|
|
Post by Doctor on Jul 13, 2010 23:26:04 GMT -8
Anshel closed his ears as instructed but kept his eyes open. The flames had set the hall alight and he could see in perfect clarity Melora demolish the thing. Layer by layer, the flesh of it burned away and finally the Huntress yelled something that he couldn't hear through his hands and the monster-girl-whatever went limp as death. The pile of bones laid as a burning mass on the tile.
Anshel took cautious steps towards Melora's illuminated outline and reached out a hand to tug at her shoulder. No need for an explanation or an apology just that second. Escape was the prevalent thought.
"We have to go now," he implored.
|
|
|
|
Post by AzuraGallu on Jul 13, 2010 23:35:46 GMT -8
Azura clapped his hands over his ears, gritting his teeth. He'd known what the small bell in her hand could do, and it wouldn't be pretty if he had the same idea she did.
With wide eyes he saw his vision clear with each second the freakish zombie girl was alight, and finally he could see clearly enough to notice the spirit being sucked out of the shell of flesh.
He staggered on his feet, hands falling from his ears to rest mid air in front of his chest.
"It was his ghost...the whole time," he whispered realizing this fact with a measured amount of awe.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rima Elaine Donavon on Jul 13, 2010 23:42:06 GMT -8
Rima’s chest heaved with the effort of standing still, but then a wail rose above the rest. Thank God for Melora and that tiny object in her hands, a bell if she wasn’t to be mistake, and at the very least she didn’t think she was. Enough of her body regained movement as the little witch went up in flames, and she quickly covered her ears on Melora’s command.
It appeared dead. Finally. Let it stay that way. She shuffled back, knees starting to buckle even as she pressed her back to the wall and sank down on her butt. Yes, the chill was disappearing, and that blackness was gone as well.
The ghosts that Azura had seen were still refusing to appear for her, how odd. Or maybe she was just tired. A faint smile flitted across her features, quickly disappearing when Anshel spoke, and turning to a grimace when Azura did.
“Not a ghost.” She corrected. “Poltergeist, a normal ghost wouldn’t have been able to move anything or gain power.”
|
|
|
|
Post by MeloraBelikov on Jul 14, 2010 0:07:17 GMT -8
"No, not a poltergeist," She managed to blurt out. Her entire body shook the same way it did when she had last encountered her father, partially out of pain, but mostly out of fear. "She was a puppet. My father was using psychic ability to power it. He's far away, not even here." Melora raised a shaking hand to her forehead, pushing her hair back from her face while she spoke. "He's not even here....I don't know how I'll find him..." Her voice trailed off at this point and she lost herself in thought, once again ignoring her body's cries for attention, shrugging off the bleeding and pain in favour of doing just whatever the fuck she needed to accomplish. Melora released the longest breath she'd ever held, relieved that no one was harmed. A cold reality sank into her thoughts. She would never be safe alone until her father was dead. Being able to spend time by herself or go on solo missions was no longer going to be a reality for her so long as she wanted to remain human. Her father had every intention of doing anything to turn her, and could, in reality, do anything to get to her.
|
|
|
|
Post by AzuraGallu on Jul 14, 2010 0:14:24 GMT -8
Passing a frustrated glare to Rima, he nodded at Melora's explanation. How dare the Blackraven try to correct him when she herself knew nothing of Melora or her father, unless she'd been fishing around in their heads. He wouldn't put that past her.
Regaining some composure, his line of vision completely back to normal, he walked over to Melora, smelling her blood even over the odd scent of the demon.
"Are you ok?" he asked quietly, then passed a look to Anshel. "We can't, we need to look at the room and see just how she got here. She didn't look Gallu, but I should check for any evidence to the contrary."
|
|
|
|
Post by Rima Elaine Donavon on Jul 14, 2010 0:20:08 GMT -8
Rima returned his golden glare with a frosty one of her own. The arrogant little fool.
“That abomination of creature was Blackraven.” Rima sighed. “That’s the only possible way her mind, even in such a controlled state, held.” She ran a hand over her eyes, the weight of the day crashing and tumbling over her in waves. She needed to rest, and recuperate, because she wanted away from this place. An art exhibit, even one where she didn’t want to steal anything, would do her good.
|
|
|
|
Post by MeloraBelikov on Jul 14, 2010 12:40:21 GMT -8
"I..." She stopped, considering the question before answering. Blood soaked her pajamas and her father had just tried to kill her friends and kidnap her via use of a zombie doll in order to turn her into the very thing that she was under the assumption killed him and her mother. So, was she honestly fine? Could she look Azura in the eyes and tell him that she was fine? No. So she settled for the next best thing. "I'm fine." she said, soft spoken, looking over the bell in her hands.
"Let's just investigate and get this day over with. I still haven't slept at all." Indeed her hair was a mess and she looked as if she hadn't slept in days, but far be it from Melora to give up and snuggle up in bed, even when it was the only thing she wanted to do.
|
|
|
|
Post by AzuraGallu on Jul 14, 2010 14:28:03 GMT -8
Azura swept over her with his eyes, small sound of disbelief catching in his throat as he murmured "right...", turning for the gaping maw down the hallway. The eerie feeling was still present, though not at strong as before, and he had a good idea of why. He hadn't seen or sensed the ghosts, but was well aware that they were somewhere nearby.
His nervousness had abated as well, though he was still nervous about seeing the little girl. Something about her had set him on edge, despite her good intentions and the little fact that she was dead. His feet carried him toward the open door, curiosity and desire to protect his clan burning within him to stave off the fear eating away at his insides, and once he reached the threshold, he held his nose in disgust.
"Jesus-" he began, unable to finish the words as he had sucked in a lungful of the putrid stench.
No stranger to gore, he wandered over to the bodies, aware that there were even more beneath the most recent, the ghosts he'd seen.
He squatted down, finger reaching out to examine the rotting skin which gave easily under the pressure of his fingers. He turned each head from die to side, examining what he could of the remnants of their facial structure.
"These aren't Gallu," he said tightly, trying not to breath through his mouth.
|
|
|
|
Post by MeloraBelikov on Jul 14, 2010 14:45:25 GMT -8
Melora had followed him in, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth and nose as much as she could. She carefully stepped over each of the bodies, watching to make sure that she wasn't going to step her bare foot into anything squishy and rotting. Her stomach turned and she fought back heaving as she made her way further into the room.
"Mass murder..." she mumbled, taking in all of the details of the room around her. If she'd only had a camera she'd be using it now. All she could do was store the sights her eyes took in to the depths of her mind for use in comparison in case she ever came across this again. Hunter first, she reminded herself. I'm a hunter first, everything else comes second. And this is a crime scene if I've ever seen one.
Gross.... Vetis spat from her mind. Can we leave? This is just....gruesome.
If the scene was enough to make a demon uncomfortable then this was more serious than it seemed to her. Melora was indeed used to horrific sights, and this was no different. To her this was just another day in the life. Apparently for Vetis it was something different entirely. Poor sheltered demon. This was how Melora imagined Hell, but perhaps this was actually worse.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rima Elaine Donavon on Jul 14, 2010 15:06:47 GMT -8
Moving into a standing position, her back popped, nearly painful. That comfortable flat in Florence was looking awfully nice. She hadn’t had any involvement with that… thing… either. So she should be free to leave at any time...
She felt like a grandmother; that mental work had been tedious and worn her down. Rima needed rest, and it felt like her legs could barely carry her any further, a terrible combination with her light-headedness and oncoming headache. That raunchy odor of that rotting flesh wasn’t helping either. A tiny nagging tense in the back of her throat still remained as a reminder. Seeing it once was enough, a second time would make her throw-up…
‘Reduced to using a cane.’ She scoffed at herself dryly. A tiny sound echoed into the vastness of the hall as her staff elected with a flick of her wrist, just enough for support, but still allowing the blade to be hidden. The metal flashed a tiny sliver of light.
Yes, it was high time she went back to the flat to rest.
|
|
|
|
Post by AzuraGallu on Jul 14, 2010 15:28:24 GMT -8
Azura stood, still bending over as he lifted the head of the girl child in both hands, turning it at an awkward angle to examine the neck. Apart from the telltale puncture wounds, he also noticed something very odd at the base of her neck of the juncture of her shoulders to her spine.
"The Hell is this?" he began, prodding at the mark with a finger. "Melora, Anshel, come see." He thought Rime might be able to give them more information, but she hadn't bothered to do anything of much but sit and make faces while the rest of them acted upon a natural curiosity to search the once sealed room.
On the girls' neck was a burn of some kind, blackened with rot and age, puckered up in the middle as if a wire or string should go there.
"Do you think," he said aloud, jumping on that thought, "that they might have been puppets too?" he was suddenly disappointed that he'd burned the zombie girl, erasing all evidence of any control she might be under other than the fact that he'd seen Melora's father's spirit exit the body.
|
|
|
|
Post by MeloraBelikov on Jul 14, 2010 15:41:17 GMT -8
Melora inspected the mark Azura was talking about, taking it in very carefully It was likely that Azura was right, which would give all the bodies a reason for being here. Melora's face went a shade of startling white as realization hit her. All of these people had died because her father was trying to make puppets. Puppets used to dispose of any Gallu who might be defending her or themselves. Melora actually heaved this time, entire body jolting forward with the force of her sickness, and she turned away from Azura and Anshel in case anything were to come up. It didn't and Melora gained her composure quickly enough that she could continue to think. As she turned back towards Azura, something caught her eye. Picking her steps past Azura and Anshel she bent down, picking up a small stone in hand. It was barely big enough for her to notice. She turned it over in her hand, inspecting it. The blue color was like that of the ocean. It was a smoothed stone, one that had been tumbled and polished. As Melora looked around the room, she began to notice more. One was laying next to each body, in fact, sometimes even inserted into the rotting flesh of the victim.
"Azura." She made her way over to him, once again having to take care not to step on anything. She was already bloody, the last thing she needed was to have rotting skin particles all over her feet, trailing through the house. When she finally got to him, she handed him the stone, letting him inspect it for himself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rima Elaine Donavon on Jul 14, 2010 15:57:05 GMT -8
‘I’m going to regret this later if Mr. Azura decides to be an ass about my being here.’ Rima thought, curious side beginning to take over. It started a throb in her skull as she summoned her little scarf with the shadows, but hopefully the black chiffon would be enough to filter at least some of the odor out.
Her treads felt slower then human speed by the time she reached the doorway, leaning against it to peer in. The glimmer of blue caught her eye, and she began considering. “It… almost looks like lapis lazuli.” The words flowed out before she could stop them.
Pupils expanded drastically, faint silvery threads flaring in her eyes as everything increased in clarity, especially the stone. “A very nice specimen of whatever it is.”
|
|
|
|
Post by AzuraGallu on Jul 14, 2010 16:05:21 GMT -8
Azura's eyes flitted from the mark on the back of the girls' neck to the stone. "Lapis, only found in two locations on the entire planet, and I can bet whoever was using those stones wasn't from Iraq. Vampires have been avoiding that region because of the war." His eyes shifted to Rima as he spoke again. "I wonder if they're some kind of a conduit or catalyst? By the way, Rima, do you know anything about puppeteering? I kind of figured you'd know something about zombie girl, being a Blackraven and all."
He seemed a bit distracted, running the tips of his fingers over the raised skin again, trying to puzzle it all out. Stones that came from only two places, odd markings on dead bodies that didn't belong to anyone ever having set foot (alive anyway) in this house; was someone baiting them, or just incredibly stupid?
|
|
|
|
Post by Rima Elaine Donavon on Jul 14, 2010 16:32:28 GMT -8
“Puppeteering.” Rima thought aloud to herself. “Contrary to belief, only some Blackravens are calculating criminals that some make us out to be.” She ran her tongue over her lips. “It’d have to be done with manipulation of the person’s shadow, or suggestive thoughts, but this looked like more. Whoever had control of it had complete and utter control; she couldn’t have stopped even if she had wanted to.”
She rubbed on of her eyes. “But then again, I can’t be sure. Her thoughts were jumbled. That girl was quite mad, and her body already dead.”
Rima had to admit: she was shocked, and pleasantly surprised to have Azura speak without hostility.
|
|
