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Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jan 22, 2014 1:57:23 GMT -5
In the hellish landmass that was Abaddon's hanger, a dark gap cut open the air like a knife and stretched it apart. Emerging from it were Selstar and Yukari, briskly stepping over the cragged obsidian floor, heading towards Selstar's living quarters dug into the other side. Reaching into his robes, the Ophorus pulled out a clunky looking control box, with nothing more than a button and a speaker. Holding down the button with his thumb and raising the control box to his lips, Selstar began barking orders into the speaker. "Prototypes three to four, position yourselves outside the hanger doors and initiate lockdown procedure."
Much to Yukari's surprise, rising up from the pits of hellfire emerged two machines very similar looking in appearance to Abaddon. The octopus-like machines - both with three tentacles and one with pincers in place of jaws - began to march towards the hanger doors. "I kept a few Abaddon prototypes for myself when I came to the UCA," Selstar quickly explained to his companion, not bothering to break his stride. "Figured they might prove useful in an emergency."
As they entered the door to his living quarters, several dozen turrets began to rise from the floor, walls, and ceiling of the hanger. The hanger door slammed shut as the Abaddon prototypes passed through, several heavy locks sealing the strong metal barrier. directly behind the doors, a powerful forcefield emerged as a precaution. Finally, a low hum sounded throughout the hanger as an anti-teleportation aura flickered to life. Auroros wouldn't be reaching them anytime soon.
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"I'll take the burden of summoning them Yukari." Selstar looked her in the eyes as the doors to his living quarters locked themselves behind him. "I didn't mention this before... but summoning the Three from their tomb can be dangerous. They devour souls, you see, in a nearly endless quest to regain their former strength. The soul of whoever summons them is particularly valuable to them. However, the mask will provide the user with protection. The Three cannot harm their master while this barrier stands, and will be forced to obey his orders. But... they have their ways of overcoming this protection, given enough time." He glanced at the mask in his hands. It seemed so frail. So innocently crude. Few could have guessed the power it held.
"The act of summoning the Three is an extreme risk, Yukari, and after all you've been through, I don't want you to be the one to take it."
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Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jan 22, 2014 2:17:37 GMT -5
Yukari was, needless to say, impressed with the defenses Selstar had planned, and normally, she would have been content with just those in place. However, she didn't want to leave. Not after sensing the power within, not after seeing the Goddess of the Demonic Realm broken so badly by these creatures... she wanted to see them as they were, to see them rise up... besides, she felt that there would be others coming to try and stop this... it wouldn't just be Auroros... "I'm not going anywhere..." She said, a hint of exhaustion in her voice. Just warping herself and Selstar to Makai and back again was exhausting... but she still had more power to use.
She lifted her hand up, and at once, a half sphere spread out from it. It went past the walls, and into the Hub, down several of the spiraling corridors, until it finally stopped. It was now as a half-dome, 3 miles in radius. Within it, everything seemed... more grey. Color was drained from the walls. the natural defenses of the UCA went offline, cut off from the outside world. "I have just placed us into a pocket dimension. Anything tries to come in short of teleportation, and they just walk right back out. This should limit our pests... and ensure we get the summoning done." She said, catching her breath. A weapon that could put Yuuka Kazami in her place... just what she wanted...
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Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jan 22, 2014 3:33:22 GMT -5
He gave her a warm smile. "I appreciate your help."
Turning the artifact over in his hands, Selstar again noticed the carvings on the inside of the mask. He brought it closer to his face, eyes squinting as he tried to make sense of it. It was an inscription, written in a language that he was quite positive he had never seen before in his long life. Yet for some strange reason, he could understand the written words carved into the black stone. Bringing the mask to an overhead light, he leaned over to read the inscription out loud.
"The Son of nether,
The end of all things
Ruins, rubble, fiery rings
Everything that you have enjoyed,
He will ensure it is destroyed."
He paused as the room shook for a few moments, as though a small earthquake had passed through. Furniture rattled and lights flickered, then stood still. Hesitant, Selstar looked around the room. Was Behemoth up to something again? Had Auroros already began an assault on the hanger? Shaking his head, he squinted back towards the inscription and continued on.
"Daughter of nether,
Walks among the dead
Weaving hell with silken threads
Before the tortured soul she stands,
Bearing death within her hands."
The mask seemed to darken before his eyes as the lichen infesting its black surface dropped off, raining to the floor in the thousands, shrivelled and greyed. A small flower in the corner began to waste away before his eyes, collapsing into a limp heap at the edge of its pot. Selstar's heart rate began to quicken. That most certainly wasn't caused by Behemoth or Auroros. Nevertheless, the Ophorus continued reading.
"Master of nether,
Corruption’s dark spawn
He who destroys the hopeful dawn
He’s a poison, tormenting your mind
What was once pure, now maligned."
It was as if a shadow had been cast over the room. Everything, the walls, furniture, mask, and even Yukari suddenly seemed darker and more sinister than before. Selstar felt a brief moment of rage towards Shinki, though he had no idea why. Soon enough, the shadow was gone, at it seemed as though the room had returned to normal. Heart pounding, Selstar slowly read the last section of the inscription.
"They are the Maluvor,
Those whom demons fear
Deadlier than they may appear
Not gods, nor wraiths, but something worse.
Pray you’re spared their horrid curse."
Nothing happened this time. He hesitated, breathing heavily. He knew what he had to do.
Selstar placed the Mask of Azorg'thu upon his head. Its heavy frame and lack of a binding of any sort forced him to hold it up with his hands. Even though there were eyeholes, Selstar found that he couldn't see anything. He waited, unsure of what to do. A minute passed. Then two. Then three.
Nothing.
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Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jan 22, 2014 17:04:59 GMT -5
Yukari waited... an eyebrow raised. Was this supposed to happen? Absolutely nothing? Had the Archangel pulled a fast one over them and given them a dud? "Maybe you are doing it wrong... Try calling out to them in a grandiose fashion." Yukari said. "Or, just hand it over and let me do it. If anyone's bearing the load, I might as well..."
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Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jan 22, 2014 17:48:25 GMT -5
"I- I don't understand."
Selstar wrestled the mask off his face, the bright lights of his room burning into his eyes that had become used to the darkness of the mask. He ran his hands along its rough surface, looking for anything that might offer a clue. His heart had began to race again, but for a completely different reason. Could the Legend of the Black Pit be just that? A legend? A myth? Were they chasing after things that didn't exist?
But what about the dead lichen and the rotting flower the corner? What about that shadow that had briefly cast itself over the room?
Perhaps the shadow had been a side effect of Yukari's pocket dimension, and the timing had been a mere coincidence? Selstar struggled for a moment to think of an explanation for the flower and lichen, until he realized how freezing it was in his living quarters. As they exhaled, their breath was visible in the air like a small cloud, and even beneath his heavy cloak Selstar found himself shivering. Could a plant or fungus really survive in a place this cold?
He paused. Something didn't add up.
It shouldn't be cold in here at all. The hanger just outside the door was like a min-underworld. The raging pits of hellfire continually made the place as hot and arid as any desert. He could barely stand the heat most days. Now an icy chill gripped his body, numbing his fingers and toes. Before his very eyes, the chilled air seemed to slowly shroud itself a dense mist that covered the floor like a carpet, wrapping around his legs. There was no powerful or striking entrance. No explosion of flames, no sudden blanket of darkness. Instead they had slipped right into the very room he and Yukari occupied without a sound.
Mouth dry, he slowly turned his head to Yukari. He uttered a whisper of a warning.
"They're here."
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Post by GI Jho on Jan 22, 2014 21:36:02 GMT -5
Suddenly, a crash could be heard outside the chamber, as Auroros smashed through the barrier Yukari set up, his body wreathed in the holy flames of Emmanuel. Unaware of the success of Selstar's plans, the servant of the God of Wisdom began to blast his chamber's doors with his heat ray, attempting to burn a hole to enter. There would be hell for this fool to pay!
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Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jan 23, 2014 0:09:19 GMT -5
Yukari twisted around at the sound of the broken barrier. Damn! She must have been more drained than she thought, if her barrier could be broken through so easily... No matter, he was already too late. They were here. "Good... So the Maluvor are here... If you are indeed here, of spawns of darkness, then let me and your master gaze upon you... we wish to see if you truly are as we were told..." She said, slightly unnerved by the chilled air in the room. Shivers were going up her spine... why, why was she so afraid? She was in control... or rather, her new pal was... hopefully...
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Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jan 23, 2014 3:50:28 GMT -5
Rays of light coated the agronium armor of the two Abaddon guards as they advanced upon Auroros, only barely damaging the armor. These machines weren’t made for the fair rules of UCA combat. Their armor was close to full strength, and it was going to take a ton of firepower to bring the machines down. One gripped Auroro’s wings with its powerful limbs, while the mandible of the other clicked together as they snapped towards the bird’s face…
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The room was cloaked in absolute silence, the only sound coming from the ragged breaths of its two occupants. Selstar didn't dare to speak, didn't dare to move even a single muscle. Then a single voice responded. It was deep and calm, captivating even, yet it leaked into his mind as well as his ears, soaking his subconscious like cold water. It seeped into his every thought and poured into his very soul.
“And what has been told of us, Miss Yakumo? The Maluvor can after all be many things to many people. Retribution or clemency. Animosity or desire. Dread or comfort. Regrettably, it is our master’s voice that we heed Miss Yakumo, not yours.”
A quick glimpse of shadow in the corner of his eyes. Selstar whipped his head around to the source, but saw nothing of the elusive sight. Realizing the voice was waiting for him to speak, he cleared his throat, trying to ignore the fear building up inside him. “Who are you,” he demanded.
The voice answered, and he again felt it piercing his very mind. “I am the Lord of the Black Pit. The Phantom of the Forsaken Spirit. But of course, those are simply titles. Artificial phrases invented by those who fear and by those who revere. Who am I? I am the darkness that clouds the mind, the heart, and the soul. I am the evolution of purity. I am Zekshi.”
Yukari jumped as she felt something cold caressed her neck. There was a sharp intake of breath right behind her shoulder, and she was quick to step away as a second voice - soft, delicate and feminine - slipped through their ears like silk.
“Look!” it exclaimed, and there was an unmistakable flavor of excitement and delight. “The Master has brought us a treat!”
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Post by GI Jho on Jan 23, 2014 22:46:23 GMT -5
Auroros was hard-pressed to think of a way to get out of this. However, he was not one to simply surrender to a difficult situation. As the other Abaddon was upon him, Auroros twisted his head around, firing a powerful ray of light. Aiming for the weakest links in the tendrils, Auroros' light ray sliced through, burning clean through them, and giving the bird time to roll and evade the other Abaddon, whose bite found itself at home buried inside the hull of his own ally. Auroros quickly hobbled away to give himself some space, as the Abaddon with the severed tentacles pushed away its ally, showing a large dent and some tearing in its hull where the teeth found their mark. Auroros soon took to the air, and launched a quick sphere of light, creating a bliding flash, before he fired at the Abaddon who was already wounded with a light ray, hoping to take one out as soon as possible...
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Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jan 23, 2014 22:56:26 GMT -5
Trying her best to ignore the sounds of the fighting occurring outside, Yukari stood her ground, solid and firm even though she knew who it was that was talking. She had never heard the voice before, but she had heard Persephone describe it... and there was only member of the Maluvor that sounded like that... and it was arguably the most fearsone and nightmarish of them. She would have to play her cards well.. make herself seem unafraid.
"Well miss Ranukada, I am afraid I can't be your treat... I am a special friend of your master, so I am off limits. There is, however, someone here who is very much free for you to torment and enjoy... if you are the kind of person who is into salads." Yukari said, trying to keep her voice as calm and under control as possible. Give an inch, and they would take a mile. So there were two of them currently here... but where was the third? If only she weren't so drained on her powers... she could have probably have made them bow down to her, submit them under her power, make them do what she wanted... but alas, it was never that simple...especially with beings this powerful, as the case with Yuuka Kazami revealed...
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Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jan 25, 2014 21:52:52 GMT -5
The two Abaddon prototypes had regrouped, and both were advancing on Auroros with snapping pincers, gnashing fangs, and slashing mandibles. The crushing arms of one managed a lucky strike on the high-flying bird, sending him crashing to the ground. Seizing its opportunity, the demonic machine snatched the bird by the leg and slammed his body into the hard wall o the corridor repeatedly, spraying blood with each titanic strike. As its ally attempted to pummel Auroros into submission, the second prototype advanced with spinning drills, intent on skewering the bird alive…
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A third disembodied voice broke the temporary silence, gruff, harsh, and uncomfortably loud. “Come away, Angel” it spoke, and a disappointed whine of protest from the feminine voice entered Selstar and Yukari’s minds. “We’ll get you a treat later.”
The first voice, Zekshi’s, again spoke to Selstar. “You have summoned the Maluvor, Selstar, and you have summoned us for a purpose. Whatever it is you decree, we shall carry out.”
A form was beginning to appear before him, wrapped in what resembled black smoke laced with misty threads of purple. A layer of similar colored slime oozed onto the white carpet below, writhing greedy tendrils emerging from its mass as it bled across the floor and smothered all in its path. The smoke had transformed into a black and purple mass. Like a drop of ink spreading in pristine water, it began to unravel into a swirling inky cloud, sweeping through the room with hundreds of twisted vein-like tendrils and shrouding all it touched in its dark embrace. As the inky cloud drifted across his and Yukari’s bodies, entwining their limbs and knitting through their clothes, they shivered at its touch. It was no colder than the air around them, yet as the cloud’s sinister tendrils tasted their skin they felt as though they had been somehow contaminated, defiled by its oily touch.
Within the pitch-black center of the blossoming smog emerged a mystifying figure. The eerie, unearthly cloud began to gradually disperse, until the inky mass had become nothing more than a fine dark mist. The figure was revealed to their straining eyes.
At first glance, the figure looked like nothing more than a mere human, but Selstar wasn’t fooled. He was well aware of their abilities to assume different forms. The “man” before him featured short, fine dark hair and a black suit that contrasted against pale skin. He was tall and had a somewhat narrow build, though Selstar had a sneaking suspicion that muscles were meaningless to him. Zekshi stepped closer, leaving behind an oozing trail of sludge and filth in his wake. As he neared, Selstar noticed his violet eyes, which seemed to peer inside him as if he was able to read his very thoughts. Though he looked human, there was still something “off” about him, though Selstar couldn’t quite place what it was. There was an unsettling look about him, yet for some reason he didn’t seem nearly as malevolent as one might expect.
“Well? Speak up you gutless pussy,” the gruff third voice demanded, impatient with Selstar’s silence. The being’s sudden hostility startled him, and he quickly began stuttering as he reached for words. Zekshi merely waved a dismissive hand.
“Pay no attention to Garduk,” he said, still as placid as ever. “I apologize on his behalf. He never was very pleasant, particularly to the owners of the mask.”
Selstar nodded, finally recovering from the shock of seeing, actually seeing one of the Maluvor firsthand. He cleared his throat, before he finally answered Zekshi.
“We need protection, the both of us,” he said, gesturing to Yukari. He was trying his best to keep his as voice calm and steady as Zekshi’s, to hide away his wracking nerves. He certainly didn’t need to be mocked by Garduk again. “There are three beings in the UCA: The False Gods. They want me dead, and if they find out I’m here, they’ll do whatever they can to murder me. I need you to protect me from their wrath until Abaddon’s testing is completed in the next few months. You will also be protecting Yukari from a floral being called Yuuka, and you will treat her no differently than the owner of the mask. You will not harm her, and you will follow her orders. Is that clear?”
Zekshi had crafted himself a chair out of the same inky black and purple cloud-like substance, somehow molding it into a perfectly solid structure. He was leaning back into the pulsating black chair with an interested smile on his face. “And who might the False Gods be?”
“They’re more famously known as Ziz, Behemoth, and Leviathan,” Selstar began to explain, but he was interrupted from a barking laugh from the invisible third voice.
“Leviathan?” Garduk repeated. A dark cloud exactly like Zekshi’s blossomed from behind, though crimson red replaced the purple within the blackness. From within emerged a huge “man”, rippling with muscle and even taller than Selstar. Contrasting his pale skin was short, spiked auburn hair and a short goatee, and his crimson red eyes stuck out among the rest of his features. He almost reminded one of a bear. He wore a black leather vest, showcasing his muscular build, and for some reason reeked of tobacco. A cocky grin crossed his face as he emerged from the dispersing cloud. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing that slimy bastard again.”
An icy fear suddenly gripped Selstar’s chest. “Y-you’ve met him before?”
“Of course.” Garduk stepped forward, and a sharp crack echoed across the room as the floor splintered and spider-webbed beneath his feet. “He summoned us himself. What was it – Sixty years ago? Six hundred? Had Zekshi go corrupt some bitch with Nether before he sent us off.”
Selstar backed away. This wasn’t right. Even the Maluvor were allies of the False Gods?
Zekshi seemed to sense his distress. “We have no ties to Leviathan. The power of the mask no longer protects him from the Maluvor. We now answer only to you, Selstar.”
A third inky cloud unraveled itself behind Zekshi, spilling its twisted mass across the room. Were as Zekshi’s had been black mixed with purple, and Garduk’s black with red, this one was black mixed with an unnatural, sickly green. Stepping from its dark center was the last of the Maluvor: Ranukada.
Like the others, she had taken on a human-like form. Light-blond locks of long hair bounced around her fair face as she skipped out from the darkness. A white dress flecked with luxurious patterns of lime green fluttered through the air as she moved, as though it had a mind of its own. To Selstar’s alert eyes, her movements seemed to be bit too graceful and fluid for an organic, betraying her true nature, yet she didn’t appear nearly as threatening as her brethren. If he hadn’t known better, Selstar would have never guessed she was one of the Maluvor; she appeared haunting and otherworldly to be sure, but her stunning, fair appearance recalled an angel or a celestial being. Was this really the dreaded Witch of the Black Pit?
She began to breezily prance towards Zekshi, ostensibly naïve and cheery. Her silky voice seemed to sing as she approached. “Zekshi, I’m getting bored,” she complained, though it sounded like more of a purr than a whine. For a brief moment, her bright lime green eyes met Selstar’s, and at that second he saw the bloodthirsty predator lurking within her innocent body.
It was Garduk who acknowledged her plea. The hulking being turned to Yukari. “This… Yuuka, was it? She need to be managed in any specific way, Lamb-chop?”
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Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jan 25, 2014 23:38:50 GMT -5
Yukari gazed upon the three that had gathered. These... were the Maluvor, the terrors that even demons feared. She had to admit, they weren't exactly what she had in mind when she heard of such terrifying monsters... but if they WERE up to what the legends said, then this was going to be so much fun. So much delicious, agonizing pain... especially against a damn witch who was horrifyingly immune to her powers. "Ah yes. When dealing with Yuuka, be sure to make her suffer. Don't kill her, I want to see the horrified look on her face as she comes crawling and groveling at my feet to make the pain stop. Do whatever you wish aside from killing her. Torture, maim, reduce her to a barely living husk, I care not at this point. Just break her down until there's almost nothing left. I will leave the specifics to you three... oh, and if she has some guard dog or whatever, deal with it as well.. be warned, though... looks can be deceiving for her. She may look like a mere florist, but she is very, very dangerous." Yukari said, not even bothering to hide the satisfaction in her voice. This was going to be so worth it... to get that damn weed out of her hair, to see her begging at her feet... But then she looked at Ranukada. She was much different in appearance then the others... more, angelic, in a way...
Much like Shinki, though, she knew the cutsy look both had were mere masks that contained behind them power beyond measure... only this time, she had such power waiting at her command...
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Post by GI Jho on Jan 25, 2014 23:55:08 GMT -5
Auroros was no match for these machines. His fragile form was cracked and broken, their armor too thick for his Aether magic to break through. His body was repeatedly smashed against walls, and it seemed as if his life were to end here, unable to stop the evils that had invaded this sad world...
But from beyond, aid arrived.
Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room, before a powerful force blasted the Abaddons away from Auroros, ripping the bird free from his primary assailant, and sending the other slamming into a wall with enough force to tear through it. Auroros, even as his body lay bent and broken on the ground, recognized the energies of his savior. Was it possible? He couldn't believe it with his own senses...
"E-... man... uel...?" Auroros said weakly, as he felt a strong hand lift him up, and he felt himself carried away from where he was by an unseen force.
"Rest now, my champion," a calming voice said. "It is a battle you cannot win. Perhaps you could not stop him today, but I assure you, Selstar will not escape without punishment. He and The Maluvor will fall.... but not now."
Before the Abaddons could even counter attack, the light died down, and the bird was gone....
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Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jan 29, 2014 1:25:56 GMT -5
"Understood," replied Zekshi. He turned to Garduk.
"I'll leave this task for you to handle. This shouldn't be too difficult for you to accomplish. And please, take Ranukada with you. I cringe at the thought of her making her own fun and drawing unneeded attention to ourselves."
Garduk gave him no response, instead directing his sly grin to Yukari. "Got it, Lamb-chop. In fact, we'll pay this bitch a visit now. Fuck up her day, give her a good warning. And Rany loves meeting new people." His form was concealed in a howling cloud of crimson and black and vanished, Ranukada along with him.
Glancing down at the shattered floor where Garduk had stood, Selstar made a mental note to himself to give the Maluvor some living quarters of their own.
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