It flooded my mind. Bit by bit I was drowning in it. Then I couldn’t remember how to feel anymore.”

Her face twitched softly again as she watched him. “And then it was just dark. I would lose myself for days. I would end up places where normal people wouldn’t go because it would shut them up. Then I realized that without them I was alone. The silence was deafening. Madness would set in and I would lose myself again until I found myself on the edges of places that give nightmares. Where nightmares are born.”

She stared up at Xunatar. “I just wanted someone to see that madness. Someone who could understand it. Who better than the person who now rules chaos? It’s not something someone can fix or quiet. Not without damaging me even more than I am. Being numb is the worst feeling in the world.” She gripped at her robes. “I said I liked the silence. I didn’t lie but maybe that’s because my head does nothing but scream all day and all night. When I sleep I dream of death. When I’m awake I see death. I feel death. I know what it feels like to die and have your last moments on this plane. But here I am… no matter how many times it has happened. No matter how many times I’ve watched my siblings die… How many times I’ve watched you die.” Her eyes closed. “It’s damning. But you understand and perhaps that will give me peace of mind. I’m the last of my kind and who knows when the next will come… but they will probably die like all the others. I’ll be here trying not to rip myself apart from all that I see.”

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:58 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

The room was oddly quiet as Xunatar sat lazily upon his throne. Typically he would be entertained by his Stewards playing their fickle games of gaining his favor by trying to outdo one another. But the moment the Cradle had sensed the arrival of a guest, his minions scattered towards the Halls of Madness to greet them. Though he would be able to pry and see for himself who came, where would be the fun in that? One finger stirred about his white locks, twisting and turn it as he waited news of whether he would have to play host or to call for someone to dispose of the corpse. Blue eyes fell onto the doors as one of his more favorite Stewards came bursting through. The look in the young man’s eyes was…odd. “My lord, there’s….something about the visitor…she’s a strange one. Her gaze makes it seem as though there’s nothing inside her.”

“Oh?” His interest was piped and soon the lord sat right up in his seat. “How close is she to finishing trekking the halls?”

The Steward sighed, “She is actually close to completing it. I was one of the last to see her. I made sure she hadn’t followed me, but it doesn’t seem to matter.”

“Very well. You’re dismissed.” Xunatar waved his hand at him and watched the servant bow and take his departure. With that, he stroked at his chin and pondered just who would be so keen on seeing the master of the Cradle. Within moments, he received his answer in the form of a familiar woman. Their encounter was brief yet it had a lasting impression on him, for better or worse. It made sense from the description fed to him that it would her to come here. His head tilted to the side, eyes watching her like a raptor. There was something much different about the strange woman; while her oddity was great, something was unusual even for her case.

Briefly he looked upon the dolls in her grip and noticed various traits from the both of them before their fall. From what he had learned in his short time in her presence, Eldora had been tainted by her mother but he was unsure of how until he felt her summoning some of the power in this room. Whether she meant to or not was irrelevant; the room served as a medium of her mind and he rose to watch it unfold. Through these images, he recognized that of Cyprus and those whom he had never seen before. Their resemblance to her remaining children was difficult to ignore, however. The gruesome images that played out would of had weaker men sickened to their stomachs but the Lord of Lies watched on with a stony gaze. “Of course. She may have not laid a hand on you, but she might as well.” There was some pity he felt her, felt for all her children. It was a waste that she had broken the ones that remained; he knew of Colden’s state because of her and through Dante, he knew of Lotus’ as well.

The screams around them were deafening and before he rose his hand to silence them once and for all, Eldora fortunately did so. Was she so desperate to seek so sort of comfort from her mother’s misery that she would come to him for aid? He was rather surprised that she didn’t see Angela for this feat for it seemed more up her alley. He didn’t fret about it for too long as soon he rose from his throne and approached the broken girl. The size between them was great- he easily towered over Eldora’s rather short form and reached down to take hold of the white haired doll that still remained. Inspecting it for a moment, he took it with him back to his throne and sat before bring two fingers up into the air. As if following the motion, a chair shot up from the floor that face him and he beckoned her to take seat in it. “You were hardly speechless before in our last encounter. But I trust that you know why you came here in the first place. Such a haunting curse you have dealt with, bearing witness to all of that. Why not tell me the purpose behind showing me all of that…”

Author: Eldora, Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 7:34 PM, Post Subject: Voices[P/R]

Eldora had seen greatness in the future of someone who had been in that room on the night that they plotted against her mother. That greatness was higher than all the courts in the land but she couldn’t quite put her finger why it tasted so different compared to the rise of everyone else she had felt. Now Eldora was one of the most gifted Oracles that Arri had to offer. She saw things many years ahead of when situations would happen. She wouldn’t understand them until the time came to understand them but at what cost?

The cost was simple: her sanity. She was plunged into a world of chaos and fear. She had been normal once upon a time. Before the visions that haunted her soul started. She had remembered a time when things were happy and she could feel SOMETHING. Anything. There had been a time when she knew those emotions that came so easily to everyone.

Her blue eyes flickered just a bit as she felt the dynamic of the world change just slightly. She pulled herself from the hole that she was hiding in. She loved the spirits but rarely did they leave her alone. Not that she wanted to be left alone… the spirits were the only ones who really understood her and she would feel so lonely if they went quiet.

She picked up a set of dolls. One had long black hair and red painted eyes. The other had long white hair and eerie blue eyes. One fashioned after a female and one fashioned after a male. She had come across them and they seemed to be made of the finest material. She held them close and she tilted her head. The strings were pulling her. Making her drift. She knew that it was dangerous. She wasn’t dumb. She had seen many outcomes but she was not foolish, she was longing. Maybe it was death that she sought.

She wasn’t far away from the world’s changing features. She stared up at the moving rocks and the floating land in the sky. Her blue eyes were much more like stormy ocean now. She couldn’t put two and two together but she knew that someone from that room… was there. She found her way through the portals and found herself in the courtyard. She paid it hardly any mind. She just clung to the dolls as she walked through. Most people would have jumped when the doors slammed but not Eldora. She looked back at them uninterested.

The maze that she found herself in was just an uneventful. Something caught her attention as she found a screaming mask on the wall that tried to send her into a fit of madness. Her fingers were gentle as she lifted it off the wall. It screamed louder and she tilted her head. You couldn’t send someone into madness if they were already there.

She wondered for a good bit the Stewards attempted to talk to her and she just pushed past them. Her eyes were oddly absent as she stared up at them. Her mind for all that it was worth led her to the single corridor that others would have been crying to see. She tilted her head and watched the doors. She pushed the doors open and went into the black and white room. What was it that she was looking for?

A shiver was sent up her spine as she thought about everything that plagued her. What her desires were… were… oddly not up to her. The room would comfort her but not in the typical sense. The room became like a mirrored surface. Her eyes hit Xunatar as she held the dolls closer. Her heart was beating hard. The one thing that could bring her comfort in that chaotic mind she had.

The visions that had plagued only her for so long. Every image, every feeling that accompanied it even the pain, and how it had affected Eldora over the years. It tried to show. All of her siblings being abused… Bryony holding Eldora through her screams to make the visions stop. How her pain mimicked that of what Cyprus did to her siblings. It continued for a while before it stopped.

She held out the dolls in her hands and dropped them on the ground. Her hand was holding the mask that had seemingly gone silent and the black haired doll smashed against the floor while the white haired doll laid intact on the floor.

On the mirrored surface of the room laid the future that she had seen. All of which she couldn’t tell a mortal soul. Xunatar ending Cyprus. Cyprus ending Xunatar. Cyprus ending the world. Colden being betrayed. There were many fate strings that showed. Her chaotic mind went to almost a static as she fell down and just watched him. The amount of chaos in her mind was… enough to make someone who wasn’t numb kill themselves.

There were screams around the room. Eldora put a finger to her lips. The voices began to die. It was clear the voices weren’t from his temple, but from the spirits that guided the oracles of the rose. Eldora was the most gifted of the Oracles… but it came with a steep price. It made her hollow, took her sanity, and in the end made her almost doll like. Maybe if anything Xunatar could take the chaos away. She wasn't willing to say it because she didn't think he would but she had seen something in him. Something. Maybe it was her mother's death.

Hint: Hover over a field name if you want to know what it's for.

Who is Online