Decadence of Darkness: Part I

[Caraick]

Decadence of Darkness

Part I: Darkness' Searching

     The end of a clear, crisp day in Gugrontid cast a slowly dying azure light upon the stone city.  Shadows lengthened, a few rats scurried from behind Malco’s post, heading for the rear of the Stonehead, anticipation for the evening’s leftovers fuelling the motion of their scurrying claws along the worn stone ramp.   The last glimmering rays of day stole their way past the battlements on top of the twin towers guarding the top of the ramp, casting a faint gleam on the figures of a grey-colored Kore, a slim elf maid, and an armored Ylian woman, whose honey-colored eyes glittered brightly, casting a friendly and calming atmosphere in the midst of the small group.

 
     The Ylian woman smiled towards the elf “I’m glad I found you, sorry it took me so long” she said, casting a friendly, familiar smile towards the young Kore in greeting.

     â€œThat’s alright, Teshia, I sent my groffel
 Glad to see that he found you.  I’ve got the ores on me right now, if you’d like them?”  She turned and switched her gaze to the Kore, smiling apologetically “I’m sorry I ran off at the mine, Shadow, that man was making me nervous” The young Enkidukai nodded understandingly, looking back towards Teshia, as he had been before.

   Teshia counted out the elf’s payment carefully from her tria purse, before looking up, brow wrinkled momentarily in thought “OK, that’s
 234 circles, right Ceridwen?” she asked, holding out a small pouch containing the same amount.   The young Ceridwen smiled gratefully, reaching for the pouch, before setting a bulky sack at Teshia’s feet, the dull clanking of rough metal sounded audibly as its contents shifted. 

     Ceridwen smiled to herself as she wiped her brow, glad to be rid of her heavy burden, and grateful to be done with the day’s work.  Just then the noise of a small, wet impact interrupted the temporary peaceful silence of the group.  A small apple bounced towards the three, propelled by it’s landing, and rolled to a stop just in front of the Enkidukai’s feet, a large portion of the apple missing in what appeared to be a bite-mark. 

     An icily haughty voice preceded it’s owner’s emergence from the shadows just to the side of the tower “Hello again,” it said.  A colossal, cloaked figure slowly glided towards the group, draped from head to toe in a dark crimson cloak.  The figure’s gloved right hand reached for his hood, drawing it back purposefully, exposing an all too familiar face, scarred and tattooed almost beyond recognition.  The very shadows seemed to extend their long, dark fingers to embrace the figure as he slowly approached, the dark and curving horns on top of his head angling aggressively towards the small group.  The juice from his half-eaten apple rolled slowly down over his grizzled chin, and a fresh apple rested in his left hand, which hung loosely at his side. 

     The Enkidukai’s gaze gravitated to the apple at his feet, fixing his eyes upon the rather ordinary spectacle of the half-eaten fruit.  Ceridwen looked up quickly as the stranger approached, and mumbled inaudibly, shifting her feet nervously to position herself nearer to Teshia, who, at seeing the face emerge from the shadows, had taken a pair of quick steps backwards, nearer to the wall bordering Gardr’s ever-burning forgery. 

     The figure took a large bite of the fresh apple contained in his left hand, the sharp crackling of the skin’s breaking deliberately punctuating the stunned silence into which he spoke.  “Ah, Teshia
” he droned, in a arrogantly assuming voice “What an unpleasant surprise.”

     Teshia squared her shoulders, looking back into the Ynwnn’s blackened eyes with a fiery determination, voice decidedly even as she addressed owner of the empty eyes “Likewise, Marsuveus,” the name rolling off her tongue with an all-too-evident familiarity.   

     Ceridwen craned her neck around, nearer to Teshia, whispering hastily “He..He was the one at the mine
”

     The imposing Ynwnn chuckled haughtily, taking another greedy bite of his apple, before holding it out in a black-gloved hand to Teshia, chewing with obvious relish.  Marsuveus’ mouth spread into a thin, sharp-toothed grin, as he spoke between bites “You know, you could really use an apple, Tesh
”

     The elf glanced furtively between Teshia and the Ynwnn, as the Kore called ‘Shadow’ looked on, eyes raised, looking over the figure quietly, gaze slowly changing to a cold glare.   The Ylian woman regarded Marsuveus calmly, stepping forward as she ran a hand down over her thigh, as if assuring to herself that something was still there.   She narrowed her eyes as she spoke in reply, voice even and calm “I’m sure..”

     The shadowy figure’s arm bent to insert the apple back into his mouth, his sharp teeth taking off another large bite of the fruit as he grinned widely to Teshia “And here I thought you were smarter than those pathetic fools that you call friends
 Take this one,” gesturing towards the elf maiden as he swallowed his bite, voice thrown into sharper relief without the obstruction “Hiding behind that rock over there
 Such terrible manners
” He grinned slowly, and reached to take another bite of his rapidly disappearing fruit, again speaking between bites “Not going to introduce us, Tesh?” He swallowed again, and winked unobtrusively “Seems manners are as scarce as good friends for you these days.

     Teshia shook her head gently, watching as the Ynwnn gestured with his horned head towards the quiet Kore.  She rested a soft hand on her stomach, and looked back into the dark figure’s eyes, shaking her head “No, thank you Marsuveus.”

     The Kore found his voice, and tsk’ed at the Ynwnn’s offer “Tch! You honestly think that I would take anything from you after you poisoned me? The Enkidukai’s eyes flared up at the fresh memory of his recent poisoning, and eventual death, at the hands of the Ynwnn.  “If you had your way, I’d probably be in the stomach of a Consumer right now!” Shadow’s voice turned to a quiet growl, his fur bristling at the Ynwnn’s impertinence.

     The Ynwnn slowly swivelled his gaze to regard the still-quiet elf standing even nearer to Teshia now, engaged in quiet whispers with the Ylian woman.  Marsuveus grinned slowly, purposefully, again holding out the apple “Sure you don’t want some? Just a bit, is all?”
Ceridwen spoke up, addressing the Ynwnn for the first time, speaking with courage evident in her voice “Perhaps you think you may know Teshia where you do not any longer”
Marsuveus drilled the elf with a cold, glittering gaze, speaking icily “I’ve had the misfortune to know Teshia longer than you’ve been walking this level, elf.”
The Enkidukai’s fur bristled at the remark, and he regarded the Ynwnn coldly, speaking in a harsh voice, streaked with conviction “Knowing Teshia is not a misfortune
”
Marsuveus slowly swivelling his hulking frame, regarding the Kore fully for the first time that day, stepping a bit closer, punctuating his words with his deliberate advance “And what of you, “Shadow”? How well do you really know your own leaders
. Claiming to follow this light
.” The Ynwnn raised his empty right hand, a small and dark orb about the size of a marble forming in his grasp.  “You’d be surprised how quickly a candle can be snuffed out
 All it takes is a little
Breath” At his last word, the Ynwnn exhaled rapidly, sending the orb flying for the Enkidukai’s unprotected face. 

     Shadow recoiled, the orb impacting his face, and sending the Enkidukai reeling backwards, his vision swimming, and knees buckling underneath him.  The Ynwnn laughed loudly, the sound only heightened, and encouraged, by the impact of Teshia’s hand against his cheek.  “How dare you!” she shrieked in outrage, “What have you done??”
 
     Marsuveus laughed loudly in delight, watching the Enkidukai struggle for balance against the effects of the small spell.  His arm moved again, bringing his half-eaten apple back up to his mouth, taking a large, ravenous bite, as he watched the Enkidukai like a child watches a spinning top.  Answering between his chewing, the massive Ynwnn breathed his reply in an arrogant, icy tone “I made a point, dear Teshia.  One that you would do well to remember.”

     Shadow struggled against the spell’s effects as though fighting a thick haze, before finding his balance, and shaking his head, clearing his vision.   The Enkidukai’s fierce young eyes bored into Marsuveus’ lifeless, dark orbs, locking stares with him angrily.   â€œThe only
point you made
 Is that you’re a bully,” he said, voice growing more confident as the last of the spell’s effects wore off, and receded.

     Marsuveus again chuckled with obvious mirth, swallowing his last bite of apple and grinning pointedly at Teshia and her two followers, as if beckoning them on.  Masaro stepped forward from Teshia’s right, snarling angrily as he swiped forward with his paw, snatching Marsuveus’ apple from his gloved hand.   â€œI’m sick of seeing you wave this around!” he shouted, ripping the fruit from the Ynwnn’s hand.
“Shadow, put that down!” Teshia snapped worriedly, looking at the Enki’s expression as he looked down at the apple quietly.  Masaro quickly glanced to Teshia, and frowned slightly as he obediently dropped the apple, the fruit rolling slowly down towards the ramp, and out of sight.   

     Marsuveus frowned slowly, watching Masaro with a silent, even gaze, eyes narrowing as he watched the Enki drop the fruit.  “Fool” he spat, turning to watch the fruit roll slowly down the ramp.   He reached for a second fruit, produced from a small pouch at his belt, rolling it around in his palm for a moment.  Marsuveus’ lips spread in a slow, wicked grin, barking, “Catch!” as he lobbed the apple up in a high, lazy arc towards Masaro. 

     Masaro instinctively looked upwards, and began to raise his arm to catch the apple as it turned over in mid-air, travelling slowly down towards the Enki’s form.  Marsuveus grinned widely as he stepped forward, closing the distance between his cloaked form and Masaro, right hand now carrying a wicked-looking dark staff, topped with a sharp dark jewel.   The staff flashed forward in a rapid arc, slashing through the front of Masaro’s neck, outstretched as he looked upwards, completely unable to foresee or avoid the blow.

     â€œNo!” Teshia shouted painfully, dashing forward to catch the Enkidukai’s crumpling form as Masaro fell to the ground, wound bleeding profusely.   Ceridwen darted forward as well, bending over the Enkidukai’s body as the life rapidly fled from Masaro’s eyes, his paw falling limply to his side as Teshia looked backwards towards Marsuveus’s form, the fire of rage in her eyes.


But the cloaked Ynwnn was nowhere to be seen.


     The end of a clear, crisp day in Gugrontid cast a slowly dying azure light upon the stone city Shadows lengthened, a few rats scurried out from behind the Stonehead, their bellies full from the night’s leftovers and their greed finally satisfied as their sharp, short claws scratched against the worn stone ramp.    The last glimmering ray of daylight stole it’s way past the battlements on top of the twin towers guarding the top of the ramp, casting a final gleam on the figures of a slim elf maid, and an armored Ylian woman, whose honey-colored eyes burned with the fire of convicted determination, casting an aura of silence and stillness among the small group.


To be continued in Part II

[Mekora]

Not gonna lie... Didn't get passed the first paragraph But the part I read was good!

[Glaciusor]

Hehe... Mas didn't quite shout; he usually doesn't... but still, good way to summarize what happened XD.

[Ench]

I enjoyed the read!!

Actually the font caught my eye and read the story,
I sometimes skim the storys to see if i want to read carefully.

[Caraick]

Thanks, Mek  Happy that you read any of it


And thank you as well, Ench 

[Phantomboy86]

enjoyed it, but make the font size smaller pl0x!

And it went down the ramp? Darn, then Travvy coulda snatched the apple.

[Dannae]

Good effort and fun synopsis of the RP Caraick! I haven't seen you write since Dannae was the victim of Mars' twisted mind in "A Kidnapping Gone Wrong". http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?topic=37549.msg428381#msg428381

err what about dannae? those tards let her die. 

Cause Dannae looks absolutely stunning in the dim light of the Death Realm!

[Tessra]

Yay! you posted it! I love this story, and I love the RP it goes with    Marshy is so great. I can't wait to see what you do with Part 2.

[Caraick]

Good effort and fun synopsis of the RP Caraick! I haven't seen you write since Dannae was the victim of Mars' twisted mind in "A Kidnapping Gone Wrong". http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?topic=37549.msg428381#msg428381

err what about dannae? those tards let her die. 

Cause Dannae looks absolutely stunning in the dim light of the Death Realm!

You should sig that, that's too funny    And thank you


Thank you to Tessra also, turd

[miomo]

This is a good read. It gives a solid feel for the character of Marsuveus, and interesting ideas for how to be evil.

Just a suggestion, you may want to do a find and replace of Masaro for Shadow.

[Aramara Meibi]

second sentence, shadows don't lengthen in Yliakum, as the crystal is fixed in the sky. Read the journal of Finnis Shelnut for an in depth exploration of this phenomenon.

shameless plug? perhaps

[Mrokii]

A very nice description of an evil character. I really liked it, though I didn't really get what was going on, heh. Guess I would have to know more of the background. In any case, a nice read, and I'd like to hear more. Thanks.