Redwingblackbird: Okay, so I'm now writing random semi-depressing crap and actually writing in a character that we left in limbo for a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. And SURPRISE! These charecters are all mine (or used with permission between friends). Isn't that an improvement?
Kath: fast asleep on couch
Kels: drooling in sleep
Ev: drawing on Kage's face as he sleeps
Pharaohsservant: I feel real loved. starts writing
Kath narrowed her eyes and looked to the ceiling. No, it couldn't be. She had to be mistaken. But there it was again, that tugging at the corner of her mind.
Suddenly she fell to her knees and screamed as a spiritual spear shot through her gut and twisted. Kels ran into the room, and, knowing what was going on, pressed a damp rag to Kath's forehead to slow the process down.
"He's here Kels."
"I know."
"He's close."
"I know."
"He won't fail this time."
Kels knew better than to answer and instead patted her friend's back.
Her lungs felt like they were burning into nothing, and white-hot daggers dug into her back and wings. Blood began to trickle slowly from her mouth and an avian scream escaped her lips. The element struggled to remain concious, but it was a failing battle, her brother was stronger than before. Than ever before.
The last thing she remembered before falling into darkness was Kage running into the room.
Voices started to float around her elusively in the gloom.
"What happened?"
"That's for her to tell you, I'm surprised she hasn't by now."
"Kels..."
"Look, it's something you obviously don't need to know if she didn't tell you."
An evil cackle resounded within her very soul, and she shivered.
"Sister, I'm back."
Kels sat on the floor, doing her best to ignore the hostile glances Kage kept throwing her between worried gazes at Kath, who was lying unconcious in his arms. The half-dragon was determined not to tell him what was going on- hell, she barely knew herself.
The unconcious sorceress squeezed her eyes tighter shut and groaned.
"You bastard..." she croaked, delerious. "This doesn't concern them, your fight is with me." Her body stiffened and began to tremble as her brother's malicious magical assault resumed. Throwing her head back, Kath declared clearly, "Let my people go, brother!" then fell limp and silent again.
After some time, Kath slowly opened her eyes. She sat up just as slowly and pulled away from Kage's embrace. She leaned against the bed behind her, crossed her right arm over herself, closed her eyes, and whispered, "It would be best if neither of you were here for this."
"Kathy, we won't abandon you," Kels replied cooly.
"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking for you to leave me to deal with this myself."
"But what if there's another attack?" her friend protested.
"Then you'll hear my screams, won't you?"
"Rodwen..." Kage whispered, bewildered and frightened.
"Please," the sorceress begged, "leave me."
Kels left, and Kage, though reluctant, did the same. Once she was sure they were out, Kath began her prayer.
"Great Creator, lend me the strength to summon my mentors for council in this time of need from any corner of heaven, hell, or earth. Lend to me the spirits of Phenist the Fire, Zia the Thunder, Rhem the Healer, Xor the Water, Ksherea the Ice, Luna the Light, and Sala the Darkness."
First came Zia, the wings from her back yellow and black, and her eyes lightning themselves.
Next, Xor, his eyes, wings, and hair all the same shade of deep blue. A thin, pale scar crossed his face, right between his eyes.
Then, Luna- frail and pale as the moon. Everything about her was white- her skin, wings, hair, dress- everything but her eyes, which were lapis lazuli blue- like a pure, true night sky.
Fourth, Phenist. Red-orange eyes frightened many, and his ripped muscles and short, red spikey hair didn't do much to help that. The wings that sprouted from his back started at red at the top, then blended through orange to yellow at the bottoms.
Next came Rhem, the healer, brown wings and eyes outdazzled by magenta hair.
Then Ksherea appeared. Her true form was much like Kath's at that time, but a long scar ran over her left eye.
Finally, materializing from darkness, came Sala. Kath felt a shiver of fear run through her- Sala's soul had to be seperated from her own when she was very young to prevent her from becoming purely evil. The half-heart necklace she wore was completed by the half Sala wore. Hers was clear glass, Sala's was black. If they were ever reunited... Kath flinched at the thought as her shadow with her red eyes, grey skin, black wings and hair appeared within the confines of her mind's Council Chamber.
The Circle of Eight was gathered.
"He's attacked again," Rhem said with grim certainty, placing his hand on his little sister's forehead. Instantly, all traces of her blood-brother's Dark magic vanished.
"Thank you," Kath murmered to her soul-brother and pulled the grey cloak her spirit wore closer to herself. "But this has to end, I have to face him."
There was a silence, then Phenist, the eldest brother, spoke:
"Are you sure, Kathy? You haven't discovered your pure form yet and it's too dangerous without all our powers assisting you."
"There's no other way to find it. Besides, I might not even be the One who is said to harnass all your pure forms at once."
"You are, I knew it the first time I saw you," Luna objected.
"And there has to be a better way to find your powers," Xor added.
"There isn't," Sala interrupted. "It states clearly in the prophecy: Triggered by fury, hatred, and fear.."
Kath nodded. "That's why I had to have been born with your soul standing beside mine- so I would learn to hate and fear the darkness." The youngest and the dark one regarded eachother coldly, and Phenist stood between them, spanning his wings to hide Kath protectively.
"We'd better create a protection ring. It'll protect Little One for a while, at least against his ranged attacks."
The creation of a protection ring among Air Elements was done by the one thing their kind loved more than the sheer joy of flight- music. It's unity had strong melding powers, which created a barrier against Dark magic around all those involved.
They sat in a circle, each of the others had an instrument that appeared in their hands and they played. Phenist and Xor had animal-skin drums (novelty for their day) and like any true drummaster from an ancient time, they had named their drums for the sounds they made- Ember and Sparks for the fireling, and Hail and Thunder for the water master. Luna summoned her gold-stringed harp. Zia, Rhem, and Sala always sang.
Ksherea called her flute. She was usually given the melody, as her music had the strongest magic of all. She had died of a broken heart, and her music could take the happiest man in the world and have him consider suicide.
Kath placed her fingers upon the floor and closed her eyes. As a piano was too huge to summon, she had a mental keyboard that allowed her to play anywhere in the spirit world.
It was these last two who began to play first, the others filling in backround. The tune was ancient and Celtic, but had strains of Ksherea's homeland of Egypt.
At the end, Kath opened her eyes and found herself back in her room. Kage had not listened to her request and was sitting nearby. The element let out a sigh.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
It was a simple question, and deserved a simple answer. But the answer was far from simple.
"You don't want to know."
"Yes, I do!"
His stubborness reached her, and she forced a weak smile.
"Very well then. My brother has always been jealous that I was the one to receive the powers. He thinks that since he is the only son of our parents, he deserves them and I don't. For years he has pursued me, and now he has found me again. He has an advanced level of Dark magic that can cause any element within a mile of him to become seriously and spontaniously sick. However, he has kidnapped the last of my people, who were hiding in an old temple of sorts. I have to face him now, I have to save them. My mentors, who I just talked to, were against that idea, as my pure form has not revealed itself as of yet. But that is a story for another day." She finished, getting to her feet with a little difficulty.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tommorrow at dawn."
Pharaohsservant: And that's Chapter One. Chapter Two to come.
All: look worredly at eachother
UPDATE: 11/12/06- I AM DETERMINED TO GET THIS DONE BY CHRISTMAS! IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING TO SAY, DON'T F'ING SAY IT! FIREY BLOODSHOT EYES OF DEATH
Deep in a peaceful sleep, all members of the group were long past the worry brought about by Kath's brother's attack.
Just remember lesson number one. Phenist warned Kath, deep in her dream world.
Two sides make a whole?
Presicely. And balance cannot be achieved without both parts- light and darkness.
I'll remember. With that, the wind spirit woke.
She picked up a flute- just big enough to not be a piccolo- and wrapped a note around it. They would find it the next morning when they realized she was gone. Setting it gently on her pillow, she stepped out of her window onto the makeshift balcony they had built- otherwise known as the loft.
Facing the window and spreading her wings, she took a deep breath, allowing all emotion to be purged from her soul. Dropping backward over the rail, she righted herself on a thermal and headed off into the night.
Kage was the first to notice Kath's absense. It was Kels that found the note.
Dearest friends-
I've gone to face my brother once and for all. Like all adventures, there is a chance I will not return from this one. If I don't return by the full moon, channel your magic through this flute- it will play itself from the certainty of my death, as is the proper funeral for one such as I with a fate such as I fear will befall me. Do not seek to avenge me, as you will end up no better than I if I fail. Just know that this had to be done, and we shall meet again in the next life. Farewell, Kelsey, if this is indeed the end. Goodbye, Kage, my love.
Never Forget-
Kathy
Kelsey made a fist, crushing the note. "It's out of our hands now," she whispered, more to console herself than her fellow half-dragon.
"There it is," Kath whispered. Before her loomed a huge, black, floating castle- her brother's fortress.
Landing in the courtyard, she walked peaceably through the front doors. Standing in front of her in the middle of the entrance hall was her brother.
He was taller than her by a few inches. He had died his spikey hair black, and his eyes were a shade of yellow normally ascociated only with radiation. His skin was stark white, and he wore all black except for one silver earring in his left ear.
"Brother."
"Sister."
They regarded each other coldly for a moment.
"Come to give up my powers, sister?"
"You know as well as I do that they're MY powers, I'M the monster."
"That's funny," he spat, "the last time I checked, I'M the dark sorcerer."
"Look, Charlie-"
"NEVER CALL ME THAT!" he cut in. "That's the name our human parents gave me. I will never use it. And no one else will, EVER!" As he finished speaking, two twisted creatures came from the darkness and seized Kath's arms. "You will refer to me as Lu'ro. Guards- to the dungeon."
Kath went without a fight. She knew how her brother planned to draw the power from her very soul, and she knew how to combat that.
Once in the dungeon, an iron collar was fastened around her throat. A chain attached the collar to the wall behind. Shackles were bound to her wrists and ankles- also with restrainment chains. Kath forced herself to relax, it would not be the first time she was in a dungeon, nor would it be the last.
After some time, the dark captor entered the dungeon and looked down at his sister with a smirk on his face.
"You think your little boyfriend can save you, don't you, sister? You always were the hopeless romantic. Well, I suppose all girls are. But I think I should bring you down to earth, monster, for no one can save you now." He made a sweeping motion with his hand, and a window opened. Kath could see all that occurred outside as she gazed into it. Shadow was circling the castle, trying to find a way in, deflected by a sort of barrier. "Before your very eyes, your loverboy will be destroyed," he snapped his fingers. Kage was frozen in midair, apparently unable to move. He snapped again, and giant fireballs came from nowhere, slamming into the hapless dragon, who fell, burning, out of the sky.
Kath flinched, but then a thin smile spread over her face. "You're lying."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
"You're lying."
"How would you know?"
"When people lie, there's a physical reaction. I can sense your breathing- harder and faster, and your heart- racing, for the sound it makes is merely waves of air. If it was the truth, you'd be more relaxed than that."
"You worthless piece of shit!"
She raised her head, the smirk clearly causing the warlock to sweat. He somewhat regained his composure before he responded.
"They still can't save you. No one can save you! Your spirit will break and then I'll drain the power from your body as a dog sucks marrow from a bone."
You really need to work on your analogies... Kath thought as she rolled her eyes.
As if reading her thoughts, her captor rushed forward, lifting her by her neck, meaning to choke her. The wind element put her hands to her brother's wrist as she muttered with her last breath an ancient incantation. All her tensed muscles relaxed as she waited to be put down. After all, she no longer needed to breathe. However, this spell, like all others, came with a cost. She would have no voice for 3 hours- and when she got it back, she would breathe again.
Now do not think for a second that while this was all going on, Kels and Kage were just sitting around playing pingpong.
Kels was pacing- a habit she never EVER had, because she forced herself to relax, unable to worry.
Kage was battling conflicting emotions. Kath clearly wanted to face this alone- but she never had to be alone, he would be there, battling at her side, in a heartbeat. Heartbeat. The word seemed to echo in his head. It was almost as though (judging by the note) that Kath intended to die. Die. After the third echo of the word, Kage shot off like a dart, scanning the horizon for Charlie's floating castle.
The warlock dropped his sister and she rubbed her neck gingerly. Maybe she didn't have to breathe, but it still hurt.
"What... How... It's another power, isn't it? Another thing you stole from me!"
Kath opened her mouth to retort that she had been born with her powers, and she hadn't stolen a thing, but no sound came out. She merely mouthed the words, and air escaped, but no sound was created or heard.
"Ah, so you are not exempt from equivelent exchange. You do not need to breathe, but your voice has been silenced as long as you can't. A pity, as you will not be able to scream and only take my tortures in silence. Remember when you were little, and mom had you locked up in that cage?"
That bitch was not my mother.
"And you used to ask what crime you had committed, because only criminals and animals were kept in cages?"
Don't say it...
"Do your remember your crime?"
More than I know my own name.
"You have commited the crime of existance. You deserve to be locked up... BECAUSE YOU EXIST!" The warlock acompanied this explosion with a huge array of punches, slaps, and kicks- and Kath was unable to utter a sound. "YOU KNOW SOMETHING, SISTER, SHE'S RIGHT! I WAS THE FIRST BORN SON, I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE POWERS! ME! ME! ME!"
You... are not... my brother. Kath glowered up at him, her grey eyes paling to silver. You don't deserve to be called family. The demon you've harbored so long has destroyed you completely, there is none of your natural light left.
Suddenly, she changed into her true form. Using her strong wings, she broke the chains that held her and blew her adversary back several yards. Suddenly she was filled with an understanding.
Spreading her arms out as far as she could reach, two swords appeared, one in each hand. In the right, a pure white sword, runes of gold embellished on the blade. In her left, the weapon was black, and the runes, though identical, were red and glowing. Opening her eyes, now glowing with sightless silver, the wind element stared down her foe as her wings, hair, and skin paled to the pale grey of a Nobody's skin.
The air element rushed forward with the senseless bloodlust instinct of an enraged animal. Her brother fought with a scythe that appeared form thin air. They both fought valiantly, and though it seemed that Kath would give up her fight when the human took a slice out of her side, she ignored the blood now flowing freely and continued her onslaught. From deep inside herself she called forth an inferno of Phoenix fire, a torrent of rain and filled the air with lightning. Her opponenet was stunned.
She slammed the Dark sword into the ground. Swinging her remaining blade in a wide arc, she released a pure white light that, as soon as it hit the demon, disintigrated him.
Breathing hard, Kath returned to first her true, then human forms. Doubling over in pain from the ragged wound in her side, she colapsed onto the dungeon floor, unconcious from loss of blood.
Chains dissolved. Deep within the darkest dungeons of the castle, the other wind elements were being freed from the sorcerer's spell. Many did all they could do to just get out of the place and into the open air.
Kage wasted no time finding the castle and getting inside. It didn't take him long to find Kath.
He caught sight of her at the bottom of the staircase and bolted across the room. Kneeling beside her, he called to her, begging her to wake up. Calling all of his magic, he put it to work healing the jagged gash in his love's flesh. Slowly the wound closed, but there was no response from the girl.
"No... Rodwen..." the half-dragon whispered, tears falling unchecked from his amythist eyes. He cradled her to him, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. His aura became visible and glowed pure white. "Don't do this to me, Rodwen! Please, open your eyes!" No... no, I can't lose her... Shadow's thoughts grew dark in his pain.
It is impossible to esimate how long he stayed like that before a small whisper broke the silence.
"Kage...?" it was weak, barely audible, but the voice tried again. "Kage..."
A gentle hand brushed his cheek. The half dragon opened his eyes to look into the air element's grey ones. Brushing away a stray tear, she asked, "Why do you cry, my love?"
Before he said anything, he kissed her- both were reluctant to end it. At length, he pulled away, and whispered,
"I thought I was too late, that I had lost you..."
She shook her head, smiling. "No. You came in time. I knew you would. Don't you ever get tired of coming to my rescue?"
He smiled. "No, as long as I can keep you safe."
They kissed again, both wishing that such a perfect time could last forever.
After some time, though, Kath reasoned, "We should get back home- Kels'll think we're both dead."
Kage nodded. Kath sat up, and tried to stand. When she stumbled, he caught her, and after a moment, she righted herself. They managed to get home in one piece.
Kels came running out of the house and shook Kath's shoulders wildly, demanding an explanation. Kath, still weak from lack of blood, passed out under the stress. Kage caught her and carried her inside, Kels demanding an explanation the whole way.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" she demanded for the hundreth time.
"If you'll shut up for a moment, I'll tell you."
Kels glowered at him.
He lay his beloved on the couch and spent a moment gazing affectionately at her peaceful, sleeping face before turning with irritation to his fellow dragon.
"She was bleeding to death when I found her. It took all my strength to heal her, but she still needs to rest. DON'T wake her up."
With that, he sank into the floor. Kels knew he wasn't gone- just resting, being one with the shadows where no one could bother him.
Kath slowly woke up. Light was streaming through the window in front of her. She groaned, it hurt her eyes. Someone had put a blanket over her while she was sleeping- that was nice of them.
She sleepily stumbled into the kitchen, where Shadow was stirring something in a pot that was grey and smelled of old tires.
"How long have I been sleeping...?"
"Two days," replied the dragon, removing the gloop from the stove and spooning some into a bowl.
"Wow... ow... was I run over by an 18-wheeler by any chance?"
"No... why?"
"Cause I feel like shit."
He walked over and hugged her, but she put a finger to his lips and he drew closer for a kiss.
"You don't want to kiss me, I've got morning breath," she said. He smiled and kissed her anyway.
"You really think I care about that sort of thing?" he asked playfully. Pulling away, he turned back to his culinary handiwork. "Sit down and eat something, you'll feel better."
Kath sat, and presently a steaming bowl of the grey slop was set in front of her.
"What is this," she inquired, "Liquified asparagus?"
"Close." The dragon said. "It's a lot of things, but it'll give you the nutrition you need to fully recover."
The air element tilted her head and considered her options. In the end, she decided it'd be best to just eat it- after all, Kage wouldn't poison her. Suprisingly, the cement-like foodstuff had no taste and was easy enough to swallow.
She sat back and took a deep breath before saying, "You want to know what happened, don't you?"
Kage nodded.
"You have every right to know, but I'm afraid I cannot tell you." She raised a hand to stop his protest. "After all, how can I tell you something even I don't know?"
"How can you not know?!" he exploded. "You were there, it was you that destroyed that thing!"
A far-away look crossed her face as she searched for the right words. "Yes, I was there but..." she sighed. "Let me start from the start. Beyond my true form, beyond what I really am, there is a pure form where spirit and body become one in the same. All the avians with my basic true form's frame have been attached to a secondary element in this way, but I am connected to all of them and all of their powers instead. When I went into my pure form by accident, my body kept fighting, but it was like I was watching through the window of my eyes- I wasn't in control. If you saw what I did... what I'm capable of... you'd understand what I have to do now."
He nodded. "But what are you going to do?"
"Go to the only people who can train me to harnass my powers- Raistlin and Luna."
