WALKER
Soundtrack for the chapter, Ich Will, Rammstein
"You're getting a rather impressive record Skulker." The Ghost Zone's resident warden and lawman leaned back in his chair, a dark smile playing around his face. "Grand larceny, resisting arrest, helping to instigate a prison riot, accessory to escape, escaping from said prison, trespass on the human realm and into the territory of an Ancient, not to mention this rather… interesting artifact that you seem to have acquired." Said artifact hummed softly, levitating upright under it's own power and filling the room with a dark light. Violet swirls of energy twisted and spiraled within the confines of the black crystalline spire. "Artifacts above the energy level of seven are to be turned over to the Observant Council upon recovery. All things considered, you're looking at about twenty thousand years."
Skulker's metallic form occupied the chair in front of the Warden's desk. The wrists of his suit were tightly secured to the chair with glowing steel manacles. Two guards stood behind him with expressions of glee, the hunter had proved to be rather elusive since the Phantom punk had engineered the mass escape. It had taken months to quell the riots started by the less fortunate inmates.
The hunter himself sat silently, staring straight ahead and not even acknowledging the Warden.
"You will learn to respect the law punk, or I will personally send you to whatever semblance of an afterlife ghosts get when they're ripped apart." This statement had absolutely no effect, and Skulker remained in his chair with a faint smile on his face.
The start of alarm began to creep it's way through the Warden. This wasn't right, at all. Skulker had always been intimidated before so what reason?... The black crystal hummed and floated in the middle of his desk. The sub harmonic melody was nearly intoxicating. What would someone do for that much power? Cold realization snaked it's way through him just a moment too late.
"You! Lock down the prison there's going to be…" He was prevented from hitting the alarm by the entire prison starting to shake as a chain reaction of explosions ripped through it. Screams of pain and alarm were swiftly replaced by the distant roar of rioting as the inmates let loose everything they had against the guards in an attempt to make the most of the opportunity that had been thrust into their laps.
Dust rained from the ceiling amidst the flickering lights as the roar of the riots got louder. Sharp cracks rang out as the debris from the explosions settled. The floor still rumbled and shook occasionally from secondary explosions and the chaos of the clashing inmates and guards. The hunter's smirk widened into a full-blown grin at the sudden onset of violence and bloodshed. The Warden glared at him as he straightened from where he had been leaning against his desk.
"I take it that your employer has taken to stirring up trouble again." The Warden's low growl echoed eerily around the small office, briefly twining with the melodic hum of the dark crystal. Green eyes brightened in fury and lips skimmed back to reveal teeth in a bone white face. "He'll get far more than he bargained for."
The guards at Skulker's shoulders tensed, the Warden's temper was legendary… The small movement drew the Warden's attention, the very thing that they had been hoping to avoid. Burning acid green eyes focused on them. "Get out… Inform Bullet of the fact that Plasmius is behind the chaos. Speak a word of the artifact and I will personally see to it that you cease to exist." The guards saluted hurriedly and fled, away from the oppressive aura of power and rage, away from the eerie twining melody. Walker's prison had gone two hundred years without having an escapee, and now there were two mass breakouts within a decade… He was going to be murderous. They might actually have better luck with the enraged inmates.
A flutter in the energies around the crystal drew the attention of both the Warden and the Hunter. A sense of amusement radiated into the air and thrummed in the melody, small violet curls of power appearing briefly around the crystal before once again settling back into its confines. The Warden sneered, the bloody thing was LAUGHING at them. Skulker watched with a disturbed expression on his face. In that moment he wasn't quite sure whose plans events were playing into, his employer's or the crystal's.
The crystal's soft song shifted slightly, becoming darkly seductive. The warden's narrowed eyes remained on the troublesome hunter that had started this entire mess by bringing the dangerous artifact here. A soft whisper, like the distant echo of a spectral wolf's howl twined through the melody. His thoughts became darker and more sadistic. No, all the idiotic hunter did was to follow orders. The half breeds were to blame. Going in and casually ordering the denizens of Aether about like their own personal toys.
Most of the troublemakers loose would be safely behind the bars of his prison if it weren't for them. The Observant Council wouldn't be on his back constantly to round up ghosts he had already caught. The best option would be to eliminate them from existence entirely. He chuckled darkly as various plans and scenarios spun thorough his head. Skulker could have sworn that he had seen the Warden's eyes flash violet.
Vlad Masters stood, comfortably ensconced in the prison's northern wall, and gathered information from his duplicates. The plan, simple as it was, was going perfectly so far. Gaping holes yawned in the prison's outer walls. Numerous smaller holes had been punched in dozens of cellblocks. Chaos reigned. The roar of the rioting and the frantic shouting of guards could be heard for leagues. Amusement hummed through him. The ability to walk through walls in both the mortal realm and Aether was invaluable. With it, it was a fairly simple matter to plant explosives wherever they were needed and remain undetected.
Images from all angles of the prison, including the inside, flashed across his mindscape. Perfect indeed. Now, to obtain what should not have been lost in the first place. A second set of explosives was primed for a quick exit. The high energy of the artifact would not allow it to be phased through walls in this realm. With a small flick of his will the duplicates were dismissed, their current usefulness exhausted. Unfortunately the oppressive aura of the prison prevented most forms of teleportation, as well as any flight above that of a few meters.
Despite the disadvantages of the enemy's lair, achieving the goal should only be a minor challenge at best. He suppressed a wry snort, these days only Daniel gave him any trouble. To think that only two short years ago he could have beaten the boy one-handed. A brutal smile curled across his face. He wanted what Walker had ever so foolishly taken, and he WOULD have it.
Cracked pavement flowed beneath ebony boots as Vlad strode across the prison courtyard and phased through the thick spectral steel of the front gates. Flows of ectoplasm running through the halls and scorching were the only signs of combat in the barred entrance of the prison. The maze of hallways designed to confound and confuse any intruder were completely ignored as he merely phased through the walls to his destination. The plans of the prison that he had so meticulously memorized went unheeded as the item he had come to retrieve drew him in.
The power swelled ever so brightly, offering itself to him. Soft promises were spoken in whispers, making him shudder in desire. He steeled himself quickly. It would not do to become careless. Many of the inmates had fled, with the guards pursuing them. Regardless, that was no guarantee that this particular plan would come off without a serious problem arising.
He suppressed a snort; of course the warden would bring the artifact here, to his office. A small high grade explosive was left behind in the wall as he phased through it, a pleasant surprise for later.
As he entered the office, his analytical mind swiftly processed all the information available. The Warden's thunderous expression as he leaned against his desk, his erstwhile ally/employee's position securely manacled to a chair, and of course the crystal. The melody that lead him there shifted as soon as he passed the wall, rising and falling like the beat of a drum. Feral power filled the room and a deep growl rose and fell with the music.
Vlad let go of his human form and dodged the ectoblast that had been flung at him. An answering snarl forced its way past his chest and he lit his hands with energy. A second ectoblast was blocked with a shield which was then promptly slammed into the warden, who swiftly got up and charged his opponent. Vlad blocked the blow, grabbing the warden's wrist and used his momentum to slide past before kicking him in the back. He was flung into the wall through which Vlad had passed not a moment ago. Throwing up a shield, he bared his fangs and pressed the button to trigger the explosive. The wall vanished with a bright flash and a roar, debris raining against his shield. He held it as the dust cleared.
There was no flicker of movement through the dust and smoke, no enraged roar. The warden lay beneath the rubble. He was unconscious and slightly faded out, yet still stable.
"I would like to get out of here sometime within the century, if you don't mind."
"My apologies for the late arrival, I was hardly going to charge in without a plan in place." A quick look through the warden's pockets revealed his remote.
Skulker reflexively rubbed his wrists as he stood up from the chair. Plasmius had already lost interest and was examining the crystal, a faint smile curling around his mouth.
"This was a bad idea. That thing is dangerous."
This triggered the first genuine laugh he had heard from his employer in a very long time. "Oh come now Skulker, anything worth having is dangerous in one way or another. Regardless, it's mine now." The crystal disappeared into a hidden pocket of his belt. "Such a pity though, I was expecting more of a fight."
PARIAH
Pariah Dark stirred in his deep slumber, soon. Not yet, but soon. He had not been blind for all of those many centuries spent asleep. A mind and spirit such as his would not be contained within wood and metal, enchanted though it was. A soft song hummed at the edges of his consciousness, a half forgotten melody from centuries past. The battle hymn rose and fell in deep rhythm, prodding him a step further towards consciousness. A feral grin broke across his typically immobile face. The wrongs were so tangled up now that there would be no undoing them, but it would not matter in the end. The blood debts and right of conquest would be acknowledged. Freedom, revenge, victory. Soon, very soon. Not yet, but soon…
The dim light of glowing embers was all that illuminated the forge, shards of light catching and reflecting off ornaments of glass and steel. The only sound was the tap, tap, tapping of the smith hard at work. Three months had she labored, and it was nearly finished. The etching was deceptively delicate, stretching as it did across the expanse of silvrite alloy. Dark flames in shades of blue, violet and the deepest crimson flickered and danced across the surface of the metal. A draconic figure grinned wickedly from within, a black sun clutched in its front talons. At long last, the smith put aside her hammer and chisel before brushing away the last of the grit from the completed image. She frowned, stroking her finger across the sleek expanse of the Abyss Drake's back. The creature depicted within the metal arched it's back and purred, but there was still that gleam in it's eyes, ever hungry. A shiver of dread brushed down her back.
A soft nock at the open archway of her home drew her attention to the outside world for the first time in weeks. Crimson eyes beneath a violet cloak met her gaze steadily. "Clockwork" Her voice was soft and high, the voice of a child still despite the long years of her existence. "You are welcome in my abode."
"My thanks Pyra." He drifted within, the wake of his passage causing the multitude of chimes that hung from the ceiling to sing.
"Things must be dire indeed, to bestir you from the confines of your tower. Though somehow I cannot say that I am completely surprised, even I have been uneasy as of late. I certainly hope that you are not here for a blade."
"No. Though I indeed have a request." There was silence for a moment, in which only the crackling of embers from the forge and the faint ringing from the chimes above intruded. "An invitation shall be extended to you soon, it will be beneficial for you to accept."
"Beneficial to whom? You know very well that I have no desire to go anywhere. Those who wish to benefit from my craft come and visit me here." Red eyes bore steadily into her amber ones even as he shifted from adult to elder. The smith considered for a moment. Clockwork was especially difficult to read, the weight of his years nearly overwhelming her senses. There was another flavor there as well though, one of indefinable sadness and a sense of inevitability. She brushed a strand of impossibly red hair away from her ash-pale face before responding. "There will be another war, won't there?"
She turned her gaze from the master of time and once again ran her fingers lovingly across the completed engraving. A black sun, the sigil of House Dark rested in the claws of an Abyss Drake. As dragons had been hunted from the settled regions of Aether they had been driven towards the Outer Reaches, to the very edge of the Abyss. Some said that they had taken the abyss into themselves and became one with the shadows, others insisted that they had interbred with some dark creature they found there. A half smile played about her lips even as despair settled about her shoulders and wrapped it's cold fingers around her throat. The embers of the forge crackled quietly as she stared unseeingly into them.
When she turned her eyes back to the archway her guest had already gone. A small bubble of amusement made it's way past her throat. At times, it was what wasn't said that told the most. She fed power into the forge to stoke it to greater heat. There was no point in worrying about things before their time anyway. She could not see the future, not in the way that Clockwork or the Observants could. She did however know things, sometimes without knowing what she knew. Events were in motion, and if Clockwork felt that she should have a hand in what was to come... why would she refuse him?