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Post by Lute on Jul 23, 2018 18:16:38 GMT -5
Kuueru went to work and Lute didn't waste any time either. The black magic ritual had been interrupted. Based on the waves of insidious power rippling from Scathran, Lute figured it didn't matter. The deed was done. The demon lord had been sopping up the last remaining drops of power. With a roar the Namekian charged headlong and slammed into the shroud of darkness veiling him. The impact rumbled through the hall and Lute was repulsed back. He crashed against the opposite wall, causing it to buckle from the force of impact. The collision stole a little bit of bravado and Lute begun to think about how he would approach again. Before he could take action, the black cocoon surrounding Scathran shattered into thousands of fragments of obsidian. They rained across the cracked floor, dissolving into smoke a mere heartbeat later. "Die. Mortal. Scum," Scathran said. Most of the demon's clothes were in tatters from their last encounter. He was shirtless, his pale flesh covered in inky black shadows that slithered like living snakes. Both of his eyes were bright crimson and they shot a piercing glare into Lute's soul, inciting a feeling of pure depravity. Scathran's hair was pulled straight up, as though it were suspended in a field of static. The long crimson locks were interwoven with strands of ashen midnight. He pointed a sharp fingernail and a bright crimson beam of ki stabbed out from it. The Namekian didn't stand idle, instead jumping straight up. The beam struck the floor, carving out a long trench behind where Lute had been. Lute blinked in behind Scathran, knee crashing into his temple. The demon lord shot sideways past Kuueru and the ogres, obliterating the wall and nearly caving the entire mausoleum on top of them. The moment Lute felt sanctification, he noticed that Scathran had left behind a rope of shadow--which wrapped itself around his leg. It immediately went taut from Scathran's flight and Lute was pulled after him through the newly made breach. Outside they both skidded across the hard packed ground, bowling through headstones, archways, and pillars. Lute severed the rope of shadow with duo beams of brilliant azure ki shot from his pupils. "You're a crafty bastard," he grumbled as he jumped to his feet. Scathran floated inches off the ground with both arms folded. All around him bits of broken stone levitated up, suspended in static fields of red ki. Telekinesis. Without any warning or indication by Scathran, they all were hurled at Lute. The Namekian summoned his dark blade of ki, using it to chop through the large projectiles one-by-one. Still, he couldn't help but feel he was on the defensive. That alone was really pissing him off. "You never told me who sent you down here," Scathran said. "It's my business, not yours. I gave you the chance to hand over the book. Instead, you've chosen death," Lute responded. Lute dismissed his dark blade and shot up into the sky, debris being flung after him. Just as one large piece of broken wall was about to hit him, he shot his arm out. It zipped downward, unfurling like a serpentine rope. The Mystic Attack was a huge advantage and he doubted that Scathran had seen anything like it before. The wall crashed into him, shattering into dozens of smaller broken bits. A large chunk of it was lodged into the side of Lute's chest. He coughed hard, shooting a line of purple blood from his nose and mouth. Regardless of the pain and obvious damage, he had Scathran by the throat. The demon lord clawed at his hand, sharp nails piercing the flesh. Lute pulled himself to the demon in single motion, shooting down as green blur. Once arrived, he brought his other arm up and took hold as well, ringing Scathran's throat even more. Both of the demon lord's eyes bulged, blood vessels bursting at the corners. He kicked, writhed, and struggled. It was clear he was starting to lose consciousness as Lute's mighty grip cut the blood flow from his brain. It felt good for Lute, to kill the little bastard in such a slow and... intimate way. The Namekian assassin grinned, showing both fangs as Scathran's body started to go limp.
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Jul 24, 2018 13:36:13 GMT -5
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There wasn’t any time for the girl to act after killing off the first of the ogres. The living duo began to realize they were next if they did not act. Kuueru ripped the energy claws from the blue ogre’s torso before jumping back a few meters to gain some distance. Both ogres pulled at the primitive clubs from their waist and slowly approached the smaller woman.
“You kill Blusmert. Now you die too!” The lead giant barked, streams of saliva coating the ground in front of him.
“Righttt.” The demon hissed with sarcasm. She had to think of a plot to keep one ogre away while she could fight the other. Perhaps this was a test of her abilities to handle more than one enemy. Maybe Lute would teach her something special if she happened to achieve her task.
The mere motivation of learning new magic, skills, or even basic energy control riled the woman up. She bit her lip before coming up with the plot to follow. Her frame shifted in their eyes, several copies of the girl dotting the room around the pair. Lute was busy, but it seemed his battle was a strenuous one. She watched him hurl across the room and later even chunks of the mausoleum itself hung from his torso.
Using the new distraction, the ogres began playing wack-a-mole. She slipped back, appearing behind the further ogre with a grin. She leapt upon his back, her forearm wrapping around the creature’s thick neck. It was silent, but took a few stabs of her claws to finish. Again and again the magical energy stabbed into his back. This time instead of cold, it was burning and ripping with poison. If he did not bleed out from her attacks, which it seemed he would—he would succumb to a far more terrible fate.
She waited until he fell silent before jumping from his back. She was just in time to see the lead ogre smashing the last of her copies. He wobbled around and cursed before locking eyes with the female. One foot was propped upon the dying beast; the woman mounted him like a prize kill. Bouts of laughter escaped, as she tried to contain her happiness from being useful.
“Last one left eh?” Kuueru took a few steps forward, the energy still visibly rippling from her knuckles. This ogre however was a bit stronger and head-smart than the others---even though her copies managed to fool him.
The slobbering giant mumbled a bit before running to engage the demon. She lifted her claws to block the club attack, but her arm fell weak from exerting so much energy. She crumpled beneath his force. Hastily Kuueru managed to stand despite the pain of a dislocated shoulder. Her arm hung loosely, every movement of her body or stride causing great discomfort.
“Guess you’re stronger than you sound.” She hurled another insult, but not before jumping out of the way of another weapon attack. She rolled to the side, pieces of debris clinging to her exposed skin. Since he damaged one limb, she would have to resort to the others. She conjured a plan and quietly set out the steps allowing the ogre to swing away as she nimbly managed to avoid him. Matching strength was hard, Kuueru was more the type to stealthily eliminate and enemy and not waste time trying to endure a beating one on one.
Idly she let a ribbon of her energy out from the bottom of her clawed foot. It ripped forth under the ground and suddenly sprouted beneath her opponent. The flaming hot chain coiled itself around his thick ankle. Immediately he would feel the effects, sweat beading from his forehead as he shook his foot to rid himself of the chain. Sadly, it was not budging, only growing shorter by the minute. The demoness was attempting to pull the ogre under the ground, she was able to feel that there was an odd solid floor beneath them. This meant that her pulling him through simply wouldn’t allow him to fall to the next level.
“Lute seems to be doing well.” Crimson eyes quickly checked on the Namekian, before tugging on the chain with a steady pull. Soon his skin was breaking open upon the edges of the hole she made. Bright blood rushed from the wounds and puddled on the ground. His gelatinous leg squeezed through the small hole, parts of the floor giving, then parts of his skin. The demon was literally skinning the man with the opening. Soft pangs of laughter escaped her breath. The ogre’s free leg dislocated at the hip as he sunk and screamed in agony.
“You look like a flower, but flowers are quiet. You will be soon. I wonder if the pain or the blood loss will get you though?” Kuueru spoke in a cheerful tone, as the ogre’s gut tried to be pulled through the small confines. He was simply eviscerated; his internal organs pushing from the top of the opening and with it, the sounds of struggle subsided.
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Post by Lute on Jul 25, 2018 18:54:17 GMT -5
Despite having lived as an assassin, killing wasn't at all exciting for Lute. Once the last vestiges of life escaped his target, he always felt a pang of regret. Not for the fact that he took their life. He could care less about that. Rather, that the struggle for life was over. The moments before they died were far more glorious. That last push, that last ditch effort to live, it sent tingles down his spine. That was the purpose of all living things, to struggle, fight and grow stronger until the moment they stopped breathing. It was happening now with Scathran and Lute had to hold on with all of the strength he could muster. The demon shoved a knee into Lute's gut, a lance of pain coursing through him. He tried to gouge Lute's eye out, but the Namekian jerked his head to the side, nails raking his chin and neck instead. Some demons, especially those of divine blood were pale skinned. Scathran's own color was moving beyond pale, almost paperwhite. The swirling darkness of his newly found power faded from him, returning him to his base form. The demon lord went rigid--his back arched in effort to get up. Lute continued to throttle him until all was still. Even then he held on for a minute or so longer, just to make sure that Scathran wasn't playing dead. Empty blood-shot eyes stared back at him. Lifeless lips were trapped into a furious grimace. It was over. Lute let go and stumbled back, clutching the wound on his chest from the earlier attack. It gushed purple blood and he used soothing Dragon Clan magic to seal it shut. The job was done. Moments prior to their fight beginning, Lute had been filled with fury. It all seemed to have deflated after the kill and with a final deep breath he was calm. Shifting around, he glanced back through the hole in the mausoleum, only to see that Kuueru had also been successful. Lute felt bad that he left the measly ogres to her. No doubt she also wanted a good fight. In fact--with all her help thus far, she felt she had earned one. But, he had needed to take down Scathran alone. Maybe in the mortal realm she would find some foolish mortal to play with. "Good job," he called out. Bending back over, he lifted Scathran's body up and held his hand out flat. In one smooth motion he pierced the deceased demon lord's chest with his sharpened nails and began to dig around inside. Rivulets of blood poured out of the newly formed gash, running down Scathran's abdomen and splattering into the hard packed dirt. Lute found what he was looking for, a hard node jammed in below the lungs and above the liver. Yanking, he ripped it out and held it up to take a look--hand coated in demon viscera. To an onlooker, it would appear to be a blood soaked brass cylinder with runes scratched into it. But, it was more--so much more. Lute rolled it along his index finger and thumb, muttering ancient words. The phrases hummed with dark power, and the beginnings of a spell. After he recited the three long incantations to unlock the book, the brass cylinder began to fold in on itself without warning. Each time it folded in, it unfolded into a much large block of leather and paper. After a few seconds Lute held onto a large volume, easily bigger than his head. There were ancient words inscribed on the front, ones he didn't know or understand. He held it up so Kuueru could see. "Scathran was so afraid of others getting their hands on this book that he stowed it inside of his own body."Before he could open the cover, an icy sensation fell over him. In fact, Kuueru would no doubt feel it too. The churning storm overhead paused as though time itself came to a stand still. Lute watched as one bolt of crimson lighting stopped in mid descent. The stillness and lack of noise almost maddening. The aether of the demon realm did not stir or shift. Waving his hand, he could see the ripples moving away from his body--but they stopped. It was like moving through glasss. Inky blackness rushed past them, swirling around and around like some sort of typhoon of nothingness. Lute lowered the book to his side, both of his eyes flickering back and forth to assess any threat. He waited, hoping to feel some sort of ki signature. Kuueru's energy was still very much there, but that was all he felt. The shadows coalesced together after a moment, taking a shape similar to Lute, but without his features. Is this a mockery? The darkness that composed of this doppelganger writhed and wriggled, as though it were made out of a thousand dark worms. It pointed at the book and "spoke," its "voice" emerging deep within Lute and Kuueru's mind. "That book contains ancient secrets. Ones that are nothing compared to what I can teach you."
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Jul 26, 2018 15:11:09 GMT -5
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Waves of various hued liquids pooled on the broken murals beneath them. Kuueru shook her wrists, the pain filling them from what immense energy was one rippling through her limbs. One could only hope that eventually with practice the pain of training would wear off. She was sure that any athlete worked that way, right?
There was an absence of grunts and screams, this could only mark the conclusion of their bloody battle. Fierce crimson eyes shifted to a dull purple. She scanned the scene, a mangled body here, a few more dead ones over yonder. Kuueru definitely finished the job on her end, curiously she then turned to check on Lute. His hands were firmly wrapped around the demon lord's neck. She witnessed the last bits of struggle before the dead silence of nothingness. Kuueru didn't often ponder death, mostly because her life span was different than most mortal races. She could live centuries if not more.
"Good job to you too buck-a-roo." The words fell from her plump lips. They were filled with sarcasm, but Kuueru didn't doubt the man's compliments. She was not weak, but definitely uncoordinated and inexperienced. Redness started to pool in the girl's face, she was bad at taking compliments--especially if they were sincere.
The sound of liquids and other solids hitting the ground made her stomach turn. Lute was busy playing Dr. Frankenstein with the remains of their enemy. Vibrant blood contrasted his green arm as he dug around in the thoracic cavity of Scathran's corpse.
"Eh. He was dedicated that was for sure." Kuueru tried to offer words of enthusiasm for the morbid chain of events. As he drew the item from his body, it shifted into a literal book. He then opened it and a feeling unlike any other took over the pair. It was cold. So cold.
Thin blue locks of hair were sent flying. She turned to find the cause of the disruption. It was a silhouetted version of Lute, and made of some sort of wiggly substance at that. Kuueru chewed on her lip while looking at it and then back to Lute for what to do.
Suddenly the message shot through their heads. The creature did not speak with literal words, but instead telepathically. It spoke of the secrets within the book, but then offered a sweeter deal.
She had heard of a grand wizard, one far greater than mere stories of Babidi and his father Bibidi. He was able to grant a great power, only if you gave up something of equal value. His bargains were said to turn away most, and those who did gain that power were driven mad if they couldn't control it. After seeing Lute in battle she imagined he could contain such an evil; after all he did manage to kill a demon lord while avoiding the evil magics in the mousoleum.
'My name is Kouzi, and this is obviously not my form. Simply a stealth creation I summoned, I found it only fitting to model it after my guest.' The voice rang through again. 'I do not know your friend Lute, but I do know you. I'm sure you don't want to miss this?' The black figure held out a small silver ball with a single black button on its surface.
"What?" Kuueru grunted. "Coozie or whatever, do I get any power orr—-?"
She was sure Lute was about to beat her over the head for her dumb comments. Her eyes soon focused on the ball that the stealth man held before them all.
'Hit the button upon that sphere and be instantly teleported to my location. If you dare.'
For all they knew the item could be a bomb ready to detonate at any time. He mind ran wild with thoughts of them exploding, imploding and burning alive. Butterflies of the bad kind starting ramping up in her stomach.
"Lute, ya know this guy?"
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Post by Lute on Jul 27, 2018 11:36:04 GMT -5
Hit the button upon that sphere and be instantly teleported to my location. If you dare, the wizard Kouzi said through telepathy. Magic was a subtle thing. Unlike ki, which was raw spiritual energy weaponized, spells altered reality in subtle ways. Many wizards called the source which spells were drawn upon mana. It was still the spirit though. Lute saw ki and mana as two different musical instruments played byt he same musician. Ki manipulation played a song wotj deep baritones and bass. It was a destructive dirge and little more. Wizardry played its song with harmonious and delicate melodies, making it more eloquent in nature. Understanding a spell while the midst of its effects wasn't easy. Dispelling one was even harder. It was like trying to find a single loose thread in a giant delicately woven tapestry. If you pulled hard enough on the thread, the entire thing would come unwoven. But, you had to find the thread first. It's an illusion spell, that much I'm sure of, Lute thought. He had said that he the button would bring them to him. That meant he wasn't actually here. Lute started to think about how he would construct such a spell without being present. It was nearly impossible. Some part of him would need to be at the location he was casting it. the simplest manner was to use some sort of astral projection. Finally understanding the truth of the situation, Lute grinned and decided to pull the "thread." Holding his hand out flat, he unleashed a massive burst of amethyst ki into the dark doppelganger. The surge of force disturbed the illusion, casting it into fragments and waves. Lute flickered from sight, appearing high in the sky. He was immediately buffeted by torrential winds. Something was happening above, but he didn't have time to look. From his position he wove a spell of his own using quick gestures and the whispering of dark words. All they while his keen sixth sense searched for a small ki signature somewhere nearby. It would be minuscule and supressed, as no doubt the wizard wanted to avoid detection. Ah. There you are.He traced the sky with his finger nail and far away a cage materialized with a puff of smoke. Its bars buzzed with raw energy. It was a simple binding spell. The cage thudded into the ground a few dozen yards away, seemingly having done nothing. Lute floated back down beside the demoness and smirked. Inside of his mind they both heard a frantic psychic scream. Lute had trapped Kouzi's astral body inside of the cage. Boots crunching in the dirt, Lute made his way over, motioning for Kuueri to follow. Closer, he could just faintly see the swirling mass of the wizard's trapped spirit. "So what do you really want with us wizard? We don't have time for games."Lute looked up to the swirling mass of clouds. They were darkening, the lightning flashes growing more frequent by the second. "And from the looks of it, neither do you."The Namekian didn't know what sort of ominous power the ritual had stirred up, and he didn't want to stick around an find out. The book was still tucked underneath his arm, safe and sound. He needed to get it back to his partner to begin the translation.
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Jul 28, 2018 9:41:35 GMT -5
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Kuueru had been a bit thrown off by the whole fiasco. There was an enemy here, but it wasn’t Kouzi. Somehow the man manifested an illusion whilst hiding in the shadows around them. Having such innate control over that instrument was outstanding; most would envy the grasp the puppet-master had over it’s toy.
She listened intently, trying to gather as much intel if needed later. All the while Lute was beside her, desperately searching for the ki signature of the invisible voice. The Namekian seemed to be a master of ki-control and the perks that come with it. A blinding flash of purple energy wiped over the area of the doppleganger. With that her comrade disappeared and returned a short distance away. It appeared his plan had worked out, he managed to pinpoint the signature off a few dozen yards out.
“Amazing.” Kuueru stood in awe; watching the very prison manifest and entrap seemingly nothing before falling to the ground with a thud. It seemed way heavier than an empty cage, the pure density of the energy within weighing it down immensely.
Lute was off in the air, his tattered robes leading the way. He had motioned for the wide-hipped woman to to follow his lead, and just that she did. Kuueru floated through the air for the briefest moment before landing behind the viridian alien.
"So what do you really want with us wizard? We don't have time for games." Lute asserted. He wasn’t the type to tiptoe around the point, he jumped straight to it instead.
Within the cage a small creature flickered into view, her body piecing together in a technologic looking scramble. Kuueru leaned in a smudge to find a small female in a cape with a stereotypical witch’s hat. She looked just as dumb as the wizards she read about in demon high school; ...no that doesn’t exist.
‘So you got me eh? You think you’re coy Lute?’ Kouzi hissed in a pain-riddled voice that was much different than the one in their head’s earlier. It also spoke with it’s mouth. Was this grand wizard actually a teenage looking girl? At this point Kuueru didn’t know what to believe.
It appeared as if the very cage was sucking the life out of her second by second. The female took a few steps back to avoid accidentally coming into contact with the wild energy of the cage.
‘Well you see, I just want a little help is all; in exchange I can teach you the secret to a real treasure in the mortal plain--perhaps even a few.’
Kouzi spoke an impressive word game, and honestly a demon realm wizard and the demon clan Namekian may not be too far off from one another in goals. A crimson nail rose to scratch the demon’s small chin. She was unsure of how the Namekian would react to promises of treasures in lieu of power now. The wizard seemed to be wishy washy, but something about her lulled you into her deals anyway.
‘My ultimate goal is to reopen the rift between the realm of the mortals and ours. There would most certainly be bloodshed and interesting affairs, no? I just want to make a bigger legacy for myself. I want everyone to know Kouzi and even if I die one day--they will tremble from my name.’
Kuueru looked at the lavender haired girl who appeared pathetic within the cage. Perhaps it was a disguise to test our empathy, or maybe they were being honest.
‘I studied dark magics in the mortal realm, I sought out power. Somehow I ended up transporting myself here, and ever since I’ve thrived in the gracious well of power that this realm is. I’m sure you notice it as well Lute, perhaps even you too demon.’
She didn’t lie, Kuueru had felt stronger in her fight earlier in this hell-forsaken area.
“Well Lute?”
‘Now, you know what I want, but now I need to plead my case.’ The witch inhaled, taking a moment to gather her scrambled thoughts. ‘I know of a planet of similar power of your realm. It would fill you with the same power as here, but only on that planet of course. But I’m sure there are other perks. Your very wounded and beaten body may heal there whenever you return from combat. It’s in your universe yes, but vicious creatures have made the place home. It may be a good start for your goals. Also…’
Kouzi trailed off, waving a small finger in the air. ‘There is something else I need for you to get for me too. Don’t worry I will give you the full details and locations later---but. There is a scroll I am looking for, it contains the spell to open the rift. The only thing is, I need another powerful magic user to cast the spell on the mortal side at the same time. So I’m basically begging for help. However, I hear that same scroll can imbibe a user with great power. Perhaps it contains answers for you as well’
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Post by Lute on Jul 29, 2018 8:45:23 GMT -5
Kouzi gave themselves the appearance of a little humanoid girl. It was a stupid trick and it annoyed him. They then proceeded to ramble on about their plan and attempted to bargain their way out of the situation. All the while, his senses were keen on the sky above. The subtle shift in the dark energies within Glastgleim meant something was coming. The clouds churned faster and faster. Wind kicked up, causing his tattered cloak to flap erratically. Before long Lute and Kuueru would be trapped in a maelstrom of raw dark energy. Not a good place to be, for anyone. He folded his arms and leaned towards the cage, eyebrows furrowed at the wizard. Neither her or Kuueru could see beneath his half mask, where his mouth was drawn into a vicious sneer. "Sounds like a lot of pathetic groveling, if you ask me, wizard. You want to make a rift connecting the Demon Realm and the Mortal Realm? You aren't the first and won't be the last to have that stupid idea. Rifts exist as of now, but they are small and fleeting. It's better that way, draws less attention. Unless you're prepared for the gods to be called down upon you."Crimson lighting cascaded down in wicked forks, striking the ground a few dozen feet from them. It left behind a large smoldering wound in the red dirt. "I should just leave your soul here to be shredded by this dark storm that's brewing. But, I'll give you a chance to tell me about this place in the Mortal Realm. I'll let you go. Let me add--if you lie to me I'll hunt you down and end your pathetic existence."Kouzi glanced side to side. More lighting descended, crashing against the roof of the mausoleum. No doubt even in her astral body, she could feel the foreboding presence that loomed over them. She chewed at the side of her "lip" and then moved closer to the buzzing bars of the cage. "It'll be easier if I just show you," she said and held out her hand, closing both eyes. Lute felt the pressing of psychic energy against his mind and let it in. He was flooded with images of a giant skull floating through some vibrant nebula. It was somewhere--the West Quadrant perhaps. Hollow, the name rang into his mind. The Hidden City.As Kouzi had delivered on her promise, Lute lifted his hand and the cage turned into ash, fluttering away with the next violent gust of wind. The wizard glanced over to Kuueru. "My offer still stands, regardless. I can help you achieve great power if you help me." Her astral body disappeared and little silver button rolled across the dirt, resting against Kuueru's big-toe. It was there if the demoness wanted to pick it up. "We better go," Lute said. His amethyst aura erupted around him as he blasted off, cutting a blazing line across the Old Place, back towards where he had met Kuueru.
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Jul 29, 2018 19:39:50 GMT -5
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The demon had been standing there pretty idly for a long while as the young witch spoke. She seemed to be aware of the crappy situation she was in, and with Lute making demands and speaking down to her it wouldn’t be long before he got what he was after. She was so caught up in their interaction she had failed to notice that the wind had picked up rapidly. Though she had no loose fitting cloth like Lute, her vibrant locks mirrored the dance of his robes. A storm in this place wouldn’t be good for either party.
“Hmm? What the--?” Kuueru was informed by the witch that it would be easier to ‘show them’ what she needed to. Kouzi held up a hand to Lute’s head and the man seemed to be in a millisecond daze. Kuueru concentrated inquisitively at the pair, and within a moment Lute already had a semi-content expression painted on his face.
Before she could even scheme up what she showed the man, the cage disappeared as quickly as it came. She felt a pang of anxiety roll over her body as the other woman turned to her and tossed the silver sphere from earlier at her foot. She was no grand wizard who could cast this spell from the mortal plane, but she could most definitely aid Kouzi in finding just that.
“Hn, yeah…” She responded to Lute who seemed eager to get out of the situation and back to their task of escaping. She hurriedly picked up the sphere after Lute blasted off into the horizon. She nodded to the witch then dashed off after the trail left by her companion.
“Hey! Wait up now.” Yeah, she could catch up but she was still a bit exhausted from her earlier encounters with both Lute and the ogres thereafter. She let out a content sigh that rest would possibly be in sight.
“Where are we headed?” Kuueru knew the area decently, but couldn’t think of a point of exit for the pair. She could only ask the man and try to pick his brain about the next steps for him. Perhaps they may still align with her yet.
“And where are you going after this? I KNOW I SAID I WOULDN’T BOTHER YOU!” Kuueru quickly tried and failed to cover her ass. She had developed a dependance to the man, especially when combat was involved. She felt she had improved her energy control already and being around him longer could only improve it.
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Post by Lute on Jul 29, 2018 21:53:10 GMT -5
As Lute blazed across the crimson sky of the Demon Realm, he glanced back to see the glint of Kuueru's aura. She was following him, as expected. Usually, kept to himself didn't bother with others. Not to say he was against working with others. He just kept them at arm's length, let them do their job while he did his. Making friends wasn't something Lute cared about. But, the more he thought about his goal, the more he started to realize how hard it was becoming without help. You couldn't win a game of chess with a single piece. You need pawns and bishops to move around. This very situation had proven that to him. He would still be chained to that pillar if not for Kuueru's arrival. Fate had seen him freed. He had the book tucked under his right arm, safe and sound. Now he even had learned of a fount of dark energy within the Mortal Realm. That alone was a great boon. Drawing upon such power would allow him to break his limits and come rival the gods, as he intended. In a near instant things had changed for the better. “And where are you going after this? I KNOW I SAID I WOULDN'T BOTHER YOU!” "Once I get back to the mortal realm I have two goals. First I must bring this book to a powerful wizard I know. He's far more clever and significantly wiser than that Kouzi fool. He is going to translate the secrets contained within. It's a deal we made, as both of us seek knowledge it holds. After that, I intend on finding this city that Kouzi showed me, called Hollow. Apparently, its steeped in the same dark energy that permeates the Demon Realm."The desolate landscape of the Demon Realm rolled past them--craggy mountains with plunging cliffs, hard packed flat plains of red dirt, and steep hills covered in the speckled ruins of long forgotten demon fortress. It was there and gone in a blur. Lute started to slow his flight as a lake of boiling lava came into sight. It was vast in size, popping and hissing with sulfuric gas. Globs of super heated rock sizzled and shrieked through the air. He was glad for his mask keeping away the acrid stench and stifling gasses. Beside the lake hung the perilous mouth of a tiny cave. Lute set down in full stride, marching straight into it. "This is the way back."The cave split into several passages, each one winding and twisting deeper underground. Lute traversed them carefully, his finger tip lit up with a glowing ball of ki for illumination. To make it easier he left markings carved into the rock face. The passage ended abruptly and Lute stopped. To the naked eye, it wouldn't seem like anything was to be found other than a dead end. The uninitiated would never see the secret there. The Namekian held out the flat of his hand, running it along the porous volcanic stone. The spell lingered still. Good, he thought. He had been away for a long time, so it had lost some of its power. Still, he could open it up for one last trip, and nothing more. In a subdued voice, he whispered the dark command. The rocks started to shine with an inner light. Fissures and cracks spread through their edifice, winding and merging until it all shattered like a pane of glass. Beyond the surface was a flat mirror made out of a substance that reminded Lute of liquid mercury, except in constant flux and rippling with motion. "Follow me."Lute pushed his way through the silvery membrane of the portal, vanishing with a quiver and a splash. On the other side he emerged into a similar cave, although this one had walls made out of limestone--glittering and slippery with moisture. He waited a moment for Kuueru to arrive as well. As soon as she did, the portal shrank back into the stones and disappeared. Lute nodded and led her out of the wet cave. Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as long as a trip to the surface. They emerged into blinding light. Lute winced, having not seen a real star's shine in what felt like eons. The planet they were on was uninhabited, but gorgeous. Its horizon was littered with small islands and a brilliant ocean of sapphire. Two moons loomed in the sky above, casting shadows over the waters and pulling them with tidal force. A short distance from the cave, along a beach of white sand, Lute had left his stealth ship parked. It was far more weathered than he remembered it, some of the black armor paneling now a dull gray from the constant sun, rainfall, and briny sea spray.
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Jul 30, 2018 15:31:28 GMT -5
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The balmy demon realm air pounded against her face as she fought to catch, and keep up with Lute. Perhaps the victories of the day had invigorated the Namekian. Kuueru sure didn’t feel ‘invigorated’, more like dying slowly from pain. Even using the magic hurt every fiber of her body, she could only hope that eventually ceased.
Lute told his tale, explaining his goals and his impressive magic companion. She wondered what was in the book that Lute so harshly put his life on the line to retrieve. If she had not helped him from his chains, would he even have survived? Lost in thought Kuueru was still going full speed to stay next to Lute, but when he suddenly slowed she sped head first over the overwhelmingly blistering lava. Her eyes widened, nearly drying out of their sockets. She flew higher to avoid the heat taking her breath away too.
“G-God where are you taking me? To a dragon? A raid boss?” Kuueru huffed, her hands pressing to her hips with emphasis on attitude. Lute carried on however, leading the pair to a small cave hidden amongst the peril. Lute of course flew into it, and for extra cool points he didn’t even stop. She stumbled to the ground while following the man hesitantly.
They walked for what seemed like minutes before finally approaching a wall. Kuueru furrowed her brows at Lute, was he playing some sort of trick? She waited patiently, allowing him to plead his case. In a gesture of energy the wall shifted and liquified. Bright waves of chrome flashed at the girl; she was unable to see to the otherside of the mirror.
Lute plowed through the pool of metal, his body appearing as if he jumped into a pool for a swim. The demoness lifted a hand, a finger and a thumb locking off her nares for safety before she followed suit. It felt wet, but warm--but only for a second before it spit her up in a new setting. She gasped for air, although she wasn’t sure if she needed to hold her breath to begin with. She looked towards Lute, then to the damp cave they stood. It smelled musky but--fresh? A way different scent than that the demon realm could produce. She took a deep breath of the salt-filled air then witnessed the Namekian patiently waiting. She shot a bashful smile but knew they had to move quickly.
“Ah---Ah… so this is? The mortal realm?” He didn’t leave her much time to think before leading the short trek to the surface. Dull gray skin almost seemed to gather color in the planet’s sun. It was hot, but the breeze from the ocean and its storms kept the temperature bearable.
“A-Amazing.” Kuueru almost gasped before retrieving a small notebook from the tights upon her leg. She pulled out a nibbled pencil that served as a bookmark in the diary. The demon jotted a quick note before following Lute towards his ship. She had not seen spaceships like this up close, only the wealthiest in the demon realm had access but for purely leisure. It looked a little rough, but Lute seemed sure it could fly them off of the quiet planet. She wondered where they would head next? How long would it take? Would she stay with Lute?...
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