Post by oddball on Mar 18, 2007 5:55:30 GMT -5
Trial by Fire
Descent into Darkness
-4 years later-
A lone figure stood amidst an endless abyss, surrounded on all sides by the swallowing darkness. His heart beat at its normal pace, slow and steady. No fear crossed his thoughts as he stepped forward into the black unknown. The air rushed past him as memories flashed all around him, parents, siblings, death, and torment. All that he knew seemed to surround him, pain came to his battered and scarred limbs. His heart ached as the image of his mother calling out to him appeared before his face, and still he fell. Slashing out at the pained memory, his mother’s image was ripped apart by his claws. The tattered shreds wrapped themselves around his body, holding tightly; he struggled to escape their grip, but failed to do so. Darkness continued to encase his body as the wind whipped past his ears. The end should be coming soon, there had to be a bottom to this void. Jagged rocks appeared through the darkness with the sound of crashing waves; finally the end had come…
“That dream again…” Vincent opened his eyes to the morning light. It was the fourth night in a row that he had dreamed of that fall. “What does it mean?” Vincent dropped from the tree he had been sleeping in and landed softly on his feet.
“Morning…” Said a familiar voice from behind.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“You forget who I am… If I can’t find you, then I wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on you.” Oddy walked up and into Vincent’s line of sight. “Thought you struck first and then looked to see who your target was…”
“I know your scent…”
“I do bath you know…”
“I see…” Vincent looked up at Oddy, their eyes met for a moment. Vincent soon turned his gaze away. Oddy was his friend and all, but he would never deliberately anger him in anyway.
“You okay? You generally don’t look away first…”
“Just feeling a bit off today…”
“Today? Vince, you’ve been ‘off’ for over four years now. Why is today any different from any other?”
“I had the dream again… Falling into an endless darkness, my memories surrounding me and attaching to my body.”
“Why can’t you just have normal dreams?” Oddy asked jokingly. Vincent smirked a little at the comment; today was a good day after all. “I’ve warned you repeatedly about sitting around and thinking of nothing but your hatred and anger.
“Not as easy as you think Oddy…” Vincent turned towards the tree, his sword rattled in its harness as he did so. “How have you been?”
“As well as can be expected, at least for a guy living with a couple of young women and another man.”
“Who’s the other guy?”
“One of my informants… He was in service to Eebrum up until about four years ago. He came to my home with a small troop of soldiers. He stayed behind while the others met a bitter end. His name is Trio Mawell…”
“Maxwell? One of five, correct?”
“Yes… Do you remember that name?”
“Vaguely…”
“I thought you might. Your parents were their foster parents for a time. They left shortly after you and Celeste were born.”
“How is Celeste?”
“She’s fine… She’s been learning a great deal about her abilities and how to use them. It’s in thanks to her that I was able to find you so easily.”
“What do you mean?” Vincent did a quarter turn and looked at Oddy, his red gaze would have frightened most, but Oddy was used to it.
“You do remember that her ability is communicating with spirits and the dead correct?”
“I know…” Vincent looked for a moment as Oddy smiled at him. “She’s been having me watched.”
“Yes and no… You were being watched for a long time now. You have a spirit that has devoted itself to watching over you.”
“And whose that?” Vincent turned the rest of the way and looked at Oddy directly.
“I don’t think I should tell you…” Oddy folded his arms and looked at the ground. “You might lose it…”
“Just tell me… I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes…”
“Mira Dal…”
“My mother? How is that possible?”
“Her desire was to protect you. She died while trying to do that…” Vincent was silent for a moment. “Your sister wanted me to invite you for dinner tonight. That’s why I came here today.”
“Invited to dinner? My mother’s spirit told her where to find me… She has grow a great deal.”
“She has become quite attractive…” Vincent quickly drew his sword and pointed it at Oddy’s throat.
“That’s my sister you’re talking about…” Oddy grabbed the blade with his bare paw, blood soon began to drip from his clenched fist.
“I know that… I was going to mention to you that she has had a boyfriend now for about three years. Trio Maxwell…”
“Part of your plan?”
“Partially…” Oddy pushed the blade away. “They hit it off rather well, with little help from me. I didn’t even do anything really.”
“Is he a good one?”
“He is a very protective dog… Willing to fight for those he cares for, even if it costs him his life. Until he met your sister after all this time, he fought to protect the lives of his only living family. No he has her to look after, and she has him.”
“Sounds like my kind of man…”
“Then why not stop by and meet him?”
“Maybe I will…”
“Excellent… I’ll go and let her know.”
“If Rose going to be there?”
“I haven’t seen her lately… I think she went for one of my walks…”
“Then she’s probably lost somewhere.”
“I have a feeling she is off preparing herself for the possible battle that will occur between you two.”
“Why would I fight her? She’s not an enemy…”
“No, but don’t forget Vince… She was hired to kill you. She knows who you are now. Can you imagine the stress she’s under? If she doesn’t kill you, Eebrum will more than likely kill her. But if she does kill you, then there won’t be anyone to kill Eebrum…”
“Why can’t you kill him?”
“Despite were my allegiance lies, I am choosing to remain as neutral as possible.”
“Neutral? After all he’s done… You’re being neutral?”
“Don’t get mad at me… It’s not my fault. If I were the one to kill him, what would you do?”
“Breathe easier… And finally be at peace.”
“Would you?”
“Yes?” Oddy raised an eyebrow and smirked at Vincent. “Be better if I was the one to kill him…”
“Exactly… So dinner? Around seven o’clock?”
“See you then…”
Descent into Darkness
-4 years later-
A lone figure stood amidst an endless abyss, surrounded on all sides by the swallowing darkness. His heart beat at its normal pace, slow and steady. No fear crossed his thoughts as he stepped forward into the black unknown. The air rushed past him as memories flashed all around him, parents, siblings, death, and torment. All that he knew seemed to surround him, pain came to his battered and scarred limbs. His heart ached as the image of his mother calling out to him appeared before his face, and still he fell. Slashing out at the pained memory, his mother’s image was ripped apart by his claws. The tattered shreds wrapped themselves around his body, holding tightly; he struggled to escape their grip, but failed to do so. Darkness continued to encase his body as the wind whipped past his ears. The end should be coming soon, there had to be a bottom to this void. Jagged rocks appeared through the darkness with the sound of crashing waves; finally the end had come…
“That dream again…” Vincent opened his eyes to the morning light. It was the fourth night in a row that he had dreamed of that fall. “What does it mean?” Vincent dropped from the tree he had been sleeping in and landed softly on his feet.
“Morning…” Said a familiar voice from behind.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“You forget who I am… If I can’t find you, then I wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on you.” Oddy walked up and into Vincent’s line of sight. “Thought you struck first and then looked to see who your target was…”
“I know your scent…”
“I do bath you know…”
“I see…” Vincent looked up at Oddy, their eyes met for a moment. Vincent soon turned his gaze away. Oddy was his friend and all, but he would never deliberately anger him in anyway.
“You okay? You generally don’t look away first…”
“Just feeling a bit off today…”
“Today? Vince, you’ve been ‘off’ for over four years now. Why is today any different from any other?”
“I had the dream again… Falling into an endless darkness, my memories surrounding me and attaching to my body.”
“Why can’t you just have normal dreams?” Oddy asked jokingly. Vincent smirked a little at the comment; today was a good day after all. “I’ve warned you repeatedly about sitting around and thinking of nothing but your hatred and anger.
“Not as easy as you think Oddy…” Vincent turned towards the tree, his sword rattled in its harness as he did so. “How have you been?”
“As well as can be expected, at least for a guy living with a couple of young women and another man.”
“Who’s the other guy?”
“One of my informants… He was in service to Eebrum up until about four years ago. He came to my home with a small troop of soldiers. He stayed behind while the others met a bitter end. His name is Trio Mawell…”
“Maxwell? One of five, correct?”
“Yes… Do you remember that name?”
“Vaguely…”
“I thought you might. Your parents were their foster parents for a time. They left shortly after you and Celeste were born.”
“How is Celeste?”
“She’s fine… She’s been learning a great deal about her abilities and how to use them. It’s in thanks to her that I was able to find you so easily.”
“What do you mean?” Vincent did a quarter turn and looked at Oddy, his red gaze would have frightened most, but Oddy was used to it.
“You do remember that her ability is communicating with spirits and the dead correct?”
“I know…” Vincent looked for a moment as Oddy smiled at him. “She’s been having me watched.”
“Yes and no… You were being watched for a long time now. You have a spirit that has devoted itself to watching over you.”
“And whose that?” Vincent turned the rest of the way and looked at Oddy directly.
“I don’t think I should tell you…” Oddy folded his arms and looked at the ground. “You might lose it…”
“Just tell me… I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes…”
“Mira Dal…”
“My mother? How is that possible?”
“Her desire was to protect you. She died while trying to do that…” Vincent was silent for a moment. “Your sister wanted me to invite you for dinner tonight. That’s why I came here today.”
“Invited to dinner? My mother’s spirit told her where to find me… She has grow a great deal.”
“She has become quite attractive…” Vincent quickly drew his sword and pointed it at Oddy’s throat.
“That’s my sister you’re talking about…” Oddy grabbed the blade with his bare paw, blood soon began to drip from his clenched fist.
“I know that… I was going to mention to you that she has had a boyfriend now for about three years. Trio Maxwell…”
“Part of your plan?”
“Partially…” Oddy pushed the blade away. “They hit it off rather well, with little help from me. I didn’t even do anything really.”
“Is he a good one?”
“He is a very protective dog… Willing to fight for those he cares for, even if it costs him his life. Until he met your sister after all this time, he fought to protect the lives of his only living family. No he has her to look after, and she has him.”
“Sounds like my kind of man…”
“Then why not stop by and meet him?”
“Maybe I will…”
“Excellent… I’ll go and let her know.”
“If Rose going to be there?”
“I haven’t seen her lately… I think she went for one of my walks…”
“Then she’s probably lost somewhere.”
“I have a feeling she is off preparing herself for the possible battle that will occur between you two.”
“Why would I fight her? She’s not an enemy…”
“No, but don’t forget Vince… She was hired to kill you. She knows who you are now. Can you imagine the stress she’s under? If she doesn’t kill you, Eebrum will more than likely kill her. But if she does kill you, then there won’t be anyone to kill Eebrum…”
“Why can’t you kill him?”
“Despite were my allegiance lies, I am choosing to remain as neutral as possible.”
“Neutral? After all he’s done… You’re being neutral?”
“Don’t get mad at me… It’s not my fault. If I were the one to kill him, what would you do?”
“Breathe easier… And finally be at peace.”
“Would you?”
“Yes?” Oddy raised an eyebrow and smirked at Vincent. “Be better if I was the one to kill him…”
“Exactly… So dinner? Around seven o’clock?”
“See you then…”