Born To Run

The Returner · Jul 13, 2014

Of course the guardian would find holes in Darien's argument. After all, his reasoning was as solid and hermetic as a sieve. The Hekan didn't expect to succeed the first time he would try to negotiate with, well, anyone. But he was somehow at loss with what else to say, what else to add that would convince the guardian that they were indeed worthy of the key. These thoughts were the reason why he didn't react straight away after the guardian criticized him. That simple pause gave Rowena enough room to participate as well, with the ferocity of a seasoned sniper who probably had two vodkas to drink before the mission and whose aim was totally off. The more she said, the more Darien just wanted to cover her mouth like they do to a six year old who has just swore. His expression was clearly saying 'What the hell woman?! Do you want to get us killed?!'. At one point when the guardian clenched his fist, Darien thought that it was their end. The godly lightning would struck down and make two indiscernible scrambled mushrooms out of the two of them. However, that did not happen surprisingly which gave Darien hope that they still had a chance even though the Hekan would not be surprised if the guardian had already decided to deny them the opportunity to land their hands on the key. In his mind, Darien thanked Rowena for being herself and cursed himself for being so helpless at that moment. But at last, he began undoing his bandage. Slowly as if he was hesitant to reveal what was hiding beneath it, as if he was not sure whether it would help or not, because as he rummaged through his mind, trying to remember whether Thoth and Ra were even distant friends or not, he could not remember.

"Wisdom. Heka is wisdom. Nowadays misused by vampires, worn as a jewellery. That doesn't change, though, the fact that we who were chosen to master the sacred truth of magic had to have the potential and capacity to understand it." Removing the last piece of the bandage, the Ra's mark was clearly visible around his eyes, complimented by the blackness of the iris itself. "Neither of us is perfect and both of us have done terrible things in the past, but I don't think that Amun-Ra would bless me with being his herald on this god forsaken Earth if he didn't deem me to be worthy of that honour." There was a moment of silence, not to add drama to the situation but for Darien to put his words into order. Maybe Ra had a reason for Darien to become his servant, maybe it was for Darien to claim the key and the book as Amun-Ra's priest. "I am not asking you as a Hekan or a human that I am. I am asking you as Amun-Ra's servant, to allow us to prove ourselves that we are worthy of the honour to take care of the book of Thoth." He had no idea whether what he said would have any effect on the jackal. He just stood there, looking slightly uncomfortable with his blind eye naked in the view of everyone, but there was a certain level of resolve that one would expect from a delegate of some higher authority. Darien was not demanding the access, nor was he pleading like a beggar. There was a certain level of subordination in his posture, yet the dignity of a man did not leave his features. He was far from majestic or awe-striking, mainly because of the clenched fist to minimize his nervousness.

Aine · Jul 14, 2014

What is he up to? Rowena thought, observing Darien as he undid the bandage around his blind eye. I sure hope he's been storing raw magical energy in the useless eyeball so he could release it all at once now to turn that jackal into a delicious steak. Her pessimistic attitude had already made her rule out the comfortable possibility of a peaceful solution; the Anubis wannabe seemed like a pompous half-wit deeply in love with the sound of his own voice and he had probably given the chance to show them their perspective just to shoot down their arguments with few cryptic remarks. The desire wasn't so baffling. The two of them were likely the only beings the guardian had met in centuries, and Rowena understood that watching your foes squirm belonged among the finest pleasures life could offer. The hope in their eyes slowly being replaced by desperation, dignity put to dust through pleading, the painful moment of insight when they finally realized their negotiations were going to be fruitless no matter what; oh yes, the vampire totally could identify with this hobby selection, yet she took it kinda personally that the guardian had picked her and her human companion as a source of entertainment. And as a fan of direct communication, Rowena let the other party know when they insulted her, usually by burying a knife into their ribcage. We should stop feigning politeness and just take what we want by force; I doubt he'd deny us the information if I slowly peeled his skin off... Or pulled out his nails one by one... Or sang to him. Nobody has resisted THAT level of torture yet. Darien, however, didn't seem to share her opinion for he attempted to use his new position of Ra's priest as a lever.

The jackal seemed lost in thought for a moment, eyeing Darien as if he could read the meaning of life from his face alone. "You may be Amun-Ra's servant, but has no need for the sacred book. Your master has helped to shape this world along with Thoth; what's written on those pages is no secret to him. This is strictly your personal goal, therefore his authority means nothing in this case. He must have seen something special in you to choose you as his priest, though, and sun god's judgement is not to be distrusted. You're asking for a chance to prove yourself to me? Bold words, Hekan. Bold, yet not completely without wisdom. Your case is complicated, and perhaps I'm not the one to determine your fate. I shall grant you your request." The jackal stepped aside and raised his hands slowly. The air crackled with static electricity and a small ball of eerie, greenish light appeared in the middle of the nothingness. It was weak like a candle's flame at first, but the light grew in power rapidly, outshining the torches on the walls soon within seconds. The luminosity kept morphing in front of their eyes, as elastic as liquid, until it finally stabilized. Previously innocent radiance, so pretty it could potentially serve as a flashy Christmas tree decoration, was now about three meters wide. It looked like a gaping jaw of some fantastic beast, a hole in the fabric of reality, and a bone-chilling cold was seeping through it into the world. "Even though Death hasn't given you her cold kiss yet, your heart will be weighed against the Feather of Truth. I've conjured up a gate to the Underworld. Seek out Maat, Thoth's consort. She will know what to do. If you pass the test, you will be awarded with the key without any further trials. But if you fail, you will face punishment worse than death; The Devourer of Souls shall feast on you both."

Uh oh. That hardly sounds like a trip to the promised land, does it? "Hold on, mate," Rowena replied with her characteristic tact, "I know this is probably a pretty exclusive offer and some tourists would kill to get a glimpse at the Underworld while still having a pulse, but I'd like to discuss a strategy-related stuff with my partner first-" The jackal frowned. "Time reserved for idle chatter is over. Go now!" An invisible force pushed them into the gate with an intransigence of a bulldog chasing a postman. The vampire gasped, yet she managed to close her mouth before the swirling light engulfed her. Not that it made any difference. The tiny energetic tentacles burned through her skin like an acid, sending waves of pain through her entire body. Rowena wanted to scream, but her lips were gone; she had become one with the endless flow of particles.It was impossible to think. The alien structure tarnished her very essence... And then the gate finally catapulted her out. Rowena landed on the hard ground, in one piece but highly disturbed. Darien immediately followed her example; as soon as he surfaced on the other side, the gate flickered and disappeared.

"I've already gotten used to the fact that my life never fails to come up with new and exciting ways to screw me over, but this is an overkill. I mean, I thought the same after the Christian incident and when they kicked me out of the army practically without reason," Rowena complained and stood up, "but sending me to Egyptian version of hell? I can't decide whether I'm angry or impressed with such outlandish turn of events. Actually, no, scratch that. I am sure I'm royally pissed off. I- Oh, shit." Hundreds of intangible forms started emerging from the ground, their hateful stares directed at the vampire. The thought she had a lot of acquaintances in hell, most of which she had delivered there personally, may have slipped from off her mind, but they certainly hadn't forgotten about her. Rowena's eyes widened in pure horror; she was used to dealing with problems according to the motto 'if violence doesn't solve your problems, you simply aren't using enough of it,' yet that approach didn't really take in account existence of undead. "Hey there, Rowena. So nice of you to stop by," one of the ghosts smirked at her and she recognized Dawson, the one who had been hired by her superiors to execute her back when Darien had been captured. "Maybe you'd like to make your stay permanent," he uttered and the flood of bodies, suddenly too corporeal for her tastes, lunged after her. One thing was certain; this day sucked.

The Returner · Jul 17, 2014

Being under a visual scrutiny only deepened Darien's nervousness and embarrassment. He was not used to being the centre of attention since he joined the Rebellion but he held the jackal's gaze firmly, not wavering despite the heaviness that he could feel in his chest. It was difficult to stare down a supernatural creature of some minor god-like affair. However, the Hekan could have face palmed himself once the guardian spoke. Of course, Amun Ra would have no need for the damned book. His sense of priestly purpose was shattered into pieces and burned to ashes. At least, he wouldn't have to answer the Sun godf if the book would get accidentally misused. Or maybe he would... Yet, his eyes opened slightly wider when he heard that the request he made would be granted. The dim glint in his eye was of disbelieving origin. Darien never saw himself as a great negotiator and somewhat he expected this colloquy to be harder. Though maybe, the Hekan shouldn't have celebrated before holding the key in his hands. The first hint that something was not quite right occurred to him when the huge green ball of light and creepiness formed itself above the ground, filling the room with a strange, otherworldly luminescence. Then the guardian's words cut right deep into Darien's very own being. Death... not that he feared it, but living basically all his life knowing that at one point he could go to Duat and face all the challenges there, well, it would unsettle any strong soul no matter whether it had 30 or 300 years to live. Darien had respect for death, to say the least. Yet he didn't have a chance to express his unease as much as Rowena did before he got sucked into the dimensional lift. It felt as if he had been torn into million pieces. In fact, his whole body felt as if it was forced down the meat blender with the softest output possible, only to reappear in the land of no one being whole but now greatly perturbed.

Despite landing on his feet quite alright, his head was spinning and the actuality of being in the underworld nearly made Darien believe that his right eye was no longer blind. Which was a terrible misconception due to the aftermath of being shoved into another space and time. Before Darien got involved in this race for the book, he imagined Duat many times. He read about it too and maybe that's why he was even more surprised at what he saw. They landed on some plain that had sparsely scattered trees of strange shapes all around. What was supposed to be sky had a deep, somewhat menacing shade of grey, the colour that many storm clouds possessed before they released lightning. All around he could hear hardly describable sounds - grunting, muffled screaming, heavy breathing and such. Sounds that he associated with suffering. The ground itself was not covered with grass but with something that looked like ashes and only then, Darien noticed the tiny particles falling down or floating around. They could have been mistaken with snow apart from the fact that when it landed on Darien's skin it didn't melt, but stung as if someone touched him with the hot end of an extinguished match. While he looked at his surroundings like a child who was first taken to the Chamber of Horrors, he didn't notice the shapes forming right from beneath the dust. Only when it spoke, Darien jerked his head to look at the formless something that might have just been trying to assume a human appearance, when Darien's left hand flung forwards as if he was trying to use his magic, to grab anything of a reasonable size to throw at the creature in defence maybe initial shock. It didn't work. His powers were gone. The primal horror of impotence shot through his expression with such a force that it threatened to engrave itself into the Hekan's features forever.

Permanent stay?! Fuck you, he thought and without a word grabbed Rowena's hand and sprinted away. Sure, she probably didn't need to be told twice to run since they were starting to get surrounded, but maybe it was Darien's ever present need to make sure that she was safe. Moreover, all the formless bastards seemed to be focused just on her and the one thought that maybe all of them were Rowena's enemies, surprised Darien on some deep level of twisted respect. God knows whether the creature tried to grab him as he darted away, but he definitely felt something tearing at his trousers. Whenever he saw a suspicious formless blob anywhere near them, Darien turned the other way. In that, rabbit like manner, he managed to escape through the last, but not the least, clutch of ghosts. He knew that in this world, it being the domain of the dead, they probably could not win the fight or even hope for it. They could not outrun them either, but they could give them one hell of a chase if the need be. Darien blamed it on the air in the underworld but at one point after feeling that the chase was being called off for a while and he was starting to get out of breath, he stopped near one of the strange trees, looking back to make sure their pursuers were either gone or far away.

"Fuck.you.too." He breathed out each word, directed at the jackal who probably couldn't hear them and even if he could at least now he knew what Darien truly though of him. Not leaning on his knees Darien was looking around around not daring to let his one good eye fail him now. "I can't use my magic here," he continued with his breath getting under control, this time talking to Rowena. The look on his face was as if his inability to use magic was even worse than the fact that they had infiltrated a world, were both of them had enemies and where their lives were literally hanging by the thread. The years of living with his gift have partially rendered him vulnerable when it came to getting around without it. He was not hopeless, or helpless, he just felt as if a significant part of himself, has been snatched away from without him knowing. It was a genuine feeling of loss. However, in his overly focused mode, trying to see everything and anything only with one eye, Darien has made a grave mistake of not looking behind himself and when his senses did warn him, it was too late. Rowena might have seen that sudden change in shape of the tree-like thing, the minor yet strange movement despite the lack of wind. She might have noticed the amber burning eyes, belly full of something burning, roots changing into razor sharp claws. For Darien, all that became obvious after the precipitous wheezing sound in the air, a very loud thud and tremor that made him wobbly in his feet as the creature dropped onto its front branches, howling just like a wind does in a chimney. It was the noise that would freeze the heart and make the soul run away. Despite Darien wanting to run and find the nearest green exit sign, his awareness just jumped through the Defcon roof. Half dashing away, half jumping due to the minor earthquake, he turned around to see what the hell has nearly sandwiched him into the ground. The lack of any pupil didn't prevent the fact, that the creature was probably royally pissed at them for disturbing its slumber. As the howl was dying out, the body of the tree monster started to spasm in waves, starting at the belly, ending right below the head where the supposed throat could have been. Darien knew that motion well. Anyone who have had a proper hangover knows the gag reflex.

"I don't want to see what he had for lunch," Darien murmured towards Rowena as he was starting to slowly step away. But he couldn't have known better, because the monster's gag reflex was probably more effective than that of any human or vampire alike, if they ever threw up, and what the creature started to spout resembled melting amber which looked hot enough to burn any flesh but preserve it at the same time, so if either of the two heroes would get swallowed by it, they would end up like the fossils from pre-historic times. Under normal circumstances melted amber, at 182°C, doesn't have a very runny consistence, but then, this was not the Earth, so the glowing golden liquid was approaching them as fast as a tidal wave. Ironically, even getting the motion down quite well.

Aine · Jul 19, 2014

'Fear' was a word that usually didn't have a place in Rowena's dictionary. Sure, its close relatives such as 'panic' or 'worry' visited her quite frequently, but her instinct of self-preservation was too busy sobbing over her poor decisions to intensify the feelings so they could escalate into true, undiluted fear. Seeing so many of her enemies gathered in one place with such drastic advantage, however, awakened the old emotion, and the nostalgic discovery paralyzed her more effectively than a dart soaked in narcotics would. The vampire just stood there, opening and closing her mouth silently like a fish out of water. She took a few shaky, hesitant steps to the side, yet forcing her limbs to work properly was a task of epic proportions; it felt like attempting to lift twenty-ton weight with one hand tied behind her back. What the fuck?! Move, you idiot! Now isn't exactly the best time to start exploring your potential for the job of a living statue! Rowena screamed at herself, but her own voice couldn't penetrate the mist obscuring her senses. And then Darien snatched her hand abruptly, breaking the spell. The urgency of his touch returned her back to Earth and reminded her that even though this realm was bursting with the worst kind of foes - the ones that had nothing to lose - she also had one ally here; someone who relied on her. The vampire didn't need another nudge. She ran, fast like wind, never letting go of his hand despite the fact it would probably increase her speed quite a bit. A ghostly form brushed past her shoulder a few times, but their wild zigzagging allowed them to shake off their pursuers; it couldn't remove the horrible sense of cold emptiness that was spreading through the parts of her body that had been touched by the undead, though. The little fuckers stole heat with zeal of a sponge draining water.

Rowena was swimming in the adrenaline; a particular part of her personality, the one responsible for her reputation of a crazy war machine, had to admit the reversal of the predator/prey roles felt oddly exciting. Hunt called out to her genetic heritage, to thousands years of pillaging, murdering and bloody revelries, but in the end, nothing really threatened her during chasing her targets. They rarely bit back. The crow of angry scepters posed much greater danger, and the raised stakesmade her brain release few happy endorphins. One thing was absolutely certain; all the casino owners would kiss her feet if she ever were to grace the den of hazard with her presence as the contents of her purse would be devoured by the games within five minutes. When the sounds of the pursuit finally died down, Rowena stopped in her tracks and began laughing like a maniac. "Oh... Oh gosh, that was so amazing. I mean, sure, such level of attachment to me is more creepy than flattering and that losers clearly don't understand the concept of fair play with their 'can't-kill-me-because-I'm-already-dead' shenanigans, but I haven't jogged like that in ages! I was practically flying. Who knows, maybe I'll pick it up as a legitimate pastime if I end up surviving all that crap," she exclaimed with a genuine enthusiasm, her eyes shining like those of a child that had just been told they could rob the confectioner's. Her ardor, however, soured the moment Darien shared the alarming news about his powers. Just for the hell of it, Rowena tried to transform into her liquid form as well... Only to find out she couldn't. This just keeps getting better and better. Why am I not surprised in the slightest? "Well, it seems the discrimination against the living is pretty rampant here since my powers refuse to activate, too. We should fill out an official complaint about harassment or something."

The list of things Rowena wanted to protest against grew in size as a giant, tree-like monster showed up to greet them. The vibration in the ground caused by the colossus made her jump and the dreadful screaming tore at her ears; she crouched a little instinctively, frowning at the abomination of plant towering over her. The entire trip to Duat seemed to be designed specifically to freak her out and so far, it was frighteningly effective. Fuck this place and fuck moving trees. I'm firmly convinced this shittery is illegal, and if it isn't, it definitely should be! "Yeah, I imagine it wouldn't be too appetizing," Rowena uttered and prepared to go on her merry way again when the mutant violated all the principles of polite behavior and covered the floor with his vomit without so much as apologizing to the disgusted spectators. And god knew that a nice apology would be more than appropriate since unlike half-digested dinner of some random drunkard not able to hold his liquor, this substance acted like lava. Rowena's quick, analytical mind composed a plan in a blink of an eye. "Run!" Okay, the term 'plan' might have been an exaggeration, but it was still a better alternative to standing there and waiting for the flames to burn them to ashes. Taking her own advice, the vampire commenced the operation with provisional name Strategic Retreat. She sensed the raging inferno catching up to her, practically licking her heels; spotting some lianas hanging from another tree was like an answer to her frantic prayers. "Do you... do you see the lianas?" she breathed out in between desperate gasps for air, "Climb it!" There was no guarantee that the tropical vine would hold their weights, yet there was a hundred percent guarantee of suffocating in hot lava if they didn't do something now. Rowena would take her chance any day with these odds.

She jumped and seized the liana, climbing the tree with skill of a monkey. And while the vampire had a renown for flashes of intuition that often saved her sorry butt in time of crisis, this was a time her gut feeling had failed to give her a proper warning in advance. Once they scrambled their way to the branches, the wood underneath their feet moved. "Are you fucking kidding me?! Is there a one, I'm repeating, ONE tree that isn't simultaneously a weird mutant defying all laws of botany?" Rowena lamented. Perhaps she had hoped that the tree would bow its head in shame and accept the sacred mission of earthly trees - that is, providing nice shade to the weary travelers - but the creature was more concerned with the parasites on its back. The monster howled in aggravation; the shrieking sounded even more unnerving from up close, cutting deep into her soul. Then the cursed thing started shaking furiously in a mad desire to get rid of unwanted guests. The lianas that had secured their ascent before changed into thorny whips lashing at their skin, into firm ropes wrapping around their ankles to throw them down. Rowena fought for her footing valiantly, balancing on her branch like a circus artist, but then one of the tendrils tripped her leg. A gasp of surprise left her lips as she was falling towards her death; towards the liquid fire ready to consume her whole. Her hand reached up in a hopeless attempt to grab onto something solid and, miraculously, her fingers clenched around a twig. Tiny, parched twig that was bound to break soon...

The Returner · Jul 22, 2014

At the sight of the lava-like liquid making its way towards them, no one had to ask Darien twice to run. If anything, he was already turning around trying to beat Husain Bolt's record in short distance. He could hear the sizzling behind them, the only indication that they were not faster, or fast enough to outrun their death. When Rowena pointed out the lianas, he only thanked her wordlessly for her great eye sight. If it was up to him, he would probably run past them. Blame it on the sweat pouring down his face, maybe it got in his eyes. Executing pretty much similar motion to Rowena's, Darien jumped onto the liana and while swinging back and forth, he swiftly climbed upwards, until he found some stable footing. Well, stable was probably an emboldened wish that Darien dared himself to aspire to, because soon after he placed his feet onto the seemingly lifeless branch, it pretty much did the opposite. If Darien wouldn't have had been holding the liana for safety, that jerking movement of the branch would most likely swept him of the living tree. In the distance of his perception he could hear Rowena deploring the damned Duat's nature and he would have joined her if the piercing sound of the shrieking wood wouldn't make the blood stop in his veins and the hair stand up on his body despite the heat. Yet that was not the end to the whole adventure. The liana that Darien hoped would help him stay safe, drew blood from his palm with the appearing thorns and it lashed out at him, hitting the Hekan across the length of his arm, tearing his shirt and scratching his skin. Letting go of the hostile piece of nature and he clung to the bark which now didn't seem to be that wrinkled as before. Women would surely like this quick facelift. Letting the liana attack him repeatedly, scratching him all over his body, Darien wasn't performing the same dance as Rowena. He looked more like a huge failure of a chameleon who wasn't born with the few genes that would help him to merge colours with his surrounding. As he watched his vampire comapnion trying to win against the thorny enemies, Darien could see that even the creatures of the underworld didn't play fair.

His already wildly thumping heart nearly leapt out of his chest. Seeing her fall, trying to grasp anything, the surprise and realization of what would be next etched into her features. He tried to reach out to her, letting go of the bark with one arm, trying to catch her hand but she was too far for him to reach her in time. His desperation matched her sudden fear for her life. There was this metaphorical dam that got shattered into pieces in that moment and a non-thinking, more of a emotional part of Darien wondered how much longer will he be able to cope with all this? The fights, running, the ever-present danger, the fact that he could lose her as easily as this with him being so helpless. It was anger, agony, and the ultimate realization that just in that moment, seeing her dive towards the blazing death, he knew that he wouldn't put a knife through her heart once they find the book. Instead of pushing her of the twig like every sworn enemy would, Darien just wanted to have wings that would save her. Maybe it was him wishing to be something he wasn't, or the violent shaking of the tree that finally knocked Darien off the branch as well. He was sent plummeting towards Rowena and the boiling amber. The initial shock was soon replaced by something that was so unfitting for the moment. It was refusal. Only a mad person, or a lost cause of a human being would be so determinedly refusing the inevitable. Or you could call it the ultimate will to live. Darien might have gone mad in that moment, but there was something he had in advantage, the very light and distant tingling under his skin, the shadow of his powers. His magic was weak, at this state he would hardly be able to lift a marble, but it was something.

Catching himself on the same tiny and weak twig, just about managing to catch Rowena by her waist, there was no time to say a word, to explain what his plan was, before even that support gave up and the two of them were falling again. Ironically, Darien could imagine both of them sizzling to oblivion back there and then. After all, in such a long time he would die with truth in his mind and heart, the only disadvantage being that he wouldn't be able to share it with the person that was central to it all. Yet the refusal to die was stronger than his imagination, and as his hand was reaching out trying to catch something, maybe his magic helped a bit though luck had more part in that suicidal attempt, Darien caught one of the thorny lianas. Ignoring the sharp pain in his palm and the same pain in his shoulder, the velocity of the fall made the two of them swing away from the amber and to the side. There was still quite a distance between them and the amber, but the heat was already licking at their feet. Looking like Tarzan on a liana with a life of its own, the two of them were being jerked from side to side, until the liana tried to whip them off in the backward motion. Darien could feel the pain in his shoulder suddenly gain ten times in its sharpness, his palm loosing its grip, the thorns tearing at the flesh of his palm. The tree probably realized that throwing off the unexpected visitors was not an option. With an intelligence of its own, the direction has changed. This time, the destination was the trunk. The speed with which they began to close the distance between them and the body of the tree was astonishing, yet there was no time to marvel it. Darien only had a few second to come up with something or die like a fly smashed by a fly-flap. Again, luck was somewhat kind to them, because in the devilish speed that they were travelling at, Darien could see some sort of an opening in the trunk. Something that looked like a gill cover of a fish. Acting more on intuition than complicated mathematics calculation, Darien let go of the liana. The fact that they were flying towards the trunk anyway, and the speed at which they were moving, and with the substantial involvement of either luck or gods themselves, the two of them made it into the opening. Well...Rowena definitely did. Darien on the other hand, hit the side of the opening with his already injured shoulder. The impact made Rowena dart from his arm that was holding her tight around the waist, whilst Darien spinned into the cavity, hitting the opposite wall with his back, falling onto the ground. Rolling couple times until he stopped face down, his body seemed almost lifeless. The only signs that he survived was the ragged, irregular breathing and shaking that even then he was trying to get under control. But not matter how much he wanted to, how much he tried to, he just could not move at all.

Aine · Jul 23, 2014

On some level, Rowena had actually come to terms with her imminent death ages ago. The numbers spoke clearly; people of her profession simply didn't die on a deathbed surrounded by their teary-eyed grandchildren. Proficiency with your weapons or knack for surviving insane situations didn't really matter in the long run, and most of her colleagues were aware of it despite tough talk so typical for environment drowning in testosterone. Rowena herself would be the first one to admit that dumb luck made up circa forty percent of her successes. She also knew that luck in general had a nasty tendency of showing you its middle finger if you dared to cling to it too much, so she hadn't bothered to fund her IRA. Vague perception of death lurking somewhere in the shadows and knowing that her good fortune would run out one day, however, couldn't prepare her for the real deal. Her story shouldn't end like this; that would be like stopping to write a book after chapter three and claiming it was finished! The twig cracked quietly under her weight, and the sound resonated in her head as if it was a thunder. The vampire tried to grab something else - anything that would help her stay above the fiery inferno - but her free hand touched only wrinkled bark of the tree. Dammit, dammit, dammit! she repeated her mantra, not ceasing in her efforts to gain stability again, yet the only fruit of her feverish labor was almost breaking her nails on the rough surface. The twig creaked ominously for the second time and it wasn't a thunder anymore; no, it sounded like a countdown, ticking of an invisible clock. I'm really going to die here, aren't I? Wow, what a stupid and pointless end. The depressing string of thoughts was quickly interrupted by a blurred smear falling at her direction; a blurred smear that turned out to be Darien.

"What the fuck, Darien?! Don't you realize it's a bit cramped here?" Rowena shouted, frustration dripping from her voice, but then the twig finally broke and the sweet gravity took control of them again. Never before in her life had she hated law of physics with such passion. As the hungry flames approached, millions of forbidden sentences were suddenly trying to fight their way through firmly closed lips; most of them consisted of apologies like 'I'm sorry for being so stubborn, I'm sorry for communicating exclusively through thinly veiled insults, I'm sorry for being me,' the rest of them belonged to the category of clumsy expressions of affection. If you looked up the definition of 'anti-sentimental' in the dictionary, there would be Rowena's picture under it just to illustrate the point, but it was funny how that whole dying thing put her values into a different perspective. She wanted to let him know what he meant for her, how she appreciated his help throughout this entire ordeal, yet her tongue petrified. I just hope I'll reincarnate into someone whose intellect doesn't turn off when I need it most! Rowena closed her eyes and embraced him tighter, waiting for the lava to melt her alive, when their fall stopped abruptly in mid-air. Huh? A single peek told her what had happened; Darien must have bribed the gods somehow as he had managed to catch one of the lianas. It was too soon to pop the champagne, though, since the ill-tempered beast set off on holy crusade of vanquishing the audacious stowaways. The tree-monster naturally couldn't know what disappointment it would be forced to endure; the vampire may have been relatively at peace with death, but absolutely nothing could eliminate her resolve when presented with an actual chance of preserving her life.

Rowena's world was spinning wildly as the creature tried to shake them off; a person with weaker stomach would have probably followed the example of the first demonic tree and vomited until fainting. The vampire just used her body mass and inertia to swing them into an opposite direction to create some sort of balance. Her input was a mere drop in the sea as not even the fabled vampire strength could do much in this horrible position, yet she was going to tip the scales in their favor with every means available to her. Luck may have been an elusive bitch, but Rowena wouldn't allow it to tease them with a glimpse of hope and disappear into the sunset shortly afterwards. Hang in there, she thought to Darien, too busy to actually talk, we're gonna screw the probability; we're gonna make it. Somehow. As if the tree could hear the rebellious thought and wished to respond, it abruptly changed its tactics, deciding it would be more appropriate if the pair ended up getting squished like annoying insects they probably were in its eyes. The vampire was beginning to mark her previous comment about making it as rather premature, but then she noticed the opening. Darien, at least judging from his reaction, saw it as well. They didn't need words to agree on a plan. Knowing she wouldn't be able to coordinate her flight much anyway, Rowena closed her eyes again, bracing herself for the impact... When she landed on her feet, it almost felt like a dream; too good to be true. And her devotion to bleak pessimism rewarded her with being right, even though it could hardly be called a true gift by anyone who wasn't a hardcore masochist.

Darien - her Darien - was lying on the ground, limbs twisted in an unnatural manner. Horror slowly spread over her face. One didn't have to be an expert on human anatomy to know that the injuries were serious, perhaps even fatal; he looked like a broken marionette, for god's sake! "Hey, don't worry. I-I'm gonna patch you up in a minute." She knelt next to him hastily and sank her teeth into her arm. A surge of sharp pain ran through her body like a thousand needles, but the vampire didn't even wince. All that mattered at the moment was the life-giving liquid flowing freely down her hand, ready to mend the fractured bones... Except that her blood didn't seem safe to drink anymore. The rich red color was replaced by a faint shade of pink as if it had been diluted by water many times. Moreover, the liquid actually burned her skin slightly. Rowena stared at her own arm with wide eyes; she had known her choices would eventually cost her everything, but the fact that Darien would be included in the payment plan as well almost made her choke with despair. A steel fist closed around her neck, suffocating her in her personal gas chamber. The truth was that the vampire had no idea what to do, and the helplessness scared her. She had always had plan A, plan B and plan C in reserve just to be sure, yet there was nothing but vacuum in her head right now. Vacuum and sense of failure crushing her spirit. Why does this always come down to me being a fucking cripple? Why can't I do such a simple thing for him? "Darien, I... I'm sorry, but it turns out I can't heal you anymore. Something is going on with my blood and I'm afraid the changes aren't going to make it taste like strawberries. In fact, it would probably kill you instantly. I'll find some other way, though, so please... Don't die on me. People I love are basically on the endangered species list, so don't try to reduce their population so much. Think about the ecosystem!" Crap! What the hell have I just said?! In that moment, Rowena wished one of her former comrades had followed through with his threat of sewing her lips together, but it was obviously too late for that. And as if her daily dose of terrible surprises hadn't been depleted yet, a familiar voice shattered the silence.

"Rowena?" That voice was forever imprinted in her memory and yet she hoped her mind had played a trick on her. Rowena turned around to face ghostly form of a petite, brown-haired female. Her jaw fell. "Mom? How come you're dead?" The shock and stress made her forget she actually hated her parents more than anything in this world; at the moment, Rowena saw just her beloved mommy, the one who used to sleep in the same bed with her when nightmares plagued her sleep and defend her in numerous arguments with her relatives. That woman was apparently dead, and she hadn't even gotten chance to pay her last respects at the funeral. Not that she would have gone there considering her love for her family, but a simple message 'Hey, your mother has kicked the bucket' would have been nice. "I've been for a while. What about you, though? Aren't you a little too young to be hanging out at Duat?" she asked in return. "Look, I'm not dead, but my friend here will be soon if I don't do something about it. I can't give him blood because-" "Yes, I've heard you the first time." WHAT? Please, let it be a dream. It simply has to be a dream. I'm going to wake up soon if I pinch myself really hard... OW! Rowena was sure there were situations more embarrassing than confessing to a guy accidentally AND in front of her frickin' mother, but she still couldn't come up with a good reason not to commit ritual suicide at the spot. Fortunately, her mom decided not to bring it up for the time being. "There's a way for you to save him," she continued nonchalantly, "simply go further into insides of the tree. You should find its heart soon. Take it; it's a concentrated life force. He should be alright if he eats it." Nobody had to prompt her to run away from the scene of humiliation; she disappeared so quickly it would put lightning itself at shame. Passing through the various intersections, she finally found the object of her desire. The heart was, oddly enough, a meaty pulsating oval resting in a tangle of feathers, twigs and dead leaves. A more considerate individual might have wept about destroying such a unique organism, but Rowena wasn't your typical member of Greenpeace. She ripped it out without any foreplay and returned to Darien, handing him his remedy wordlessly. The vampire was utterly lost as in how to deal with this craziness, but healing her partner would be a good start.

The Returner · Jul 23, 2014

Fireworks! Red, blue, green! And the fucking pain surging through his every nerve from head to toe. He felt every impact, every roll on the floor and now as he lied down motionless, he could feel every crease in the ground and Darien could virtually feel it bruising his skin. But that was not the worst thing of all. When he tried to move, to prop himself up the pain bit into his body on such level that it numbed his senses and made him feel paralysed as if he had damaged his spine. That had another consequence, he was frightened for himself for fractions of seconds. Frightened for his vulnerable body and its exposure to predators. At the same time, he was afraid for Rowena. He couldn't see her or hear her. He had no idea whether she was conscious or not. The ravel of thoughts clouded his judgement and his usually calm perception of his surroundings, but that didn't stop him from trying to prop himself up again. This time it sent him into a short episode of unconsciousness.

When he woke up again, he could feel a presence next to him and in his confused state, he wanted to move away in case it was a predator, but his body only answered in jolt of blinding pain, yet his vocals did not give away any sound. Then he heard a familiar voice and his mind was still able to associate with Rowena. He heard what she said and understood the words, but it was all so incomprehensible at the same time. Not working? Love? Ecosystem? Being a mess of man, his consciousness gain a life of his own. At that moment, he could not fully appreciate the rarity of the confession, yet somehow he wanted to show his own affection as if it was a natural reaction for him at that moment. However, the pain was intensifying in his body in a speed of recklessly driving truck and it sent him off to count the stars. That's why he missed the sudden emergence of Rowena's mother.

Second time he woke up there was something wet pressed against his face. For a moment, he thought that he might have been lying down on a wet grass. That was before the pain kicked back in again. It was not as sharp any more, but it was severe and acute and this time it made him groan. The wet, somewhat mushy thing was pressed against his face and Darien had no other choice than for the first time open his eyes. The place was dim. He could not see the details because something obstructed his field of vision. He did not realize it was Rowena's body, but he did notice something red that looked distantly like meat. More in a shadow of thoughts, Darien somehow figured out that he was pushed to eat it.

"I...can't..." He said in barely audible. His voice so hoarse that it might have sounded more like rasping. He could barely move his lips, let alone mobilize his vocal cords. But he knew that he would need to repeat it, if he wanted to get rid of the cold wetness on his face which despite having the cooling effect on his skin, was rather sickening in some way. "I...can't!..." Trying to speak louder, he hoped that Rowena, who he figured out was the one trying to feed him the meat, has heard him and would take the flesh away.

Aine · Jul 24, 2014

Rowena raised her eyebrow when Darien refused his meal; she understood the heart of a mutant tree probably didn't taste like a meal straight out of five-star restaurant, but his hesitancy still didn't make much sense to her. What was that supposed to mean? Had he decided to respond to her awkward love confession by ostentatiously leaving the world of living? She had been shot down few times before - just like every normal woman who hadn't resorted to spraying pheromones on the unsuspecting males or kidnapping them for her personal entertainment - yet this form of rejection seemed a little too extreme, especially for someone so down-to-earth like her companion. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead when she realized he may have been dead already. Her knowledge about humans couldn't be described as 'vast' even by the greatest optimist, but the vampire certainly knew they had the durability of cheap Chinese electronics. Had she wasted too much time chatting with her mother and panicking in general? It took her a split second to realize that was, of course, a cardinal nonsense; she still heard his heart beating in regular intervals, the sweet blood flowing in his veins. And according to the pattern of his heartbeat, it looked like Darien wasn't even unconscious. "Cut out this kindergarden nonsense and eat your fucking food, Darien," Rowena uttered, hint of annoyance in her voice. "Now is not the time to be picky. This... thing... is surely full of nutrients, vitamins and other healthy stuff. Should I promise you a lollipop if you consume it without complaints or what?" Her mother kept silent, but the vampire could feel her disapproving glare burning into her back; she didn't appreciate her daughter's snarky tirades. Rowena in turn didn't appreciate being traded like a livestock, so her mom's opinion didn't concern her too much.

The answer to her inquiry never came, but when his raspy voice reached her ears, the mystery of his low appetite was solved. "Oh." It hadn't occurred to her that he might be too weak to eat; maybe it was because of her increased dependance on energy derived from blood, but Rowena couldn't even imagine such state. "Well, you need to eat it though, and I can guarantee that you will even if it means I'll have to shove it down your throat," she declared uncompromisingly, yet there were caring undertones hidden in her tone. Yes, her affection manifested itself in very unorthodox manners. Putting the meat away from his face so he could actually breathe, the vampire pondered on what to do. I should probably puree it for him, but that plan kinda relies on having a blender and I doubt I can just go to Duat-Mart to buy one in exchange for my soul or strike a similar Faustian deal. The same can be said for knife or any other tool. Fine, fine. I guess I'll have to go down the revolting way.Rowena raised the heart to the height of her eyes and gave it an intense stare usually reserved for her worst enemies. The greasy, wet glint from it was giving off rubbed her gag reflex the wrong way, but she'd rather finance human rights movement than let her weakness win. Gulping loudly, the vampire bit off a chunk of meat and began to chew quickly. The heart was tough and just as slimy as it looked; Rowena tried to fight her disgust through psychological warfare and visualize her teeth were stuck in a particularly muscular neck, but not even her hyperactive fantasy couldn't stretch the truth into such monstrous proportions. Munching on the flesh a few seconds, the vampire spat it out in her open palm and presented the mush to Darien.

"I'd wish you 'enjoy your meal', but that would too sarcastic even for me." Rowena always knew how to lift everyone's mood.

The Returner · Jul 25, 2014

In his painful state, having something wet and slightly warm pressed against his mouth again, he hardly recognized reality from fantasy. Yet he knew that the person who was urging him to consume that suspicious substance, meant him no harm, otherwise he would already be looking for a nice apartment in Duat. After all, somewhere in his dazed mind he figured it would be either an angel or Rowena gone extremely good. Why else would she want him to get better? Wasn't she supposed to kill him first chance she got so that she could find the book herself? Past and present mingled together. Darien didn't even clearly remember he recent emotional revelations. Despite all that, he opened his mouth, but he could not really tilt his head which would make the intake of the substance easier, so he used his tongue in an attempt to move the food. Finally, the partially chewed meat filled his cavity with a flavour he has never tasted before. It was chewy like a piece of raw steak, the liquid from the meat mixed with his saliva created a very runny fluid that tasted almost like boiled socks and it ran down his cheek in a streak. He couldn't see it at that time, but the colour of the tree's life-giving liquid was not red like humans, it was dark orange like duck's stool. He managed to swallow it and as it travelled down his throat, the pain seemed to have subsided after the initial need to throw up.

"More," Darien rasped and waited for his companion to chew a bit more. Every time they repeated the process, the pain diminished a bit and strength returned to the Hekan's body. Even though, at one point, Darien could feel his ribs healing and that produced a surge of pain which made his muscles clench. After all, the ribs had to move back together in order to reconnect and recover properly. Despite, the newly prolapsed sweat on his forehead, Darien finally somehow managed to prop himself onto the side, so that he no longer lied down on his stomach. He still had several scratches all around his body, face, arms and palms, but his general appearance didn't look like an embalmed dead body. Taking Rowena's hand with the chewed food shakily, he scooped up the mush from her palm with her tongue, passing it down his throat. Whatever, it was that Rowena was feeding him, it gave him it was working and Darien refused to leave any bite uneaten. So after that morsel, Darien extended his hand and wordlessly asked for food, knowing that he would be able to chew it himself, and sure enough he could. It didn't take long and the Hekan was sitting up, munching on the last bits of the heart. Maybe in his mind he figured out what he was eating but he didn't let it get to him. His face was smeared with the liquid that oozed from the now consumed muscle and Darien felt like he was re-born and in full power. Though, instead of dancing around and celebrating or even uttering a word of thanks to Rowena for saving his sorry life again, there was a strange unease forming on his brow as he looked at his hands slippery with the tree's blood.

"Rowena...did you..." He could not get his words out. It was obvious on the outside that he was trying to figure out something in his mind, probably recollect something that has happened while he was lying helpless on the floor, or maybe to demand what she has actually fed him and where they can get some more for the rainy day. Yet, what he wanted to say sounded utterly stupid in his mind and even without pronouncing the words, he felt like strangely on an edge, like an inexperienced teenager. "Did you say something like...I don't know...don't die on me. People I love are basically on the endangered species list?" The uncertainty and reluctance in his voice was tangible yet his expression was somewhat anxious. Usually he would just let it slide, not caring about something as unlikely as this, but given the recent turns that his own mind has taken, his inner self just pressed him to ask. After all, during his delirious state everything got mingled, he didn't know when exactly he was dreaming and he was hearing his surrounding. Therefore, he wanted to, no, he had to know whether what he thought was a dream was in fact a dream or not. Looking at Rowena in that 'come on, tell me the truth so that I don't have to suffer here' look, he prepared himself to be shot down like a kite by series of sarcastic comments.

Aine · Jul 25, 2014

Thankfully, Rowena didn't have to take drastic measures and fulfill her promise of shoving the substance down his throat; even in his nearly delirious state, Darien understood the instructions and followed them to the letter. She was immensely grateful for that little proof of will to live. The collision may have damaged his body, but at least it couldn't extinguish his inner fire. Psyche mattered a lot on the thorny road to recovery. The vampire had considered this notion to be a hippie invented bullshit for the longest time, but the experience in the army had opened her eyes. She had witnessed it quite frequently. Bodies mauled beyond recognition generally could be saved by the skilled medics dabbling in the healing magic, yet absolutely nothing could erase trauma of the pain from the patients' memory. They usually ended up as stuttering wrecks, empty shells of their former selves adorned with countless medals praising their bravery. Even though the official records listed their status as 'alive', she knew they were dead for all practical purposes. Darien was, however, growing stronger with each bite and if his request for more of the cure could be an indicator, it pointed at the conclusion he would get out of his predicament unscathed. Her lips stretched into a thin smile despite the fact that her yucky duty of chewing the meat from him was far from done. Actually, the task didn't seem as vomit-inducing to her anymore; sure, the threat of feeding it to someone could likely be used as an especially successful interrogation technique, but visible results on her companion encouraged her to continue. "Aren't you greedy? Let me prepare it for your first." In the corner of her mind, the vampire was aware that her mother left, probably nauseated by that sight, but she didn't really care at the moment.

Rowena chewed the meat for him time and time again with uncharacteristic patience, stopping only when he was ready to eat on his own. Her first instinct was to jump at him and lock him in a bone-breaking embrace, to whisper in his ear how much she'd been afraid, but the pitiful remains of her sanity prevented her from losing her control again. Don't be an idiot, Rowena. He probably doesn't remember your pathetic outburst as he was too busy trying not to go mad from pain, so play it cool and with some luck, that little outburst of yours may fly under his radar. Of course, the key phrase here was 'with some luck,' which in itself should have hinted to her that her scheme would fall apart like house of cards. Darien's next question hit her like a hammer; she froze immediately, her basic reasoning skills melting in a tidal wave of embarrassment. Why the fuck are you even asking when you clearly heard me? Does this sentence structure sounds like something your subconscious would come up with? That's distinctly MY style of speech, so why can't you be a gentleman and let it slide? Rowena wanted to say 'no, keep dreaming, that was just your imagination,' but the words couldn't get past her lips; they got stuck somewhere between her neck and tongue, so she just stared at him in complete silence, her mouth forming a small, surprised 'o.' You're only making it worse for yourself. Say something! Anything! The main problem with Rowena was that whenever her nervousness exceeded the standard values, the connection between her brain and mouth got terminated... Just like now. "You missed that bit about ecology," she blurted out. Her own voice had never sounded so deafening to her. A faint blush that looked like semaphore lights on her milky skin appeared on her cheeks and Rowena covered her mouth quickly, but the gesture obviously couldn't take back what had been spoken. "No! What I wanted to say is that I didn't..." Yeah, that is a brilliant excuse. Simple, elegant and believable. Perhaps I should have used it before I fucking destroyed it via revealing incriminating information!

"Okay, I may have said it, but that doesn't necessarily imply anything. 'Don't die on me' and 'People I love are basically on the endangered species list' don't have to share any correlation. Sure, it might seem like that on surface, but as far as I know, you're not an English language professor and thus you have no authority to... Oh god, this is getting too stupid for me to handle," Rowena threw her hands up in defeat. "If you want to hear it so much, then yes, I love you. Don't ask me why. I'm probably emotionally deprived and it's your fault for being nice and supportive when I needed it. Or it's caused by my self-destructive tendencies. Or you're just my type. Look, I don't know," the vampire folded her arms on her chest in a clearly defensive position. "Now that the cat's out of bag, I'd like for us to deal with this like two grown adults we are, even though we don't always act like it. Actually, we almost never do, but that's not the point. Anyway, we're not in high school and I understand how silly my feelings are, so I'll get over it without throwing temper tantrums, composing depressing poetry or trying to make you feel like shit for not liking me. Honestly, I'm pretty good at severing emotional ties - you could even call me a pro - so it shouldn't be too hard. All I ask in return is that you refrain from pointing and laughing. Is that a fair proposition?"

The Returner · Jul 25, 2014

Moments of silence that stretched between them were not as terrifying as they might have been. The shock in Rowena's eyes was not that of utter disbelief. I mean, it was not disbelief in terms of 'how dare Darien think that' but more of an 'oh shit, I've said something I probably shouldn't have'. Knowing Rowena the way he did, which was not in and out but more all around, but still being able to guess her behaviour from time to time, Darien knew that he had to be patient at that point and give the vampire time to get her words out. Ecology? No, he did not remember that bit. One of his eyebrows shot up proving his amazement. Then the glossing over started but at that point it was basically impossible for Darien to believe it. For a while even his mind was speechless as the information sank in. 'So I'm at it again,' he thought with a certain nostalgia in his mind, slightly leaking into his features. All he could do was hope that Rowena would not turn out to be similar to Vanessa.

"There will be no pointing and laughing, because it would seem that we are in this together," he replied after his dose of seconds to get his thoughts together. "I don't have an explanation for my own...infatuation with you either, but quite frankly I can't ignore it anymore. There have been one too many times when I realized what was going in my head, that I just can't let it slide this time. Maybe I just have weakness for vampire women. Either way, your feelings are reciprocated here." It was clear that Darien has never done anything even remotely similar to love confession. His posture was stiff, his voice was almost forced as if the words he was saying were so unnatural for him to say. But once he got his words out, he seemed to have relaxed and there was this certain reflection in his eyes that hinted relief from expressing something that was probably buried inside for longer than it should have been.

"Anyway, I think we better get going before we melt this tree with lovey-dovey feelings," he said seemingly decisively and got up, using the wall for support even though he didn't need it. Darien just wanted to be sure that he was absolutely fine and healed so that he would not suddenly fall down on the ground which would be rather embarrassing. Still somewhat surprised but grateful that he was in his full strength, yet kind of disappointed that the magical food didn't heal his vision, Darien looked out through the opening of the cavity. He could not see the ground, only the tree tops and the sky. In fact, it seemed that the tree was not moving at all as if it was dead. Basing his assumption on obvious factors, they were pretty high above the ground. making his way towards the edge of the cavity, Darien turned to Rowena with curiosity in his voice: "What did you actually feed me?" His hands were still dirty from the blood-like liquid but Darien did not recognize it.

Aine · Jul 27, 2014

It was Rowena's turn to hold her breath in anticipation, and she had to admit her own medicine tasted bitter. Why can't I read anything from his expression? Who reacts to spontaneous love confessions with a poker-face? Is he a robot that came back in time from the future constructed specifically to torment me? That... would actually explain a lot in hindsight, now that I think of it. Man, the awkwardness sure is intense today. Maybe I should simulate epileptic seizure or something to evade this silence. What the hell, Darien? It shouldn't be so hard to say 'sorry, not interested, let's go back to hating each other.' I mean, I poured out my heart for you and what do I get in return aside from increased blood pressure? Hurry up, I want a proper closure to this! What she had said to him few moments ago about her being a professional in cutting away people from her life was pure truth; swinging the pendulum from love to hatred didn't require as much effort as the majority seemed to think. Both were just different kinds of obsession and the transformation occurred practically on its own with the right catalyst. Betrayal worked especially well for that purpose. Rejecting her for absolutely relevant reasons - reasons like they were different species or that the only thing she could probably bring to the potential relationship would be bunch of neurosis - wouldn't cause such extreme reaction, but it would definitely help her in rooting out her feelings for him. Hell, Rowena hadn't stomped them into ground mercilessly yet just because Darien always kept sending out mixed signals that fueled her foolish hopes.

When he finally spoke, the vampire looked at him with astonishment in her chocolate brown eyes. Her heart was suddenly beating into a rhythm of jitterbug; her romantic-o-meter may have been calibrated a little differently than that of an average woman, but his words just pushed the right buttons within her. Rowena didn't actually enjoy flowery declarations of love that compared her beauty to gemstones and unrealistic promises to 'stay together forever.' Such rubbish belonged to shitty fiction for teenagers. Well, that and her personal experience with Christian who used to revel in big, old-fashioned gestures kinda dissuaded her from seeking out partners with similar habits. Darien just sounded.. sincere. And in the world dominated by intrigues and lies, raw honesty was the greatest gift he could offer. "Umm... Thanks, I guess? Is this an appropriate response in such situation?" Rowena asked with uncertainty that almost crossed the territory to shyness. She didn't receive confessions on daily basis, so the etiquette concerning courtship remained secret to her. Was there an obligatory, five-minutes long kiss they had to engage in? Or maybe some casual sex since they had slept together before? Well, apparently not, the vampire thought as Darien suggested moving on. What a shame. God knows I deserve some relief after all that stress. Still, the constant threat of being assaulted by an army of angry ghosts appearing out of nowhere in the middle of sexy-times didn't really turn her on, so she deposited that desire into mental box with inscription 'save for later.' Rowena followed Darien closely, ready to support him if his limbs couldn't withstand the sudden strain, but the heart seemed to bring him into a perfect condition.

As her partner asked about the cure, an amused smirk settled on her face. "Well, I'm convinced you'd rather not know, but since every magazine for women claims relationships are supposed to be founded in frankness, I guess I ought to tell you. It was... heart of that tree. The tree is probably dead now as it contained its life force, but I don't think I won't be able to sleep soundly because of that. I consider it a tax for mauling you in the first place. Anyway, there's something I'd like to talk about before we continue with our journey," Rowena sobered up, the cheerful flames in her eyes burning out. "First of all, pay attention to this disclaimer; I'm not trying to offend you. Perhaps I will since I'm such an awesome speaker and it looks like I can't open my mouth without making few mortal enemies in the process, yet it's not my intention. I don't know how much you remember from your delirious state, but the reason I didn't heal you with my blood was that I simply couldn't. I can't be your convenient first aid kit anymore as my blood... well, it appears it's getting weaker and such things are really unpredictable, so I wouldn't recommend drinking it unless you wish to get euthanized. My point is that you need to be more careful from now on. Also, stop trying to take hits for me. Don't think I haven't noticed. It's nice and all, but I'm demonstrably tougher than you and my regenerative abilities are fine. This is basic strategy, not implying you're weak; if this was a MMORPG game, I'd be the tank here. I... don't want you to get hurt more than necessary," Rowena smiled and put her arms around his neck, pulling closer tokiss Darien softly.

"I see that went well. Good for you, even though I'm not sure if I should be happy my daughter has stooped to choosing a Hekan as her partner," Rowena's mother commented the scene as she materialized just few steps away from them. The former commander immediately retreated as if she got hit by electricity, her mood changing from 'serene' to 'furious' in a few seconds. "What the ever-living fuck? Are you actually stalking me? That's endlessly creepy! How do I apply for restraining order in Duat?"

The Returner · Jul 27, 2014

Looking outside the cavity, Darien noticed that the bark of the tree seemed as if it petrified, even the lianas were motionless. Tearing out the heart clearly has killed the tree. Though, the question now was how should the two of them get down. Lianas would be the answer but from Darien's last encounter with them, it was understandable that he was quite cautious about using them again. The sky was still dark, ash-like particles were still floating around. All in all, the land of Duat seemed almost peaceful were it not for the fact that the Hekan felt watched, even though there were no ghostly apparition to be seen. Frowning slightly, he looked at Rowena as she told him about the origins of the magical food. It was logical, but on a certain level very unsettling. Darien was glad that in his delirious state he did not demand to know what he was eating, otherwise a remote part of himself would probably refuse to consume another bite. In retrospect, it strangely felt like cannibalism, all just because the heart as he recalled seemed almost identical to that of a human, only it was larger.

"Yeah, I wish I didn't ask," he commented with a certain tinge of disgust. Then Rowena went all serious as if the relaxed moment had to end. With the growing concern gathering in his features, Darien didn't care that he would not be able to use Rowena as hit first aid kit, he was curious and slightly apprehensive as to what could have caused Rowena's blood to suddenly go rancid. Yet before he could voice his concern, Rowena became all touchy-feely which, regardless of how unusual for Darien that still was, the anticipation of what she was about to do, sent the all too well known wave of excitement through his body. Awkward in a place like this to feel roused by that simple act and he was even about to place his hand around her waist to get as much out of that simple gesture as possible. But Rowena seemed to have developed in a fraction of a second a Dissociative Identity Disorder, or she was pulling his leg all along, but her reaction threw Darien completely of the rails into the field of confusion and he just stared at her, feeling shocked. After all, he has just confessed to her and she didn't seem to take it seriously enough.

"Excuse me, but I wasn't the one who actually wanted to smooch me!" He snapped at her, the shade of his eyes blazing with indignation. He searched her face for any sign of betrayal, hidden victory of hurting him, or anything else that would explain the sudden furious outburst. He could not see anything, but the old him, being hurt once already, took precedence before caution of not destroying their fragile bond, and Darien found himself saying something, he wouldn't have said under normal circumstances.

"If, Rowena, you were just pulling my leg about...all that, then I will sure as hell find my will to run cold steal through your shoulder plates," his voice was somewhat threatening, but more than that it hinted that shall she betray him, the damage that would do, would be unrepairable and it would send him off into the deep end of misery that can easily turn even the strong souls into mad ones. After all, he was betrayed by a vampire female before, and having the same thing happening to him again was more than demeaning and also soul-crushing. It proved how naive Darien could still be. Moreover, it would have happened in a record time. Either way, Darien's posture was that of demanding an explanation. He certainly did look like a menacing school teacher who has just caught a naughty child drawing rude pictures on his desktop.

Aine · Jul 28, 2014

"I don't think you can get a restraining order here, dear; if that was possible, I would have banned good portion of the Underworld from interacting with me," the ghost retorted. "But hear me out, Rowena. I'm not here to spy on you and... and your boyfriend or whatever he is to you. I just wanted to..." The rest of her soliloquy, however, got lost in Darien's angry tirade. Rowena's eyes quickly jumped from her mother at her companion, a confusion mirroring in her gaze. There wasn't a shade of triumph born of successful deceit engraved in her features; she looked like a puppy that had just been smacked over the nose with a newspaper for no apparent reason. The vampire wasn't the one to hold grudges over petty insults - she dismissed overused, unimaginative ones like 'bitch' or 'cunt' and even had a hidden appreciation for those who worked masterfully with English language to produce something both original and witty - but there were certain boundaries nobody should ever cross. Beloved ones hurting her was already somewhat of an evergreen in her life, yet it would always reliably cloud her vision with red mist of anger. And unlike a puppy restricted to making ridiculously cute sad expressions until his owner's heart broke, Rowena could voice her displeasure. "Darien, here's an interesting bit of trivia; our entire solar system - the sun included - orbits around a single object. That object, despite how ludicrous it probably seems to you, isn't you. It's the center of Milky Way. True shocker, huh? Seriously, not everything has to be about you, mister Overblown Ego. Can't you see I was talking to my mother?! Wasn't it obvious enough for you?"

"Actually, Rowena, he can't see me nor hear me," her mother butted into their argument, snatching the vampire's attention once again. "What do you mean by that? He could see the ghosts that tried to kill me just fine. Are you telling me he suffers from selective blindness that triggers by meeting my relatives? Not that it wouldn't be a good defense mechanism, but it sounds a little implausible to me," Rowena frowned at her. "That assessment of situation actually isn't so far from truth. The ghosts you have met here were unfortunate souls who were too afraid of Ammit to face Maat's judgement. They're forever stuck in between the worlds, so outsiders are aware of their presence. I don't normally reside here so it's different with me. Only blood of my own blood can communicate with me," she explained calmly. Well, that partially justified Darien's reaction; given the trolltastic nature Rowena had exhibited, it was easy to arrive to the conclusion her confession had been nothing but elaborate prank. That didn't mean she'd forget it soon, though. The speed in which he could go from embracing her lovingly to growling death threats at her genuinely scared her. Getting over her trust issues had been difficult on its own and now he was opening the old scars deliberately. Am I weird because my modus operandi isn't 'treat your significant other with respect until a small misunderstanding happens, at which point you should go batshit crazy on them?' What's up with everyone? Maybe I was too quick to forsake my 'single' status.

"So, as you've perhaps understood by now, my mother's ghost is here, but you can't see her because of some incomprehensible magical mumbo jumbo," Rowena turned to Darien again, her voice suddenly as cold as a glacier. "That's not true! I explained it in very clear terms!" her mother protested indignantly. "That's translator's license. Deal with it, mom. Now, before you start questioning my sanity, consider your recovery to be a proof of her existence; she told me about restorative effects of that heart. I'm not exactly familiar with Duat's flora, so you'd be dead without her help by now. Anyway, Darien, perhaps this is just a cultural shock and your behavior is perfectly normal among humans, but I'll have you know there are certain things you never say to your friends, let alone to people you're hoping to fuck. Just so you have a sense of scale, mere 'You look fat in those jeans' is usually enough to destroy a solid relationship. Also, do you know what I think of threats? I generally believe them and act accordingly, so here's a piece of advice; next time you open your mouth to say something like this, be prepared to fulfill your promise immediately and pray to Amun-Ra you're faster than me," Rowena hissed, eyeing him with new suspicion. The laid-back posture from before disappeared; this Rowena was tense, wary and apparently ready to defend herself if something were to go awry. She wasn't going to underestimate the danger just because he allegedly loved her. That had never stopped anyone in the past, after all.

The Returner · Jul 29, 2014

Overblown ego? Her mother? What the hell?! Darien asked himself, confused and somewhat aggressively defensive at the same time, at least in the way he was standing. Yet before he could shoot back with the usual counterarguments about his righteousness and whatnot, Rowena had her attention already focus somewhere else, a spot not that far away from them. For the first time, Darien seriously began considering that the air in Duat must have affected Rowena's brain because this was getting way out of control. She was making conversation with something that was probably non-existent. Darien has never seen a crazy person before but he was quite sure that Rowena was giving him a great example of what a crazy person would look like. The initial defence that he positioned himself into was slowly changed into yet another worried expression. Yes, he was considering to try and talk her down before she'd flip at him and hurt him or herself. God only knew what crazy vampires were capable of and the Hekan definitely did not want to find out for himself. Rowena's focus at that spot in front of her allowed Darien to take a step closer and try to figure out what to tell her so that she'd calm down and he could, hopefully without any more episodes of illusions, take her through this land to Maat and out of here. He was about to touch her shoulder to gently pull her out of her crazed state, when Rowena turned around to look at him. Her expression and voice were never this cold and impersonal before. Quite frankly, Darien pulled back with a quickly masked shock on his face. He looked strangely out of place at that point, as if he was having an unusual episode himself. At first, when Rowena was trying to explain what was happening Darien wanted to just nod and make her believe that he trusted her in order not to push her into another of the illusions, but the following information about the heart of the tree somewhat started to convince him otherwise. After all, Rowena was somewhat making sense with that. Shooting a disturbed glance at the possible place where Rowena's mum was, Darien was considering the possibility of the ghost really being there. Strangely, her possible presence somewhere near upset Darien as if she intruded something personal, even though Darien's and Rowena's story, relationship and everything that went along with it, was probably already a public comedy.

With the shadows of doubts in his mind, Darien might have wanted to say thanks to the invisible saviour but Rowena didn't give him the chance and he was glad in a way. Talking to someone he couldn't see felt awkward. But the consequent inflow of information unsettled him more than the prospect of her going nuts or her mother having witnessed their confessions. The two of them were at each other's throat again. In a split second they could go from lovers to enemies and it was clear that neither of them would hesitate to resolve to defence or attack shall they be under the threat of death caused by their partner. It was scary in a way and it balanced their newly found relationship on a thin edge. Darien wasn't sure whether Rowena was aware of it but if they'd continue intimidating one another, they might as well wave good bye to their relationship because there would soon be none. So he had to sacrifice his resolution behind the words he said and act defeated for the time being.

"Alright, alright! I have overstepped my boundaries there Rowena, I kinda do admit that. But then again, I have my own reasons to be suspicious about you ladies especially if you have fangs. I was bitten once as you well know and that the incident did teach me a very good lesson as I told you before as well," he replied, lifting both his hands up as if he was giving in. Strangely enough, there was no retracting of the threat, just an apology wrapped in goody-goody fluff that was meant to do justice to his previous behaviour. Knowing Darien, these conflicts were near the point of giving him a headache. Instead of moving forward with the task, they always got stuck on such a banality like this. Well, promising to kill someone probably was not a commonplace thing to do, but the two of them were in such a regular habit of doing so that it no longer looked to Darien as something unusual. They also tended to carry it out for too long sometimes. Pressing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, Darien looked as if he wanted to ease a terrible headache.

"Seriously, let's just move on. I don't like this place, don't think you do either. So is your mother here just an audience so that we can move on to find Maat, or is she going to help us a bit more?" He asked, releasing the bridge of his nose and looking at Rowena in a way of 'come on, we seriously need to start moving'. However, his voice was not disrespectful as his words were, Darien just truly wanted to leave Duat as soon as possible. Not only did it nearly claimed his life once already, but it was starting to give him serious creeps. He was blaming the invisible ghost person whose existence he was still somewhat doubting.

Aine · Jul 31, 2014

Rowena's eyes never left Darien's face as she studied his features intently for the slightest sign of treachery; violating her own rule about protecting her loved ones at all costs would classify her as no better than Christian, but the vampire could live with being a villain of this story. The same couldn't be said about 'cold steel in between her shoulder plates.' Her life may have been one systematic test of the limits of her mental stability, but that didn't mean she would allow some guy to wreck it single-handedly. Not for the second time, anyway. Rowena fully expected him to explode like a volcano, so his sudden transition into diplomacy mode somewhat startled her. To be honest, it actually made her feel a little bad about her own snappy reaction. Sure, he had hit her sore spot, but looking at it from his point of view, women of her race had given him very little reason to trust them. "Yeah, I remember it pretty well," she said in a conciliatory tone, "and since I can be the queen of exaggeration sometimes, I guess it would be hypocritical of me to condemn you. You need to understand that my previous relationships have caused me to develop an allergy to death threats, though. They're not empty phrases to me. Look, getting along with me is pretty simple. You don't have to read my mind to cater to my every wish, I don't want you to kiss my feet, I don't need to be treated as a fucking princess; just try to refrain from threatening me with physical elimination. I don't think such criteria are exceedingly harsh, right?"

The query about her mother was actually pretty good; apart from standing around awkwardly and totally killing the mood, she didn't show any activity. So-called 'experts' on the world of supernatural who almost certainly pulled the facts out of their asses rarely agreed on something, but any ghost abandoning their comfy afterlife screamed 'super-important' according to all of them. I bet that embarrassing me in such glorious, memorable manner would be enough of a motivation for her to go through the trouble of acquiring the visa to Duat. "Well, I'd like to know for myself. Why are you even here, mom? Got bored of levitating aimlessly in the astral plane and watching struggles of mortals or whatever you're doing nowadays?" The woman seemed to do everything in her power to avoid her piercing glare. "I just wanted to talk to you, Rowena. To see if you could perhaps forgive me." Oh, now that was golden. Rowena didn't understand why her mother hadn't left her mark in the history as a revered comedienne. "Theoretically speaking, I guess I probably could as it's entirely in my control and it wouldn't even cost me anything, but no, that's not going to happen. My capacity for expressing feelings other than hatred is depleted for today, so you can try again tomorrow," she rejected the outrageous idea, her voice like cracking like a whip. "Please, Rowena. We had no other option..." "Yes, I know. It only made sense to minimize your casualties; hell, the offer you've received was a bargain from economical standpoint. I'm not so unreasonable as to think you got some perverse enjoyment out of my suffering. On the other hand, 'practical' doesn't translate to 'okay.' You're the foolish one here if you think I can just hand-wave this. You're right, Darien. Let's get out of here," Rowena ended the conversation... Or at least she would have if her mother wasn't so hellbent on not putting two and two together. "Wait! I heard you wanted to find Maat, is that correct? I can guide you there safely. Duat is full of perils for those who don't know how to move undetected here. And trust me, Rowena; from what I've seen so far, you two cause commotion just by existing. It's like you bend reality unconsciously just to make everything worse for yourself."

Alright, my mother certainly has good observational skills, I'll give her that. The thought of accepting her mother's help didn't exactly boost her ego, but Rowena had inherited the practical mindset of her parents; it would be downright idiotic to reduce their already tiny chances of surviving this ordeal. Life sometimes dealt you a bad set of cards and if you had a chance to improve your position, you couldn't ignore it just because it didn't suit your fancy. "Actually, Darien, wait a second. Perhaps we could use her after all." The mother smiled, the wrinkles around her mouth becoming more pronounced. "Use me? Such a lovely expression." "Fairly karmariffic, don't you think? Anyway, how are you planning to get us to Maat without an incident? As you said, we do have a penchant for attracting danger and unless you have mafia-like connections here, I can't imagine how you'd protect us from harm. Did you take ghostly kung-fu lessons?" The mental picture of her mother practicing kung-fu kicks vigorously was almost as absurd as the idea of an honest telemarketer, so her lips twitched involuntarily. "No. You don't need martial arts when you can do tricks like this." The vision of her mom suddenly started flickering as if she was nothing but badly programmed hologram. Her body dispersed into a black mist; mist that got absorbed by the ever-present wood quickly. Rowena just smirked. Had her mom tried to impress her with theatrics? That might have worked on someone whose signature power wasn't transforming herself in an infinitely more horrifying way. "I guess demanding an explanation would ruin your precious moment of surprise." And then the tree underneath their feet moved. The pseudo-plant pulled out roots out of the earth as if it simply took off shoes that didn't fit and stretched out its branches. "I'll just drive you there," the familiar voice spoke in her head. "Sit down and behave yourselves." Well, that was... unexpectedly stylish. Okay, mom, you win this round. "Don't panic, Darien," Rowena put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly, "my mom apparently... possessed the tree's corpse to use it as a taxi for us, so calm down and savor the strangeness."

The vampire sat at the breach to gain some awareness of her surroundings; old habits died slowly and she hated not being in charge. Having a nice view could hardly compensate for the power balance between them, but at least it gave her a semblance of equality. For the first timesince the jackal had sent them here on a forced vacation, Rowena actually examined the bleak environment. Ashes, grey skies, lakes of fire... Wow, how boundlessly original. All this place needs is a dark ambient soundtrack playing in the background and I can pretend I'm in a cheap horror videogame. Too bad I don't have a steel pipe as a weapon to make it feel a little more thematic. The wooden colossus marched forward in a steady rhythm, unconcerned by fatigue; being undead puppet had its advantages as long as you didn't mind loss of free will. They passed a small, innocent looking forest Rowena would cut down with a gleeful laughter if she could get away with it, desert-like plains where howling winds tried to tear off their clothes and seemingly desolate locations populated solely by alien, mind-boggling architecture. There were gravity-defying angles and stones scattered in bizarre formations; it looked like playground of a mad god. Either way, she was glad they didn't have to explore the place on foot as such endeavor would probably consume whole hours. Finally, they arrived to the white, marble temple standing in the middle of the nothingness. Whiteness of its walls shined brightly in the darkness, yet it sent shivers down Rowena's spine; for some reason, it reminded her of bleached bones more than anything else. "We're here," her mother said and the tree bent down gently so they could leave without attempting to impersonate Tarzan again. "Okay, this is our final stop, let's exit. And thanks, mom. We'll talk later." Not bothering with more emotional goodbye, the vampire landed on the ground gracefully and waited for Darien to do the same. "Alright, so how do we ask for the audience? I kinda get the feeling this is our last chance to obtain the key, so I'm not thrilled at the prospect of offending Maat."

As if in response, the heavy door leading into the sanctum suddenly opened without any outside intervention. A strikingly beautiful woman dressed in white, airy toga watched them from the inside. She could easily be an inspiration for old master painters. Exotic, symmetrical features, caramel skin, hair like liquid obsidian; the only thing diminishing her beauty was slightly condescending expression on her face. "Oh, don't worry about offending me. I've been notified of your quest before you set your foot in my kingdom and I have no qualms about granting you your wish. However, you have to understand weighing your heart against Feather of Truth is a very difficult process, and thus it can't be performed on both of you. Only one of you shall be judged... And to determine who is worthy of that honor, you shall fight each other until last beat of your opponent's heart."

The Returner · Jul 31, 2014

Yes, there was some truth to her words. Threatening her, moreover after they confessed to each other, was not really a lover-like thing to do. So he nodded his head in agreement and hoped that in the future, he either would not be presented with a situation where he would blow a fuse again, or if he was in a similar situation he would hold his tongue better than this time. Then his previous concerns about Rowena losing her wits reappeared, as she again led a conversation with a possibly non-existent creature and there was still no proof that would make Darien think otherwise. So he just watched Rowena, being so animated with her mother and something in her behaviour and mimicry led the Hekan to assume that Rowena probably missed her mother and her confused brain now imagined her presence. However, even that theory got discarded once Rowena started to count all the negatives that seemed to concern her family. There was no grief from separation, but a form of disgust and dislike, and it went on Darien's list of things to ask Rowena when they'd have some private time.

Then suddenly, the tree started to move. The unexpectedness of the happening sent Darien into shock but he quickly assumed alert and somewhat defensive posture as if the lianas from outside were to sway in, in an attempt to throw the two of them out. Rowena's hand on his shoulder and her words might have surprised him a tiny bit more. "Your mother possessed the tree?" Considering that there was no violent shaking, no amber flowing their way, Darien had to admit to himself that the ghost story Rowena told him was probably true. Relaxing a bit and swaying in his hips and knees imperceptibly, Darien managed to stay up right, not falling to either side. As they walked away from the site of the fight, the Hekan saw the boiling amber already cooling down and forming a strange, smaller hillock. Unfortunately for the tree that threw it up, the amber glued its roots to the ground, imprisoning it to stand in that spot forever. The rest of the surroundings were erratic in changes and from the safe haven of the cavity, Darien could somewhat marvel at them. Duat was more than he has imagined. It was fascinating in the morbid, dark sense. Darien probably would not ask for a permanent residence down here, but in a way he was glad for being given the opportunity to visit, no matter the circumstances. At least in the future, when he would die one day, he knew where he was headed and what to expect.

Their 'taxi' soon reached the destination and Darien jumped down onto the ground, it was time for them to face the final stage before getting the key. Darien was slightly nervous, but determined. He would do anything to pass any test Maat would have them to do. "I'd suggest starting with a joke knock, knock, who's there might be a good idea," he suggested, obviously as clueless as Rowena as to what they should do. Yet, before they could go forward and maybe act out that joke, the door opened on its own. One thing no one should ever expect from a man is to stand still or remain calm when he is presented with a hot female who is dressed in airy clothes. No, there was no way in hell Darien would ever expect Maat to look so...appetizing. His deeper self congratulated Thoth for having her as his consort. Either way, it was probably better that the two of them didn't get the chance to make the first move despite Maat's proclamation that she might not get offended. Darien somewhat doubted that in his mind because he and Rowena together trying to negotiate, well, he knew pretty good how that went before. Yet, the goddess's trial was unexpected. Wha? I though we were meant to... No, he had to stop and remind himself that the deal about fighting till death was over between him and Rowena. Due to that, Darien was ready to do anything in his powers in order not to lay hands on Rowena that would lead to pain, or death. Turning his focus from Maat to Rowena, the lack of question in his expression was on its own somewhat alarming. In fact, he looked her up and down as if evaluating her, just like the day they met for the first time. Yet, there was no hostility in that look, just pure, deep thought.

"Well," he started, his voice giving away a shade of uncertainty, "I think that's kind of settled already. You're a vampire, as some stories go, your race is basically walking corpses, no offence. So judging on that, it would make me a winner and we don't have to lay a hand on each other at all." Despite his words probably sounding ridiculous and absolutely unfounded by any vampire anatomy book, the Hekan knew very well what he was trying to do. He had no idea what chance he had against the Feather of Truth, but maybe he'd have better chances coping with what it meant than Rowena had. Darien shifted his gaze towards Maat with both eyebrows risen as if he has just solved Einstein's equation and was waiting for her confirmation of his result.

Aine · Aug 1, 2014

Different people had different ways of coping with unpleasant situations. Some let off steam by succumbing to hysterical outbursts, others preferred to keep their dignity and suck it up, another group went to wild shopping sprees to prove that the proverb 'you can't buy happiness with money' was just bullshit broadcasted by poor people. As for Rowena, our heroine had always found strength in her ability to complain endlessly about everything. Allow me to ask a simple question, Maat. Is being a complete and utter shithead a prerequisite for godhood or do you simply grow into your role of pompous jerk during centuries of using living beings as pawns in your own chess game? Why every single god had to demand inadequate sacrifices that wouldn't even benefit them in any way? Did they have gala events like The Academy Awards only instead of appreciating supposedly best movies, they rewarded the most creative acts of dickery? Did they receive bonus points for making two lovers fight to death? The vampire hadn't really thought about religion much besides idly accepting Sekhmet as her spiritual creator, but now Rowena wanted to present Maat with every scientific theory that supported atheism just to spite her. And she would have done so - in a very colorful language, might I add - if Darien didn't attempt to outsmart the goddess instead. Maat's expression didn't change. "Nice try, mortal. Folklore, however, is just that; folklore. I wouldn't advise you to search truth in fairytales if you don't want to end up sorely disappointed. Sekhmet is too vain to create her own race from pitiful remains. Your companion is alive in every definition of that word... Even though there's not much life left within her anymore, to be honest."

Normally, Rowena would have threatened to sue Maat for revealing such invasion of privacy, but her own thoughts kept her far too busy for any demonstrations of righteous anger. In a way, the vampire's imagination was like a wagon stuffed with unstable explosives from world war two; all it took for the fiery inferno to break out was a subtle poke, and Darien's attempt to bypass the goddess' trial set her mind ablaze with new ideas. Gods, much like any powerful entities, were bound by their words. If you could re-weave the fabric of reality itself AND shared the same power with few other individuals, you needed to be very trustworthy otherwise you could wake up one day and realize you're dead. No, gods didn't suffer oath-breakers among their ranks; they were way too unpredictable, way too likely to destroy everything they had worked for in one swift motion. Maat wasn't an exception just because she had managed to marry one of the more important gods. If anything, enemy political forces probably watched her far more closely, waiting for a stumble that would advance their own shady goals. Rowena smiled, and it wasn't a pretty smile. It was a smile of a poker player who knew for sure his opponents wouldn't be able to afford anything but water and week old bread from now on. "Perhaps, but you didn't say one of us would have to assume the lucrative position of a corpse to get the stupid key, right? Your only condition for Darien to pass this test is for my heart to stop beating. That can be arranged easily." Most organisms possessed rather loose control of their own body, but that didn't really apply to Rowena who could make her own bones grow at will. Still smiling in that shark-like manner, the vampire closed her eyes and sent out a simple command to her heart. "Stop."

A crushing pain immediately gripped her chest; it felt as if giant pliers were trying to extract last drop of life out of her. Her body protested against the suicidal instructions, trying to liberate itself from the malicious influence, but Rowena treated it like every recruit that refused to obey; she just forced it to do things her way through sheer willpower. The pain intensified and suddenly, the vampire couldn't catch her breath as if she had just run a marathon. When her feet finally collapsed under her weight, Rowena had to admit simulating her own heart attack wasn't nearly as entertaining as it initially sounded and cancelled the experiment quickly. "Well... So much... for your nonsensical trial," she stood up slowly, dusting herself off, "Congratz, Darien, you're the winner. Your prize is a creepy inspection from ancient artifact that may or may not end in eternal damnation for you. Can we move on now?" Maat looked ready to spontaneously combust at any given moment. Her godly composure evaporated, and the Thoth's consort was eyeing the pair with open hostility. "You clearly didn't understand purpose of this test! Handling Book of Thoth requires willingness - no, eagerness - to bring personal sacrifices for greater good. On the other hand," the goddess looked pensive now, "knowledge without intelligence may be much more dangerous than selfishness, and you did quite well to exploit the hole in my request. Come on in," Maat gestured towards the open door, "and the true examination of your character shall begin."

Following Maat in her own relaxed pace, Rowena intertwined her fingers with Darien's and gave him an encouraging squeeze. It was the kind of grasp that said: "Hey, don't worry, you'll make it. And if not, well, then we'll solve our problems via mindless violence just like we always do and devise a different plan to get the key." They walked in complete silence; the temple seemed to be much bigger than how it looked from the outside and they passed through several corridors before they reached a big room in the center. The hall didn't bear a trace of any decor or furniture; the only object worthy mentioning was a white altar made of the same marble as the entire shrine. "Lie down," Maat ordered uncompromisingly. Hearing similar request from lips of such a beauty was probably every man's dream come true, but it sounded quite sinister in this context. As soon as Darien complied, the woman in white raised her palm, whispering words in language unknown to any living man. Language wasn't actually the best term to describe the tones coming out of her throat; it seemed to be a weird hybrid between speech and singing, too rhythmic and too disjointed at the same time to be classified as either. Her pupils expanded over her eyes which were suddenly drowning in blackness, and a white feather emerged out of her palm. Feather of Truth. The legendary item hovered above Darien's body for a second before it immersed itself in his chest.

The Returner · Aug 2, 2014

The hope that he might have outfoxed a goddess was short-lived. If Darien was really egoistic his ego would probably suffer a major blow of AK-49, deflating and disappearing into the world of nothingness. However, the Hekan was not that egoistic and the only effect that Maat's words had on him were clenched teeth, slightly narrowed eyes and the cogs in his brain going into 5th gear. Maybe that was the reason why Darien didn't put that much emphasis on the last sentence, because in his mind vampires were still somewhat zombies, lacking life in the definitions that he knew. While he was wrecking his brain for answers that might bring them closer to the Feather of Truth and the key, Rowena took precedence, truly outsmarting the godly entity. Upon hearing that stopping Rowena's heart was possible, he shot her a surprised look but before he could act, there was the almost unnoticeable twitch in her features as she tried to suppress the pain.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked her, still shocked but managing to step closer and place his hand on her lower back. He understood her reasons but the suddenness of her actions threw him off balance. Once she started to fight for air, Darien's expression went completely still and tense. Knowing why she was doing what she was doing didn't change the fact he didn't like it one bit. Seeing Rowena simulating her own death somewhat pained Darien as now he could imagine what it would be like if she were to truly die. As her feet collapsed under her, Darien eased her fall, almost holding her.

"I think that's enough Rowena," he said resolutely. Maybe she heard him through the curtain of fighting against her own body because soon after, she was breathing regularly and was standing up as if nothing has happened. "Can't tell that I am too happy, but yeah, I guess the honour is mine." The reply came as if he wasn't even thinking about it properly and was more concerned with other things. Yes, facing the Feather of Truth was definitely on his mind and suddenly he felt unsure whether he wanted to continue. He knew that his life was far from honourable and good. He has done so many questionable things that he rarely dared to think about and now he would have to reveal all that. Yet, Darien didn't really have a choice but to follow Maat obediently. Upon feeling Rowena's hand taking hold of his, at first, that motion unsettled him even further. He appreciated the supportive gesture, squeezing her hand ever so slightly in response, but he wished Rowena hasn't done it. It made the trial seem even worse. The major issue he had was that if Rowena was to see what would go through his head, she might as well go and chop her hand off as to cut all ties with him.

Due to the involvement with his own thoughts, Darien paid little attention to the surroundings and took a proper notice of what was happening when they arrived at the central room with an altar. A heavy boulder pressed down on his heart even more so that Darien could have started to simulate his own death. Executing Maat's order to the letter without feeling any specific excitement about it, Darien could feel the cold stone hard against his back. When the goddess started chanting, the Hekan watched her intently as if at any point she could turn into a tentacled beast. Soon enough, Maat's prayer, or whatever the hell it was that she was doing, produced a white feather surrounded but dim glow. It floated right above Darien's torso before it submerged into his chest. For the first couple seconds nothing was happening and Darien started to wonder whether the whole trial was painless, the feather just doing it's job without interfering with his consciousness. Once again, he was proven wrong. The bolt of sharp pain, spread like lightning through his chest all over his body. Darien shrieked out in surprise and agony, before his consciousness clouded over and he was transported back through the time.

Darkness. Cold. Fear. Distant sobbing. He was trembling. He didn't know what was going on, but his despair was genuine. Another thud of falling body. A child somewhere in the row tried to run away. Squelching. The shivering intensified as he felt the vampire closing in. He was just a child, innocent and so full of will to live. He didn't want to be shipped off to the city and die there. He wanted his mommy. Where was she? Why didn't she protect him now? The child next to him collapsed, stench of pee filling the air. Sharp features of the vampire's face so close to his. He wanted to run, but couldn't. His body wasn't responding. The eyes...grey and cold, like that night. Focused, searching his soul. Goosebumps graced his small arms and tears started to stream down his face; he was sobbing without being aware of it. His head started to hurt. It was as if something, some creature was expanding within the limits of his skull. He yelped out in surprise, his eyes widening. Blackness. Then the face was gone, and he was left with that coiling feeling inside his brain.

Darien's eyes were tight shut as if he was trying to get rid of some image only he could see. His teeth were clenched so hard that he bared them like a dog. His breathing was faster, deeper. Whatever Darien saw was causing him great discomfort. Then he went still, his features easing, but the anxiety did not leave his body language.

He was alone. Sitting in the shadows of something that looked like a library. He was reading some text written in ancient Egyptian. There would be no one coming his way trying to talk to him. Almost everyone looked down on him, either ignoring him altogether, or joining the bullies. The only companions he had the endless strings of letters and hieroglyphs. They considered him a weakling. 'Pussy' was what they called him on a regular basis just because he refused to fight and fend for himself, afraid he was too weak even if he mastered magic. All the physical and mental torture caused him to question the gods that they introduce and were making them believe in. He'd much rather suffer his whole life being looked down on than serve entities that were so careless with their subjects.

He breathed out in derision, defiance, his head falling to a side. Once again, his muscles tensing as if he was waiting for some major blow.

Dust and blood mixed together. It caused him to cough. He was confused, not sure what has just happened. There was shouting. Before he could look around to see what has happened, someone tackled him hard, pressing his face against the ground, shouting at him not to move or he'll have his head ripped off. He hit the floor with his face and the impact started a nose bleed. He wanted to writhe free but was unable to move. Fear returned to seize his body. Had he just killed someone?

He clenched his hands into fists, his back arched slightly. If there were straps tying him to the altar, he was trying to get rid of them. The visible will to fight was obvious until his body went limp, his breathing becoming shallow. Death might have been hovering over him, for all the audience could tell.

Speeding through the night in a stolen car. Blood pouring from his wounds threatening to bleed him out. "Hold in there...We'll fix you." Said a voice that he knew. Victor. Yet there was something odd about his voice. Sharp turn, he fell from being propped up onto someone, the pain causing him to growl nearly losing consciousness. "No," he managed to breath out, attempting to sit upright despite the deep wound in his side. He shoved away whatever they were trying to give him, but the hand was persistent. Then he lost it.

When he woke up, he was in the headquarters of the Rebellion. He felt no pain, he saw no wounds. Questioning how his brother's managed to heal him remained a mystery, yet he guessed that some life forcers might have a hand in it. Standing up carefully, he left the room in search for others, in search for information. It wasn't long till he found one of the brothers. The look on the guy's face said it all. Something went wrong. After demanding an explanation, what he was told sent him back to his old self, to the one who he was his whole life. "Victor's dead." Once again, he was alone and afraid, doubting the cause they were fighting for, but most of all, he was angry and doubting himself for failing a dear friend. From that point onwards, he would constantly torture himself into being a better person, a better leader. That was the last time he lost someone under his watch.

Darien knew that after that event, he became pretty much a fanatic. Hating and despising vampires almost as much as he hated himself for not protecting Victor. His life was full of mistakes that he regretted. Full of actions he was forced to do but if put in the situation again, he would do the same thing. Yet the feather did not stop at his far past, it searched through his recent history as well. Meeting with Rowena, feeling disgusted just by thinking about having to work with her. Fighting the need to kill her every waking moment. The masquerade when he had to admit that Rowena was beautiful in that sumptuous dress, when she made the step forward that threw him off balance and ignited something that he hoped was dead. Their night in the car. The pleasure far more deeper than primal needs. He saw it all. He saw himself changing from the man full of hatred, self-disregard bordering with self-harm and will to kill anything endangering him. He was changing into a man who was beginning to find the good in the world in places he never thought he would venture into again. His very being was transforming into someone he might have been long time ago only if his destiny was a bit kinder. He saw it all. The willingness, the purpose to live and protect not only himself but those he cherished; the inner need for reassurance and stability that he lacked throughout his life. He needed to feel safe and for him the Book of Thoth presented that. It was not the knowledge and the power it had that he was after. It was the answers that it offered. Answers that would ultimately help him change the world into one were he could live without his past.

The feather emerged from his chest. It was still glowing as Maat placed her hands on either side of it, her expression focused, reading the message the feather was conveying. Darien also regained consciousness, feeling dried tears on his temple, his muscles strangely aching as if he had tensed them too much. He didn't know how much he had given away and he didn't care. The revelation that the feather forced upon him strangely opened his eyes and he saw the bigger picture. The picture that no longer concerned only him and his needs. Yes, he looked different, as if he had changed inside and was not exactly the same Darien like the one who laid down on the altar not that long ago. When he sat up, Maat was just dropping her arms to her sides, the feather disappearing. The Hekan didn't know whether he passed the test or not and even if he didn't, he could live with that. His head was hung low even when the goddess spoke, not in defeat, but in patience.

"Your past is stained with blood and actions that are unforgivable, yet you show a potential to change. Under the rough, trivial and conceited exterior, a new person was now revealed to you. Hold onto him, because he is the reason why I am going to give the access to the key."

There was no smile on Darien's face, just one or two nods as he straightened up and slid of the altar to stand on his own two feet.

Aine · Aug 4, 2014

Rowena had to employ every ounce of her considerable self-control in order not to grab the nearest blunt object, hit Maat in the head with the improvised weapon and run away with her lover. Well, to be frank, what dissuaded her from performing the deed wasn't resolution as much as lack of suitable blunt objects in this goddamned empty hall. The whole ritual frightened her. Darien's senses probably weren't sharp enough to notice it, but the altar was reeking of blood. The white piece of stone had seen so many unwilling blood donators that the metallic scent had become forever imprisoned in its structure as a morbid memento; the vampire would have enjoyed the aroma at any other time, but the fact that Darien could become a sample in this symphony of different flavors kinda killed the appeal. If she tries to hurt him, then... Then what? How does one scare gods into submission? 'Leave him alone otherwise you'll be denied my friendship' probably isn't going to cut it, but realistically, it's the only threat I could fulfill at this point. Okay, that and 'I'm going to cry if you lay your hand on him,' yet that's about as menacing as a hamster with a shotgun. Concentrated nervousness practically dripped from her pores as she watched Darien drift off into a coma. He seemed to be serene at first, but that didn't really quench her fears; Rowena knew all too well that the greatest peace was that of a corpse. Of course, the vampire had no idea that if she could get a glimpse of the future, she would have cherished every second of the silent phase. Seeing tears streaming down his tightly shut lids scared her to no end. The instances of someone crying in front of her could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and it was usually a direct result of cold-blooded torture she had previously delivered on them with no small amount of twisted pleasure. Her traditional response to weeping was grabbing a bag of popcorn and mocking their weakness, but Darien's pain had a peculiar feature of triggering her own.

"What's happening to him? Is that normal?" she demanded to know, her hands balling into fists subconsciously. "Normal isn't really the word I'd use as what we're doing here is very out of ordinary, but it's not an unexpected development. The Feather is searching through his memory to determine whether he's worthy of the Book, so he's probably reliving some of his memories as a side effect," Maat said quietly, not once directing her attention from Darien's torso. There was a strange, almost kind undertone in her voice which contrasted so dramatically with her default behavior of a condescending goddess, yet that alone couldn't tame Rowena's fury. "Excuse me, but what the actual fuck? Hasn't it occurred to you that it might be nice to warn him there's a mind rape included in advance so that he could, I don't know, prepare himself for the lovely experience? Not everyone has 'my parents refused to buy me a pony' as their biggest trauma!" Maat finally turned her head away from Darien and shot Rowena a death glare; the two black holes in the place where her eyes were supposed to be made her back away instinctively. "You're so loud, child of Sekhmet. Loud and eager to interfere in matters you have no understanding of whatsoever. Shut up, or I'll have you escorted out of my residence." The disdain of her words stung like a slap right to the face and Rowena recoiled in surprise. Maat had just chastised her as if she was a naughty brat and that would have normally been a declaration of war, but the vampire didn't dare to fight back right now. Not when the goddess could probably wipe the floor with her without breaking a sweat.

And so she just stood there, her fists clenched so hard her nails were digging deep into her flesh, and waited for Darien's nightmare to end. The minutes were dragging like honey, though they didn't have a shred of its sweetness. When he finally opened his eyes, Rowena threw away her caution and rushed to sit beside him on the altar, caressing his hair gently. "Are you alright?" Darien looked somewhat different from before, even though she couldn't quite place her finger on it; no drastic change had altered his appearance, but his general demeanor seemed to give off an unusual vibe. His expression, humble yet confident, reminded her of a Buddhist priest who had just reached enlightenment or some other spiritual shit. "I'd hate to interrupt a personal moment, but haven't you two come here for the key?" A silver ray of light illuminated the dimly lit chamber; the particles of light were swirling in the beam as if participating in a mad orgy, and soon enough they formed a definite shape. It was too bright to see for a moment, but once the miniature fireworks went out, there was a golden chalice floating in the air. Maat handed it to Darien swiftly. "You were entrusted with protecting the world's biggest databank of knowledge. Don't stray from the right path, Darien. Remember the lessons Feather of Truth has showed you. Oh, and since The Guardian has overstepped his authority and forced you to go through trial much more unforgiving than the one initially required, let me do you two a small favor."

Rowena felt an invisible hand lift her off the altar; before she could as much as open her mouth to complain, the world around her flickered and suddenly, the scenery changed. The white temple belonging to Thoth's consort was nothing but a distant past. They had transported to every bookworm's dream come true. The building itself may have been rather unremarkable in its design, but was only because the entire budget had been apparently spent on books. There were shelves upon shelves bursting with different titles. Some of them looked to be ready to fall apart under the slightest touch, others seemed relatively new in comparison, but all had one thing in common; even an untrained eye could tell that the greedy collectors would sell their own grandmother just to own a single publication out of this fine selection. Rowena didn't need to be genius to guess their location. "The lost library of Alexandria," she breathed out, her voice full of child-like, almost innocent wonder. "Wow, I think I'm actually starting to like Maat. Granted, she's still got the personality of a wet napkin and she didn't win any bonus points with me for making us duel to death, but that was a charitable gesture." Rowena smiled and shockingly, there was no smugness or arrogance in her grin; just pure happiness of a kid who had found an amazing present under the Christmas tree. Possibly for the first time in this century, her actions didn't feel like running from something. A great chunk of her life had been wasted by cowardly fleeing; fleeing from her past, fleeing from the conflicting desires, fleeing from herself. Now she was standing exactly where she wanted to be, and damn, never before had she been so satisfied. Drunk with the vision of victory, Rowena pressed Darien against the wall without warning and kissed him passionately, her hands exploring every inch of his body. Why did he have to taste so good? The primal instincts pushed her to get rid of the thin layer of fabric separating their bodies, to finish what she had started immediately, but intellect won the battle against libido in the end. "Hmm, you know what? Let's postpone our... private celebration until after we actually get the Book of Thoth. Too many good things have happened to us in rapid succession and I wouldn't want to tempt the fate. With our luck, it's entirely possible that an alien ship will land here, the Martians will think the Book would be a lovely souvenir and steal it, leaving us wondering what the hell went wrong. Come on."

Kissing him for the last time, Rowena let go of Darien and ventured into the aisles. Oddly enough, it seemed the vampire knew precisely where she was heading despite clearly not being familiar with the place; that impression got confirmed quickly. "I have a theory about that book of ours, Darien, and if I'm right, we're very, very close to obtaining it. I don't think it's a book in a literal sense of that word. I've been suspicious of its form before since it's a general knowledge how much Egyptians loved their metaphors, but the key gave it away. I mean, why would they have a chalice as a key if it was a real book? Are we supposed to find it, mix it in a blender and drink the disgusting mash of paper and leather? I kinda doubt the wisdom comes with upset stomach. No, it's obviously something else, and I can hear water flowing somewhere in the distance." Rowena trusted her ear to guide them to the mysterious source of water and her senses didn't disappoint her; it wasn't long before a small, hieroglyphs-covered fountain appeared in their field of vision. "Jackpot! Oh Darien, I can't believe we didn't screw up. Screwing up seems to be our specialty and yet we're standing here, giving a giant middle finger to the crowds of people who weren't suicidal enough to get so far. This is fantastic! I assume we're going to share, right? So... Who's going first?"

Born To Run

Brilliant Psychopath

Aine

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Brilliant Psychopath

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Brilliant Psychopath

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Brilliant Psychopath

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Brilliant Psychopath

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Brilliant Psychopath

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Brilliant Psychopath

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Brilliant Psychopath

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Brilliant Psychopath

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Brilliant Psychopath

Aine

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