Castle Hydra: Next Generation

[frostmourne]

"Shall I just go kill that demon you were talking about and give you his head or something like that?" the shadow asked, sounding bored. It leapt off Aza's palm and onto the windowsill. Aza pressed herself against Kenan the moment it did. She was trembling like a leaf in the wind. "Really? I'm not asking to take over your body or anything. All I'm asking for is one shiny bauble. Does it really mean all that much to you? Hand it over." Aza reluctantly drew out a softly glowing orb from the pocket of her cloak. It was the only light that didn't hurt to be close to. It didn't burn or freeze. The shadow snatched it up greedily, devouring it with entirely too much enthusiasm. "Light. One of your most prized possessions is light. How ironic." Aza merely clung to Kenan, her eyes half closed. It was much more than just a shiny bauble to her. It had been the only thing that kept her somewhat sane for all those years in the dark. She had rarely ever had it more than a few feet away. To have it extinguished was taking away the only small fragment of serenity she had left.

 

The shadow let go of Jared, but his veins were already turning black. He watched with a rather detached interest. It would be nearly impossible to stop at this point, so why waste energy trying? It wasn't like it could kill him.

Edited September 18, 2012 by frostmourne

[lycrawaterz14]

"If kiling it was an option it would have already been done." Kenan growled at the shadow. He held Aza close, like a second skin, and murmured comforting words to her. "I'll get it back." He pet her face, kissing her forehead.

 

Arachne seemed crazed. "Jared! Jared NO!" She whimpered, wanting him to fight.

Edited September 19, 2012 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

Jared seemed irritated by Arachne's whimpering and started to walk back towards the mansion. Half of him couldn't believe Aza would do this. That his dear pupil would go to such lengths. A small naive part of him insisted that he had to make sure.

 

"Why not? Is there some law that says you aren't allowed to kill someone trying to seize the throne? What else would you suggest? I've been trapped for the last three hundred something years in case you haven't noticed." the shadow said, a hint of irritation in its voice. Aza pulled away and shook her head as if to clear it. "You can't bring back the same flame after it's extinguished. I'm being silly." she said. She looked back to the shadow thoughtfully. "You might not have seen much for three hundred years, but that's barely any time at all to you. You must have seen countless other rebellions." she remarked. "Put down by much bloodshed or a smooth talker. Usually someone-" "Who is really good at manipulating people's emotions?" she suggested. "So we are nothing but tools to you." Jared said quietly, entering the room. Aza visibly flinched and closed her eyes. Jared raised his arm to display the slowly blackening veins. "You are so much like your father now. And we are reduced to pieces in your game." Aza refused to meet his accusing gaze. "Don't compare me to him." she mumbled. "...Forgive me." he said shortly before striding out the door again.

Edited September 19, 2012 by frostmourne

[lycrawaterz14]

"He is immortal. The moment his head was removed another would merely reattach and the old would crumble to dust. He needs to be imprisoned." He murmured to the thing, but pet Aza. "It is for their own good. They will realize this."

[frostmourne]

Like I haven't killed immortals before. What does this guy take me for? the shadows thought to itself. "Anyway, would sealing him a vacuum be good enough? No one can open it from the inside. Or the outside for that matter, so it is pesky little sister proof. Well, unless you are able to convince Aza or me to open it. Right Miss I-Am-Going-To Control-A-Being-That-Is-Infinitely-Older-and-More-Powerful-Than-Me?" It directed a glare in Aza's direction. She didn't respond, too caught up to worry about offending it. "No, it isn't. They would have never been dragged into this if it weren't for me." she murmured, her head in her hands. She should just seal that demon herself. She shouldn't have involved Adrian or Jared. She should have at least asked them first.

 

Jared sighed and ran his delicate hands through his hair. The changes were almost complete, although he was quite sure it would have a much harder time controlling him. Getting back control was a game. One that he couldn't afford to lose because if he failed, he would not get another chance for a while. He remembered how reluctant it had been to release its grip on Aza.

 

[lycrawaterz14]

"In all honesty, a child is in the picture. I would like compliance from the father. I would prefer him with me in control of him than dead or sealed away." Kenan huffed. Things were so bloodthirsty... Arachne started to cry, laying a hand on his shoulder and worrying. "You'll be okay, right?" she whimpered.

Edited September 20, 2012 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

"What do you want me to do? Go up to him and ask nicely if he could stop being power hungry? Should I ask him if he wants a pony ride to La La Land while I'm at it? It's not like he would be a great role model for Junior anyway. Look at how Aza and her daddy problems turned out." the shadow asked mockingly. Aza didn't raise her head from her hands to utter a retort. She barely paid attention to anything they were saying. "I've seen corpses looking happier than you. I don care if you technically don't need to sleep, you should get back to bed." Skulni remarked, having somehow escaped the other familiar's grip. She gave no indication she had even heard him speak.

 

Jared gave her a hollow smile. "Not many people would care if I wasn't. No, I'm not going to be okay." he replied. "But you can't kill something that doesn't have a life." He narrowed his eyes slightly as they flooded with black and gradually returned to normal. "I've been trying to get this body for years. Didn't think the girl would be so careless as to not specify to leave this one alone. Or maybe she did it on purpose."

[lycrawaterz14]

Arachne was horrified. "Jared... He's gone, isn't he." she asked.

 

He glared. "No need for sarcasm. Keep it up, I can work around this without you." he hissed. "Aza. Please sleep... We can talk without you." he kissed her head. "Thantos has the same weakness as I do. His people rule him. He left for over three thousand years and comes back to a larger army. His people are very supportive. If his people don't support him, he loses all his power. I need the to abandon their cause."

[frostmourne]

The shadow seemed to smile, although it was hard to tell. If he refuses help, then the agreement will be invalid and I can dispose of those two as well. Not to mention I finally managed to get the little brat to let go of the orb. Aza glared at it like she knew what it was thinking and its smile vanished. "I have better things to do than sleep." she said briskly, not looking away from the shadow. "If you want his people to think twice about backing him, you'll need to present him as someone who wouldn't hesitate to harm his own for power. You always step on some people's toes to claw your way to the top. Find those people and use them against him." she suggested, silencing Skulni with a look as he began to protest.

 

He turned his head to look at her, his lips twitching. Jared's bitter smile was sinister enough, but the cruel, mocking version of it the shadow produced was outright terrifying. "And he's never coming back." it said, its voice changing to adapt to Jared's. It turned and headed towards the mansion, quietly humming a twisted version of the song Jared had played on the cello. Plants withered around him as the sound carried. He started to recite a short poem he had found scrawled in a crumpled page a few years ago.

"From your roses I've won but a thorn.

In your wide eyes I've seen only scorn.

Out of your heart I've heard bitter sighs.

Yet from your lips you whisper sweet lies."

[lycrawaterz14]

"Sounds like I don't need you then." He said to the shadow. "I revoke our offer. You can relinquish my heirs and the orb now." Kenan held onto Aza's waist protectively, as of now the shadow was the enemy.

 

Arachne took a few shocked steps back before fleeing.

Edited September 24, 2012 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

"I was hoping you would say that. However, my agreement was with her, not with you." the shadow snickered. It spat out the glass orb, but the light that had been inside of it was permanently extinguished. "I hope you know that you have now rendered that sacrifice completely meaningless. Oh, and the downside to being immortal is that you can be tortured endlessly and never die." With that it faded away and Aza winced slightly as she felt it return to its usual spot. The screaming started a heartbeat later. Aza clapped her hands over her ears and began muttering rapidly under her breath. There were unshed tears in her eyes that she quickly blinked away. "Alright! Take it!" she snapped at empty air. The screams stopped and Aza gazed at the room without seeing. "The lengths you go to to protect them. I honestly didn't expect you to completely give up the light just for a bit of pain. It's ironic. Now both of you are blind." Aza didn't reply, only staring at the window longingly. She knew it was still there. That the sunlight shone as bright as ever. But her world was nothing but blackness. Her own, personal night.

 

Jared briefly felt that he was in control before he became aware of a horrible pain. It felt like he were being burned alive except the fire would not burn away the nerve endings and bring some measure of relief. He couldn't seem to muffle the agonized screams as he felt razor blades on his skin. Looking around, he saw no knives or fire, only blood. He watched his fingers mutilated as if by invisible thumbscrews. Abruptly the pain stopped and Jared lay gasping in the grass for several seconds.

[lycrawaterz14]

"Aza... did she blind you?!" He asked, enraged. He gently held her, trying to sooth her. "I'll fix it. This is my fault..." Kenan kissed her cheeks, trying to console her. "It's not that bad I swear. I'll teach you to hear." His arms trembled and he seethed.

[frostmourne]

"Blind? Not in the sense that I can't see anything. I can't see light. Or color. Everything is dark, but darkness doesn't bother me." Aza mumbled. She walked over to the windowsill and tilted her head back. She felt the pain the light brought and for once she welcomed it. It was proof that the light still existed, even if she couldn't see it. She could not feel the warmth of the sun, only the pain. She stayed by the windowsill until the black snake coiled around her and gently tugged her away before she could hurt herself anymore than she already had. It released her to Skulni who started to guide her back to her bedroom. She didn't protest, simply staring blankly ahead. The other familiar turned and nodded in Kenan's direction. "If you'll excuse me, I will fetch Master Jared before matter become further...complicated." it said in a rather cold tone. There was a hint of accusation behind it, although it was too polite to outright blame him for anything. It left in a vaguely human form before Kenan could respond.

 

Jared looked up as a dark shape knelt before him. "Sir? Can you walk?" it asked, offering a gloved hand. "I...have to...apologize..." he said in a raspy voice, ignoring the proffered hand and pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled and fell to one knee. "Perhaps I should tend to your wounds now, sir. Please stay still." He shook his head and attempted to rise again. He cleared his throat before he started speaking again. "I have to talk to her." he insisted. "She is resting now and...she is in a rather delicate state." the familiar replied calmly, pushing him back down and drawing out a knife. "Who do you think has dealt with her 'delicate states' for three hundred years?" The familiar sighed wearily and simply made Jared vanish along with it and reappear in one of the hundreds of guest rooms in the mansion.

[lycrawaterz14]

He followed Aza, who were they to help her?! He held her hand, gently tracing shapes into her palm. "I love you." He whispered.

[frostmourne]

"As if I would forget." Aza said, squeezing his hand. She leaned over a pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. "You should go and start finding out who he is treading on broken eggshells with. Start with the most recent, but grudges can last for a long time." She was frowning as if she had a huge puzzle to assemble and only a few minutes to do it. "You probably should ask Adrian. Adrian's better with knowing how to use people and with understanding how their minds work." she sounded a bit tired when she spoke. "Jared is really good at this. It's become something of a game to us." Skulni rolled his eyes at their conversation but held his silence. He trotted into the bathroom briefly and there was the sound of running water. He all but shoved Aza into the bathroom. "Straight to bed after you're done. No plotting against evil forces, you hear me?" he said snappishly. He was gathering up the sharp curved pieces of glass from th shatter vase. They pieced themselves together seamlessly and returned to the shelf. "You sound like you're my mother. No, actually you sound like Jared." she said, her voice rather muffled by the door. "I don't know which is worse." Skulni mutter under his breath. He turned to Kenan and attempted to shoo him out of the room. The door suddenly shoved both of them out, whacking Skulni hard as it did.

[lycrawaterz14]

"I can't infiltrate the demon masses. I'm kind of the figurehead of their enemy..." he grumbled, sitting outside her door. He intended on camping out here. What if she fell? What if she needed something? He wasn't going to wander off this time.

 

Arachne was just wandering, when a soft voice called her. She turned to see who it was, but found no one there. "Arachne." Kenan's voice said clearly again. He wanted her! She ran to his side, sitting beside him. "Yes?" She asked breathily. Kenan smiled. "Can you help me with the demons? Jared and Adrian are going to help." He said happily. Arachne looked like she might cry.

[frostmourne]

"That sounded dreadfully insensitive." Aza mumbled. "Shut up. That's exactly what you'll say to Adrian and Jared. And by the by, they are probably going to chew your head off after that little stunt you pulled." Skulni said dryly. Aza didn't respond to that and a weary sigh broke the silence. "Could you stop holding a party outside the bathroom? You're giving me very little privacy." she said rather testily. "Why? Taking a bath while Death, a vengeful Spiderwoman and a homicidal maniac that can see through your bathroom mirror makes you uncomfortable?" Skulni said slyly. There was the sound of breaking glass from the other side of the door. "I take that as a yes." Skulni chuckled, getting up and trying to get Kenan to move away.

 

The dark figure drew out the knife again and made a small slit on his wrist. He caught a brief glimpse of skin that was all but translucent before the long dark sleeve dropped down to hide it. The drops of blood that fell were a deep blue at first, but when Jared looked again, they were a normal scarlet red. Its blood healed slower than Aza's, but it was just as effective. "Who are you? Or, what are you?" he asked, flexing his fingers to make sure they worked. The familiar didn't respond but simply stepped away, its work finished. Jared was halfway out the door before the hooded figure replied. "I am nothing and no one. My name, what I am and who I used to be do not matter. All that is left now is her. And even she is fading away. You can't see it, but she lost that game the moment she met you." "Aza is fine. She's immortal." Jared said, not understanding. "Immortality means nothing to those who do not exist. Do you understand? Make the most of what time she has left before she cannot hold herself together anymore." "Have you told her this already?" "She already knows. She has known for a long time now."

[lycrawaterz14]

"Way to make a sight joke. I really appreciate it." Kenan growled, worrying. He had a small peice of wood, and was using his bony hands to whittle it into something. He seemed very good at it. Something wasn't right. He felt it.

[frostmourne]

"I need to talk to her." Jared mumbled absentmindedly as he started towards the stairs. The cloaked figure said nothing until he was out of sight. The cameras watching the exchange shattered as well as the listening devices, heat sensors, motion detectors and whatever else was installed into almost every single room in the mansion. Arlex stepped out and the illusion of the familiar vanished. The illusion had been utterly perfect. It could bleed, hurt, think and feel just as well as the familiar had. It even had a 'soul' and was completely convinced it was real. The actual familiar had died the moment it decided to run.

 

"Sight joke? What did I say?" Skulni asked, seeming genuinely puzzled. The sound of water moving on the other side of the tub made Skulni back up a few steps warily. He moved just in time to avoid a black spike that shot through the place where he had been. "Stop moving. I can't echolocate." Aza said crossly. Skulni was about to reply when he was interrupted by a cry of surprise. He knew she wasn't hurt air else he would have felt it, but he knocked on the door anyway. "Still alive?" he said teasingly. "Skulni, go find your colleague." Aza said sharply. Skulni rolled his eyes but left the room without complaint.

 

[lycrawaterz14]

"I can't see her while she's in the bath. I can't see her at all. Through a mirror, wall, right in front of me, ever." He growled, still working. "Aza? I could teach you how to fire upon moving objects." He sighed as Skulni left. Kenan stood by the door. "What's going on? You are alright aren't you?"

[frostmourne]

"I think he was probably referring to himself, and I'll see if we have time for that lesson later." Aza mumbled almost incoherently. "I'm fine. Don't worry." She didn't sound particularly overjoyed, and more sloshing of water reached outside the door. The door creaked open and she stepped out in a bathrobe with her hair still slightly damp. There were small cuts on her arm that were quickly healing, but she stared at them with concern. The black snake marking on her arm had vanished. She seemed worried, almost ready to dash after Skulni or call him back.

 

Skulni made his way through at least thirty guest rooms before he found the right one. "Honestly, does she think the whole country is going to hold a sleepover here or something?" he muttered as he pushed open the door. "Hey! Aza's been looking for you..." he trailed off as he saw who was standing in the room. "I have warned you already, haven't I?" Arlex said softly. There was a quiet gust of wind and Skulni dissolved into a reflective white powder. "Three knights sacrificed for the sake of the king, but are you willing to give up the fourth, princess?" the shadow lurking in the corner cackled. Arlex silenced it with a look before striding out of the room.

 

 

[lycrawaterz14]

"You sound worried." he cooed, Kenan's fingers gently brushed through her hair, a bit of a soft warning as he started to brush it. That is what he had carved, the handle an intricate portrait of Aza, minus colorings and pupils for her eyes. It was still very accurate, a soft smile on her face. "You're alway worried. What is it for now? I could help you." he brushed a cheek against hers and took her hand. "Is it because you can't see? I can help you. It's really not that bad..."

Edited October 1, 2012 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

A bit of the concern that had been on Aza's face faded. "It's fine. I'm not always the damsel in distress, you know." she chuckled. She turned to look at the brush curiously. She grinned and walked over to the wall. She touched a flower pattern that looked like it was grown into the wood and the wall slid aside. She reached into the small square hole that was hidden behind the panel and groped around a little before pulling out a comb. It carried the sweet scent that was characteristic of rosewood and had delicate roses and vines trailing up the handle. It didn't look like it had been carved, its curves suggesting that it had been grown. She looked like she were going to say something, but she stopped and dropped the comb. The silvery white snake had also faded from her arm. "I-I have to go. I'll be back in a moment." She mumbled before racing out the door. She hardly took three steps before crashing into something. Jared hand his arms around her before she could react. "Thank goodness you're alright. Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean whatever I said I-" he said rapidly. "How touching." Arlex commented, walking down the hall towards them. Aza froze and stepped away from Jared. "Father?" she said, blinking like she had been shoved into bright sunlight. "Why is that a question?" he replied, the lack of expression on his face rather disturbing. "I'm afraid we'll have to discuss matters later, however. I have a rather pressing matter to attend to. Master Sapiens, if you'll follow me." Jared took a step forward, but Aza grabbed his wrist and shook her head, looking terrified. Jared gently tugged himself free of her grasp. "I'll be back. Promise." he said quietly, kissing her forehead before moving after her father. He hoped she hadn't noticed how the tremor in his voice.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan held Aza now, cursing under his breath for making her hurt. "I'm sorry." He said a bit louder, holding her close and kissing under her chin.

[frostmourne]

"Not your fault. I'm seriously going to tape your mouth shut if you apologize again." Aza mumbled, her fingers unclenching and seeming a bit less tense. "Besides, he'll be fine. He promised." She desperately trying to make herself believe those words. "Did Arachne agree? I can ask-" she began, trying to avoid thinking about Jared. She broke off and stifled a yawn. She noticed a small movement and knelt to pick up a tiny white snake, hardly bigger than a worm. It seemed to be trying to say something. She dropped it on her shoulder, wincing slightly as it began to drink. It slowly began to change until Skulni was latched on to her throat. "You can stop now." Aza said rather pointedly. She was starting to feel rather lightheaded. The silvery white mark of a snake had grown clearer on her arm. Skulni pulled away and licked his lips. "Sorry. I was trying to say your other familiar, the shadowy thing, is dead. From what I heard, Adrian's little cube has been turned back into sand. Where's Jared?" Skulni said cheerily. He looked at Aza with a concern. "Say, you look like you're going to collapse." Aza still managed to give him a flat stare despite the fact that she would be sprawled on the floor if Kenan weren't holding her. "Thanks to you, Einstein." she snapped.