Topic: The Den of Shadows, Rebuilding.

Lucy Ravenlock · Date: 2006-08-31 23:32 EST

The first day

Lucy hung from a hook like the carcass of a cow. Her entire torso had been opened up and cleaned out?. No guts, no heart, just merely the empty shell of skin - bone and muscle. The meat hook that had her suspended was pierced deep into her front section of her neck, the curled hook coming in back on to itself and upwards into her skull where it had guttered out from her mouth, pressing her tongue downwards back into her throat ? blocking out the airway.

She could taste the metal in her mouth, and the entrance wound of the hook strained and stretched her skin ? legs hanging and thrashing about, as the blood and bleach was bled from the rest of her.

And she was still conscious somehow.

Below her a drop of fifty meters threatened to further injure her more than she already was. Not that she minded it though, because it?d be a factual break from the pain she was currently undergoing. So horrifying was this agony that she had come to be completely and entirely anesthetized from all other sensation except from what Renna wanted her to feel; so perhaps, her grotesque gutting at the hands of the Demon Renna did some good after all? Focusing on the physical was far better in the long run than the mental?

Lucy opened her eyes and squinted from the glare of the sun as the disturbing images continued to burn. She stood before the rubble of the Den of Shadow?s once glorious - and however small - Fort, the various rocks and boulders that were once apart of her Main Keep lay scattered all about the clearing, destroyed by Henrietta in her attempt to destroy Lucy and claim the title of Queen of Shadows for her own?

Next to Lucy stood a frail, thin man holding a clipboard. He was dressed in an attire rather suited for special events and not hiking into the wilderness? An elaborate tuxedo and tiny framed glasses?

What a show off, Lucy had thought initially, but judging by the way the man spoke he was the epitome of English snobbery. And she hated it.

?The previous men who created this were cowboys? I mean, no wonder the thing fell down. Shoddy workmanship and shoddy materials,? He shook his head and then directed his blue-eyed gaze to the elder teen off to his side, looking lost in her thoughts. ?I believe the underground structural integrity should be fine for as long as we don?t put too much weight upon the surface. That?s the bad news?? He tapped his pen against the clipboard as he kicked away a stone, scuffing his black shoe.

?So what?s the good news?? Lucy commented with a sigh, her arms crossing over her chest as she shifted to direct her body to him, head tipped up to the tall man looking well smart in his black suit.

He coughed and directed his gaze to the ground, that wasn?t a good sign for Lucy. ?The good news is that your extension of this Fort to full Castle can be done. The problem is??

?There?s more bad news?? Lucy sighed, agitated by how this man was not making her day a good one.

?It?ll cost more money. We?ll need to strengthen the foundations ? perhaps uproot all the earth and adjust the land to aid in the-?

?It can be done, right? Make this whole clearing one big castle, while keeping the underground section completely intact??

He nodded, ?With more money.?

Lucy kicked her boot against the soil, digging up a patch of grass as she got the feeling of deja-vu? She didn?t look interested in what he had to say anymore. She was dreading the answer to her next question, ?How much more??

?A few thousand,? He said this like as if it were idle banter! And Lucy?s visible grimace had him rolling his eyes, ?Listen kid-?

?I am not a kid,? Lucy interjected calmly.

?-Fine, listen. I have no time to play these games ? I am a highly paid contractor and I do not need your childish winces at everything I say when things cost more money, than I had originally hoped. There is still the factor of workforce?? He tapped questioningly back to the paper on the clipboard, readying himself to mark off that too on the costs.

?The workforce will not be necessary. I have my own.?

Well that took the man back, but he grinned on. ?What? A gang of teenagers?? He chuckled dryly to the elder teen, teasing her some more. And besides, what was with her dress sense ? looking like some monk with some strange crown on her head; who did she think she was? A Queen of some kind, or was she just another nut in the nut-house that was indeed Rhy?Din?

Lucy sighed as she bent down to pick up a stone to inspect the jagged edges. Maybe she should throw it at him? She did not reply to his attempt at wit and sarcasm, and that left the man in a fairly awkward silence?

He coughed, nervously. It wasn?t a good idea to insult the customer, you know, ?Okay. Building materials and you want them delivered here? Right, okay no problem your order should be ready fairly soon ? I?d say within the week everything should get here.?

?Thank you,? Lucy spoke softly ? tossing the rock away across the clearing easily.

?Well? Uh, bye then?? He gave a wave of a single white gloved hand, turning to move away when suddenly he paused and turned back to face her, ?Oh ? I almost forgot I need your name.? Again he had to drag out that pen from his pocket for the fifth time.

?Lucy Ravenlock.?

The man paused with his pen?s nub merely millimeters away from the box that required a name to be written, ?Lucy, Ravenlock??

Scarlet eyes stared silently upon him, ?Yes, that is my name.?

?The, Lucy Ravenlock?? Did the man sound almost terrified? Or was that just Lucy?

She gave him a nod. It took him long enough to put two and two together; who else wore the Black Monk?s attire in white or brown to stand out from the rest of her army? This was the Queen of Shadows. This was Renna?s spawn. The man had just realised this.

?? Right,? He undone his collar?s top button to let out some gathering steam, ?I-I?ll be seeing you very soon, Miss Ravenlock.?

?Thank you, again. You have been a lot of help.? She nodded to him as he went on his way? Watching 'till he stepped out of the clearing and towards the dirty path back towards the City of Rhy?Din. When he was gone from sight and hearing, she shifted her head and extended her hand out towards the rubble before her?

Lucy Ravenlock · Date: 2006-09-02 17:37 EST

The rocks shifted from the ground like suddenly the planet had no gravity to root it. Boulders ? rocks and pebbles ? they were all lifted and hurtled high into the air like they were made of sponge while Lucy, floated mere inches above the desolate soil of the clearing meters away from the ruins that once made the Fort?s keep.
Her long locks of raven black hair snaked its way out above her head and fluttered in an unknown updraft of emptiness. The pentagram scar etched into the skin of her forehead a gleam in a profound blinding azure; the falling rocks that she had flung into the sky fell directly behind her in one simple pile of rocks and rubble. The larger boulders cracked and shattered from the sheer velocity of the impact while the smaller merely bounced, and chipped.
Lucy was doing a favor to the future workers that will ultimately come and rebuild her Fortress in its new design, of which should have been drawn up on that very same day by the man she had come to known as Kevin ? the man in the classy and flashy tuxedo. It was a good thing too they were different Contractors from the ones that her Mother had hired. She let only a few of them survive and if these by some strange chance were the same people? They probably would have rejected Lucy upon sight of her walking through the door of their offices.

The clearing continued, but she refused to remove the boulders that blocked the long staircase down into the underground section of her Den. She must keep those rocks there to contain the madness that was below itching to get out? Mu. Lucy could sense her creation just scratching at the walls; pacing the silent halls; lost in her solitude itching? Wanting, longing to get out? Wanting to see the sun again? Wanting to murder? The reasons for her madness; the reason why the more silent but deadly Twin required to see blood now so often was for comfort, she longed for comfort? And she longed for her Sister to return. But that could never happen ? the seal upon that Twin?s forehead had been shattered and lost forever, the original soul that lurked there now was left to nothing. She did not exist?

Aru was dead.

The problem was? Aru and Mu, were one and the same, no wonder she lost her marbles. How can you ever fathom loosing a part of yourself?

Her eerie cry calls out, faint and constant? Loud enough to be noted when one hushed down in silence, the poor Twin was screaming; crying; flailing; yearning for her Sister to return to her so she could once again be whole and complete.

?Sister?

?Sister?

?Sister?

Mu, the last Twin, the last to die?

And as Lucy went to work she cried, her tears had made it difficult to see.

Lucy Ravenlock · Date: 2006-09-04 21:24 EST

The fourth day.

Squelch?

A flash of red?

Splash?

Thud? Thud?

Lucy was turned away from the decapitated body that out stretched its hand to the heels of her platform boots, her head turned to the side as she stared on over her shoulder at the gathering of men in various designs of suits of armour; wielding swords, clubs and maces standing battle ready ? poised, for a killing strike.
Well there wasn?t an army so to speak standing behind her ? just a band of Bounty Hunters needing to be dealt with. Just what was with these people? First that giant metallic thing from last night and now these band of idiots at the clearing of where her Den once stood ? a small pile of rubble covering the dark passage down into Lucy?s own personal hell.

If they came here for what was down there, they were in for one hell of a dig.

Providing of course if they could get pass Lucy.

She twisted the Ravenlock short blade in her hand, laying the flat of it against her leg. Lucy remained unmoving as yet another Hunter lurched forward ? mace held high above his head ? screaming barbarically.

A dreadful mistake, for this one too. The stupid fool had left his stomach unguarded ? and that mail he wore would give no protection from her attack, either. This sword was indeed, very sharp.

He had fell as easily as the one previously before him; she spun on a single heel, knees bent, sword lashing out as she dashed to the side ? the quick descending mace missing the back of her head by mere inches as now, Lucy stood behind him. There was no dramatic pause for this man ? he bellowed out his cries, and fell dead in mere seconds. The gash in his stomach spilling out his bowels all across the unhallowed ground, he died from the shock more than anything of seeing his insides, outside.

Lucy adjusted her stance ? back straight, head tilting up, to view the group slowly backing away. ?I do not wish to harm you.?

The men looked between themselves, almost debating whether to attack or not... Of course one of them stepped to the challenge, as two of his fallen comrades lay dead behind the Queen of Shadows ? a few finger twitches was perhaps their last testimony of once being alive.

This one ? a man with a sword slashed in an arch from lower right ? to upper left and the awkwardness of this swing had caught Lucy somewhat a little off-guard. She took a step back to dodge the blade whizzing close to her face ? but her hair? Was not so lucky, whole clumps of it fell from her face, cutting one side of her hair shorter than the other. Shoulder length one side, and long chest length on the other. Lucy did not take this too kindly ? the sword that once again had rested upon her leg was brought up in one simple direct slice upwards.

He lost an arm ? luckily for Lucy it was the one with the sword grasped tightly within his hand. It?d be laugh for Lucy to watch him try and pry his own weapons off from his own cold dead fingers. She left him to his screaming ? blood squirting and gushing out across her white monk?s robes.

Two left. One sword and one club? She stopped several steps before them and again offered an ultimatum, ?Tell me who had sent you and I will permit you to leave now with your limbs attached, or stay here and die.?

Again they looked between each other in confused glances, but they stared back to Lucy?

And then went for a quick team attack. One club falling towards her shoulder and one sword coming in fast to her side.

Not her day at all.

The sword was lifted with ease ? she blocked the blade easily coming to her side, but the club had made its mark known and cracked against Lucy?s already sore shoulder.

Damn that metal Bounty Hunter-guy. She hoped she had killed him when she threw him several blocks down the road.

Shoulder dislocated and outnumbered Lucy did the only thing she knew that was best. She kicked the one with the club square in the nuts and watched him fall like a sack of shit to his knees ? stabbing the sword into his neck ? letting go of her blade and leaving him to clench at the sword with clawing hands, while his life force spilled out across the floor and the fabric of her robe.

What was with these people and staining her WHITE clothing red? Bastards, no doubt her straight jacket would be eternally stained, too. A woman's worse nightmare

The one with sword was going for one more slice towards neck and she had twisted her body to see his preparation of bringing the sword up above his head, sadly making the same mistake the other had did, before. Lucy was without her sword but she was not without ideas?

The sword swooshed down with speed, the tip nicking her eyebrow ? splitting it open to the bone while she had put her plan into action. She gripped his wrists and forced his elbows to bend ? the gripped sword brought up?

And the blade entered his skull. He had ultimately stabbed himself in the face with the aid of Lucy?s forceful encouragements. The body slumped against her shoulder and she showed no remorse within those scarlet eyes as the man fell to the ground in a thud, dead.

?Such heroic nonsense?? Lucy muttered, ripping her Ravenlock sword out from one of the body?s neck, lifting flat of the blade to her mouth ? tongue snaking out to lick down the length until blade met hilt. ?? Human blood? You didn?t stand a chance.?

Day Four going on Day Five, soon the building materials will arrive. And now she had to clean up before they got here.

Lucy Ravenlock · Date: 2006-09-11 08:17 EST

The eleventh day.

?Thanks for your time, Gentlemen.? Lucy spoke softly, the pitter patter of the rain drenching the Black Monk robe weighing heavily upon the already weighted shoulders of her shape.

Lucy again wore her full body plated armour today and albeit, the cloak did indeed cover a great vast expanse of it, so really? Perhaps the only indication of armour was due to the gauntlets touching just out of the shredded sleeves, the helm bolted deep within the bone of her skull, and lastly the simple but slightest glance of plated boots.

A large bag of coins was exchanged, from Lucy to two strange men before her, they were both two tall thin and almost deathly paled featured men attired in funeral clothing ? black suits, boots, hats, jackets, both holding two black umbrellas lowered at an angle just enough to hide their faces and their bodies from the heavy rain.
They both bowed in respect to the Queen of Shadows, tipping their hats to her too for the money received, turned, and walked towards the path made from the clearing and back to the main road without so much of as spoken goodbye. The path would eventually lead to the Southern Gate of the City Rhy?Din and back to their facility of bereavement.

Lucy turned to make her pass towards the cleared stairwell that led down into the depths of her Den, but paused when the faint noise of something had caught her ear. The shrouded face, mostly covered by the helm twisted to the side, glowing scarlet orbs floating within the darkness staring off somewhere over her guarded shoulder.

A faint hum.

And it was growing louder with each passing second. The sounds of soil being rolled underfoot ? the sounds of branches cracking and creaking as something pushed its way through the foliage and trees forcibly. It was a truck. Several of them containing a payload of nothing but finely carved heavy and strong stone and long beams of wood, darkened by the rain.

?Well? This is certainly a surprise?? Lucy muttered, turning on plated heels to regard the many trucks taking up parking spaces around the large clearing, each truck holding no more than six men, and they were going about already unloading the stone and wood, piling them up neatly next to each other close the Den?s entrance.

And just then, the man she was looking for too had appeared out of the first Truck. The Contractor - and the last time she talked to him it was nearly just gone a week ago. He returned wearing one hard white hat to protect his thick skull, bizarrely dressed in his tuxedo again and holding a white umbrella to shield him from the rain; the man was already making his way with his grinning face to Lucy.
?Miss Ravenlock!? He greeted with a wave, ?So sorry about the delay-urk!?

The man?s hand had rid himself of the umbrella and quickly he dropped to his knees, both of black gloved hands gripping at his throat, hair matted by the rain to his face and over his eyes.

Lucy stared, and said not a thing to him. She walked around him slowly, head lowered and tilted to face him, watching as his face turned from once a lively peach, to white, then blue.
?A week,? Lucy muttered, ?A damn week I waited for these materials to come and you come here acting like as if you had not failed to arrive upon the allotted time, A WEEK ago, Sir. A week?? The shadow arm was visible thanks to the rain, and then before he had officially been choked to death the vector was withdrawn, allowing for him to gasp, wheeze, and cringe there in the mud.
?Just remember who is paying you. The next time you arrange a date to deliver things I will expect for you to show up. Is that understood?? He nodded to reply her, still trying to catch his breath. ?Good boy.?

Attention taken from the Contractor, Lucy turned to view the men hard at work and totally undeterred by the rain.
?And I believe you have found me my workforce, well done, maybe I won?t recruit you into my Army after all. You?re still useful, alive. Go, and make sure the next delivery arrives on time?? A boot was raised and pushed sharply against the crouched man, he fell into the mud, skidded and scrambled back to his feet, nice fine suit ruined completely ? he didn?t care though, he was running away as fast as he could.

The sharp fingered plated gauntlets were raised into the air abruptly, the wet cloak?s sleeves hanging back from armoured arms, helm tilted up to the sky - allowing for the wetness to drench the bandage wrapped around hereyes.

The men?s screams were short but terrified ? each and every one of them was killed in an instant, imbued with the soul of the Shadow Demons and then, put to work like slaves. Their fresh bodies would do fine to work straight through the day and night...

There were enough materials to construct the Keep over the entrance into the underground area of the Den, so that would be done first before the other areas would be built up.

The Den's Construction was underway...

Lucy Ravenlock · Date: 2006-09-27 15:43 EST

(This post has dried up, I really cannot explain how sorry I am for cutting this short. But I think the whole - posting a rebuilding is simply not needed. The Den is now completed however. For the plans and everything that you may need to get an idea of what it looks like, check here please:

http://rdi.dragonsmark.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1854

I might come back some time in the future and post up all the stuff that happened, while it was being rebuilt. But not now, I really have no ideas for it.

Thanks, and sorry.

LuLu.