Castle Hydra: Next Generation

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan just held her close and teleported her away to his castle.He didn't want to see Skulni.

 

Jared chuckled. "Yeah. You would probably scatter across the globe and probably never reassemble."

[frostmourne]

"What? You're going to force me to explain to Adrian why you're leaving your own party?" Skulni groaned. He shook his head and disappeared. Aza shifted within her little coffin.

 

Aza woke up to find herself in the grass. It looked to be early afternoon and she could hear chattering in the distance. She looked up to see the glass Palace, gleaming like diamond in the sun. She was in a iridescent emerald dress, the color oddly familiar. It reminded her of the green robes Jared wore every now and then. Not only the clothes were different, but she had changed. She touched her face. She appeared to be slightly older, although she didn't have to age if she didn't want to, so appearance wasn't a good judge of how much time had passed. She could see the light again and it didn't burn as much as before, although a slight tingle still lingered. She sat up and rose, dusting herself off. She jumped back when the leaves of a nearby tree suddenly parted by themselves. A pair of bright green eyes greeted her. "Were you sleeping the whole time I was looking for you? For heaven's sakes Aza, you're such an irresponsible queen." Jared sighed, seeming amused. He looked different too. The seemingly permanent dark circles under his eyes were gone and he wasn't as bony anymore. The deep sadness that always seemed to be lurking just beneath his smile was gone and he looked a bit older too. He put an arm around her shoulders and steered her towards the Palace, the gesture seeming oddly intimate. She noticed he was wearing a gold ring on his finger and a matching one was on hers. "...What?" she mumbled, pulling away. He stopped too and concern clouded his face. "You've forgotten again, haven't you? What's the last thing you remember? The coronation? That night in Alian? he asked softly. "I-I remember falling asleep in a dark place." she mumbled. "That was over four hundred years ago, Aza. It's fine. You'll remember everything after you rest. You shouldn't spend so much time in the sun. I'll tell the children we'll have the picnic tomorrow instead. They won't mind." he said, guiding her towards the Palace again. "C-children?" she squeaked. Jared chuckled and shook his head. "Yes, we have children. You're adorable when you're clueless. Honestly, be more careful or you'll forget your own name next time." Jared said, taking her to her room and lightly pushing her into the bed. He was on his way and out about to turn off the lights when she spoke again. "Where is Kenan?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice. There was something wrong. Jared froze and turned around to look at her, a deranged grin on his face. "He's not here anymore." he said in a tender, menacing voice.

 

Aza screamed and attempted to sit up, ramming her head hard on the coffin. It was soft on the inside, but she suspected she still had managed to give herself a concussion. Immediately she was panicking, her anxiety levels through the roof. How long had it been? Where was Kenan? Was the thing with Jared real? She clawed madly at the interior of the cocoon, hoping she could tear her way out. She didn't even leave a scratch. She grew more and more frantic. The cocoon that had cradled her in her sleep now felt like it was strangling her.

 

Jared said nothing, staring at the dying garden around him. Even his roses were starting to wilt. It was a pity, but he could always rebuild it.

Edited February 11, 2013 by frostmourne

[lycrawaterz14]

"Actually... You won't... I don't think anyway." Judeao shrugged. "Your powers may make it through, depending how deep the water burns through before you heal.

 

Kenan felt the bump and whimpered, laying his ear against the cocoon. "Aza?!" He yelled through it. She probably couldn't even hear him. "AZA?!" He yelled.

[frostmourne]

Aza stopped struggling, hearing a muffled noise. Someone was there. She didn't quite care whether it was friend or foe, but at least someone was there. The noise came again, louder and familiar, but still unintelligible. It calmed her down enough for her to start considering her situation more sensibly. She almost laughed when she realized how simple the solution was. The cocoon parted as easily as water before her touch. She stepped out, staggering slightly before regaining her balance. "How long has it been? A week? A day?" she asked, looking cautiously hopeful. "Only about an hour. For a unintentional, minor breech, you only get a slap on the wrist." Skulni said wearily. He looked like someone had run him over with a train, shoved him off a building and tossed him to the wolves. His right arm was partially torn off, his spine was oddly jutting out and he looked like he could barely walk. "...Then why do you look like...that?" Aza mumbled, gesturing vaguely to the bruises and broken bones. "This is what Adrian does when you force him to entertain your guests for another three hours." Skulni said. "Blood?" Aza stared at him for a while. "Am I required to give it to you?" Skulni shook his head and she smiled cruelly. "Azaaaa!" Skulni whined.

 

Jared didn't seem to care very much. "I won't need them." he said softly, looking at the dying garden. It seemed sorrowful bathed in the moonlight. "It's strange. This is the second time this garden has been destroyed in less than a month. This time, I might not be able to fix it." he murmured, talking mostly to himself.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan clutched her close. "Have all the blood you want from dying people." He growled. Aza was his. Not wholly yet, bt it felt like he had been hers and she had been his for a long time. "Should we get back to them...?" He asked, meaning the guests. He wondered when it would be acceptable to return...

[frostmourne]

"Not unless you want to end up like him." Aza said lightly. "Their blood can't fix this." Skulni grumbled, staring at Aza accusingly. She wasn't paying attention, frowning and looking at him. She suddenly walked forward and started unbuttoning Skulni's shirt. "You do realize your fiancé is-" he started, backing away. "Shut up. You're hemorrhaging." she snapped, gesturing to the darkening bruise below his ribs. "And this will help how?" Aza formed a needle out of shadow and drew a bit of blood from herself. She then all but stabbed Skulni's stomach with it, injecting the blood in one swift movement. The bruising faded and some of the surrounding wounds sealed. The rest of him was still in a terrible state. She tossed him a small vial of blood. "Do the rest yourself." He looked like he was about to protest, but vanished with an irritated flick of her wrist. She returned to Kenan's side, muttering something about contracts with the devil. "He's like a very small, annoying pet."

Edited February 20, 2013 by frostmourne

[lycrawaterz14]

"What? I already won in most fights... just worry about your actual people." He grinned, but prickled at Skulni's voice. "He needs to be put down..." He grumbled, but burrowed into her shoulder. "Are you feeling better at least?"

[frostmourne]

"Still a tad drowsy," Aza mumbled, smiling slightly at the contact. She didn't want to say anything about the dream, partially because she didn't think she could stay composed if she dwelled on it too much and partially because she wasn't sure what it said about her own state of mind. She was still masking her reaction Jared's death, but the turbulence behind the poised facade was still churning. She shook her head, brushing away such depressing thoughts. She had to retain the appearance of blissful ignorance, at least until she was alone. "I think you're right. Besides, Adrian's is only going to get more irritated the longer we take. Shall we then?" Aza asked, forming a void in the space in front of them. She giggled and pulled Kenan into the darkness with her without waiting for his response. Adrian was waiting for her, his back turn towards them. The guests were gone, their carriages trundling homewards. "Aza. I said one hour." Adrian said calmly. Somehow the eerie serenity was more menacing than all the yelling and shouting she had expected. It was indeed well past the hour that Adrian had given. Aza looked to the eastern sky. The first rays of dawn were starting to pierce the night, but she couldn't see them. She regretted trading away the light. She missed seeing the sunrise and the stars although their light was painful. Adrian turned to look at her, clearly exhausted from having to organize the entire thing as well as control such a large group for hours. Aza mumbled and apology and hid behind Kenan a little bit like a shy child.

[lycrawaterz14]

He still held her hand and smiled at her. "We'll, let's not delay any longer then. Kdon't fuss at her, this only happens once..." He shrugged, and his hand strikes hers with his thumb. He loved her, even though he knew she teetered on the edge most of the time. That's alright... He would help her stay up as long as she would let him... If she let him.

[frostmourne]

Adrian's expressision soured and he remained silent for a long while. Wordlessly, he turned and disappeared into the shadows. Aza stepped out forn behind Kenan and pulled a face. "Bah. He's going to be secretly mad at me for the next year." she mumbled, holding his hand tightly in hers. She started to tug him towards the mansion, humming cheerfully as she did. She frowned slightly at the unfamiliar people who bustled around, cleaning up. They immediately turned and bowed or curtsied in their direction before resuming work. Th usual servants were gone and replaced by odd, faceless people. Their uniforms were fairly plain, the only decoration a small emblem sown directly above where their hearts would be. What was most noticeable was that none of them had faces. They were indistinguishable from each other except for the emblems. The insignias themselves were a chess piece, a card suit and number, or both. The king and queen pieces and cards were notably absent. The jokers were also not shown. "...I'm going to see if we can get the old staff back..." Aza mumbled, slightly unnerved by the faceless servants.

[lycrawaterz14]

"You got new staff?" He asked, a bit confused. He was just glad this would be over quickly... his people were starting to become restless at a single king. Never before had Death not had a determined heir. At least Mara's son would be acceptable.

 

He sensed something odd, and took Aza's shoulders, turning in the opposite direction. "We have to go. Find Adrian... Now would be great. He's right in top of us. IknewitwasdumbtotakeyououtsidethecastleIdidn'tevenrealizetheycoukdtrackyouhere..." He snarled, visibly prickling.

[frostmourne]

"They're probably here to help with wedding preparations. It is a rather big deal after all." Aza started absentmindedly. She looked confused, but followed Kenan anyway. "Go? Why? Can we leave Adrian behind? Who's he? Why is he on top of us? Why am I being tracked? What's the square root of pi?" Aza questioned. Aza paused and blinked. "I'm quite certain that last one came out wrong." She stopped and peered curiously at a hole in the wall and a muffled squeaking. She frowned and snapped her fingers. The room went pitch black and there was an odd humming noise. Aza seemed perfectly undisturbed by the darkness. "Now then, where are we going to run to? Everything that doesn't belong here is currently in the process of being eaten by my little pets. They're not very good at keeping things alive, but useful for things that refuse to stay dead." she said cheerfully. She didn't seem to care very much that the staff was being eaten as well as the mice. There had been something off about them anyway, and she'd much rather not wait until they tried something. The creatures in the shadow didn't come near either of them, but the ominous humming was getting louder as the shadow streamed out the windows and doors until the considerably vast grounds of the mansion were entirely dark. "Do we have to run? I think the shadow could probably get rid of whatever is coming after us." Aza mumbled.

 

Jared looked up as the sky went black and a humming noise began. He twitched a little, too impatient to wait much longer. If he was still thinking, then he had to be giving off small electrical impulses. If he could channel it into JASPER, then he might be able to do something. The computer chip necklace he had given Aza had remote access. He started to leave the garden, ignoring the odd strain he felt the further away he got from the garden.

[lycrawaterz14]

"This is on a different plane than what you cover Aza... Vastly differ-" he was knocked to his feet by something.

 

Judeao chased him. "Jared! No! There is nothing you can do! You're already on a different frequency than this world... The only thing you can do is help her on this plane. There's no time to explain, but imagine yourself on a different... Layer of reality. Like that..." He pointed to a giant black dog that seemed to be engulfing the castle. "Is something only the undead can see... Aza can't. Kenan hasn't given her that sight..." He panicked. "We have to go. Come on!!!" He tugged him toward where Death was, Judeao's touch strengthening him.

[frostmourne]

"B-" Aza began before she stopped. She seemed a little offended, but didn't try to speak again. She peered into the darkness with bemusement, wondering whether Kenan had tripped. The darkness seemed to deepen further and Aza shuddered a little. This wasn't her doing anymore. "Well, you say she apparently can't deal with it, so is it my turn? I think neither of us really feel like running or fighting though. Leave you to it then." the voice chirped. It paused to remove the computer chip before sitting down on a settee and picking up a book. It didn't seem to be angry or insane like it had been when it appeared most of the time. It simply seemed to be unwilling to do anything. A pair of inky orbs gazed serenely into the darkness, which was becoming more and more choking as time passed.

 

"Then I will rip apart reality and make the walls between worlds crumble." Jared said quietly, a glint of madness in his eyes. As soon as they were close enough for the chip to send out the faintest signal, Jared started to fade away. "This is what Aza does when she opens a void. She uses a shortcut between worlds. Of course, this is going to be a great deal more painful, energy consuming and may cause the collapse of reality and the end of every universe." Jared said lightheartedly, seeming to be talking mostly to himself. He flickered a little and was gone.

[lycrawaterz14]

Judeao simply signed, appearing in the real world. "Jared, Aza can see you here. I will alter your appearance. You have this power now. How do you think you can see Kenan and I? You can't carry all of this reality... It's like making little slits as you enter and it heals behind you.

 

Kenan held his head, and then went limp. Death exited from his body to kill the creature, and with it moved his psyche. It appeared to be a younger version of him, maybe ten or eleven. More importantly, it looked like hewas more aware. He turned to Aza, smiling. He knew she couldn't see him... But it didn't matter. She was just as beautiful as everyone described. Death charged at the creature, it's mere gaze slowly killing it. Kenan had to follow, attached.

 

A young man offered Aza a hand. "Don't worry. I'm here to protect you..." He picked her up, his touch scalding. "Protect you from him." The man's face morphed into one from her worst nightmares, with deformities becoming more and more grotesque as he pulled her into the demon's realm.

[frostmourne]

"Now that's a face only a mother c-" the voice began. It was cut off as the darkness faded from Aza's eyes. She gazed levelly at the man carrying her, not offering much resistance as she was carried along. There was not so much fear as curiosity in her eyes. She started to dissolve into a fine black ash. The further they went, the faster she broke apart until there was nothing left of her but ash. The ash drifted upwards and away, swirling in an upward spiral as she sought to escape.

 

"She can't. I'm nothing but circuits and wires." Jared said calmly, seemingly disembodied. He wasn't use to being a computer. "Strange. I think the emotions have been mixed up a little. I can't feel anything. I have to get that fixed before I destroy the world on a whim." The walls of the mansion trembled and electricity crackled violently within them. The computer was really starting to come to life. The lights on the mansion brightened until they were blinding. Cameras adjusted position, screens brightened and things whirred to life. Emotions seemed to catch up and the lights flickered back off again. "...Where is Aza?" he demanded, running scans across every reality.

[lycrawaterz14]

Judeao seemed occupied. "I... I don't know. I'm not picking her up in any of our realms. I have no idea... Kenan's in trouble though." He headed toward his limp body. "He didn't connect back to his body."

 

Kenan was lost. It was just dark again, and silent... But he felt Death near him. That's good at least. You know... Not being ripped from half of himself... "Aza?" He asked.

 

The man chuckled. "Good luck with that. You can't get out of here. May I speak with you, at least until Death arrives to save you? Some knight in shining armor..." The young man sat down on the ground, and waited for Aza to finish exploring her new prison.

[frostmourne]

The ash suddenly collapsed into one point and Aza reformed and her eyes were dark again. She spun around, looking at the prison curiously. "Oh! Oh, I remember this place! I was locked in here for a quarter of an hour before I escaped. It was a new record for how long I've been trapped." she said delightedly. "This girl was a different person back then. Quite literally. You were right that she couldn't get out. She had to become not her to get out. So she died here and I made her steal another person's body. She died in her own arms. Rather disturbing, watching yourself die. It drove her mad for a while. My mistake." It stopped talking and lowered her head a little. "Poor girl. Poor, poor little Azalea. Bramble. Clover. Delphinium. Edelweiss. Fern. Goldenrod. Holly. Ivy. Jasmine. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J...How many more? She has been so many people and lived so many lives and she doesn't even know. But it doesn't matter because she's gone."

She wheeled around to face the man, her movements unsteady now. "This body is dying and I'm moving her mind. What name next? I like Kerria. Such a pretty flower." the voice said in a singsong. "Or I could wait for her to get rescued. I hate getting rescued. It's no fun at all. I hate knights. I hate shine. Should I be considering the possibility of you simply letting her go? It's inconvenient to switch her mind to a new body and erase memories and implant new ones. I'd still prefer it to getting rescued." Aza walked around, the voice talking to itself. "Should I let her talk to you? She is so scared now. So very scared that she will wake up with a new life and no idea who she left behind. So very, very scared of me. I don't think she really noticed you yet. Shall I introduce her?"

 

"No, she's been kidnapped." the speakers answered to Kenan worriedly. The emotions were changing again as the data fluctuated. Red lights flashed on a panel in the wall. "She didn't even bother to struggle. You'd think she wanted to go with him. Running off with anyone she meets." he scoffed, an obvious tone of disgust in his voice. A few warning lights flashed as the data changed again. The warning lights turned off and then lit up again as the computer resumed speaking. "...I think something's gone wrong. Someone is messing with my- And you. Aren't you suppose to be helping her? Utterly useless and was she blind too? What a pair of idi- Someone help- ots you two make- Help m-" The speakers abruptly shut themselves off, but the lights continued to flash on and off on the panel.

[lycrawaterz14]

"You must be mistaken, miss. You are in Hell." He chuckled. "Calm yourself, you seem distressed. This isn't the pit, just the far reaches... You will have a hard time escaping here, even if you resume bodies, you're more likely just to end up tumbling back here again. Relax. We are just waiting for your... Husband now? To come reason with me. I have no intention of harming you. And you could have told me you were dying here. I could have made it more... Hospitable." The area turned into a void, and felt perfect for shadows to creep around. "Tell me if you need anything. I have no intentions of making you uncomfortable."

 

Judeao looked for a place to shut off the power. "JARED, GET OUT OF THERE RIGHT NOW, BEFORE I PULL YOU OUT! DON'T THINK I CAN'T YANK YOU OUT! YOU KNOW HOW MANY APPRENTICES I'VE PULLED OUT OF OBJECTS?!"

[frostmourne]

"Oh, you're doing it again. Everyone thinks I'm her and she is me. I'm not mistaken, I'm not 'miss', I'm not the one who would tumble back, he's not my husband, and I'm not the one who is dying. I've been in and out of here for a while. She's been here once, well, twice now, but she is not me. And you know what? I'm sick and tired of people thinking she is. I'm leaving." the voice snapped. There was a hint of amusement in its voice behind the anger, as if it was laughing at its own pretend temper tantrum. It knew Aza would know the truth about her existence and leaving her to dwell on it would be more satisfying than getting rid of her right away. Aza shuddered and the darkness left her eyes. She appeared to be perfectly healthy, but her head was bowed. She blinked and wrapped her arms around her knees. The shadows all gathered in her corner, obscuring her from view. Even through the darkness around her, she was visibly trembling, as if she were crying.

 

The speakers briefly switched back on. "Someone is meddling with my systems. If you pull me out now, I'll permanently cease to exist and-don't you dare compare me to an apprentice." Jared's voice abruptly switched tone in the middle of his sentence. "Hi! I'm using Adrian as a puppet right now. Arlex would be ever so cross if he found out. He's the Warden, y'know. Warden of the greatest prison ever created. But anyway, Aza's going to be wiped out of existence soon. No, not die, simply cease to exist. Thought you might appreciate knowing." another voice chirped happily through the speakers. There was a soft click as the speakers turned off again. Adrian staggered down the stairs, looking disoriented.

[lycrawaterz14]

"Shadow spirits..." He grumbled, and simply approached her. "You alright?"

 

Judeao put a hand to his forehead. "Fine. Fine. I give you a chance, I go OUT ON A LIMB, and you just crap on me. Just ON MY FACE." He growled. "Then what I am I supposed to do? Let Aza die and the world tumble with it? Death will not be the same. And he won't have a wife. You know how HARD its been to get that damn virgin a wife? He's like a monk. A MOTHER ING MONK. And STILL doesn't have one. You know why we need her? Because he'll go BAT CRAZY without one! THERE. I said it! Death NEEDS a wife! Why do you think his father went so crazy?! You remember the black plague?! HIM! He just decided there wouldn't be ANY mercy!" Judeao screamed.

[frostmourne]

"I-I always wondered...how many people had died before me as its cage. Now I know it was only ever me. I have lived so many lives. I have ended so many more. And now, my brief chapter is ending in a book that never ends." Aza mumbled, head still downcast. "I can see her if I close my eyes. Kerria. Bright and happy and a total airhead." Aza laughed softly and looked up at the man. "Tell him...No. He knows." She stood up slowly and started to wipe away her tears. She froze when she realized they left dark smudges against her cheeks. The darkness dripped off her hand like water. "No. Please no. I can't go. I can't go! Don't make me go!" Aza whimpered, fear clouding her eyes. She stilled and stared at the man for another moment. "Tell him I'm sorry." The darkness thickened until it could almost be touched and then cleared. There was a skull sitting where Aza had stood. A post-it note was stuck to it with an address scribbled on it.

 

"What would I care? You can't kill the dark. Don't worry, her replacement is on the way right now. I better go back to my renovated cell. I'm squishing Jared here to death. Oh, and Adrian? You know the drill." Adrian didn't move for a while, blinking rapidly as he struggled to put on a mask again. He straightened and jogged down the stairs. He threw open the door and was nearly knocked down. "Adrian! You've...gotten taller than me. I feel short. Hang on." Kerria chirped. She rummaged around in her bag, pulled out a pair of bright pink high heels and slipped them on. "Better. Now, wh-Kenan! Are you alright?" Adrian looked panicked and towed her away from him. "You ca-" he began. "I'm his fiancée. I'm pretty sure I can!" she snapped, pulling free and going back over to Kenan. She grabbed his hand and peered nervously at him. "This isn't suppose to happen! She can't remember this! She even looks like her! New body, new mind!" he hissed to himself. "Well they said he needed a wife, so I kept bits of Aza's mind and found close a body as I could on such shot notice. I don't really care if he kills everything, but then I wouldn't have anything to play with. It's up to him now if he considers her 'not Aza'. Of course, she believes they love each other, so it will absolutely destroy her if he rejects her...Oh, this is the most fun I've had in ages!" the voice whispered.

Edited April 14, 2013 by frostmourne

[lycrawaterz14]

Judeao threw up his hands. "I'm out. This is weird. I'm going to go search for Kenan. Adele will take over from here."

 

He was gone, and instead Adele showed up, looking exhausted and carrying the newborn.

[frostmourne]

Kerria rose slowly, looking rather confused. She walked over to Adele and looked at the child. "Oh, how sweet. Whose is it?" she crooned affectionately. She didn't appear to recognize the infant, although she did seem concerned about Adele. Adrian frowned, wondering whether or not he needed to interfere and talk with Adele about what had happened to Aza. Before he could react, an insect zipped towards her, looking like a camera wih wings. It flew around Kerria, looking at her thoroughly. It gave a low unhappy whine before flying back to wherever it had came from. The constant, quiet hum of electricity that ran throughout the mansion ceased and everything started turning off, leaving them in darkness. Jared wasn't exactly overjoyed about Kerria it seemed. Adrian was just glad that he wasn't outright attacking her. He was also going to get replaced if he couldn't adapt to Kerria, which Adrian suspected was very likely.

[lycrawaterz14]

"Kenan's sister's. He was going to talk to you about adopting it...?" She looked confused. "I heard Kenan split. He's to young to be splitting... He could be separated from Death for a long time... I wonder how we could lure Death back..." She sighed.