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Post by Lotus on Nov 10, 2008 2:25:14 GMT -6
[glow=000000,2,300]Lotus stopped in front of the gate to his home, the remains of a demon slung over his shoulder. With the free hand, he extended the amulet around his next to the invisible wall. There was a slight ripple in the air, but nothing too noticable. The ape continued through the now open gate, letting the ripple reappear behind him. Simply by walking through the door, there was a deafening scream, followed by a thick mist flowing into his amulet. He'd been away so long, that he'd forgotten what it was like to come home to a fresh batch of souls.
Once in his Hell, he stood on a rune that was etched into the rocky ground. With a single word, he was no longer there, but in a room that was a bit more occupied, not with bodies, but strange, almost organic machinery. He pulled the demon from his shoulder and held it up to a structure that seemed very much like a stretching rack. The rack, however, extended two bony hands, which wrapped around the demon remains, pulling it onto the board they were attached to. As they held it in place, odd tendrils reached from behind the rack, simply resting themselves on certain places on the body. A few screens at what seemed to be a console made of bone flickered to life, giving Lotus a few readouts and summaries on the demon's status. It was still alive, thankfully.
The ape made his way to the console, placing his massive hands on two very smooth circles, littered with runes. More screens lit up. The bony hands attached to the rack began to glow a bright yellow, and latched onto the damaged areas. After a short while, they began moving slowly, following along what would have been bones, tissue, and skin, leaving an orange residue in their wake. The process having taken nearly a day, Lotus finally moved away from the console, turning to see the demon. He was tired, but once the restoration process began, it could not be stopped, else the restoree would have mush for limbs.
The demon before him was completely rebuilt, save for a few areas that were still glowing warmly. Perhaps it wasn't quite as strong as it was prior, and it would probably take a while to overcome the trauma, but all that would pass before Lotus would allow it to leave the rack. Even if the parts weren't the demon's own, they might very well be able to surpass the original equipment. Now, all that was left, as the final translucent spot cooled down, was to wait until the demon awoke.[/glow]
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Post by Rhiath on Nov 11, 2008 2:11:20 GMT -6
Rhiath had always wondered what happened to his kind when they were killed. Not just demons, but spectral beings of all kinds. Everybody knew that when a human died, they went to Heaven or Hell, depending on how they had lived. Then, a small number of those were given the opportunity to come back as angels or demons, while the majority simply spent Eternity in their respective afterlives.
However, if what he was experiencing now was any indication, he was going to be sorely disappointed by his after-afterlife. As he opened his eyes, he struggled to move, finding himself restrained by bone/tentacle things around his arms and lower body. It didn't hurt, really...it was just kind of annoying.
Then, looking around, he noticed a large, purple, ape-like humanoid standing on the ground nearby, looking up at him from a console. A glowing amulet around his neck caught Rhiath's eye. He could feel the pull of the thing's magic from here. An amulet like that...only 3 beings had ever owned them, to Rhiath's knowledge, and he'd worked for 2 of those during his time in Hell.
However, Lucifer and Satan, to the best of his knowledge, were both dead, which left only... Lotus. That made this place, this realm, Second Hell. He opened his mouth, coughing out a strange orange mist, which seemed to make his throat feel better as he coughed.
"What happened to me? Why am I here?" he asked, feeling some of his strength return to him as he spoke.
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Post by Lotus on Nov 11, 2008 2:47:51 GMT -6
[glow=000000,2,300]The demon awoke. Lotus' face lit up. It had been years since this room had been used. He wasn't even sure if it worked anymore. Sure, it obviously had the capability to reconstruct the outer image, but the finer details, the blood vessels, and bones, were taken care of by the more fragile components. If anything was broken or worn down, they would be the first area hit. Fortunately, all seemed to work just fine.
"Good morning," he said, figuratively. Second Hell didn't have any sense of time. "You seem rather disoriented. I suppose that's to be expected. You were in a rather gruesome battle, I assume, in the village of Rerden. By the time I found you, there wasn't much left. I put you back together." The ape crossed his arms, letting the demon soak the information in.
"As to why you are here..." his voice trailed off slightly, his mind searching for the best terminology, "Well, perhaps I should start at the beginning. You see, Second Hell, this place, has been under a lot of threat lately. Many forces have threatened to take it from me. For the most part, my actions were reactive, attempting to save my own skin, rather than my home. That was, until now. I have decided to take a more proactive approach, and strike out, expand my territory, rather than try and defend a minuscule province. Unfortunately for that, I need an army, for it's not something I can do alone."
Lotus had let his eyes close during his speech, and now they snapped open, aimed directly at the repaired demon. "That's where you come in. I'm going to need generals to lead my army."[/glow]
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Post by Rhiath on Nov 12, 2008 1:19:05 GMT -6
Rhiath listened to Lotus' explanation, while at the same time testing the tendril-things that were holding him to the machine. His muscles felt weak, as if he'd just woken up from a long sleep. However, he thought that even if he'd been in peak condition, the tendrils would have held him easily.
Not that he was looking to escape, by any means. From the sounds of things, if he played his cards right, his days of jumping from one boss to another might be over. Not that he minded the pay raise that usually accompanied such a shift, but part of him had always wanted more than just payment. Recognition, respect, fear where respect could not be gained...Rhiath had yet to pass up an opportunity for personal gain, and this was most definitely one of the bigger chances he'd had.
Clearing his throat again, Rhiath spoke. "If it's a job offer you're talking about, you've got my interest. Although, if you don't mind my asking, would you know what kind of permanency an interested individual might expect from this...position?"
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Post by Lotus on Nov 12, 2008 1:49:26 GMT -6
[glow=000000,2,300]"Oh, the job is yours until you die," Lotus replied, "And, I suppose you can look at it as a job." He was surprised at the reaction he received. Usually, most would defy the opportunity to strike out against those who'd done them no harm. Of course, since he hadn't expected such a response, he was now starting to worry about first impressions. He didn't quite have an army yet. There was a plethora of spirits and lesser demons at his disposal, those damned souls that were not pure enough to be absorbed into the amulet, and lived out their forevers in the depths of Second Hell. However, they were lacking some serious training. It would be comparable to an army of cattle fighting a thousand packs of wolves. Not the odds he wanted.
"Well then," he said, walking to the bound demon, "Do you feel strong enough to walk?" Without waiting for the answer, the ape tapped the 'shoulder' of one of the bone hands, the rack releasing its grip, and dropping the demon. "If not, you should be soon."[/glow]
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Post by Rhiath on Nov 12, 2008 2:13:38 GMT -6
Rhiath slid off the rack, his legs holding his full weight for a split second before collapsing beneath him. His mind threw him a sudden flash of memory, making him re-live the sight of his mangled lower body, his legs twisted and broken in ways that should never have healed. Yet there his legs were, good as new, if you didn't count the weakness. He shook off the feeling, promising himself to think over it later.
Stretching his legs to test them again, Rhiath put a hand on the rack, using it to help himself back to his feet. He let go, nearly falling before catching himself. They were weak, alright, but his strength was fast returning. He looked over to Lotus, nodding to himself.
"Not sure whether I should be excited or nervous about that time estimate," Rhaith joked. "but it looks like you've got yourself a general, Boss."
Rhiath had planned to leave his speaking at that, but noticed something...off. Patting his hips, he realized what it was. A glance around the room revealed no sign of the object of his search, and he turned his attention to his new boss. "If you don't mind my asking, did you find any weapons near my body when you found me?"
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Post by Lotus on Nov 18, 2008 0:36:19 GMT -6
[glow=000000,2,300]Lotus took a moment to let the confirmation sink in. He had a general. Now it was a matter of training the soldiers. Even the weakest of men could become a ferocious warrior if given the right treatment and motivation.
His thoughts were interrupted. Taking another moment to consider the question, the ape sighed. "Unfortunately, no. All I found around you was blood. Are the weapons particularly special? I ask, because I know of a rather secluded armorer in the middle of the city."[/glow]
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Post by Rhiath on Nov 18, 2008 0:45:47 GMT -6
Rhiath shook his head, his thoughts tracking back, farther than he usually allowed them. There was a history with those guns, a story he'd never told anyone. His first act as a demon had been to reclaim them, only then, he'd known where they were.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Opening them again, he looked back to Lotus. "I've no doubt the armorer is a talented individual. But I'm afraid I need those guns. They are...special."
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Post by Lotus on Nov 18, 2008 0:57:41 GMT -6
[glow=000000,2,300]Lotus sighed. "I feared as much." He stepped onto the runed circle in the center of the room. "Well, what better place to search than the last place you had them." The runes at his feet lit up. "To use this, simply tell it where you want to go, and you will be instantly transferred there. However, it only works in this realm." With a nod, the ape whispered the word 'gate' and was gone.[/glow]
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Post by Rhiath on Nov 18, 2008 1:04:02 GMT -6
Rhiath nodded, frowning as Lotus disappeared. He hoped the circle had a return trip built in somewhere. It was a long walk from Rerden to the closest bend of the Soulstream, and who knew how far that was from Second Hell. His knowledge of geography had only ever extended to what he needed to know, and his former masters had never placed much importance on the realm.
Shrugging, Rhiath stepped into the circle, thinking about what he should say. Shrugging, he spoke aloud. "Rerden Village." For a moment, nothing happened, and Rhiath decided not to get his hopes up. Then, suddenly, a bright flash leaped from runes on the floor, surrounding him, blinding him.
When the light around Rhiath faded, the room stood empty.
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