Post by Brett on Oct 27, 2011 9:01:40 GMT -1
"I am convinced that if the end should come, time would turn back on itself in sorrow, for it does not want hope to fade..." - Krell A'vron
On a small floating island, high above the Underworld Isaan perched himself. The vantage point provided the perfect view of Xion without having to leave Underworld territory, all of its shining splendor lit as a beacon of hope to all in the immortal realm. The wind on such a high position ruffled his deep, red hair and he gave a faint smile to feel the light from the divine city shining upon him like the light of a sun. Rising from his position squit upon a boulder upon this floating island, Isaan made his way to the island's edge and looked down upon the clouds which shrouded the Underworld from his view.
For just a moment he was young again and walked back away from the edge, turning and flashing a grin he had not done since in his youth. Running toward the edge he jumped up and performed a perfect dive, plummeting through the clouds at immense speed so that the air would have stung his face were he mortal. He closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation, arms held spread out either side of himself. As the clouds cleared, his eyes opened and the moment of peace ended, his mind regained clarity and two large, raven wings spread out behind him to carry him in flight.
"Your majesty!" Kiro cried, kicking a daemon back and plunging his blade through its wretched heart. "Reports of further attacks come in by the second! They assault all of the immortal realm at once!"
Isaan spun in the air and with a motion of his hand bolts of blackened lightning wracked the body of three daemons, turning them to naught but ash before him. His wife joined him at his side, her wings carrying her to glide beside him as the battle raged around them, moving to Kiro's position with all due haste.
"Seth'ryal defends the palace alone," she told him, her voice soft and yet easily heard above the roar of battle taking place both in the skies and on the ground of the Underworld. "He sent the rest of our children to command in other sectors, he needs reinforcement."
"Seth'ryal is strong and there are plenty of forces at the capital, I must go where ever Damian appears." Isaan insisted, though he could see the worry in his wife's face. "Please, understand. Without Damian the serpent is without a head. I swear this is not a matter of vengeance or retribution."
Kerali looked skeptical for a moment, but eventually nodded as it seemed her husband had perfect clarity in the situation, he seemed to have a plan and she had always gone along with his plans - even the more hair brained ones. As they fought their way through the fighting, now with Kiro at their side more and more reports were thrown at them of the battles going ill in Yggdrasil and the Heavens. Xion seemed mercifully free of trouble, but that was to be expected with the Creator enthroned there.
The trio came to land in the square of a town on the edge of the Underworld, it was deserted by now as its occupants had left to fight the war, odd though that there was no fighting here at all. Reports indicated that Damian and his consort Lilith had been seen round these parts somewhere, yet there were no signs of them nor of any daemon force for that matter. They grew wary, it could easily have been a trap and they knew it, but this was looking more and more out of place by the minute.
"Where is he?" Kiro spat, his sword raised in preparation for battle.
"Kiro, fly up and scout around the area." Isaan commanded.
Kiro did not question his emperor, spreading his black wings out either side he took off into the air, disappearing into the distance as he performed a full survey of the area. As Isaan stood there with Kerali alone, he felt his hearts pumping his black blood around his body so strongly, there she was with him the woman for whom his hearts quite literally beat and he was sobered for a moment with the thought of just how many hardships she had endured by his side.
"What?" she asked pointedly, noticing the look he was giving her. "You know, now isn't the time to be wanting sex. This is not a sexy situation."
Isaan laughed loudly at her proclaimation, making her blush and punch him in the arm firmly, clearly realizing she had completely misinterpreted his gaze. He took the moment just after her playful strike to place his finger under her chin and draw her into a tender kiss, it was not heated or sexual but simply honest and loving. Once he broke it he smiled at her and she blinked at him, curious.
"What is it?" she asked, her tone light and caring.
"I was just thinking that I am a lucky man," he said honestly, and removed his finger from under her chin.
"Oh," she murmured, flustered. "Well that's alright then."
Both of them snapped out of their poorly timed moment of tenderness as Kiro returned, he seemed like he had urgent news and the look on his face seemed to mimic terror, that was not like Kiro at all. He opened his mouth to speak, but as he yelled out to them his voice was completely drowned out by the explosions that spontaneously broke out around them. With wide eyes, they witnessed Kiro enveloped in the flames of the explosion and claimed in them, around where they stood the ground began to crumble away and they were powerless as they watched as the floating landmasses above them met the same fate.
The immortal realm fell apart around them, the Underworld exploding and the feeling of their loved ones, their friends all caught in the blast was like a pain searing their mind that they had never felt before. As they stood in shock, on their small circular, floating remnant of the Underworld tears ran down their faces but they could not bring themselves to sob, or cry out in pain at the sight.
The silence was eventually broke as the sound of a blade slicing was heard, a faint whimper came from Isaan's left where Kerali stood. He turned his head toward his wife and his eyes widened in horror, a blade protruded from her chest and her eyes were wide with shock, apologetic even when they met his. She went to whisper to him, but her eyes glazed over and the blade withdrew, she slumped forward and hit the ground before Isaan could catch her. His hearts went still immediately, he choked on his own saliva in the moment at the sensation, stumbling a step back away.
"Now you are the one to be forgotten," Damian said, holding the blade still wet with Kerali's blood. "It's funny, really. At first I only wanted Krell dead, for what he did to me. But coming back up here, seeing my family so happy... without me. I decided I wanted it to burn."
It all dawned on him in that moment, they had been lured here on purpose, this place had been prepared for Isaan to be the last immortal alive that had not been in Xion of which there were few. He stared at Damian, he could not bring himself to act as everything he loved, everyone he cared for had been destroyed in that single moment. Without his wife his hearts would remain still forever, and now he was surrounded by Damian's daemon army and the sneering faces of Lilith and their bastard son Lucifer. It was his time to end, he withdrew his katana from its scabbard and Damian laughed mockingly.
"Do you intend to fight?" he asked, still laughing. "What is there to fight for anymore?!"
"Nothing." Isaan replied, quite truthfully. "The blade is not for you."
Turning the sword he placed it at his chest, directly between where his hearts were. Damian looked stunned, for a moment there was a flash of what might have even been remorse, to see a man so strong as Isaan had finally become turn his sword on himself - he had not done that, perhaps in the end he was the weak one for not realizing when his end should have been like Isaan was now. Isaan plunged the blade through him and felt its sting, his eyes blurred as his entire life flashed through hims mind, every sorrow, every bitterness, every joy passed by like a myriad of dreams he could barely believe he had been a part of.
He slumped to his knees and his head fell forward, hands still clutched upton the hilt of his blade, positioned directly beside his wife's body as though he were looking down at her. His eyes glazed over and his left slipped away, the bitter end embracing him as it had the rest. A faint flutter was heard in his ear near the end, as they said sound was the last thing to go, a child's voice chimed into his ear as though it stood beside his lifeless body.
"It's not meant to end this way." It said, a tone of lament in its voice.
Isaan awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed, blinking a few times to take in his surroundings. His hand slipped from beneath the covers, resting at the centre of his chest where he found no wound, better still he found his hearts beating strong. Turning his head he found Kerali asleep beside him, she squirmed in her sleep a little and opened her eyes to look at him sat upright and slowly rose up to look at him, forgetting to hold the covers that would have covered the fact both were nude.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, looking at his face with concern. "Did you have a vision?"
"No, love." he replied, smiling at her and curling his arm tenderly around her middle, drawing her slender and perfect body closer to his own. "It wasn't a vision."
She looked into his eyes when he drew her closer, it was not gesture that meant he wanted to make love, because normally he would simply pounce her. He seemed almost possessive, holding her naked body so close to his own, and the grip on her side from the hand of the arm around her seemed desperate to keep her close.
"Then what is it?" she probed again, becoming increasingly concerned.
"Ask me again in a year," he replied, and of course she blinked her confusion. He merely placed his hand upon her cheek and brushed his thumb tenderly across her lips, adoration in his eyes. "Just trust me, Nova."
"Alright..." she whispered, flustered by just how tender he was being with her. "If you're sure."
"I am." he said. "I love you."
Before she could reply he used the hand upon her cheek to draw her in, placing a wonderous kiss upon her lips, it seemed filled with relief and compassion as he drew her down to lay with him on the pillows. He drew the covers back over them and kept her close to him, fingers stroking gently up and down her back while the kiss lingered, a warm embrace to welcome the day.
On a small floating island, high above the Underworld Isaan perched himself. The vantage point provided the perfect view of Xion without having to leave Underworld territory, all of its shining splendor lit as a beacon of hope to all in the immortal realm. The wind on such a high position ruffled his deep, red hair and he gave a faint smile to feel the light from the divine city shining upon him like the light of a sun. Rising from his position squit upon a boulder upon this floating island, Isaan made his way to the island's edge and looked down upon the clouds which shrouded the Underworld from his view.
For just a moment he was young again and walked back away from the edge, turning and flashing a grin he had not done since in his youth. Running toward the edge he jumped up and performed a perfect dive, plummeting through the clouds at immense speed so that the air would have stung his face were he mortal. He closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation, arms held spread out either side of himself. As the clouds cleared, his eyes opened and the moment of peace ended, his mind regained clarity and two large, raven wings spread out behind him to carry him in flight.
"Your majesty!" Kiro cried, kicking a daemon back and plunging his blade through its wretched heart. "Reports of further attacks come in by the second! They assault all of the immortal realm at once!"
Isaan spun in the air and with a motion of his hand bolts of blackened lightning wracked the body of three daemons, turning them to naught but ash before him. His wife joined him at his side, her wings carrying her to glide beside him as the battle raged around them, moving to Kiro's position with all due haste.
"Seth'ryal defends the palace alone," she told him, her voice soft and yet easily heard above the roar of battle taking place both in the skies and on the ground of the Underworld. "He sent the rest of our children to command in other sectors, he needs reinforcement."
"Seth'ryal is strong and there are plenty of forces at the capital, I must go where ever Damian appears." Isaan insisted, though he could see the worry in his wife's face. "Please, understand. Without Damian the serpent is without a head. I swear this is not a matter of vengeance or retribution."
Kerali looked skeptical for a moment, but eventually nodded as it seemed her husband had perfect clarity in the situation, he seemed to have a plan and she had always gone along with his plans - even the more hair brained ones. As they fought their way through the fighting, now with Kiro at their side more and more reports were thrown at them of the battles going ill in Yggdrasil and the Heavens. Xion seemed mercifully free of trouble, but that was to be expected with the Creator enthroned there.
The trio came to land in the square of a town on the edge of the Underworld, it was deserted by now as its occupants had left to fight the war, odd though that there was no fighting here at all. Reports indicated that Damian and his consort Lilith had been seen round these parts somewhere, yet there were no signs of them nor of any daemon force for that matter. They grew wary, it could easily have been a trap and they knew it, but this was looking more and more out of place by the minute.
"Where is he?" Kiro spat, his sword raised in preparation for battle.
"Kiro, fly up and scout around the area." Isaan commanded.
Kiro did not question his emperor, spreading his black wings out either side he took off into the air, disappearing into the distance as he performed a full survey of the area. As Isaan stood there with Kerali alone, he felt his hearts pumping his black blood around his body so strongly, there she was with him the woman for whom his hearts quite literally beat and he was sobered for a moment with the thought of just how many hardships she had endured by his side.
"What?" she asked pointedly, noticing the look he was giving her. "You know, now isn't the time to be wanting sex. This is not a sexy situation."
Isaan laughed loudly at her proclaimation, making her blush and punch him in the arm firmly, clearly realizing she had completely misinterpreted his gaze. He took the moment just after her playful strike to place his finger under her chin and draw her into a tender kiss, it was not heated or sexual but simply honest and loving. Once he broke it he smiled at her and she blinked at him, curious.
"What is it?" she asked, her tone light and caring.
"I was just thinking that I am a lucky man," he said honestly, and removed his finger from under her chin.
"Oh," she murmured, flustered. "Well that's alright then."
Both of them snapped out of their poorly timed moment of tenderness as Kiro returned, he seemed like he had urgent news and the look on his face seemed to mimic terror, that was not like Kiro at all. He opened his mouth to speak, but as he yelled out to them his voice was completely drowned out by the explosions that spontaneously broke out around them. With wide eyes, they witnessed Kiro enveloped in the flames of the explosion and claimed in them, around where they stood the ground began to crumble away and they were powerless as they watched as the floating landmasses above them met the same fate.
The immortal realm fell apart around them, the Underworld exploding and the feeling of their loved ones, their friends all caught in the blast was like a pain searing their mind that they had never felt before. As they stood in shock, on their small circular, floating remnant of the Underworld tears ran down their faces but they could not bring themselves to sob, or cry out in pain at the sight.
The silence was eventually broke as the sound of a blade slicing was heard, a faint whimper came from Isaan's left where Kerali stood. He turned his head toward his wife and his eyes widened in horror, a blade protruded from her chest and her eyes were wide with shock, apologetic even when they met his. She went to whisper to him, but her eyes glazed over and the blade withdrew, she slumped forward and hit the ground before Isaan could catch her. His hearts went still immediately, he choked on his own saliva in the moment at the sensation, stumbling a step back away.
"Now you are the one to be forgotten," Damian said, holding the blade still wet with Kerali's blood. "It's funny, really. At first I only wanted Krell dead, for what he did to me. But coming back up here, seeing my family so happy... without me. I decided I wanted it to burn."
It all dawned on him in that moment, they had been lured here on purpose, this place had been prepared for Isaan to be the last immortal alive that had not been in Xion of which there were few. He stared at Damian, he could not bring himself to act as everything he loved, everyone he cared for had been destroyed in that single moment. Without his wife his hearts would remain still forever, and now he was surrounded by Damian's daemon army and the sneering faces of Lilith and their bastard son Lucifer. It was his time to end, he withdrew his katana from its scabbard and Damian laughed mockingly.
"Do you intend to fight?" he asked, still laughing. "What is there to fight for anymore?!"
"Nothing." Isaan replied, quite truthfully. "The blade is not for you."
Turning the sword he placed it at his chest, directly between where his hearts were. Damian looked stunned, for a moment there was a flash of what might have even been remorse, to see a man so strong as Isaan had finally become turn his sword on himself - he had not done that, perhaps in the end he was the weak one for not realizing when his end should have been like Isaan was now. Isaan plunged the blade through him and felt its sting, his eyes blurred as his entire life flashed through hims mind, every sorrow, every bitterness, every joy passed by like a myriad of dreams he could barely believe he had been a part of.
He slumped to his knees and his head fell forward, hands still clutched upton the hilt of his blade, positioned directly beside his wife's body as though he were looking down at her. His eyes glazed over and his left slipped away, the bitter end embracing him as it had the rest. A faint flutter was heard in his ear near the end, as they said sound was the last thing to go, a child's voice chimed into his ear as though it stood beside his lifeless body.
"It's not meant to end this way." It said, a tone of lament in its voice.
Isaan awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed, blinking a few times to take in his surroundings. His hand slipped from beneath the covers, resting at the centre of his chest where he found no wound, better still he found his hearts beating strong. Turning his head he found Kerali asleep beside him, she squirmed in her sleep a little and opened her eyes to look at him sat upright and slowly rose up to look at him, forgetting to hold the covers that would have covered the fact both were nude.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, looking at his face with concern. "Did you have a vision?"
"No, love." he replied, smiling at her and curling his arm tenderly around her middle, drawing her slender and perfect body closer to his own. "It wasn't a vision."
She looked into his eyes when he drew her closer, it was not gesture that meant he wanted to make love, because normally he would simply pounce her. He seemed almost possessive, holding her naked body so close to his own, and the grip on her side from the hand of the arm around her seemed desperate to keep her close.
"Then what is it?" she probed again, becoming increasingly concerned.
"Ask me again in a year," he replied, and of course she blinked her confusion. He merely placed his hand upon her cheek and brushed his thumb tenderly across her lips, adoration in his eyes. "Just trust me, Nova."
"Alright..." she whispered, flustered by just how tender he was being with her. "If you're sure."
"I am." he said. "I love you."
Before she could reply he used the hand upon her cheek to draw her in, placing a wonderous kiss upon her lips, it seemed filled with relief and compassion as he drew her down to lay with him on the pillows. He drew the covers back over them and kept her close to him, fingers stroking gently up and down her back while the kiss lingered, a warm embrace to welcome the day.
