The Queen, Sand and Moon

[Catrux]

Sehkem watched as Carthax was sent flying, he had torn part of Carthax's shirt as he tried to catch him. He had only reached out one hand, the closest to Carthax, not wanting to take his eyes off of the queen. The stubs.....they were once wings.....does that mean she is actually of my race? Wouldnt she know more about the race if she was part of it? Well then again I am part of the race yet I know very little.

"So you are mortal, what difference does it make, I am mortal. If what she said was true then I believe you just insulted my home." Sehkem looked at him and smiled, laughing a bit as he said it. "You will not die, we all together will succeed. What say you all?" He amplified his voice at the last part so the others would be able to hear him.

Scanning the newly appeared cages Sehkem noticed not one thing looked familiar. Walking closer to examin each to hopefully determine what he was fighting for he saw somthing. It caught his eye, Could it be?he stepped closer and looked into the cage. It seemed like a moving picture of winged people, Vinyakins. It was answers, it was the answers to the questions he had about his race, about himself. He started beeming at the realization that he is within reach of putting all those nagging questions to rest.

Then another thought dawned upon him. "What of the rest of the people you had brought here?" He waved his hand across her entourage. "If we succeed, are they sent back to their homes? Are they given back the things they loved? If not I will trade mine for them." Sehkem's voice went somber as he spoke the last words, knowing he may not get the answers he sought, but he would save countless beings and the things they loved.

"I see you once had wings, what are you? Are you like me?" He then spread his wings out to their fullest, so they curved upwards upove him.

[Krisztinya Valkai]

Krisztinya watched the Queen, again, as if she were a fly on the wall and not an actual part of this situation. When as absolutely silent and still as she was standing, it was easy to forget she was even there. It was a well developed discipline that she had harnessed over the centuries, and one that had given her great quantities of information when those who mightn't speak in her presence forgot she was there. She knew, however, that the Queen's attentions would not be so easily distracted. There were others, too, who would mind the darkness embodied that stood statue still in the center of the room. But listen she did, and take note of what chastizing the Queen did. ~Quite a benefit that I don't rely on the practice of the Arcane, else I might be in a world of trouble...~ She thought to herself as her emerald gaze raked across the minions of the Queen and finally back to her Majesty.

The movement of the Queen drew flinches, almost as if her mere presence was burning those around her. The woman radiated energy and power like few Krisztinya had ever heard of, let alone seen with her own eyes. For a moment, watching the flinching Amazons, her eyes slit into a narrowness that could have been seen as judgment of the Amazons, intense concentration, or pure disgust. She was a well of conflicting emotions, and never one to make those emotions clear. In her mind, it was no wonder that the Amazons did not succeed, they flinched at power, they balked from the obvious source of energy in the room. Somehow, these things were tied. At least in her own diluted form of rationale.

The Queen stood before her and Krisztinya's eyes flared, as if she had just been unveiled in the room. The Queen lowered her head in response to her own greeting before moving on and the Primogen felt a flush of energy. It felt as though her very veins were suddenly alive and scratching to the surface to absorb this woman whole. It was the darkness within her that craved the power she stood before, the Abyss wanted nothing more to engulf it. Whether it was to provide the complete erasure of this positive energy and power, as the dichotomies are wont to do, or to acquire and suffuse this power into its own, remained to be seen. Krisztinya herself couldn't even tell the difference and this intrigued her. She was brought from her inner thoughts when the Queen reclaimed eye contact with her, answering her question, cryptically as she herself might have. This brought a sardonic smirk into the eyes of the Primogen.

"You are here my friends, because this realm is slowly dying… it has been for some time, I am the only native survivor, I would gladly sacrifice myself and die with my world, but I'm afraid if this realm collapses it will cause a ripple that will also destroy your own lands and realms, the Moon has been trying for decades to destroy us so she may move on to another realm. All I can do to stop this is transport men and woman from different realms to help in the battle, all the people you see before you were off different realms, but they have all failed"

Krisztinya never allowed her eyes to move from the Queen, even as she turned to bare her stumps on her back. She was being shuffled around realms, first by the Abyss, now by this woman and this moon, and she was growing quite impatient and less than pleasant with her lack of control. She simply wanted to return to BriarWood, torture those she had enslaved and proceed with her plans for the destruction of all things beautiful and good in the land of Morthika. She didn't have the patience or time for this, and it was starting to show in the agitations of her the tendrils that wove around her feet and arms. She finally spoke, again her voice piercing through the commotion and touching the marrow of bones of the would be listeners.

"I find it rather peculiar that this Moon, or you, whomever it was that actually brought me here, would do so to destroy an eternal night. I am quite certain that you, and this moon, know what I am. If you have illusions that I have a sense of greater good for those I know nothing of, you are quite sadly mistaken. You want ~me~ to aid you in eradicating a land destined for eternal night? To walk willingly into a blazoning sun? Have you lost your majestic mind, Highness?" And then it occured to her. Should this moon succeed, she might forever be trapped in the maddening world of primordial darkness. The Abyss would win, the Abyss would have her for eternity to torment, to slowly go madder than she is, to consume until she herself no longer is possessor of this immortal coil, but a shell to be used as the Abyss saw fit. That would never do. And so her eyes met with the Queen's in an understanding, full and complete, as to why she was brought here.

The Queen clapped and Oona lost all sense of herself, of her position and all control of her emotions. The cage before her contained a face that was unfamiliar, but a scent that reeked of Morthika, so real was the illusion. But this did not stop Oona from lashing out at Carthax, which instantly brought a dark pleasurable smile to Lady Valkai's face. It was a sight she took to memory for future use when she and Oona were no longer parnters in a battle of epic proportions, but locked against each other for the heart of the realm they both inhabited.

As Oona demanded of the Queen, the other cages suddenly appeared, and to her surprise, it contained something she had thought was destroyed. The cage before her sat empty, save for a single pendant of amber in the shape of an eagle. Inside, black sand filled the hollow amber bauble. It was the sigil for the Assamite clan, the necklace Stryfe had given to her upon his entering Torpor. As it would have been awkward for the Moon to place Krisztinya herself into the cage, it selected the only thing that might rouse any emotion directed to anyone else. Stryfe. It was true, she loved Stryfe, loved him in a way she neer imagined possible in her treck through lonely eternity. But she knew, too, that love was an illusion. It didn't stop her outrage. She had broken the pendant, on Stryfe's orders, she had roused him from his Torpor, only to once again be reunited with him after a painfully long absence and upheaval from one realm to another. She had spent only one night reunited with him before this Bloody Moon ripped her from the one spot of pleasure she was given in her eternal darkness. And now, now it appeared that this Moon had, quite possibly, the only thing she would ever fight for.

Whether it was real or not, she didn't care. The thought of Stryfe being killed because she wouldn't assist this realm made her feel uncomfortably... guilty? It wasn't an emotion she was altogether familiar with, and she instantly detested this Queen and this Moon. Her eyes succumbed to the Abyssmal threads, all traces of emerald now only a flicker of the remnant of humanity she had left. She glared at the Queen as one of the arrogant men tried to rouse the group in unison. She merely stood, backing away from the cage a few steps, and turned to the Queen. She wanted to lunge at the woman, to rip open her throat in a geiser of royal blood and feast on this incipent wench for putting her in this position. She wanted to tear the Amazons limb from limb for their ineptitude, she wanted to slowly eviscerate the winged failures at the sides of the Queen. But the violence was quelled, consumed by her disciplines, molded into a firecely cold, unyeilding hatred for all people and things of this realm. And finally, without addressing the others, without lashing out about Stryfe, she spoke.

"For even bringing this illusion to my heart, cold and black as it may be, those of this realm will not survive unscathed. Mark my words, oh Painted Queen, your service will be done, on my blood. And then, as will mine."

She was ireverant as any in the chambers of royalty might have been, her words were not scalding and burning, but disturbingly calm and frigid. She was beyond the passionate heat of violence, and now prepared to meticulously calculate the utter destruction of all that had a hand in her arrival here. But one thing at a time. First things first. "Direct us to this stone and give over how it is to be destroyed."

[Moridanu]

*Anyone with the ability to sense and read auras would be cursed with the sight of the garish, sickly green glow that blazed around Moridanus’ entire being. Her normally radiant emerald orbs were now tainted that same pea-soup green hue as the strange light that seemed to cling to her with sharp, hooked claws. These sad, green eyes turned to lock with ODK’s gaze as he moved towards her and took his rightful place by her side. In answer to his questioning gaze she murmured

~There be magicks at work here m’love.. though I dare not use m’own. Someone or something has cursed me.. of this I can be certain.. I am not… myself..~

She folded her arms in front of her and tried to rub her arms in an attempt to remove the constant cold ached she felt deep within her bones. The presence of her lover, and her ability to speak an entire sentence, comforted her somewhat and that strange glowing light shifted to a sickly yellow. All feelings of jealousy were now gone from her body as quickly as they had appeared – that was of course until this self proclaimed Queen had the audacity of kissing her man right in front of her.

Blinking rapidly, Moridanu gasped in shock and disgust as the light around her now burned such a bright neon green that it would nauseate anyone unfortunate enough to be able to see it. For Mridanu herself, she felt her stomach heave as her hands clenched into fists by her side. She was filled with an anger so deep that it slowly burned into a rage so strong that it ate away at the green glow, infusing her aura with a deep dark red. Tilting her head slightly to listen to a sudden low growling sound she heard, she was somewhat surprised to realise the growl was coming from her own throat.

Reaching out in an attempt to grab ODK’s hand to steady herself, Moridanu realised that she was completely out of control of her own mind and body.

~I have to get out of here..~ she whispered to ODD. ~Something is terribly wrong with me..~

She kissed him quickly before she stepped out from behind the others and approached the Queen. As she drew nearer, her aura turned into a rainbow of colours before settling on a dark red as she finally stopped, now standing directly before the Queen.
Another being, the female that radiated such an immense dark power, had just finished addressing the Queen and Moridanu saw it as her opportunity to make her own introduction. Determined to keep what little control she had left over herself, Moridanu bowed her head in respect before swooping into a curtsey, and rising again, despite her desperate need to lie down and die. An incredible pain was now screaming through her head and it took all of her strength to speak, her broad Irish accent even thicker in her pain.

~Tis an honour t’meet a fellow Queen, yer Majesty, though I must say ye way of bringing people t’gether for a common cause, leaves something t’b’desired..~ she trailed off and bit her tongue as she realised that perhaps sarcasm might not be a useful tool in a situation such as this.

~Forgive me m’Queen, I mean no disrespect. However, t’say that your realm disagrees with me would be a gross understatement. ~ She stumbled and paled slightly as she forced herself to remain standing upright as she spoke. ~ Ever since I awoke in yer realm, I have felt bewitched. I d’not know if ye or yer realm is responsible, but if ye are, I ask ye only once that it may stop. I am Moridanu Darkflame, Queen of Morthika.. though I assume ye knew that already.. I’be a warrior for the people that live in the light of Good and as such can be counted on to fight in battles that I think are worthy to this cause. I do not however need to be tricked, summoned or cursed to ensure my attention to such a matter..~ she winced as another wave of pain washed over her. ~A simple invitation would have been suffice.. So please.. if it is in ye power to stop whatever is happening t’me, I implore thee to do so..~ She looked around for the door.

~Once I can think again, I am happy to discuss your problems.. until then.. I need some fresh air, or whatever it is that passes for fresh air around here.. if you would be kind enough to show me the way outside?~ she looked around again, this time her gaze came to rest upon the baskets that had just appeared, and with a furrowed brow she crept closer for a better look, fear and trepidation now forming in the pit of her stomach.

In one of the cages, in what appeared to be nothing more than a pile of black feathers was the body of her beloved Crowe. His dull glassy eyes were sunken back into the side of his beak, while his claws hung limply from dead legs. Moridanu let out a long, low sad scream before she raised her eyes to lock once on the Queen in a look of total bewilderment and grief. As her scream turned into a agonising sob, Moridanu’s eyes glazed over before all life rushed out of her and she fell to the ground. *

[The Demon Auditor]

His eyes came to rest on the Queen at the center, just as her eyes pierced his. He rarely felt the stinging pain of a god staring him down, but there it was again. Right behind the optic nerve, where it always struck. He wondered if it was a biological reaction, or simply imagined? It would be interesting to study this, he thought to himself.

That was why his eyes kept glued to the Queen as she walked around the room. When she stood before him, he gulped quietly, realizing there was more than just power in her eyes. Actually, power was exactly what she had as she moved in on him. He could smell the woman’s thick scent as she leaned into him and whispered her blessing. Moments were suddenly still frames in his mind as her lips contacted with his. That stinging pain behind his eyes was gone completely, and he realized this was the second pure goddess to make physical contact with him in an intimate fashion. Damn, he was a lucky guy!

He was so enraptured, it was several long moments before he realized she had walked away. He finally sucked in a breath and shook his head so hard his cheeks flapped. He casually kept his observations to himself, suddenly noticing all eyes were on him. Well, that’s how it felt, anyway. Why had the Queen chosen him to kiss out of everyone else there? Why had she kissed anyone at all? Maybe he imagined it...yeah...too many hot women in the room, that’s all, he was just going delirious -- yeah, delirious!

That was when he noticed Oona going ape shit on one of the others over something crumpled and lifeless in a small red cage. He gave a quirked eyebrow in response, wondering if she was like that all the time. More red cages were brought out, and he wondered what they contained. He didn’t recognize anything in all of them save one. One cage stood out from the others to him. One cage...with nothing but a small glass jar in it. To anyone else this jar was empty and completely indiscernible from any other glass jar in the cosmos.

However, ODK knew better. He could recognize that glass jar from several million miles away. Moreover, there was something in it. Something that meant more to him than any hot babe. Something tortured and dripping with the saliva of an eternal evil which had snared it long before there even was an “Other Demon Keeper.”

ODK had been having some mental problems lately, so when he snapped this time, it was almost entirely nonchalant. In fact, nobody else in the room might tell he had snapped. Not even the loud snapping noise that came from his head would be a god tip-off. Okay, well, maybe it was. He slowly walked to Mori’s crumpled form on the ground. The tortured version of Crowe was actually a welcome sight for him, but now was not the time. He carefully scooped Mori up so she was leaning back in his arms, and looked over her sadly.

“I guess now isn’t the time to tell you I have an entire demon harem stashed away in an alternate reality. Oops, too late! Sorry babe, but you’re the only one that really means anything to me. Forgive me?” He took Mori’s hand and kissed it, then spoke behind it in a high-pitched voice with a bad Irish accent, “Oh, ODK! I forgive ye!”

He looked up at everyone and grinned broadly, his eyes crazed. “You all saw it, right? Right? She forgave me! Ha ha, ha..haha!!” He held Mori against his chest and grinned manically at the crowd, and then at the Queen, talking quickly, “Hey, babe with the sword and no wings, can I have my soul back, pretty please? I’ll trade ya! I got lots of stuff, lots, and lots of stuff! Hell, I’ll do stuff for ya, too! You want pretty rocks? Precious metals? I got tons of stuff, raw or worked! Heeeey, I know! I’ll wipe the smug grin off that moon for ya! Eh, eh? You want that? I can take that rock you were talkin’ about and smash it to tiny bits! How’s that?! HUH?!”

Of course, what ODK didn’t realize is this was exactly what the Queen wanted from him, except she had taken something from him which no other could replace, ever. It was one matter to care for another’s soul, it was quite another when your own was on the line. ODK simply rocked back and forth now with Mori in his arms, staring down the Queen as hard as he could.

[Mair Debryn]

-Mair listened as the Queen of this desert Hell addressed several of the newcomers crowding the hall, paying little attention to her words and even less to her actions. It wasn’t so much disinterest that had her eyes and thoughts focused elsewhere, but instead a deep and unexplainable fascination with one of the bizarre realm’s residents. That one stranger could interest her so was as much a surprise to Mair as it would have been to Talon himself. She wasn’t one for relationships- platonic, physical or otherwise. Her apartment, like her life, was free of personal effects. No pets, no close friends, and no family left to speak of. The only thing of any personal value at all in her possession might have been her wardrobe and it was not lost on her how amusing it would have been to find a cage stuffed full of leather boots, t-shirts and jeans. But when one of the seven cages appeared in front of the bemused demoness, it wasn’t clothes that filled it. Instead, the spot where Talon had previous stood studying her was vacant and he was now cramped within the confines of the cage. What had happened so far had been unbelievable but with a little effort she had been able to accept it. That Talon could vanish from before her then reappear feet away caged for the simple reason that she might care for him was absurd. Anger bubbled instantly inside her and was released with volcanic force just as quickly.-

That’s it! That is it! You dragged me from my bed after an hour of sleep, have some stranger attack me in a dungeon, leave me to wander this red hell in my underwear and then ask me to save your world. I’ll have you know I was considering it! But this…he’s one of yours! I don’t need threats to help. Maybe some pants…but threats?! Don’t feed me that crap that you can’t get him out either. He wasn’t in there a second ago!

-It might have been a tad childish to blow up, but blow up she did. The whites of her eyes vanished behind clouds of ink black as the magic that had so far proved useless in this world reared up in her fury. That it most likely paled in comparison to the powers of some of the others here wasn’t a primary concern. Still, with a deep breath and an aggressive run of her fingers through short, unkempt hair, Mair regained some control. She then huffed, found her hips with clenched fists and looked the queen square in the eye.- There. Seems I’ve got that off my chest….

[Oona Ondessa]

All Questions had been lost on the Queen, she stared through the crowds at Moridanu, as she fell to the ground, everything seemed to stop in slow motion for a second, the Queen turned to each of the foreigners at once, though she remained in place, She walked towards each of them

"Krisztinya, we know what you are and I assure you, you will be long home before the sun rises…"

She turned to Sekhem

"That will not be necessary young one; for they shall be sent home to their own realms once order is restored to the realm, I can tell you know more…"

The Queen moved through the crowds, with a single hand she lifted Moridanu into the air, thought never touching her, she leaned forwards and kissed her on the forehead

"The Dark side of the moon will plague you no longer, but the spell will not last long and you will once again be drawn to the shadow, go with haste"

She turned to face ODK

"The Moon will take no trades, the only way to get back your soul is to do as I have asked you, then it will be sent back to where it belongs"

In a flash of golden light, Time began to move again and the Queen stood in front of everyone as she originally did, she put a hand to her brow and swayed slightly

"I am tired and need to rest, I cannot answer anymore questions, but the time to move is upon you, if you follow the staircase it will lead you to the Armoury where you will find all you seek, Krisztinya and Oona Shall hold each other and touch the Tapestry in there likeness. Sehkem and Catrux shall touch the Warrior Queens armour; The Other Demon Keeper, Moridanu and the Mair shall hold each other and touch the Golden Hare. That is all…"

The Queen said before turned her back and walking through a sudden mist which soon vanished. The Mechanical sun above began to groan loudly once more. Spokes turned and a huge staircase began to lift through stone leading a path into darkness.

Down the stair was a huge armoury, on the walls was every weapon imaginable, in the centre of the room was hanging tapestry, In the darkness stood a beautiful golden woman, in the light stood a dark and forbidding Elf. A stuffed golden Fur hare stood on alert next to the tapestry. Next to that stood a frightening Black Man at Arms.

There was also a large wardrobe carved into a smaller likeness of the huge sun in the hall, inside were every garment imaginable.

((I'm sorry for the total crappiness of that post, will be better next time i promise, i'll make it up... I say that alot dont i?))

[Catrux]

He was relieved once the queen informed him he would not be required to sacrifice his prize for the life's of others.

"I can tell you no more...." He knew somthing was up, she could tell him more, she just chose not to. Sehkem waited patiently as she addressed the others, then said quickly before she left "You wont have to." His eyes then drifted towards his cage, and a smile crept across his face.

When he looked back up, she was gone, but a staircase leading downward had appeared. He was quite focused on his cage to not notice the grinding sounds that had previously polluted the room.

After waiting a moment he walked towards the stairwell, he wished to waste no more time, he must get his answers. Pausing at the top of the stairs he looked around, no one had yet moved. He shifted his weight before deciding it was none of his business if they came or not.

He desended the stairs to find a vast armory, the likes of which were unparalleld. "Most likely all mundane," he muttered to himself. His gaze continued about the room lighting upon each of the objects the queen had mentioned. The large wardrobe snared his attention, to say it was large was an immense understatement. It contained everything from the mate for a lonely sock to a turbin.

As he continued his inspection of the room he thought he heard some start their descent, followed by some movement on the floor above. The movement didnt seem to be in the direction of the stairs, although he may be mistaken.

[Oona Ondessa]

Time stopped again, although the goddess had vanished and stairs had appeared, time stood still, nobody else would have any awareness to it, as powerful as they all were in there own right, even time was something that they weren't able to manipulate and change, at least not in this realm. A ghostly silver apparition of the Queen moved through the crowds unseen until she stopped in front of Mair, in her astral projection form, she cowered away slightly by Mair's anger and energy flux.

"You all think me some evil tyrant who uses Deception and manipulation to get you here, but I speak the truth! The Moon is a powerful and terrible Queen, her power I myself a goddess in my own right cannot shed away a spell she has performed and imprisoning Talon is just one of those spells. The Queen can change time and space, what once there is not necessarily there again, you can vouch for that as she shifted you through the sands itself to send you within the dungeons of my very castle!"

The Goddess turned away, not exactly angry, but incredibly tired

"I can send you back, I can use what's last of my energies to send you home, but Talon will die in that cage, it's not a threat it's the simple truth, follow the stairs if you want to continue, if not stay where you are…"

And the Goddess was gone and time once again as if it had never stopped

(That was for Mair, everyone else post as you were… quickly…. )

[Moridanu]

*With a soft sigh and a flutter of her thick dark lashes, Moridanu opened her eyes, the colour and brightness returning to her normally radiant emerald orbs. Her chest rose and fell as she lay there, leaning against ODK’s muscular torso, with his strong arms wrapped around her. She felt safe. She had absolutely no idea of where she was or what had just happened, but still – she felt safe.

Blinking a few times in rapid succession, Moridanu winced slightly as her hand rose to her head. Long nimble fingers massaged her right temple gently, although to touch her head in any form clearly caused her pain to do so. Tilting her head back, she looked up to see ODK’s head above her own. He was staring defiantly at something or someone in front of him, but her head felt far too heavy to turn and look. Instead, she gazed up at him, a slow lazy smile forming on her soft pink lips. A soft purring sound began to reverberate within her entire being before one word screamed through her skull with such an agonising twinge that she thought she would pass out from the pain.

Once the pain eased off enough for her to be capable of thought once more, she was filled with a sudden panic that made her sit up quickly, her head bumping against ODK’s chin. Sitting there, with no energy to crawl to her feet, Moridanu turned her sad gaze upon the small cage that still stood not far from where she sat. The pile of black feathers moved slightly, as if blown by some unseen breeze, before what appeared to be the body of her beloved Crowe seemed to waiver slightly, blinking out of sight briefly before flickering back into view. The one word that had torn through her tortured mind had been “Crowe”, but although the sight before her told her that he was dead, she knew in her heart that it was not so. Crowe had been borne for her, they were connected via mind, body and soul. If he were truly dead she would be able to feel it. She did not. Though he did feel distant from her.. disconnected somehow, she figured that it was more likely to be related to her geographical circumstances rather than his sudden demise.

The realisation calmed her somewhat, enough so that she could turn her head to look for this “Queen” that had caused all of this. But of course, the woman was gone. In her place was nothing but a staircase. Shivering slightly as the words “Golden Hare” licked against her right earlobe, she shook her head quickly and turned to ODK, her long golden curls glowing with health and vitality. Seeking his gaze, she shifted her weight so that she was looking straight into his eyes when he finally did look at her.

~ I thought when I woke up, we would both b’laying in bed, laughing about tis crazy dream..~ she sighed and looked around. ~Guess t’thought of t’dream was t’dream itself, hmm?~

Still wincing slightly while she massaged her temple, she groaned

~ Ye don’t be havin’ anythin’ for an excruciatingly agonisin’ skull-screamin’ migraine, in that coat of yers, do y’now?~ *

[The Demon Auditor]

ODK's lips twitched into a snarl. No trades, sent back to where it belongs?! "That's not good enough!!!" he screamed. It was too late, though, the queen was gone.

He didn't even notice Mori waking in his arms until she bumped his chin. His teeth were so tightly clenched together though, it hardly hurt him. He turned and looked down at Mori as her eyes caught his. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, so unnatural for him. Then he remembered he could stop it at will. With a gasp of air, he was calmed instantly. He held Mori and smiled a little. His wave of insanity had passed.

"I'm sorry, Mori. Yeah, we're still here," he knew it wasn't comforting, but tried his best under the circumstances. "I'll take a look for you, but I have the feeling my magic isn't going to work here. Otherwise we'd all have a way out of this realm, and seeing as how nobody can leave until the deed is done, I doubt it'll work."

He attempted to reach through his coat anyway, hoping he could find any trace of the dimensional portal inside. Alas, no luck. He was powerless.

"Sorry, babe, bit out of luck there. All I keep in my pockets are gum, yo-yo's, half-eaten apples, poisoned dates, foot powder, and paper clips," he sighed.

He nodded to the stairs leading down, "I think we'd best be on our way before something worse happens. Can you stand? Will you be alright?" He was concerned for Mori, but deep down he still wanted to finish the job so they could all get out of here alive, as relative a term as it was.

[Shizuku Tonderui]

"Aw, yeah, no just ignore my questions." Carthax was a little gloomy as he followed where Sehkem had gone. So what? He would just....wake up in his bed after all this was over and he would simply get nothing? It still ran through his mind and he sighed, this HAD to be some sort cruel ironic twist of fate. With his head down and eyes following on the floor he walked after him. Well, at least he would get...

What would he get? Would he get to kill? Would this moon have some army? He began to think for a moment. How the hell were they to kill the moon? The moon none the less. In his realm, the moon held in the cold distant area called space, where, for the most part no one without some high tech devices or godly powers could go. How in the name of Terrin would they even manage to hurt it?

His thoughts began to trace back to what the queen had said earlier. Others from his realm came here and failed to stop the moon...which was trying to destroy this realm to conquer other realms. A moon none the less. The moon might be all powerful and sentient, but the Pantheon wouldn't allow it...would they? Do they know? He knew their realm had a place called the 'Realm Glade' where it connected with thousands of other realms and dimensions...but...still.

When Carthax got to the wardrobe armoury place he knelt, his hands clasped together and head bowed. His eyes were closed and he started muttering, but rather loudly.

"Terrin, Lord and Darkness and Father, my mortal enemy, hear me now. Preserve my soul and I pray to thee that my death will be swift and quick. O red moon above, kill me fast and kill me soon, Painless or painful, I do not care. Just let me feel that embrace of death, because I will be reborn. For thee my Lord Terrin, I would take my life. Stalnaravos." With his prayer now said he stood up and closed his eyes. Well, whatever was going to happen...it was going to happen.

"Well Sehkem, if you get the moment, take my life swiftly, cut me head off if you need to, because if the moon wins, then in a way I win as well." He said with a jaunty little smile on his face.

"As a bonus...If I die, then Terrin MUST take my soul, which means he'd have to come here to recieve it. There is so many things that Terrin could do here, and he could even help this realm. I think. Unless the moon and queen somehow try to bar Terrin from this realm...which really...That would start a war between the realms. I am in a quandry now my friend. My death could spark a realm war, and yet, it would probably accomplish nothing." Carthax sat down with a small thump as he pondered this to himself. It really was troubling. Of course, he could ask the Queen, but no doubt would not get an answer like last time.

[Mair Debryn]

Oh.

-Mair, fists still clenched on hips and eyes blazing angrily, deflated like a child’s ball under a moving car tire. The anger was spent and fizzled into nothingness, leaving room for grudging concession that was inevitable. If that was how it had to be, then so be it. She’d denied, whined, fought, moped, bitched and shouted and finally it was time to accept the situation and do something with lemons. That’s right- lemonade. Make lemonade. Abandoning Talon, as new to her as he was, was out of the question. Whatever lurked beyond those stairs and the Golden Hare she was supposed to snuggle up to had best lay down, play dead and release him and every other caged thing in this Hell. Or else.-

I’ll stay. Thanks anyway.

-With a roll of her shoulders and a last look at the retreating Goddess-Queen-Thing, the determined demoness stalked after the bizarre couple that was Other Demon Keeper and Moridanu. It figured that she’d get stuck with two of the weirdest in the group. Wasn’t there any room left in the bone-crafting vampire’s party? Krisztinya was starting to seem the most normal in the odd band of misfits. At the bottom of the stairs Mair paused to study the wardrobe in hopes that it would offer something to complete tee-panties-spider boots ensemble she had going on. If so, she would proceed to the designated statue and touch it as instructed. Embracing the red head and her creepy boyfriend was another matter entirely. Threesomes just weren’t for her. Standing by the hare, she rest her hand on its head and waited.-

[Vanessa Marlowe]

((Posting as Krisztinya))

The strange time stall wrinkled the skin around Krisztinya's eyes into a suspiscious glare. She did not trust this realm, or any, that could so easily halt reality. As the Queen regained her composure and dismissed them to the Armory, she paused, glancing at Oona. Hold each other? This queen surely knew what could come of the Primogen touching another intdividual, and yet this woman was banking on the "goodness" of Krisztinya's heart. She had sworn her allegance for the duration of this endeavour, and so her games and fun would have to wait. She cast her now black eyes over the others present, the emerald jeweltones cracking through the darkness to recover their place in her visage. The others were a collection of ragtag compatriots, all equally disturbing in their own right. It was going to be an interesting voyage.

She moved along with the others down the stairs, pausing at the foot of the staircase to take in the surroundings. She didn't move instantly to the wardrobe, nor did she bolt to any particular weapon, but instead stood glaring at the tapestry. There, before her, hung a immitation of herself woven on the wall next to Oona's likeness. She had seen a tapestry simmilar to this before, though she sincerely doubted it was from the same hand. The tapestry in her memory held the story of her fate, of a legend she was destined to fulfill against her will. She hadn't known it then, but upon her embrace it became painfully clear. This tapestry just refelcted their natures clearly. As she looked on, her voice lifted to Oona.

"Are you arming yourself? Or need garments? I am sufficient as I stand. But do let's be prepared." She glanced to her. "And I think you could do better than a nightgown..." She smirked before turning her eyes back to the Tapestry, aware of the others around her moving to their respective places. When Oona joined her, she would also touch the Tapestry, but not until then. No, not until then.

[Moridanu]

* Wrinkling her nose at the mention of foot powder, Moridanu climbed unsteadily to her feet, allowing ODK to help her should he choose to do so.

~Ye are a strange one m’love, there is no denying that… now where to? Something about a golden hair?~ she reached up and plucked a long auburn curl out of her scalp. Holding it out to ODK, she grinned.

~I don’t think this is what the Queen meant do ye?~ chuckling slightly, she tucked the hair firmly inside her black feathered dress and watched as the others made their way down the staircase. She had learnt from an early age that a strand of a persons hair could be used as the ultimate weapon for a magically inclined person, and even though she doubted anyone was capable of using magick in this strange realm, she still didn’t want to give anyone an advantage over her.

As she watched the others walk down the staircase she realised with a start that apart from ODK, she didn’t know anyone here. There had been no introductions made, and Moridanu found that rather odd as well as quite rude. As she fell into step behind a strange looking girl, she turned around to make sure that ODK was following her down the stairs. It was because of this that she nearly walked into the back of the female in front of her as she had stopped and was now standing next to a disgusting stuffed rabbit. Moridanu held a deep love for all animals and creatures and hated to see them stuffed and mounted solely for display. Wrinkling her nose once more, she pulled ODK close and whispered

~ I aint touching that thing!~ *

[The Demon Auditor]

ODK grinned and brandished a small yellow bottle with a clearly depicted blue foot on the front label -- just to prove he had it -- and quickly pocketed it again. "You never know when something like that might come in handy!" he grinned.

His eyes widened though as she plucked the hair from her head. He smiled pleasantly to her as she finished what she was saying, and nodded politely. He was amazed she would toy with fate like that, though.

He quickly followed Mori down the stairs, and looked around at the massive room filled with every weapon imaginable. ODK gave a small grin to himself. He recognized the little trick. Browsing the selection carefully, he found a short, curved blade and quietly appraised it. He tossed it back in the lot, and moved on. He was searching for something, something in particular. Staffs, blades, guns, blasters, chemicals...it all seemed here.

Now, if he could just find the one weapon he desired, the one weapon he imagined....ah, he found it at last. Picking it up, he examined the delicate instrument carefully. "Clever, O Mighty Queen, veeeery clever. We'll see how simple a matter it is to destroy the stone. Yes indeed, heh heh heh...."

He pocketed the device and returned to Mori's side, a triumphant, almost maniacal, grin on his face. "Well then, where were we? Oh yes, touch the golden hair and blah blah blah." He made a face though when Mori got squeamish.

"What? Oh, fine then, just hold my hand. Maybe if I touch it while you're touching me, it'll transfer to you, too. Maybe you should get some shoes, or boots, too, while we're down here..." ODK looked to Mair. "Mair, was it? Nice to meet you, I'm the 'Other' Demon Keeper. You can just call me 'Odd Kay', heh. So, are we all set? Clothes and weapons accounted for?"

He wasn't trying to rush anyone, but he felt a little rushed himself at the moment. He was eager to get down to business and destroy whatever stone it was the Queen referred to in her little speech. He wanted out. Playtime was over.