Endogenisis
A blinding flash illuminates the black pearl sky. Thunder follows, echoing across the half-dead landscape of Lacrimosus. A soft, gentle breeze announces its presence, swirling through the many shells of once magnificent oak trees, scattered across the Hills.
Castle Lamia rests solemnly nearby; the tower spires a conduit for the occasional lightning strike. Attached upon the stone walls, small flags flap in the flowing wind, betraying the calm-before-the-storm atmosphere.
The front gates rattle as they are lowered into the earth. Nothing but the dark gloom is seen within, but at that moment, a hidden, hooded figure steps out and into the breeze. A pause ensues, and once again the gates rattle, rising from the earth to close.
Adorned in a plain brown cloth robe, the figure walks slowly and carefully along the path leading away from Lamia. A pale right arm reaches out and up to hold its large cloth hood against the wind, simultaneously allowing its coiled gold snake-like arm piece to become visible underneath its robe arm and glisten in the veiled blue moonlight.
The soft sound of footsteps upon the earth becomes apparent to the crows that perch silently in the dead branches. Their yellow, beady eyes persist upon the mysterious figure approaching its destination.
The figure ascends to the rise of the next hill, and moves off to the side of the road, waiting upon a grave defiled many years ago. Turning to face the view below, its eyes peer down to see the soft red glow from torch fire of Lacrimosus City. Time passes. Seconds, minutes, hours, it makes no difference to the amount of patience this person, this thing, holds as it transfixes it’s mysterious but dreadful awareness.
The hooded creature turns around abruptly. A few moments pass, before a slow hum of unknown potent energy begins to materialise. This sonic phenomenon then gives rise to physicality, as a dark shade of purple begins to swirl in the thin air, slowly shaping into a large, nameless entity. A heavy, lion-like growl originates from a now physical, powerful body.
Rakshasa in appearance, this towering being emits strength, beauty and authority. The now seemingly female bipedal lioness appears adorned with large gemstone-covered regal clothing, including a tight fitting dark blue and purple dress to match her scale. Rich and dark tanned skin oddly matches the opening of the dress and fully compliments the style of garment. Large retractable big cat claws emphasise the danger. With dedicated intent, the Rakshasa turns to face the smaller, less expensive dressed robed figure, which stands calmly and silently, watching.
The giant-like predator continues to stare down the figure with her mesmerizing deep blue eyes, their swirling visual orbs hint at an unfamiliar higher presence, perhaps divinity, dwarfing the figure with potency. Many moments pass where the two simply stare, their gazes locked on each other. Palpable devout energy extends from the powerful feline, extending her presence quickly. It reaches a point where her power becomes destructive, as invisible waves of force fall against the dead hulks of trees, groaning and snapping under the weight of the entity’s presence, scattering the crows.
The silence from the hooded figure continues and apprehension builds. With slow, deliberate movements, the cloaked figure begins to remove its robe. Pale fingers fiddle with the attachment at the throat, unclasping the two claw-like hooks, before lowering its hands to untie the mantle.
The robe is released, and it flies away in the powerful breeze originating from the towering Rakshasa. Hundreds of snow white strands of hair now slither like snakes in the commanding presence, as the figure steps out of a shadow of a tree hulk and into the moonlight. With smooth pale skin, the figure defines herself as woman. Embellished in a dark and well fitting cloth, leather and fishnet attire but with no evidence of self marketing, the long white haired woman appears to take interest in her own appearance and functional purpose in regards to garb. In most aspects this woman appears human, except for the distinct pair of small horns protruding from her dancing hair at the top of her skull.
With feminine but translucent grey eyes and a wicked smile containing two of a kind of sharp vampire canines, she now gives this feline her undivided attention. The brief moment when their eyes met was all that was required. Instantly, the large bipedal feline jumps, ascending directly into the night air, hovering fifteen feet above the grass surface. With a deep growl, a large paw is weaved to form an enchantment. Purple energy gathers quickly, and then disperses below. Three large ghostly panthers take shape from the summoning magic, dropping to the grass. Upon touchdown, the ethereal black cats immediately attack, pouncing upon the pale, white haired woman.
Her smile vanishes as the large phantom felines leap. A hiss escapes her lips as she pushes out her palms in front of her. A globe of dark red negative energy extends around her being at the last minute, as the cats crash into this deathly shield. Again and again they leap into the shield and deflect off, gradually wearing down the spell but injuring themselves in the process, as red blood splatters on the grass.
Just as the globe shrinks, revealing her extended hands busy channelling and containing the spell, the woman once again hisses furiously. Inside, her vicious blood boils and flows through her veins, entering her muscles, brain and vision, causing her empty, lifeless pupils to gleam bright red in the moonlight. Ending the spell after the third cat deflects off the shield, the woman incants a summoning spell of her own. A flash of light from her palm signifies the source of a summoned decorated long sword that drops into her hand.
Radiating black aura of its own, the ancient weapon’s runic blade swirls with black tendrils that lick at the woman’s wrist, before waiting steadily for the kiss of flesh. Spinning on her heel of her boot, the woman brings the cutting edge across the faces of all three wraithlike panthers, spraying crimson life-force upon the soil. A loud screech of pain erupts from the dexterous attackers, and they drop to the floor, before dispersing into energy, evaporating.
Peering up into the night sky, the woman tries to locate the Rakshasa, but finds nothing. At that moment, pain erupts from her back as the towering bipedal cat cuts into her flesh with its heavy claws, the deep wounds startling the human-like woman at its abruptness. A scream resonates from her at that moment; before she is struck with a powerful bludgeoning attack, sending her sprawling across the grass to slam into a dead tree with a loud crack, also causing her sword summon to vanish.
The large cat stands there, waiting, as the long pure white haired woman recovers from the tree, leaving a sizeable fracture in the hulk behind her. Getting to her feet wearily and wincing from the pain, she brushes herself off and grooms her hair out of pride for her appearance, before walking towards the Rakshasa with dark and unwavering intent and purpose.
With a flash of power within the cat’s eyes, it turns its head to regard something in the near distance, noting a silhouette crouched, watching the two. With a soft growl, the regal feline turns its body to face the humanoid shape on that hill, reaching out to clutch it from afar. At that moment, the shape struggles for a second, but then teleports into the presence of the Rakshasa. Immediately the creature strikes out with its long claws, impaling him by the neck. A grunt is heard as blood descends down, and the creature now lifts him up, the male hanging in mid air like a victim of a noose, struggling. The man hisses and his hood falls away from his head, revealing the Vampire Lord Nerva.
The pale woman stops her approach suddenly, and scowls. With a magic gesture of the large bipedal cat’s other paw, a potent blue-shaded shimmering energy barrier of her own forms around both itself and Nerva, preventing any action from the porcelain white female.
"Release me!" Demands the male sentient undead, while attempting to release himself from the skewer of the larger catlike entity to no avail. His strength was outmatched. Nerva's seized throat now suffers under the divine energy, and he growls in pain while his own pale flesh bleeds and burns.
With another heavy growl, the Rakshasa speaks in exotic accent. "Be silent, parasite. Your demise is assured just as the desert has sandstorms." The nearby woman dressed in black comments back quickly. "You freak."
The fierce lioness turns to regard her. "You will die, Sanguine Nocturna, once vengeance has been fulfilled and your Keeper has been absorbed by me. You will fade into the nothing."
These words shocked her, understanding the truth at this moment in time. She realised that if Nerva died tonight, everything will be lost. He alone carried the essence of Kich'ravell, and for some reason, it did not fight.
Nerva ceases to resist and now sways unresponsively, speared in the grip of the feline entity. A soft growl emits from the oesophagus of the larger creature, feeding off the nameless energy Nerva allegedly contains. Even now the porcelain white female known as Sanguine Nocturna could feel her own strength being sapped. She was linked somehow. Sanguine's blood-red eyes now darken to pitch black, calling for a drastic measures. She closes them.
-~-
"Easy, Animadverto… easy…" Ænima mutters to herself, gingerly raises a test tube to the torch fire, examining the violate contents. The crypt held a comfort to her, being so deep in the earth, so silent, away from all potential distractions. The alchemy lab was not the most impressive, but it served its purpose for the time being. The work being done at this moment in time was particularly important, as it held a final solution to adapting Ferratus to the Blackblade.
Carefully turning, the vampire elder lowers her hand to set the glass tube down, but suddenly, a heavy presence fills her unholy mind.
"I need your soul."
"Sangu-?... what soul?"
All life flees Ænima’s body, and she slumps to the floor lifelessly, sending the test tube soaring, shattering upon a piece of furniture, violently blowing up her favourite finely crafted oak table.
-~-
Inside an expensive wooden coffin, sleeping soundly lay Ætheos. The wild-child of the family getting sleep was a rare thing indeed. Even rarer will be the events about to play out. She stirs in slumber, as a dread presence falls upon her rest.
"Awaken, child."
The vampire opens her eyes instantly, but jumps, slamming her forehead on the coffin lid, hissing in annoyance, rubbing her head. "Vaern! I’m trying t-!"
She lay back suddenly, as all existence of the vampire left her body.
-~-
"This dull course of action bores me." Ursula casually sits on the end of the red velvet bed with her legs crossed and watching Damion with a disinterested gaze.
"I think it’s a better idea, Ursula. We were lucky in the past, I am not so certain this time." Damion paces back and forth, his hands behind his back. "What if you end up getting captured or worse? Conflict isn’t always the best answer to get what you want. Yes. We stay here until things calm down."
"Are you listening to me? You’re not-" He turns to regard his lover sitting on the bed, but finds her lying lifeless on it instead. He sighs and approaches.
"I didn’t realise it bored you -that- much…"
-~-
Sanguine opens her eyes, and her vision returns to the situation. With a whisper in the wind, her words flow smoothly from her cold lips.
"Mortis via Vitae, dies illa Lacrimosia." And with those dark words her nature viciously turns spectral. All physical shape and form change and adapt. Within the short moment, her ethereal, wraithlike being flickers smoothly in the Rakshasa's outwards presence, like seaweed riding the tide. With a terrible wail, the wraith enters celerity, and the world time slows considerably. With a blink of an eye, the ghost propels itself towards the Feline. Shadow-walking through the barrier with a blur, the spirit enters the skin of the impaled vampire lord in torpor.
The world time reverts back to normal, and only then did the Rakshasa Entity notice the disappearance of Sanguine Nocturna. The feeding process stops, and its mesmerizing blue eyes peer down to her victim on her claws. With an astonished glance, the giant and noble feline entity matches gazes with the Vampire Lord, noting the intoxicating darkness in his now conscious eyes.
A forced and spiteful word spits out from Nerva’s lips, scowling in the process. "… Bastet." This word was not only his own, but it also belonged to the combination of Kich'ravells' essence and the entire Animadverto bloodline, empowered by the Nightmare Curse.
Suddenly and from out of nowhere another claw swiftly descends upon him, bringing down the full strength of the determined Avatar to end The Keeper once and for all. At the last minute, the Vampire’s hand strikes upwards, deflecting the left hand finishing blow and catching the wrist of the divine entity of Solar and Vengeance. Pinned in place with a crushing hold, Nerva slowly slides himself off the long scissor-like claws, using his other hand to push the other cat’s arm back.
A dark and sinister smile curls over his pale lips, holding both wrists of the large feline, levitating in place. Bastet snarls deeply at her predicament, before a sudden jerk of Nerva’s hand breaks the bones in her right arm with a deep but pleasing crunch sound, elevating the volume of pain from the cat.
With supernatural energy, the wound upon Nerva’s throat instantly heals. With a deep sigh, the possessed vampire releases a grip on the broken arm of Bastet. Wasting no time, his hand forms a solid spear shape, and strikes out with blinding speed, sending his entire arm through her throat instead. With a human scream, the divine entity falters stumbles backwards, taking Nerva and his arm with her. Collapsing to the muddy soil, her powerful presence slowly eases off, letting the gentle breeze return to its rightful place.
Pulling his arm away just as quickly, he stands over and stares down at the kneeling cat, choking on the rush of blood, pouring down her now ruined noble and exotic desert attire. Thunder echoes overhead, as a dark gloom gathers as a substantial aura around the possessed sentient undead. Wails of the damned scream around Nerva as his fingers take on a bright red glow - the touch of death. Raising his hand to gather force for a moment, he strikes swiftly and with no remorse, clutching the skull of Bastet.
The overwhelming negative energy burns and drains the life-force of the Avatar, her screams echoing across the Lamia Hills, no doubt heard without difficulty in the city of Lacrimosus. The cry of torture and pain continues for minutes on end as the cat is held helpless against the attack. Scarlet tears pour down her dark tanned cheeks, dripping upon the grass. Finally, the goddess’ cries soften, and the Avatar slumps to the earth, defeated.
Her defiled beauty turns ethereal, and her body fades away from this realm.
Two words harmonize with all five voices and flow easily off his pale tongue.
"Bad kitty."
_________________ "No motion has she now, no force; She neither hears nor sees; Rolled round in earth's diurnal course, With rocks, and stones, and trees."
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