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Post by Doctor on Aug 9, 2010 0:16:31 GMT -8
Oh fuck. They were all here. Anshel's eyes lingered on Christopher regretfully. This would break two more bonds he'd taken pride in forging. A small casualty in the large scheme of things, but that wouldn't stop it from hurting.
"King Gallu," he wished his voice was his own as the demonic chorus only made his nature frighteningly obvious. But he'd done this before. It took surprisingly little effort to fall into the familiar rhythm of messenger. "I come here independent of my title and the duties associated. The Banglaire are unaware of my undertaking and surely disapprove, though force neither Earthly nor divine can stop me."
He leveled his gaze with the King's. He would wipe the confusion from his face. He would replace it with abhorrence and enmity.
"Under the command of Satan, my true master, I have come to collect debts owed by Elmira and Lina of the Gallu. Please present them to me so I may complete my duty. No blow shall be rendered upon your home if I met with cooperation."
Anshel widened his stance and held his claws poised at his sides. 'Cooperation' was the caveat. A pledge and a threat.
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 9, 2010 0:30:23 GMT -8
A cacophony of rushed footfalls echoed behind Azura, and he knew to whom each of them belonged. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be needing to 'present' his cousins. Like fools they'd already arrived, practically gift wrapped.
It was clear to him that Anshel had changed, though for what and why, he could only speculate, but if it was under the same iron law that bound Melora, he had no choice. Even so, his cousins were just that, family, and what kind of King would he be if he didn't at least attempt to protect them though they'd shown themselves to be nothing but worthless.
Quickly, he snapped into officiating mode, but emotion still leaked through into his words, poisoning them against his shaky resolve.
"Before I turn them over, if I turn them over, I would like an account of the crimes they've committed to anger your master." He spoke that word with such distaste he could feel the bitterness sliding against his tongue.
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Post by Doctor on Aug 9, 2010 0:45:01 GMT -8
Here was an opportunity to build a case for himself, to explain, to justify. But this was not how procurement worked. After centuries, he no longer expected explanations to accompany Lucifer's demands. There were times the Devil would choose to elaborate, to stoke his ire and rage at the accused, or just to give them more time to converse. He didn't know of these girls' wrongs, didn't know if the upcoming beheadings were arguably justifiable. Satan never once asked for blind faith. But on occasion, he would ask for blind obedience, which Anshel was set to deliver.
He heard the rush of light and graceful steps approaching close, closer to doom, and he stretched the joints in his hands in anticipation.
"They have made a deal with the Devil and have failed to comply with the demands of their contract, of which I may not acquire a copy. Their souls are forfeit and that is all I know." There was regret in Anshel's voice, but perhaps it was overpowered by his determination to see the task through and live.
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Post by Christopher Saunders on Aug 9, 2010 0:52:06 GMT -8
Christopher’s face paled, and then a shadow passed over it, eyes narrowing like a cat’s. And how stupid the girls in question were, walking right into the scuffle. Oh Azura was pissed, he could feel that too, the heat brushing off his skin was scorching.
“Anshel, that is not repaying a debt, that is murder of the most brutal kind, I don't care who or what a being is.” He spoke quietly, as though only he and Anshel were in the room. His voice was bundled with all the innocence of the seven year old the demon had seen so many years ago, but with also the disgust only a grown man could muster. Those green eyes, now darkened, were lost with what to make of Anshel now.
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 9, 2010 0:52:08 GMT -8
Azura stepped back, allowing his guards, a ground of twenty or so swarm to form a line in front of him.
"Don't attack," he said firmly before whirling on the two girls, both just barely out of there vampire diapers, fury lighting his eyes.
"Just what the hell did you two do?!"
Both of them were too scared to answer, holding each other and looking at Anshel with an odd sense of knowing fear.
So they did know what this was. Then it was settled, they'd known what they were doing. Foolish, insipid little whelps as they were.
Growling, he began to pace in front of them, trying to decide on the best course of action.
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Post by Doctor on Aug 9, 2010 1:09:00 GMT -8
Anshel turned on Christopher, danger in the softness of his tone. He hated robbing the young of their idealism, but the world was not so forgiving. As acrid as the prospect left his palate, the boy was a King in his own right and would do well to shed himself of such naiveté.
"Don't speak, boy, as if you know more about the world than I," he said. "I have seen horrors you cannot imagine. I have consorted with those that have reared existence itself. Disapprove if you will, but do not presume I am doing this under any pretense. This is the reality, Christopher."
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Post by Christopher Saunders on Aug 9, 2010 1:18:17 GMT -8
Christopher's eyes changed again. Almost a fury, which quickly rose to its peak, before being swallowed back down. Oh fuck no. Rage meant frenzy, frenzy meant blood, and he still hadn't gotten his blood, the blood that he needed.
His lips compressed into a tight grimace like a child that had been force fed some disgusting medicine. He shook his head ever so slightly, trying to brush off the second wave that sent another gust of flame through his belly and throat. Anshel better take the hint in his eyes and stance, or this time things might get very, very ugly. How could he just expect him to sit on the sidelines while he what, murdered Azura's family? "You may be right." He said finally, voice like a razor.
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 9, 2010 1:21:53 GMT -8
After several minutes of careful deliberation, Azura stepped forward once again to speak with Anshel, eying Christopher warily. "It's them and no one else, correct?" he asked, needing to get his ducks in a row. If the girl's being alive meant demons traipsing about in his castle while everyone was under a high security lock down, he could live without them. He had other cousins who could easily fill the void, and these two were particularly annoying thorns in his side. He'd justified their deaths, horrible a thing as it was, and now awaited his answer.
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Post by MeloraBelikov on Aug 10, 2010 16:48:20 GMT -8
"Azura." Melora stepped forward now after listening to the group exchange words. "Don't even consider something like that. They are your family." She stressed the word for obvious reasons. Even distant family was better than none, and Melora hadn't even had that. She would have done anything to have a sibling, or even a cousin. "Anshel, I don't know what these girls have done, and this sounds insane coming from my lips, but leave here and don't touch them until they've had a chance to fully explain." She took another step forward, past Azura, towards Anshel. "The High Judge I know would have at least done that." She added, hoping to reason with him.
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Post by Doctor on Aug 10, 2010 20:44:33 GMT -8
That stupid, stupid girl.
Anshel responded by stepping forward himself, the rumble of his step echoed loudly off the walls, the sound threatening when compared to Melora's lightness. He stopped not a foot away from her. Looking down to meet her eyes was a hassle and strained his neck, but he wanted her to feel the heat of his body and see how his horns blocked the light of the chandeliers above them.
"You, child," he whispered low and intimate, "You don't know me. And your righteousness," the word felt like acid on his tongue, "is fucking laughable." No glimmer of jest was present, nor was there any indignation. Just truth and hard-edged pity. "Exercise this new found conscience of yours well while you still can. It will be inconsequential when you lose your soul."
This is why he liked to finish jobs quickly. The less begging and bargaining the better. It wouldn't change how things would end.
Anshel took a step forward again, wedging his foot between Melora's and stopping just short of barreling over her. If she was smart, which he wasn't assuming so right now, she would take the hint and back down before he forced her to.
"Don't think you can stop me, princess. I'm not a judge today; I'm an executioner."
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Post by MeloraBelikov on Aug 10, 2010 21:03:23 GMT -8
"I'm not about to lose my soul, Anshel. Doing the bidding of whoever happens to pop up and tell me to...I've done that for years already. At least I have some sort of freedom for now. I'm not going to lose it now." She pulled out her gun, but in her pocket she felt the bell pressing against her leg from her pocket. "This is Azura's family. Azura. You know, your dear friend? One that you were loyal to? Are you listening to a word I'm telling you?"
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Post by Christopher Saunders on Aug 10, 2010 21:03:35 GMT -8
Christopher grimaced, pulling his lips back to reveal teeth in one of the single most genuine snarls to come out from his lips. He didn’t care if Anshel was assigned, order, or whatever, it was hogwash! How could he just waltz in here and believe that he’d actually be allowed to kill Azura’s family, as Melora has said? But something was off, Azura didn’t seem to care.
Pale green eyes started to glow dimly with crystalline emerald, whistling sounding in the higher air near the ceiling. Chris didn’t truly care for Melora, it appeared Azura did, but he just didn’t. But he wasn’t going to let that little shrimp get squashed like a bug.
His steps were slow and measured as he rounded the demon, taking up a space a few feet behind Melora. A fraction of an inch more, if she didn’t move, the air currents were going to get awfully sharp, awfully fast. He knew Anshel would break through it, or getting pissed off, but maybe that would be enough time… The guilt of possibly hurting him would probably stick with him though.
“You don’t have to do this, Anshel. But it would appear you've changed into a sort of puppet, for your... master.” His voice was blurred between a plea and near authoritive speech.
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 10, 2010 21:12:14 GMT -8
Azura rolled a shoulder in indifference, pulling Melora sharply back by the collar of her shirt. "Don't be an idiot," he growled, throwing a look over his shoulder at his cousins, who now gazed upon him with full watery eyes. It almost looked like they were about to cry.
"You can have them," he said with a nod toward his friend. He still was, regardless of his shape and disposition. They'd shared a lot, and he refused to think that that much could change in such a shot amount of time. "But please, leave the rest of my clan alone, even my visitors," he continued shooting Melora a warning look.
Both girls began to wail, trying to shrink away from the imposing horned man, only to be caught by Azura's men, restrained, and peddled forward within mere feet of the demon.
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Post by Doctor on Aug 10, 2010 21:42:22 GMT -8
Anshel ignored Christopher's comment as the boy was pushed to the side by the men with his delivery. He was half right. Being a thinking, feeling, breathing person with a will of his own made him no less a puppet, he would own to that. But the boy was wrong to think he had changed. Christopher was too ignorant with regards to the demon's life to know he'd almost always been this way.
He looked to the cousins, tiny and young, more girls than women, a mixture of blood and tears running down from their eyes. The whimpering was far worse than crying, though better they be defenseless than put up a fight.
"Thank you," he said to Azura. He'd be a good King, Anshel thought. Reasonable, not up his own ass with ill-formed idealism, and aware of when something just couldn't be won, like now, for either of them.
"I can do this privately if you'd like." He offered. No need to kill them in front of their family. Although, in the back of his mind, Anshel thought it might do well to make an example of them. So no one would fall into the same idiocy.
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 10, 2010 22:08:02 GMT -8
Azura cleared his throat, standing just behind the offered girls. "I will watch to make sure that no unnecessary torture takes place. I expect quick kills," he said stoically, realizing the reasons for what he was doing, but the underlying morality of it was eating away at him. Still, this was better than the alternative, especially in times like these.
"I'll take you to the ballroom." What a fitting place. So beautiful and ornately decorated, the very same place the two would have entered for their first coming out parties. Hmm, maybe he was just a little twisted.
Guards flanked Anshel, the girls following behind him with another contingent close behind them. Easily he threw open the doors to the huge room, windows secured tightly against the impending sunlight.
"No guards," the King commented, ushering them out and ignoring their protests before turning on the remaining three in the room with an emotionless mask already in place.
"Please! Azura! You're like our brother!" one pleaded, twining his fingers together with hers. Immediately he shirked her off, crossing his arms over his chest and ignored her. The other, however, was silent, her eyes cast to the floor.
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