Into the night.
It was the dead of night, and the alley cats were to begin their evening harvest.
Through a pair glassy eyes the hermit looked through his belongings.
He fondled around looking for a particular item, but alas his precious no-thing could not be found.
This thing of his, the No-thing mesmerized all who gazed upon its surface. With a toothy grin he'd look about it; parading it about in his wretched palms. Tossing it this way and that; weight shifting betwixt the air. His No-thing held prominence, and it tore him apart dreading what could've possibly become of his possession.
A loud clanking sound could be heard, as the Hermit paced about in his Tin Can Campbell's Soup "shoes". He recalled a time when the No-thing was a sight to behold for all.
Enter memory*
A finely dressed young man is seen tousling his golden hair, as he admires the view in the mirror in front of him.
"I must be among the most beautiful individuals within leagues of here! Why, my complexion suggests I was made by the Goddess Aphrodite herself!"
He lays bare a splendid smile, one that captivated any unfortunate soul that bore witness.
He was a pompous ass for lack of a better term.
He strut his stuff as he packed a peculiar handkerchief in his vest pocket.
He stopped. He backtracks to the mirror in the distance. He gives his vanity one last "How you doin."
"Why, any dame would be blessed to have such a beautiful man in her presence." There are none who are more worthy of the Heavens than I! He boomed.
The ground begins to shake.*
He watched in horror as his Vanity teetered back and forth.
It stopped on three legs, and one in the air. It seemed all was well when...
A door slams in the background*
The young man fell apart as he watched his reflection shatter into a million fragments of splendor.
Enraged, the man thrusts his fist into the air.
"Who dares demand my presence, and is safe from my hands gripping their very life force!
Like the pressure of 50psi in his chest, he tumbled down to the floor. He took handfuls of glass and gripped them tightly. Crimson blood streamed from his palms, and made their way to the floor. He let out a ghastly wail, as the realization of pain struck him. He threw the shards away from his person. Remarkably, the shards remained motionless in mid air, blood still dripping from their surface. They looked as though they had been strung together for a haunted house. In the tiny shards of glass, the Man saw his reflection once more... no what seemed like a million times over. He touched a fragment to see the result. It was as if it had been frozen in time.
"This is so beautiful, I never imagined I could be so beautiful on the inside as well!"
It was truly a sight to behold. He took a fragment of mirror from the air, not bothering to clean its surface he went to check on the intruder.
"Should I find this presence is malevolent in nature, it shall find shards of glass rip through its flesh." He crept down the stairs, and saw a shadow race across the walls. It was leading him somewhere. He decided against common sense, and let his curiosity get the better of him.
He chased after the shadow. The man soon finds himself on his terrace. The silhouette is nowhere to be seen.
A bellowing voice is heard*
"I-I-I know wh-who you are Vagabond."
The man stares off into the distance, attempting to find the source.
"I can't see you Shadow, I demand you make your presence known!"
sinister cackle* V-very well then.
A voice carries on the wind.
"I am No-Thing, and you're an arrogant Vagabond. I find your love of your appearance... appetizing."
The shadow materializes on a wall just out of reach.
"Shadow, do you intend to make me ask again? I demand that you show me your face!"
"Hasty... how delicious."
shadow appears before the man*
To his surprise, the shadow begins to shed a layer of void.
He watches as a likeness of his visage appears in before him.
"I am a sort of doppelgänger, Vagabond. Not just any trickster though."
A shroud of smoke engulfs the entity. In its place, a tall sinister looking individual is seen.
It had pale skin, and symbols that were scarred into its flesh.
It's face held only two notable features:
A gaping mouth, tongue; long and forked.
A pair of eyeless dark sockets that reminded him of a Jack o' lantern.
In the place of eyes; emerald fire that seemed to invoke nausea and terror casually flickered.
The No-Thing's pale tongue slithered along the ground, resembling the movement of a serpent.
Following the facial features, it lined a neck, that must've been a foot long. Jagged shoulders that wind down to Tendril like arms. At the tip, it's claws reminded the man of translucent Obsidian.
"So who are you?" The man asks.
Unphased, the No-thing lets it's tendrils swing back and forth, allowing its claws to sharpen.
"I-I'm going to kill you now, Vagabond."
Before the man has a chance to react, a tendril shoots through his throat.
Blood pours out, and his eyes lose their luster.
"Pity, I thought you'd fight more. I guess it can't be helped."
The No-thing grabs hold of his victim; and breaks his jaw. He stretches his skin far enough that the No-Thing is able to step into his body.
"I'll be you from now on, and I'll harvest your newfound ability as well.
Everything you were, I will seek to destroy."
The No-thing cackles*
A passerby has the unfortunate moment to pass by the Nothing taking over its new vessel.
The pedestrian stood in horror, trying not to scream; but failed miserably.
The No-thing took notice, and wasted no time greeting him.
A blood curdling scream escaped the man's lips, as he tried to run for his life.
It was no use, the No-thing outstretched his obscenely long arm and took hold of the man's leg. The claws cut through his ankle like warm butter.
"Oh how I do enjoy a little game before every meal!"
Blood spurted along the concrete as the man's now severed foot stood upright like a sanguine display.
"Oh young man, you seem to have left your foot!" The No-thing exclaimed.
It was too late, it wouldn't be long before the man would either bleed out, or the No-thing would dine on him in the most painful way imaginable.
A negligible chant was heard, and the wound on the man's leg was cast fire, and then seared. He belted out a scream that made the Heavens tremble. The No-thing looked around to see what presence dare to take his dinner's pain away. His tongue writhed and flickered about in the air, as if sensing the source of Magickal power. "Do'gdme horos'ime geas fiurn" a ball of fire materializes and is shot toward the No-thing.
The flames in its sockets flickered wildly, threatening to go out. "Zen'ma orida joridu kel!" The Fire splits into several smaller balls of flame. Together they spiral up in the air, and rain down, creating a cage of scarlet flame. The mage makes his appearance known. The No-thing steps toward the inferno, and looks at his captor.
The man wore a brown leather duster, a hat to match. His face was peculiar however. One of his eyes bared a magus symbol over the iris. In the middle of his forehead, a single crescent. The other eye, golden like the essence. The Mage says an incantation once more.
"Indu'mn seat cen."
The No-thing's skin begins to boil, and noticeably evaporate like water. It lets out a blood curdling screech as it vanishes. Laying bare the vessel he once took hold of. The man floats down to the ground, and lays flat.. lifeless.
The Mage kneels beside the vessel, and says "You are free from the No-thing... for now.
(Take note that the No-thing is not just one size; it can be big or small; invisible or visible. The No-thing feeds on Vainglorious mortals.)
The Mage puts his right hand on the Vessel.
"Ture'a fim'e liv dur'andal."
A ring of light encircles the surrounding area of the mages hand. Light shines down from above, and materializes into a crystalline form. Upon seeing this, the Mage removes his hand, and the Crystalline structure fuses with the vessel.
You are now reborn a warrior. You are to be given a new name. The vessel regains conciousness. He grips the ground beneath him to pull himself up.
"Ma'teal!" he cries.
"Indeed, and I shall be your mentor. You may call me Synwe, the magus of Harmony."
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