Before this chapter I must explain two things:
Sengu are elemental spirits they are partically common in the realm Arthus is from and in his raw form at least he can easily summon them and get them to do whatever, he's in his 90's, plently of time to know how However forced in human it's a lot harder and requires a lot more concentration, why a Sengu was even there will be explained later trust me, there is a reason why a Starlight happened to be there and it will emerge later.
The mirror reflector is something, a chip placed on every one of his kind if they leave where they live, it fuctions to hide their true apperence and gains energy to run by the simple act of breathing, it can last some time if this is prevented. However because Arthus cut his so long, it started to feck up so he ended like that
Now for the chapter
Collector
Chapter 5 - Sengu
That was… interesting
Currently the Leader leans against one of the hospital walls on the outside, the brickwork imprinting its self into his back as he plots with distaste lingering in his throat.
He knows now, the pain is subtle, enough to see
'That nurse has got to go' he hisses quietly to himself. He is meanwhile being ignored by residents of Pewter City going in and out the building; they are thinking of him just needing five minutes alone from something happening inside as these people only seem to think the best in everything.
If I remember right, examination showed humans have red blood. Bah mine will still look its natural state and that girl has seen it for real but I still have time; she's debating what to do with it…. sometimes I have to be thankful for their incompetence
Lifting his still bloodied fist to his eye line, he stares at it carefully, the steadily turning violet to a set ash colour as it dries as his narrowed eyes glare accusingly at the flesh.
And because of the human presence I can't summon any fresh Sengu, don't have any of my swords with me, non of the rodents are here either; this is gonna be a much harder stealth kill than I'd like but I'm not backing from this challenge so easily. This'll help heal faster than any pathetic methods with damping of cloths and weak-minded insulin
He can sense her easily now, with such a firm lock because of a thin trace of his drying life fluid still on her hands, just enough to pick her off from amongst the other vermin in the building.
But for some reason, he chooses not to simply kill her with a strike… everybody in the building; every single one must pay for seeing his presence every single one of them so no truth is told
All must burn
With a sick grin on his face, he turns away from the wall and glares upwards at seemingly nothing but he knows exactly what he is aiming for, they'd be just enough energy from resident Sengu to produce what's needed even if he feels crushed and contained forcing control and skill to be run over for pure luck of the draw.
Years of practice in a tabooed art had to pay off at some point after all.
His eyes narrow slightly as his face creases with concentration despite now unable to see, only knowing through a mind's eye of the location of what he needs. He can feel the spiritual energy, lighter than his raw form but there, un-seeable by the human plague rotting yet another world.
A starlight Sengu… hmm that's a rarity
His hand wavers a little as he raises it, allowing for it to trickle a little way up the wall forcing some of the dried blood scrape off for new untainted un colour. As short as the gesture started he snatches it away again with eyes tainted with pale white cloud.
As the summoned awakens from its daylight slumber pulling away so slow from the very brickwork from which it hid, the serpent shaped Sengu hisses at the air as the ground cherry eyes show no emotion towards the nature of its tone.
It shows no commitment to gravity, lingering partly stretched from the nest as the rest loosely clings on still as the light azure colour of its body shifts somewhat to a darker obsidian as the blood that tainted its arousal ensnares it so tight to the master's will.
You have a job little Sengu, complete the task and your slumber will be returned
His breathing hisses with malice as the thought dissipates to nothing, he is the only mind reader; the words were simply for him alone. But so focused is he, so blind and deaf to the world as the Sengu is commanded, he cannot see the eyes watching him. He fails to envision the startled faces at the faint shimmer of a nova-feathered limb occasionally grasping at their sight before vanishing again under the visage of the reflector.
The Sengu is simply blank in thought, incapable to do anything but what it is commanded like a belittled solider sent to war without the capability to obey anything but given order. Its slither tainted with unnatural gait as it disappears into the crevices of brickwork shifted into raw shadow, hiding from the stinging burn created from its nemesis of light bringing and thus disappearing entirely into the building for its set objective.
Arthus narrows his eyes slightly as he watches and without thinking his bloodied fist clenches tightly causing some of the watchers to back way or quiver as they continue to stare at him. They dare not move as more stop, some look nervy, others curious, confusion also across their expressions as other flickers of his pure blood form shows for just a moment; all in his ignorance to the outside world and the changes happening within him under the pressure.
The Sengu reveals itself within the hospital walls as it pulls away from the walls like a long swaying tongue finding itself in a closet of some kind accidentally knocking a broom to the floor causing it to clatter against the tile.
It hisses as it glares at the offender before touching the walls with its entire body, slithering with uneasy grace as it follows thick wires that the dark serpent lightly brushes against it causing minute tingles to riddle down its body in light azure prickles.
'Make them burn, destroy the box, I'll handle to rest easily enough' Arthus mutters quietly under his breath, still unmoved from his position, oblivious still to the fact that the shift had paced up a little as his energies were forcibly concentrated beyond the minor scrap he needed for the reflector. Normally, the reflector would run purely on the simple act of breathing, using that force to keep it active but with somebody barely bothering with his mind forcibly focused elsewhere, it was an increasingly impossible task to keep in check.
The Elemental nods slightly as its mouth opens wide before dunking its head through the lid of the fuse box snatching two wires within fangs before yanking harshly tearing them from their sockets. Though they do not follow out the lid like their provoker, the wires still cause a surge to rip through the remaining wire rapidly to everything it could touch. Sparks are thrown randomly at different intervals, nestling amongst flammables like paperwork, bandages, medical drugs… human flesh.
The movement is swift as the spirit moves away back to the nest as if nothing had happened, ignoring the broom that it had slammed into being dissolved by unnaturally burning liquid fire devouring everything in its path as nothing of its interest; daylight is round, sleep is the only task to bother with.
Arthus' eyes widen a moment before settling as normal as he finally turns away from the wall, his disposition clearly not a happy one at the gawkers… until he realises why they stare.
His form isn't, as it should, it feels wrong, a mangle of pure blood and the human residents, an angelic demon much like the alignment the angels of the Realm turned once in the Mardia war decades prior. He blinks a moment letting both his eyesight and composure settle a moment.
Only two wings are present over the regular four, ebony stitched with one ragged in feather and hung loosely like it is dead trailing behind a pair of arms matching his others on that side. Regular armour is imbedded in the flesh at random intervals, hands clawed but still human like in a gnarled form. He has the doubled ankle as he would naturally, ending in a mash of human and armoured claw where his tail, minus the split, waits slightly dragging on the ground beside.
Russet eyes narrow as he says rather flatly in his home tongue:
'Deserni'
The screams finally begin after that, some frozen while others start running in natural fear but his interest instantly snaps onto the leavers as his eyes narrow with hatred flickering across his eyes much like the encouraged fire now rippling away in secret across the wards before the entire blaze.
'Die' he hisses angrily before roaring in scattered distortion in defiance at the human cowardice causing several to simply fall to the ground clutching their heads violently as their screams turn to soft whimpers of agony. One arm slams downwards as he roars out again in fury, the force of the mental strike instantly crushing several targeted humanoids with ease letting their eyes roll upwards as his own orbs seethe with anger.
Ones untainted blink confused, petrified and unable to move as they stare at those who only moments ago screamed in agony before an uneasy silence and dead eyes became the only thing there.
'Next one to try and leave receives the same; my bad mood has been a HELL of a lot worse because your stupidity has wreaked a simple task so try to escape your pitiful minds will pay for it before you can even take a few steps.' He hisses angrily completely devoid of control he once had, long pushed into insanity and extremely violent in disposition.
A few nod dumbly as his eyes narrow harshly, burning into them causing the odd one to shiver uncontrollably as a feral stalker tears through their thoughts to their memories before devouring the tasteless meal and decimating others than those from the past minutes at random choice. He watches in silence despite the deep growl rumbling in his throat, purged every single one till they fall to the ground lifeless but without death, partial amnesia and a severe migraine will be the worse any of the vermin awake with.
Finally satisfied they are all down; his corruptive mind spasms force his gaze back to the building, where it waits in silence like the shallow breathing of the fallen surround him. His eyes widen just a fraction as he finally lets his breathing settle to normal, lets the energy allow the Reflector to return to normalcy as he carries out the final dregs of his rage and lust for the destruction he so badly desires right now.
Be purged
Inside mass panic ensues; screams echoing down every single corridor, flames emerge from nothing to block paths and ensnare the trapped as their pour down the callers throat to burn them to ash through the inside of all then can catch.
Sicker patients are the last on most's minds replaced with the need for there own selfish aims to live not some stranger, not they own children like something was preventing them from realising what they were doing.
And as he flames tear apart lives of all they can track down, there is one particular they hound who is constantly running down each hallway, ignoring the screams as she barely keeping herself from doing so. Her ankles are being used as a step up to reach her, scarring the back of her legs as she yelps in pain, scrunching her eyes tight with clenched teeth trying to get away, not stop, she has to survive for her daughter, get the blood sample safe.
A distant roar is heard echoing from the outside, screeching of salvation as the flames finally force her to the ground and the slide she carried smashing onto the ground as tears stream down her face as she lets out her final whimper.
'Nathalie… God keep her safe, get her the truth'
The last thing she is heard by is a scream high pitched as the flames finally engulf her body tormented in assaulting touches, incinerating it so no truth can ever be said as commanded.
…
A shard of glass is snatched away from the charcoal corpse before the flames touch it and steals it, before it is hidden it away, and the truth stolen. With a flicker of dark orbs, the final wish is to be granted for both the truth to be found and a child now to be protected by the Starlight, thus it disappears amongst the fire untouched to grant that final prayer.
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