The Elder Invasion: CHAPTER 4 - Insanity

Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

Noise looks up and notices the newcomers, or rather, sees them when his head happens to roll to the side enough to see them, and smirks as a thought comes into his mind. Unfortunately, at this point his semi-concious, knocked-silly mind is too out of it to know that to utter the phrase would result in another sound beating. So utter it he does. "H...Hey C-count." He says between beleaguered breaths. "Loo...Looks like y-you have some g-guests." At this point, he takes a moment to laugh to himself at his own joke, unable to realize neither the consequences nor the fact that what he was going to say wasn't that funny. "S-so...Y-you gonna invite them in for dinner o-or...or...invite them in to be dinner?" At this point, Nosie can't resist it any more and breaks out into pained laughter, chuckles of mirth mixed in equally with grunts of pain. He doesn't know whether or not the count had heard him, but he didn't care. The room was growing dark, which meant it was night time. And night time meant it was time to sleep. "Good night you silly count." He thought to himself. "WHen I wake up, this'll all be just a bad dream." And with that last thought, Noise's head fell to the side, now completely unconcious.
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

50 miles away... near the Endless Highway...

They had taken the Fidelis hover-car west. Soulless knew of a place... an abandoned house where they could rest up and tend to Captain Tain. He had used it sometimes, on his wanderings through the madlands. And so the lunatic child had guided them, Kaze steering the vehicle over rolling hills of bones and valleys of tears. Behind them the Fear Garden was left in flames as the funeral pyre of JackShade, Pirogeth and the others spread for miles around, as if fueled by the departed souls. None of them looked back. In this land the echoes of what was lost drowned all other things.



A few hours later, Tain was laid on a bed in the middle of a barren room, covers of sheepskin tucked around him. Sakura had cleaned his wounds as best she could and had seen him through the worst of the fever. Now the captain was sleeping, his soft breath turning into candle-smoke as it slipped through the surreal air. It mixed with the wallpaper, smoke becoming parchment, till it almost seemed that the room was being exhaled by the captain.

But this was the lesser of the insanities in this abode. As Sakura left the room, a bundle of bandages in her arms, she stepped into a hallway of staircases running off at odd angles - up, down, in upon themselves, off into imaginary distances. It hurt her head to look at them, but thankfully Soulless had tied a ribbon to the correct one so that she could find her way. Sakura moved down it, shutting her eyes so the other staircases wouldn't make her dizzy.

Through one of the windows she passed, Kaze could be seen on the floating walkway outside. He had parked the Fidelis and was working on it, fixing minor faults and checking the cargo hold. Behind him the Mirror swirled like a curtain before some great performance. It was a wall of eerie purple, wracked now and then by great swathes of light, the ghostly images of text and other worlds barely visible. Soulless had told Kaze not to stare at the Mirror for too long, and the wind-mage had the good sense to comply.

Drake was also outside somewhere, but Sakura couldn't see him. She could hear Soulless and Natalie talking in one of the other rooms, possibly the kitchen, their voices echoing back and forth like haunting music. Again, Sakura did not dwell on it too much. She feared that to concentrate on any one part of this house would spell her demise, her mind lost in the surreal labyrinths for time eternal.


Finally, the girl reached the bottom of the weird stairway and crossed the black and white chequered floors that led to the end room. It was a small chamber suspended over the edge of the tree the house was built on. And here, she found Asmodeus.

The angel had his back to her and was stood amid a dozen or so easels where paintings had been mounted. His calculated mutters echoed from the walls of the tiny room, the candlelight dancing back and forth. Sakura could see screwed-up paper on the floor, canvasses torn in half, easels kicked over and scattered paintpots.

Stopping at the doorway, she watched Asmodeus put the finishing touches to Porg's red hair. He washed the paintbrush, muttering all the while. "...hasn't suffered enough. Uninvested. Nothing to lose - no stakes. Why should we care?"

He moved to another painting - a charcoal rendering of Arachnion. "No, no, no." He pulled it down, casting it on the floor next to a half-finished sketch of Soulless.

He pulled an easel into the light, uncovering it to show a red and black painting of Warmaster Death. "Lived in rage... servant. No... maybe. Maybe. Betrayed by everyone. Honour and righteousness." He drummed the painting with the end of his paintbrush then suddenly picked up a drawing of Grandmaster Karsikan, sticking it next to the Warmaster. "Too archetypal.. no depth... unable to embrace the Goddess - NO!" he flung the canvas away.

The next easel was coloured completely black, save for a thin strip where the unmistakeable eyes of Palonis had been drawn. "What light... what light? Cares for nothing. Trickster... too cynical. No faith to restore."

He picked up a pencil drawing of Myrnodyn, considering it for long seconds. "Stage five... not yet." He folded it carefully and tucked it inside his robes, before rushing to a painting of several individuals, including Grant and Uriel. "Too late. Arrived too late. But human... all so human. Maybe. But what connection... what past? No." He moved onwards.

Another charcoal rendering showed Torsty in full battle armour. "Servant. Like the Warmaster. There must be a choice. THERE MUST BE... the journey willed." He threw Torsty away then kicked over a canvas depicting Captain Nic.

"Jumi..." He dabbed a blotch of paint on the image of Jumi, "Cursed lieutenant... speak again.. show the way... maybe..." He stood there for a moment, then a sudden wave of anger came over him. He kicked over the rest of the easels.

"WHO IS IT?!" he shouted as he turned, fury etched upon his face.

And then he saw Sakura in the doorway and his features softened. He stared at her, his voice becoming barely a whisper. "Which one is the Hero...?"





[SUMMARY: Asmodeus, Sakura, Soulless, Kaze, Drake, Natalie and Tain take refugee in a house near the Lost Highway. While staying there, Asmodeus reveals his talent for painting. His mind is working overdrive, trying to figure out who the Hero of Iwaku is.]
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

Soulless talked with Natalie about a lot of things. He spoke to her about himself, and asked a few questions about her. He seemed completely unaffected by the madness of the stairs, the house, and the resting spot. Rather, it was normal to him, far weirder things have happened in the castle he called home for far too long. In the back of his mind his guardian growled softly, eternally displeased with being in the same home as outsider folk. However if Soulless willed it, Saneless would (at least) tolerate. However, the conversation was interrupted with a loud roar, only exemplified by the walls that vibrated, making the shout echo. For a moment, the rooms stilled, then continued as if nothing had happened. No matter what would happen, Insanity would always seem to be Insanity.

"Stay here." He spoke to Natalie a moment, hopping up and dusting off his dusty sleeves before wandering the stairs with the ease of a seasoned explorer. When he arrived to the source of the noise, it was Sakura watching apprehensively an anguished Asmodeus, feathers flying along invisible breezes as canvases of faces familiar and not so littered the floor. He glanced around curiously, then at the strange angel that always seemed to evade his grasp for understanding. To the angel's curious actions his question was blunt, but obvious. "If the Hero comes, the Hero shall come. When the Hero comes then you'll know, so why try so hard?" He asked. This constant self torture for questions that would eventually be asked anyways really seemed to both confuse and irritate the young resident of Insanity, who has long learned to merely take things as they came and enjoy whatever the future held, holding no desire to figure out a future that would come anyways.

To Sakura he let out a happy and high-pitched meow, taking her hand and licking it playfully, ignoring as her armful of bandages fell to the floor and rolled over the paint, both wet and dry. He glanced at the paintings curiously, before grinning and hopping to the angel's paints and dipping into some red for his own use without paintbrush nor permission as he backed away and pressed his fingers to the wall, messily drawing a man of red and a cape, before making a red circle and suddenly he had an idea. Very happily he looked at the other paintings and began to grab various colors, drawing the shadow that was surly Palonis, the feathers of Asmodeus and the red hair of Porg. Upon the stick figure he splashed his crimson blood and the armor of the Warmaster. He slapped on various other parts, clothing, hair, artifacts and necklaces and shoes, anything he could think of. then on this mass and mix of all the characters Asmodeus had painted, he pointed. "Look! The Hero!" He laughed and brought his colored sleeves to his face, wiping his work onto his face without a care in the world.

[Summary: Soulless is interrupted by Asmo's rageface. Soulless asks Asmo why he is so worried about knowing the identity of the Hero or Iwaku when the Hero would eventually be revealed anyways. Then, to join in he takes pieces of the characters Asmodeus drew and scrawls them all as one person on the walls, pointing to it and indentifying the character as the Hero.]
 
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Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

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Stumbling through the darkness, Jumi crashed into the soft earth of Soldier's Grave. As he slid to a stop, Jumi lifted his masked face from the soil, and before him he could see the edges of The Mirror. Just a stones throw from the graves, and it still seemed to haunt even the dead of the land who laid at rest at the feet of it's borders. Scrambling to his feet, he began jumping up and down in excitement as he could almost hear Insanity calling to him once more. The Mirror had beckoned to him for centuries as he laid in the cold dirt of Soldier's Grave.

He began walking towards it once more, as skeletal face appeared from one of the many graves, The head's voice was raspy, and sharp. "So, the traitor returns to the his rightful grave!"

Jumi paused, and turned around to look in the direction of the voice, and tilted his head at a complete ninety degreee angle as the uprooted head came to view. Jumi scratched at his bucket, and looked around for a moment... and after finding a piece of a rib, he reached down for it, and wrote in the dirt 'Traitor? I have betrayed no one. I'm looked for one called Paorou-sama.'

The head shaked violently as the name was spoken. "You're a damn fool, traitor. Whatever you hope to find in the presence of that madman makes as much sense as pissin' in the wind! And what makes you think you've got the right to look for anything!? You of all people shouldn't be walking around as you are, but should be chained to stone, or dead!"

Jumi instinctively tapped a few notes on his guitar in response, and kicked at his writing in the dirt before writing out "Why do you keep calling me traitor? I havne't done anything!"

"You abandoned your lord, and left, and the rest of us to die! YOU ARE A TRAITOR AND A COWARD JUMI!" The head screamed so loudly, that it fell from the section of spine tha stuck through the dirt, and began to roll around.

Jumi gritted his teeth under his mask, and knelt down grasping the skull, and peered at it intently with his black eyes.

The severed head returned the stare with one of it's own, but it was wide eyed. "You... you're not Jumi anymore... are you? I couldn't really get a look at you... with my missin' eyes, and all, but you ain't him no more..." The head said in a whisper.

Sumarry: Jumi has made his way to Soldier's Grave as it's the only known place to his memory, and for somereason.. the Mirror calls to him. As he enters Soldier's Grave, the soul of a deceased Nerf soldier begins taunting, and yelling at him, resulting in Jumi lifting the soul's severed head to his face revealing the physical change that has occured to him in the past few centuries. This in turn draws out the spirits confusion.
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

The Warmaster had turned on Porg, outright murder in his eyes when the count had spoken, and he turned to the Markhovian lord, though his eyes caught on a single word, a single, damned word, one that had not been spoken in nearly two decades.

Coatlbara

The Warmaster screamed as the powerful memories force him to his knees

The Opening engagement of the Admin War, Cult Quarter

Imperial Superheavy tanks burned beside ISAF battalions, and there was no sign of Road Rage or his unit, Captured as they had been by the Markhovian vampires, their empty vehicles all Silias found.

Some time later,

The images rushed unbidded through his mind, and the Daemons sheer power had driven him to his hands and knees, blood pouring from his eyes, nose and ears, in his soul he felt a calming, soothing influence course over him, and the words of his trusted advisor and freind gave him the strength to rise.

as he rose to his feet he faced the thing, his voice rising higher and higher as he screamed the hymn to the Emperor, force weapon raised high above his head.
he struck the beast, slattering himself in ichor and filth, though, for all his strength, the beast was uneffected and kicked the Space Marine into a building, the ruin crumbling down on top of him.




Present day

The Memories rode a sea of pain, and those with Psychic or other intuitive powers felt a measure of sanity Roughly enforce itself on the Warmaster, his shattered mind recognising that such an event occurred AFTER he had left the ARC.
They also felt the psychic backlash of the event, and some even saw it happen through WMD's eyes, and felt the pain of nearly being crushed under what felt like a tonne of concrete.

He looked around, his mind feeling clearer, more focused, and then his eyes settled on the Count, The Space Marine rose and regarded the Vampire cautiously

"We come, as I am certain you are aware, because this land is under seige, a foul Gaian perversion spreads and infects the land, and we come to you to seek free passage through your lands, so that we may defeat this enemy" he said, his eyes moving back to the vault behind the vampires

could it really be that the beast slumbers behind those doors? what madness could possibly hold sway for the Markhovians to keep it here?




OOC: WMD sees the word Coatlbara and suffers a painful flashback, sending a shockwave through all present psychics, though he recovers and announces their reason for entering the castle
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

"There is no True Hero," a voice mocked from just outside the doorway, "Simply children playing Pirate King on bloody rocks." Drake glanced inside over Sakura's head, cutting in as Soulless finished his macabre painting. The last few hours had been mottled agony for the wererat and the strain showed in narrowed eyes and pursed lips. Tain had survived, a testament to the strength of Lycanthrope's healing properties. Although in place of elation, a stone had plummeted into his stomach and down toward his feet. Once again he felt like a pawn in a battle between juveniles. Paorou had awaked and the land of Insanity had recognized its master. Drake could not pretend he had not felt fear tremor up his spine and into his heart. How could one not? Standing in the domain of a God...and a mad one at that, in the midst of what may become another war? The Cycle...or God...or whatever fate whimsically hurled the souls of its domain against each other had a penchant for dramatics.

This was no exception.

"Iwaku will never be saved," Drake said flatly, striding into the room to stare at the picture Soulless had made with a troubled frown, "Because people like Asmodeus will always use their power to enforce a narrative which calls for death." Asmodeus said nothing, his eyes still on Sakura who had followed Drake in her wide stare. Soulless frowned, whether from anger or confusion was inconsequential. Drake continued.

"The Hero will journey to overcome the Shadow...I am well versed in the lore published by Paorou...Jack, when he was alive, hoarded such relics in an attempt to elevate himself from his perceived position of the Guardian. I do not think he ever did." Drake tore the picture from the wall, taking care not to damage the ends of it, and handed it to Soulless. "When you define yourselves by such restrictive terms, one invariably becomes what they were told they would be. Asmodeus will take the road of Shadow, as he has before, and the rest will follow suite."

His arms widening as if to encompass the room, Drake turned to Sakura. His momentum almost faltered at the sight of her. So young and innocent, he was sure part of her wanted to believe the angel's mad fairytale of heroes and saviors. Who could deny the appeal of a world where good and evil were clearly defined? The Shadow would fall to the Hero's hand and the narrative would end in victory. All darkness was followed by light and all storms stood to be cleared when the rain had stopped.

But what of the victims?

"Palonis will be the trickster, Porg the ally, and Myrn the hero...or Myrn the ally and Porg the hero...or perhaps Rory will usurp the Trickster and Palonis can carry the hero's sword...he certainly has before." Throwing a meaningful glance at the angel, Drake slid against the back wall and onto the ground, eyes dark and face flushed with restrained passion.

"Jack Shade is dead, killed by his own fruitless struggle to become something never to exist at the first. Perhaps I will be the only one to mourn him, or maybe Asmodeus will shed a tear to cast the tragedy in a dramatic light. One more body to sod the ground around his Cyclical tower, and one more fool who believed in fairy tales."

Drake's eyes glittered, but did not leak. His tears had seeped into his spirit.

"Paorou wakes while Tain slumbers...and we stagnate waiting for a messiah in the company of a murderous madman. Tell me, am I the only one who finds this ludicrous?"



Summary: Drake berates them all for believing in a hero that shouldn't exist. One can tell he's hurt by losing Jack, but there is nothing that can be done.
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

It didn't take a psychic to tell that something was indeed wrong with the Warmaster. From the very beginning, it was clear that he was not entirely present in this current space in time. And Tegan could sympathize with that, as she was no stranger from coming unhinged in time. It seemed that they were both slaves to memory.

However, now he was the one speaking on their behalf, and given his current state of mind, this worried Tegan. Though now was not the time to cut in, since that would certainly cause their delicate situation to devolve. She would just have to wait for the moment, and allow him and Porg their try. If that didn't work, then she would try her hand.

And if that failed. . .

The biting scent of blood hung heavy in the air.

Tegan closed her eyes for a moment to listen to her heart beating steadily in her chest, warm blood calmly coursing through her veins. Her bare feet against the cool marble floor. She was calm. But there was no reason not to be. Hadn't she said earlier that death was only a minor inconvenience?

Tegan's grey eyes opened once more, their gaze had already drifted from the unfamiliar name on the door and about the room to survey the lounging forms of its occupants, and the fallen bodies of their victims.
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

The Grandmaster stooped and clutched his head with one hand as if to some unseen pain, he saw visions, memories not his own, a daemon, a space marine being kicked into a wall. He shoved the pain aside and stood to his full height once more. As he did he thought to vox The Warmaster, but then remembered that his gear was still missing, so Karsikan waited, his autosenses cutting through the gloom of the night, he noticed there were more werewolves coming but stopped a few meters away like the rest had, content to watch like hungry animals waiting for their master to tell them it was time for their next meal. Still, mutated though they were he pitied them, as he did all mutants, for their lives had been once normal, until they were tainted by some evil power to their new forms.

He found himself thinking that he was not unlike these creatures, tainted by evil from what they once were, and he pitied the the more for it. He had been permitted to continue his service to the emperor, to bring light to darkness, and was even honored by his curse to become a Grey Knight. Yet they were slaves to hunger and madness, and bound by a will far darker than theirs.
Perhaps there is a way to end their suffering and return them to how they once were?
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

Soulless clutched his painting gently. His silver eyes stared at the painting, seemingly unaffected by the force of the man's anger and tug, albeit the edges were torn and a piece of the shadow that was part of Palonis's part was halved. His ears listened to the stranger's finding this all ludicrous, and he let out a small whimper, one more of understanding than fear, for he knew it was insane, but he was a being of Insanity and whether or not it happened didn't matter to him as long as Insanity was still Insanity he would be unaffected and his life would go on no matter what happened... but his time outside was beginning to make him believe different, that things on the outside world did matter other than what was right in front of him. His mouth opened in a soft, forlorn wail.

For a moment, the eyes of a frightened child shown, a child who was trying to be brave and try to still enjoy himself surrounded by adults and their adult worries, all around him and caging his spirit with their concerns. Then, they became cold and harsh, a soldier who only did as he was told and kept a stone heart to the rest of the world. Saneless had shut his precious charge away in his playful imagination as he planned to sweep these beings away from the memories of the child and remove himself from their presences. "He's probably been alive for far longer than you or I, probably the ways of old have taught him that even unbelievable things are possible. Do you think anyone thought the old Iwaku could be destroyed?" his snarl into the air was clear, mirroring Asmodeus's rage with his own. He glanced at Sakura, then back at Drake. "Look around you, you yapping idiot. Does that mirror look possible? Does this goddamned HOUSE look possible?! And you are sitting in it, with a dying man exhaling a room leading to stairs that lead to both nowhere and everywhere up to a room with an angel who should be dead and look- a window that reveals a GIANT MIRROR THAT MAKES PEOPLE CRAZY. And you're sitting here wondering how possible an old child's tale is?!" He hissed, put in a foul mood.

The guardian for Soulless simply snorted at Drake. "If you still think you're in a position to wonder how realistic something is, I think you're more of a lunatic than even Paorou himself."

[Saneless snaps back at Drake to defend Soulless from this new, worrying concept.]
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

Oh boy, oh boy... They were almost there, he could feel it, just through the mirror and he would be home!

Torsty could feel his strength advance to a new level for every step he took drawing him closer to the mirror. From the madness he descended, his abilities would expand the further in they would travel. Would his personality change? Would the Mad King welcome him with open arms? He did not know, the presence of Paorou still felt distant. Unlike most, he was delighted to know his old boss was back.

Still, there was a long way to go, and the vampires didn't really give the impression that they could just walk through without making sacrifices.

He wasn't in the position to make the negotiations move any quicker. He had accepted his position, to make sure none of the less battle-fond members were captured by thirsty vampires.

Shifting his vision between Mizdogg, GMK and the surrounding vampires, just with enough time between the shifting to not look nervous or uneasy.

He wasn't scared, never, but there was no reason to underestimate the hosts. If they really had to fight their way through, there was no question that the vampires had the upper hand.

Then again, vikings were always out-numbered, but never out-manuevered!


[SUMMARY: Torsty does nothing.]
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

THE HOUSE BY THE HIGHWAY...

"The wisdom of children chides you, Rat," Asmodeus said, peering over his shoulder at the slumped Lycanthrope. "Iwaku is a dream, and all dreams must end. Though we may cheat it like an inconvenience, the moment of death will teach us yet." Dropping his paintbrush, the angel stood over Drake, a glimmer of teeth showing as he half-smiled... that hungry smile that spoke of zealotry. "Before this night is out, you will know the clarity of shadows and heroes, I warrant you."

There was something in that more than rhetoric. It was a threat and Drake knew it - a threat with some history, some secret that Asmodeus had yet to reveal.

Stepping over the crumpled paintings, the angel moved to the doorway, placing a hand on the shoulders of Soulless and Sakura, as if to comfort them. It was almost a paternal gesture, at complete odds with his earlier rage. "The True Hero will show himself... tonight. And this age will come to an end, and what follows will be something we cannot recognise, like one dream from the next." He looked down at Drake again. "And if you live beyond this, Drake, I pray you, seek out a knight named Uriel and a doctor named Grant, and let them tell you of the mountains that a single heart can move... of the lone hand that can turn the tide of history. Their words will sound familiar, I am sure, for they were spoken by your very master. JackShade turned my life as I turned his, at the tender points by which our paths were crossed."

His smile grew wider, more elated. "So whatever you may choose to believe, remember you are in the presence of angels, of mortal stars and gods who walk the earth. And we are all locked together in a puzzle-box, the pieces turning, over and over, forced by such men as I and your late master. So, dear Wererat, do not mistake this for your other worlds. For Iwaku is the nexus of all stories and all stories will end... sooner than you think."

He stopped in the hallway, looking up the geometric chaos of stairways. "We must speak with Paorou... or whatever he has become now. We will need his vision. Dystopia and Shifter Town are gone. The East and West points of the Cross are broken. We must determine the fate of the North and South. When the Hero arises, this world will enter its final battle. I want to be sure I'm standing in the right place when it happens."

He started up the stairway, heading towards the walkway that would take him out to Kaze and the hover-car.




[SUMMARY: Asmodeus persists in his belief that the Hero will come and that the world is about to end. After berating Drake, he says they need to find Paorou and learn from him what is happening across the world. Asmodeus believes that a final battle with the Elders is coming...]
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

Porg looked around the room as the group entered, taking in the decor "Nice place" he said quietly to himself. He warily looked around the room at the multitude of vampires crowding the place. They had hunger in their eyes, but most of it was not directed at him, he had to admit, he was a scrawny human and wouldn't have been the most appetising of the group.

He shuddered a little, as he noticed some of their previous victims. He opened his mouth to respond to the count's question when the Warmaster suddenly yelled out, falling to the ground. "H-heh you ok?" Jack begun to say, but his senses were suddenly overwhelmed with a memory.

He was standing in this very room, Count Markov's chamber, the stone doors stood at the end of the room, though they were no longer grey, they were now splattered with thick crimson. The floor was littered with vampires, their bodies rendered and torn, some of them in several pieces, and the normal rich browns and deep mahoganies of the room were all tainted with the deep red of blood.

In his right hand he held the count by the neck, and lifting him up he got a flash of his expression, his eyes filled with fear and panic, the Vampire was afraid of him, deadly afraid. He laughed, an insane, maniacal laugh, one filled with a wild madness, a broken psyche. Jack lifted his right hand, which wore a plate metal gauntlet, the fingers extended into foot long vicious blades.

"Please don't kill me!! I'll give you anything you want!!" The count pleaded, grabbing at Jack's arm, whimpering pathetically.

"Oh but my dear Count. What I want is you dead!" He said, a gleeful giggle following "But thanks for the grovelling, it made your death just a little bit more special!" He chimed with a perverse excitement before thrusting the fingers of the gauntlet into the Count's chest, using it to pull out his heart, a small black shrivelled thing.

Tossing the vampire's body away he looked at the heart, taking a bite out of it and laughing again. There was a small giggle from beside him, and he turned to see-


Porg shook his head , taking a step back, a little stunned rom the memory. "Th-that.. that didn't.. what?" He said to himself, looking around, most of the vampires hadn't noticed, and weirdly Jack found himself actually glad that they were there.

Composing himself again he brushed himself down a little, and patted the Warmaster on the shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting way.

"Terribly sorry about all that sir" He started, bowing slightly to the commanding vampire. "We were just passing, and thought we'd drop by you." He said with a slight smile. "You see, our little group is headed for the mirror, and as I'm sure you can agree these lands are hardly the least treacherous are they?"

"What I'm trying to say is we are looking for safe passage to the Mirror. Would you be able to aid us sir?" Jack said, though he couldn't shake memory of the Count's fear, even as he looked into the same vampire's eyes.

[WMD's memory flashback triggers a fake memory, which is a little disturbing. Trying to brush off the memory he begins the negotiations, stating what they want.]
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

Obskeree stayed quiet and still where she was lurking at the back of the group, on the ground. She covered her mouth with her hands as the flashback of Jack's suddenly appeared before her vision. She saw him, the claw, the blood covering everything - it was so clear and picture perfect she could smell it, taste it.

The giggle at the end of the vision rang in her head. She knew it. It was familiar.

But she couldn't draw attention to herself. She couldn't let the fear or the confusion or the worry show.

The Vampires might smell it and then she'd be a target for them. If they didn't notice her, she'd be fine. As long as she could stay in the dark behind the legs of the group, walking in their shadow and pretending she wasn't there... she'd be able to quell the panic rising in her chest. She hated all of this - the vampires, mostly, but also that she was so far away from anything she knew. What she would give to be in her workshop again, sewing a new puppet in total peace.

Her ears pricked up as Jack spoke, and she shivered. All she could hear in his voice now was that evil from the vision.

[Jack's vision is seen by Obskeree, and affects her adversely. She struggles to stay calm.]
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4



If she had not been standing next to Porg, she would not have noticed his momentary lapse in composure. What was going on? Surely this place was unsettling, but it was affecting the others in strange ways.

Perhaps it was time to step forward, give Porg some back up.

The small, dirty woman stepped forward, now level with the redhead. Her lithe form hidden beneath an indigo cloak. Despite her appearance, her eyes were clear and shining, devoid of weariness or fear.


"It is as he says, Count Markov," Tegan added with a slight bow, addressing the elder vampire deferentially. "Please forgive our trespassing and allow us safe passage through your realm," she was not saying anything that Porg had not already. But these vampires were very old, and of nobility. A sense of diplomacy and humility might get them further along.

"We have urgent business in the lands beyond. The fate of Iwaku, and this realm, may very well rest in your hands, this night."

Tegan knelt then, her knees touching the hard marble floor, "Please, allow us to cross your lands."

Tegan remained kneeling, though her eyes were raised, awaiting the count's reply.​
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4



And thus, in the space of a few minutes, the Markovian Dynasty had been subject to a trinity of absurdities. The Warmaster's trauma; Porg's cocksure joviality; and Tegan's show of humility.

But at least the latter hadn't suffered a psychotic episode in the process...


"Well, you are as good as a travelling band."

"That's the trouble with this world," added Lady Markov, "The gypsies have inherited the earth, while those with identity are outcast."

There were peels of laughter from the other vampires. The Count released his wife's hand and started forward, dark coat trailing on a phantom breeze. In a few sinisterly smooth steps, he closed the distance between himself and Tegan, looking down at her, then at Porg and the Warmaster who stood on either side.

Moments passed in silence, the vampire's eyes perusing each of them, his tongue running under the points of his fangs as he considered, no... as he sensed... each one of them.

His right hand lifted, the rings clacking as he pointed at the Warmaster. "I have no interest in you, Astartes. You may be silent."

His other hand lashed out, gripping Porg by the collar and pulling him to his knees beside Tegan. He held the boy there, the first hand moving to the side of Tegan's head to brush her hair. "But you two... you have my full attention."

He studied both of them, savouring every word as if it were a fresh drop of blood. "So... you promise to defeat the enemy that the Vampire race could not. You ask if I can aid you in finding safe passage through the land of my dominion. And you say the fate of my realm may rest in my hands." He touched each of their faces, his strength undeniable, his bestial ferocity veiled beneath a show of etiquette. "Tell me, Iwakuans, does your language fail you? Or is it your way to offer three insults upon every first meeting?"

More sniggering, this time with an edge of anticipation, the other vampires on the edge of their seats with violent expectation.

It was not the best of starts.
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

"Please forgive our lack of manners, we meant no insult."

Tegan could not stop the involuntary shudder that coursed down her spine at the vampire's cold touch. However, she made no move to leave her kneeling position, or to shrug away from the hand.

It was not fear that held her, only a kind of patience one could only gain from countless years of waiting. After the shudder had ended at the base of her spine, Tegan's body had relaxed again, her heart beat remaining steady and slow.

"However, our predicament remains the same, Count Markov. The Elders are drawing ever nearer, destroying everything in their pursuit. Soon, there will be nothing left." Tegan's eyes locked with his, and for the briefest of moments, Tegan felt some unknown fear begin to chill her blood.

"However, we have found a clue, pointing to the mirror, that may very well end this."

Still held in his unbending gaze, Tegan's lips quirked in a dubious smile.

"We must get into Insanity, Count Markov. That is all that is. It goes beyond what is transpiring in this room,," Tegan continued quietly, tilting her head upwards, ever so slightly.

"However, we have unwittingly insulted you and your house, in our haste, and for that I am sorry." Tegan hoped she would not regret what came from her mouth next.

"Please, allow me to offer you something to correct this error." She only spoke of herself now, unwilling to subject the others to this deal, as it was never part of the plan.

Offering a vampire a gift was never the smartest of tactics, as it usually ended with someone drained of life, but she could not think of any other way to salvage this situation.
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

Just as Tegan had finished her response;

"Count Grigor Markov. I'll assure you that their formulation of speech was not meant as disrespectful to wards the Castle, yourself, the Countess or your company's hearsay, neither do we question what you are capable of."

He kept his place, so did the vampires, for now. The Count and his partner both stared at Torsty without blinking, the spotlight was on him. He took a pause before he continued.

"The fate of Castle Markov lies in the hand of it's host."

He swallowed, his mouth was clompletely dry and he had to cough before he could continue to speak, his head was boiling with adrenalin caused by a mix of nervousity and new found self-belief.

"Much like yourself, I do not drive on sanity. But you do know your current surroundings, what could possibly not make you understand the situation here? You, as well as us Iwakuians are affected by the works of the cycle. We seek the Mad King, Paorou. Please let us pass."
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

The Count kept his eyes on Tegan, even as Torsty struggled to find his words. She could see the Count twitching slightly, vexed by all the inadvertent insults that the viking was conveying.

There was another silence before he spoke, only to Tegan, ignoring Torsty. "You could learn a lot from me about keeping your dogs on a leash."

He stooped, bringing his face close to hers, his body arching like a serpent's as he whispered to her, his fangs an inch from her ear. "I accept your offering. You and the boy can stay, but tell the apes who follow you to leave. They are no longer welcome in my court. We shall conclude our business, alone."

Lady Markov was already standing over Porg, her hands on his shoulders as she studied him with the same intensity as her husband. "A star from heaven and a shade from beyond," crooned the seductress as her fingers slipped through Porg's hair. "Oh yes... Coatlbara will be pleased."
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

Tegan's mouth suddenly went dry. Her eyes slid from the count to Porg, then back.

"He was not part of this bargain. Release him." She was reaching, now, trying to keep things from tumbling down any further. Porg was too valuable to be used as a bargaining chip.

"However, I promise to stay alive more than long enough for your amusement, if you allow them to continue on their journey, unharmed," she continued boldly.

"If I am worried for them while they wait about in this realm, I cannot guarantee that I will survive long enough to be worth your time."

Tegan could not remember if she had ever been killed by a vampire.
 
Re: Insanity - CHAPTER 4

"He was not part of this bargain; release him."

A vague, feminine voice quite a distance away. Jesus, he needed to eat something.
After a barely audible groan, he lifted himself up, weakly opening his eyes.
Eyes that didn't have sunglasses on them.
He grit his teeth together, looking for his safety net.
Where had they been last?

He scoured the floor around him. It was dirty. Damp.
He was dull of sweat, had a fever.
He finally looked up, eyes taking in the large foyer again.
Filled with vampires, again.

But hadn't he just... ?
How does one pass out in a dream, then wake up in the very same dream? He was in a dream, right? That wasn't as difficult to believe as a bunch of V:tM LARP murderers kidnapping him.

Even though it was dark enough for him to see alright, Bornes still squinted, watching the scene at the other side of the room. A woman was talking to the count. The countess was fawning over a short boy. New victims?

The woman wore all white. It almost hurt to look at her. She seemed proud. Oh, but the Count had other plans, didn't he?
Fuck, was Q playing into this crap again? Maybe it was the fever, messing with his judgment. If it wasn't a dream, maybe it was a hallucination.
Where had his sunglasses been last?
He looked back to the floor, hunting around with his predator's eyes.
Then he remembered.

The Lady Markov had taken them off his face. Was it possible she still had them?
Well, that was neither here nor there, for now.

A few feet away, he spotted his M40. With a grunt, he got onto his knees and crawled toward it. Once he reached it, he picked it up and sat back down on his posterior, bringing the butt of the rifle up to his shoulder and his eye to the scope, trying to pin point the expression on the woman in white's face.

His safety was still on and he wasn't really planning to fire, but given his entire situation, he wasn't really sure what the hell he was doing at all. He'd never been so clueless in his entire life.

He was lightheaded, and his aim certainly showed it, considering his arms wavering. Bornes's sight was good, but it wasn't that good-- he just wanted to see the actual expression on the woman's face. Fear? Defiance? What was it?

For a moment, it was just him and the rifle and the subject-- the woman-- but he couldn't get a decent enough look, and within a few seconds, just gave up entirely, his arms falling downward and the rifle falling into his lap. The two head vampires had their backs to him, so if the woman saw him, maybe she could've given him some sort of signal.... It was a dream, right? He could get signals from great pure women, yeah?

Whatever.
He shook his head slightly, breathing through his mouth. He didn't feel right at all. His eyes burned from the fever and he wanted to sleep more. He felt too weak to even hold his gun straight, but he knew that if he ate something, he could at least stave back the weakness. He wasn't so sure about his random fevers lately-- or why he was even still sick in a dream, but if he could cut back some of his suffering, that would be a relief.

SUMMARY:
Q awakens, can't find his sunglasses and thinks Lady Markov might have them still, points gun at Tegan in hopes to see the expression on her face through the scope of his sniper rifle. Feels too weak/sick to bother so puts the gun down and wonders if she'll give him some sort of signal that he should attack or not (or something), because [Q believes] this is all a dream and they can read each other's motives.
Also remarks he really needs to eat something to fight off his muscle weakness.
 
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