The Queen, Sand and Moon

[Oona Ondessa]

The Storm swirled violently above in the Heavens out of sight and mind, Below in Hell the Earth shook and the fire froze. The world changed; Awareness became Sleep, Reality Became Dreams. Consciousness, Unconsciousness.

Distorted,
Hauled,
Torn,
Ripped,

Scattered…

What once was, no more remains.

Oona woke with a start, the world she expected to wake up in, was no longer present, instead she lay on a crimson bed, with four posts and curtains billowing violently in the wind, yet there was no wind felt on the skin, no wind blew. Oona drew herself up, dressed in a dark dressing gown; her normal formal and platted hair remained wild and untamed around her shoulders, falling to her backside. Her pale skin glistened against the dark tendrils, Her light beautifully gothic tattoos wound around her right eye and shoulders like an ink serpent coiling around her body, the Tattoos could be seen flowing from her shoulder and neck down into the cleavage of her chest, and down her arms in brilliant patterns circling and entwining around themselves, her fingers were adorned with silver rings as were her long pointed Elven ears.

Oona lifted her lithe body out of the bed, curious and frightened, few things in this world frightened the powerful sorceress, but this world with its moonlit sky and sanded earth shook Oona's soul.

It was a world she had never known before, the sky was bright without a single cloud; the Moon was large and red, unlike the Goddess that watched over her every night, at her feet was sand, Red Sand that had a patterned adorning it, Much like a small wave in a calm river frozen in time. No Breeze blew, no sand blew, everything was calm, even and unnatural. Oona rose from the bed and walked over the warm sand, surprised at its unusual warmth; her painted toes sank into the sand slightly, in a pleasant and unpleasant sensation all at once.

To the Lady of the North There was nothing but the shifting sand, rising in knolls and hills, to the Sovereign of the west was the same, the South and East followed, there was nothing in any direction no landmarks or people, only this unnatural world and a bed Oona had not fallen asleep in.

Oona moved away from the bed with it's waving curtains, She fell to her knees and crossed her arms across her chest, she made a fist and kept her fore and middle finger stretched out, she muttered under breath before pulling her arms slowly away from her chest, she placed her fingers against her now closed eyelids

"Mother to the South, Mistress of the East, Watchtower of the North and Oceans to the West give me your blessed sight; grant me my position in the Watch Tower So I may see that which I desire"

Oona pulled her fingertips away from her eyelids, she could see her surroundings, yet they were somewhat faded and instead she saw another image over her normal vision, Like she was seeing two pictures one over the other, like her eyelids were closed yet seethrough. she saw herself, sleeping in her own bed peacefully, the moment she had lay down her head, with a flash her vision returned to normal. Her Magic was weak in this verse, but still somewhat potent; she was asleep in her bed, breathing and very much alive. So where in the goddess' name was she and why was she summoned there, Why exactly did she see the image her herself lying asleep in bed.

[Shizuku Tonderui]

It had been a good day. Really it had. He had finally found weak points in his enemies, and was ready to crush them one by one. They were going to fall the moment he gave the signal but now...now something was wrong.

With a start he awoke, the world around him was not the black stone castle of which he knew. Where two guards and servants should have been was nothing. Carthax was...baffled. Slowly stepping out of bed, his feet touched the sand and he jumped quickly, surprised by the feeling. Crouched low he reached behind him, pulling from a sheath strapped to his back a small flat bladed dagger. He was unfamiliar with the ground, the red sand that was there. He had never known the gentle touch of it before.

Slowly Carthax rose to his feet, checking to make sure he was still...him. Black leather shirt with a dagger holster stitched the chest, long sleeved of course to hide the disfiguring marks of his arms. A pair of black silk and leather pants, stitched together by himself and rather nicely. His black and red speckled eyes flicked quickly to the dagger sheathes that hugged his outer thighs. The black hilted weapons still resided there thankfully. He ran a sweaty palm through his odd platinum hair, shaking the length from his eyes.

His gaze slowly looked upwards towards the sky, at the crimson moon. His jaw dropped as he replaced the dagger back in his sheath, then to quickly spin around. A crimson moon was something Carthax NEVER wished to see. Ever. His father often spoke of Crimson Moons, and how they were...a personal symbol.

"Father couldn't of done this. Though powerful...no...No not even all of the Tonderui could do this...could they?" He questioned himself aloud, as if expecting to get an answer, there was none though. Silence. Slowly he fell to his knees, casting his eyes upon the sandy ground. What cursed fate had been brought to him now? Was it not bad enough he had to deal with the weakness of his father and enemies?

"Gods be damned for this. I shall have my revenge upon them, fast and merciless it shall be...no...slow and merciless...yes. If this is my father's doing he shall die a thousand deaths, each will hurt more than the last." Carthax swore to himself this would happen. That is, maybe when he could defeat his father. The old man was tricky and had the gods on his side...THe question was now though, what to do about this? He had to...escape.

"Hello! Anyone out there?" He cupped his hands to his mouth to yell, hoping his voice would carry to others. He wasn't sure if there was anyone...if he was alone here, or what nightmares may truly lie in this place. He shuddered at the thought of his being punishment. Though he knew he deserved it, it was much too soon for him. He would fight his way to the death if had to, but he would not be made the joke of some imputent God.

[The Demon Auditor]

Snoring was usually how The "Other" Demon Keeper found himself when he had an out-of-body experience. It was quite common for him, really. It was just...uncommon when he had an out-of-body experience in a completely different place. At least, that's what he suspected was going on. After all, when was the last time you woke up in a strange bed without any recollection of how you got there? ....okay, don't answer that, we don't need to know what you did last Saturday night.

Eh-hem...anyway...ODK opened his eyes after his brain was done side-tracking about imaginary people and their imaginary drinking binges. He really didn't want to get up. In fact...if he could just reach over and turn off the alarm....maybe...

ODK's arm stretched out from the bed over the sand, his mind delirious with lack of sleep lately. In his head, he could hear the annoying beep of that "digital alarm clock" that never existed except in his imagination. *FWUMP!* He fell face-first into the sand.

Shaking it off as he stood, ODK took a quick survey of his surroundings. He was in a much more alert state now. His usual patch-work black trenchcoat barely rustled around his sneaker-laden feet, unlike the billowing curtains of the strange bed. His hands plowed into the pockets of his faded black jeans and withdrew a packet of sour apple gum. A piece dropped from the crumpled wrapper, spilling down his black t-shirt and into the sand.

"Five second rule!" he declared gleefully, grabbing the gum from the sand. With a victoriuos chew, he pocketed the remaining sugar-coated treats and started walking in a direction. Well, he was bound to find something out here in the middle of seemingly nowhere. There was that bed, after all. And that nifty moon.

[Moridanu]

* A soft breeze blew across her skin at random intervals as Moridanu lay sleeping. Sprawled out upon a bed of crimson satin, her alabaster skin deepened with a rosy hue as the red moon hung heavily in the dark sky like a ripe plum. Shivering slightly, she reached down with blind fingers to pull her favourite quilt over her naked form. After groping around vainly for several moments with no success, Moridanu finally opened her emerald eyes and took her first look upon this strange and unusual world in which she now lay.

Blinking rapidly several times, Moridanu slowly propped herself up on her shoulders and sat up in the four-poster bed that was her prison as well as her haven right now. Her tousled auburn locks blew behind her in the breeze, loose tendrils tickling her face giving the appearance of flames licking her skin as her hair burned all around her. Sliding over to the left hand side of the bed, Moridanu looked down to see nothing but red sand as far as her eye could see. That was all that was there – just red sand. A strange pattern had formed on the dunes before her, a sort of serpent shape – perhaps a wave, but that was it. Sand. Nothing more. Nothing less. With a deep sense of foreboding taking root within her soul, Moridanu scooted back over to the right hand side of the bed and looked over the edge of the mattress. Sure enough – red sand. Nothing more. Nothing less. She was laying naked on a bed in the middle of a red desert and she was more than a little pissed off as well as extremely confused.

Sighing deeply, Moridanu looked around for something to cover herself with but there was nothing save for the sheet she had been sleeping on. Cursing herself for her need to sleep naked in the summer, she moved to slide off the bed, her feet hovering briefly above the sand before she had the nerve to put her foot down. Bracing herself for a sinking feeling or some gnarled and withered hand reaching up through the ground and grabbing her around the ankle, Moridanu let out a long shaky breath as the sand was solid beneath her feet. Although the fine grains slid along the contours of her feet and ankles like finely ground coffee beans, the ground beneath her felt reassuring and helped her to collect her wits around her. Calling on the energies of the earth below her and the air above her, Moridanu slowly began to centre herself.

There was the desert.. and the bed… she should go out and explore the desert… but first she should examine the bed a bit more.. yes she should stay at the bed.. in case help came.. but if noone came, she would have to go herself…

A thousand voices held a major conference within her mind as Moridanu breathed out slowly and used the energy of air to blow a calm cooling breeze over her current emotional state.

Standing on the sand, Moridanu turned slightly and took several large steps backwards until she was now a few feet away from the bed. She had had too many nightmares as a child about the monsters that always seemed to live under the bed, therefore it made perfect sense to her that a monster realy could be living under her bed. Something was clearly happening to her and she was absolutely certain that a monster was now in fact under the bed, waiting for her to come closer so it could snatch her leg and pull her under the bed, dragging her kicking and screaming into her gruesome death.

… She shivered again as her mind raced with thoughts once alien to her. Trying to clear her mind, her emerald orbs gazed out onto the red soil as she tried to clear all feelings of fear and doubt from her mind. Perhaps it was no surprise that fear and doubt were the first two emotions she felt in such a place, but still she was surprised. She had never known she was so weak…

Taking a deep breath, Moridanu let it out slowly as her gaze continued to scan the horizon. It was no surprise that such thoughts of violence and horror had automatically come to mind.. She was after all in a land that had a red moon. Moridanu cast a dubious glance up at the moon and whispered ~ Blood Moon..~ under her breath. As she spoke an owl hooted in the distance and a lone bat flew across the sky. Shivering again, Moridanu glanced at the bed, and then out to the expanse of desert around her. Whether she decided to stay or go was a decision she would make after she had something to dress herself in, so with a deep breath, she stepped forward and walked towards the bed. The crimson satin sheet was just out of reach, but she really couldn’t take one step closer until she had made sure there was nothing under the bed. Stopping just short of it, she got down on her knees, her skin sinking into the soft sand slightly as she peered under the shadows of the bed. *

[Discord Lasarythe]

(The next one will get more...everything. Just trying to get this up. This is Mair...<>Needs to get account<> Meh.)

-It was one more late night in a month full of them. A sign that business was booming for this particular dreamweaving demon, Mair’s sleeping habits had taken a hit, been flimsily taped back together, then shattered again by the odd hours she was forced to keep thanks to time-zones in all their foolishness. Currently the negative effects of physical and mental exhaustion were evident on her slumped, unconscious form. She lay on her stomach in those few things she had not managed to tear off before the collapse into bed and thankfully, due to a tendency to overheat in sleep, the remaining clothes consisted of no more than a clingy, white tee, cherry red silk bikini bottoms and one black nylon stocking gathered at her ankle in a cuff. Milky white and flawless, the exposed stretches of bare skin welcomed the cool breeze even as her sleeping mind failed to comprehend its source.

It never occurred to Mair when she awoke moments later that this unneeded interruption of a well deserved nap was anything more than a subconscious desire for a glass of water or an unusually late call from Nature. More asleep than awake and with every intention of keeping it that way, she did not bother to open her eyes. Rolling over the crimson sheets to get whatever it was her body mistakenly thought it needed, she realized neither their strange shade and texture, nor the unfamiliar four-poster bed they covered. Even the peculiar sensation of sand under her feet registered as a reminder to sweep in the near future. It was actually only when she tangled herself in the heavy drapes of the canopy that her brain first suggested that something was amiss.

Mair fought valiantly, if not clumsily, against the constricting panels of cloth. In time the frantic tugging and struggling brought the entire curtain down on her and together they landed in a heap. The battle had raged on but one more minute when the ruffled demoness pulled herself from the fray and clambered to her feet. It took the work of both hands to scrub away the last dredges of grog and then push back the spiky, boyish mane she called her hair. At present it stuck up in spite of the half-assed attempt to tame it in a disheveled mess. An uncovered yawn escaped her as she turned, lost in her underwear, in a bewildered circle. Red moon, red sand, red bed…unfamiliar, creepy and yet eerily peaceful.- Overworked or not, this mess isn’t one of mine. Red enough? Disasters like this are why dreamweaving ought to be regulated….

[Oona Ondessa]

The Earth groaned audibly in the response of so many new thoughts and feet treading against her already fragmented and disfigured heart. The Sand shifted and the winds blew, the first sign of life on desolate plain, the sand lifted in swirling masses of beautiful yet deadly swarms as soon as they began they stopped. As if in a silent warning to all who dared dread on her sunburnt flesh. The Moon continued to glow eerily over the land, giving everything a red manic glow. Oona sighed she could hear the low moan screaming from the core of this realm, it was chilling and haunting, yet almost like a song, a sad song full of sorrow and wrenching pain. She shook her long mane of dark hair and began to walk, where she knew not, but at least it would get her somewhere, anywhere, she wouldn't die in the desert, however unfamiliar and alien the land was, it was still nature somewhere and that meant Oona had some sort of bond, she was a creature herself born from nature, unlike most life not from a person but the very essence of nature, a tree.

Oona walked, she scaled a small knoll and the sand shifted, she almost fell but managed to steady herself, the sand was like waves, unstable and surprisingly vicious the further into them a person dwelled

Oona heard a familiar noise, it was a wild cats growl, but this time she could not understand the growl, it was… animal and Oona spoke all animal, She spun around alarmed and suddenly noticed the sky was not so empty anymore. Thousands of large black Crows filled the sky, they seemed to spring from the crimson moon and fly overhead, there ominous calls were almost painful. A single feather fell from the murder and Oona plucked it from the air, studying for a second she neatly placed the feather in her thick hair and began her trek.


Carthax called out to the night, the only response he received was the deep and repetitive groan that rumbled below his feet and into the night sky. The Sand shifted angrily underfoot, but it lasted only a second, everything was calm once more. Then the earth wrenched once more, the sand pulled and flew and separated and a figure rose from it disturbingly. It resembled a tree and a man, it's long limbs were double jointed and incredible powerful, they looked like bark, yet they were flexible, its thin chest breathed in and out heavily, it's face was smooth and bark like with yellow round eyes and a huge wide mouth, no noise but a tangle of long vines and leaves that resembled hair atop it's shaggy head. It's long and pointed ears were chipped and pierced. It was a tree Spirit or at least what once was a tree spirit, his bark was now dark and chipped like it had died, yet he moved hastily.

"No God or Father has sent you here youngling; this is the work of another"

He said his voice was unusual normal

"I am called Barossa, I have been sent to guide you to the Queen, ask not why or where you are for I can not tell you, the Queen alone is able"

He talked with a somewhat unusual accent that was hard to place. The Tree Spirit turned his back on Carthax and continued to move through the desert away from the crimson bed.


"It's only a 3 second rule when it's in the sand…"

Said a soft masculine voice behind The Other Demon Keeper, Sitting on top one of the four posts was a man, a devastatingly handsome man, he was crouched like a cat atop the closest post, his long blue trench coat billowed in the non existent wind, the rest of his body was oddly shadowed however, like he always moved where the moon could not penetrate, his two eyes were little more than large pools of blue ink, they watched ODK carefully, cautiously

"I know what you're going to ask me… and I can't tell you, I would resist the urge to use your magic… not here"

He said and he shivered, the Earth and sand moved and groaned

"It's time to move, there's somewhere you need to be, I'll show you the way, all will be revealed"

He said as he gracefully leapt from the bed, his oversized sword moved at his belt, A Large Silver Raven was the hilt. He began to move through the desert, not checking to see if The Other Demon Keeper was following

"My names Talon"

He purred against the now loud noise that filled the air from the thousand of Crows that flew above.


As Moridanu looked under the bed, the sand shifted underfoot disturbingly and the groans that plagued the desert echoed loudly, under the bed was nothing, at first glance, then the supernaturally loud roar was growled from the sand directly under the bed. A cat powerful and large with a tan body leaped from the confines and safety of under the Crimson bed onto Moridanu, pushing her backwards the Wild Cougar stared at her with it's beautiful amber eyes, a creature of the desert itself, wild, untamed, aggressive and deathly intelligent. The Cat growled loudly in a soft roar, its hot breath would warm Moridanu's face and as the cat roared a woman's voice spoke over the noise, seemingly from the crimson moon.

"Follow me Queen; a new destiny is upon you"

The Moon called out loudly

"Follow your familiar and myself and your path will be revealed… ask nought"

Said the Moon loudly, the Cougar gently pulled away from Moridanu and began to slink into the desert, Overheard thousands of silent crows filled the sky, the only sound heard was the flapping of their wings in unison, feathers fell until a neat black feathered dress lay in the sand near Moridanu, overhead the Crows began to fly away in the distance with the Cougar after them.

The Desert was silent for the Demoness at first, it would not provide her with a guide, or a call or anything, it's ways were to mysterious to predict, the Moon continued to shine it's red glow over the earth, bathing everything in thick blood, the Deep scars of the Desert continued to throb in pain, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with anger, this time the Desert was angry, slowly at first the Sand began to fall, until it was so vicious that the Crimson bed and Mair along with it began to sink into the earth, with a terrifying wail the Desert managed an angrily scream of rage as Mair and everything around her began to fall into a dark abyss.

it wouldn't be long before Mair would feel the hard cold ground and realise she had fallen through the sand and into a dungeon, cold and steely, the Dungeon looked like any other, it's walls were made of a dark red stone, The Crimson bed remained sitting silently at the center, it's curtains draped closed, the only other thing in the circular dungeon was a small barred opening in the stone, the bars were made of the same red stone, If Mair was to look out the window all she would see if the smiling face of the blood Moon as it sneered and gloated viciously at it's recent victory.

[Shizuku Tonderui]

"Great. I'm supposed to trust a large tree creature. You know, last time I trust something like you I ended up dead." He scowled angrily as he followed carefully along side the tree man thing. He wanted to just...reach out and burn this creature. Set it's skin aflame and watch it wither and howl. Of course, as the good natured person that he was he decided it was better to just follow it. He really did not want to end up lost in this place. Not yet anyways.

"The Queen? Well, isn't that nice. I'm a king you know." He said proudly, dusting the front of his shirt off and looking smug. Then a bit crestfallen as he remembered how much of a King he was.

"Of course...More of a...King of Swamps and Desolation. If my father were to die, like the wretch he is then I would truly be a king. THen again, like all Tonderui, we do not stay dead for long. Interlocked in a circle of...Wait. Why am I telling a tree this. I don't even know you, let alone trust you." He sneered for a moment as he increased his stride, keeping up with this creature. All of his training that his father had taught him had...payed off. It was ironic, everything he knew he learned from his father, and still he hated the man with such a passion.

"Before you say 'Then why are you following me?' it's because you're the only sort of way out. Hah." Carthax was pretty proud of himself. He had said that many times before, often getting lost alot and...well running into strange creatures was pretty ordinary for him. Usually he'd find find out something about that creature. Whether it was against him, or with him. This one already seemed to serve another, so he would categorize it as maybe against him.

"Tell me Barossa. Who is this Queen you spoke of and how long must we walk?" Carthax wished he had some of his servants and...personal entertainment with him. Long journeys were often tedious, tiresome, and very lonely. This one didn't seem any different. With a heavy sigh he decided this was definantly some form of punishment. Maybe he had angered this Queen and she was seeking revenge? No, that would be impossible...This land didn't look a thing like any story, legend, or book he had read. No this was definantly inter-planar. That was always a biggest fear to him to, that maybe his father had found a different plane of existence, and recruited them. Shuddering at the thought he noticed he was lagging behind the creature, so jumped forward with a small burst of speed.

[Discord Lasarythe]

-Mair was way too tired and way too disorientated to bother with much of a struggle when the ground vanished from beneath her. There was nothing not sinking around her to grab for, so lacking better options, she freefell for an undetermined amount of time before landing on cold stone with a surprised grunt. The sand that carried her in did little to pad the impact, the skimpy t-shirt and panties even less. She winced and eased from the fetal position she’d met the floor with to a more spread eagle position on her back, gazing up into something that wasn’t the sinkhole she had only moments ago fallen through. She blinked in further surprise and pushed herself up on her elbows to better study the domed ceiling now sitting in place of the desert floor.- I suppose it’s possible I got high and forgot. A pity, if I knew what I used I would know not to try it a second time.

-She spoke to the room in general, as it was obvious- or seemingly so- that she was very much alone. The dungeon room in which she lay was one of the most uninteresting she’d ever seen. In her line of work as a weaver of occasionally horrific tales involving similar prisons, she had had plenty of experience furnishing such rooms. Despite her lousy situation, Mair did take pause to be thankful she wasn’t in one of her own. Put a handsome man in that big red bed, now sitting in the center of the cramped space, and the whole thing would be kinky. A few moments of hopeful waiting proved that she was not about to be joined by a sexy member of the opposite sex and with much disappointment and plenty more discomfort, Mair hauled herself up.

Hands pressed into her lower back, she began to stretch out the soreness. Due to her demon heritage, the aches and pains would soon fade so it wasn’t long before the baffled Mair was curiously moving about. She went first to the window, as it was most likely her best means of escape, and was met with the bird’s eye view only a castle tower could provide and the harsh glare of perhaps the eeriest full moon she had ever seen. She searched the area for anything of importance- landmarks, guards, a vending machine, a Macy’s, anything at all she could use- and burned the layout exactly as it was into her mind’s eye. If the coast seemed clear, she would then close her eyes, imagine herself at a location on the ground outside the barred window, and with her gift of shadow travel fade from the shadows of here to appear in those of there. That is, if this world decided to acknowledge her abilities. Having seen all there was to see of the little tower dungeon, the grass definitely seemed greener on the other side. Any other side, even one without grass.-

[Moridanu]

*Moridanu peered into the darkness as the shadows beneath the bed shifted and danced before her. As she watched, he dancing shadows merged in the middle to make what appeared to be a large amber eye. A dark slit ran down the centre of the amber eye, giving it a feline appearance as another eye quickly came into view beside it. A deep growl seemed to reverberate through the darkness and the shifting sound beneath her, before a large cougar leapt out of the shadows and pushed her backwards. Those intelligent amber eyes stared into her emerald orbs as the words ~ Follow me Queen; a new destiny is upon you~ filtered down at her from above.

Glancing quickly around her, she scanned the surrounding desert for any sign of change but there was no physical change to be seen. The moon mocked her from before in all its Scarlet beauty, and Moridanu raised a slender amber brow as she heard a new sound that did not necessarily belong to this bleak and eerie world. As soon as the thunderous roar of hundreds of beating wings filled the air around her, she glanced up at the sky and smiled in genuine delight as the sky darkened with hundreds of dark bodies and wings. At the sight of her dear beloved birds, Moridanu felt her heavy heart lighten somewhat as she peered upwards into their dark beauty, amazed and bewildered as their feathers slowly fell from the sky to form a perfect dress before her feet. The fact that her beloved crows were in this realm, gave her slightly more confidence as she knew that she would be able to tap into the powers of Morrighan herself in this realm. Armed with this knowledge, and a deep burning curiosity to figure out exactly what was going on, she decided now was the time to go and explore this strange land.

The crows then departed as quickly as they came, the cougar turning to follow them. So, after slipping quickly into the dark feathery gown that seemed to cling to her lithe form like a long tight body stocking, Moridanu followed the cougar and the crows, her bare feet slip sliding through the shifting sand as she left the crimson bed behind. *

[Catrux]

Sehkem awoke with an unfamilar feeling. There was a bed beneath him, not rocks, not the trunk of a tree, but a bed. While still relatively asleep these thoughts walked through his mind. I did not fall asleep here....where is here? He decided to seek the answer and opened his eyes.

He was lying in a red four post bed, quite different than his normal sleeping arangments. An awkward sensation swept over him, or lack there of sensation, his coat was billowing with out the assistance fo wind. Somthing is not right in this place....

Stepping down off of his bed his feet sank slightly, almost like walking on sand, but on a warm day. Still thoroughly bewildered he spread his wings to regain feeling. What is this place, and why am I here?

"You who has brought me here! Show thy self!" Sehkem shouted out of frustration and confusion. His shout sent two sets of wings into flight then came the familiar feeling of four feet, two ravens, resting on his shoulders. "Oh good, you two are here as well. Hmmm how come you were so calm?" Sehkem wondered, bewildering him more. I wonder what could have brought me....us here yet not sent Reaver into a rage?

[The Demon Auditor]

ODK scrunched up his face as he was 'corrected'. "If you don’t make three seconds, there’s a six second rule, you know. And a nine second rule."

He studied the strange fellow for a moment before he spoke. ODK frowned as he was told not to use his magic. Well, as far as he was concerned, this wasn't any plane of existence he was familiar with, anyway. Who knows what effects his magic would have! Not that he cared about the environment or something, but he really did want to avoid turning himself into anything smaller than a newt this time around. The earth trembled, and he looked around curiously. "Hmm... What was that, I wonder? A two on the Richter scale?"

Somehow he got the impression (after being subtly beaten over the head with it by the cat-like fellow) that the tremors were related to why he was here.

"It's time to move, there's somewhere you need to be, I'll show you the way, all will be revealed"

ODK shrugged. "Okiedokie." And followed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and popping his gum loudly. When Talon introduced himself, ODK nodded. "I'm Odd K., nice tameetchya." He figured it didn't matter what he told this fellow, likely Talon already knew who he was. And so he followed, loudly snapping and popping his gum. The flock of birds caught his eye and he grinned. Maybe she was here...?

[Oona Ondessa]

Barossa remained silent at first as he walked through the desert, his height and weight caused him to sink into the coarse red sand, his long tangle of hair, vines and leaves blew in the wind revealing his back covered in long thick scars cut deep into his bark. The Tree spirit did eventually decide to speak up however

"You are no king…"

He said simply with no sign of emotion in his soft masculine voice

"Nor shall you burn anyone here…"

He said once again simply with no sign of emotion, The Tree Spirit had read the kings thoughts, he hadn't spoken about setting Barossa alight but the old Spirit had so many tricks up his sleeve it was no hard to read someone's thoughts especially when they were malevolent and directed at him.

"We shall work for as long as is necessary, the Queen will reveal all soon…"

Barossa said this time turning his slim neck around to look Carthax in the eye, his golden pupil-less eyes glinted at him in the red moonlight and that mixed with the red glow of the Moon caused him to look…. Unsettling.

"The Real Question should be…. Why were you chosen and welcomed into this world?"

Barossa stopped and spun around to face Carthax, his narrow chest raised in and out

"This is no ploy of your twisted kinsman… nor is it anything to do with your father's worlds of gods, but the time has come for testing"

Barossa said steadily, he positioned himself in a fighting stance, raising one arm above his head, like a flash, his leg kicked out, Barossa had the unbridled power of a tree, nature at its most savage, His long powerful leg would hopefully connect with Carthax chest sending him flying. His foot resembled a gnawed Tree stump with its roots in full view. Barossa brushed a strand of vine from his eyes.


"You're not high at all…"

Replied the room

"You’re here to be tested, the results will are important, they will determine if you are to go free to battle the desert… or if you are to remain here… forever"

The Room replied, The Voice was unusual, masculine and deep yet shy and with a hint of pain A single Crow flapped towards the small window in the dungeon and slinked his way through the bars, he hopped to the floor and quickly made his way towards the four poster bed, he sat on the top of one of the post and his black feathers began to melt away and turn blue. The Feathers began to turn into a cloak, no a jacket, a long blue trench coat until sitting on the bed was a man, He was surprisingly handsome, he looked as if he was carved from the gods themselves, his eyes were pools of Sapphire and he looked at Mair with great sadness

"We are to fight…"

He said casting his eyes towards the ground, he pulled off his trench coat revealing a cotton sleeveless tunic and leather pants, with the grace and speed of a Raven he launched himself into the air, attacking Maire, he leaped at her, hopefully pinning her on the ground painfully.

"Forgive me Dreamweaver…I have to"

He whispered as he lashed out with his fists.

The Moon laughed savagely

"The Triple Goddess cannot see you here… She wont even tread in this realm… not even for her Protégé, the one she loves and serves, In this realm the Crone has long died and withered into the sand"

The Moon called out callously, The Cougar stopped

"For you Queen, I shall emerge, One Queen to another"

The Cougar vanished; her skin melted into the sand and from it sprung a woman. The Woman was fair, her long tan hair was wild and untamed, it feel around her shoulders and passed her backside, her intelligent yellow eyes glinted in the scarlet moonlight. She was a warrior, that was for sure, her chest was bare except for a heavy metal breastplate that resembled a rams head, around her thighs was large metal knee high boots and a small chain mailed bikini, She stood to her full height and faced Moridanu

"Is it time I reveal why you are here Queen?"

Said the woman sneering

"I am Queen Pandora and these are my lands and my realm, you were summoned here to be tested… and to save us all"

The Queen said her mood changing instantly so she was filled with Sorrow and Pain, Then suddenly like a lighting strike she lashed out at Moridanu's face with the claws of a Wild Cat before vanishing once again into the sand

"Your blood was all that was required"

Whispered the moon and the Cougar had vanished as had the Crows, all that remained was a small shadow in the distance, three people calling out to Moridanu, the triple Goddess?...



"Who's Richter? A friend of yours?"

Talon asked solemnly, his face a picture of concern

"I pray to Morrighan that you arrive at your destination Odd K… if only she was present…"

Talon said sadly

"I am summoned"

He said simply and as soon as he arrived the Sand reared up and claim him, pulling him deep into the thick red sand. Leaving ODK alone, except for the Murder of Crows in the distant seemingly running from the Demon Keeper, or were they approaching

"Is that you?"

Said a familiar voice on the wind

"Thank the Great Mother!"

Said a voice overjoyed

"M'love ye dntknow how glad m'be to see ye"

Moridanu called out to the Other Demon Keeper in her familiar accent, with a flash of Black Feathers, the Beauty herself was running barefoot towards ODK. She clutched ODK warmly bringing herself towards him, a single tear fell from her eye, it glowed red in the Moonlight

"And what predicament have ye found yeself in now!"

She said laughing and winking at him, her mood however changed soon after as she embraced her friend, her emerald gaze turned wild with lust.

"Kiss me"

She said suddenly bringing her red lips towards him pulling herself lustfully towards ODK with a great Strength

"Kiss me or I'll grind ye bones unto dust!"

She hissed suddenly viscously her emerald eyes sparkled like never before, as she drew the ODK close to her cold body, her auburn curls fell over his face and with a single kick of her knee she tried to connect with the ODK's crotch

"How does me'kiss fill lover?"

Moridanu said with a devilish smile that had never been planted on the Queens face before. With a flash she lifted a long dagger and pressed it against the ODK's throat hard

"You failed m'Love, game over"

She said with mock sadness. Suddenly however she stopped gasping in pain, she lifted her hands towards her throat dropping the blade, a delicate hand had grabbed her around the throat and pulled her backwards, Lunging forward Oona Ondessa grabbed hold of the Silver Dagger, while still clutching the woman's neck, even angered and fighting Oona was the picture of Gothic beauty

"You are an impostor…"

She said in her usual Husky sensual voice. Moridanu lashed out once more, Oona ducked it. The two women grabbed at each others throats, Moridanu clawed the beautiful Elves eyes and hair, they fell onto the sand, Oona still in her nightgown she lashed out, punching the Impostor in the face several times until there was blood on her fist. With a single Elven flick of her wrist, the long dagger was dug into the Importers Chest, sand poured from her wound, mixed with blood until there was nothing left but a lifeless body of Moridanu.

Oona stood up, flicking the long black strands of hair out of her beautiful Violet gaze, she was panting as she addressed the ODK as if she hadn't just slain the spitting image of the Great Queen, Vessel of the Goddess Moridanu.

"I am Oona Ondessa of the Black Moss Forest"

She said simply, her beauty was truly astounding against the backdrop of the Red Desert.



As Sehkem called out to the desert all that the desert responded with was the now familiar swirl of sand and grit into the air, it twisted around him finally settling on the ground, a Single Line was now raised up from the sand, a guide perhaps? A map? A Cougar roared in the distance and the waxing red moon laughed angrily no trace of Humour

"Follow me if you wish to service this realm"

Said the female voice loudly

"This is one place you cannot fight your way out off… or is it?"

Said the moon wit ha slight Hiss, The Cougar turned it's back on Sehkem and began to walk away, an obvious guide, however the sand was travelling in a different direction. The Moon laughed once again, her laughter echoed around her vibrating through the sand

"Who will you trust the sand or the moon?"

Said the voice callously.

[Shizuku Tonderui]

Carthax had always been on edge, and he knew that he was not to trust Barossa, but he surprised when the thing turned to kick him in the chest. Carthax was almost ready for this, as if he expected to be attacked. His life was full of that sort of thing. His legs slid out from under him, keeping him low to the ground as the leg swung over top. With his hands firmly in the sand he twisted and spun around till his feet were touching the leg Barossa had planted on the sand. Pushing off from it he sent himself twirling away from the tree creature. Twirling on the ground he was soon on his feet, two short daggers in his hand.

"King Carthax, Lord of Desolation, First Son of Shizuku Tonderui and bringer of the darkness. I encourage you to step down my wooden friend." Carthax said as he tapped the two daggers together, bringing a pinging sound into being. He did it twice more, the rhythm was set, and it brought about a repeating sound now, almost...tantalizing in a way. Carthax smile, liking this rhythm very much.

"If you want to fight me you will lose. I will not allow you to win, I will not show mercy, and I will not mourn you. If you challenge me, you challenge to the death." Carthax said calmly as he started stalking around the tree creature. He did not take such things so idly, and would destroy this fellow. Banging the daggers together again the rhythm in the air sounded faster, but at least it was steady.

For a quick moment he slid the daggers back into the sheathe, a cracking sound could be heard from the sheathes. When he removed them, the dagger tips were covered in a dark oily substance that rubbed down the blade.

"Let the dance of death begin." He said, clanging the blades together. Sparks shot this time from each dagger, and the black liquid burst into a brilliany orange flame, licking the dagger tips like a child would a lollipop. With expert skill he twirled the blades around in his hands, almost as if an acrobat would. He would enjoy this very much.

[Catrux]

A line formed from the sand rose and guided one way, while a cougar walked the other. To follow sand or to follow a cat? What was ment by service this realm? Deciding to try for further information Sehkem called "Why should I care about this realm?" With that Sehkem took flight to attempt to see where both paths lead.

His hands unconsiously drifted towards his scythes, but caught himself before drawing his weapons. Reaver and Soul were in flight beside him, he looked to each of them to see if either prefered a path. Both ravens cocked their heads in opposite directions. "You two are no help at all," Sehkem laughed.

He was not yet at a high enough altitiude to decipher much of the terrain. The air seemed suprisingly thin...or was he for once in his life excited? Still bewildered as to why he should care a bout a realm he has never heard of before, he waited patiently for a reply.

Maybe the couger would be better to follow....but then again it is still a cat. Sehkem looked at both his ravens after considering that the couger may be hungry.

[The Demon Auditor]

ODK was shocked and surprised to see Mori running from the flock of crows towards him.

"Mori? What's going on?" He asked, bewildered as she hugged him and shed her odd, glowing tear. All too quickly though she was lusting, grabbing, and -- be still his unbeating heart! -- hopefully going to tear his clothes off! His eyes bulged, though, and his cheeks puffed out. Groin hits weren't especially painful for him, but still...she friggin' kicked him in the crotch! And still she ran her mouth! Good gravy, this wasn't Moridanu, she was chattering her head off way too much! And that dagger...that wasn't hers! Before he could react, though, he received front row seating to the greatest cat fight he had ever seen. Aside from that one Bavarian Chocolate Mud Wrestling show...

In a moment it was all over. ODK stood as he had before 'Mori' even ran up to him. His cheeks were still puffed out, though, and after Oona introduced herself, he let out the air as loudly as possible in a mock passing of wind. ODK looked this image of dark beauty up and down. He had to play it cool. Be smooth. Say something that would really make a fantastic impression. Something that said...he didn't just have his balls handed to him by his girlfriend's imposter.

"Wonderful to meet you, Oona. I am the other demon keeper, and I am glad to see that's not my kinky girlfriend you just stabbed to death. Most just call me Odd K., but you can call me...." Well shit, there went all chances of flirting with the gothic elf hottie. Damn 'conscience.' "You can just call me Terrance." He grumbled mentally.