Topic: Unending: Lost & Found 2

Kaius

Date: 2012-02-23 17:36 EST
The Plane of Horizon.

Kaius was staring upwards, his head angled to the position of the sun. Had it been there. Instead, Horizon's horizon was filled with an inky black spherical vortex, slowly spiraling open in a drawn out vicious yawn of annihilation. In that panoramic view one could make out the death?s of planets and of stars. And everything else.

Annihilation walked the planes, and it was a Dragon. A Child of Azura Dy'Logos. But these were merely ideas that tickled the back of Kaius's mind, reminiscent of the memory of a misunderstood fairy tale. Once, upon a time. And all that.

The Myriae were continuously pulsing in this place, pouring streamers of ruby, liquid light into the sky, towards the eye of the disturbance, so far away now that it's true distance could not be measured. Not that it could be if it were nearer, at least not by the conventional measuring methods of men. Yet from his brow and bracelets, the streamers of power connected them, in the far off distance of nowhere. And he was alone.

To mused to himself, as he glanced down at his bracelets, noting the tendrils of red light stretching from his wrists into the distance. "And if I hadn't split the other....what effect then?" His face turning once again heavenward, eyes on the dark singularity, and squinting before heaving a slow sigh. "I tire of this dream..."

As if on cue, either just appearing or just appearing to him, a campfire crackled behind him and his eyes briefly widened though he didn't turn. It couldn't be.

" 'ware young'un." Urdru.

"Will I wake up sooner if I pay attention to you, or ignore you?" Studying the singularity once more, listening to the annoying sound of the old man sucking his teeth. Gods, even in memory and dream, the man's habits were grotesque.

The gravelly sound of stone on stone filling a brief undercurrent in the sound scape of the otherwise silent void. And a sharp pain lanced the back of his head, and in reaching up to massage the tender area as he turned on Dru, his sleeve slipped down his forearm, revealing the burn marks. The result of splitting the Myriad. The results of the gifts he gave to Caelyn and Wanda. Had he known the eventual outcome of trying, he still would have. Merely found a safer method.

But remember the pain in the back of his head, and his eyes falling on the old man who sat cross legged before the fire with an all too knowledgeable grin on his face. "...an 'ut makes ye thin ye're dream, eh' Eh then?"

What an aggravating grin.

Kaius

Date: 2012-02-24 15:08 EST
"So this isn't a dream." The statement was made as he turned back to eye the singularity, even as another distant sphere crumbled and collapsed in upon itself, racing towards inevitable Oblivion, far in the distance. Urdru cracked his knuckles somewhere behind him.

"...if'n it makes i'easer for ye, suppose ye. Buh....no'as ye thin. Nah fra' sleep. S'ere. S'alway been, s'alway wi'be. E'en cah t'end. Horizon," the one clear word among the jumble. "..s'mada man. Th'eldre. S'be t'last. E'en att'er then'exus." Urdru to Kaius, though his eyes only flickered from the light and dark eating entity far in the distance.

Possibly the longest speech he'd heard the old man utter thus far. Not to mention the most unintelligible.

Rounding on the old man, profile in view to both Urdru on one side, and the singularity on the other. He sighed. It had to be a dream or some sort. The kind where after you realize you're in it, you can walk around and talk and touch, but it's ultimately still a dream. Everything seemed so mutable. Except perhaps Urdru and himself. And wasn't that a little galling, that the old man had such corporeality in Kaius's dream' Well. Wasn't it just.

"So what happens next' Are we waiting for something or ...?" The tedium in Kaius's voice was leveling out, after he started to process the fact that whatever was happening here, in his dream, or whatever it was, probably was happening in a dilated ratio to his actual, physical age. He studied the flow of red light from the Myriae on his wrists, not expecting any kind of lucid answer from Dru. Sometimes, life doesn't go in the direction you expect, however.

"Ayuh. Wait. Two mor'a comin. 'En...'en a palaver." Urdru stared at the cross guard of the ancient blade he used to stir the embers of his fire, his usual erratic, crotchety, yet upbeat demeanor momentarily muted.

Offhand, as Kaius studied the Myriae all the while, his thoughts of the question and answers distant and lacking focus, "....a talk" Who?" Odd that the his burned arm should itch in a dream, just another peculiarity to add to the pile he supposed as the thought flickered into then out of his mind. Until focus Found him. Urdru was speaking again, much bereft of his usual marble mouthed slurring; his words were soft, and spoken into the flames before him. But the words cut through the lack of attention to his quick, as a key sliding into a lock.

"Hard t'say....Kaiden....young'un, like'en you. Younger, e'en." There was a slight pause before he continued, "Nor ready. No test'd. So....Emissary i'gonna talk for him. You....you gonna know th'voice. Se'prepare. An...he'en nah who ye thin...e'en tho...he is." Another pause, whether for drama or to simply make sure Kaius was listening. How would anyone ever know with old Dru" "Kristoph....tho....the Dragons....do know him as Knightfall. Ye brother."

Kaius didn't think it possible that Kristoph had Found him. It simply wasn't. Yet apparently he had, at least in the dream. Didn't Kaius grit his teeth as he exhaled a litany of profanity?

Well, didn't he just.

Lightfall

Date: 2012-02-27 01:00 EST
The Plane of Horizon.

Kaiden trod warily into the seeming dream scape, his gaze torn at everything he tried to take in. It wasn't the first time he'd found himself in a situation out of his depth, and like previous instances, he held his distance as best he could, watching and listening.

And there was a lot for him to absorb.

A vast plane, where all but the most immediate surrounding blurred if one looked at it too long, the perception of reality ....twisting, and warping away from the expected. All towards a swirling vortex of entropy high and far, far overhead. The gateway to Oblivion.

And there before him two people, one an old man. The other ....familiar in his stance, somehow but all to adult ....Kincaid"

It couldn't be. Three red ribbons of power bled off him towards the umbral, black halo above.

The Old man by the fire was mundane, at least in appearance. He at least he recognized from the grounds of Bristle Crios on his forays into Vampire House. Some foreigner with an indecipherable speech.

As he took all this in, he became aware of one more presence, behind him. Turning, he was greeted by the sight of a man that stood several inches above himself, and while probably sharing a similar physiques that would be more often attributed to father and son, looked enormous for the size of the fire blackened dark plate armor he wore, bearing the sigil of the Black Rose upon the breast.

His face bore the expression of the infinitely patient, and the infinitely exhausted; his iron streaked raven black hair groomed neatly at the top and sides, bearing a braid on either side of his face, but turning into a wild mane along his back and shoulders; his serious grey eyes bore only a trace of the deep emerald they'd had when he was a younger man, but also had vastly more wisdom - especially now vacant of the madness which so recently gripped the mind of the Host whose body was now being projected.

On his forehead, there was a Myriad, and the power it bled off into the great rift was greater alone than any single Myriad being wielded by Kaius. How did he know that name, now" Intuition told him it had something to do with this armored juggernaut.

Silent, watchful. Out of his peripheral vision, the old man had risen and was looking at ....no, beyond him. At the knight. In a clear, concise voice, something reminiscent of the High Speech, the old man addressed the figure.

Kaiden saw the old man grin, and had he muttered something" 'At least what?s left of him'" It seem incongruous with the greeting, but be that as it may.

"Kristoph Knightfall, Lord and Priest of the Black Rose.......welcome, to the End."

Lightfall

Date: 2012-03-07 16:11 EST
The Plane of Horizon.

The armored figure stepped past Kaiden, his eyes set on his brothers back for a moment before stepping to Urdru. "It's been a long time, old man. I'm surprised you yet live." Silver streaks cut the raven blackness of his hair, and slight crows feet at his eyes bespoke more years than his body had seen; there was a semi ethereal quality to him as he glanced back at Kaiden, then back towards Urdru. "....I was thinking perhaps a palaver, among the men?" His lip quirked, only just slightly as his eyes flickered to the dark singularity far overhead, eating away at ....existence. Oblivion. "...things haven't gone quite as I foresaw them."

Urdru's eyes narrowed as he peered up at the ebon gash in....Was reality the right word" Probably not, "This type of chat doesn't usually play out well for me. And how do you propose we cut out the boys from this little conference?" He paused. "Skin has that crawlin' sense to it. Like there's a watcher here." He scanned the environs but saw only the lads and Knightfall.

Kristoph shifted slightly, regarding the two ....well, compared to himself and Urdru, younglings. Would they rally' He thought not. As he shifted, the armor he was wearing began to shift and coalesce into simple travelers wear, burgundy on black; the hilt of a large sword now visible over his left shoulder. "....we're in Horizon now..." He tapped his brow, his own Myriad flaring somewhat, still pouring forth ruby light towards the darkness. "Focus....slow your breathing....like the hourglass.." He paused for a moment, then continued. "There are always watchers, in the darkness, brother." An amused smile playing at his lips, for isn't that what the rune in his own Myriad bespoke in his native language" Watchers in the Darkness, With the Powers of Protection.

Urdru

Date: 2012-03-09 09:21 EST
"Horizon, eh?" The thought tickled a memory in Urdru, one of the far-back places in his mind. Something regarding himself and time. An inkling, then it was gone. He tapped his own brow in a mocking gesture, and nearly fell over when he felt something there between his eyes. Running his fingers over the shape, the image of an hourglass formed in his thoughts. No skulls like the tattoo on his shoulder, more....pure somehow.

"It's there..." he muttered. "Memories I should 'member, just out of reach..." In saying it, he suddenly knew that whatever that flash of insight had been, he'd never find it again while Kaius and Kaiden listened.

Even as the two of them spoke, thirteen sets of disemodied eyes shone in the semi darkness surrounding them. But even as those eyes blinked in watching them....the blinking slowed....as did the slow curving swirl of the vortex to Oblivion above.

"...do you remember at all....the Myriad?" the inquiry came softly as he watched the work of Temporis, his words softly quiet; Kristoph had no desire to interrupt the workings of the Myriad.

"Myriad, yes." Again Urdru tapped the hourglass rune, narrowing his eyes even further. "The verse..." He began chanting; half certain of what would happen yet equally astonished as the lads' movements took on a dream-like quality, slowing more with each second that passed. "Every year is getting less, never seem to find the time....quiet desperation is the traveler's way..." He paused, admiring his work so far, and continued "The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say?"

(Disclaimer: Lyrics from 'Time' by Pink Floyd are property and copyright of their owners. Inclusion in this post was meant as a tribute with no intention of profit.)

Lightfall

Date: 2012-03-09 09:48 EST
Kristoph watched and listened to the old man, murmuring quietly?"All blades forged, not always to kill, not all who yield are weak..." He had started into something else, but fell silent at Urdru's words, a half formed smile upon his lips. "Those suffice just as well..." And then his attention was on the skies above them again. "He hunts us, still..." He cast his eyes skyward. ?"And draws closer than he ever has before. Now is the hour of our endgame. And I am done with Justice." The words rang hollow and echoed in the temporally halted plane.

Done with Justice; had he meant ....the Myriad"

"Can a, no, the Justiciar cast off his very essence?" The words seemed to flow of their own accord from Urdru, foreign yet fitting in some way.

"Not cast off....merely....evolved." Kristoph glanced sidelong at Kaiden. "....he will bear the mark, now. My body is....so much dust. And he is the Last Host." Though he spoke the words, there was something seemingly unfinished to his statement, and but he went on, "....I am' what is left of me, will soon be with the Last Myriad." It was a lame conclusion, but it was the simplest truth, unfortunately.

The old man's eyes narrowed in speculation Knightfall's words, suspicion turned to certainty for the old man. "I was a fool to believe that huntsman would ever tire. Last Myriad" He must be seeking it also." Motioning to the rift, Urdru stared at Knightfall. "Is this his doing?"

The words came out slowly...."Azi....Logos....Dy'Hauc..." And the eyes that were kind a moment ago, and filled with mirth at seeing an old friend cooled from emerald forests to ice blue glaciers. "He does....though he can't consume it before....Dragons have all been consumed..." He glanced to the rift, "Aye. He can't yet ....manifest, I think, on the physical plane....he lacks a Host of his own. But ....I suspect he even now is gathering agents..."

Urdru

Date: 2012-03-09 14:52 EST
"Agents. A fitting word. Never allies, most assuredly not equals, not for him." Urdru paused, "Consume" Surely not even he could manage that."

"He'll ride them like sacks of meat, until he finds that he seeks. Then and only then would he come in his own flesh....Oblivion. The Endless Hunter...." He scowled, caught perhaps in an exaggeration of his own abilities. "....I don't know if he could. But....I know he's trying." Gesturing to Kaius, "His ....the world he was keyed to, is gone. As are many of my own, and.....yours." He couldn't help but shoot Urdru a sly, chiding glance. He was almost completely himself, just for the moment....before they left Horizon and he would fade back into Kaiden, be subsumed....and in truth become more than he'd ever been as Kristoph Knightfall alone. "....you fear that the only man who could carry Justiciar but not bow before it, the only man who has looked Oblivion in the eye and not blinked is ....what, disappearing?" Referencing the comment about leaving behind the Myriad of Justicar.

Urdru buried his head in his hands, the scope of Dy'Hauc's ambition having shaken him. "My obsession with time, all along, he knew. He shaped events to his liking. "His host. It always comes back to that. Jonas has resisted him before. But he won't be able to without you to provide..." The word eluded him and then, "Backbone!" Urdru's tone edged down slightly, and he voiced the interrogative both of them had on their mind since it's mention, "Will the lad carry the sword then?"

"....I don't know yet. The sword may have to be ....reforged." The last word came slowly....and with great hesitation.

Urdru felt his gorge rise. The wheeling of Temporis had spun out infinite happenings. But this...Justiciar had always been immutable. "What could that accomplish' And a splitting of Myriae" Surely it will play into his hands."

Kristoph sighed heavily. "You would say that, when it's a mate to your own blade." He considered for a moment. "The boy uses two blades. I'm not sure why....he's the first Host to be attuned to Justicar to not wield the Blade of the Bells. I have considered having....two new blades forged for him. But....again, I hesitate..." It's obvious he wants to go on, but is unsure.

"Speak on, I'm beginning to ken the direction this is going. Maybe, possibly...it could work." Urdru mused a moment longer, perhaps if only to himself. This was one of those times when his self absorbed ramblings would drive Kaius mad, as he was unable to decipher them; not so with Kristoph, however. "A single cut severs nothing, not where he's concerned. A twinning though, a mirror of Dy'Hauc and Jonas. Yes..."

Lightfall

Date: 2012-03-09 16:00 EST
Kristoph continued, his train of thought running parallel the old man's. "A master forger must be found. There is a vampiress....who..." At this, a new hesitancy washes over him. Some part of Kaiden copied to to him, or merely a ....remembrance" "....I have set to her several tasks, in order that Kaiden may be granted aid....I did not however forsee....the human element." He sighed softly. Hopefully Urdru knew enough not to bring up that particular past that allowed Kristoph to identify, but it was there.

He decided instead to jump topics again, back to something they were both much more comfortable talking about. Swords. "....indeed....and the blades that would serve justice already exist ex Memoria, Vengeance & Salvation." The words were whispered, and as they sprung into existence, so did the reality of the blades themselves.

The old man chuckled despite himself. "The first bloom is always sweetest. That changes nothing. It might even provide inspiration for her efforts."

Kristoph's answer to that was short, and dry as a desert. "Trust me, I really don't think she's that kind of girl."

"And what of him?" Nodding to Kaius a wry smile twisted his wizened mein - a grotesque sight if not for the guileless humor behind it. "His sundered Myriae must have their part?" Urdru rambled sometimes, but he had a way of getting around to his point, though one could question the relevance of some of his earlier concerns before this one, it was impossible to judge the inner workings of the man out of time.

"Whatever the case. Others have acknowledged the Myriae as well....the one called Renna, the Betrayer. I know not yet, her part." His eyes followed Urdru's to his one time brother, Kaius. "....perhaps, but it's all happening too quickly for me to tell....and none of it according to....plan. I'm worried he'll be....targeted first. He draws too much upon them, and too little upon his own abilities. He draws attention to them like a lodestone." There was a long pause before Kristoph continued, his face showing exactly the depth of his concern, usually warm eyes narrowed with worry, despite their timeless wisdom. "Perhaps my greatest worry is that his use of them will influence the other hapless who he's gifted it to." His voice vexed, perhaps a little exasperated. He was an almost infinitely patient and caring man, but ....his brother pushed him, no matter his world of origin.

Urdru

Date: 2012-03-09 21:03 EST
"Attention can be diverted, and I know just the wasp to deliver the sting." The smile slid into something now truly grotesque and a low whine filled the air as Urdru began spinning Doom in a wide arc. "Have faith, you've underestimated him before." It was uncanny how the man could cut to the quick of Kristoph's concerns sometimes; then again, with the amount of battles on and off the field they'd fought together, maybe it was just natural for some anticipation of one another's thoughts.

"Feeding people, growing things, the family business. Who can blame him if he takes a moment to enjoy the fruits of his labor?" Impishness had resumed caretaking of the grin's form.

As Urdru's blade wheeled, he unslung his own answer....Justiciar, the Judge. A grin played on his face. Somewhere in the foolishness of his comment which Kristoph acknowledged from a previous life time where again, they'd fought side by each, the old man had issued a friendly challenge. "...your tone and your actions beg the question, old man..." A smile played on his lips. A spar then, for it had been ages. Just briefly, then....down to business; as he unsheathed his blade, his Myriad....shifted. Taking on a lighter hue, until....it became white. And though Kristoph could not see it, any other who possessed one would recognize it for the singular name it possessed among Dragons....Ascension, and ethereal ropes stretching from the hilt, out into the distance of Horizon.

Eyeing the gleaming Myriad, the ancient wanderer bent into a crouch, bobbing vertically on the balls of his feet. "If we're to take up 'gainst that hoary lich again, best stay trim. Try to keep up, a rolling stone shan't be cross'd!" Motioning to the pale beacon on Knightfall's brow, he continued. "Choosing Dy'Hauc as a foe, dementsion might be a more germane." He cackled gleefully as he advanced, blade still spinning.

Shaking his head, unable to repress a grin, "....you damned old fool..." Muttering as he drew forward, lancing Justiciar down in a whistling swing, trusting in the old man's always....apt defenses, to save himself.

A last-second dodge, more pell-mell than graceful, proved Urdru's answer. He aimed a riposte leftward, then pulled back to guard as he sucked in a few quick breaths. "Hmm, might have misunderestimated my fitness." With that he lunged forward again, smiling inwardly as the song of sword meeting sword rose to meet the singularity. "Oh-ho! Might the Knight have the fight"!" That the answer was the same as it had forever been was not important to Urdru. He always enjoyed their sparring; whiff, lose or disarmed.

Lightfall

Date: 2012-03-09 21:24 EST
The swords were forged so long ago, and by such ancient hands, that calling the sound steel on steel was a misnomer, but none the less the song rang out and made mockery of the proximity of Oblivion, the two had always been annoyingly evenly matched, and that could be seen through the physical contest of their wills. "....out of practice, old man?" He was breathing harder than he should have been as well, especially given his semi ethereal form and lack of body.

But Horizon made such things possible as Kristoph danced forward again, meeting attack with attack, as neither would back away, a grin upon his face.

Gritting his teeth, his hands slick on the pommel, Urdru felt his reflexes growing more sluggish with each exchange. "Were only the Baron in this fray, might actually have my full attention." His protruding eyes and foaming maw belied his bravado as he stubbornly pressed on. Hopping backwards, he planted the blade in the earth and showed his hands, palms up. Panting madly he grunted, "Tank...empty...need....intermission."

Justiciar's blade similarly sank into the earth, or at least what passed for it on the Horizon plane. The firmament, if nothing else.

Kristoph's weariness was gone now from his eyes, and though it had now settled into his muscles, his true power shone from behind those color changing orbs.

"Alright then." He exhaled slowly as Justiciar sheathed itself below. "A real palaver then. We'll begin again, with what we know."