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 Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:28 pm
Once again after a brief insignificant fight with Jezzel, Demyx returned to Rome- this time he'll try to find a way to get out of this mess.
It was now daylight, citizens and tourists wandered around the streets of Rome. Demyx fused himself into the crowd, so as not to get noticed by those who can "identify" demons, and walked into Rome's most famous library. He silently got in from the front door and went directly towards the Medical sections and picked up a handful of books. He than hovered into one of the study areas and took a seat near a window in the leftmost corner...
...After about two hours of research, Demyx gave up "It's useless!" he growled breaking the holy silence. "Only Alchemy can help her!" he sighed in a resignated and tired voice knowing that Alchemy had ceased to exist on Earth. "Damn I'm running out of time!" he snapped sharply while moving slowly outside of the building.
There were no white mages in this world, the angels wouldn't cure a demon, elixirs were just a legend on Earth, he couldn't think of anything else he could have done.
Demyx was losing hope, he walked tiredly in an alley and sat on the ground clumsily, drew up his knees and rested his arms on them, thinking about how harsh he was on Jezzel and how that stupid fight will maybe cost him his downfall.
Elabeth sat alone in the old, wrecked, crumbling chapel.
Santa Maria del Fiore was in the shabbiest and most deserted parts of Rome only mice and rats occasionally disturbed the carpet thick dust that lay on its floors, that's why she had decided to adopted it as her temporary abode. To be quite honest Elabeth felt uncomfortable and out of place, she missed the lonely fierce scenery of the ice sheet which over millennia she had called home. "Yet this isn't so bad" she thought " at least I'm alone here, far from those bugging stupid nuisances of humans". "No one would disturb me here" she whispered reassuringly to herself as the fading light from a broken shaft above, fell on her slender form resting against the wall with her head bent resting on her pulled up knees.
Aspasia stood on the roof of the tallest cathedral in the city. The wind whipped her hair back as she closed her eyes and used her mind and body to search for the auras of beings such as herself.
She sensed a demon aura and due to its distance, and perhaps it's current emotional state, it felt very faint, but another aura kept pulling at her and she turned her full attention to it.
This aura felt extremely nefarious and apprehensive. A sense of caution and anxiety filled Aspasia's heart, but her curiosity would not let her go so easily.
Using her wings, Aspasia carefully flew down into an empty alleyway making sure that no one saw her.
Allowing her senses to guide her, Aspasia found the demon and followed him silently, never losing him from her radar.
Demyx couldn't give in to the idea of his downfall so he stood up abruptly and whisked very fast in a gravity defying way. He tried to reach a conclusion ignoring everything around him while the wind whipped harshly in his face.
He suddenly stopped in front of a pitiless abandoned chapel, there was a sign covered in dust and webs- Santa Maria del Fiore it stated. Demyx walked the front passageway as silent as a shadow and without any second thoughts he reached the door knob and wringed it savagely. The door suddenly came crumbling down like shattered glass on him. He didn't bother to move and hence created a bio-kinetic field surrounding his body so that any piece of wood which dared to brush him ended up in ashes. Than he paced forward heavily, the floor creaked, the scared pigeons flew out of the broken windows and the remaining debris of the church suddenly woke up in a chaotic chorus from a century of sleep.
Elabeth realized she wasn't alone anymore. She could feel a familiar presence in the air. she wasn't sure but it felt almost like Orion. This was impossible since Orion had died millennia ago in the first battle... However this approaching aura felt too much like him to belong to any other demon... maybe after all he was alive... and somehow incredibly he had managed to find her. And yet there was something different to this presence, not entirely new, it stirred something in her, like a ripple flowing in a pool of memories.
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Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:30 pm
Suddenly a huge sound started her out of her musings, looking towards the sound she saw the huge door crumbling down sending enormous waves of energy through the air. Quietly almost inaudibly she begins to hum turning the energy of sound into a protective field around her. Calmly she stood up and walked towards the shadow of the stranger. Her humming became rapidly louder, within a second the stranger would find himself in a daze almost hypothesized. Usually she killed anyone who disturbed her peace in an instant, but this time she decided to make an exception and learn who this demon who stirred so much forgotten feelings in her was...
Aspasia perched on a nearby window just as the demon entered the old chapel. Something about him felt vaguely familiar, like a half recalled memory which stubbornly clings to the unconscious mind.
All manner of possibilities traversed through her mind at that moment and afflicted her heart. She clung to her chest unwittingly, as she watched him blast the door away.
Carefully, she approached the chapel masking her body to match her surroundings like a chameleon. Taking a deep breath she gained control of the intense feelings stirring within her, and did her best to maintain the lowest aura possible as not to attract attention to herself.
Demyx immediately drew out his formidable Dragon Slayer however he held it firmly in a defensive position. Although he felt as if he was losing control over his body, he still kept himself at ease and with a cold look on his face he examined every detail of every movement his opponent made. Something about the way she looked, the way she walked, the way she sang, seemed very familiar to him.
Demyx, feeling a little bit uncomfortable, closed his eyes slowly and focused only on her hum. He tried to remember from where he could have heard that heavenly beautiful melody...
Suddenly a picture came to his mind. Demyx's deep star lit blue eyes widened. Was it really her?!
Within seconds of his entering, Aspasia heard the hum and quickly put up a defensive shield to buffer the sound. The song was beautiful yet terrible to hear, it contained a measure of it's former celestial greatness, yet it was deadly and sinister.
Focusing on the figure in front of her Elabeth?s humming almost became a song, flowing and ebbing in to the darkness reaching all corners of the chapel checking if this demon had accomplices lurking hidden by some magic in the shadows, she wasn't ready to die, not yet.
At first everything seemed normal she could not sense any other presence except for the one in front of her, Yet she wasn't at ease, her instincts had never led her astray except once when she had let her emotions rule her head and she made sure to never repeat that mistake again. Increasing her power she swept the church in another wave of energy, paying extra attention to a dark little corner which troubled her mind. And lo she saw her as plain daylight; there was another presence in the church with them, thinking she could deceive her by using chameleon skills. Fool.., not even her defensive shield would last much longer. Elabeth toyed with the idea of murder. Her voice changed a little hardly noticeable and another invisible burst of energy hit the spot where the exiled was, freezing her to the spot, making her unable to move or use any of her powers. Elabeth gave the spot she had hit a slight indifferent, cool glance ?foolish pretty little thing .. I'll deal with you later" she thought and with that she looked in to the stranger's eyes.
Aspasia had but a few seconds before her shield would give way. Already she felt her legs going numb as she rushed to secure the safety of her mind, her most valuable asset.
Though she had lost the use of her motor functions, she could still clearly see and hear everything that was happening around her.
In her mind she smirked, as she thought "It would be a dire mistake to even do so much as scratch me. That would provoke the rage of every exile against all of you demons. Would you discard us so easily? Would you be so foolish as to alienate a potential ally? I think not. You will have lost us forever if you are so bold...."
Aspasia bent her energy and will into recovering the use of her body. Warmth crawled into different parts of her body as she felt the power of the freeze fading away. She still couldn't move, but it wouldn't be long before it melted away.
Demyx stared at the dominating presence as he raised both his Dragon Slayer and his other free fist in front of his shady ruthless face in an offensive technical posture. "Enough... Elabeth!" he exclaimed repugnantly while his star lit blue eyes glared.
He was sure now that it was her, the fallen angel whom he regarded as a special friend a very long time ago. He didn't want to cause any further mischief, he regained some more strength and got a hold of himself. His nerve was still cool and relaxed because he felt sure that his two opponents weren't as dangerous as they seemed.
Hearing her name shocked her. Clearly this demon in front of her knew exactly who she was; this left her astounded maybe? maybe he really was Orion. Yet she showed no change in her demure. Not stopping her humming she retraced him, his aura, his soul, with her power. He clearly thought her harmless (not something Orion would ever do); she cocked an eyebrow at him and smiled her heavenly smile. Slowly she lifted her hand and gently touched his face caressing his skin, trying to recognize its texture and feel, sensing Orion's presence more keenly than ever, so much so that if this demon in front of her wasn't Orion he could only be his younger brother Xaladin. As soon as the name sprang to her mind she saw him as she remembered him aeons ago? and something nagged at her subconscious. Nonetheless she didn't allow herself to relax.
While her thoughts were on the demon in front of her she didn't forget the exiled she had pinned against the wall. She quickly examined her in her mind's eye, trying to decide quickly what to do with her. Killing her would only trigger & increase the rest of the exiles? hatred towards her, endangering further her life, (not that she had much to live for but she wasn't really ready to die, some hidden hope still drove her life-force through her veins). Yet she couldn't set her free, what if she was a spy sent to trap her or kill her?
The exiled was certainly struggling to fight Elabeth?s power off. ?She's certainly brave & determined? Elabeth thought. Pondering all her options Elabeth finally decided to let her go. Nonetheless before releasing slowly the power with which she held her bound, so as not to harm her, she gently unnoticeably even to the exiled herself marked her aura with an invisible sign that would warn Elabeth if this exiled would come to attack her in the future.
While Elabeth touched his face, Demyx looked away from her and observed Aspasia's condition, her stillness made him suspicious although somehow he knew Elabeth would leave her. He was sure that she meant no harm to the exiled at all.
Demyx still kept his offensive posture, his Dragon Slayer now began to glow and tremble in his hand. His body was getting weaker again and his concentration was at a loss, "Release me at once" he said sceptically while contending to get a grip on his Gun Sword. His hand was now starting to shake violently, the soul of Utrael was struggling to release its critically devastating powers into an energy wave of doom.
He had not yet found a way to control her captivated soul but it seemed that whenever his aura was weak, Utrael tries helplessly to be set free however not without defacing all those who obstruct it.
While Elabeth touched his face, Demyx looked away from her and observed Aspasia's condition, her stillness made him suspicious although somehow he knew Elabeth would leave her. He was sure that she meant no harm to the exiled at all.
Demyx still kept his offensive posture, his Dragon Slayer now began to glow and tremble in his hand. His body was getting weaker again and his concentration was at a loss, "Release me at once" he said sceptically while contending to get a grip on his Gun Sword. His hand was now starting to shake violently, the soul of Utrael was struggling to release its critically devastating powers into an energy wave of doom.
He had not yet found a way to control her captivated soul but it seemed that whenever his aura was weak, Utrael tries helplessly to be set free however not without defacing all those who obstruct it.
Demyx sheathed back his Dragon Slayer deliberately and stared amusingly at his gloved hands, they had stopped shaking as he has retained full control over himself again.
"I am seeking nothing at all" he said with guarded ambiguity and than looked fearlessly at her eyes "I'm here simply to find a way to heal Lucifer's side kick" he grinned trying to wipe away any further thoughts about what has just happened to his Gun Sword. Demyx walked smoothly towards the altar "I never asked for your help or even thought about you!" his tone grew decisive while studying the unthreatening exiled.
"Jezzel is her name... she engaged me in a cheap fight... a meaning less effort..." he said coldly. Than he softly touched the carved symbols of the altar's face and quickly remembered how many runes he deciphered in the Dragon Land.
Earth was too much different from Krios, the land where he lived with Abadon, after his brother Orion and his mother Selene were slain in the War. He never visited Earth before he battled Jezzel, it seems that this world portrays no good to him.
Demyx sighed calmly and continued to examine the symbols while waiting for an answer from any of the two ladies.
Aspasia stood absolutely still, pretending to be under Elabeth's spell, while Demyx looked at her, but it wasn't too long before Elabeth diverted his attention.
"Perfect," she thought as she began to summon her powers...
The little chapel was suddenly coated in a shadow of darkness, as heavy clouds rolled in bringing heavy rains, and the crack of thunder over head. Lightening struck dangerously close to the chapel's roof as Aspasia sucked in the energy from the bolts into her staff.
She was ready to attack if need be, but she was not foolish. She wished them no harm, and she did not consider them to be enemies as yet, for she was open minded.
Turning to face him Elabeth could clearly see that there was something more behind his words yet; she did not press him further, not being really interested in his answers. She was too disquieted by the fact that although this demon said he never called her or even thought about her, now that she had the opportunity to analyze him further, she knew for certain that the tugging call that had nagged for days before her departure from the ice sheet had come from him.
Not speaking her thoughts aloud, she walked towards him, her footsteps hardly making a sound on the carpet thick dust. Breaking through his thoughts Elabeth asked "you seek nothing you say, then why is it you're here, in the shabbiest parts of Rome? Surely not hiding from Lucifer? Because he'll find you anywhere you'll go, especially if you've hurt something he holds dear.? ?We're not much different, the dark Lord and myself" Elabeth thought "like and yet unlike, both bound by the same faith". A shadow crept in her green eyes as unbidden, unwelcome her past came haunting her like an evil ghost she could never escape
Elabeth suddenly felt the chapel darkening; lightening thundered above their heads, ?the exiled has recovered much of her strength? Elabeth thought. Giving her a sidelong glance and smirking slightly Elabeth waited to see her next move. ?This is highly entraining she thought suddenly fighting the urge to laugh , ?After all those millennia brooding in silence, alone surrounded by ice, with blizzards and violent winds as my only companions, I return to the populated world and the tables turn completely?
Demyx kept playing with the symbols "I'm not so sure" he told her sceptically, than he turned to face Elabeth and leaned back calmly on the altar, crossed his arms and looked at Aspasia. "I was just wandering around when I felt a familiar presence in this chapel..." he paused and looked quickly at the storm outside the window. "So you haven't become a demon I see!" he said quietly.
When he felt Elabeth's presence outside the Chapel, his mind suddenly collapsed on her healing powers- her powers would be of great use to him.
Demyx kept glancing outside of the shattered window, it seemed as if darkness swallowed the sky, despite of the tension between the two women and in the streets he still felt very confident. "Listen Elabeth...I have a favour to ask... I want a healer, a powerful one..." he told her. "If Jezzel dies, Lucifer will hunt me down and I'm no match for him" he explained in shrewd words.
?So you need a healer?? She said whispered quietly, ?you're asking me to heal this... this demon, Lucifer's pet dog..?? Suddenly her hands began to tremble involuntary. She closed her eyes trying to calm herself and regain her former composure. It had been a long time since she had tried to heal somebody, centuries, millennia even ago and he had died in her arms, the day that everything she had known and loved was taken away from her. In a trembling voice she asked him ?and you say He will kill you if you don't find a way to heal her?? Then turning away from him, to face the altar she whispered ?I can't, I have failed Xaladin. I can't? You see I should have saved him, I should have. But I did not he died, it was useless. No.. Xaladin, I will not have your death as well on my conscience; I've failed? him, you, Selene, Abadon.?
Turning away from him so that he would not notice the tear which had slipped beneath her eyelashes she whispered to the empty gloom ?you are the only one left... to die, I must flee back to whence I came, history can't repeat itself again?
Demyx didn't look at Elabeth, he kept staring outside the window. "That... that was... the past" he whispered in a resignated voice. He clenched his fists in rage and said "I am Demyx, Xaladin is no more!" and than he turned his stare towards the marbled floor. "Everything has changed since The War, my father dragged me along with him to Krios after my brother and mother have died..." he paused and let out a deep sigh "I had no choice... my father was a fallen angel so everyone took it for granted. Xaladin is a demon like his father... I hated that!" he snapped. "But still I couldn't become an exiled... you see Orion was slaughtered by two angels" he squinted at Aspasia.
Demyx walked passed the left transept of the crumbling chapel and looked from one of the broken windows. "Than it's no use for me staying here... I have to face my execution" he grinned at this bitter idea and frowned.
?No, wait? Elabeth said as more stones and blocks of marbles fell by the sheer power of her voice. Clutching her fists Elabeth tried to clam down, knowing full well the consequences if she did not, her power would leak unbidden into her voice out of her control and that wouldn?t do at all especially with Aspasia still in the chapel
?Wait? she repeated calmly almost pleadingly, staring at his retreating back
Demyx turned slowly and looked Elabeth in the eye "I was... if you..." he sighed in derision and shook his head, he said sharply "My death would still be on your conscience, I was counting on you" he frowned.
Demyx crossed his hands, his face with no expression, he felt helpless. He couldn't stop thinking at how much Lucifer would enjoy torturing him and how that stupid childish fight with Jezzel would cost him all this.
At his comment Elabet laughed bitterly ?you were counting on my help? What help? To get yourself killed more quickly? Don't you know that my life too, hangs on an ever thinning thread?? Then turning away from him, with eyes ablaze she said ?and what about when I was counting on your help? Where was my family when I had nothing left? Living a new life, when mine had been destroyed trying to save your brother's. What did your father do, Xaladin, he who said to love me as his own daughter? Would you leave your own daughter on the run with her life?? At that moment all the bitterness and hurt she had locked deep in the vaults of her heart spilled forth from her lips. Her face was paler than the palest moonlight, her hair hung limply about her face, her eyes held a haunted look ? and somewhere a window cracked. Showers of fragmented glass came pouring down on her, scratching her cruelly, spilling tiny droplets of her blood.
"Father was distraught, he had to take me to safety since I wasn't prepared" Demyx fuddled "When he came back on the battlefield, he couldn't find you..." he paused.
"Elabeth... I am Abadon's son not Abadon himself!" Demyx said bluntly as his oceanic eyes gleamed like two sapphires in the bottom of the deep clear sea.
His noble father had lost track that day and left the battlefield to hide the only family he had left, he probably might have thought Elabeth was powerful enough to take care of herself. It wasn't Demyx's fault but again he was always blamed for the flaws of his father particularly because Abadon used to butcher anyone for Lucifer's sake.
"The past is the past, I am a different person now" Demyx conceited while he tightened his crossed arms and looked away from his hurt 'friend'.
The sharp pain of glass tearing at her skin brought Elabeth somewhat to her senses. She looked down at her hands and saw the bitter scratches still dripping with her blood. She sighed, reprimanding herself for her carelessness, for she knew that it will be hours before her skin would stop bleeding and heal itself. This is why she never engaged in combat battle, physically she was too weak and what's more now after the curse something strange happened to her, slowing down her body's healing processes.
Brushing a piece of her hair away from her scratched face she looked thoughtfully into Xaladin?s eyes and weighing her words carefully she said, ?yes I'm sorry I know you're not your father, forgive me. I should not blame you for what happened. Maybe I could help you find another healer, a human physic maybe...? Her voice was steady now, convinced and decided, but anyone who knew her well would have seen doubt still clinging to her conscious, darkening her clear emerald eyes. For she was still pondering what she should do, she couldn't help him, she was too afraid of failing once again, for she still cared about him and somehow she still felt a certain sense of protectiveness, and yet? he abandoned her didn't he? He was all grown up now why didn't he look for her before? She was also preoccupied with what Lucifer and demoniac world would think if she healed a fellow demon, surely that would bind her to their cause
Demyx felt that only someone like her would be able to heal Jezzel, someone he could trust, someone whom he regarded as family, someone whom he cared about. " A human?" he snapped, "Do you think I would let a worthless human roam about the pits of hell?! he said casually.
Demyx laid still his eyes glinting, "I doubt you would fail...I have faith in you" he conceded without hesitation. He gazed at the stormy sky once more " I will never blame you for not saving my brother" he told her bluntly " But if you're trying to redeem yourself from your past than this is your only chance... that is if you have faith in yourself" he continued. Demyx was now challenging her, he wanted her to get rid of any insecurities and become stronger and perhaps start a new life...
?I?. um? well ?you...? She muttered incoherently to the stillness of the chapel. For the first time in her long life Elabeth was left speechless, not knowing what to answer. She sighed irritably wishing with all her heart that such a decision was never laid on her, wishing that she too had died in the battle that day and then she wouldn't have to live to see such times. Then out of the depths of time she recalled Orion's voice, a memory whispering in the dark ?it is not for us to decide in which time to be born but what to do with the time given to us?. She had two choices to help Xaladin and enter the pits of hell or to flee, run and live in exile in loneliness and bitterness stretching her life a bit further, living without a reason.
She shifted her gaze to Xaladin?s eyes. He stood still before her silent, cold and desperate yet his eyes held so much trust and faith. In locking her gaze with his all her doubts were shattered away.
Everything was still, everything was quiet and the silence of that night groped around them, falling round the chapel like a tangible shroud of darkness. A drop of her own blood fell on Elabeth?s lips; unconsciously she licked it away tasting its bitter sweet taste on her tongue. Elabeth walked up to Xaladin and touching his arm slightly she said ?I will come. Though I do not now the way?.?
Demyx nodded "I will show you the way" he said in determination. He crossed the aisle of the battered chapel fixing his gaze straight in front of him than he stopped at the doorway feeling strong again and relieved. He closed his eyes slightly and looked at the stormy sky "I hope this storm will pass away..." he smirked pretending to be unaware of Aspasia.
Demyx walked out in the middle of the rainy street, a few people were running to seek shelter from the un-harming playful rain as Demyx waited for Elabeth to follow him to his new not so welcoming Home...
Before following Demyx out into the rain Elabeth gave the chapel one last look and her gaze lingered on Aspasia still unmoving against the wall. Then smiling slightly at her Elabeth walked down the aisle after Demyx, humming a slow strange tune and masking her scratches to any eye. Winching slightly at the pain she was causing herself Elabeth exited into the deserted streets ready for her first glimpse of hell
Aspasia watched as they left and covered herself in mist as she made her exit. She opened her wings and flew back to her home in Mt. Karza.
As Sangua flew towards Rome not knowing why, she felt as if a dark cloud has passed over her heart it was as if the darkness was now filling every part of her corrupted soul. Once again darkness was trying to win over her benign side. In her mind she kept on seeing images and visions of blood she could taste the succulent liquid in her mouth as the screams of those miserable humans increased in a harmonious melody inside her ears.
She struggled to keep these thoughts away but somehow, now they were strong lively and she couldn't fight them back. She was sweating all over but now darkness has taken over her and in a blindness rage she pulled her dagger and headed towards the Vatican City.
At first she was led back by the grand spiritual aura in that place but now nothing could stop her she kept on going not seeing anything, not hearing anything, all of her senses were gone. Savagely she killed each and everyone that came into her way as she licked the blood form her dagger. She knew now who her next target would have been it was the pope.
The pope looked helplessly at Sangua. Her white dress was tainted with blood. He stood there praying with eyes closed until finally he looked at her and an unknown power sprang out from him. Sangua couldn't understand what was happening to her. she could now smell a strange long forgotten smell. it was beautiful and innocent. Feeling as if her weight was too much for her weak body she fainted and all of the malign power left her.
Sangua started crying as she felt more and more unconscious and could feel her body transforming and even though she kept hearing her heart beat increasing all the time she was confused. A great light was then emitted form her as she was transformed into a white blood tainted flower.
The pope gently took the flower and put it in his room still hearing the untameable heart beat of Sangua's heart.
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