Author: Xunatar, Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 7:17 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

Xunatar knew as good as anyone (perhaps even better than most) that you could learn about a person from their words, but to a greater extent, what they didn’t say. For instance, he merely watched his guest’s reaction from when he pointed out her wings. He had nearly forgotten that she wouldn’t have known he would be watching the trials from afar; something that had always eluded his attention time and time again. It might as well been simply for he didn’t place too much care of announcing it to others but a part of him didn’t feel it was all that strange considering it was his world above the world. “Now, now, there’s no need to fret about it, I do love to have company come here, when they prove that they can handle this side of the world.” The god sent the fork down onto the half eaten plate and he watched for a bit before letting out what sounded like a pleasant purring sound. “I still don’t know what you are, but as with everything, time will tell.” His body grew more relax as he reached for his wine. Fortunately there was an abundance of the stuff all over the table at his whim. 

“My past is littered with good times as well as bad. Sometimes one must take the hand they are dealt with and play accordingly. Others look to perhaps take the risk and chance it all. Everything is left up to fate, no matter how much planning is taken. No plan is foolproof and I do find it pleasing when people take the latter. You, Synthesis, were one of those people indeed. Not many people would come here at the risk of life…or worse to ask me questions. I like you resolve, my girl.”

He sipped on but then held quite the curious look in mid-sip when she shifted the conversation over. A strange request to be sure but Xunatar knew too well that she was telling the truth. It had been the Cradle’s doing in putting those plants in. The Lord hadn’t paid much detail as to what his home had created in the courtyard; it was only his whim for it to be filled with beautiful flora that could quite the dangerous sight beneath lovely petals.

“My home is a interesting one for it might seem as though it's alive and acts independent of myself and my will. That is because it is and it does. It bends to my will, yes, but the Hollow Cradle is ever changing, never constant. What it can sprout, one can never know for certain. You just have to be prepared as much as possible. The plants…I suspect was its doing as well. But I will take into account your suggestions and their…wishes.”

He watched as she mentally danced around the burning coals beneath her. His face held strong and yet he thoroughly enjoyed the sight. It was enough to make him want to draw out a smile but he continued to hold strong. He waited to see when she would have enough of her meal before moving out of his seat and seemingly changed the atmosphere of the room. Instead they were now what seemed like a colossal library. Towering bookshelves that seemed to go on like days were around them, almost as they themselves were another maze to be navigated through. “As kind as your words are, I can offer quite more than just nutrition, dear Synthesis” He gestured his approval for her to explore, should she choose to.

Author: Illusory Angel, Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 3:32 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

As Xunatar spoke about her ansestor, Synthesis found it almost strange to speak to someone who knew who Lillith was. Most people had forgotten her now, and even amoung demons she was an old story. This was a refreshing and jarring change. She also appreciated his sympathy over her lineage, despite feeling a little put out that he didn't refute her claims to stupidity and weakness. She pushed away the thought. It's not like she was fishing for compliments.

Then the girl startled when he made reference to her wings, as though he knew something. She currently had them folded away and in such as state most people overlooked them, perhaps mistaking them for a backpack covered in feathers or a weird garment strapped behind her. Therefore, she hadn't expected him to notice or comment upon them. It took her a few long seconds for her to realise that he had watched her arriving and probably watched her walking though the maze. She felt a little uncomfortable at that. Being watched thusly was… unexpected and… deceptive. Synthesis sighed to herself. What did she expect?

She continued to nibble on her food as she listened to him talk about his own demon type. Her mother hadn't gone through all the different demon sorts with with her but there was a part of her that recognised the description the God gave so they must have come up at some point. She wasn't sure whether it was her imagination but she could of sworn she saw a slight wistful look flicker across his face and a softness in his already silky voice. Was he really thinking nostalgically of such an unspeakable occupation? Did he really enjoy condemning mortals to their doom? Synthesis didn't want to believe that, so she decided it must all be in her head. She was just paranoid because of a combination of factors.

"That's interesting," She replied with caution, "I think I have heard of such a being before, though I never thought I'd meet one. Even my own heritage and kin sometimes seem to be nothing more than a fairy story to me. I guess that is why I had to seek you out." The girl paused as she thought. Somehow her mind wondered to path she had traversed to get here and as it did, she was reminded of something, "And now, before I forget, your plants. They asked me to convey to you how they feel a little lonely. I think they believe you should have more visitors for them to… interact with." The druid wasn''t sure whether it was her place to be making such recommendations but she felt a duty to her new friends to do this. For a moment she found herself , "I must they, they are a wonderful bunch! They even tried to lie on your behalf! I assume that wasn't something on their job description so I really think they deserve to be commended…"

Synthesis finally trailed off. Whenever she talked here, it was as though she was cursed to be overcome with crippling anxieties and insecrurities. The silence seemed to whisper in her mind, telling her just how loud and obnoxious she sounded, while the vastness of the room and the table and the room all served to remind her just how small she was.

"Thank you for your hospitality, by the way," She added in an attempt to say something more unobtrusive, "This food really is lovely."

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 4:20 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

Her reactions were genuine as she watched his illusions unfold. From the horrific scene of the little demonic monsters down to the rather subtle folk in the village, he studied her keenly and from afar. “Despite the scene before us, we do tend to have the same problems that the inhabitants of this world have, arguably worse. Some chose to come to this world to escape instead; others come to spread their beliefs, mostly that of chaos and panic. Nonetheless, the demon world can be a grim place to visit, much less live in. With that Xunatar switched the conversation over to Synthesis as he finished his chicken and moved a knife to cut a few more pieces for his plate. When she told him of what sort of demon she was, he had to take a second look at her. He was familiar with her breed, having seen plenty of them come over to this world to seduce the men of this plane and bare children. Of course, the name she used was one that he hadn’t heard in a long time. [
 
b]“She was before my time, yes. I am aware of her legacy though. Her blood runs through quite the many demons even to this day.” This was a most interesting find and she, a visitor, in his abode. “It’s a shame, but mingling of blood can do that. I can atone to that, as many of my children are half blooded as well.”
 
The lord picked up on her hesitation rather quickly, but made no spectacle of it. Instead he continued to fill his plate with the lovely arrangement of foods and pour himself some wine into a chalice. Her answer, though scarce in details, was by formality, an answer. There were a few reasons swimming in his mind over her reason of not informing him of her paternal heritage. Even with that, he could tell by how she behaved and more so, her appearance of what she was not. Obviously human and elves would be dominated by her demonic blood, she didn’t seem to hold the temperament that dwarves held, and he didn’t smell any sort of beast on her. The more his mind narrowed down the list, the more intrigued he was getting. Still he carried himself as if brushing off the subject and continued to feast. He was a patient demon, even before his ascension.
 
“Fair enough. I merely ask because I watched how you got here in the first place, on those wings of yours.”
 
Xunatar rose the chalice to his lips, gracing them with the excellent taste of the wine before lowering it. “A devil of the crossroads. I was such one that would be summoned to those sites and make deals with the mortals here. They would hope for me to grant them a wish and if it was within my power, then I would do so. The payment for it, though was simple but high. After the contract’s been made, it was out of my hands for their payment went to more powerful devils.”
 
His mind went back into time for a few moments, reminiscing over those joyous times before he felt himself being pulled back into reality. “The price for such things would be their souls. Many were desperate enough to make the bargain, and few have tried to find loopholes. I have seen my fair share and all that had were met with rude awakenings. There’s a reason why people say you can’t cheat devils.”

Author: Illusory Angel, Posted: Fri Jun 9, 2017 7:45 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

Synthesis enjoyed her food slowly, but only because she was too concerned with being polite and giving Xunatar her full attention for her to eat at full speed. His voice was polite and pleasing as it had been before so it wasn't really that much of a chore for her anyway. She found herself enjoying the food and the company more and more as time passed and soon she had almost let her guard completely down. Almost.

It was a good job she didn't because then the room was suddenly on fire. She could almost feel the heat, these illusions were so real. The demons glared, snarled and cackled at her so the girl recoiled in fear. These were what her mother had warned some people thought of their kind. But drawings in books did nothing to convey the terror of the real thing. No wonder they were so hated and despised if this was the general opinion. Synthesis listened in agitation to the Demon Lord and fidgeted in discomfort. He certainly no longer had her full attention.

But then, with a mere gesture, their setting changed again and they looked to be in a simple village, occupied by people of all shapes and sizes. This was more like what her mother had described her land of origin as being like. She relaxed a little and looked around with interest, taking in more of what the deity was saying and filing it away in her young, eager mind. Learning about the societal order of demons was facinating to her, and very relevent. She found her imagination souring with all the nourishment and possibilities it could desire. She thought that she was glad that she had come here but hoped that there wouldn't be any more nasty surprises to change her mind.

Finally, she became aware that the deity had asked her a question. She snapped to look at him and stumbled over herself as she tried to order her chaotic thoughts. Her mother's demon type?

"A Lilim. One of Lilith's many decendants. Lilith, from what my mother told me, was the epitome of female power, an enlightener of women and guardian of the night. All her female decendents are blessed with high intellence, exceptional power and enchanting mien but unfortunately, as you may have noticed, I lack in all three departments due to my unique inheritence on the other side of the family. My father…" the girl hesitated. Was it really wise to reveal that her father was an angel to the Demon Lord himself? Especially when given that both her parents had been banished for assosiating with the other race. Both societies held onto a traditional and savage rivalry.

Synthesis lapsed into silence. So far the God had been most amicable towards her and she could find little concrete evidence to distrust him, except for his many names and titles. Therefore she would be inclinded to tell him about her father in order to see if he had any interesting information to present about it, if only she could be a little more sure. Perhaps she would wait a little. If he continued to be benign, she would reveal her paternal heritage.

"…My father… was not a demon. He was of another race." She mumbled and looked away from him. Deception, even by omission, really wasn't her thing. She clearly failed epically at it. Nonetheless, a polite host wouldn't pick her up on such a thing and she was counting on the fact, assuming he continued to act like a host and not act like a steriotypical powerful deity, full of impatience and wrath. But however he presented himself, the fact of what he was wasn't easily forgotten. He was capable of crushing her like an ant and the sheer amount of magic she could still sense radiating off of him was a constant reminder of the fact, even if she were adjusting to it a little. In a poor attenmpt to divert his attention, she asked, "What type of demon are you?" Then again, she did find herself genuinly intrigued to know the answer.

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Tue Jun 6, 2017 12:57 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

Temptation was a good way to lure the unsure into his pasture. After all, he was their shepherd and he could figure out rather quickly what they would want. For Synthesis, she just needed a gentle hand and a feast to her liking. He watched with an air of coolness as she followed him and took suit towards the meal. As the people would say, you could gather more bees with honey than with vinegar. Of course on that same note, he wasn’t the most kindred spirit and everything that one would wish to gain from being acquainted with him had a price. For the time being, he merely let that tidbit elude her hearing and he carried on with his own meal. In this grand hall, she would notice that it would respond according to what she wished, though his power was absolute and everything that could be gain could be taken away but such little things were hardly worth him stripping away.
 
It didn’t take too long before he got to the point of this meeting, looking to see just what would bring a girl like herself into the Lord’s home. As he bit into the warm bread, she expressed bits of her story to him. Her tale was like some that he had encountered- a half breed that seemed out of place in the world. That and she had yet to encounter another of her mother’s kin before. Xunatar tilted his head to the side and rested it on the back of his hand, eyes looming towards her as if they were boring right through Synthesis. It was difficult to tell what his thoughts or feelings about this was and in the end, even the faintest smile across his face did nothing to fill her in on it. “You are quite right. Our kind do not originate from this world, but from another. But it various on what such world it is.” He took hold of his wine and rose it at her before drinking it. Just as he did,the scenery around both them and the table changed. No longer did it look like a royal hall; instead the world around them was filled with brimstone and fire. Truly one could say that this was one hell of a place around them. Grotesque demons surrounded them and danced upon the table, stealing food from it as well as from each other violently and the smell of sulfur was great. Xunatar continued to eat as if nothing was going on. “Do not fret. They can not hurt us. Merely illusions.”
 
He let the charade continue for a bit before sighing. “This is the world that most people think we come from. That we are beast like and are the pinnacle of evilness. But…I can assure you that this is just a portion of the world we come from.” With that, he waved it off into another setting. Now they were in settings that might remind her of the world they had been in moments before this. Villages filled with all sorts of demons; many of them vendors and hellish knights and guards. Some demons were truly ugly and others, like the Lord of Lies, were beautiful. Tall, short, slender, robust, intelligent, daft…they came in all sorts. “This is another part of the demonic plane. Like other races, we aren’t restricted in how we may come or be like. Then again, most that depicted us are jaded or unable to think of anything other than their own biases."Some more chicken was taken into his mouth followed by a few sips of wine.
 
“We also function differently than others in how the pecking order goes. Depending on the type of demon- succubi do it with tendrils that come from them and how much energy they can draw. Others do it through grim combat and some, like myself, underwent a…ritual for a better word. There are all sorts of ways that one can prove themselves to lead and conquer in these lands.”
 
He relaxed in his chair and smiled, “Tell me, do you know what sort of demon your mother was? And what of your father?”   

Author: Illusory Angel, Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 7:18 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

Synthesis was relieved to find that Xunatar didn't sound angry. In fact, he tried to appease her fears and seemed to be making all the efforts of a god host to make her feell an honoured guest. The thought was ludicrous, she knew, but she felt better all the same. Despite all this, however, she stayed still and tense as she heard the deity walk over and jumped in surprise when she felt his fingers on her face. She allowed him to tilt her head back so she was looking at him and was indeed taken by his elf-like charms, though this only served to fuel her feelings of inadequacy rather than to relax her.

His silky voice continued to beguile her as he revealed his preference of name, waved away the possibility of formality and fed her that curious tipbit of information. Her eyes followed him curiously as he moved back to retake his seat at the banquet and, at his signal, she followed and sat, finally turning her attention to all the food on offer. There was a lot of it, much better quality than her usual fare and she couldn't resist the urge to start piling up her plate. She made sure to make up a full meal with it and smother it with gravy from a nearby jug. She sighed in satisfaction. She hadn't eaten since that morning. And she hadn't had a meal like this since she had left home.

After a few bites, she wondered about a drink. She was quite thirsty. She did have a canteen of water in her bag, but looked around the table to see what beverages were on offer. It was strange, becasue even as she thought of each drink she might like, she would spot it on the table, as though it had appeared in response to her mind. Eventually, she settled on a glass of orange juice that had appeared just within her reach and poured it into the large glass next to her plate. When she went to put the jug of yellow liquid back, she was shocked to notice that the other drinks she had seen before had mostly dissapeared again.

She brought the glass of juice to her lips and sipped as Xunatar asked her reason for coming. She put her drink down slowly, stalling for time as she thought of a reply. To say she'd been curious about him after reading a scroll probably wouldn't be reason enough for such a generous audience. In the end, she wasn't able to think of any way to make it sound better, so she decided to just say it as it was and hope he'd continue to be as understanding as he had been so far.

"I read somewhere that you were a demon." She ventured nervously, "As you might be able to tell, I am one too but I don't know all that much about our kind. I've never met another demon besides my mother before because she was banished from our homeland before I was born so I only know what she told me. What's more, I believe we're from a completely different world to here so I guess everything she told me may not apply to the demon beings of this realm," Aware that she was rambling, Synthesis hurried to finish speaking, "To cut a long story short, I was hoping that perhaps you would be able to spare a little of your time to enlighten me?"

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 9:40 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

Whoever this woman was, she wasn’t simply a half demon, that much was for certain. He felt a difference between her and his children- the latter had mothers ranging from humans to shifters and other abnormalities. But this one, she brought forth a different feeling that he couldn’t quite put a finger on and it was something unexpected to that of Chaos. It was truly mind capturing for him as he feasted on the grand meal. More of the chicken was brought to his hungering mouth as he waited for her. Xunatar was a patient man and knew that some part of her may have felt as though it was a trap, but he was sure that eventually she would be lead to his door.
 
And so she had, as he felt her presence on the other side of the door. By then, he piled some of the green beans and potatoes onto his plate as well- hunger wasn’t something he had to worry about any more, but he did so much adoring eating like a king. The food was drenched with the gravy nearby as he watched the girl’s image come into sight. He lazily looked to her with a sly smile as he scooped up some of the mashed potatoes and chewed. Perhaps he wasn’t what she thought of him as- perhaps he was to be a cruel overlord with brimstone and fire surrounding everything around. Too many clumped their kind into that pitiful genre only because they knew nothing. If anything, people in general were more deserving of such a generalization. Xunatar saw that she was nervous and simply continued leisurely watching her.
 
Synthesis was truly in the halls of a real king, not those below them that simply played the role. They felt powerful but he knew real power and it was something they would never obtain no matter how much land or wealth they had. But unlike them, he wasn’t so stiff and high mighty. “The pleasure be mine, Synthesis”, he returned as he rose from his seat and wiped his mouth off with a napkin. “Please, you mustn’t have any fear in these halls.” Slowly he approached her, with the graceful of a spider as it descended to see what was caught in its web this time. He could feel her and how she was afraid of his disapproval when in fact there was none to be had. When he reached her, he moved a hand towards her chin and tried to tilt her head up to look upon him. His elven appearance would hopefully make her more at ease before he insisted that she come join him. “Xunatar is fine. Most of my names are out of formality and simply that. Do not fret about learning them all, I had at least a thousand names before I rose to my throne.” He retook his seat and gestured to her to eat if she’d wish. Meanwhile he went to butter up one of the slices of fresh bread.
 
 “Now, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, my dear?” 

Author: Illusory Angel, Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 6:46 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

Synthesis woke quite suddenly to the sound of a voice, filtering through the maze's many halls to greet her gently with warm, welcoming words. It was polite, firm, and appeasing to the ear; she felt inexplicably drawn to it and rose stiffly to her feat. She looked left and right for the direction of the sound and noticed as a result that the most tempting and delicious aromas were drawing her in exactly the same direction. She set off again without thought or delay.

It was surprising just how well they guided her alone, after words that roused her had given way to deathly silence. It took only a few more minutes of walking before she spotted something - something she didn't recognise as being like the labyrinth she'd just spent so much time in. She gasped in amazement and relief as she ran towards a grand room, just as finely decorated as the maze had been but a hundred times more pleasant to stand in. Somehow she knew it marked the end, even before she was able to notice the three majestic doors which led onwards. Each had a fox carved onto the front with such intricate detail that she couldn't help but admire the skill and craftsmanship that must have gone into making them. And from behind one of those three doors drifted smells so mouth-watering she couldn't wait to find their source.

By now Synthesis had had ample opportunity to wake up properly and, remembering what she had been told in her half-asleep state, she approached the middle door in spite of her fear. She stood in front of it for what must have been about two minutes, simply breathing, and working up the courage to push it open. No sooner had she done so, however, she was overcome with terror at the thought that maybe she should have knocked.

But it was too late; the door swung away  easily to reveal the room behind it, and fortunately for her she was almost immediately distracted with all that there was too see inside. The massive hall before her was completely awe-inspiring, as was the feast it contained. She would have been completely mesmerised by it, if she were not so utterly mesmerised by the being that ate it.

She decided it must have been Xunatar, for there was no way that this man wasn't a God. He radiated power and magic so strongly that it made everything else Synthesis had ever felt before seem like nothing - less than nothing - and it made her feel weak at the knees. She was in the presence of a deity, and at that thought, she quickly snapped out of her reverie. She stepped forward and swept herself into a very low, very awkward bow, holding it as she proceeded to introduce herself properly.

"Um… Xunatar… Your Godliness… My name is Synthesis. I'm very honoured to meet you," She was everlastingly glad that she was bowing just then because her face flushed bright red at her own idiocy. Your Godliness?! She mentally screeched at herself. On top of that, she hoped to God - not this one - that she had pronounced his name right, having only ever read it before.

She felt sick with nerves. Everything was going wrong! She'd turned up without invitation, forgot to knock and probably offended him with her terrible introduction! It would be a true miracle if she left here alive! Which of his many titles should have she called him by, anyway? "I'm sorry," she squeaked, "Please, Your Highness, how should I address you?"

Then she remembered he had invited her to sit at the table. She stood upright, hoping he wouldn't notice she was still a bit pink, and took another step forwards. At which point she stopped. She'd already done so much wrong. How could she even think about sitting down without a direct invitation? She breathed deeply, as she usually did to calm down, kept her head lowered and her eyes trained on the floor. If she looked at him now she might just die of mortification. Instead, she waited silently to see what he would do.

Author: Xunatar, Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 4:41 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

As so many people had found out, the Hollow Cradle was a place where truly anyone was welcomed, though at their own risks. It was on them entirely should anything befell them as the Chaosweaver’s domain was that of uncertainty and nigh endless possibilities. The stories spread across regions made it so that only those that had the gall would come here and would be as prepared as could be. The ring of islands were the first of the tests and like he had done so in the past, Xunatar kept a close eye whenever he felt the presence of a newcomer. It was thrilling to watch from his throne at the latest of guests arrived and navigated through the events his island took to. She was an intriguing little thing in his eyes, for he didn’t need much to tell that she was a half breed demon. There was no hatred towards her for it though, for many of his own children had been half breeds as well, though it was not out of love that he had them all, but out of a grand scheme that bore fruit after countless centuries of waiting.

Even as he sense the holiness of her other half that it merely made the God more interested in her rather than inspire hate She was quick on her feet and entertained him as she survived the first test and made it to the main island. Attentively, he observed his gardens having a run on her. To be quite fair of it though, he had never instructed the plants there to attack anyone but rather it was the will of his domain that did so. Xunatar merely enjoyed the view from afar as they played around her all while drawing up a glass of brandy and put it to his lips.

The next trial proved to be the most savoring and had left many before the woman confused, mad and even some dead. The Halls of Madness was by no means a kind or welcoming place, but it served as the final point of gaining the lord’s favor. By the time she had started to get acquainted with the grinning and eying apparitions that plagued the maze, he was on his second glass and could feel her growing anxious in this trial. It made him proud to have construct it when it had this effect on his visitors. But he also admired her determination as he watched her take a break for the time being.

When he had grown tired of it, He snapped his fingers and soon the throne hall where he resided shifted into that of a grand hall that most would see in castles. The room now also held a long and lavish table filled with a feast worthy of the gods themselves. Roasted chicken, beef and pork, vegetables and fruits and breads occupied it along with different bottles of wine. The smell of the food traveled from his throne room and through the maze, interesting enough being driven towards the woman’s direction. Whether she chose to follow it or not was up to her, but in the meanwhile Xunatar helped himself to the delicious goodies, first carving into the wonderful chicken.

“Come now”, he spoke, his voice also traveling through the maze. “You seek my favor, dear girl. Through these trials, you have made it quite fun to observe and I do find your willingness to continue admirable. Now come and find the center doors and take your seat at the table.” He plopped a hearty piece of of the meat into his mouth and savored the taste. He was a liar for certain, but it was up to the people that came to see him to figure when the Lord of Lies was speaking the truth. Then again, that was the fun behind it all as far as Xunatar was concerned.

Author: Illusory Angel, Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 7:23 PM, Post Subject: Demonic Enquiry [GO]

Synthesis was terrified and she hadn't even arrived yet. She sat shivering on the deck of the boat as it rocked sickeningly, despite the captain periodically prompting her to go below deck and warm up. She refused every time. She was plenty warm in her thick, green cloak and she was busy staring gormlessly up at the sky. It drizzled miserably, obscuring clear view, but nonetheless the floating islands did eventually come into view. When they did, she hastily scrambled to her feat and immediately slipped over on the sodden wood boards. The captain looked over from where he was by the wheel but she waved him off and stood again, slower this time.

"I can see them up there," she said to him, "I can take it from here."

She then proceeded to take off her cloak and stuff it into her bag tied to her hip. She carefully unfolded her large wings, taking her staff from where she had been storing it between them, and tested the two appendages a little. She used them rarely so it was going to take a little time before she got the hang of flying again. The captain didn't look very happy about this at all, which was sweet because most sailors wouldn't care as long as they got their pay. She had already paid him on the shore so she didn't wait or hang about. She gave him her thanks again and began to laboriously propel herself into the air.

On the way up, Synthesis gripped her staff in both hand. She had the opportunity to think over the events that had led her to this and to slowly suffocate in her own terror. Why she was doing this to herself, she didn't pretend to understand, but she did know that her curiosity was definitely going to be the death of her someday, cat or no.

It had been only a couple weeks past when she had been seeking refuge from both the elements and boredom in a public library. She had seldom been in a place so old or grand before so she was more drinking in the atmosphere than reading. Naturally, she had gravitated towards the oldest books in the place so she could stroke their crinkly pages, smell their odour and admire the tiny, gorgeous writing upon their pages. Next to these books was a shelf stacked full on similarly vintage scrolls. She had dared to untie a thin one that took her fancy for no particular reason began to read.

It was a non-fiction document written by an eccentric professor or ancient things. He was writing about the gods, saying which ones were myth and which ones were likely to be real. Many even he wasn't sure about but there were a few he was sure of and these were the ones her interest was drawn to. They were considered fact because of the regularity with which they were sighted but also because they had permanent abodes which could be accessed by anyone, any time provided that they took the effort to travel there. Every single deity had fascinated her, but unfortunately with so many gods to write about the scroll's author had only dedicated a couple lines of description to each god.

Xunatar was one such deity. It had said chaos and lies were his domain, listed a few of his grand titles, along with his species, and described the location of his home. Nothing more about him was written, except that his abode was open to all who wanted to enter and that anyone could seek an audience with the God himself. But he had particularly caught her attention for one reason alone: He was apparently a demon. Synthesis had only ever met one demon before, and that was her mother, so at reading that there was a demon god, the girl could not help being overcome with curiosity to meet him and see what he was like. She knew her own mother had been quite a unique member of their race, being ostracized and all, so she wondered whether, godhood aside, she might be able to meet a typical demon. Her mother had told her plenty about their race over the years. She had said that, like most races, theirs came in all different shapes, alignments and dispositions. However, they did have a natural inclination towards chaos and extremes. Some were sadistic and feral, others were lawful and mild, though most leaned towards the former description. But all of this might prove to be false here, seeing as herself and her parents came from another realm to Revaliir.

Unable to find anything else in the library to indicate his alignment, Synthesis couldn't get the thought of meeting him out of her mind. She knew chaos and lies were not the most innocent of things to rule over but at the same time her mind couldn't shake the thought that chaos and lies were not necessarily bad things if used in the right way. To be honest, she often relished a little chaos. But she was deeply disturbed by and distrustful of lies (in more than just the obvious way). And yet despite all this, she found herself setting a course for the Nyella Ocean anyway, as if she didn't have a choice in the face of curiosity.

She finally reached the altitude of the islands and observed them tiredly. They looked varied and strange, orbiting a central island slowly enough that she wouldn't feel too sick or unsteady when standing upon them. Some of the isles did look pretty dangerous - with horrid, hissing creatures and boiling acids that ate the ground wherever they spat - while others looked benign. She landed on a plain grassy one and resolved to rest a little before continuing in.

Before long, however, she was woken to a bubbling sound. She looked up to see lava flowing around her, the rain fizzing at it hit but otherwise doing nothing to cool it down. She gasped and shrank away from it while standing as quickly as she dared. She was not going to fall into this. She saw that she was on a tiny island of stone sounded by lava, all on an even larger island creeping around in the sky. The ground safe to stand on was steadily shrinking as the lava continued to rise. She spotted a set of precarious stepping stones leading to the edge of the island, where a bridge had materialised between it and connected the next floating piece of land. The grass she had previously rested on melted away right before her eyes. What sorcery was this? It was almost as though the place sought to purposefully threaten her life while giving her just enough opportunity for survival for it to be 'sporting'. It was like the orchestration of a game.

Well, she wasn't playing. She beat her wings and flew huffing and puffing to the centre island. Ha! she thought smugly, See that! You can't get me to dance on stepping stones for your amusement! She suddenly realised that she didn't know if she were gloating over a sentient island or the demon lord who owned them. She hoped to god it was the former because she hated to think that Xunatar might turn out to be dangerous. She hadn't come all this way to fight her way out of his clutches. Firstly because she wasn't sure she could, but also because that would just be such a huge disappointment.

When she landed on the centre isle, she was astounded by its sheer size. She could have sat for ages taking everything in but in the end decided to make her way on, following the path between statues of her two races fighting graphically. She found it most distasteful to look at and so turned her attention to the beautiful plants sprawled everywhere. Even when they moved and made to attack her, Synthesis still liked them. She hopped to stay out of their range and reached forth with her thoughts to speak with them. They weren't particularly friendly but she'd encountered much worse from plants. After only a couple minutes, she was able to talk to them properly without them trying to persuade her to come within attack range or sibilating their utter detest for her.

They seemed pretty bored and lonely for the most part. Not enough people come through here for us to play with, they said, and Synthesis listened and responded sympathetically, which they seemed to appreciate. In between half-hearted jibes and lashes of their thorny tentacles, half of them warned her that there was a maze ahead that would attempt to disorientate and frighten her. The other half avidly denied the existence of any such maze and attempted to tell her other things were ahead. Their lying wasn't that convincing but they were only plants and they were making a valiant effort at it for their deceitful master. She supposed that it wasn't usually their job to speak to visitors, only to try and attack them, and their loyalty and willingness to improvise was admirable. She said as much to the liars and thanked those who told the truth for their help. So the former continued to deceive with added zeal and the truthful plants expressed their gratitude on all the plants' behalf. Keep at it, they said, and you'll find the master in no time… and tell him we want more visitors to play with! It was quite amusing because despite all this, they continued to pretend to dislike her. Synthesis wasn't fazed because she was ninety nine percent sure she'd made some grumpy friends out here. She loved being a druid.

So she walked in the golden door and turned in surprise as they clanked shut. She could hear the plants sniggering outside as they had purposefully neglected to mention about the doors. The druid signed but otherwise wasn't too worried. She trusted the plants would have told her if it were important and she supposed she was proud of them in a strange sort of way for being able to keep that from her. They were obviously quite bored creatures and very talkative once you got past the obligatory insults.

Inside the 'maze', which seemed really like a well lit and tasteful hallway, Synthesis wasted no time getting forging ahead like the plants had advised. She flapped her wings as she went to get any excess water off of them before folding them away. She looked a little guiltily at the drips she had left but made no effort to clear them up. After all, the home of this God had tried to kill her twice already and was likely about to try again.

On the other hand, Synthesis still felt completely out of her depth seeking an audience with a God and was only doing so because the scroll had emphasised that this place, and an audience, was open to anyone. She was a shy, underconfident and weak girl, and she knew it, so coming here had her almost nauseous with nerves and worry.

She continued to fret about their eventual meeting as she wondered on and on, left, right, up, down, on and on. It never seemed to end. She did her best to ignore any sounds that she could hear, telling herself they weren't real. She still found herself running in the direction of screams twice to see if she could help but there was always no one there. The same went for the eyes that appeared in the walls. She initially looked away and continued on with resolve but eventually found herself beseeching them to tell her what they wanted or to go away! They stared on regardless. On the two occasions she came to a dead end she turned and began walking quickly in other directions.She breathed deeply to quell rising panic. This maze was working surprisingly well. It was difficult not to be afraid in here, when there was no exit in sight.

Eventually Synthesis came to a halt and decided to rest - again. If she carried on she might work herself up into hysteria and that would do no good, so she sat against a wall and allowed her eyes to slide closed for a little nap. She'd try again when she was rested. Perhaps she would explore some rooms too. She'd seen plenty of doors to either side of her that she'd been hesitant to try. From what the plants had said, she had got the impression she should press forward rather than opening doors. As she faded from consciousness, she decided she would try walking a bit further, before considering a change of tactics. She had to trust the plants. Trust and honesty had to be important everywhere, even in the land of lies…