Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2018 1:46:51 GMT -5
A single figure sat cross legged high atop a hill not far from the western borders of East City, in the great shadow cast by the massive warship known as the Omnipotence. Amatricina sat motionless, hovering slightly in the air as her cloak blew in the wind behind her. She had sat in this position for hours today, unmoving as she brewed silently and reflected upon her own thoughts. Her ruby gaze was cast upon the gargantuan flagship of the Kabochan Confederacy. The vessel represented a persistent reminder of the wrench that had been thrown into her plans. The vast shadow it cast over the planet earth was a very apt metaphor for the shadow cast over the world by the Kabochan Emperor, Carambolis.
Amatricina had faced the Emperor in a spar at his request, she had been bold then, arrogant even. The demoness had doubted the power a mortal was capable of achieving and she had been humiliated for it. The Emperor, he was seemingly unique among his kind. He claimed to have journeyed to Other World and acquired a power that was neither divine nor demonic, but rather a strange amalgamation of both. His powers were vast, with peerless mastery of psychic techniques and energy manipulation. That much at least was the truth, though Amatricina still held doubts about origin and the nature of these so called gifts. Carambolis transformed visibly when he tapped into this power, strange markings and stripes appearing in shimmering shimmering ripples across his exposed skin. That was not the unusual part, beings transforming when they unlocked great reserves of inner power was not unusual, though she herself could not presently do so.
No, what was unusual about this Carambolis’ transformation were the symbols that periodically appeared along his body. Runes and letters of both the Kai and Makai languages, though a far more ancient dialect than their modern incarnations. Amatricina could not cleanly decipher it when they had battled. She was more focused on the fight itself, chiefly avoiding the Emperor’s crippling psychic blows that is. Despite this she managed to gain a glimmer of information from the peculiar markings as they danced along the warrior’s body. Most were vague words, power, battle, energy, life, death, creation, destruction, destiny. They did not form complete sentences, fading and shimmering as the drifted along the man’s form. It was somewhat unsettling, and Amatricina mused what what greater purpose the runes held. Could they be read, was there a pattern or code to unlock? She did not have the answers to her many questions, and she knew neither did Carambolis. For if he did, his ambitions would have led him to unlock these secrets by now. It was some small comfort in an otherwise great concern that had been placed upon the demoness.
The demoness gritted her teeth, fangs gleaming as she clenched her fists in rage, thinking on her humiliating defeat. She was eighteen hundred and fifty years old, and in a millennia of near constant warfare no creature live or dead had wounded her as grievously at the attack from the Kabochan Emperor himself. Not even her father sparring with her in the prime of his life, her eldest brother Raigu, or any of the myriad of rival warlords she’d fought and bested. None had come close, and in truth it filled the demon with great shame. Were her kind truly so weak that a mortal with an unexplained gift could so easily best the warlord of one of the oldest demon clans? Or were Emperor Carambolis’ strange gifts so great they could make fools of the entire Demon Realm? Amatricina cast her gaze skyward, looking at the massive form of the Emperor’s warship as it floated out over the sea. The Omnipotence, such a clever name, she thought to herself sarcastically. She was sure the Emperor was proud of that name, if he was the one to name the vessel. It dwarfed any warship in Amatricina’s clan’s own fleet by an order of magnitudes.
The vessel was an apt metaphor for the situation the demon found herself in. It, much like its owner, eclipsed anything she could bring to bare in response. So utterly useless were her attacks against the Emperor, she’d barely laid a scratch on him despite fighting at her full strength. It was embarrassing, even thinking about it her long elvish ears twitched in agitation. Every blow, cast aside like a breeze in the wind. Every ki blast, mouth cannon, even her Burning Gaze technique, all so callously deflected or rendered inert. She thought on the attack he had redirected at her after striking her hard enough to send the demon careening through the island and plummeting into the sea. Her own attack, turned against her, stopped it midair like a bauble and set hurtling back at her at the Emperor’s leisure. Amatricina clenched her fists tighter, the grass beneath her beginning to smolder as she heated the air around her.
Amatricina took a deep breath, exhaling dense black smoke as she calmed herself. She could not let her wrath mindlessly consume her. Now was not the time to give in to more base desires for vengeance and restoring her honor. That much could come later, after she had found a way to match Carambolis’ strength… or exceed it. It seemed a daunting task, and her thoughts drifted to the lingering memory of the damned technique the Emperor had used to finish her off. The twin searing beams of ki, interweaving like a helix even as they tore Amatricina’s body. She had tried to withstand the impact, but the attack was too great. It had decimated the island they battle on, leveled mountains far behind them, and ripped across the planet and out into the cold depths of space. No doubt it was still traveling, ripping its way across the galaxy until it collided with some unfortunate distant world. Good riddance, she thought to herself, rolling her shoulders as if to shake off the memory of that attack.
The more she thought on that technique, the more Amatricina couldn’t help but laugh to herself at the Omnipotence. The massive warship was such a grandiose display of power, such an over the top representation of the military might of the Kabichan Confederacy compared to the puny military of the earthling armies. And yet, for all this posturing, all this grandstanding that they did, it was irrelevant. Emperor Cam could have come alone and been just as effective a war machine for pacifying the people of the earth. Hell, that ultimate attack of his had nearly enough power to destroy the entire planet if he’d actually intended to do so with it. Even a glancing blow from the beam had leveled several mountains and wiped an entire island chain off the map. The Omnipotence, the war fleet that followed in her wake, the army of Kabochan and Saiyan soldiers, it was all spectacle. Mere theatrics to impose fear upon the humans of the earth. It was working, by all means, as the earthlings were significantly more unnerved by the city sized warship looming overhead, bristling with cannons the size of skyscrapers, then they were of a single amber eyed man with markings on his skin.
Amatricina stewed on what she would do in the wake of these sudden changes. Until days ago the earth had been a simple planet, populated by backwater mortals with a pitiful affinity for ki. What few strong warriors lived on the planet seemed to be either Saiyans from off world, or the few earthlings who held any adept knowledge of ki. She could largely continue her search for the Dragonballs in piece and secrecy. But now, with the arrival of these Kabochans, that plan was thrown into question. While she had learned a great deal about the nature of the dragonballs, this was already common knowledge to the Confederacy’s leader. Another irksome hurdle to deal with. It was as Carambolis was already five steps ahead of the demon, and she considered merely slicing a rift in reality and slinking back to her realm to refocus her effects.
No, to leave now would be to admit weakness. This was something she loathed to do, even when it fell against her better judgement. No instead she would remain on this world for now, playing her part in the machinations of these Kabochans. Perhaps in time she could wrap her fingers around their leader. The man hungered for power, more lusted for it truly. He ambitions were as every reaching as any mortal she had seen. In the meantime Amatricina would continue her hunt for these fabled Dragonballs, in order to gain a magic wish of untold power. She did not know the depths of what she could wish for. In her heart she desired for nothing more than to see the Kais’ ancient seal on the Demon Realm brought down, the barrier shattered into a billion pieces as the demons spilled forth into the rest of the universe ushering in a new age of conquest and bloodshed.
But, as tempting as such a wish was, the demoness believed it would be beyond her gems’ power, even without evidence of the contrary. Truly, if a wish on this magnitude existed, some being would have wished it before. Something more immediate would perhaps be more useful, like power, or immortality perhaps? That word, it perplexed the demoness. Surely it was a wish beyond her grasp as well. All beings must die, even Kais died eventually of age. But it was tempting, the thought. To live forever… to be eternally young and unable to die. She could practically see it, ruling until the end of time as the beautiful demon queen that managed to even defeat the hand of death. Amatricina pushed such foolish notions aside in her mind. Surely that too was a wish beyond her gem’s power. If not, surely there would be an immortal being ruling over the universe with an iron fist. Unless that being were weak she supposed, and they were locked away somewhere kept imprisoned for all eternity. That thought sent a shiver down her spine. It would be a fate worse than even death, an infinite existence without purpose. Trapped and caged like a trophy on the wall, a living reminder to the eternity of your failure.
The demoness shook her head, bells and baubles that bedecked her black horns jingling from the motion to and fro. This talk of wishes was infantile and senseless. She did not even have the full set of dragonballs, nor did have the knowledge to harness their magics to grant her her wish, whatever wish she decided on. Baby steps Amatricina, she reminded herself. Mother had always told her to think three steps ahead but act one step at a time. There was no sense rushing headlong into a dilemma. A part of the demoness missed her parents greatly. She wished for their guiding hand and wisdom to give her help in these trying times. Her father, a brilliant tactician and formidable warrior, was sure to have an idea on how to deal with the Kabochan fleet. And her mother, ever the politician and the mistress of intrigue, would know best how to deal with their meddlesome Emperor in a way that didn’t incur his wrath.
But, her parents were long gone from the world of the living. For over a hundred years now Tartaros and Bonara had been returned to the fires from whence they came. They had bestowed upon their progeny of offspring all the knowledge they could in their long lives. She should be thankful, it was rare old age claimed a Demon Warlord. Rarer still for it to claim both parents. There were thousands of other demon clans across the width and breath of the Demon Realm. How many did not have the luxury of their warlord parentage grooming them to rule than handing over the throne as they grew old and frail? Few, that was her answer. Too few, and she would not squander this gift her parents had given her by rushing to an early grave. In this mortal realm, she would need play their petty games of politics. And she would need play them well if there were truly a dozen stronger beings than Emperor Carambolis lurking in the dark corners of the universe.
Amatricina decided she had had enough of her idle meditations. Sitting motionless reflecting on her world would do nothing to better her standing within it. Only those who reached up, and grasped for power with their own two hands could ever hope to truly claim it. That is what she would need to do. As the demon rose to her feet, she arched her back in a mighty stretch. Her shoulders popped and she let out a content sigh. This mortal realm offered endless curiosities, but for now studying the Kabochans yielded little more information than what she already knew. The demoness flared her power, her crimson aura burning bright as she dashed off out to sea. Flying at blistering speeds back towards the isle that she had temporarily called home. She would retreat to her volcano, submerging herself in the molten lake at its bottom for long hours of practice and rigorous training. At least strengthening her body would take her attention of the problems that plagued her mind. As father always said, a true warrior could never train too much.
Word Count: 2,273
Amatricina had faced the Emperor in a spar at his request, she had been bold then, arrogant even. The demoness had doubted the power a mortal was capable of achieving and she had been humiliated for it. The Emperor, he was seemingly unique among his kind. He claimed to have journeyed to Other World and acquired a power that was neither divine nor demonic, but rather a strange amalgamation of both. His powers were vast, with peerless mastery of psychic techniques and energy manipulation. That much at least was the truth, though Amatricina still held doubts about origin and the nature of these so called gifts. Carambolis transformed visibly when he tapped into this power, strange markings and stripes appearing in shimmering shimmering ripples across his exposed skin. That was not the unusual part, beings transforming when they unlocked great reserves of inner power was not unusual, though she herself could not presently do so.
No, what was unusual about this Carambolis’ transformation were the symbols that periodically appeared along his body. Runes and letters of both the Kai and Makai languages, though a far more ancient dialect than their modern incarnations. Amatricina could not cleanly decipher it when they had battled. She was more focused on the fight itself, chiefly avoiding the Emperor’s crippling psychic blows that is. Despite this she managed to gain a glimmer of information from the peculiar markings as they danced along the warrior’s body. Most were vague words, power, battle, energy, life, death, creation, destruction, destiny. They did not form complete sentences, fading and shimmering as the drifted along the man’s form. It was somewhat unsettling, and Amatricina mused what what greater purpose the runes held. Could they be read, was there a pattern or code to unlock? She did not have the answers to her many questions, and she knew neither did Carambolis. For if he did, his ambitions would have led him to unlock these secrets by now. It was some small comfort in an otherwise great concern that had been placed upon the demoness.
The demoness gritted her teeth, fangs gleaming as she clenched her fists in rage, thinking on her humiliating defeat. She was eighteen hundred and fifty years old, and in a millennia of near constant warfare no creature live or dead had wounded her as grievously at the attack from the Kabochan Emperor himself. Not even her father sparring with her in the prime of his life, her eldest brother Raigu, or any of the myriad of rival warlords she’d fought and bested. None had come close, and in truth it filled the demon with great shame. Were her kind truly so weak that a mortal with an unexplained gift could so easily best the warlord of one of the oldest demon clans? Or were Emperor Carambolis’ strange gifts so great they could make fools of the entire Demon Realm? Amatricina cast her gaze skyward, looking at the massive form of the Emperor’s warship as it floated out over the sea. The Omnipotence, such a clever name, she thought to herself sarcastically. She was sure the Emperor was proud of that name, if he was the one to name the vessel. It dwarfed any warship in Amatricina’s clan’s own fleet by an order of magnitudes.
The vessel was an apt metaphor for the situation the demon found herself in. It, much like its owner, eclipsed anything she could bring to bare in response. So utterly useless were her attacks against the Emperor, she’d barely laid a scratch on him despite fighting at her full strength. It was embarrassing, even thinking about it her long elvish ears twitched in agitation. Every blow, cast aside like a breeze in the wind. Every ki blast, mouth cannon, even her Burning Gaze technique, all so callously deflected or rendered inert. She thought on the attack he had redirected at her after striking her hard enough to send the demon careening through the island and plummeting into the sea. Her own attack, turned against her, stopped it midair like a bauble and set hurtling back at her at the Emperor’s leisure. Amatricina clenched her fists tighter, the grass beneath her beginning to smolder as she heated the air around her.
Amatricina took a deep breath, exhaling dense black smoke as she calmed herself. She could not let her wrath mindlessly consume her. Now was not the time to give in to more base desires for vengeance and restoring her honor. That much could come later, after she had found a way to match Carambolis’ strength… or exceed it. It seemed a daunting task, and her thoughts drifted to the lingering memory of the damned technique the Emperor had used to finish her off. The twin searing beams of ki, interweaving like a helix even as they tore Amatricina’s body. She had tried to withstand the impact, but the attack was too great. It had decimated the island they battle on, leveled mountains far behind them, and ripped across the planet and out into the cold depths of space. No doubt it was still traveling, ripping its way across the galaxy until it collided with some unfortunate distant world. Good riddance, she thought to herself, rolling her shoulders as if to shake off the memory of that attack.
The more she thought on that technique, the more Amatricina couldn’t help but laugh to herself at the Omnipotence. The massive warship was such a grandiose display of power, such an over the top representation of the military might of the Kabichan Confederacy compared to the puny military of the earthling armies. And yet, for all this posturing, all this grandstanding that they did, it was irrelevant. Emperor Cam could have come alone and been just as effective a war machine for pacifying the people of the earth. Hell, that ultimate attack of his had nearly enough power to destroy the entire planet if he’d actually intended to do so with it. Even a glancing blow from the beam had leveled several mountains and wiped an entire island chain off the map. The Omnipotence, the war fleet that followed in her wake, the army of Kabochan and Saiyan soldiers, it was all spectacle. Mere theatrics to impose fear upon the humans of the earth. It was working, by all means, as the earthlings were significantly more unnerved by the city sized warship looming overhead, bristling with cannons the size of skyscrapers, then they were of a single amber eyed man with markings on his skin.
Amatricina stewed on what she would do in the wake of these sudden changes. Until days ago the earth had been a simple planet, populated by backwater mortals with a pitiful affinity for ki. What few strong warriors lived on the planet seemed to be either Saiyans from off world, or the few earthlings who held any adept knowledge of ki. She could largely continue her search for the Dragonballs in piece and secrecy. But now, with the arrival of these Kabochans, that plan was thrown into question. While she had learned a great deal about the nature of the dragonballs, this was already common knowledge to the Confederacy’s leader. Another irksome hurdle to deal with. It was as Carambolis was already five steps ahead of the demon, and she considered merely slicing a rift in reality and slinking back to her realm to refocus her effects.
No, to leave now would be to admit weakness. This was something she loathed to do, even when it fell against her better judgement. No instead she would remain on this world for now, playing her part in the machinations of these Kabochans. Perhaps in time she could wrap her fingers around their leader. The man hungered for power, more lusted for it truly. He ambitions were as every reaching as any mortal she had seen. In the meantime Amatricina would continue her hunt for these fabled Dragonballs, in order to gain a magic wish of untold power. She did not know the depths of what she could wish for. In her heart she desired for nothing more than to see the Kais’ ancient seal on the Demon Realm brought down, the barrier shattered into a billion pieces as the demons spilled forth into the rest of the universe ushering in a new age of conquest and bloodshed.
But, as tempting as such a wish was, the demoness believed it would be beyond her gems’ power, even without evidence of the contrary. Truly, if a wish on this magnitude existed, some being would have wished it before. Something more immediate would perhaps be more useful, like power, or immortality perhaps? That word, it perplexed the demoness. Surely it was a wish beyond her grasp as well. All beings must die, even Kais died eventually of age. But it was tempting, the thought. To live forever… to be eternally young and unable to die. She could practically see it, ruling until the end of time as the beautiful demon queen that managed to even defeat the hand of death. Amatricina pushed such foolish notions aside in her mind. Surely that too was a wish beyond her gem’s power. If not, surely there would be an immortal being ruling over the universe with an iron fist. Unless that being were weak she supposed, and they were locked away somewhere kept imprisoned for all eternity. That thought sent a shiver down her spine. It would be a fate worse than even death, an infinite existence without purpose. Trapped and caged like a trophy on the wall, a living reminder to the eternity of your failure.
The demoness shook her head, bells and baubles that bedecked her black horns jingling from the motion to and fro. This talk of wishes was infantile and senseless. She did not even have the full set of dragonballs, nor did have the knowledge to harness their magics to grant her her wish, whatever wish she decided on. Baby steps Amatricina, she reminded herself. Mother had always told her to think three steps ahead but act one step at a time. There was no sense rushing headlong into a dilemma. A part of the demoness missed her parents greatly. She wished for their guiding hand and wisdom to give her help in these trying times. Her father, a brilliant tactician and formidable warrior, was sure to have an idea on how to deal with the Kabochan fleet. And her mother, ever the politician and the mistress of intrigue, would know best how to deal with their meddlesome Emperor in a way that didn’t incur his wrath.
But, her parents were long gone from the world of the living. For over a hundred years now Tartaros and Bonara had been returned to the fires from whence they came. They had bestowed upon their progeny of offspring all the knowledge they could in their long lives. She should be thankful, it was rare old age claimed a Demon Warlord. Rarer still for it to claim both parents. There were thousands of other demon clans across the width and breath of the Demon Realm. How many did not have the luxury of their warlord parentage grooming them to rule than handing over the throne as they grew old and frail? Few, that was her answer. Too few, and she would not squander this gift her parents had given her by rushing to an early grave. In this mortal realm, she would need play their petty games of politics. And she would need play them well if there were truly a dozen stronger beings than Emperor Carambolis lurking in the dark corners of the universe.
Amatricina decided she had had enough of her idle meditations. Sitting motionless reflecting on her world would do nothing to better her standing within it. Only those who reached up, and grasped for power with their own two hands could ever hope to truly claim it. That is what she would need to do. As the demon rose to her feet, she arched her back in a mighty stretch. Her shoulders popped and she let out a content sigh. This mortal realm offered endless curiosities, but for now studying the Kabochans yielded little more information than what she already knew. The demoness flared her power, her crimson aura burning bright as she dashed off out to sea. Flying at blistering speeds back towards the isle that she had temporarily called home. She would retreat to her volcano, submerging herself in the molten lake at its bottom for long hours of practice and rigorous training. At least strengthening her body would take her attention of the problems that plagued her mind. As father always said, a true warrior could never train too much.
Word Count: 2,273