AB36
Legion
"My name is Legion, for we are many"
Nightfall in Purgatory was a wonder in and of itself.
A land of crystallized magic, sentient tulpas, and dead, decaying land, few entities dared to traverse it. As such, those who held sway over the sun and moon held no power there, leaving the many sandy dunes and abandoned fortresses in a state of timelessness. The shifting skies, ranging from a bright white that seemed to spiral upwards for eternity to the darkest of blacks, were theorized as aftereffects from residue magic; a large buildup of power from what remained of the heavens and the hells, constantly at battle with each other regardless of the Old War's end.
As though alive the magics raged against each other, crashing violently above golden dunes as slowly one side, then another, gained victory over their opponent. Because of that, the changes from Purgatory's 'day' to 'night' were abrupt and unpredictable. At times, 'day' would seem to last for an eternity, the sky above scarred with horrid black lightning that seemed to slit the world apart. Yet within minutes those dark bolts could widen and consume, until nothing but 'night' remained and leaving one to wonder if 'day' was merely an illusion.
Urd was no stranger to such phenomenon, having spent much of her younger years within the borderlands of Purgatory and the Heavens. There she'd watched in awe with a younger Marller and Belldandy as the sky attacked itself without reason, allowing herself to grow lost in the primordial chaos of magic in its most basic form. Back then, as close to the heavens as she was, the sky could stay light for days at a time, streaked and shredded with bolts of black as the darker magic of her demonic kin tried desperately to turn it. Occasionally it would gain the advantage, and for a moment, only for a brief instant, the sky would turn as black as the universe itself. Then the light would tear it asunder, and once more it would be as bright as high noon in the Yetzirah.
Yet here, Urd found, in this part of Purgatory, the land was much more chaotic. The changing 'days' could range anywhere from two hours to fifteen, the following 'nights' just as chaotic. The woman had learned quickly from the others; sleep during whatever dark hours came, awaken with the light hours and work, for there was no such thing as a full night's rest in Purgatory.
Yet now, with the dark hours fresh descent, Urd found herself wide awake. The demon's mind was alive with thoughts over all she'd learned and the questions they formed, violet eyes watching but not quite seeing the infinite war above her head. Valu had left her for the others several hours ago, leaving the prior goddess alone with only Amon for company. The Goetia's mind was too far gone to fully understand the topics of the conversation his companions were holding, and so instead the snake-wolf spent its time with her.
With sparks of white electricity streaking across the night sky angrily, the silver-haired woman lay propped up against the beastly Goetia. The wolf lay curled up beneath her, and Urd could feel the rise and fall of her head with the expansion and depletion of his lungs. The woman's senses were more sensitive now, and without concentrating the bronze woman could hear the soothing beat of Amon's heart against his ribcage. Any other night, the rhythmic beat of life would have been enough to lull her to sleep for a few hours, yet after Valu's words to her…
"They have someone on the inside." She mumbled softly. "They have someone on the inside, and they won't tell me anything about Skuld or Keiichi." The woman rested a palm on her forehead, letting the fingers drum a beat into her hair. "This is so…what do they want me to do? They can't expect me to just sit here forever, can they?"
Beneath her, Amon twitched in his sleep before releasing a sigh. Grunting, Urd adjusted herself, leaning forward off the wolf and shifting to a cross-legged position instead. Scowling, the woman looked over her shoulder to where the remaining Goetia had gathered. While there was no fire present to show their position, Urd could still easily make out their forms in the darkness. From where they sat, the demons appeared to be in deep discussion, hands gesturing urgently while at others the goddess caught the flash of snarling teeth.
The scowl deepened into a frown. Whatever they were talking about seemed to have gotten the entire pack of demons riled up, which only added to Urd's restlessness. "Damn it!" She hissed softly, rising to her feet and dusting excess sand from her clothes. "I can't take much more of this! They're either going to tell me something now or they're going to need to restrain me. I'm done waiting."
The woman walked around Amon and headed towards the remaining Goetia. Yet almost as though sensing her intent, the sleeping demon at her feet roused immediately. Urd jumped as the wolf-snake seemed to uncurl, Amon's tail hissing a rattle as though it were an alarm. Startled, the silver-haired demoness stared at the beast with alarm. The lupine creature rose to its full height, his eyes, like those of the others, glowing an eerie red in the desert's darkness. Black lips peeled back and a maw laced with ragged silver teeth parted, and before the bronze woman could react a pair of jaws clamped down on her arm.
Urd yelped, only to immediately grow still. While she felt no pain from the bite, the demon could see where the hollow, poisonous fangs had torn through her sleeves. It had activated the Goetia's poison glands, and around the sleeve's puncture holes Urd could see where the material was beginning to corrode.
The woman stared at the muzzle, then shifted her gaze to Amon, who stare up at her with earnest red eyes. "You don't want me to leave, do you?" She asked, causing the wolf to grunt quietly. The woman frowned, violet eyes narrowing in contemplation. Furcas had warned her beforehand that Amon was not fully in his right mind. The Goetia had spent one too many years in his avatar and had lost the ability to return to a more human form. As a result, his higher self, the Neshama, had degraded from the once intelligent man Urd vaguely remembered from her childhood and into the more basic self of Ruach. From what the Old Man had said, the wolf wasn't at risk of deteriorating to the most basic self, Nephesh, however the risk was still there.
And yet…the bronze demon pursed her lips. "Amon, will you let me go?" She ventured, keeping her eyes steadily on the wolf. "I won't leave, but your venom is making me nervous."
The pressure on her arm alleviated, and suddenly Urd was free of Amon's maw. The woman stared at the beast in surprise, rubbing her arm thoughtfully and feeling no broken skin against the torn shirt sleeve. "You…understand what I'm saying, don't you?" She asked the beast, who in turn moved to sit, panting heavily as he stared at her. The demon gained no response she could understand; no physical cues, no mental words, not even a bark or a tail thump for conformation. Silver brows furrowed together in confusion. Was it merely coincidence then?
Regardless, Urd looked over her shoulder towards the pack of Goetia one last time before sighing and sitting back down. Amon was at her side in an instant, and the beast squirmed and grunted against her before finally settling behind Urd in a manner similar to before. The woman lifted and arm, and when she lowered it once more Amon's head rested beneath it, the fur short and bristly against her skin. She scowled thoughtfully. "Maybe you just wanted some extra company." She muttered aloud, dismissing her earlier thoughts and leaning back against the great snake-wolf once more.
Amon supplied her with no response, simply sighing beneath her before settling back down into the rhythms of sleep. Shaking her head ruefully, Urd returned her attention to the flashing bolts of light in the skies above, watching as some grew larger and thicker than their predecessors and wondering when the next day would come.
She watched the bolts for thirty more minutes before she sensed the approach of another.
Straightening, the woman looked over her shoulder, finding Valu fast-approaching with a deep frown on his face. Silver brows furrowed together in thought, and Urd once more rose to her feet. This time Amon did not stop her.
The youth stopped a few feet away from her. "It's been decided." He began. "They're going to reveal to you the information we've acquired from our source." The man spoke with ire in his voice, something that caught Urd off guard. In the short time she'd known him, the bronze woman had never seen him angry before. "Come, they need to fill you in before they start discussing the next course of action." Without another word the man stiffly turned and stalked off.
It took a moment before Urd fully registered what the Goetia said. "Next course of…" Blinking, the woman chased after the young man, and a minute later was joined by Amon's loping gait. "So you're going to-what's going on? Is Skuld okay? What are we going to do? When are we moving?"
The lad stopped so suddenly that Urd almost ran into him. "Look," The Dragonrider started, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not saying a damned thing about anything that's happening. Harass the others for details, as I'm just about ready to rip someone's head off after that blessed meeting." The man looked over his shoulder, catching Urd's inquiring gaze with heated blue. "I need to be alone so I can calm the fuck down before this damned raid starts, and as much as I like you Urd, you're one of the main reasons I need to calm down." A growl had seeped into his voice, and the man quickly diverted his gaze to the ground. "Just-go speak with the others. I'm going to my dragons."
Ignoring the look of surprise on silver-haired woman's face, the man separated from the duo, diverting left to where the large form of his combined dragons slept with a rushed step. Urd watched his retreating form with a bemused frown, her expression warring between shock, anger, and even a small bit of hurt. "What the hell did I do to piss him off?" She asked aloud, gaining nothing but a soft whine from Amon.
The wolf roused her from her thoughts, and the demon looked down at the wolf. Amon looked up at her with red eyes, sitting and panting at her side. Urd shrugged before looking back to the remaining awaiting Goetia, still a small distance away. "I guess I'll find out soon enough." She muttered, before demon and snake-wolf wandered towards the others.
Furcas was the first to meet her gaze. He stared at Urd with squinting eyes, the red of demonic night vision little more than slim slits in his face. "Sit." He wheezed, and the others made room for both Urd and Amon within their little circle. The woman did as instructed, settling down beside Black Thrush Caim as Amon made himself at home next to her and Amy. Furcas sat next to Amy, and next to him was Glasya. Caim next to Glasya completed the ring, leaving six demons to compose the group.
Caim was the first to speak. "We've conversed," he began, "and decided against our better judgment to impart to you classified information of DEMINT sources under the pretenses that one," He held up a finger. "you will not speak of what you hear to anyone without the proper clearance, and two," A second finger raised. "you will aid us in the upcoming raid. This means that you, as a civilian, will be placed under the command of Sir Furcas the Cruel, Goetia First-class, Special rank, and that you will obey his instructions without question. You will not deviate from his instructions or anyone else appointed over you, nor will you go above and beyond the initial cause of the raid for reasons that you feel suit your purpose." The black man stared at Urd with hard, golden eyes. "Do you disagree with anything of what I just said?"
The demon frowned, meeting the Goetia's gaze with a somber stare of her own. "No."
"Then will you agree to the aforementioned conditions of this contract?"
Urd blinked with a start. "Contract?"
The bird-man nodded. "Yes, a contract. Information of the highest classification amongst the Demonkin to you, daughter of the Daimakaicho, a demon with no rank who was once of the Divine Norns in exchange for the power you hold in extracting three prisoners holding information related to the Karmic Chakras and sabotaging their C4HQ under our orders".
Silver brows furrowed together as Urd sent an apprehensive look at Caim. "You never said anything about a contract."
Caim remained stoic. "We're giving you intel the Powers That Be in the heavens would give an arm and a leg for. We need a way to ensure that you won't willingly hand this information out to anyone uncleared. A contract is the easiest form of insurance we have under the present conditions."
"Either take it or we leave you on camp guard." Glasya quipped, and Urd sent him a glare.
The demon returned her gaze to Caim. "And what are the consequences should the contract be broken?" She asked. "Just because I wasn't raised in Niflheim doesn't mean I don't know what a contract entails. If I'm agreeing to anything, I want to know the full details behind it-don't expect me to just smile and go along with it like some mortal."
Glasya smirked. "Told you." He said.
Caim slapped him on the backside of his head.
"There will be pain." Sir Furcas took over, and Urd directed her gaze to the man across from her. The man's voice was quiet, yet filled with such sadism that the bronze woman felt a shiver run down her spine. "The pain of one's skin being stripped from their body, piece by piece. The anguish of a million needles digging into one's eyes. The burn of their organs as one feels the flames of hell roasting them from the inside out. The shriek of a thousand lost and damned souls screaming in their ears, awaiting the time their victims shall join them in their eternal madness until the day comes when the foolish oath breaker claws out their throat in their madness, where they in turn shall joining the eternal damned in their infinite wailing."
"Sir Furcas thought up the consequence." Glasya said cheerfully, earning another smack from Caim.
Urd ignored them both. "And who among you all is initiating the contract?"
"All of us." Amy said, gesturing to the other Goetia. "Everyone here has agreed to hold a piece of the contract upon your agreement."
Silver brows raised in surprise. "You're taking this seriously, aren't you?"
"We have to." Glasya said. "What we're doing is something that is only allowed under the direst of circumstances. The knowledge we have is not something we can simply impart to you without fear of reprimand. We need to take responsibility for this act-all of us. Which is why the consequences are so severe should anyone break the contract."
Urd frowned. "So then why isn't Valu here as well?"
"Valu will not be involved." Furcas said. "Of all of us, he argued the most for you to remain uninvolved. As such, he will instead remain here; acting as a secondary unit should things turn sour during the raid."
The frown deepened. "Why would Valu not want me in on this?"
"Valu's a little conservative when it comes to military matters." Glasya replied. "He's got a lot of familiy ties in Niflheim's military, so he's a bit of a traditionalist. That dragon doesn't like the idea of placing untrained civilians in harms ways, regardless of the benefits they may reap." The Winged Hound smiled. "Of course, you being the Daimakaicho's daughter doesn't help much either…" He said coyly.
The demon grit her teeth. I'm getting sick of everyone reminding me of my relation to Hild. Yet the woman held her tongue. "Fine," she instead said, "then as a demon with an undetermined rank and prior Norn, I accept the conditions of your contract. An exchange of intel from the Goetia present to me for my power to the Goetia during the raid. Upon completion of the operation, my power shall no longer be lent without additional amendments to the contract, and I shall not speak a word of what is mentioned here among us all."
Across from her Sir Furcas nodded. "As the Goetia holding a First-Class, Special license, accountable for the most secret of information and tasked with the responsibility to dismantle the Karmic Chakras, we agree to the terms of granting you access to higher information in exchange for you, a rouge demon whose blood matches that of the Daimakaicho's, aiding us in our mission."
Caim removed a knife from his belt, wordlessly gripping it by the bladed edge and letting the metal bite into his flesh. As the dark man cupped the blood welling in his hand, he silently passed it to Glasya, who imitated the ritual and passed the blade on. As Sir Furcas sliced into his own flesh, he said, "As a sign of our combined interests and to show our fidelity to the conditions made, we shall exchange a small amount of blood with the one we are bound to." The knife slowly made its way around the circle, and somewhere in between that time Amy passed a bowl to Caim. The man let the small amount of liquid fall from his hand before licking the cut and passing the container on.
Amy passed the knife to Urd, bypassing Amon. The goddess stared down at it as Furcas continued speaking. The blade was wet and shiny with the combined blood of the others. In the refracted light of the white electricity above their heads, it seemed to glisten with unspoken power. There's strength in blood. She recalled, before drawing her own palm across the length of the blade and adding her final words to the contract. "As with you so with I." The bowl made its way to Amon, who bit into his forepaw, sitting and holding the wounded limb above the container, adding his own portion to the red mixture. When the wolf laid down and began lapping at his paw, the woman reached over and grabbed it.
"I too shall display my resolve to the contract in the making." The woman tilted her hand, watching as the blood fell into the bowl. "So with blood, so too with magic. Let the blood merge our desires into one, where the success of one lies in the success of all." Bowl in hand the woman rose to her feet, swirling the contents within before dumping the blood into the center of the demon-made circle.
The blood hissed and smoked where it impacted the sand, seeming to coagulate into letters and then words as it seeped into the grains beneath. The figures glowed red with a dark energy, and within her mind's eye Urd saw the details of the contract spelled out before her.
The words shimmered in her mind's eye, holding a presence and a weight so real she could almost touch it. The demon reached for it mentally, and when mental fingers brushed the contract, the words seemed to explode into reality before her very eyes. Like a streaming ray of light the pact circled her before intertwining around the demon's hand. A mental command and the woman lifted her sleeve. The finalities of the agreement settled on the Valkyrie's brand around her wrist, glowing molten amber momentarily before seeming to cool into black.
It wasn't an engraving. No, after the multiple attempts to remove the brand, Urd knew the metal would reject inscribing or other such tampering. Yet that would not prevent another spell from lying atop of it, especially if that spell held no intent of removal. And so like ink on metal the words settled; another reminder of her goal atop an object that had branded that desire onto her body.
The silver haired woman stared at it, resisting the urge to rub it with her thumb. The characters darkened atop the metallic brand, and as they did Urd let her hand drop. Violet eyes focused once more on Furcas. He, like the others, was examining his own portion of the contract, the elder's piece having placed itself atop the ornate dagger on his hip. "It's done." She said, drawing his attention. "Now, I think it's time we discussed just what you've been keeping from me."
And for the first time since meeting him, Sir Furcas the Cruel smiled. It was an ugly expression; filled with black gums and rotting brown teeth. Thin and worn lips pulled back against loose, weathered flesh, and in his raspy voice the Goetia spoke. "There are tulpas in the fort. Tulpas that are awakening. The invading demons have awoken them from their age-old sleep, and experience has shown us that when they wake, they wake hungry. Our source claims that they are moving within that fort, and that the child, your sibling, has spoken with them." He laughed then, a dry, wheezing noise reminiscent of a man gasping for breath. "How they have not consumed her is a mystery, yet it works in our favor. Tulpas are creatures that need a living host to properly survive. They are attracted to power, and will obey those with a strong will. If one can control them, then they will act as warriors and tamed beasts, lashing out at those who would wish their master harm."
"We have hopes that your sibling will hold that will and tame the creatures, for when we enter it shall be hard and fast to bewilder our enemy. It will be all the easier to extract the ones you hold so dear without having to worry about the tulpas that rest within. Even more so if we can get them to our side."
"And if we can't?"
Caim spoke next. "Then we'll have two opponents to fight: Vikoka's Karmic Chakras and hungry tulpas."
Urd pursed her lips. "And what about the conditions of the others? Are they okay?"
"No." Amy replied, and Urd felt her stomach churn uncomfortably. "All of them are injured, that mortal most of all. Our man on the inside was able to get a potion to him, however it is unknown if his body will accept or reject the contents." The man paused there only to be urged on by Urd. "…If his body rejects the potion, the chances are high he'll die. And do to the current state of his injuries…"
The red head trailed off, and Urd sighed, leaning her head in her palm. Keiichi… "Never mind the mortal." Urd snapped, raising her head and sending a fierce gaze to Amy. "I've known that man for several years now, and one thing I've learned is that he'll overcome any odds laid before him if it means returning to my sister." Hang in there, Keiichi. I don't want to bring you back to Belldandy in a body bag. "What about my sister, Skuld?"
"She is mostly unharmed, from what the reports say." Glasya piped up. "From what I hear, you've got a little spitfire for a sister there, Bright Lady!" The man chuckled. "You sure she's from your father's side of the family and not your mother's? Because this child certainly thinks like the Daimakaicho!" The man bared his teeth in a wolfish smile. "Not only did she manage to escape her cell, but she avoided detection from the others, managed to find an old Valkyries armory, and then detonated all the explosives inside with three demons present. She even managed to take out ol' Mada! We've been after her for centuries!"
Urd stared at the dog Goetia with large violet eyes. "Detonate-Valkyrie explosives?" The woman gawked at the man. "How the hell is the building still standing!? Those things have enough power to take out entire cities!"
"Probably old and defective." Someone in the circle muttered. Urd didn't bother to see who.
Glasya nodded eagerly. "Yep!" He chirped. "And she got away with it with nothing but a couple of burns and scratches too!" The man's happy demeanor suddenly dimmed. "However, apparently she'd been in the vents, and she discovered where Mara was and let herself get caught." This time the spotted demon scowled. "Had it been me, I'd have kept running."
Silver brows furrowed together in concern. "Wait, what do you mean she let herself get captured? Why? Why would she let herself be found after finding Mara?"
Glasya shifted uncomfortably under her piercing glare. He sent an uncertain look to Caim, who rested a hand on Urd's shoulder. "Skuld came across Mara as she was being interrogated," He explained. "The time was unknown; however, she was discovered trying to help Mara escape after the interrogation was over. Your sister wasn't harmed, mind you; they merely escorted the girl back the cell gates."
"Wow, wait, slow down." Urd said, gesturing for the man at her side to stop. "What's all this about an interrogation? Caim, I may not have been raised my whole life under demons, but I'm not stupid. What were they doing to Mara?" The churning in her gut took on a nauseating new turn, the woman's nails digging crescent moons into her palms.
"Torture." Caim said bluntly. "The girl came across Mara while she was being interrogated through torture."
He stopped there, something Urd was secretly glad of. The woman sucked in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Mara was being tortured." She said quietly. "Mara was-" the closed her eyes and ran a hand through her short-cropped hair. "Skuld-tell me she didn't see any of it." The woman looked up, eyes glittering with suppressed emotion. "Tell me she didn't see any of it."
Caim said nothing.
The woman looked away, focusing her gaze on the stained sand before her. By now it had entirely absorbed the blood, leaving nothing but a splash of discoloration in its stead. The demon swallowed, feeling ill as more questions rose in her mind: What did Skuld see? What had they done to Mara? Was Mara okay? Was Skuld okay? Nightmarish images came with the unbidden questions, and it was all Urd could do to block them out.
The silver haired demon closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths as she tried to regain her composure. Around her the Goetia let her be, patiently waiting for her to adjust to the new information before continuing. The woman felt a wave of irrational anger sweep through her. They knew. They knew and they'd kept this from her. More questions followed, and Urd swallowed, feeling her hands shaking.
A long moment passed before Urd opened her eyes once more. And for all the questions that burdened her mind, the bronze woman vocalized only one. "What is my part in your raid?"
And they told her.
It hurt.
Kami did it hurt.
His back throbbed with a pain so fierce he had no words to describe it. Beneath him the ground was bone-chillingly cold, the surrounding flesh chilled to the point of being numb. His throat was dry and his mouth felt like sandpaper, his stomach feeling like he'd very much swallowed a razor in his sleep.
With a grimace, Keiichi tried to open his eyes, finding it took all his willpower for that small act alone. What happen? The mortal wondered, and in front of him the mechanic thought he heard a shriek. Blearily, his eyelids cracked open, and the world revealed itself in shades of black and gray. Something large and dark was moving wildly before him, and vainly brown eyes tried to focus on its form.
Daima…? The man tried to tilt his head, finding it futile at first. Keiichi couldn't even muster up the strength to moan in pain, let alone utilize his neck muscles. Instead, the mortal scanned the room, trying to recall his last memories. There had been the shrine and the demons and Belldandy but…none of this was familiar. From what he could see in the darkness, he was in a room of some kind. A room with a stone floor, if his body was sending him the right messages.
Next to him, so close it was almost as if she'd fallen asleep on the mechanic, was a person he barely recognized as Mara. The demon was unresponsive to the racket the-he was almost certain that thing was the Daimakaicho-was making above them.
Once more Keiichi tried moving, this time succeeding as his neck craned to look at the shadowy monstrosity before him. His back flared in enough pain to make him want to scream, yet that would required him to both fill and expel his lungs as well as use his vocal cords, and right now the combination was too much for the man's weak body. Instead Keiichi blinked and wondered if he was hallucinating with pain at the sight before him.
A monster. There was a monster before him. Daimakaicho-beast, he thought, though he could not recall from where the name came. The creature danced around the room wildly, madly, as though infected with a strange strand of rabies. It snapped at the air. It lashed its tail from one side to another. It clawed its muzzle and the area around it. And yet with its insane actions Keiichi saw more. Wounds appeared as though by magic, flesh tearing and magic biting, its blood a black ichor that seemed to hiss wherever it hit the ground.
What's going on? Keiichi wondered as another scream escaped the beast's throat. Another wound appeared mysteriously on the creature, and the Daimakaicho recoiled before lashing out in retaliation at something he couldn't see. Like a snake it struck out, one of its forepaws coming frighteningly close to where the man rested. Brown eyes widened in fear. What are you doing!? He mentally screamed. Stop. You need to stop!
For a moment the mortal was almost led to believe the creature heard his mental shriek, for as suddenly as it approached so too did it retreat, leaving Keiichi in a cold sweat. If not for the fact that he was already near-paralyzed with pain, the man would have trembled at the sheer proximity of the foot.
A breath of fire departed the creature's maw, illuminating the surrounding area with its flames. The sudden light was blinding in its brightness, and for a long moment Keiichi's vision was obscured with light, the surrounding environment a negative imprint behind his eyelids. The man blinked light spots from his eyes. A cell? He'd seen a smaller form slumped up against a wall, bars and cracked stone and-
Vibrations rattled the floor beneath him. Above his head he heard the shriek of an angry beast. What are you- The man blinked through blinded eyes, barely recognizing the large shape towering over him. It swayed in a drunken gait, and again Keiichi's heart leaped into his throat as the beast drew too close. Please stop! Can't you see what you're doing?
Yet the beast was no closer to hearing his thoughts than Keiichi was Belldandy, and instead the man broke into a cold sweat as foreign, alien magic snapped at the ground near his cheeks. The monster's roars were agonizing, and in its insanity the man was certain the tulpa was going to kill him. You need to stop!
Fear flooded his senses, and with it came the exhilarating rush of adrenaline. Grimacing, the man fought to raise his head, finding a strength that had once been missing surging through his muscles. "Sss…" He he hissed, tongue loose and wagging as though the man had forgotten how to speak. The mortal persevered. "Ssst…p," Keiichi whispered, before making another attempt, adding voice to the weak word. "Ssstop…" He muttered hoarsely, and for a moment his exhausted body almost fooled him into believing there was a lull in the madness.
With a heavy grunt and wheeze he pushed himself to his hands and kness, arms trembling as though his torso weighed more than the limbs could bear. The mortal looked to the Daimakaicho-beast, and for a moment-just a moment-the man almost thought he caught a glimpse of Belldandy. Give me strength. The man prayed silently before sucking in a deep breath and forcing himself to stand.
His head swam nauseatingly from the exertion, and for a moment Keiichi was certain he was going to feint right then and there. Yet the stars that erupted so quickly in his vision just as easily faded, and blinking heavily the mortal focused brown eyes on the tulpa. "Stop…" He wheezed, wavering on his feet before taking a step towards the beast.
One step became two as the man caught himself, and before he knew it Keiichi was rushing towards the beast, body fueled solely by adrenaline. "Hild, stop!" He screamed, opening his arms before the towering behemoth. Memories of a time before, a time that shouldn't have been, assaulted his mind as a demon's parting words arose in his mind. "I can give you want you want!"
Like a snake the Daimakaicho-beast reared its head back, and from Keiichi's view it looked almost as though a hood like a cobra spread along its head and down its neck. Then with a shriek the tulpa lunged at him, and Keiichi closed his eyes and braced himself for the onset of pain.
What happened next could only be explained from the viewpoint of another, for with Keiichi's closing eyes Belldandy's eyes widened as the creature came down atop the man she loved. Yet rather than engulf him in its maw as she'd expected, rather the tulpa beast called Daimakaicho seemed to disintegrate as it drew closer to the mortal. It's maw, then it's head, dissipated into smokey particles, and like a cancer it spread down its neck and to the rest of its body. A swirling mass of dark energy, it settled around the man like a blanket, immersing him in the monstrosity's essence in full.
The man flinched where black smoke came to rest on his naked flesh, twitching madly where the alien particles seeped into his open wounds. Then Keiichi inhaled, and dark miasma disappeared into his lungs. It was with such an act that the mortal jerked spasmodically, mouth parting as a look of pure horror entered his features. The man clawed at his throat, a harsh rasp that was no scream escaping his chest as the mortal bent over in pain. The foreign substance that was once a tulpa vanished inside his body, and with wide, mad eyes abruptly Keiichi Morisato went still.
And yet though his body was inactive, his mind was alive with thought. For within his mind a war raged as an intruder descended into the depths of Keiichi's subconscious. Deep within a mindscape that smelled heavily of motor oil and Belldandy, a mortal found himself in battle with a great and formless beast.
A motorcycle's steel frame was bent and molded into the garb of a samurai, while at his hip rested wrenches and ratchets in place of all manner of sword and naginata. Wheel spokes protruded from his armor like vicious spikes, while from the top of his helmet a pair of handlebars sprouted in place of horns. A mask of metal alloys covered his face, and where his eyes should have been instead was covered with an active speedometer and odometer. An exhaust pipe rested strapped against the man's back, its end curled into a vicious point that spouted intimidating black clouds smelled of flowers into the air while at his feet, where shoes should have been were instead replaced by thick tire wheels.
Yet where Keiichi's inner self was a terror on two wheels, the beast before him was chaos in physical form. It's body held no permanent shape, continuously changing by the second into something more grotesque than before. A mass of black and gray, there were no ample words to properly describe it. A human's mouth ruptured as a beak sprouted from its throat, connected to a new and horrid body that overtook its previous body. Eyes were suddenly engulfed in tissue. Feathers melted into flesh in some areas, sprouted like fungus in others. Stripes and spots and patters that never should have existed tattooed themselves across its ever changing hide, only to be covered with scales that were eventually shed like dead skin. That dead skin in turn mutated into jaws and limbs, of which form mutated and maws melted and new flesh sprouted, seeming to recycle its own body into itself.
Its form hurt to look at, was revolting to behold, and if not for the odd mask he wore Keiichi was certain he'd have gone mad at the mere glimpse of the tulpa. Yet Keiichi found himself staring at it calmly, his rational mind absorbing it all and, rather than try to piece it together as another mortal might have, instead simply allowing the creature to exist in its chaotic state.
Oddly enough, music could be heard playing throughout the mindscape as though Keiichi had installed his own personal stereo system. Yet where one might expect to hear a grand battle anthem to roar into the air, instead something else played. There was no AC/DC's Thunderstruck to liven up the scene, nor did Metallica's Seek and Destroy lend their vocals to the young mortal. Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven did not play nor did Pink Floyd's Run Like Hell echo through the world. In fact, no empowering music, be it classic American Rock or more up-and-coming Japanese rock played within the odd environment.
Instead, the high, gay tones of Tiny Tim's Tiptoe Through the Tulips played in a continued loop.
The man felt oddly calm in the environment, despite the chaotic mass that was his opponent. Taking a soothing, deep breath Keiichi drew one of the wrenches at his hip, and as he grasped it the tool transformed into a sword. Holding it at arm's length, the mortal issued a mute challenge to the behemoth, which accepted with a roar Keiichi would not be able to describe in a thousand years' time.
The behemoth lurched towards him. You wish to tame me, Child of Man? Its voice was a roaring shriek, and Keiichi brought his weapon up to block the oncoming talon. Sparks flew upon contact, and the claw suddenly mutated into a tentacle, slipping under the sword and colliding with Keiichi's chest. The tip exploded in a starburst upon impact, and the man released a shout as he was suddenly propelled backwards. The many maws seemed almost to grin and its next words held a pleased tone. So be it. Show me your strength of will, Mortal. Defeat me here and now or relinquish your body to me in your failure.
The man hit the ground several feet away, and as the beast withdrew its limb Keiichi moaned, rolling to his side. First the Dead Realms, now this? He asked himself, carefully pushing himself back to his feet and quickly moving to retrieve his fallen blade. I just don't get a break, do I? The sword had returned to its smaller wrench-like state with Keiichi's small flight, and as he grabbed it once more it immediately shifted to its more lethal form.
For its part, the tulpa remained stationary, waiting patiently as Keiichi re-acquired his blade. With a grimace he brandished it once more towards the beast. "Is that the deal then?" He demanded. "You're submission or my body?" Stupid. This was a really stupid idea.
The creature gave no vocal response, however. Instead it brandished many teeth simultaneously sharp and dull, human and animal and unidentifiable before lunching at the raven-haired warrior with a shriek. Brown eyes widened, and with a curse Keiichi back peddled, bringing his weapon up to defend himself once, twice, three times from claws, jaws, and tentacles.
By pure reflex he managed to escape the lethal blows, wild eyes darting from one location to another as Keiichi sought an opening he could counter with. Yet it seemed that when an opportunity presented itself it just as quickly vanished behind a mass of limbs, jaws and eyes.
The man ducked under a massive paw that moved to swat him, coming up under it only to be knocked back as the creatures chest exploded into a mass of spidery limbs. The mortal skidded backwards, putting some space between him and his opponent. Straightening, Keiichi readjusted his grip on the blade, mind racing to come up with a way to injure the beast, let alone defeat it. "I swear, I'm going to beat Mara if I survive this." He muttered, turning and retreating from the beast in a burst of speed. The man didn't need to look over his shoulder to know the tulpa was pursuing him. A shriek that sounded like a combination between a bears roar and nails on a chalkboard spurred him onwards, and from the corner of his eyes he caught hints of an ever-shifting darkness drawing near. What I wouldn't give for some sort of distraction right now! The thought in desperation, lips pulling back in a terrified grin as he sprinted from the creature.
As though hearing his thoughts, the exhaust pipe that sprouted from his back like a flag suddenly belched a large, thick cloud of smoke. Behind him came another monstrous sound that would have given Gojira a run for its money, and then the frightening visages at his sides faded away as the tulpa was blinded. Hysteric laughter bubbled in his throat. "I-I can't believe…how did I even do that!?" He asked aloud, bolting farther away before making a straight right away from the beast. Slowly the flowery smog began to fade, leaving in its wake a stationary beast.
The tulpa stood immobile aside from its ever changing body, and Keiichi eyed it warily as he approached from its right. A pair of wings sprouted, dotted with eyes, and with it a new body emerged from its torso. Brown eyes widened in recognition before the entity fell once more into the chaotic mass with a splork, and Keiichi almost dropped his blade as other, semi-familiar beings characterized themselves within the mass.
Hild…and-was that Badb Catha? More beings, less familiar to him arose from the being, and as he watched soon one became two, two became three and so on; a conjoined mass of beings familiar and alien rising and vying for dominance over the body they all were attached too.
And where at first it was merely the sight of recognizable bodies imprisoned in a chaotic monster, the sight before him quickly grew more disturbing as the entities seemed to take notice of each other. It was then that Keiichi came to realize the true reason for the tulpa's pause as something resembling three Badb Cathas rose at once, connected to each other's back by three pairs of merged wings only to be blatantly decimated by something resembling a scaled Hild.
The sight made his stomach churn in a way different from the many rotting ghouls and destroyed Ikusa of the Dead Lands, yet for the life of him Keiichi could not tear his eyes away from the horrid sight. The man swallowed, his throat uncomfortably dry. "Just…just what is this thing?" He wondered. "Is that what's going to happen if I lose? Am I just going to merge with that thing?" But then how was it Hild and Badb Catha and-he was almost certain he'd seen Mara for a brief moment-how were they still alive if they lost to this thing?
His hands felt uncomfortably warm and sweaty holding the sword, and the man took a moment to wipe them on his pants legs. This may be my only chance. He thought to himself, feeling the hairs on the nape of his neck raise in alarm. "Go go go!" He urged himself on, and in a burst of speed he rushed the beast, sliding between two of many pillars of…something that held up its larger body and bringing his blade up in a roar.
There was no grace in his slash. Although he'd been taught martial arts as a child, there was never any swordplay involved. The mortal had never so much as touched a sword in all his living years, let alone used it against another. As a result, the slash was shallow and weak, piercing the great beast's hide and little else. Yet the tulpa released a bellow so pained Keiichi might have struck its vitals, and encouraged by the pained cry Keiichi swiped again, hacking away at whatever flesh presented itself like an apprentice butcher on a freshly slaughtered cow.
Its blood was black and putrid, spilling atop the man's armor like ink. Where it hit the ground, the oily substance bubbled and hissed yet showed no damage to his mindscape, something Keiichi would later find he was quite grateful for. The man hacked, stabbed, and slashed into the tulpas innards with all the desperation of the mad, and while it appeared to him that he was doing some damage to the beast, it wasn't long before the creature took note of the irritating parasite beneath its feet-hooves-tentacles? and moved to retaliate.
With a yell Keiichi unleashed a deep stab into the creatures underbelly, carving it down before drawing it out. Yet before Keiichi could move to write his name in kanji on the beast's belly, a pair of arms-human, coal black arms-wrapped their hands around the blade and prevented him from fully removing it.
Keiichi grunted as the sword grew immobile, tugging back on the blade's hilt with all his might. It budged slightly, and his confidence returning to him the man pulled harder still, silently willing the blade to pop free of its imprisonment. Instead, to his horror, the arms lengthened, and a head, indistinguishable at first but quickly gaining familiar features, emerged with his weapon as it drew further out. A neck followed the head, followed by shoulders and breasts, and Keiichi's eyes boggled as Badb Catha's naked torso formed itself from the tulpa's main body.
The sword was buried in-between the shadow's breasts, and Keiichi's confidence turned to desperation as the black Valkyrie slowly began to draw the sword further into her. The man couldn't stop a scream from escaping his throat, and as his tugs grew wilder the Mad Crow's grip only grew firmer, steadily drawing the sword-Keiichi-further into the tulpa.
When the creature was close enough to touch him Keiichi was forced to relinquish his sword, instead turning and racing away from the maddening form at his back. Yet the man was already too slow, having chosen to go beneath the very center of the beast. Something wrapped around his foot, and before Keiichi could even look down to see what beastly appendage curled around his ankle there was a swiftly pull, and the mortal was on the ground.
It dragged him back under the tulpa's large body, causing Keiichi to score the ground with his fingers as he frantically searched for grip. Yet the ground was smooth beneath his fingertips-like the porcelain floor in The Whirl Wind and provided him with no purchase. Against his better judgment the man looked behind him and immediately wished he hadn't. One of Badb Catha's arms had stretched away from the sword and after him, mutating into a solid black tentacle that now lay curled around his foot. The woman smiled at him, revealing of maw of darkness and pinprick, translucent teeth. As he drew closer the maw stretched, widened, up unto the point where it could swallow him whole if it so chose to.
The sword was gone.
Keiichi unleashed a maddening scream, a hand going to the wrenches and drawing another, smaller blade from his person, wielding around and hacking at the tentacle-arm until he finally severed it. A shriek that sounded eerily feminine came behind him, yet Keiichi did not pause to look at its source. Instead the man quickly rose to his hands and knees, scrambling to escape the shadow of the creature before it made another grab at him.
Shadow disintegrated into light as the mortal escaped from beneath the tulpa's mass, and a mad, chaotic smile made more of fear than happiness lined his face. He was going to escape from it, and from there he could plan anew on how to defeat the beast. Right now, however, he urgently needed to escape the creature before it grabbed him again; while he had no idea just what the monstrosity truly had in store for him, Keiichi was in no rush to find out.
Then a pair of arms wrapped around his torso, and like a recoiled slingshot, Keiichi flew back towards the monstrosity. The suddenness of the action left him with nary a chance to scream. The raven haired man impacted the creature with a gasp of pain, and his second blade left him as the mortal's body grew limp with pain. Grimly, the man became aware of others around him, and as brown eyes widened he caught sight of tumorous growth drawing near upon the tulpa's flesh. As the came closer, their shapes began to change, and suddenly Keiichi found himself surrounded by horrendous forms both familiar and alien, approaching him from his left, his right, from above and below. Their gazes, black voids of nothing, leered hungrily into his, and Keiichi began to struggle as a fresh wave of panic overtook his sense.
One of the creatures developed into Mara. The creature opened its mouth, and a beak emerged from its jaws, the body it was attached to tearing the jaws that imprisoned it in two. Something that resembled a horrid cross between a crow and Badb Catha arose from the broken jaws, and a pair of void-like eyes stared into his. You lose. It whispered, its broken beak mouthing words it could not form.
Keiichi grit his teeth, feeling his eyes bugging in his head. "Not yet, not yet!" He cried, squirming to free himself as the terrible entity drew closer still. "No! I didn't come back to life just for this!" Adrenaline that shouldn't have existed in a mindscape fueled his body, giving him strength. His hand reached for his final wrench, fingers just touching the tool. "I need to see Belldandy." He said, voice harsh in his throat. "Belldandy!" The fingers wrapped around the wrench, and his final blade, little more than a dagger, a tantō appeared in his hand.
Laughter-horrid, raspy laughter-echoed on all planes of his mindscape. Still you struggle? It asked, And how to you plan to return to this Belldandy? You've lost your strongest weapons, which could do little in ways of injuring me. How do you plan on defeating me with a toy?
Brown eyes darted from one direction to another as Keiichi wracked his mind for an answer. As much as he hated to admit it, the creature was right; he'd hurt himself more than the tulpa with the small blade in his hand.
The man froze at the revelation, eyes widening in realization. I'd hurt myself more…it needs my body…a slow, insane smile spread to engulf Keiichi's features, masked by the faceplate his armor produced. "I can beat you." He said simply, and the horrid laughter grew only more raucous. Keiichi almost felt like joining it-them. "You said you needed my body, right?" He asked, "Well let me be the first to deny it from you!"
With a harsh yell the man tore his arms free from the wispy black limbs that held him against the beast, turning the blade on himself and gripping its hilt with two hands. Please let this work. He prayed, hoping somewhere, Belldandy, safe and sound, heard his prayer and responded in kind.
Then the man closed his eyes and drove the blade into his chest with all his might.
It passed through the armor as though it was paper, and Keiichi grunted in pain as the blade pierced his chest. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would; however, Keiichi was a man who'd seen the Dead Lands and tasted the pain of bodies not his own being ripped to shreds. Such a thing was minor in comparison. It hurt to breath though, and so Keiichi guessed he'd pricked a lung with the blade.
The man risked a glance at the hilt embedded within his chest. Beneath his fingers, the hilt was glowing a bright red. What the-before he could finish the thought pain exploded throughout his body as something pierced through him and into the creature at his back. Now Keiichi screamed, and it was echoed by multiple voices at his back and around him. The choir was horrid, and trembling Keiichi stared at the hilt in shock, awe, and terror.
Something was lying in between his fingers. Something large and metallic and irregularly shaped. "Mara's…blade?" The shard glowed with the same terrible power as it did emerging from Mara's shoulder once so long ago, and now he could see where the cancerous red had seeped into his armor like veins, pulsing with a heartbeat all their own.
Get it out. GET IT OUT! The tulpa shrieked. I submit! It howled. You win! Now please, I beg you, GET THIS THING OUT OF ME!
Never before had another creature been at Keiichi's mercy. To have another entity begging him of all people, him Keiichi Morisato, a regular god damned human to be free of something of his own doing…To have that power over another, stronger force…
It was as terrifying as it was fulfilling.
A part of Keiichi felt disgusted at the feelings of triumph and victory that coursed through his veins. It was the same piece of him that demanded his submission whenever Skuld destroyed something in the house or chased him around the premises with a new invention. That same voice that told him to avoid Urd whenever appeared with a new syringe or pill to help 'encourage' his libido or to further his relationship with Belldandy (she'd known about that suppression, right? Why had she tried so hard to encourage something repressed?) and that same portion that held his anger back whenever either or both sisters appeared and either destroyed the shrine, his bike, or ruined a perfectly good date with the love of his life. It was the fraction that recognized him being in the company of literal Gods, and told him it was better to roll over and show his belly like a good dog than risk their true wrath coming down on him.
Yet his time with Mara had awakened another piece of Keiichi. A side of him that chose to revolt in a reckless act of mutiny against those who held such sway over his fate. A piece who's only desire was to test his own strength, to carve a niche in the world through his own power rather than relying on the support of goddesses to advance. The demon had shown him that: Once with her madness and again with her life at stake. It awoke the suppressed devil within his conscious, one that escaped that ever peaceful angel and approached the muzzled dog, kicking it just to see the beast bite. Keiichi had only tasted that part of him once or twice since Belldandy's arrival in his life; the last thoughts of the Lord of Terror, stained upon his soul even after it's capture in a floppy disk. The whispers of a real devil that took residence in his subconscious, using his mind as a confession board and whispering the last of its evil thoughts to him in his sleep as it grew steadily more angelic.
Now that piece of him was back in full force, and despite his own misgivings on the feelings, Keiichi allowed a smirk to line his features. "I win." He said quietly-too quietly for the raving beast to hear in its own pained howls. With a hiss the man slowly pulled the blade from his body, and as it emerged from his chest, clean of even the slightest bit of blood-either it wasn't his real body or the shard consumed what blood remained-relieving both Keiichi and the tulpa of the stabbing pains in their bodies.
Immediately Keiichi was released, and the man fell to the ground without grace, only to be caught at the last moment by a pair of black talons that gently set him down. The man blinked in surprise at the unexpected save, watching bemused and with a small bit of glee as the deadly claws retreated from his form. I did it. I really did it. I-I won! The man turned to face the tulpa fully, meeting one of its many eyes in a challenge. The tulpa looked away first-or at least Keiichi thought it did. It was difficult to tell with its body constantly changing shape-and with a hiss lowered its body to the ground and retreating to what it judged as a safe distance with a long, low hiss.
"I win." Keiichi repeated loudly, ensuring the creature heard his words this time.
You win. The tulpa echoed.
For a long moment an awkward silence settled between the two of them. Keiichi frowned and scratched the back of his head. The tulpa merely stared. Their silence continued.
"So…now what?" With the initial burst of victorious fulfillment fading from his mind, a new thought made itself known to Keiichi. The man had absolutely no idea what to do with his new…new…servant? Pet? Slave? The man scowled, chewing on the inside of his lip in thought and disliking any of the aforementioned titles. For now he'd just stick with, well, tulpa.
The tulpa blinked. Or at least one pair of its eyes did. Gods this was going to suck. What do you mean? It asked.
Keiichi coughed nervously. "Erm…I mean…what do I do now that you…well…work for me?" He said after a moment, causing a head more avian than the others to tilt to one side in curiosity.
Whatever you want me to do. Came the creature's reply.
"I was afraid you'd say that." Keiichi muttered under his breath. Folding his arms across his chest, the man frowned. "Is there a…do you have to keep changing like that?"
Immediately the tulpa's body ceased its shifting, and Keiichi quickly regretted the request. Now the beast looked like something his dog had vomited up after getting into the trash and consuming a fridges' worth of month-old leftovers. Grimacing at the memories, the man tried again. "How about something that's a little easier on the eyes?" He asked. "Why don't you use one of those bodies that are always fighting inside you?"
If it were possible, Keiichi would have claimed the tulpa stiffened as though he'd insulted it. …Which one? It asked after a long pause. This body is composed of many of us and to move to simply one shape is to allow that aspect to rule over us all.
Well shit. Keiichi thought. "Do you have a leaderor anything?
Silence greeted him in reply.
Keiichi sighed. "Okay, fine. Which one of you is the strongest? Why don't you shift into that?"
Immediately the tulpa shrank, limbs shortening and thinning to become hands and legs. Eyes and ears, scales and fur all vanished before him, and in their wake nothing but dark flesh and more symmetric features. As its body became more recognizable, Keiichi looked away with a blush. "Of course it'd be her," he muttered to himself, "as if things weren't hard enough already. Now I've got to explain to Hild why a tulpa has taken her shape next time I see her."
And explain to Mara why the tulpa decided to take on the splitting image of Hild in her birthday suit.
The man turned his back to the creature-he wasn't about to call it Hild. "Could you uh, conjure some clothes on yourself or something? I-I can't really be around you like that.
The tulpa tilted its head in confusion. I fail to understand. It admitted. As I am now connected to you, I only appear as you imagine me to. If I am in a body not properly clothed, it is your doing, not mine.
Keiichi's heart skipped a beat at the revelation. I'm doing this? He thought in shock, looking back and instead finding a shadowy Belldandy dressed in a skimpy police officer's wardrobe. She stared at him solemnly, twirling a pair of handcuffs with her left forefinger. Immediately Keiichi looked away once more before his head could explode with blood. I am such a pervert. He thought morosely, concentrating for a moment before looking over his shoulder once more. Hild once more took Belldandy's place, this time dressed in an ill-fitting school uniform.
Feeling the blood rushing to his head, Keiichi turned away once more with a curse. STOP. THINKING. PERVERTED. THOUGHTS! He screamed, jamming his fists into his head in a desperate attempt to clear his head. "Hild in clothes." The man hissed through clenched teeth. "Hild. In. Clothes."
This time when he looked back the tulpa was properly dressed. Curiously it was in a Weyland-Yutaniuniform, but at least there was nothing inappropriate about it. In fact, in regards to Hild it was down right conservative. "Weyland-Yutani…where have I heard that name before?" He wondered, looking at the patch that adorned the tulpa's right sleeve in interest and jumping as the creature's chest suddenly twitched.
It wasn't her breasts. Of that much Keiichi was certain. The movement had come from between the tulpa's breasts, momentarily protruding out like a third breast before settling against the clothes once more. Keiichi raised an eyebrow. "I thought I asked for a more static form."
You have received all that you requested.
"Then why did you just-" the man stopped midsentence, smacking his forehead in recollection. "Weyland-Yutani…how could I forget…" sending a long suffering look the tulpa's way Keiichi said "I swear, if a Chest Burster suddenly pops out of you and tries to kill me, you're getting the shard."
The tulpa smiled. Then you'd best not imagine such a thing, should you not? Its chest twitched once more. Violently.
The man rubbed his eyes. "And of course now that's all I can think of…think happy thoughts, Keiichi. Happy thoughts." Without realizing it the man began to hum along to the repetitive background music, even going so far as to voice a few of Tiny Tim's lyrics in the hopes or ridding himself of the image. "By the window, that is where I'll be come tip toe, through the tulips, with meeeeee…"
As he'd half expected, Keiichi's mindscape suddenly sprouted with tulips. The man risked a glance to the thought form, which was indeed tip toeing through tulips towards him, now sprouting a torn shirt and a chest-burster that had decided it rather liked the nest it had made in the not-Hild's new chest cavity too much to bother with leaving.
Keiichi moaned. "It's official." He muttered. "My mind is fucked up beyond all recognition." He sent the tulpa a defeated look. "Can we just return to the physical world?"
The thoughtform dressed in Hild's skin smiled. You should have asked sooner. It said.
And then came nothing but darkness.
Comments of a Madwoman: Guess who's been reading Clive Barker and been playing too much Shin Megami Tensei IV! As you can see, it's left me with some grand and terrible ideas that form, which will only grow worse as more time progresses.