Spring Awakening
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Exotic Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Shenyo on 12-05-2015, 03:32:10</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>12-05-2015, 03:32:10</strong>
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				Trails of white breath drifted slowly into the air. It had been unusually cold this time of year. Spring had officially begun more than a week prior, and still the nights were cold enough to show your breath. It was problematic really, considering most of the inhabitants of the city didn't necessarily need to breathe. The sun was only now dipping under the horizon, casting an orange glow on a figure pressed against the corner of a brick house. There were many houses crowded together on that hill overlooking a denser city below. The cloaked individual took advantage of the view as lamps were slowly lit to brighten up the streets for the coming night. It was merely decorative in nature and more of habit than anything else by the people who lived there. Even creatures of the night enjoyed a little contrast.<br><br>A deep breath came and went as the figure rose up and began walking slowly down a cobblestone path, heading down towards those city streets. The cloak it wore was a dark forest green, with a golden clasp holding it together in the front. It was a heavy cloth and seemed to absorb what little light was left, leaving the owner's face well shrouded in darkness. Anonymity was important at this stage in the mission. Perhaps once the goal was accomplished it wouldn't matter too much, but no one should know of their presence just yet. Even their breathing became shallow, attempting to hide as much of the telltale signs of breath as possible, letting it flow up into the hood of the cloak when possible.<br><br>"At least the cold will make them sluggish..." A male voice muttered softly from under the hood to himself. It wouldn't be long before he navigated down the nicely carved paths in the hill and arrived in the streets below.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>12-05-2015, 05:05:53</strong>
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				The ancient book sat on the table. A single flame from a white beeswax candle shed precious light over the faded script. Crumbles of discarded herbs lay scattered around the pentagram as spell after spell had been cast yet again to unlock the mystery of the legend. <br><br>Fire would send plumes of white smoke into the night so it had been banked as the sun set. Spring was slow coming and the damp in the stone basement never was far away from her bones. Even the patched quilt that covered her rough woolen work day clothes did little to dispel the shiver that was her perpetual companion. She was a small but well-formed woman, healthy in her youth but still the cold was deep.<br><br>Lydia Childs poured over the yellowed parchment again, looking for the key to unlock the shadows that were veiled in the story. Her hair, black as a raven’s wing hung down her back in curls to her waist. Her skin was nearly was white as new fallen snow, except for the rush of blood in her cheeks, she would pass for one of the ruling class. Her deep amber eyes were thoughtful and kind as she read the familiar words.<br><em><strong><br>“When a day is within a night and they that sleep awake, <br>He will come and together they will partake”</strong></em><br><br>Lydia frowned yet again. Granny had died this past winter without a word as to what this meant. The old witch, as she had trained her granddaughter in the craft, had always insisted that her destiny was here. She would point with her gnarled old finger at the page and then challenge her with ,<br><br>“The first test will be completed when you find him.”<br><br>“Find who?” Lydia would demand. This conversation had become like a ritual for which there was no reasoning.<br><br>“He who will allow you to partake.”<br><br>“Partake of what?” she would asked , frowning as she scanned the page, yet again.<br><br>“When is a day within a night?” Lydia puzzled, as she paced the floor.<br><br>“You must find the spell to unlock the mystery.” Granny had said, even as the deep death sleep overtook her.&nbsp; “You must not fail.”<br><br>Lydia knew to fail was to fall prey to those in power and authority. Her witchcraft must not fall to the undead who slept during the day, searched for prey by night and never died a true death. Her witchcraft, in their hands, would be a lethal combination. She must preserve a semblance of a balance of power. She and a few others like her, outcasts, living beings who breathed and loved with hearts that bled, were all that stood between the nobles and sanity. Daily, there were less people to protect and what would happen when the balance of power shifted?<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>13-05-2015, 02:25:57</strong>
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				Well tanned hands slowly pushed open and then closed a small gate without sound. Any small noise could attract unwanted attention. Even among the rowdier of the nobles, unexpected noises seemed to stand out clearly to them. It was difficult, but it was best to blend in among them and hide in clear sight. The winter brought a great safety that would soon be taken away by the spring, and be pushed into danger in the summer. The sweat, scent, and heat of living creatures could be hidden under cold clothes and multiple layers, but to do so would be suicidal in the heat of the summer. The living had no choice but to remove garments and expose themselves, even at night, lest they fall prey to heat stroke.<br><br>The cloaked man slowly walked out onto the main street, head down as he brushed past the occasional early riser. The longer he walked the more filled the streets, going about their usual nightly business. Humans were not simply eradicated unfortunately. If they were, these creatures would have nothing to feed upon. Instead the strong were killed, or converted, and the weak were chained and kept barely alive as human cattle.<br><br>That cattle was his mission. Somewhere in this city he would find them. If they could walk, he would lead them out. If they could not, he would end their pain.<br><br>Stopping at a corner his head lifted, sniffing the air. "A human?" He whispered to himself. But he knew he wasn't in the right place, he was still too far out from the inner city for them to be kept here. Was someone else foolish enough to do what he was doing? Worse yet...if he could smell them it wouldn't take long for someone else to either.<br><br>With a quick step he began following the trail. Was it already so warm that it was so easy to track someone?
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>13-05-2015, 19:43:13</strong>
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				Lydia drew a protective circle around herself with salt. And within that circle, she sat in the middle of a pentagram, lighting candles on the five spiritual points with her fingertip. Settling back into meditation, she began to call on the ancient power, commanding the power of the witches to rise.&nbsp; Swaying with her eyes closed, chanting spell after spell, Lydia failed to hear the scratching outside her window.<br><br>Her white dress dipped precariously low on her lush breasts, revealing her slender shoulders and round cleavage. She would like to be skyclad for this ritual but the basement was much too chilly for that. This sleeveless dress was pulled over her thighs as she sat in tailor’s fashion within the circle. More than flesh, she wished for blood, her virgin blood for this spell, but knew that with the advent of night that it might call the nobles to her.<br><br>Tossing back her head, Lydia’s black hair brushed the floor. That was when the furtive sounds reached her ears. Pulling the atheme from the sheath on her thigh, she stood slowly, trembling.<br><br>“Who is there?” she managed in a voice that spoke of confidence. Her little corner of the earth was protected and as far as she knew the blood that tainted the nobles could not pass through, but that didn’t mean that a human or a demon could not. <br><br>“Show yourself.” Lydia commanded, but not leaving the circle. She would take her chances and make a stand in the center of the room.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>14-05-2015, 01:58:23</strong>
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				The scent was much stronger now. Whoever it was had been there for some time now. With a soft sigh he began to slowly scan the building, looking for the best entrance. Windows and doors were barred and nailed down for most buildings, other than those controlled by the hunters. Many were simply abandoned, but if someone was in there they had to have slipped in somewhere.<br><br>Taking his time to make sure no one was watching him in particular, he made his way around the building twice. There was a window that looked looser than the others, but he couldn't be sure without trying it. Once he started wrestling with it he was certain it would draw attention, but only if it didn't open immediately. It was a small side window, just above a few crates that allowed for easy access.<br><br>Quickly stepping up he gently grasped it and tugged, but it only budged a little. Pushing it forward again he could hear the sound of metal on metal, a hook keeping it closed. Carefully his fingers began to slide around the frame when her voice called out to him. Unfortunately he wasn't the only one to hear it.<br><br>Someone had happened to be walking by the alleyway just as she spoke, and they stopped and turned to see what was going on. They called out to him but he ignored them, still trying to find the latch. After several more moments the latch was pushed out of the way, just as the man jumped up onto the box beside him and took him by the shoulder.<br><br>"What's going on here, eh?" The young noble asked, dressed in well tailored clothes and ready for another night of celebration. The celebration of undeath.<br><br>It took him a moment to respond, hands holding the window slightly ajar. Finally he turned to him with a smile. "I found fresh one. If you keep this to yourself, we can share her." He spoke quietly as his eyes drifted to the other nobles that began to arrive, clearly friends of his.<br><br>"Oh really?" He replied, his eyes lighting up with greed. An older noble would never agree to such terms. Hiding or conserving one of the living was strictly against the rules. But for those who were freshly converted and still had a fire in their minds and bodies for blood, it was much harder to follow the rules.<br><br>"I'll catch up with you a little later yeah? Old friend of mine here." He waved on his friends who made some comments, but started walking on.<br><br>"After you." The cloaked figure said warmly, opening the window and gesturing for him to step in. "Be quiet though, she's still asleep." He spoke a little louder.<br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>15-05-2015, 03:13:07</strong>
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				The voice came out of the darkness, but not addressing her. It was more like one of those off stage voices that she had heard at the Mummer’s theater. It was too loud to be any real pretense at stealth and then she realized it was a warning. <br><br>Lydia&nbsp; sprang from the circle to rush into the small bedroom. She crept into a wardrobe that contained a false back which opened to a narrow passageway. Darkness assaulted her eyes as she pulled the panel shut behind her. The clothes that were crammed in the small space would hide her defensive exit.<br><br>A mouse ran across her shoe and she had to stuff her fist in her mouth to keep from crying out in surprise. She didn’t know who had warned her but she did not wish to betray their kindness. Lydia knew that one did not openly defy the nobles. She was also curious. Who was demented enough to walk the streets after dark and yet be human? <br><br>She hoped she lived long enough to make the acquaintance of such a man, for the voice was not that of a woman. Lydia shivered in anticipation.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>15-05-2015, 03:38:48</strong>
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				"Oh yeah, yeah!" The man said enthusiastically, taking a deep breath after he climbed in, already beginning to search around the room with his eyes. "You weren't kidding, she's in here somewhere."<br><br>The cloaked figure slowly closed the window behind them, peeking out of it just for a few moments longer to make sure no one knew. They wouldn't be able to stay here forever, his friends would eventually come back.<br><br>The noble began looking under chairs and desks, rummaging through any spaces large enough to hold a person. Without realizing it he avoided her circles and drawings, only giving it a cursory glance. He was too young to understand what it could mean, and his mind was on other things. One thing came to mind, breaking through his blood lust. "Say, I didn't catch your name." He mentioned, turning towards his new companion.<br><br>"It's Shenyo." He growled, suddenly in front of him as he turned. One hand moved over his mouth as he slammed him into the wall beside the wardrobe, the wall shaking with a shower of dust at the force. The man gripped Shenyo's arm to try and pry him off, but he left his torso open in the process. His other hand slammed up into his chest with some kind of blade, pulled back, and slammed again and again, dust falling with every impact until his hands fell limp at his sides. It all happened within just a few seconds. Blood poured freely onto the ground as his body slumped down against the wall. Noble or not, they still needed their hearts. Shenyo stood holding what was left of it in his hand, long claws coming out of each fingertip where his nails would have been.<br><br>Slowly they retracted as he threw the noble's mangled core onto the ground beside him. "It's safe, but we need to leave." He called out softly, eyes scanning the room to see where she could have gone, pausing on the ceremonial markings on the floor.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>15-05-2015, 04:07:43</strong>
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				The wall shook and roaches fell from the rafters on Lydia’s head. She shuddered and knocked them to the floor. Scuffling and that voice saying, <br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">“Its Shenyo,”</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>That voice sounded like equal parts thunder across the distant mountain, whiskey and honey and command. Lydia responded&nbsp; to it with total trust. She sheathed the atheme on her thigh.<br><br>Then she heard,<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">“Its safe but we need to leave.”</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Cracking the false door, she edged out among the dresses of wool and the cape of velvet. Silently as possible, she pressed against the inside of the wardrobe door. Standing in her small room was a robed figure holding a dripping heart in his hands that looked distorted, perhaps by the blood that coated them.<br><br>Lydia glanced at the noble who was bleeding out on her floor and watched as his face turned black as the true death began to claim him. The heart still beat slowly in the man’s hand.<br><br>“Burn it.” She said swiftly, heading toward the still room where her pentagram waited, undisturbed and the fire crackled merrily in a small way.<br>“Toss it in and we can go safely in the knowledge that that one can not live again.”<br><br>Lydia gathered her Grimoire in a carpet bag and took her woolen cape from the hook. It was a glossy black shot through with gray, made in the manner of those of Caledonia. She readied herself while she waited on the cloaked man.<br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>15-05-2015, 04:34:03</strong>
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				It was an unnecessary gesture, but he listened to her. Never before had he seen one of their kind get back up after having their heart destroyed and their body begin to turn black into a mixture of rot and ash. Even still he followed her and placed the heart into the fire. It smoldered and burned, turning black and causing the flame to go much higher than normal as it caught.<br><br>"What's your name?" He asked as they stood by the window, his voice much softer and calmer than before. The animalistic growl that came from his throat before was completely gone. "Are you the only one here?" He continued, even though he knew the answer already.<br><br>Peering through the window another group was moving by on the opposite side of the street. "You need to leave the city as soon as possible. I'll get you to the outskirts, then you're on your own." He informed her, glancing over to her to make sure she understood. All she could see under his hood were those forest green eyes glowing softly in the dark. "Understood?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>15-05-2015, 05:30:50</strong>
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				Flipping up the hood to cover her dark hair, Lydia answered him evenly,<br><br>“I am ready now. There is not much that I need that I can not generate.”&nbsp; In her carpet bag were several pouches: one with salt, one with gold, one with fire starters: one with small candles and many smaller ones with various herbs. With her book and her skills, she was fearless.<br><br>Lydia searched the forest green eyes and had someone been observing, they would have seen what looked like sparks flying from her amber ones. He promised to take her to the outskirts of town, asking if she understood.<br><br>“I understand much and see more,” she replied, watching him scan the outside through the window. “I know that you had better know where I end up because you will need me, soon. You will need to remember the name of Lydia Childs. Think you that I am some helpless mortal? I am mortal, yes I will bleed and die but while I live ancient power flows through my veins. I am here in this time to act as stop gap to this evil.”<br><br>Lydia was incensed because he didn’t appear to be gaping at her in wonderment or in awe. He was treating her like some hapless young girl. <br><br>“You know, we don’t have to go out the window. There is a passage behind the wardrobe that goes to the forest, where my Granny had a herb cottage. Do you think that route might be safer? Or did we wish to destroy some of the nobles before the sun rises?” Her voice was cool and even, almost bored as she suggested they might have a common purpose and that danger was an every day <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>16-05-2015, 02:51:27</strong>
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				Those green eyes narrowed at her for a moment when she spoke of being of another time. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but decided not to. Letting the window close fully he gestured for her to go ahead.<br><br>"I would prefer not to draw attention. The more dead they find the more riled up they will be. We'll take your path to the forest, Lydia Childs." Killing one or two here and there barely made any impact on them. To truly make a difference against their numbers, now that was a good question. The weak ones surged in droves, but the elders were the real issue. They had strength, skill, knowledge, and power. They were not quick to anger and had control of their thirst, for the most part. They were the true danger.<br><br>Shenyo let her lead the way through the wardrobe and into the passage. One question stayed in his mind. If she was powerful why did she hide?
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				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>16-05-2015, 05:38:37</strong>
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				Lydia opened the wardrobe and disappeared behind the clothes for a minute. <br><br>“Come on,” she hissed, extending her hand with a come hither motion. She hoped the man would shut the doors behind him. <br><br>The passage way was narrow and she had to squeeze past him to pull the panel shut. She didn’t light a candle but rather reached behind her to take his hand.<br><br>“Follow me closely,” she instructed. The way is narrow and there are no trick stairs. To my knowledge there are no turns along the way. We will go down for a while and then level off. Just before we come out on the outside at the cottage, the path will angle sharply up. Watch you head as we go through the exit door.”<br><br>Cold and damp, the walls were covered in a slimy moss that in places stunk like the sewer. The passage did indeed slant downward and Lydia had to keep her hand on the stone walls to keep from slipping. The darkness was so complete as they followed along, leaving behind any semblance of light that Lydia felt the inky blackness like a thick cloak over her mouth. <br><br>Now the air was stale and the stench of rotting corpses clung to the back of her throat. A dangling root crawled across her face and she stopped dead in her tracks, unmindful of the man behind her. She bit down hard on her lip to keep from crying out. The tension between the two of them was high and she found that she was glad to have the man at her back.<br><br>Lydia snuck around, being discreet around the nobles because she could die like any of the mortals who lived in hiding. She was powerful and could fight them personally, one on one as long as they weren’t the elder class of rulers. They were cunning and strong, usually taking two or three witches to vanquish them. Lydia was the last of her line at least in this life time. What would happen to the balance of power when she was gone? Better a live dog than a dead lion, she thought. Discretion was the better part of valour.<br><br>The path began to angle upward and a cool breeze caressed her face. Lydia found that she could make out some shapes in the darkness and realized that they opening was close. Raising her hand to trace her fingertips along the ceiling, she made her way to the doorway. She ducked nearly in half and pushed at a rock. It didn’t budge.<br><br>“Can you crouch down here and give me a hand?” she asked her companion.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>16-05-2015, 15:14:25</strong>
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				This certainly wasn't what he was planning on doing that night. Still, he couldn't just leave her by herself in case someone trailed them. Taking her hand she would find that his was warm and surprisingly soft, holding her hand gently as they moved into the tight darkness. Though his hands never moved to shut the wardrobe behind them, he did pull them shut with little sound and a ruffle of his cloak.<br><br>As the darkness overtook them he simply closed his eyes, feeling the wall and taking her lead. When she stopped short he had to put his other hand on her back to avoid falling into her. Otherwise he followed her to the exit without incident.<br><br>"Hm." He murmured softly as they arrived at the end. With a quick motion he swept his arm under her knees and braced her back with the other, lifting her up high enough to reach the trap door in the ceiling. Once she was able to get it open he pushed her up further and climbed up after her.<br><br>Fresh air hit them both fully now, a much needed relief from whatever had caused the stench within the path behind them. The hidden door had been placed just at the base of a large tree covered in rocks and moss, and to the casual observer it appeared to simply be a part of the earth. Adding in lush undergrowth one had to know exactly what they were looking for, or be very thorough with their search.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>17-05-2015, 04:38:58</strong>
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				Lydia felt like she was a feather floating to the top as the cloaked man hoisted her up. Before she knew it, they were both standing in the quiet forest with the pine trees blocking out the moon and starlight. Night birds were calling, discussing Poor Will, whip poor will, they called. Lydia knew if the birds were softly calling that there was no threat from the nobles to be found.<br>“Follow me,” she whispered and crept through the ferns. They had not gone far from where they had rolled the concealing stone when they came to a moonlight clearing. The tiny house set well back almost swallowed by the shadows.<br><br>“My grandmother’s herb cottage,” she explained with a quick flick of her wrist. This place is well warded and I’m positive that no one unless the house allows it, can see it. We are lucky, you and I,” she beamed at him. “Usually the house has to have had your name repeated to it for weeks before a visit but today, that house knew what I had come for. I should probably learn to listen to my intuition. “<br><br>The cottage was made of native stone and barely was large enough for two people. Lydia had stayed there as a young acolyte and had been successful but there was no way she would voluntarily stay there alone.<br><br>“Won’t you stay?” she asked the&nbsp; man, giving him a sweet smile.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>17-05-2015, 22:22:32</strong>
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				It was a tempting offer. Safety was never something assured in or around cities, but this place seemed rather remote. The only way someone could follow them was if they knew of the passage, and even then they may miss the cottage entirely based on what Lydia described.<br><br>Even still. "Maybe another time." He spoke, looking up into the sky. It was already midnight, the moon hanging high over their heads. How long had they been in that passage? "I have work I must finish before dawn. I may come back sometime to visit." His voice was serious, but turned warm towards the end. She seemed nice enough, but he couldn't risk her getting hurt.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>18-05-2015, 05:43:40</strong>
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				Lydia approached the house with more confidence now that they had left the tunnel behind them and the house was clearly visible.&nbsp; She ran for the house and huddled in the recessed doorway, trying the handle. At first, the cold metal handle resisted turning but she muttered some words and little by little, as if the door were playing a tug of war with her, the handle began to turn. The screeking sound rang out like the death throes of a rabbit in the silent woods.<br><br>Taking a deep breath, Lydia pushed the door open but stood taking in the aura of the room, searching for intruders. When she was certain no one had breached the wards, she turned to the man, just now fully registering his refusal to stay the night. Her throat dried up.<br><br>Her voice came out like a croak.<br><br>“I understand.&nbsp; Your work is important. If you save others as you have me this night, you are one fighting for balance. I insist that you must come here as your work allows. I will have potions and teas ready for you to strengthen your power and to guard you from detection.”<br><br>She sat a chair upright that had fallen over and turned to speak more to him, but the cloaked man was gone. Lydia went to the door, looking out for a final sight of him but the only thing that greeted her eyes was the waving pine boughs and overgrowth of ferns. The only sound that greeted her ears was the crying of the night bird and the soughing of the wind in the trees. Wiping tears from her cheeks, Lydia went back inside and closed the door tightly.<br><br>Busying herself with charms in the windows and wards on the doorway, Lydia made the house secure and went to the narrow feather bed where her childhood quilt in a starburst pattern on a black back ground lay across the foot, folded neatly. Who was that man, she wondered. She had not seen his face. Maybe it was the perverse child that lived in side her but she wanted to see his face. Lydia lay down without undressing and slipped into a restless sleep.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>19-05-2015, 23:28:51</strong>
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				Days went by without event. The moon came and went, growing a little more each time it passed. At the beginning of the fourth night Lydia would be able to smell smoke coming from the direction of the city. Were she to move to the edge of the forest she would see half of it ablaze, the night sky so bright it almost appeared to be day.<br><br>Within a few hours the cloaked figure returned to her door, slumped against it, and fell to the ground unconscious. Soot and blood covered his body and soaked his clothes. His right arm was cut deeply in many places as if it went through a blender of knives. It bled, but not as much as you would expect from such a wound.<br><br>As the wind picked up his hood drifted off from his head, exposing his face for the first time. Shenyo was young, appearing to be in his twenties at most. Short reddish-orange hair gave way to..something unusual. Two large pointed ears came up from the top of his head like that of a feline. In fact he had no human ears at all. One of them flopped slightly, torn across the center. The only other oddity about him was a six foot long tail coiled out on the ground behind him, twitching slightly. Oddities and injuries aside, he had a strong face and a well toned body. Not overly muscular or large, it seemed he was built for speed over strength.<br><br>The rest of his body was bruised, cut, and burned, but overall intact. It seemed he was able to get away from whatever had done this to him, and stumble his way back along the path while just barely conscious. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>20-05-2015, 06:03:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia caught the man as he slowly crumpled through her door. She had been pacing the floor, peering out the window at the rising red in the sky. When she smelled smoke, she realized that the city was on fire. She had spent the past several days collecting healing herbs and her drying racks were full. If the wind drove the fire this way, the cottage and its contents would be at risk. In preparation to relocate, Lydia had packed a basket with necessary items, magic and medicinal which she had just placed inside of the door when she heard a great boom. Opening the door, the cloaked man felt into her arms<br><br>She stared at the soot and the burns that covered his face, but most of all she stared at the feline ears and the face that was oddly handsome but flat like a cat’s as well. His short reddish hair gave the illusion of a lion’s mane, but yet was the hair of man. Lydia’s mind was having a little trouble absorbing what she was seeing to be true. Shaking her head, she pulled him into the cottage, glancing about to make sure no one was pursuing him. If they had been, they would have seen him disappear into thin air.<br><br>Once inside, she removed his green cloak, setting it aside and returned to assess his injuries. Cuts, and burns, some bruising, he had been badly brutalized and beaten. She ran her hands over his lightly muscled body and knew he was lithe and fit. On occasion, she had seen some of the humans who were kept by the nobles to entertain them with fighting in a ring. These men had bulging muscles and broad chests. She wrinkled her nose. This man, on the other hand, made her want to continue to run her hands over him as if she were petting a cat. <br><br>“He’s hurt.” She scolded herself. “Concentrate.”<br><br>Slipping a pillow under his head, she tossed a quilt over him and went to build up the fire. While she worked on making medicine, she chanted spells of healing under her breath. When she washed off the worst of the wounds, she noticed that some healing was already taking place. This one was not without power himself, she thought. Once his wounds were clean and bound, she prepared a decoction of echinaechia and willow bark. Sitting next to him while it steeped, Lydia sang a little child’s tune under her breath as she held his good hand.<br><br>She hoped he lived. She was glad he had thought of her in the midst of his trouble. A smile crossed her face. She hoped he stayed and she damned the nobles for destroying peace and hope. The smell of smoke grew stronger and she prayed to the goddess that the wind would shift to send the fire away. Lydia knew she couldn’t move him in&nbsp; this state of unconsciousness.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>21-05-2015, 01:50:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo's breathing was steady and slow as she tended to his wounds. It may have been for the best that he was unconscious for this, otherwise the air would have stung his open wounds and the water would not have been too pleasant either. As she rinsed one of the larger wounds out she would notice something peculiar. Not only was it bleeding far less than it should have been, but upon closer inspection she would see the skin slowly stitching itself back together at the very center and edges. Whatever he was, he was a hardy creature.<br><br>"Nice song..." He murmured softly, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. His eyes still weren't open, and it wasn't clear just how awake he was. Minutes passed without much of a response from him, his breathing evening out again. "Got any others?" His voice came forth again as his body shuddered and tensed, pain clear on his face as his body began to wake and let him know just what kind of condition it was in.<br><br>As he forced himself to remain still, grunting from time to time in pain, Lydia would find that his tail had looped up around her wrist, the tip pressing into the palm of her hand. Any caress would begin to calm him down in his half-woken stupor, and push him back to a more restful sleep.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>21-05-2015, 05:39:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia frowned as she watched wound after wound seal back up. He was supernatural then, she thought. Not a demon, because of the way he had not responded to her circle and the fact that the house allowed him to see her.<br><br>He wasn’t one of the nobles. His skin was warm, over warm to the touch. Lydia didn’t think he had a fever though, but rather that he was preternaturally warm. He wasn’t a werewolf. Goddess knew he looked more like a cat than a wolf. She ran her fingers absently over his ears, enjoying the stubby hair that speckled the pink insides. Lydia was thinking as she stared across the cottage. <br><br>His breathing was steady now and his heart rate seemed good .She thought she heard him mutter something about her singing. For a split second she thought she saw his eyes open just a slit as if he were expecting an answer from her. Lydia patted his shoulder and began to hum a song about a soft kitty.<br><br>He groaned and she leaned closer to try to make out the words he was saying. Without being aware of the tail that seemed to have a life of its own,&nbsp; Lydia gasped as said tail wrapped around her wrist. Were he not near death’s door, she would have ascribed the tail with trying to at best, communicate well being and at the worst, trying to seduce her. She breathed out through her nose. Either way, it must be a good sign<br><br>Still humming the soft kitty song, she put her hand over the tail looped at her wrist and began to gently slide her fingertips over the coarse fur. The more she sang, the more the tail lashed back and forth, caressing her with each swipe. Finally, she could stand refraining from touching him no longer. Lydia held her hands just inches over the bare flesh and allowed her hands to hover. A loud crackling filled the air and she stared out the window.<br><br>The fire had crossed over into her part of the forest. There was no time to evacuate, no hope of saving themselves if they panicked. Gently but firmly she eplained, <br><br>"I will leave you here for a few minutes. " she said wearily. "I have to try to turn it, but if it doesn't, I might have some rather unsanctioned plans to save your life."<br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>22-05-2015, 00:31:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Wood cracked and popped as the flames poured over the trees, the drier leaves on the ground providing perfect tinder as it coursed through the forest. What animals were still left by this point were quickly fleeing over the ground or burrowing into it. Those unlucky enough were already trapped and consumed by the heat and smoke. It would not be too much longer before they arrived at their doorstep.<br><br>Despite her words his tail lingered around her wrist, slowly uncurling and providing just enough resistance to catch her attention.<br><br>As she walked outside the wind howled with an oppressive heat and ash was already floating down on the clearing like snow. The flames could already be seen in the distance behind the first few rows of trees. The only saving grace was that they were in a small clearing, so unless the house itself caught flame they wouldn't be burned alive. Still, there were other ways to die from a forest fire than from the flames themselves.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>22-05-2015, 05:34:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia had sung softly until her throat felt strained. The air seemed thicker in the cottage. Twice she tried to leave the side of this intriguing creature and twice the tail had tightened around her wrist, preventing her from doing so. Finally, she turned a worried face toward the door and the tail, as if it were reluctant, uncoiled its grasp.<br>Opening the door, she stood in horror at the leaping flames and noticed the air was darkening with smoke. Three bunnies and a deer with a full rack of horns bounded by the cottage and disappeared into the forest beyond. Slamming the door, as if this could hold back that the destruction that headed their direction, she leaned her back against it, thinking furiously.<br><br>The cottage was on a bare spot of earth, but sparks could jump to the wooden shingles on the roof. Smoke was already slithering under the door and around the windows. Soon the air would burn their lungs and they would die. He was out cold and there was no way Lydia could move him. He was much bigger than she was and she could tell from moving his arm around that his bones were heavier than hers.<br><br>Running her hands over his body, she tried to assess what kind of damage was left to him. The smaller cuts were gone now and the bruises were fading fast. Still that one gash was oozing and the muscle was protruding. Lydia groaned and held her hands over the area, hoping that she could generate energy to speed healing. But as she already knew, her gifts did not lie in healing. His lightly furred skin was soft to the touch and honed to perfection, but Lydia had no time for sensual thoughts.<br><br>“I wish you could hear me.” She pleaded, working from the cooling bowl of healing potion. “We have to leave. Are you like the man who says there is a lion in the street only to have your hand close over a snake in the wall? Please, please, please, wake up and be strong enough to leave.” She begged.<br><br>The smoke was coming in more heavily under the door. She scurried to the bed and drew off a pillow which she stuff into the crack at the base of the entry way.&nbsp; Back to her patient, then over to a basket that she was preparing to take if they were able to evacuate. Lydia was becoming distraught. <br><br>One last time she checked that final gash and discovered the skin there was shiny and pink where the wound had been. <br><br>“Please wake up.” She begged, staring hard at his feline features, willing him to open his eyes.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>23-05-2015, 02:00:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Moments passed without any reaction, before his eyes slowly opened. "I have no idea what you just said. But we need to leave." As he spoke his eyes widened and sharpened as he became aware of the danger they were in. Sitting up with a wince and gritted teeth he swung his legs around over the edge of the table, hopping down onto his feet. Hunched over slightly he held his bad arm close to his body.<br><br>"It would be ironic if this killed me, it distracted them to begin with." Shenyo said with a soft laugh, rather up beat about the situation. "Did you have any plans? I don't think the trap door would be a good idea. That area of the city is on fire and we might run out of air down there." His voice before had been slower, sterner, and distant. Now it was surprisingly warm and full of life despite his condition and current circumstances. It was almost as if this type of situation wasn't too foreign for him.<br><br>As he spoke she would feel his tail slip up around her wrist again and tug her towards him as he began to walk to the door. "I'm sure we can't stay here, so we should get outside and take a look." The long tail gave her enough slack to collect her basket before he tugged her more urgently along.<br><br>The fire was now engulfing that section of the forest, including the trap door that led back to the city. "What's the shortest path out of this forest? Doesn't matter the direction." He asked her as he looked back at the cottage, spotting a small hand pump near the side. Quickly he went back inside, took his cloak, and soaked it down with as much water as the pump could muster before putting it back on.<br><br>"You next." He offered, holding the pump with one hand while gesturing with his tail to get started. The cracking flames were drawing closer every moment.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>23-05-2015, 16:40:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia knew the cottage did strange things to people. One of its powers lay in revealing what was not visible to the human eye which meant that often things inside looked differently than they did outside in the yard. Shenyo’s tail, acting like a third hand, pulled her outside and almost everything about him changed.<br><br>Gone were the feline features and the furred body, in their place stood a handsome man with eyes that had a pulsating glow.&nbsp; At his urging, she hitched the basket up higher on her arm and followed him. <br><br>The air was thick with smoke now and embers were swirling in the air. Shenyo had stopped at the small pump in the yard and was wetting down his clothes. Once more, at his direction, Lyda approached the pump herself. Rather than setting the basket down, she handed it to him and then frowned at the muddy patch under the pump. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched a pine tree explode into a ten foot torch.<br>With no more hesitation, she stepped to the pump and soaked her gown. Taking off her shawl, she held this under the stream of water also. This she tied over her hair and turned back to take the basket. He had asked her of a good escape route other than the tunnel and for a moment her brain was frozen. The tunnel was the only safe place she knew.<br><br>Looking around frantically, she pointed to the path that led to a waterfall, but it was some ways off<br>.<br>“That small deer trail&nbsp; where this isn’t much fire yet, Go that way.” She said.<br><br>The cottage stood between them and the fire. Lydia didn’t worry so much that the fire would destroy the house and they would probably be safe from the flames but the smoke was already choking them. She was coughing and tears were streaming from her eyes as she said,<br><br>“The cottage might slow the progress of the fire, enough that we can get out ahead of it. If we can make it to the waterfall, we might be safe. I bet that is where all the animals were headed too.”<br><br>Before she could get the last words from her mouth, his tail had wrapped around her wrist and was tugging her along. <br><br>Behind her, she could hear the roar from the fire and crashing as trees succumbed to the flame. Using the end of her shawl, she covered her nose and face with the damp cloth. An ember flew through the air and landed on her arm. Lydia tried to shake it off but it hissed out against the wet fabric. A panicked lynx bounded next to them and soon outstripped them in distance.<br><br>She was panting by the time they reached the clearing. As she had predicted many of the wiser forest creatures were there. Some were lined up around the banks of the small lake and river that flowed from the bottom of the crevasse and others were standing in the midst of the pool.<br><br>“Maybe we can go behind the falls,” she called over the rushing of the water.&nbsp; She nodded to a path that was barely discernible in the mist. <br>Rainbows fluttered in the air, glistening, beckoning to any who would wish to be drawn to the falls, promising treasure as the water flowed endless over the black, craggy rocks.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>23-05-2015, 19:53:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The man, or who appeared to be mostly one, nodded to her before glancing behind them. The flames had moved past the cottage and were spidering through the forest around them, some tendrils closer than others.<br><br>"It's either that or stay low in the water. It should work." He spoke with a cough, covering his mouth with his now damp cloak and taking a deep breath. Lifting her up with his bad arm around her waist he held her close and quickly darted across the slippery rocks and into the torrent of water. For a moment she could hear nothing but the static of water and felt the pressure of the water sink her closer against him. Then suddenly everything was clear and they were through.<br><br>The light of the sun and flame lit the back of the waterfall rather well. From inside they could see the flickering lights and resonating booms as trees in the distance collapsed and took others down with it. Slowly he placed her back on her feet and sat down against the wall, head resting gently against it.<br><br>"Looks like it goes a little further. Did you know this was here or were you just guessing?" There was just enough head room for her to stand, but while he was up he had to hunch over slightly. It was lucky he didn't run straight into it and bounce back into the spray of the waterfall. What he said was true. The wider, flat area they were in narrowed down into a smooth path that snaked out of view. <br><br>"I think we might have some time to rest." He added, closing his eyes, but not yet falling asleep. The water had cleaned him off of any remaining soot, or regained soot, from the fires. The sun and fire from outside lit his body well enough to see that the wounds on his body were healed with impressive speed, not to mention the incredible assistance she provided. Still, it seemed that the ordeal had drained his stamina and he would need some time to rest before they moved again. The question was, even if they wanted to go somewhere, when would they be able to leave?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>24-05-2015, 19:05:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was aware of the heat from Shenyo’s body as the small space did not provide ample room to stand farther apart. Her face tilted up to his and their mingled breath came panting from them.<br><br>“I did not know there was a cave here, “ she answered him, glancing away from his intense gaze. “I had seen the path and often wondered if it was a natural bridge to the other side, but I have never been brave enough to explore the possibilities.”<br><br>Looking back into his glowing eyes, she felt herself falling. The words of the prophecy ran in her ears, making her feel disoriented. A day within a night! Was that not what the world had been last night with the sky lit up as brightly as noon day? Lydia struggled to pay greater attention.<br><br>Once they realized they were safe for a while, the two of them sunk down and leaned against the wall. She was worried about him and kept trying to ask about his well being, but he was not very forthcoming. With little resistance, she examined his wounds that were now clean. Mostly well and cleansed, but she knew she must keep him warm.<br><br>“We are both wet, but I must ensure that you do not become too cold. If you will permit, I will sit closely beside you and we can combine our body heat.”<br><br>Without waiting for his consent, Lydia sat the basket down and arranged herself next to the mysterious man. Shaking out the worst of the water from her cloak, she arranged this over the two of them. His talk of places to go beside here worried her. <br><br>“I agree to waiting here for a while for a recovery time. We will rest, but soon we will need a fire. I can make that, using the items in&nbsp; my bag. I sense an urgency in your voice. Are we in danger if we stay here? Who is chasing you?”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>25-05-2015, 02:51:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo quizzically raised an eyebrow at her offer to keep him warm. Before he had time to protest she had already laid beside him, and at that point he couldn't complain. Leaning into her a little he relaxed a bit more. As she investigated his wounds she would find them all to be quite shallow by this point, far beyond what they were when they had left the cottage. That only raised the question of how bad they were initially, if they had been healing the entire time he walked to find her? How had he kept himself in one piece that long?<br><br>"You really want to make a fire?" He asked with a laugh, looking back through the waterfall to the still burning forest. The water mostly kept the smoke at bay, but still allowed enough air in to them. "If you insist." Despite being wet he was still rather warm. The water was only beginning to chill this time of year, and wasn't completely uncomfortable as of yet.<br><br>His tail gently slid from side to side on the floor between them, brushing up against her leg from time to time as he spoke with her. Eventually it slipped under her leg and coiled around it several times down to rest by her ankle, but he didn't seem to notice as he began to explain what had happened to him.<br><br>"It had been a trap." He went on. "The information I was told was wrong. No, intentionally wrong. Either the people I've been dealing with are lying to me or I was tricked by them, I'm not sure." He sighed, reaching out to the nearby water and washing his face. "There were three nobles waiting for me. They've caught onto me specifically, and were there to kill me specifically, no one else. It seems they know who I am by this point." <br><br>His eyes narrowed. "One of them is dead. The other two are wounded, but they'll be back together in no time." Shenyo seemed angry at that fact. "I made mistakes, I wasn't ready to fight. Not like that." In truth his mind had been distracted, thinking of other things. Of people pressed up against him currently. The worst part was he wasn't even sure why. She was strange and not forthcoming about much, yet she had still lingered in his mind. It was still no excuse to be ambushed the way he was, fighting tooth and nail to survive and hurt them enough to get some space.<br><br>"I didn't want to risk a prolonged fight. I let them sink their blades deep into my arm to give myself some time, and threw a candelabra into stack of books. From there they were distracted, and I slipped away with one hunting me down. That was the one who never made it back, he was a fool to come after me alone. Even with one good arm." As he spoke he examined his 'bad' arm, clenching his fist tightly to test it. Spreading his fingers out his claws extended like a shot, at least six inches in length, before having them slip back into his fingertips. It was some kind of magic to be sure, or perhaps it was just a part of whatever he was?<br><br>"They'll be angry when the find out what happened." Looking over to her, he caught her eyes with his. "Others will be searching the area. I've hurt them too much for them to let me go, and their wounds are fresh. We might be safe here, we might not. The burned forest might actually be the safest place honestly, but I don't know if I want to risk you being here."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>25-05-2015, 04:57:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia followed the lead of his voice and did not press the topic of building a fire again. His body heat was higher than her own and soon the both of them were comfortable with no fire in the cave. She was relieved that he was recovering well, despite his weariness.<br>Listening wisely, Lydia nodded as he retold the tale of&nbsp; his night’s work. But when he expressed reluctance to take her on with him, she protested.<br><br>“You, I believe, and I&nbsp; are working toward the same goal. You know that&nbsp; when w that you came in my window the nobles were on the eve of finding me. I, too, am on the run from them. If they search the forest for you, it is only a matter of time that the wards do not hold on my cottage. I believe that there is powers in the binding of two or more in a spell. I am not willing to be alone any more. The time has come to be in agreement with my worthy partner. For years, since I was a small child, I was raised on my own personal fable and I believe, you bring that fulfillment to me.”<br><br>“I cannot go alone any more.”<br><br>Silence stretched between them. Careful to not bump against any wounds that still remained, Lydia picked up the tail and held the end&nbsp; in her grasp. She stroked the fur and noted the relax twist of nerves that seemed to spring up between them.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>27-05-2015, 03:43:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo looked at her quizzically, one eyebrow raised. The words she used were soaked in riddles, with only bits and pieces coming clear to him. The one over arching message he understood was that there was no possibility of leaving her here. Whether or not it would truly be safe, she would not stand for it. That, and somehow he was important to her.<br><br>As she began to stroke his tail he let out a sigh and relaxed further into the wall, ignoring the other thoughts in his head. "Fine, come with me. I can only protect you so much, but if it's your wish to be in danger then so be it. It's not like anywhere else is much safer anyway." There were a few safe havens here and there, but only because they were hidden. If they were found it would only be a matter of time before they were overrun by the fledglings. The nobles may not even show up to such a slaughter. This was why it was so important to bring the fight to them.<br><br>"That city is lost. We'll need to go deeper into their territory, something they won't expect." Half-lidded eyes watched her as she comforted him. "We will be finding more nobles as we travel, that's a fact. I hunt the hunters." A ludicrous claim, but there was no laughter or warmth in his tone for once. "So if you're coming with me, you're going to help me kill them. Until we die, or we run out of nobles to kill. There isn't much else to do in this world until we do." A half-truth. It was possible to go into the uncharted wilds, far away from civilization. There were unknown dangers in the wild, things worse than the blight upon them now. Still, it depended on what you wanted to have to deal with; A supernatural beast or the undead?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>27-05-2015, 04:09:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“You hunt the hunters?” Lydia repeated and felt rather dimwitted to do so. “Yes, this is what I am called to do also. My methods were more from a distance with spells and potions to protect the innocents but I think that balance is beginning to swiftly fall in favor of the nobles. <br>There are fewer of us who have any effectiveness at all. You are right to take the fight to them. As long as my Grandmother was alive, then I had a hope of making a small difference, but now. ..” she spread her hand toward the backlight waterfall. “ The&nbsp; whole world is on fire.”<br><br>Lydia stroked the tail and sighed in contentment to his response of relaxation. She was thoughtful and the two were like old companions seated before a roaring fireplace in peaceful meditation.<br><br>“Yes, I will help you kill them.” She answered. “My spells will make you stronger than you have ever been. I will lend you&nbsp; my powers which are many and my hand which is mortal. What do I have left in&nbsp; this world but my calling to restore life to all who come to me for help?”<br><br>Lydia lay her head back against the rough, wet stones of the cave, her black hair curling around her face. She was tired but exhilarated at the same time. She smiled a mischievous smile and said,<br><br>“Of course it isn’t necessary to say this, but I will. I am a witch, born a witch, not one by practice but one by blood. My life is not my own and I’m good with that. I also know, from what the cottage revealed about you that you are no ordinary man. Yes, you are a creature of myth, but there is more to you than meets the human eye.”<br><br>She closed her blue eyes and grew very still as she allowed those words to sink in.<br><br>“So Shenyo, I will follow where you lead me and will offer my strengths to you.”<br><br>Lydia put out her hand to shake on it and asked as she did.<br><br>“Is my word enough, or do you require&nbsp; a blood oath or something more from me to seal our contract?”<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>31-05-2015, 16:02:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo opened his eyes and looked into hers for a long while. Finally he spoke. "You are more then welcome to join me if that's what you want to do. We'll see how much help you can be. Magic has..." He paused a moment, wanting to phrase it the right was. "...Strange effects on me. Something about what I am, whatever that is, doesn't mix particularly well." The way he spoke made it sound as if he was not fully aware of what his heritage was, or even his past.<br><br>More importantly, what did he mean about 'Strange'? Lydia had not seen any evidence of this as of yet. The only two instances of magic she had seen would be her ritual circle, which did not seem to bother him, and her healing spells, which seemed to do their job the way she expected. Still, her mind had not been terribly clear in that cottage. What had truly happened in there?<br><br>With a smirk he continued. "And no, we don't need a blood pact unless it will make you feel better." Slipping down the wall further so he was fully laying down, he gaze moved back up to her. "You say you're from somewhere else, even another time. What can you tell me that might help us decide what to do next? Any major events, meetings of nobles in specific places, anything like that? I'm not sure I necessarily believe you, but stranger things have happened. Especially when magic is involved."<br><br>Magic was largely an unknown and wild force to most. Few seemed to know well of its existence, and it seemed that the nobles did not yet have as much control over it as Lydia did, if they did at all. The high ranking nobles, not their fledglings, would be more likely to have the ability to wield it in some capacity. The only problem was spotting one was somewhat rare, and for them to bother to use their power instead of sending their weaker brothers to die was more unlikely. They did not treat the living as a reason to use their power, thinking it was beneath them. Today was a rare occurrence indeed, as Shenyo saw not only one but three in one place. In all of the events that took place he did not see any traces of magic in the air, simply brute strength and speed in their battle. For now, at least, the two of them had the edge.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>31-05-2015, 22:10:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was relieved that he didn’t require a blood oath. Her blood was unique and sometimes forces wanted it for more nefarious reasons that simply binding vows. She smiled at the fluid manner in which he slid to the floor and then the sensuous but innocent way with which he looked up at her.<br><br>He seemed to know more about her mind that she was used to others knowing and it unsettled her to no end. With great effort, she forced on the water dripping from the stones and the tender splashes from the waterfall on the walls by the entrance.&nbsp; These worked to ground her to the energy found around her.<br><br>He had a right to understand her bloodline and what she was, Lydia thought, when he asked. What right did he have? Another voice in her head demanded, but Lydia trusted him. Creatures borne of magic were rare in this day when people were too busy to seek the old gods. Society ran scared of the changes they did not understand and ragged by the day to day existence to survive. Starvation and predation preyed on their minds until no one had time for meditation<br><br>Putting her hands in her lap and staring into the pinprick of light on the other end of the cave, Lydia began to intone her life’s tale.<br><br>“I have lived before in many lifetimes. I am not immortal for I die if I am burned. I hate burning for it hurts like nothing else. But&nbsp; my soul is old and I have been burnt several times. As soon as I die, a body is waiting for me to be born once more. I come as a babe and grow into an adult but as you see me now, I do not age more. Where I differ from the mortal child is that I come with all my knowledge of my power and all my magic. I do not have to relearn my craft any more than a bird has to be taught how to build a certain kind of nest or fly south for the winter. Unlike the bird, however, I continue to build on my knowledge. I am usually born into a family of witches so all they have to teach, I add to abilities.<br><br>My blood is poison to the nobles, but if they knew this, they would only see it as a challenge to seduce my affections. In one of my life times, I loved a noble. He was mighty and powerful. His mother was a noble, but his father was a high ranking demon. In my love for Malachai, I developed a potion that would render my blood non poisonous and I could be kept forever as a food source, never to change and never to die from this treatment.&nbsp; What I understand is that in their tomes is the&nbsp; legend of Isolde of Fiery Hair. And from what my Grandmother said, it is told in their ranks as encouragement for a quest among the Lords of the nobles. She could see happenings her in her gazing ball.<br><br>I look nothing like that cycle of life, “ she explained, pointing to her raven black hair and delicate white skin. “ so there is nothing to give me away.”<br><br>Color crept into her face. Perhaps she had said too much to this man, this creature. How did she know he was not a scout for the nobles? How did she know if he was a mercenary answering to the highest bidder? She frowned and turned to Shenyo<br><br>“Tell me of the magic that interfers with your powers? I can either avoid using that particular kind of magic or can tell you if that is or is not part of my repertoire of skills.”<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>01-06-2015, 01:57:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo's eyebrows went up a little at the amount of information she told him so freely. His thoughts mirrored her own for a moment, wondering if she realized the risk she was taking with someone she barely knew. Fortunately he was no such mercenary, nor any threat to her.<br><br>Once she was done speaking he sat up and moved his head just inches away from her own. Their eyes interlocked, his softly glowing eyes staring deeply into hers. The silence stretched on as he searched her eyes, but all he was doing was trying to keep her own gaze. It was in his eyes that something odd happened. It first appeared to be a flickering of the light casting shadow on him, but that didn't make sense. His eyes were clearly emitting light, how could an outside shadow cause a change?<br><br>It happened again, a swirl of black stretching out from his pupil into his outer eye for a fraction of a second, before snapping back. One hand gently cupped her face to keep her gaze until it happened again. His hand was warm and surprisingly soft. It was a welcome change compared to the hard cold stone around them. What was not pleasant was a sudden feeling of dread when the flicker in his eye happened a third time. The feeling only lasted a moment, but it was certainly not pleasant. It felt as if something else other then Shenyo was watching her.<br><br>"To be honest." He spoke out suddenly, closing his eyes and having that feeling stop with a jolt. "I wouldn't know. I woke hundreds of years ago in this body. With a nasty voice in my mind. It is not very helpful, and wants nothing more for me to be angry and lose control of myself. I barely know anything about it." Opening his eyes again he gave a weak smile. "I'm just trying to make a difference." In that moment Shenyo no longer seemed a mysterious, old soul. Instead he seemed to be a young one, with a heavy burden, and barely any direction.<br><br>"I've never met anyone or anything like me. I am unique, as far as I can tell. Or I simply haven't found my beginnings. I remember nothing prior to waking up in that hell, surrounded by the fresh blood of a battlefield." He looked like he wanted to go on, but stopped himself. "To your question. Try anything you'd like. We'll see if it works. I seem to be...resistant to magical effects." Slowly he began to pull his hand back, looking back to the slowly dwindling fire beyond the water.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>01-06-2015, 05:28:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia fell into those eyes. Shenyo had insisted that she watch his eyes. Something moved there, she realized, like a monster of the deep, like the leviathan that lurked beneath the waters of Loch Ness. Shenyo wasn’t alone in his body, she realized. He was a double soul. She had only read of those but had put the legend down to no more than that.<br><br>If the legends were true then, the entity within had the ability to know, to read minds, to see bits of a person’s soul. No one could lie to the soul of the deep and she also knew that it made Shenyo powerful but that he had no control over what his powers were. There was no way to truly know. His power was ancient, more ancient than that of the witch.&nbsp; The ones of legend were reported to be Heaven born but cast out into the Earth. Power like this was not bred in Hell, so demons feared it.<br><br>“Shenyo, there is much to you that does not easily reveal itself to the human eye. Later when we have time and as you learn to trust me, your power will guide me on how to assist you in the best way.” Lydia assured him. She picked up the end of the tail and began to pet it.<br>That tail was like an entity to itself also, she thought. Something about it was charming in a way that the man, the creature was straightforward. She didn’t examine her feelings about it, but when she was touching it or it was touching her, she felt amazing, calm, steady and intrigued.<br><br>“There is a way out of the back of this cave. Do you think we should flee while the nobles are occupied or do you suggest we stay? I am ready to run if you are healed enough.”<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>02-06-2015, 02:19:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo nodded to her. "There's nothing for us here. I doubt they would have been able to track me in the confusion and smoke, but you're right that we should move anyway." Standing up his tail lingered in her hand for a little longer than perhaps it should have before slipping back behind him. "I thought you said you didn't know about this cave? Or are you simply guessing there is an exit without going back through the waterfall?" He inquired as he moved past her and placed a hand upon the wall to guide him. Though his eyes were well attuned to the dark, they would not fare well in complete darkness.<br><br>"We could make a torch from the fires outside, or if you happen to know of another way to create light?" He asked, looking back to her after peering around the first bend to see exactly how far it would go. The light fled the passage quickly, so it was better to decide how to proceed now. They could potentially feel their way around, but he wasn't entirely comfortable with that unless she knew for a fact it was a simple straight path.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>02-06-2015, 03:28:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia sighed as he inquired about fire, but rather show than tell, she snapped her fingers and out of her palm arose a small unwavering flame.<br><br>“The fire of my life force, “ she explained. “I use it sparingly and not for convenience.” She stepped up even with him so that the tiny flame illuminated the way in front of them. Not like a bright light that lit up the cavern but just enough to place their feet well ahead of them.<br><br>“Walk in the light.” She intoned. “As for do I know this cave, I do not know this cave like a well loved friend, but there is yet another legend that speaks of a passage way that leads from one world to the next. Those who are brave can find that path. I doubt that this cave is the one of legend but often lore has truth hidden inside. So, we step out by faith and with courage, walking together in the light. We will be rewarded if we faint not.”<br><br>Shenyo could not know that she was casting a spell but that is what Lydia did best. The Grimoire held spells written by others for countless generations, but her gift was to speak that which was not into being. Words were life and she breathed her immortal magic into them. The air around them became charged with energy, causing the fur on his tail to turn blue.<br><br>They carefully picked their way over rocks. Lydia’s toe hit one and it rolled over the edge, crashing and bouncing into oblivion. She held her hand over to the right and found that there was no edge but a sheer drop off. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.<br><br>“Have a care,” she warned Shenyo. <br><br>After they had struggled with the rough pathway, Lydia noted that the way began to lead upward. Her basket dug into her arm and her long skirts kept tripping her, but still she held her arm aloft. Her shoulder ached and there was no feeling left in her hand but she felt what she thought was a breath of fresh air.<br><br>“Did you feel that?” she asked Shenyo. She was so tired that if an ogre had been waiting for them outside, she would not have been alert enough to run. She hoped that her companion had fared better. Their survival might depend on him.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>05-06-2015, 05:24:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo's tail drifted along the edge of that abyss as long as they walked alongside it. There was not much to say in reply to her as they walked, his eyes fixated on the fire in her hand. To the normal eye it was a dancing flame of yellow and orange. To his, it was quite different. There were many different colors and sparks of the magic deep within her.<br><br>One hand gently rested upon her shoulder as she led the way forward. As she tired he gently pushed her on, until finally it seemed she had gone too far. "Yes, I did." He replied to her. "If you don't mind I think this will be a little faster, and a little safer." Without another word one arm went up and under her knees, the bracing her back and head as he lifted her into his arms. The hand holding the flame was facing away from them, so she could still guide them with it.<br><br>"You seemed to be getting tired. I don't need you falling asleep and leaving me blind in here." He added with a soft laugh as he continued to push forward up the steep incline. It wasn't soon after he lifted her up that stronger gusts of fresh air began to hit them, clearing the musty air from their lungs. There was a faint amount of light beginning to slip into their vision as well, a small light at the end of the tunnel.<br><br>They came to an old wooden trap door that had seen better days. Half of it was rotted clean through, and as Shenyo pushed against it the rest fell to pieces with a clatter against the rough path behind them. It opened up into half of an old stone cellar. The half they were on was somewhat intact. The other half had crumbled into a pile to the point of letting in rays of light into their side of the room.<br><br>Shenyo started to say something to her before stopping abruptly, head snapping to the other side of the room. There was a group of people, or what were once people, huddled down in a corner making small noises. They were crouched around something, and with a fresh gust of wind brought the scent of fresh blood. Were these even vampires? Or were they ghouls? The better question was how they didn't notice the noise they had just made already.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>05-06-2015, 06:33:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The energy drain from the flame caused Lydia to stumble. Had Shenyo not picked her up, she would have tumbled over the side. He seemed an endless source of strength and she found that she was happy to rely on him. As they neared the light at the end of the tunnel, Lydia breathed easier as if she had forgotten that there was any world except the one that was on fire. <br><br>In the crumbling basement, she blinked against the light, trying to take in what kind of structure they were in. Shenyo’s arms tightened around her and she felt the tension run through him. Lydia didn’t need any words to shift her attention. The sharp metallic tang of blood drew her.<br><br>A large group of people, whether they were human or not, she couldn’t tell, were gathered around something. They seemed oblivious to the presence of the two who had burst from the bowels of the Earth. Slowly, Shenyo lowered her to the ground. Lydia’s feet had no sooner grazed the stones than the heads turned toward them, but oddly, one at a time, until all eyes were on them.<br><br>The eyes, Lydia noticed, were full of agony. Misery was etched on these faces and hopelessness marked their bodies as indicated by the sagging shoulders. She eased back to stand just behind Shenyo’s right arm. Would these be the soulless ghouls who would rend them apart in search of their hearts and brains? Were they newly turned vampires or had they burst in on a blood bank in the form of human cows for the nobles? Or were they humans who had seen too much misery, death and destruction with nowhere to turn and no one to champion their cause?<br><br>The two groups, the people and the magical couple, stared at each other. An impasse was in progress, both wary to make the first move.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>06-06-2015, 04:07:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the silence stretched on and their eyes adjusted to the sudden light they were able to see more about what they were looking at. Their hair was sparse, their skin no longer pink and healthy but a muddled grey. They were human, he could tell by their scent. Yet what they had become due to their hardships, disease, and famine, was barely that. Even still, they were not heartless, mindless, nor soulless. This was a dying species doing what it took to survive something they were not meant to survive.<br><br>Shenyo spoke softly under his breath. "Slowly." As he began to side-step carefully and quietly towards the broken half of the room, towards the light. Every moment was slow and deliberate as he kept eye contact with them, and they kept eye contact with him. It wasn't clear if they were fearful, curious, or hungry.<br><br>As they moved his tail slipped up around her waist to steady her, looping around her hips a couple times snugly. It was certainly a nice feeling, and would have been more enjoyable had the air not been as tense and thick as it was.<br><br>The minutes stretched on and they were on the edge of the room, a grassy hill leading down from where they were. It looked like this was a remote farm house of some kind, fields all around them with the burning forest on the horizon. It didn't appear as if the field caught alight, at least not yet, which meant they should have been safe as long as nothing else was after them.<br><br>Moving carefully with her, it seemed they would be able to get out of sight without them reacting to their presence more than they already had.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>07-06-2015, 18:30:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With Shenyo’s tail around her waist, Lydia found the strength to carry on. The light seeping in from over head made it possible to close her hand to extinguish the magical flame that was sapping her energy so badly. His encouragement of Slowly breathed life into her mind as she allowed him to set the pace.<br><br>Most of the damned did not turn to look their way, only one old crone raised her head and made eye contact with Lydia. She shivered, not knowing whether to look away or to maintain the eye contact. When the woman did not alert the others, she focused her attention on following the man.<br><br>Once outside, Lydia relaxed, glancing back toward the cellar as Shenyo led her on. The farm house in the distance was a likely destination but Lydia said,<br>“That is out in the open. Everyone for miles around here must know it is there. How safe would we be there? For all we know, those people down there are the owners of that house, perhaps they use it to lure unwary victims to their death.”<br><br>She felt like she was being ridiculous and finally shut up her babbling. Lydia was tired of being strong and tired of fighting the odds. Was this apathy what had killed the others? Was it just the hopelessness of fighting the inevitable? She didn’t realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud until she felt the jerk of the tail around her waist.<br><br>Shaking her head, Lydia allowed Shenyo to continue to lead the way. <br><br>“Following you seems like the best idea I can come up with now.” She sighed, wistfully.<br><br>They did not see the old woman pop her head out of the cellar and stare at them as their way across the field, with the meadow grasses being crushed by the passing of their feet.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>09-06-2015, 00:41:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Their walk through the field was a breath of fresh air compared to the places they had been within the last day. The sun was bright, the smell of grass was thick in the air, and it was a pleasantly warm day. Most of all, they were safe out in the open, at least in Shenyo's mind.<br><br>"Everyone can see us if we let them. But in order to get there you can be seen as well. Either way we don't have many places to go." Glancing over to her, he adjusted his tail around her hips with a light squeeze and a smile. "We also need to eat. You're thin enough as it is. There might be something in that house and if not we'll need to hunt. After that..." He trailed off, slowly looking in each direction. "...Then we'll figure out where to go exactly."<br><br>As they approached the old farm house they could see it was rather well boarded up. All of the windows and doors were covered. There were some scratches here and there, but nothing was able to get in. As they finished the circuit Shenyo pointed up to the second floor, where one of the boards was broken in half and there was enough room for something persistent to force its way in.<br><br>"We should be careful. Who knows if something is still waiting inside." He warned, contemplating whether to go in from the first floor or the second.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>10-06-2015, 03:07:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia felt lightheaded. Her knees buckled but she caught herself as they stopped at the farmhouse. She was disappointed that the building was boarded up so tightly. Tears filled her eyes. She hadn’t realized how much she was hoping for someone to help them.<br><br>“We are still on our own.” She whispered as she looked up to the second story where the boards seemed to be loose. “ What do we do now? Are we alone in this world of madness? Is there no one else left to fight against the darkness or has the balance finally tipped in favor of evil?”<br><br>Lydia sank down and buried her face in her hands, indulging her despair. The cool breeze drifted over her, touching her with a gentle touch that felt loving. The scent that floated on the air was filled with honeysuckle and a large orange butterfly drifted slowly onto her knee. She wiped her eyes with shaking hands and took a deep breath. Shenyo was not deterred by the difficulties and was working to find a way into the house. She felt shamed by his determination.<br><br>She heard his warning of caution about the presence of someone in the house. Moments ago she would have accepted mortality as a quick end to the fight, but now, bolstered by his courage, she stood, and tossed back her black curly hair. <br><br>"What is the plan? I'm ready now."<br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>10-06-2015, 04:52:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"We take it for ourselves. We do not need anyone else's help." Shenyo stated plainly, a chill in his voice. "To them we're the evil ones, killing immortal beings for the sake of mere cattle. Who's to say if we're right?" An odd perspective from him as he walked over to her, and without warning, picked her up from behind by her hips.<br><br>"But enough of that." He said with a laugh, that cold tone quickly being overthrown by a warm, light hearted one. Shenyo did not pick her up a few inches, he actually lifted her up over his head and walked her over to the house. There was a front porch with a small roof above it, and that was what he was bringing her over to. From there she would be able to walk over to the broken window.<br><br>"Careful now, I'll be right up after you." Once she was up he jumped and grabbed onto the edge, pulling himself up after her. "If you want to help, do you have any way of searching for them? Or any other beasts that could be inside?" If they were lucky whatever came had taken what it was after and left. If they weren't, they would be walking into its den.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>10-06-2015, 05:29:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia gave a little squeal when Shenyo picked her up with no warning. His hands were strong around her hips and he hoisted her aloft over his head. With just a little bounce, he tossed her to the roof of the porch and leaped to join her. He invited her to use magic to search the inside of the house. She put her hand on her hip and gave him a stern look.<br><br>“Magic doesn’t work like that.” she hissed, afraid to be loud lest it alert any occupants of the house. “I can’t just see inside. I have powers but only certain skill sets.” Lydia squinted, trying to look through the broken board. An idea came to her and she said,<br><br>“Let me try a spell.” <br><br>She closed her eyes and waggled her head from side to side as if loosening up her neck muscles. She shook out her hands and said,<br><br>“Let the object of objection be seen. Let the unseen be manifest. Let the hidden be revealed.”<br><br>This she chanted three times, and used her hands to waft her words toward the broken board, as if her words were the smoke of incense and she was a supplicant directing the flow.<br><br>They waited and all was still. No sound within the house. No breath of air stirred their clothing. <br><br>Once more, Lydia spoke with an air of authority and directed the words toward the opening. This time, she heard the beating of wings and three ravens flew out, one after the other, cawing loudly. Then all was silent once more.<br><br>“I think that is your answer. The place is empty and even those birds could not withstand the summoning.”<br><br>She lifted her eyes to his and almost fell from the roof. His gaze was intense and she felt drawn into him as if her will was fleeing before the strength of his magic. She swayed toward him and time stood still. Blinking, she broke the moment by dropping her eyes.<br><br>"Do we just go down and through the front door, or do you just want to go in here?<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>12-06-2015, 15:53:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As she swayed he reached out and caught her shoulder, a concerned look on his face. "You've done too much, I shouldn't have asked." Already he had forgotten how he had to practically drag her out from the twisted cellar of the half destroyed home. She may have immense power within her, but it was clear it took a toll. Shenyo was much more resilient and durable, for better or for worse.<br><br>Once he was sure she wouldn't slip down from the roof onto her head he went and inspected the half of the board still attached to the window. Bracing his foot against the windowsill he gripped it with both hands and ripped it clean off, and part of the window it was nailed to, with a satisfying crack and tear of wood. Then once more with the plank above that one so they wouldn't have to squeeze through to get inside.<br><br>It was a simple home. They were entering into the master bedroom with a queen size bed that took up a majority of the room. There were a few dressers here and there, candle holders, bits of paper among other odds and ends. More importantly it was dry, warm, and safe. As Shenyo explored the house to make sure her spell was telling the truth he mentioned something mostly to himself, but enough that she would overhear him.<br><br>"Strange, I don't see the owners." He spoke softly, a passing thought. The house was clean and secure as far as he could tell, and eventually he found himself laying down on that bed with his eyes closed to finally take a moment to rest.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>13-06-2015, 00:39:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His touch was like drinking a potion, Lydia registered as Shenyo steadied her. She drank from his strength, although sparingly, not wanting to drain him. Together they entered the empty house.<br><br>Lydia was struck by how homey the place was. Ever creature comfort waited as if it were like the witch’s house from Hansel and Gretel of old lore. She looked around at the inviting bed. There was nothing musty or dusty about it, nothing to suggest that squirrels had made nests in the feathers.<br><br>Something was a little off, a bit foreboding, but still she stood, staring around, seeing nothing amiss. The house was empty of that she was sure. There were not hidden eyes to stare at them. Then Shenyo called her attention to the lack of personal items here. No paintings of the inhabitants. No written journals or account ledgers. No clothes in the closet or in the drawers on the bureau. The house was waiting for life.<br><br>Shenyo laid down on the bed and soon drifted off to sleep but Lydia paced the room, sticking her head in the hall way listening for sounds of activity. There was none. Once she heard the voices of passersby drifting on the wind. She edged to the window and peered out. A group of people were passing by, very far, hugging the treeline as if they were not willing to approach the yard or the house. Bits and pieces of conversation drifted up<br><br>‘”I dare you to touch the haunted house.”<br><br>“No such thing as haunted. You are either alive, dead or a noble. That’s all.”<br><br>“Fat lot you know.”<br><br>“There is a curse on the land. My daddy told me. Even a false step on the grass will condemn you.”<br><br>A push, a shriek and bawdy laughter fading away. Lydia stepped away from the window. Shenyo looked peaceful. She was beginning to find that she craved his touch. The desire was a new feeling. The touch made her calmer, steadier, stronger, more confident. She reckoned it was caused by his magic.<br>Giving in to her exhaustion, she crawled on the bed and curled up at Shenyo’s back. She hestitated twice to put her arm around his body but finally gave into the urge. Peace flooded her and Lydia slept.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>13-06-2015, 17:44:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo's ears twitched and swivelled at the sounds, listening to the children outside. It was amazing that despite the hell around them, people still kept on living normal lives in some respects. One couldn't hide in a house forever.<br><br>As Lydia's arm slipped around him he pressed back into her before falling into a deeper sleep. The sun slowly moved across the sky until it vanished on the horizon, replaced by a bright almost full moon on the other side of the sky. As Shenyo stirred he found himself face to face with Lydia, their arms tangled around each other. That long tail was caught around one of her legs and up snugly along her hips again. She was surprisingly warm and soft, and most of all peaceful. Until now he hadn't seen her relaxed. There was always something to do or somewhere to go, but for this brief moment they could rest.<br><br>Shenyo's eyes moved from her face to the rest of the room for a moment, ears perking up to catch every sound. The wind brushed against the sides of the house and pushed the tall grasses around outside this way and that. The rest of the house was silent, and dark. The only light being emitted was from the moon, which shone down on the lower half of the bed as it slowly rose up into the sky. Looking back to Lydia it was nice to see her without using her magic. She was far too bright when she was.<br><br>Letting out a slow breath he continued to lie there with her, pressing his forehead gently against her own and tightening his grip around her to pull her a little closer. Shenyo was near starving at this point as he was sure she was too, but he had a feeling the moment they left this bed they wouldn't find peace like this again for some time.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>13-06-2015, 20:02:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia woke to a pressure against her forehead. Images of frolicking in a meadow of red flowers and lying on a quilt with sunlight bathing her made her reluctant to find the source of the pressure. <br><br>“Mmmmm,” she murmured. So secure, she felt so secure, cradled in warmth that was neither overwhelming or threatening. She snuggled closer. A frown creased her brow, but she didn’t open h. Eer eyes. She wasn’t alone. Even breathing caressed her ear. Lydia’s mind tried to work out where she was, what day it was, what duties faced her upon awakening, but for some reason, a deep peace had flooded her and was carrying her on its waves.<br><br>Raising her hand but still with eyes reposed, she slid her fingers up to the face close to hers. A light beard rasped against her touch. She had slept with a man, then, she thought. A tiny spark of shock at her wanton behavior tried to ignite her to action, but Lydia snuggled closer still to the source of heat close to her. <br><br>“Shenyo?” she murmured, resting against his body and intertwining her leg with his. She could now identify the touch of his tail and she took comfort from that touch. <br><br>“What time is it? Has ought happened while we rested? Is the world still on fire?” She whispered, tracing his lips with the fingers of a blind woman.<br><br>“If I open my eyes, what then? You are all I have left of the world as I knew it. To what purpose?” she whispered again, but opened her eyes to see the moonlight shining through the broken board<br><br>Lydia placed her hand over his heart, feeling the steady rhythm bumping against her palm.<br><br>“You are vital, feral, alive. When you touch me, I have hope. I find my center. Is it your magic that feeds me?”<br><br>The bed shifted around them as if enfolding them in security, cradling them.&nbsp; Lydia wondered if the house was enchanted. She vaguely remembered the sense of the house from Hansel and Gretel’s tale. A house made of candy that appeared sweet but contained an unseen threat. <br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>15-06-2015, 05:08:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo breathed her words in slowly without opening his own eyes. She was tired of a world in which life was slowly ebbing away. It wasn't hard to sympathize with her, to agree completely. There were hints of life and joy but they were spread far and thin between canyons of suffering and torment.<br><br>Yet still they could not give up.<br><br>A sudden warmth radiated into Lydia's hand and throughout her body as she drank from him with a simple touch. A deep, burning heat that was almost too hot to touch. With that heat she could feel a single thought from his soul. Determination.<br><br>"We will do the best thing we can. Together." He spoke softly, lips pressing gently against her fingertips. "We will stop running one way or another. Fight to our last, die, or be captured. I've always found it hard to believe you lose who you are when you change. I've spoken with someone before and after...they enjoy what they are." Shenyo held her a little tighter. "Yet I simply could not believe them. The things they were suddenly willing to do, they weren't the same." There may be things worse than death on the path ahead of them. Or was all their running for nothing? Was it better to give in and accept a gift, instead of a curse?<br><br>"Next time they won't get away from me." Shenyo didn't think so. Yet as soon as he spoke that sudden heat passed with a breath and he slid his face alongside hers. Despite his anger it was clear he didn't want this. All he wanted to do was, "...I wish we could stay like this." Barely a whisper. "I know we can't. They'd never let us be." A fourth option? To run as far away as possible? To where they couldn't be reached? Some part of the world not yet infected, not yet overthrown? How long would that last?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>16-06-2015, 05:17:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Still she lay wrapped in his arms, even while the talk between them grew serious and hopeless. The house seemed to hold a hush as if listening to their words. Lydia frowned and whispered close to his ear. <br><br>“Do you not feel it? As if the house waits?” <br><br>She looked around, from the corner of her eye without turning her head, as if the house was a wild animal.<br><br>“I do not know what plans to make, but I think we should not say them aloud in this place.”<br><br>She held her lips just above his ear, skimming the flesh with her words, looking for all the world like a lover teasing her beloved.<br><br>“We should take any advantage that this place allows, food, rest, sanctuary, but do it with an innocent air. Let the house believe we are lovers looking for a tryst and nothing more. I like it not, the air in this place. My skin crawls.”<br><br>The bed seemed to cradle them a little closer and this time Lydia noticed that the hug was not coming from the man/beast who held her close to him.&nbsp; <br><br>“Do you not feel it, the bed?” Her whisper was almost a sigh. “We need to stand, to move about. We have had enough of sleep for now.”<br><br>Lydia was loathe to leave Shenyo’s arms, but she untangled herself and sat up. The bed shifted, but did not possess her. Swinging her feet over the edge, she casually stood and stretched. The mattress uncurled as the pressure of her body released.<br><br>Putting out her hand, she said cheerily, <br><br>“Come, my love. Perhaps there is food for weary travelers.”<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Still she lay wrapped in his arms, even while the talk between them grew serious and hopeless. The house seemed to hold a hush as if listening to their words. Lydia frowned and whispered close to his ear. <br>“Do you not feel it? As if the house waits?” <br>She looked around, from the corner of her eye without turning her head, as if the house was a wild animal.<br>“I do not know what plans to make, but I think we should not say them aloud in this place.”<br>She held her lips just above his ear, skimming the flesh with her words, looking for all the world like a lover teasing her beloved.<br>“We should take any advantage that this place allows, food, rest, sanctuary, but do it with an innocent air. Let the house believe we are lovers looking for a tryst and nothing more. I like it not, the air in this place. My skin crawls.”<br>The bed seemed to cradle them a little closer and this time Lydia noticed that the hug was not coming from the man/beast who held her close to him.&nbsp; <br>“Do you not feel it, the bed?” Her whisper was almost a sigh. “We need to stand, to move about. We have had enough of sleep for now.”<br>Lydia was loathe to leave Shenyo’s arms, but she untangled herself and sat up. The bed shifted, but did not possess her. Swinging her feet over the edge, she casually stood and stretched. The mattress uncurled as the pressure of her body released.<br>Putting out her hand, she said cheerily, <br>“Come, my love. Perhaps there is food for weary travelers.”<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>17-06-2015, 03:36:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo sighed softly at her words. It was true, he could feel the house as if it were another creature. Yet still it did not appear outwardly hostile. If it were possessed, and not enchanted, it may have certain rules it expects others to abide by. So far they were doing just that which made it content. The bed warping slightly to push them together seemed to solidify that fact. The only question was what would happen if they fulfilled those rules completely?<br><br>"Of course my sweet Alyssa, I know how hungry you can get." Shenyo replied with a warm voice and a smile. As he took her hand she could see in his eyes that his usual demeanor had shifted. It wasn't their current situation, something else was bothering him. Distracting him.<br><br>Walking with her back down to the first floor they began looking around the kitchen, opening cabinets and peeking along shelves to find anything that may be left over. At the end of their search they came up with a few jars of pickled objects that would have stayed fresh after a long period of time. Or at least fresh enough.<br><br>"A wonderful feast for my..." Shenyo trailed off, staring past her for a moment before his eyes readjusted on her. "...For my betrothed." The pop of a corked jar opening punctuated the sentence. It was a jar of various pickled vegetables, each piece looking more fresh than the last. Despite his words he reached in and took the first bite of what was actually a piece of a carrot. His eyes looked up to the ceiling as he concentrated on the taste, before nodding for her to help herself. "Surprisingly good for being left here for so long." He added his seal of approval.<br><br>It didn't take them long to move through that jar, or the next. Shenyo was always close by to her with either a hand touching her own or his tail wrapped along one of her limbs. It seemed he was taking her advice very closely as to keep the spirit content. A third jar popped open and he once again took the first bite.<br><br>As he took a taste the shadows in the room shifted slightly, for a fraction of a second. "The best one yet." He said with a laugh. "So good, I don't think I'll let you have any!" Playfully he snatched the jar off of the table and took a few steps back towards the staircase. "Think you can..." He paused again, something distracting him. This time he didn't snap out of it immediately, and the shadows shifted again, lingering in their new position for longer than before. <br><br>A feeling of dread began to hit her as Shenyo was beginning to fail to keep the act going. "...Just...not now." He spoke, but not to her, not to anything.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>17-06-2015, 05:07:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia looked at Shenyo as if he had lost his mind calling her Alyssa. Her eyes opened wide when she understood. Names have power and he was not giving the house her name. Yes, playing a farce with the house did seem to work and the sense of dread lifted a little as they went downstairs. When they found the pickled vegetables, Shenyo made an appreciative fuss over the food as if the house had gone to great pains to be hospitable.<br><br>The first bite of the pickled green bean brought tears to her eyes. He lied. There was nothing good about the food, but it did not taste spoiled, only incredibly tart. With a smile that matched his, she dutifully ate through the jar. Wiping her mouth with the tips of her fingers, she started to say what a wonderful meal and be done, but then a shadow shifted.<br><br>Cold dread shot down her back. Shenyo was cut off in the middle of his flirtation as he stared off into space uttering words that made no sense. Playing along with making the house think them lovers yet not using their proper names she said,<br><br>“Shane, whatever do you mean, Just not now? Give me those carrots.” She was playful and took the jar from him before he dropped it on the wood floor. He relinquished the jar and she took a carrot before setting it on the scarred table.<br><br>Chewing gingerly, she returned to him and picked up the end of his tail.. <br><br>“Shane my love. Shane. Look at me.”<br><br>The black shadow seemed to spread until it was large enough to hover over them. The sense of calm that came from touching him seemed to flow through her and Lydia pointed at the shadow and said,<br><br>“We didn’t mean to be greedy with the food. I put the lid on really tight just then so it will stay good for the next travelers you welcome into your home.”<br><br>She was trying to eased Shenyo away but since he was bigger than her, they stayed firmly in place while the room grew darker by the second.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>18-06-2015, 06:16:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>She doesn't even know your name. Is Shane her real lover? Are you just keeping her warm for him?</em> The voice spoke out, but only Shenyo could hear it. It made sense really. It was his own mind speaking to him. The voice was goading him, taunting him, trying to rile him up. Right now it was working and causing him to lose track of time in the waking world around him as he argued with it pointlessly.<br><br><strong>Stop it. Not now.</strong> Was Shenyo's simple reply. There was no begging or pleading or negotiating. The voice wanted what it wanted, and Shenyo was never to know why it did what it did nor what its purpose was.<br><br><em>She couldn't even stand to lay by your side. She was more interested in the boy outside. Maybe even the whole group would have pleased her?</em> It continued on, digging deeper and deeper into him to try and trigger a reaction.<br><br>As Lydia grabbed his tail and spoke to him his eyes focused on her, but her voice appeared muffled at first. In another instant the world became clear again and the voice was pushed into the back of his mind once more to nothing more than a whisper. A lingering, constant whisper, but a whisper nonetheless. His tail wrapped around her hand for a moment and pulled her closer as the room began to get a chill to it.<br><br>Without warning he wrapped an arm around her waist and cupped her cheek with his other hand. Looking deeply into her eyes he smiled to her despite the darkness looming just around them, becoming thicker and heavier with each passing moment. Then their lips met softly and the room froze. It was watching them very closely as Shenyo held Lydia even closer.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>19-06-2015, 05:02:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was surprised when Shenyo pulled her into an amorous embrace. They were close again, as they were in the bed earlier. He looked into her eyes and she was unaware of anything but falling into the deep space of his gaze. His eyes swept over her face, lingered on her lips and then covered them with his own.<br><br>He tasted for all the world like a pickle but she found herself melting against him. The hush that fell over the house seemed to have a heart beat but Lydia paid no mind to it for the shock and arousal of the kiss stole her breath. Her tongue rimmed his lips, touching his teeth before licking up into the room of his mouth. Her hands curled in his hair, clutching him closer. The darkness seemed to recede.<br><br>When he released her, Lydia blinked. She was a little sad and a little relieved. Her senses were reeling and she wanted nothing more than to be closer to him. Her clothes and his seemed to hinder her and a whisper of thought taunted her about tearing them off.<br><br>“Show him your breast. Beg him to suckle them. Tear your bodice. Expose your white dainties. Tease him with your nipples. You know they are hard and pink, quivering with need<br><br>Lydia blushed and gulped hard, staring into Shenyo’s eyes. They were dark and fathomless. His face was unreadable. Her hand went to the buttons on the neck of her gown, but she was dimly aware that these thoughts were not her own. The more she struggled to retain her dignity, the more the dark shadow built, crawling up the wall, over the ceiling to wrap around the stairwell.&nbsp; <br><br>She mouthed, “Are you alright? What do we do?”&nbsp; A low buzzing seems to swirl around them and she felt it deep in the pit of her stomach, making her breath come quickly. "Is this house possessed of a succubus?" she mouthed to him, cutting her eyes to the impending doom.<br><br>That word must have come out on the sigh of a whisper because the doors and the shutters began to bang open and shut.Then all was deadly quiet. Lydia glanced around. She was at a loss on what to do. She had a feeling the house was not going to let them go willingly but she had no idea how to placate it.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>19-06-2015, 05:26:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo couldn't help but melt back against her, holding her gently yet firmly as her tongue danced across his lips and his own came out to meet hers. Yet as quickly as it began it stopped, and he could see the fear in her eyes as she tried to silently ask for help. As he looked around himself he truthfully had no idea what was causing the home to be haunted, or what its goals were. Then again, it didn't matter.<br><br>Looking to the staircase it was encased in an unnatural darkness, magic seething out from it. It was a barrier at the very least, dangerous at worst. Yet the darkness did not cover everything. It was concentrated in certain areas such as the staircase and the very corners of the room. Otherwise it was simply dark. Guiding her gently he moved them into the center of the room where it was brightest.<br><br>"Watch it carefully." Shenyo spoke loudly and clearly, pointing directly to the darkness with one hand gently holding her shoulder. "It can move, but it isn't everywhere at once." Suddenly Lydia would see one of the extra jars of pickled substances fly by her, away from them and into the staircase. His tail had lifted it up at some point as they moved. The end result was a smash on the other side where one would expect the stairs to be. They could even see some of the fluids drain down onto the floor although the darkness shifted to try and cover it.<br><br>"Is that all you are?" Shenyo shouted. "An illusion to scare us?" In response the cabinets began to open and close violently again, until Shenyo grabbed one mid-swing and ripped it clean off its hinges. The house creaked and moaned in response as he tossed it onto the ground. "I'm tired of this game. Show yourself!" Though the cabinets had stopped completely he walked over and slashed another of the doors in half with his claws. It wasn't clear if he was planning on stopping, and the house didn't appear to know what to do. These were not the common peasants it was used to.<br><br>After a couple more cabinets were destroyed he stepped back into the center with Lydia, waiting on some kind of response. Did it feel his actions as pain? Was it a succubus controlling everything from some hidden spot where she could see them? Either way his actions seem to have garnered a distinct reaction from the being, whatever it was.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>22-06-2015, 06:53:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia watched in horror as Shenyo provoked the entity, the house or whatever possessed it. Her slender fingers covered her mouth and her eyes were wide as he ripped cabinet doors from their hinges. He was breathing hard when he stepped back next to her. She stared up at him but his eyes seemed to take in the shadows in the room.<br><br>A tightening around her throat pulled Lydia off balance. Both hands tried to loosen whatever was there and she truly expected to find Shenyo’s tail caressing her a little too enthusiastically. There was nothing visible or corporeal there. Her eyes began to bulge as the squeezing increased. The distance between then had become too great for her to grasp his arm and his attention was turned toward the house, screaming out challenges.<br><br>“Feeeeeeddddd MMMMeeeee” a voice grated in her ear, in tones too low for Shenyo to hear. Lydia stopped trying to grapple with the entity. She groaned a little and Shenyo turned her direction.<br><br>“How can I feed you.” She croaked. Lydia stood up straight and tall as if her neck wasaa being stretched on her body. “Tell me what you need” Her eyes were frantically searching side to side to see if she could figure out what was going on. “I will feed you if I can” . The pressure eased.<br><br>“Passion.” The voice hissed.<br><br>“I don’t understand.” Lydia croaked. The squeezing increased. “No, don’t. I don’t understand. Tell me what to do.”<br><br>“Fulfill passion.” The voice commanded and the remaining cabinets flew open to allow the few contents to go shattering to the floor.<br><br>Lydia was released. She fell head long at Shenyo’s feet. Looking up at him, Lydia knew he wouldn't be happy with that command. He was about business, she knew. Even though there was a magic between then, he seemed like one who would not wish to be ordered around by a house. or a demon. They needed to get out of here.<br><br>Rolling over, Lydia struggled to her feet, and shook out her hands as if working out the kinks. Rolling her neck, she summoned the magic in her and thrust her hands, palms out toward the door. A loud explosion rocked the wall and made the door knob explode, but the house was not to be easily persuaded to let them go. She tried again but this time, the invisible force knocked her to the ground, pinning her hands out at her sides in a T fashion.<br><br>A cold wind blew through the room and this time the voice was audible.<br><br>"Feeeed mmmeee your passion. Thennnn, you go freeeeee."<br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>23-06-2015, 00:41:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The house spoke clearly enough for him to hear, but it spoke from every direction at once. Where the doorknob once was a bit of moonlight shown through onto the floor despite the darkness around it.<br><br>A deep growl came from Shenyo's throat as he looked to where Lydia had fallen. Tendrils of darkness wrapped around her in such a way to pin her to the floor, and she was too weak to resist it. "You want passion?" His fists clenched tightly. "Here's some god damn passion!" He roared, the house vibrating with the inhumanly loud noise. Tendrils darted out from the thickest portions of blackness to snatch him like they had her. Yet as they reached him his claws sliced through them, the pieces individually dissipating into the air.<br><br>Lydia would only see Shenyo spinning and attacking at the air in what seemed to be a mad rage, occasionally being tugged by an unseen force only to slice it away with puffs of the black smoke appearing from nothing. As he moved she would feel the tight grip on her left arm suddenly retract, then her right, and eventually her entire body was freed. The house was putting all of its effort into containing the half beast which continued to swirl with flickering blades.<br><br>"The door! Again!" He shouted as he saw her unrestrained, suddenly crouching, digging his claws into the floor, and leaping into the door with his entire body. The impact of his kick send spidering cracks through the wood, but did not buckle, forcing him to jump off onto the floor to continue defending himself. This house was clearly strengthening itself. It was more of an entity than it was a structure, which meant they were fighting for their lives in its mouth.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>24-06-2015, 03:18:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was furious and she realized that this thing, this house was insane. Shenyo tried using brawn against the door and he was releasing fury as his offering of passion but the house seemed to neither be placated or wounded. If anything, it was gaining strength, if the thick gathering of darkness was any indication.<br><br>“Stand back,” she shouted to him and shook out her hands again. This time, she fully concentrated her power on blasting a hole in the door while he staged a&nbsp; distraction with his own display of power. A crack appeared in the door. Once more and a fistful of moonlight shone across the floor. Again and an opening large enough for them to squeeze through opened. She rushed toward it but impulses of energy burned her hand as she thrust it through. Lydia brought her hand back streaked with burns.<br><br>Narrowing her eyes, she whirled around and spoke to the ceiling as if she were speaking to its face.<br><br>“So that is the way you want to play?” she said, cradling her wounded hand against her body. “Is it?”<br><br>The silence in the room was thick as if waiting. Lydia held out her uninjured hand and said.<br><br>“You like to burn, bitch? You like it hot? They say you fight fire with fire. You want the white hot heat of passion? Then burn, baby, burn.”<br><br>The blue flame leaped in Lydia’s hand, licking high into the air.<br><br>“This house is old and rotten. The wood in it is brittle. What a perfect specimen for an arsonist. Shenyo, come. We have spent too much time here. We will burn this trap to ash. No one will come here again. This entity will not trick unsuspecting lovers to release their passion to serve its appetite.”<br>The dark slid down the wall and began to spread across the floor in a puddle.<br><br>Lydia held her flame of magick under the strings of rotted curtains and they licked their way through the fabric. The room was lit with the light of the fire and she held our her hand to the man. An odd thought struck her that maybe she was in love with him. but this was not the time nor the place to think about love. this was the time and place to think of destruction of evil and escaping.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>27-06-2015, 17:58:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo was breathing hard as the attack against him ceased, the flames having caught the houses attention. Watching carefully his eyes moved from the fire that began to coat the room to the opening just behind her. If Lydia was truly going to light this place on fire they would need to leave before it got out of hand. Worse yet, before the house trapped them inside for the same fate.<br><br>"It'll only hurt a second." Shenyo spoke as he grabbed her around the waist and shielded her with his arms. With one final leap he smashed through the opening with his shoulder, splinters and chunks of wood flying out onto the ground followed shortly by their rolling bodies. Fortunately for Lydia Shenyo's body took the impact of the door and the ground, never letting go. Standing up while still holding her he was covered in burns, a few streaks reaching her own body. Yet the pain wasn't on his mind at all.<br><br>The house had literally come alive, shaking and twisting and groaning under the threat of the fire. Through the now open windows they could see the darkness trying to smother the flames. "Keep going!" He shouted over the noise, setting her down and steadying her, bracing her so she could continue her work. The wood was beginning to crack as the flame spread, the ancient, dried wood unable to handle the severe temperature changes.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>28-06-2015, 16:38:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When Shenyo settled Lydia to the ground, the house was well underway to burning. Her concern was for the burns he had and the healer in her was more focused on that than the destruction of the building.<br><br>“The fire has begun its work and the dry rotten wood is perfect tinder.” She explained, trying to examine his arms. “I don’t need to help it along.”<br>The groaning of the house could plainly be heard, even from the distance of the treeline where they stood. Lydia had never seen an animated house before. The twisting and turning reminded her of a witch who had been burned at the stake in one of her past lives. A high pitched wail, almost like the whistle of a tea kettle filled the air, causing her to cover her ears with her hands and bend over from the waist. The entire roof exploded into a shower of sparks and flame and the house began to crumple in on itself.<br><br>Taking Shenyo by the hand, she led him deeper into the forest.<br><br>“We don’t know if the entity that possesses that house will die with the building or if it will be let loose upon the world. But I don’t want to be too close when it is exorcised.”<br><br>The going wasn’t all that difficult compared to the places they had passed through coming here. Lydia noticed the vegetation was not as dense although lush. There weren’t as many rocks but the pathway was grassy underfoot. There was a lightness in the air and a few song birds were busy in the trees overhead. She noticed a thin trail that disappeared into the ferns.<br><br>“Stay here, I’ll be right back.” She told him. Lydia wanted to find someplace safe for them to stop so she could doctor his arm. The pain from the burns had to be horrendous, even though he was brave and didn’t complain. Parting the ferns, she saw a deer wallow and knew she had been correct&nbsp; in her assumption.<br><br>Backing out, she called softly,<br><br>“Shenyo, come here. I need to see to those burns.” <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>30-06-2015, 04:09:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo tilted his head to the side quizzically. "What burns?" Holding out his arms for her to see, and examining them a bit himself, it was clear he wasn't simply trying to be tough. Nor was it an illusion. When Lydia had initially begun leading them into the forest she had clearly seen marks on his body.<br><br>Looking down to his clothes he finally understood what she meant. The cloak that donned his shoulders was torn from the fighting and charred black in strips in their violent departure. The rest of his clothes were mostly singed black in places. "You need the help more than I do." Shenyo added, gesturing to her hand. It seemed that she had been largely untouched when he shielded her, but her hand was no better off for it.<br><br>"Stay still." Gingerly he pushed her sleeve up as far as he could to expose the entire burn. There was no doubt it would get infected without medical treatment, or perhaps a magically intervention. Holding out his right palm, he took his left index finger and extended his claw just an inch. Cutting into his palm he let the blood pool before letting it drip onto her hand and forearm, beginning to rub it into her skin like it were a lotion. It looked horrible, and stung badly at first. Yet within minutes the pain was already gone, and not long after it was as if she were never hurt at all. Nor was his palm injured either, the cut he made not lasting for more than a few moments, just long enough to get the amount of blood she needed.<br><br>"Sorry if it's a little gruesome, but you can't deny the results." He added, gently touching her arm and hand as he inspected it to make sure everything was as it should be. A curious thought would occur to her. What would happen if a vampire were to interact with this potent blood?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>30-06-2015, 04:39:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“You never cease to amaze me,” Lydia said in wonder as Shenyo rubbed his blood into her skin. She leaned over to closely watch the procedure. “that is strange that I was burned. I hold fire in my hand all the time. I wonder what made today different?” <br><br>His touch was both stimulating and soothing at the same time. Lydia was beginning to think that he was like a potion or a drug. As her burns began to slowly disappear, a thought struck her. She pushed down her sleeve and looked at Shenyo with fresh eyes. He no longer looked exotic. Nothing about his looks had changed, but he was just uniquely him. A feeling of joy made her chest feel as if it would burst being so close to him. She was no longer confused by it, but wanted to stand closer to him for the sheer comfort of his presence.<br><br>“Your blood?” Lydia began, struggling to formulate her thought. “Have the nobles ever tasted your blood?”<br><br>He became quiet. <br><br>“With your blood having healing properties, that must mean that there is powerful magic running through your veins. Shenyo, if the nobles know of your blood, then you are in more danger than if you were only a vampire slayer. I must know. I think we need to find a safe place soon, for you have a story to tell and there is knowledge I must have.” Lydia spoke with reverent hushed tones. Her urgency could be felt as she put the bloodied hand on his arm.<br><br>“I think the house sensed something, with the both of us. Maybe through passion of any kind, the house could feed from our blood.”<br><br>She put her hand to her head and looked around as if trying to locate something important that she had lost. <br><br>“My head hurts thinking of all the greedy, envious spirits that lie in the world. Together, we can stay safe. I figured that out with the business of the house succubus. What must we do? Do we go forth and take an offensive stance or do we let discretion be the better part of valor? Do we carry the fight to the nobles or do we protect ourselves if the fight comes to us?”<br><br>Lydia paced the small glade and clutched her arms to her stomach.<br><br>"the nobles would be unstoppable with your blood. They would keep you chained and drain you nearly to death every day. They would become more powerful than before."<br><br>Finally she stood before him and pleaded,<br><br>"I find that I am distraught with the thought of losing you."<br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>01-07-2015, 05:52:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo's eyes moved from hers to the ground, unsure of whether or not to speak. Yet at this point he owed it to her to tell the truth. "They already did that to me." His words hung in the air, but only raised more questions than it answered.<br><br>"I could barely walk most days. They would drag me around the mansion in loose chains from room to room. I was too weak to fight back. Many days I don't even remember if I was conscious or not." He let out a sigh, returning his eyes to her own. "What I remember most was the ballroom. Their laughter and jeers as they swung me from person to person with a savage, quick bite. As if they were sharing a meal or a glass of wine with everyone in the room." A hand moved up to rub his neck by the thought of it. Yet she would find no scars, nor traces of anything.<br><br>"Were they to do that with anyone else they would have died easily. My resilience and regeneration formed my prison more than any walls or bars could have. I wanted to die but they wouldn't let me. They knew where to stop, and knew I would have just enough the next day to keep them feeling alive." Gently his tail looped around her hips, which may have been a gesture to comfort himself more than her.<br><br>"One day they grew distracted with something. I'm not sure what it was. Infighting, or something else deemed important. They forgot about me long enough for me to be fully aware of where I was and what was happening. Until then I was in a haze." Shenyo leaned gently against a nearby tree and looked up, watching the sky. "I escaped. I blocked off every entrance and set fires where I could. Those who managed to get out I cut down on the spot. To my knowledge every one of them burned or died by my hand." His eyes looked back to her once more. "I never want that to happen to anyone else ever again. I will not hide from them or back down from them." His words were firm and unwavering. There was an intense hatred boiling within him for these creatures that they had formed for themselves. At this rate it may cause their own undoing.<br><br>Slowly his tail pulled her closer until his arms could hold her. "I'm more afraid of losing you than you are afraid of losing me." His voice was lower now, softer. "I've lost everyone I've ever loved. Why would you be any different?" It was a desperate plea, not an insult. It seemed he had grown fond of her as well, yet she was not as durable as he was. It seemed no one was, but that yet again may have been a curse more than a blessing. What is life if everyone you love dies before you?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>03-07-2015, 05:25:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia had longed to take the tip of Shenyo’s tail in her hand since the very touch of it calmed her. A sigh escaped her when he wrapped it around her waist and pulled her closer. Tipping her head back, she watched his face as arms pulled her closer still. His gaze was far away as he grieved again for someone in his past that he had loved and lost. His next words surprised her when he admitted that he would miss her too and then,<br><br>“Love?” she blinked and searched his face for the truth of the word. “You would love me?” Lydia’s voice was soft with incredulity. Her soft fingers touched his mouth as if trying to read the words on his lips. Too many life times had come and gone since that word had been spoken to her by a man. She had thought perhaps it was her curse, to live and die many times without love.<br><br>She lay her head against his chest, her ear against his heart. <br><br>“What do we do?” she asked him again. The wind sighed in the trees overhead. The whole world stopped while they healed, regenerated and discovered truths about each other. Did love make them weak? Could they fight if the edge was removed from their anger?<br><br>“I will take up your cause and together we are more than you alone. I have as much to lose as you. I have heard stories of people who were the victims of tyrants. Each group said that the evil does not touch me and I will not protest, until the day came that there were no good people to withstand the evil and they were swept up in the flood of destruction. I will fight alongside of you. If you will have me.” She declared. Her voice was strong except for the last part, “If you will have me.” For she did not yet know Shenyo’s mind the way a familiar lover might.<br><br>“I will listen to your wisdom and be led by your experience. Shenyo, I couldn’t bear to see you swallowed into the night to wait by the fire not knowing your fate. I would fight by your side. Please, don’t reject me!”<br><br>Lydia was horrified at the way her voice broke on the plea and at the tear that rolled down her cheek. She sniffed, trying to bring her emotions in check. Willing herself to remain strong, she realized that this would end in a brilliant victory or an agonizing defeat.<br><br>“I don’t care about anything, except that I am with you through to the end.”<br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>04-07-2015, 05:30:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo did not have words to respond with. There was nothing in him that wanted to or was capable of denying her request. Alone was dangerous, and being with him was dangerous. There were no safe places to be. At least together they would share the same fates, and know the fates of one another. Whatever their future was, it would be shared. Still as he stared into her eyes there was simply nothing he could vocalize. Yet there were many different ways to say something to her.<br><br>In an instant she would find his lips pressed firmly against her own, arms pulling her up closer. That snaking tail slipped under her clothes and around her hips several times. The fur was surprisingly soft against her flesh, and was quite warm to the touch. The kiss continued, taking only a moment for air and to look into her eyes before embracing her again. There was a passion and romance that made their time in the house look pale in comparison. With his body leaning against the tree Lydia was essentially leaning against him in turn, practically&nbsp; pulled on top of him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>04-07-2015, 15:39:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was swept away with the first touch of Shenyo’s soft lips. His kiss left nothing unsaid, but spoke of his need for her. His arms were strong around her, holding her safe within their circle, but when his tail worked its way under her skirt to wrap around her flesh, a torrent of desire rushed through her.<br><br>Opening her mouth, Lydia returned the kiss. The male scent, musky with notes of a pine forest, that was distinctly Shenyo filled her nostrils and made the senses in the back of her throat want more of him. A soft sigh escaped her when he backed away just a little before adjusting his hold on her to return to the kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair coarse and soft at the same time, ruffling it on both sides of his head. The uplifted arms brought her firm breasts closer to him as she pressed against him.<br><br>Running the tip of her tongue against his teeth and then delicately exploring his mouth, she deepened the kiss, tasting his mouth. Lydia molded her body to his, wishing she could touch his skin, wishing her skin could touch his skin. The magical tail holding her close was soft and held a life all of its own. Lydia’s breath caught as she wished that it could brush over her body like an artist’s paint brush.<br><br>In the glade with the wind in the trees, Lydia caught fire deep in her soul at his touch. He made her feel complete and needy at the same time. Shenyo was tender and demanding at the same time. He was man and he was magical at the same time and Lydia&nbsp; finally knew desire like no other she had ever known in any lifetime.<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>04-07-2015, 19:17:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was hard for him to resist tearing her clothes straight from her body. The only reason he held back was because it would be quite a while before they could find something again for her. Instead he pushed her back and took the bottom of the skirt, pulling it straight up and over her head, letting her move her arms up to let it slide off more easily. Smooth hands ran along her porcelain skin as he took her into another deep kiss. Dexterous fingers unhooked her bra and tossed it to the ground. Meanwhile his tail slipped around her panties and pulled them down to the ground, allowing her to step out of them. In just a moment she went from fully clothed to fully naked, the moon illuminating her soft skin.<br><br>Next came his own clothes as he continued to kiss her, breaking it only when necessary t pull a shirt off. In truth there hadn't been much left to them, the tatters and holes showing bits and pieces of his flesh. Yet now he too was fully in the flesh and illuminated by what beams of moonlight could pass through the trees. Shenyo pulled her tightly against him once again, kissing from her lips down onto her neck, biting gently and playfully along the way. As they were pressed so closely together she could feel his large, hot member between her legs, gently rubbing along her lower lips as they kissed and rubbed one another. Lydia was off of the ground at this point, Shenyo holding her with a combination of his tail that was wrapped around her in several ways and his hands that gripped her flesh passionately.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>04-07-2015, 22:02:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia had not known a man could be so gentle in his dominance as he skillfully peeled away the layers of her clothes.&nbsp; His lips trailed blazing kisses over her soft white skin and she tossed back her head to give him better access. When he finally bit down on the swell of her breast, she gasped as shards of anticipation shot straight to her core making her feel swollen and moist. <br><br>He picked her up, his hands under each side of her ass, pulling her higher, opening her to him. Lydia wrapped her legs around him, quivering waiting for this moment of joining. He was hard with his desire and slid smoothly along her slit, taking his time to tease her before entering her for his own pleasure.<br><br>His tail seemed to have a life all its own as it grasped her around the waist, then binding her ankle, then snaking up to caress a nipple. Everywhere it touched her skin, she felt as if every nerve ending was standing on end. She was writhing against him, physically begging him to take her here in the moonlight.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>05-07-2015, 06:30:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo continued to grind his shaft against her pussy lips, letting her juices drip and slide along it as her anticipation grew larger. Those bites along her soft flesh continued to move up and down her neck and breasts, taking the time to suck and tug on each of her nipples to get them hard in the moonlight. The soft tail continued to caress her body, eventually moving up to one of her hands and looping around her wrist. It then pulled her wrist to her other, wrapping around them both tightly and raising her hands high above her head. Then, gently, he lifted her hips up just enough for the head of his member to press up firmly against her entrance. Slowly, almost teasingly he lowered her onto it before lifting her back up again, not quite pushing into her but always coming close. <br><br>Finally he let gravity slide her down upon him as her legs spread open automatically to let him in. His hands kept her body close while her own struggled against the grip of his tail as he slowly raised and lowered her, each time going deeper and deeper. Waves of pleasure washed over them both and intensified their lust, the gentle rhythm beginning to pick up, his hands gripping tighter and pulling her harder with each passing thrust.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>05-07-2015, 17:33:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia’s body clenched hard when the tail wrapped her hands, binding them above her head. Slowly, with a delicious agony, Shenyo entered her. Something white and blinding shot through her soul as he began the age old dance within her body. Their magic mingled and surrounded them in light. Power radiated from their skin as their sweat beaded up on brow and shoulders.<br><br>This was more than sex or crude terms like fucking, but Shenyo’s body sliding in and out of her wetness was a melding of spirit. Lydia cried out as immediate waves of pleasure courses through her, spiraling from groin to the tips of her nipples. She bit down hard on her lip to stifle the sounds. Primordial groans filled the glade as he sealed their unity. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>06-07-2015, 02:44:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The feelings between them were amazing as her body writhed and sparked with energy. Every thrust built up more and more pleasure, more and more energy, just waiting to be released. Sweat poured from their bodies as they made love with all of their energy and stamina, mixing pleasure and pain. His tail eventually slipped from her wrists as he lowered her down to the ground, laying his body on top of hers as he continued to press deeper and deeper into her. It was a completely different feeling than being suspended in the air, the firm ground not budging and forcing her to take all of him inside. <br><br>His lips found hers again off and on, his breathing too hard to always keep their lips interlocked. Resting his head beside her own he kept his arms braced against the ground around her, gripping her tight. His tail had found its new home wrapped tightly around her right thigh, pulling it toward to her to allow him easier access into her as their slick bodies slid over one another. In the otherwise quiet forest their soft moans and steady rhythm was all that could be heard.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>06-07-2015, 16:16:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The rush of blood to her arms was a pain pleasure and but was&nbsp; eclipsed by him lowering them to the ground. Lydia felt the soft spring moss under her back as he eased his cock the rest of the way into her. She had not thought it possible that there could be more of him and she feared that she would burst. Shenyo waited just a fraction of a heart beat to allow her body to get used to the stretched sensation before he let go of his passion. <br><br>The only sounds around them now were the slapping of flesh against flesh and her kitten like mews of surprised pleasure. His tail tugged her thigh higher and she reveled in its touch. Shenyo made love like the entire world depended on their union and Lydia felt a rising in her like a floodtide. In her many lifetimes and various lovers, she had never experienced anything like this. At first, she clenched her muscles tighter around him, trying to fight the wetness that she could feel approaching. Suddenly with no warning, her body gushed with water as spasms of orgasm powered through her. The ground beneath her began to rumbled and undulate as if the Earth herself was writhing in pleasure.<br>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOKx0xy8QE8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOKx0xy8QE8)<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>07-07-2015, 04:59:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As her sudden orgasm gripped him it triggered his orgasm as well. His breath caught in his throat as he slammed into her to fill her with hot, sticky seed, fighting against the vice that tried to hold him still and drink him in. Still he couldn't help his body as he pulled back and kept forcing himself back into her time and time again, filling her with more and more until he eventually collapsed on top of her with a heavy breath. Shenyo had no thoughts other then to simply lay there pressed against her and pressed deeply inside of her as she came down from her own orgasm.<br><br>Sweat covered their hot bodies, a light wind picking up and cooling them off as they laid there together. After what seemed to be ages he gently pulled out of her and shifted over beside her. His tail found its way around her hips once more and pulled her close. With closed eyes and softening breathing it was a wonder if he was even wake. Yet still he stirred enough to slip an arm around her and pull her in for a kiss before resting his head beside her own. There was nothing to be said that they hadn't explained physically. Instead there was only time for rest now. Night was almost over and they would need to travel during the day if they were going to choose to fight, or choose to run.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>08-07-2015, 04:38:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Wrapped in Shenyo’s total embrace, Lydia slept, bathed in moonlight. Nothing disturbed them as peace reigned over them. They were not aware of that the power they had created had at least for a while, surrounded with them an unearthly protection. Had they gone out that night, not one of the nobles, or even an army of nobles could have defeated them. Lydia and Shenyo’s unity make them invincible.<br>&nbsp;<br>Lydia had heard of sex magic and of all the many perverted uses of it, but she and Shenyo were motivated by something…..more. She would not know at this time of the importance of their carnal action, but when she, when they figured out the power in making love with one another, they would find that they had the most potent weapon to fight the cursed vampiric nation ever found.<br><br>Tonight, she slept the sleep of an innocent, willing to follow the man that she loved. No cold feelings accompanied this admission. Just peacefulness and rightness rested on her skin as purely as did the lingering essence of his scent. Lydia draped her arm over his chest and sighed.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>09-07-2015, 04:35:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was difficult for him to rise the next morning. At least an hour had passed as he laid curled with her, their bodies still intertwined from the night prior. All he could do was watch her in a half-asleep stupor, ears twitching and shifting this way and that from the normal noises in the forest around them. Gently his fingers ran through her hair as she slept, his head resting against her own. It was a scene more peaceful than he was used to. Negative thoughts of his own and not his own clouded his mind. It forced him to shake them off and in doing so roused him past the point of no return. <br><br>As his mind cleared and sharpened he realized just how hungry he was. Had they actually eaten anything last night? Those jars, what had been in them? Did they simply imagine it, or was it something better left unknown? If Lydia had not been sick from it then it couldn't have been too bad for them. Slipping away from Lydia he covered her with what was left of his clothing. This forest would be safe for the time being as the sun continued its upward ascent. There were also no known monsters in the area, just regular animals that shouldn't bother her as she slept.<br><br>By the time she woke she could hear the steady crackling of a fire nearby. Shenyo was kneeling beside it, deep in the work of skinning and cleaning a rabbit, preparing their breakfast. Despite the rule of the nobles life still continued to press on. If humans and nobles wiped each other out there would still be life moving forward in new and different directions. That included rabbits like the one he had caught. They were certainly not going extinct any time soon. Perhaps it was fortunate nobles thought of drinking from animals to be a lesser act, something generally beneath them except in emergencies.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>11-07-2015, 16:48:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				.Lydia woke to the smell of wood smoke and the gentle cracking of a fire. She felt drowsy and sated as she sat up, stretching her arms. She pushed her black hair from her face where the riotous curls had taken over. Shenyo was spitting a rabbit and she realized that she was hungry. Looking down, she realized that she was unclothed and a blush spread, not just over her face but it felt like over her entire body as she remembered their joining.<br><br>She wondered if the experience had been for him what it had been for her. She smiled his attention was fully on his task. His tail around coiled neatly around his feet and his broad back was a solid comforting presence. <br><br>“Good morning, Shenyo.” She said softly.<br><br>&nbsp;Her voice was as at home in the soughing of the wind in the treetop and in the quiet bird song as if she were part of the fae. <br><br>Lydia saw small animals, fox kits perhaps, poking their inquisitive black noses from the surrounding ferns but none came to investigate further. Life surrounded them, clean, wholesome life. There was a natural order here. While prey were taken by predators, only enough to sustain life was culled. <br><br>One could argue that the nobles were simply the highest order on the food chain and that they were no different than the large cats or the bear, but Lydia knew there was a superhuman evil about them. They didn’t take one or two of the old or the weak, but they sought to contaminate the world. Their mission was to enslave anyone they could exploit. How many more were out there like Shenyo? Like herself? How many were already forfeit? How many could they save? Could they even save themselves? She decided that if she had to choose that Shenyo would be the life she would choose to save.<br><br>Her dress had been put close to hand so she tossed it over her head and arranged her skirts modesty. She then bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them as she watched Shenyo discard the entrails.<br><br>“All my life,” she began as her eyes never left him,” I was raised on my own personal prophecy.<br><br><em><strong>“When a day is within a night and they that sleep awake, <br>He will come and together they will partake</strong></em><br><br>I did not know what that could possibly mean. But I think I’m starting to understand. I think it is a little backwards, but I think you are the one prophesied to come and we partook last night. But I believe the first line is about the nobles. The day within a night sounds like an eclipse of the sun and I know from the charts I have been studying, that one should occur sometime in the next two weeks. That will give the nobles the power to walk the Earth during the day, when the people will be the most vulnerable and exposed.<br><br>We could try going to the cities and warning the leaders but do you think they would listen to us? I imagine they would lock us up and send us straight to Bedlam.”<br><br>She stood and brushed the twigs and leaves from her skirts. A blue jay’s feather was sticking up from the back of her hair. Lydia’s barefeet padded soundlessly to Shenyo and she ran her hands over his shoulders, bringing her face down to press against his cheek.<br><br>“or we could find a nice place to wait it out and make love five times a day.” She kissed his cheek and ran her hands over his chest. “ The fight with the nobles is coming. The question is, do we try to prepare the people to fight with us, or figure out if this is a war that we alone can win? “<br><br>The rabbit was smelling good and Lydia’s mouth was watering but before she could concentrate on the meal , she had to ask.<br><br>“Did you feel the Earth move last night? It could have been the plates of the Great Tortoise moving deep underground, but if it happens two more times during our time together, we need to see if our joining is creating magic.” <br><br>She kissed his cheek softly again, “How could we not create magic? The power of three overcomes the world , so you, me and if we count your tail,&nbsp; that is three.” She giggled softly.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>13-07-2015, 04:01:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"A day within a night..." Shenyo repeated softly, watching her carefully. As her cheek slid against his own he stole a quick kiss. "You do make a tempting offer. It would be a nice way to forget the world as it burns around us." He added in before letting her continue. The tail that hadn't much to do before then almost immediately sought her out, running up along her legs&nbsp; before wrapping gently around one of her thighs. Shenyo nodded to her at her last question. "I did. It was a bit unexpected, but I went with it." He smiled as he teased her. "It didn't seem to be a bad thing in truth. And I certainly didn't want to stop." His tail gave her a playful squeeze to emphasis his words.<br><br>Using a wet rag he had torn from his cloak and dipped in a nearby stream, he cleaned his hands and let the rabbit cook slowly, rotating the stick every so often so it wouldn't burn the outside too much. "If your prophecy is actually a prophecy, there won't be much to stop it. Regardless of what we do that day within a night will happen." Shenyo's voice was a bit more serious, but turned light hearted almost as quickly. "The best part about a prophecy is that it ignores the details. It won't tell us what happens before or after, simply that something will happen. It's up to us to decide whether it will be a good thing or a bad thing, up to use to make use of that knowledge. If there's something special between us, then we need to figure out what it is and how we can use it." It didn't sound like he wanted to run or hide. Perhaps one time in his life that was all he could do, but not anymore. "You sound like you have a few ideas for that."<br><br>Standing up and stretching he slid over to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Or that prophecy it could be made up to comfort us. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen prophecies fail to happen. Though I have seen many come to pass as well. There are great magics in this world, and also great story tellers. Sometimes the two mix up." He leaned in and kissed her for a long moment, before letting go of the tight embrace and returning to tending their meal. As he opened up to her it was clear he was a very straight forward, blunt person. It wasn't his intention to hurt her feelings, but he wouldn't ignore any simple possibility. There was a distinct lack in social grace, yet at the same time it was somewhat charming. It was clear he knew what he was saying and doing, and that it was his intention to be the way he was. There was no deception, just direct honesty. It also bled out into his affection for her, the hugs, kisses, and endless badgering by his tail being a constant reminder of his feelings.<br><br>As the morning went on they were able to eat, Shenyo using his long, retractable claws to cut up their meal and portion it out. No doubt they were what he used to kill the creature in the first place. The conversation switched to what they would do next. "We need better clothes." He spoke while looking her up and down quickly, smirking to her. "You're no killer in a dress, as much as I like you in them. I would also like to be a bit more modest than I am now." <br><br>Though he seemed comfortable in the nude, it would definitely draw attention more than usual. Those tall cat ears of his were a dead give away, not to mention the tail. "I'd rather only be hunted by nobles, I don't need humans seeing my extra bits as well." He added with a smile. It was true that people destroyed what they feared, even if they didn't understand it. Shenyo must have been through that multiple times in his life to always wear a cloak.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>13-07-2015, 05:52:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia settled in to enjoy the rabbit that Shenyo had provided. She found his way of speaking to be relaxing. She didn’t have to guard against his words for he played no games with them. His gaze went over her with a frank appraisal before he commented that she was not a killer in that dress.<br><br>“Well,” she answered, sucking marrow of the bone,” I did not wake up the morning that I chose this dress thinking I should imitate an assassin.&nbsp; I’m not sure that any of my own garments would have been suitable. Do you think we should dress in a way to blend in with the nobles? Perhaps black leather pants and flowing red satin shirts with bellowing sleeves would be better suited. Of course, some boots fit with never a wrinkle to the thigh and black leather gaunlets on each wrist.” She was being flippant and not at all mocking of him<br><br>Shenyo was right. They were vulnerable now, especially him. There was nothing to disguise his dual nature. His tail was distracting her with twining around her ankles, then grabbing her wrist as she went to take a bite of meat. A smile crossed her lips as he halted the meat just inches from her mouth. She couldn’t resist giving him a warm, open look.&nbsp; Even had he been fully human, he was still fully and wonderfully male. There was no way that he could go into society naked.<br><br>“Seriously, I do have clothes and no one would take a special interest in me if I were to shop for clothes. Can you sense, or perhaps, scent a town from here? I fear the local farmers are not equipped to provide clothing fit for a pair of killers.” She grinned impishly at him, a dimple showing in her right cheek. “Perhaps,I can barter some herbals for some clothing or tell some fortunes for coin enough to purchase what we need.”<br><br>She reached over and wiped some grease from the corner of his mouth with the side of her thumb.<br><br>“I will follow your lead.”<br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>15-07-2015, 04:13:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"There should be one a couple days from here. There was a closer one but..." He trailed off. What had been left of the human population was undoubtedly gone now, raised to the ground with the rest of the city. There was a longer pause as he put more weight onto her earlier words. "It wouldn't be a bad idea actually. Why not steal clothes off the nobles' backs?" He asked with a smirk. "It would save us some time, the only question would be if we can find any nearby without attracting all of them."<br><br>Daylight was their current protection from the undead. The more of the light they wasted the less time they would have. Still, even if they found some they wouldn't necessarily be asleep. Especially not after the recent events. They were horrible creatures, but far from stupid. If they left themselves helpless every day they would have been wiped out long ago.<br><br>"Too bad we hadn't stolen anything from that house." He mused as he finished eating, throwing the bones and scraps into the fire. "Or your own house, if only that had survived." It had been directly in the path of the fire. It would have been miraculous if more than the foundation still stood in a fire that hot. This left them with only two options. Journey to the nearest town and make a few purchases, or hunt their hunters.<br><br>Shenyo stood and stretched before offering a hand to help her up. "Let's go buy some clothes." His choice was a little surprising. "There will be too many searching for us right now. We should wait until they've loosened up their defenses, and spread themselves farther. It wouldn't hurt for us to acquire a horse either. Did you actually have any money?" Shenyo clearly had nothing more than himself and a few scraps of cloth, not exactly anything to barter with. <br><br>Once Lydia was up they would begin their walk through the forest, taking the paths and roads that Shenyo could remember. Whether or not the town was still standing was questionable as his information on it was old by this point. They would simply have to find out when they got there.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>20-07-2015, 20:30:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Reluctant to leave the small glade, Lydia made one excuse after another, citing the need to collect herbs that grew in the area as the main reason why they needed to stay. She knew though, that staying in this peaceful place which had been hallowed by their consummation, staying was shirking their responsibilities. Finally, she took her basket firmly, pulling it into the crook of her arm and said with resolve,<br><br>“Time to go find that village.”<br><br>They started along the path, the shadows cast by the giant conifers were comforting rather than menacing. Had all of nature come into align with their purpose?<br><br>“The nobles are not natural and I have not realized it before, but all of life is threatened by their appetite. “<br><br>Lydia was thinking. How often had she been labeled an abomination by society? But she knew that her purpose was not sent to destroy but to sustain life. A wrinkled creased her brow.<br><br>“I don’t mean that they are wholly bad because of their appetite.” She went on, trying to explain, “It isn’t the appetite, but rather than lack of temperance that has all of the natural world awry. They seek to dominate and destroy, not from the need to survive but for the very sake of destruction.&nbsp; There were many who would feed them for a price. But the nobles, what use have they of a price when they can just take with no regard for others rights?”<br><br>As Lydia ranted quietly, for who can be loud in the heart of the forest, she found that when Shenyo would bump against her or his tail about brush her skin, that her heart would stop pounding wildly. Her temperature would rise and her breath would catch in her throat. <br><br>“You calm me and excite me at the same time, you know.” She chuckled, glancing at her from the corner of her eyes.<br><br>“I guess what I’m asking you is, can we ever live in harmony with the nobles? Would there be a way to negotiate with them or do they hold all the cards in this hand? Is there any other way besides death and destruction? Must we mete out to them what they mete out to the world? I’m not opposed to battle, but…” <br><br>Lydia caught herself. She would not speak of death so she chose her next words carefully,<br><br>“But I would live with you in my life for many years to come.”<br><br>The trees were thinning out and the smells that accompanied village living filled the air. The tang of manure from livestock and humans alike. The musty tilled soil of outlying corn fields. The ripe scent of many unwashed bodies in close quarters. Cooking haunches of meat and fermented ale. But over it all, a pall of smoke. <br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>22-07-2015, 04:59:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				That tail intentionally and repeatedly brushed against her. Sliding up her leg or swatting gently at her rear. His hand would find hers as well from time to time, though the terrain was not always friendly to walking side by side in tandem. It seemed that above all else he simply wanted to be close to her. Yet the reality was that they had to put themselves into danger to get themselves and possibly even others out of danger.<br><br>"You're not bad to be with either you know." He replied with a smirk, playing down his feelings just a bit for the sake of a light joke. His eyes fell into hers for a moment as she continued to speak, watching her carefully. They then drifted to the side for a long time, taking her words in.<br><br>"It's...unclear what happens when you turn. I'm not sure if you're strictly the same person. I've seen people remain the same mostly, but their lust for blood overpowers them. Some fight it, some give in. I'm not sure if you can resist it entirely. Yet the older ones seem in control, they have true personalities they simply don't seem to care. It's the young ones, the fledglings, that are less capable of reason or control when they have a thirst." Shenyo knew a surprising amount of detail, most likely from his time being imprisoned by them. "If the elders didn't encourage it maybe it would be different. But this is the way it is."<br><br>At her words of wanting to be with him, he was reluctant to reply. It seemed he was struggling with the answer. "I would like that too." The words finally came, a weak smile to her as they moved out of the thick forest and into the new situation.<br><br>The fire was fresh, but long enough that the smoke had gathered into a large cloud in the sky. They had been up wind so the smoke hadn't been noticed. The thick canopy had blocked out the sight of it as well.<br><br>"Great." Shenyo spoke softly, eyes scanning. It was mostly quiet where they were, but this village stretched on for a couple miles. The fires were mainly on the other end, which meant whoever was setting them was coming in their direction. Looking around them a bit more he noticed a clothesline blowing in the wind. Running up to it he quickly ripped off pants that were slightly baggy on him and a weathered, thinned out cloak. It wasn't much, but it was enough to cover him up as he hood slid mostly over his head. It appeared whoever this was for had a small head, especially with Shenyo's ears getting in the way on top.<br><br>"Come on, let's do what we can." Shenyo urged her, beginning to walk straight down the middle of the road. It seemed he wanted to be up front and take the challenge head on. Possibly not the best choice.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>23-07-2015, 04:53:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia had to admire Shenyo’s resourcefulness. He quickly and quietly snagged the clothes from the line and was wearing them as if he had full and legal ownership in a flash. She would have found his ears a delightful nuisance had the time been any other but the fire that was slowly licking its way through the time was of utmost importance.<br><br>A small child peered at them from behind a water barrel, his grubby thumb stuck in his thin little face. Lydia’s heart went out to him but Shenyo was moving with a purpose and his tail and latched onto her wrist. How did his tail convey expediency? She wondered as she nearly had to run to keep up with him.<br><br>“Most of the people seem to have evacuated.” She called to him, noticing the doors hanging half open and curtains flapping through open windows. The closer they came to where the fire was burning, the more the mayhem collected in the streets. Still she saw no bodies or live people either, but something about the unnatural silence over the town made her skin crawl.<br><br>On the last street before the fire leaped to rooftops, they saw a woman lying dead in the street, her long blonde hair strewn about her. Lydia felt cold but still Shenyo lead her closer. She thought she saw the curtains move in the house to her right but she couldn’t be sure. Glancing behind her, she saw the child following them, still sucking his thumb and even grubbier than when they had seen him five minutes before.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>02-08-2015, 17:32:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As they moved Shenyo continued to fuss with his ears, shoving them this way and that under the fabric to get them into a somewhat comfortable position yet not be too obvious to the casual observer. As they approached the body he stopped, eyes scanning the area around them. Eventually they too landed on the boy behind them.<br><br>Taking a few steps back towards the boy he pointed back in the direction they came. "Back!" Shenyo barked. "Get away now!" It was louder than he intended, but he wanted to make sure he scared the boy off. Yet the boy didn't move, his wide eyes staring at the body past them. Shenyo moved in between them to block his sight and shouted again, this time a monstrous noise without words or meaning. At the same time he stomped the ground once as if trying to scare away an animal.<br><br>As Shenyo tried to get the boy to move Lydia would catch something out of the corner of her eye. The hair of the blonde woman was moving slightly on the ground, yet the body was not. It was actually sliding very slowly across the ground in clumps that began to resemble tendrils more than individual strands of hair pressed together.<br><br>"Just! Go!" Shenyo was feet away from the boy now, towering over the stiffened boy who could only look back into his eyes with terror...and something else?<br><br>The world shimmered for just a moment before two pairs of crooked, blackened scythes had lashed out to pull Shenyo inward. One pair shot out from just above the boy's shoulders, another two feet above that where there was nothing but air. Just as that shimmer appeared Shenyo fell backwards into a roll, barely avoiding the deadly grip. "Lydia!" Shenyo shouted as he found his feet again, looking up as the illusion began to break apart.<br><br>Yet Lydia had her own share of trouble as the blonde figure slowly rose from the ground as if being pulled up by a string caught around her waist. Fresh blood trailed down her arms and legs before collecting at the tips and dripping to the ground beneath her. Her head tipped up and her eyes opened wide, the eyes of a snake staring directly into Lydia's. A horrifying hiss left her sharp teethed, unnaturally shaped mouth before a chorus of hisses joined in with her, those clumped strands of hair revealing themselves to be snakes with the same exact eyes. Each and every one stared directly at Lydia as they hissed, venom dripping from their fangs. This was no vampire. What were these creatures?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>05-08-2015, 02:58:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia’s body shook with the power of Shenyo’s roar. The child was terrified, she could taste his fear but something held him fast. Before she could move toward him, scythes came from nowhere. She could feel the rushing heat as they swiped past her, narrowly missing Shenyo. What in the name of the Dark Mother was happening here? She had no time to ask.<br><br>The dead, bleeding blonde woman on the ground rose up, limply with gore draining from her limbs. Lydia paid little attention to that. Her teeth and the hissing that proceeded from her lips held her in a grip of fascination. Her brain registered writhing serpents as yellow as the harvest’s corn. Her eyes were solid black orbs as she charged Lydia. With instinct rather than aforethought, she threw her hands in front of her face in a defensive move. Fire poured from her fingertips and the hissing turned to a woman’s high pitched screams.<br><br>Lydia rushed to Shenyo’s side, pulling him to his feet, but keeping a vigilant eye.<br><br>“This is worse than anything in the nobles’ city.” She commented, checking him for injuries. The boy approached them with stiff legs and wide eyes, falling face down at their feet, a scythe embedded in his back.<br><br>“This is a dark magik,” she said, frantically feeling his arms and his torso for injuries. Lydia was operating in panic and not rationally. “ We have to leave this place. Together our power is good, but I shudder to think what could be here. How long can we hold out against this evil? I like to know the manner of enemy that I am up against and I’m without an inkling.”<br><br>Lydia tugged at his hand and insisted,<br><br>“Run!”<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>06-08-2015, 04:09:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The scythe in the child's back slowly slid back out, and shimmered out of sight once more. The woman was still screaming as the unnatural flames ripped over her body, the snakes that still moved hissing in agony. She stumbled this way and that, no longer a threat to anyone as her final moments approached.<br><br>"No." Shenyo stood fast, his body uninjured. "If we run we can never defeat them. These are just monsters preying on the weak!" Shenyo's words ended in an angry shout. His body tensed and took off with a shot towards where he had been attacked. As he moved two more scythes appeared to catch him in the act. Instead of shying away he darted towards them, claws snapping out and clashing against them. Both of the scythes cracked and shattered, falling to the ground as Shenyo backed off.<br><br>"Show yourself!" Shenyo commanded, spinning in place and using his tail to splash up dirt and dust at his unseen enemy. A fine coating revealed bits and pieces of something standing before them, a creature of some kind coughing. Seeing his opportunity Shenyo rushed forward, jumping and planting both feet into its chest. The impact had enough force for Lydia to feel it in her own chest, and the creature went crashing through a nearby burning building. The weakened structure failed under the sudden force and collapsed on top of whatever it had been that was attacking them. A similar hissing screech, more masculine than the woman's screaming beside them, could be just barely heard under the rubble.<br><br>"Anyone else!?" Shenyo yelled moments later as he slowly looked around. With his hood off his ears twitched in every direction. They listened for every sound that was out of place, every creak, every crackle, and in particular any footsteps that might have remained. As he stood there, body tensed and ready to move, Lydia would see how he was able to fight the nobles. Shenyo was a man full of power and determination. The way he fought was unpredictable, resourceful, and direct. There was no dancing or testing out his enemy's strength as many liked to do, to make their enemy witness their strength. Instead he went for a decisive victory as soon as possible.<br><br>After a time, nothing responded.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>07-08-2015, 05:14:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was forced to use her destructive power two more times while Shenyo was forcing the unseen enemy into view. When she had screamed for him to run, she had meant away, but as she was learning about this lover and companion of hers, he only ran toward the fight, not from it. Using her power usually drained her, but she felt alive and powerful. As he was rooting out the last of the enemies, she pushed her way into the remains of a blacksmith’s shop.<br><br>On the anvil lay two broadswords with beautifully crafted silver hands. They had both been carved with dragons. One held an emerald for an eye and the other a ruby. She touched their broad, double edged blades with reverence. On the workbench close by ,rested leather scabbards. Lydia frowned. Then she realized in order to wear these, they strapped diagonally across the body with the hilt riding near the head. Strapping one on herself, she carried the other one to Shenyo.<br><br>He was resting on the ground, the cape flung around him. A trickle of blood had stained the cloth but his quick healing response had long since sealed the wound . His head was down as if he were praying or just exhausted. Lydia lay the sword at his feet.<br><br>“I found these.” She said simply. “I took the one with the ruby. The emerald reminded me of you. As soon as we can, I plan to imbue these weapons with magical properties. They will come in handy if our magic runs low. Of course, we have the power to rectify that when we have the opportunities to join our bodies.”<br><br>A grin crossed her face and her stance was cocky as if this fighting they had done had awoken some glee in her. <br><br>“I have never used my power for battle before and I find it exciting.” She said, staring down at the top of Shenyo’s head, watching his ears swivel around, ever vigilant. “Do you think it is safe to go? If not, I would enjoy blowing something up with my power. There is something satisfying about shooting fire from the palms of my hands."<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>10-08-2015, 03:07:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo lifted up the weapon with a quizzical look. Inspecting the hilt he glanced at hers, then back again. "This seems to be of rather high quality for a village like this. Strange." He spoke softly, ears still listening sharply to the world around them. "I'm not entirely comfortable with weapons to be honest. Good enough to get by but not especially skilled."<br><br>A smile went across his face as well. "You seem more full of energy than I've seen. I had to almost carry you out of that passageway before the haunted house. Is what we did effecting you this much? Making you this much stronger?" This had definitely never happened to him before. It was odd yet relieving to see her this way however. Before she had seemed to be more of a burden with the ability to occasionally assist him, but now she seemed much more that of a powerful mage. Their joining had meant more than he could have thought.<br><br>Sheathing the weapon he opted to hold it, instead of strapping it to his back. "Anyway, we might as well take them with us. Could be worth something even if we don't make much use of them in battle. Do you actually know how to use one of these things?" The thought suddenly occurred to him. Shenyo was used to fighting up close and had no fear of pain due to being stabbed, cut, or thrown around. Lydia was powerful indeed, but perhaps not meant to be so close to her enemy. A skilled swordsman could take on a crowd of adversaries, whereas an unskilled swordsman was likely to leave themselves open and make deadly mistakes. Was this something he was comfortable letting her do? Perhaps she had good reason.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>11-08-2015, 04:59:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was aware of a strength, a power that she had never before experienced. She was more than aware of the magik the joining of her body to Shenyo’s created. With the sword strapped to her back, she was feeling like a creature of legend, one to be feared and respected.<br>She turned a brilliant smile his way when he asked about her energy. <br><br>“Then I am not imagining it.” Her eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm. “You and I together are lethal to evil.” Her voice dropped to a husky seductive cadence. “I think we should make opportunity to come together quite often.” Her body language invited him and her pheromones rose around her, designed to entice a lover. Only her conscious actions were business as usual. “I feel as if I could conquer the world of evil. Don’t you feel the power coursing through your veins as well?”<br><br>He was too busy examining the sword in his hand to pay much attention to her child like exuberance. He lifted his head and asked her,<br><br>“Do you know how to use one of these?” the look on his face was almost comical. At least Lydia giggled at him.<br><br>Now, she had never touched a blade except to carve meat from a venison haunch or to slice an onion but now, she reached back with the ease of a seasoned warrior. The blade sang as it passed through the scabbard. She held it two handed in front of her body. Automatically, she flexed her knees and a feral look crossed her face.<br><br>“Shenyo, something is a little odd, but this sword fits my hands well and my body seems to know the dance of a swordsman. Spar with me.”<br><br>She circled him with mock menace, moving the blade in a slight circular motion as she danced on balanced feet. Feinting, she leaped toward him then spun out of his reach. Lydia plunged quick as lightning, stopping the blade short of his cape. <br><br>"I find I know this like I would know it was you by your love making in a dark room."<br><br>Lydia tossed back her head and screamed a startling primal howl. <br><br>"Spar with me." This time her voice was serious and challenging.<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>14-08-2015, 04:24:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As Lydia spoke and laughed and howled, Shenyo watched her. Even as she moved around him and threatened his recently acquired cloak, his eyes never left hers. Narrowing as she challenged him a second time, he turned to face her. There was a faint anger in his eyes, not of joy or eagerness to play. Slowly his eyes moved from her own, down along her arm to the weapon she clutched so eagerly.<br><br>"No." Shenyo said simply, eyes moving back up to her own to watch her reaction. "I will not." Looking down to the pristine sword in his hand, he thought for a moment. "Something isn't right. Listen to yourself. Where is that quiet, thoughtful woman I know?" Still his eyes continued to be drawn to her sword. Nothing in him trusted it.<br><br>Shenyo turned to one of the nearby burning buildings and threw his weapon inside of it. "We don't need these." He spoke as he turned back. "You don't need that. Throw it in." Silently he braced himself slightly. If this was what he thought it was, she was going to have a hard time listening to him. Depending on the severity, he may soon have to defend himself from her. Gifts such as these didn't come from nothing in a nowhere village such as this.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>14-08-2015, 04:42:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia’s eyes narrowed at him. He called for her to be thoughtful and quiet. She glanced at the sword in her hand and it seemed to vibrate with life, making her clutch it tighter. He tossed his blade carelessly into the abandoned building and she cried out as if he had tossed a child into the fire.<br><br>She circled him, stalked him with the weight of the sword arousing a lust for battle in the pit of her stomach. Lydia craved an excuse to use the weapon, not, in her mind at least, for mischief or mayhem but simply to feel the sword singing in her fingers. His arms were outspread as if he might need to catch her should she dart around him.<br><br>“I don’t want to toss this blade into the fire,” she pouted as she continued to watch for an opening, sword out aggressively. Her tongue swiped her upper lip and she feinted toward him. His eyes seemed to catch the reflection of the fire and for a split second she caught a glimpse of her own face. Lydia blinked as if coming back from a trance.<br><br>Frowning, she stood up straight, examining the weapon in her hand.<br><br>“Shenyo.” She said with a quiet, tremulous voice. “Something is wrong. I cannot open my hand. My fingers are affixed to the pommel.”<br><br>Blinking, Lydia began to try to pry her fingers loose and one by one, she pulled away from the hilt. Horror lit her face as she realized that this was charged with dark magik. Focusing, she produced fire in the hand that was held captive by the strange sword and it clattered to the ground by her feet. With the intent of placing it in the fire, she bent to retrieve it, but to her amazement, it lifted in the air and launched itself at Shenyo.<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>14-08-2015, 06:12:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo let out a breath of relief as she started to snap out of it on her own accord. Her will was much stronger than he gave her credit for. It was very possible she was as old if not older than he was, even if she had gone through multiple lives and this was the only one he knew. It was significantly more difficult to take over the mind and body of creatures such as them, but not impossible.<br><br>"Care-" He began to speak as it dropped from her hand, only to spin up from the ground and throw itself directly at him. Stepping to the side the blade homed in on him, not having any momentum or planned path. It was simply moving towards him, regardless of where he stood.<br><br>With a palm he slapped the flat side of the blade just as it reached him, sending it spinning into the air off to the side. Stopping itself before it hit something, it reoriented the tip of itself to face him and bolted forward once again. This happened again and again, Shenyo deftly moving from side to side, just barely hitting it away. The blade seemed to be picking up speed, glowing with an unnatural red light that originated from the jewel in the hilt.<br><br>The enchanted blade seemed to be learning, as it began to stop and start, and shift directions slightly to become less predictable for him. Shenyo was breathing a little harder than he should have been, his hands covered in his own blood. It had began to twist mid-air as well, causing him to slice along his hand if he wanted to push it away.<br><br>Finally, seemingly in frustration it flew up into the sky above him, before plunging down in a streak of light. It happened in almost an instant, leaving no time to react. For an instant Lydia saw that Shenyo was simply standing there. Then, just as the blade would have pierced his flesh, he was gone. The blade sunk into the ground just a few inches before the hilt. Just as it did he reappeared with his leg pulled back, kicking the hilt as hard as he could from the flat side of the blade. <br><br>It snapped in half like a twig, the hilt scattering across the ground. The red glow stopped immediately as did any further movement from the broken piece of metal. Taking a deep breath and letting it out Shenyo seemed a bit out of breath. It seemed the little stunt he pulled took a larger toll on him than he expected as he rested his hands against his knees. His eyes kept on the hilt itself for some time to make sure it wouldn't continue its mischief.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>16-08-2015, 19:32:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia had watched in horrified fascination as the blade tracked Shenyo as if it were a relentless predator. She felt wrapped in a fog of lethargy but as the sword rained down in fury, she shook loose the shackles that had fettered her brain. Before she could form an energy ball to deflect the deadly trajectory, Shenyo was just gone.<br><br>In a flash, he was back, with a kick which would have killed a man and snapped the fine blade from its hilt. The glow, which she believed was its supernatural life force, faded. Lydia was taking no chances with it, and threw the glowing blue orbs, first at the blade quivering in the ground and at the hilt. The jewels lit up from within as the pommel made an effort to spin out of reach. Lydia’s aim was deadly and then the smoke cleared only smoking ashes remained.<br><br>Running to Shenyo, she inspected his injuries. He was already healing. His bloody hands braced on his knees and she could see that he was struggling to recover from the relentless attack.<br><br>“That left you drained,” she whispered to him, looking around furtively as her hands ran over his body. Moving closer to his ear, she said,<br><br>&nbsp;“We have to leave this place. The forest has been the only place we have been safe since we came through the cave. We have the clothes we came to gather.”<br><br>Concern for him was plainly marked on her face. Tracing the muscles in his back, she continued to examine him. Lydia was loathe to NOT touch him. A current seemed arc between them and the connection created energy that she felt stirring in her belly. Up until just then, she had not given in to the black spots and the weakness she felt in the aftermath of the encounter with the enchanted blade. With the connection between them established, the black spots began to recede.<br><br>Still whispering, she said to him,<br><br>“With an enchanted blade there must be a mage to ensorcel it. This entire wasteland is the result of dark magik.”<br><br>Suddenly a cold wind blew and Lydia shivered,<br><br>“We are too exposed. Come, Shenyo. Let us away.”<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>18-08-2015, 05:18:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The air was heavy and full of smoke, it was no wonder such exertions tired them both. Shenyo nodded to her and stood up. There was no time to be arguing with her when they didn't know what else could be coming their way. Questions entered his mind however. Had those swords been traps for them? Or had they simply been unlucky enough to find them? And those beasts they fought, what had they been doing here? Not many creatures aligned themselves with the nobles. Nobles themselves thought of every other race as lesser, though they weren't stupid. If they could make use of mercenaries or assassins they would. Still, how would they know that Shenyo and Lydia were in this area?<br><br>"Last night." Shenyo said in a sudden realization, turning to her. "Last night when we made love. We were a beacon. How could anyone not notice that?" What made them strong also made them visible. Anything that had an inkling of magical sensitivity must have noticed and acted accordingly. Vampires didn't have the same magic that Lydia had, but they did have their own magic-like abilities. It was more limited, but functioned relatively the same way at the end of the day.<br><br>"You're right, we need to go before they find us." Shenyo hesitated to mention that the fate of the village was most likely their fault. If they hadn't made themselves known local villages wouldn't have been ransacked in an attempt to find them. That was probably why they hired outside sources to help. There were too many places to look for the nobles stationed here to do it themselves and still tend to their political dramas. If they had one true weakness it was the constant power plays between the lesser vampires, and occasionally those in charge. Without a steel grip things could slide into chaos easily. It didn't help that some vampires specifically wanted that chaos, though they would be more subtle in their intentions.<br><br>Picking up the pace Shenyo began to run with Lydia, slipping out of the village and back among the trees. The thick foliage helped filter out the smoke and eventually the air cleared up. They were left dirty, covered in dirt, soot, and blood.<br><br>"Let's find a lake, or a river. We need to clean up. Should help if they try to track us by scent as well." Shenyo suggested as they fought their way through the undergrowth. "We might want to stay off of trails as well..." His words were reluctant. Hiding was not something he wanted to do, but they were being forced into it at this point.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>19-08-2015, 03:47:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia crept through the woods after Shenyo but she noticed that the deeper they went and the thicker the foliage the lighter she felt. Once, she would have sworn a tree bough caressed her on the way by. She turned her head sharply but the tree stood still with only the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.<br><br>Her magic was elemental magic and as such, Nature had an affinity for her. Never had her skills as a witch been called into the forefront as now and so had never had a chance to see how creation rallied around her. In the distance, she could hear the rush of water.<br><br>“I hope that is a waterfall,” she whispered to Shenyo. His entire body seemed to shriek “alert”. His ears swiveled to detect any sign of danger. Lydia held her breath until her ribs ached before she would take the tiniest of breaths to tide over her lungs.<br><br>Birds had sung and flittered around them while they stealthily made their way along a deer trail. Once or twice, Lydia caught sight of a rabbit in the undergrowth or a busy squirrel chattering overhead. Suddenly her blood ran cold and she froze in place. There was no longer a sense of safety but one of caution. She and Shenyo melted back into the glade as stumbling footsteps began apparent.<br><br>“Vlad, I wish you would stop falling over your own feet.” A deep voice commanded in a take no nonsense tone. The small hair on the back of Lydia’s neck stood up. <br><br>“Kasmir, that is the fourth time a tree root has risen from the ground to trip me.” The other voice as commanding as the first remarked.<br><br>“Now you say the trees in the forest conspire to hinder you?” the first man demanded. “You need to feed if your brain is that addled.”<br><br>“I fed off that village the same as you. I am not in need of sustenance. Have you seen any sign of the pair of them?” He snapped, making a demand of his own.<br><br>Lydia risked a look at Shenyo but he was as still as a stone.<br><br>“How could anyone escape the House? Why could I not find a body skewered by mystical swords? Where is the body of the succulent body of the witch or the delectable body of the wereanimal?”<br><br>“We won’t find them standing here arguing.” The deeper voice accused. “If you are finished resting your delicate feet, I suggest we get on with this quest.”<br><br>The voices became fainter on the well traveled footpath just yards farther from the deer trail.<br><br>“What did we do to get elected to run those two to ground?”<br><br>Lydia’s heart pounded in her chest and she was afraid the sound was audible. She wound her fingers with Shenyo’s needing to touch something sane and solid. Finally, the birds began to flit and sing once more.<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>24-08-2015, 04:24:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo grinned, not entirely innocently. The predator in him was as clear as day as she asked her question, sharp eyes looking into hers. Whatever fatigue had been with him had been washed away by their appearance.<br><br>"They're alone here, this is our luck, not our misfortune." Turning away he started softly after them. "Vlad, his voice sounds familiar. He may have been one of the three that ambushed me. I don't recognize the other." There was no fear in his voice. Instead it was analytical. If they were to destroy their enemies it was best to know everything about them. If that failed, at least getting the drop on them would help.<br><br>Shenyo drew quieter as they began to catch up to them. It seemed the dense foliage kept the sun off of them, though it was curious how they had arrived here in the first place. Indirect sunlight was uncomfortable for them, but not dangerous. It simply implied the threat of direct sunlight that was so close by. For nobles such as these however, they definitely knew what they were doing. The real question was whether they realized their prey could fight back, and was far more dangerous than they were given credit for.<br><br>The noise of the waterfall grew louder as they trailed their hunters, Shenyo guiding Lydia with his hand as he kept her just behind him. His tail was also wrapped around her waist just once to help tell her silently where to stand. It did indeed seem like the forest was helping them. Roots lowered and underbrush moved aside to create as little sound as possible, and to provide as little effort to them in their travels. <br><br>Suddenly Vlad stumbled again, and shouted with swears. "I saw it move in front of me! We are going to burn this entire forest down!" He stomped down on the root, snapping the still living wood off with little effort. Shenyo pulled Lydia back behind a tree with him just as he tripped to hide them from sight.<br><br>"Get their attention. Hurt them if you can. I won't let them get to you." He whispered to her before climbing up the tree with his claws extended just a couple inches. In moments he was in the foliage above, and out of her sight. It seemed he had a plan, but these were still powerful opponents in front of them. Would it be enough?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>27-08-2015, 04:48:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia nodded at Shenyo’s decision. Hopefully these two were all who had come for them and if they could rid the world of the two nobles, it would be some time&nbsp; before others could reach them.<br>Shrugging off her dress, Lydia, long black curls her only covering, stepped into the clearing. She was aware that nobles could move faster than the eye could track so she knew she must be careful. She began to sing loudly with her arms outstretched as if dancing with a lover or dancing sky clad for spell casting.<br><br>The two men, vampires and nobles that they were, were still men who were driven by their lust. Their lust was deeper and unquenchable for sex and well as for blood. Most people could not stand under their gaze and would not make eye contact for fear of being enthralled, but Lydia had a stronger resistance than mere mortals. As she rounded her circle, she saw the two dark men plainly. <br><br>Reaching for them, as if drawing them in to her pure white and round breasts, she held their eyes as her one hand touched herself lightly at the juncture of her legs.&nbsp; They paused to look at each other in disbelief of the offering of flesh and lust sparked in their eyes. So blinded by their fleshly hunger, they did not see her raise her hands in supplication to the forest. Knowing she had less than split second, she held her pose and prayed Shenyo was in time.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>30-08-2015, 22:33:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Vlad ran toward her at first, knowing exactly who she was and what he was going to do with and to her. Almost as quickly as he acted he slowed down his pursuit, realizing something was wrong. Why would their prey give itself up so willingly? And where was-<br><br>Kasmir's hand stretched out to grab her throat, delicate white fingers with sharp nails inches away from her supple flesh. Lydia would just barely be able to hear a knock against a tree far above her as Shenyo launched himself downward through open space. The trees around her shook their leaves as he slammed Kasmir's head into the ground, catching him in the neck with his knee. Even as he made contact his arm was pulled back with extended claws, striking down into his neck and severing his spine.<br><br>"Finish him." Shenyo spoke as he stepped up off of him and towards Vlad, who had backed up. The face he wore was not one of fear, but anger. Anger that they had been tricked so easily and that he was outnumbered. Yet he would not have the luxury of a nice conversation as Shenyo dashed towards him, cloak fluttering behind him and reddened claws glinting in the light.<br><br>Shenyo lashed out this way and that, his claws catching bits of flesh and clothes as Vlad continued to step and hop backwards to get away. If he didn't do something quickly he was going to be overwhelmed and taken out just as quickly as his comrade.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>30-08-2015, 22:59:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia radiated power with her anger, knowing that her power was tied to her emotions. At Shenyo’s command, she threw a fire ball from her fingers, exploding into the noble, Vlad, who went up in flames, screeching like a Bahn Sidhe. <br><br>She turned her attention to Shenyo who was in pursuit of a canny adversary. Lydia knew that allowing anything of this noble to remain would be insanity. While Kasimir backpedaled, dancing delicately out of Shenyo’s reach, Lydia raised her hands in supplication once again. This time, nature came to her call and instead of a normal flat pathway under the man’s feet, the land behind him began to rise.<br><br>The uplifting of the Earth was not a hillock or a small rise, but was as if a great slab had stood on its end, effectlvely making a wall of rock at his back. Kasimir’s eyes went wide when his hands touched the smooth granite stone, the trees that lived on that small patch of earth like daggers jutting straight out. He was unable to go to either the right of the left. His exit was blocked should he wish to fly away the way she had heard the nobles were able to do.<br><br>His shrieks filled the air as he realized he could either die under Shenyo’s fury or try to live to fight another day.<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>01-09-2015, 05:11:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Vlad was shocked at the reversal of roles. The first time they had fought Shenyo had been out numbered three to one in Kasmir's home. Now his back was literally against a wall, desperately deflecting critical strikes to what vital areas vampires still had. Yet Lydia's actions had unforeseen consequences. The stone wall created a dark shadow in which Vlad stood. As Shenyo reared back and struck forward with a surge of strength, Vlad's form turned to black smoke and appeared to be sucked into the darkness just as his fist swung through him.<br><br>Shenyo's fist cracked the stone from top to bottom with the force, but remained still with his fist still touching it. There was a sudden quiet around them, and Lydia would be able to see his ears slowly shifting from side to side, listening carefully. Slowly Shenyo pulled back from the wall and turned towards her, eyes scanning the world around them. Blood ran from his hand that no longer looked quite right. The bones were shifted slightly to one side, something that would cripple most for life. Yet as he walked towards her it began to right itself, faster than she had seen him heal before. Did the urgency of battle trigger something in him?<br><br>"Lydia!" Shenyo shouted, his eyes looking just past hers. The same way that Lydia created a shadow with the earth, it seemed her small shadow and the shade around her was just enough for Vlad to reappear from the darkness.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>02-09-2015, 03:15:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was cheering Shenyo on as she held the risen earth with her outstretched hand. Her muscles strained but still the power flowed through her with the same flood tide as when she had opened her body to him. Something about their energies harnessed with a single purpose made them a power to be reckoned with. She was sure that Shenyo’s mighty blow would send showers of vampire bits cascading into the trees but it didn’t.<br><br>Before her brain had the ability to sort out what her eyes were seeing, she was caught in a headlock.<br><br>“What a tasty morsel.” Vlad hissed in her ear. “My liege will reward me greatly to have you in his bed and as his meal, witch.”<br><br>Lydia froze, the fireball in her hand fizzling out. Her magic like this was no good&nbsp; in up close combat. Spells were ineffective too. She was as defenseless as any mortal woman and she knew that Shenyo would be unable to attack without putting her life in danger.<br><br>One small corner of her mind spoke reason to her and she realized that the noble had no idea about one of Shenyo’s powers as well as his ability to share it with her. He was staring at her, his eyes trying to say something to her as she was pulled tight against the man’s torso. Her head was pulled taunt on her neck and Lydia knew that it would only take a small tug to snap it from her body.<br><br>Her fingers curled in on her palms as she tried to control her magic. Hoping Shenyo recognized the trust she had in him, she widened her eyes, trying to say, kill him. She had a plan to break the hold he had on her, but not until Shenyo made his move.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>05-09-2015, 03:19:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Vlad laughed a deep laugh, a mocking laugh. "Don't even pretend that you can do something. Run away from here like the animal you are. Take more than one step towards me and I'll snap her in half." The threat wasn't fake. Though he would get more if she were alive, simply eliminating her would be good enough. Taking on Shenyo after would be no small task, but he was confident that he had learned enough of his style to overcome him.<br><br>Shenyo's teeth were clenched tight, a deep, angry growl coming from his throat. His fists were gripping so firmly that Lydia could see droplets of blood falling to the ground. "You don't even understand what I'm about to do to you." Shenyo's voice was deep, and sounded different than normal. "You put her down now." That wasn't quite right. Shenyo's voice was there, but it was mingled with another's. Shenyo nodded to Lydia in understanding, and as a signal to begin.<br><br>"There's-" Vlad began to speak again with a smug tone, but was silenced almost instantly. Shenyo had been ten yards from them at the end of his sentence. In the span of time it took Vlad to utter a single word, Shenyo was in front of them, fist slamming forward and catching Vlad square in the forehead. What Lydia had planned loosened his grip, but the impact still send her tumbling to the side. Vlad on the other hand rocketed backwards end over end, catching on roots and the sides of trees before coming to a rest.<br><br>"Damn it..." Vlad muttered, coughing up blood as he rose up. It was clear part of his skull was shattered. As he made it to one knee Shenyo was already there, kneeing him up before slamming him back into a tree. Rapidly the strikes went into his chest and head, claws shredding his flesh and chunks falling to the ground around them. His arms weakly moved up and deflected a few strikes, but were quickly pushed aside to continue his butchering.<br><br>After an eternity held within the span of a minute, Shenyo stepped back from the bloodied mess, allowing what was left of his form to slump to the ground. His face was unrecognizable, the rest of his body a red, flesh colored lump.<br><br>"Regenerate." Shenyo growled, kicking dirt up into his open wounds. "Heal so I can do that again." He commanded him, anger running wild through him. Shenyo began to pace, a hand going to his head as he tried to contain himself, but only barely. He paused as Vlad's hand twitched to life, sliding into his pocket slowly. "Do you think you can defend yourself now?" Shenyo growled, taking insult to Vlad's continued existence.<br><br>Vlad pulled out a small pendant, something that meant nothing to Shenyo but Lydia would recognize. It was a talisman that only the highest ranking nobles were allowed to hold, because of their power. Before Lydia could warn him, Vlad muttered something barely intelligible causing the talisman to grow dark. The darkness spread instantly to Vlad and the surrounding area , casting it in a pitch black shadow. Just as quickly as it was triggered it vanished, light returning to the scene to show Vlad missing. This was no attack on them, it was an emergency escape tool.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>05-09-2015, 18:04:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia watched in pride as Shenyo tore the noble to shreds. She had fire ready in her hand to make his final destruction complete when the enraged man/beast taunted the bloody viscera to regenerate so he could have the satisfaction of inflicting this pain again. She wanted to shriek at him to move but she was frozen in place. One move of the finger was all it took for Vlad to summon his ruby Tiet.<br><br>Lydia’s eyes bugged out as she recognized the symbol from her book of shadows. The nobles had descended from a long line of this blood cult and this amulet would protect him. She thought of what her book had said about it,<br><br>The exact origin of this symbol is said to come from the hand of Isis. She created it to give her favored ones protection.It is often translated to mean welfare of life. The tiet is&nbsp; often called "the knot of Isis" or "the blood of Isis." It seems to be called "the knot of Isis" because it resembles a knot used to bind her adorants to the altar before she consumed them with the promise to rise to eternal life.&nbsp; The meaning of "the blood of Isis" is more obscured but it was often used as a funerary amulet made of a red stone or glass.&nbsp; It seems to represent the ideas of resurrection and eternal life. <br><br>Blood, blood, everything about these creatures screamed blood and eternal life. Only fire could destroy them! She fumed internally.<br><br>When Vlad left in an inky blackness, she rushed to Shenyo, the orbs in her hands dying out with a sizzle.<br><br>“Are you hurt?” she asked, intently examining him. Which was stupid, she realized since he would heal momentarily. <br><br>Lydia was shaking and looked down realizing she was naked. The earth around her was broken up and the vegetation was injured. Every where was evidence of the fight that was only half won. Half won meant fully lost for Vlad would have much information to share about them. She turned to get her gown. The fight had only truly begun.<br><br>“We need to put distance between us and this place,” she said simply as she tied her belt.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>09-09-2015, 02:01:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo merely nodded to her as she spoke. His eyes were narrowed and watching the spot where Vlad had been, fists still clenched tightly. Against one Shenyo had the upper hand. Though those few days prior showed how their numbers could overcome him, or almost anyway. This had been their best chance to take them out individually.<br><br>Lydia had stopped talking for a few moments, busy tidying herself up. "Shut up." Shenyo snapped, starting to walk away. "I don't need to hear that." His body began to move to the west, away from where they had come from the village. As he moved away from her his tail seemed to gesture for her to follow, even though he continued to have half a conversation with himself.<br><br>It was a nasty conversation, at least the half that she heard. Otherwise oblivious to her Shenyo's words dripped with hate and anger at the one who haunted him. Occasionally he would stop and pause, the only movement from his body being his tail swaying gently back and forth. When it eventually reached and found Lydia he seemed to stir again, walking forward slightly calmer each time. At points he would hold her gaze, a sadness in his eyes, before looking away with fresh anger and yelling at the voice to stop once more.<br><br>It was hours later of this back and forth, his tail urging Lydia to continue to follow as they made their way through the thick forest. Shenyo wasn't exactly being quiet, but sound couldn't have traveled too far in that environment. Eventually he found himself sitting down on a rock, hands on his knees, silently staring at a slow moving stream in front of them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>09-09-2015, 23:03:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo’s yelled, <br><br>“Shut up!” and Lydia’s head snapped up. She felt attacked, as if he were vilifying her for their failure.<br><br>“Excuse me?” she questioned archly, but his conversation wasn’t aimed at her. She stood in shock as he turned to walk away absorbed in a violent dialogue. His tail beckoned her, shaking her lose from her trance. Following at a good distance, she listened to him berate the other side of the discussion. She would stop, staring in horrified fascination while the tail, the blessed tail would beckon once more. <br><br>Lydia found that when he would beckon that peace would settle over her but as they walked and he battled, that she would feel anxious, and angry. She was torn by a feeling that Shenyo was weak and unworthy to walk with her and then that would swing to a feeling of power and euphoria like she had known after they had joined. Then the tail would beckon and she would be flooded with peace and contentment.<br><br>She began to separate her feelings from her knowing and to analyze those mood swings as he battled some inner demon. To Strengthen Shenyo, Lydia began to chant a spell under her breath for she realized that while they were not battling flesh and blood, they were still in conflict with spirits and powers of the air.<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"By the Power of the Spartan 300 and their King,<br>By the Power of the Atlanteans and their Magic Ring,<br>By the Power of all that Poets have Spoken,<br>I Cast this Spell so that you will not be Broken!"</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>With knowledge came true peace and soon she began to calm. The calm was like a spreading pool. They reached a small stream where he settled with his hands upon his knees staring at the flowing water. Lydia approached him silently and sat at his feet. His tail fell across her shoulders and she rested her head upon his knee.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>10-09-2015, 04:43:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo's fingers slid along her hair, gently kneading her head in a slow pattern. That long, reddish-orange tail wrapped around her shoulders a bit tighter, a feeling similar to a hug with a light squeeze.<br><br>A small breeze moved through them causing their clothes to flutter and flick about. With it Shenyo took a deep breath, letting it out as the breeze died down again. Both ears perked forward as the sounds of the stream truly caught his attention, eyes coming to life to look at their surroundings before settling on her own.<br><br>Hesitantly, he spoke. "I...lost myself a little there. I apologize for that." His hand slid down along her cheek. "It's best to describe it as a parasite. It feeds off my anger, off my fears. It amplifies them. It knows just what to say to push me further and further. It wants me to lose control entirely so it can take over, but I don't know why. When it does..." <br><br>There was a pause, and he forced himself to take in a breath before continuing. "...Is when people I care about die. When I'm most scared, most desperate, and most angry, I slip away and it takes over. The one survivor who lived to witness me after the change said I look like a demon. As for myself, I remember up until the moment of the change, and then waking in a hellscape of fire and death."<br><br>Slipping down the rock to sit beside her, he put his arm up around her and pulled her in close. "When I realized I endangered you, and then let him go out of my selfish, twisted downfalls, it just pushed me too far. It was stupid and foolish of me for so many reasons. I'm sorry." It was clearly hard for him to disclose any of that, especially apologizing and admitting his mistakes.&nbsp; "For putting you through that, as well. You didn't deserve to see me like that."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>11-09-2015, 16:48:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia let him gather her into his arms, knowing their union, any kind of close intimate proximity, made them stronger. He was warm and she breathed in his dusty scent which had overtones of blood, sweat, musk and pine needles. He smelled like home. His apology washed over her and she cringed at the regret that tinged his voice.&nbsp; Turning in his arms, she pressed her finger over his lips.<br><br>“Shhhh. You never have to apologize to me. Battle brings out all sorts of primitive instincts. We have to leave from our mistakes, not castigate ourselves. Others before me might have been horrified at the changes you go through but I will not. Demons and other underworld creatures are part of my training. If you take on a different form, inside, I will still know it is you. Even if you were to kill me, I would trust you to bring me back to life.”<br><br>Her arms went around him and she hugged him with an almost supernatural strength. His tail tightened around her. Pulled back a little, she put her hands on either side of his face and looked deep into his eyes. <br><br>“You are not a monster. And” Her voice rose a little as if she were talking to a distance, “Voice that lives within. You are not welcome here. We reject you. Shenyo is strong and complete without you. He is powerful and our union makes him more so. Be gone.” Her voice was commanding and her words were spoke with true conviction.<br><br>Then she lowered her lips and kissed him.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>15-09-2015, 03:09:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo embraced her kiss, deepening it and holding her closer. Though her words rang hollow in him. The voice was something he loathed his entire life, yet he felt it was more connected with his state of being than he would like to admit. It doubtlessly has caused countless suffering for him, but how much joy could he attribute to it as well? Was it the sole source of his strength? Partial? None at all? It wasn't clear, and he doubted he would figure it out anytime soon. It ignored all direct questions, offered no help or solutions in regards to their union.<br><br>Keeping his lips on hers he slowly stood up, pulling her up with him until she was standing. "We need to get moving again. Get somewhere populated where we can hide for a while and come up with a plan. They'll burn a small village, but not entire cities. They wouldn't risk an entire food supply now would they?" Shenyo said with a smile, seeming to slip into his usual self. "That last one...well that was my fault after all." He added as an afterthought. It seemed as if it were ages ago, but they had only just met hadn't they? Battle and conflict caused people to grow close together, especially when that conflict seems to follow them so closely, so harshly. Who else would have luck like theirs? It was almost as if events were being perpetually drawn towards them.<br><br>"Let's get out to a road. If we're quick we can get ahead of them." His hand took her own and squeezed it, while his tail took hold of her hips once more. "Sound like a plan?" There were options for them, as long as they were smart and swift.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>20-09-2015, 01:05:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia walked the solitary pathway with the birds flitting over head, securely wrapped in Shenyo’s tail. They were silent with only the crunching of leaves heard from her footsteps. Shenyo moved as silently as death. She kept wanting to ask him his thoughts or what plans he might be formulating, but something in his demeanor stopped her. She realized it was enough that they were together and alive. They walked until her footsteps were dragging and the sun was lowering in the afternoon sky but Lydia was not one to complain. Following Shenyo became her life's purpose.<br><br>The pathway finallyy led to an opening, a meadow it once was but now the remnants of a farmer’s market belied the fact that civilization was close. Old pumpkins lay broken shells amid rotten tomatoes and shelled corn. She stepped over a faceless doll.&nbsp; Shenyo’s tail pulled her tighter and Lydia was glad for its comfort. They could hear voices, happy voices, in the distance but rather than approaching the village, they moved closer to the trees, even though it required them to pick their way through brambles and rocks.<br><br>They crept up a small rise. Shenyo’s tail tugged her to a crouch and they approached the edge on their bellies. Small evergreen bushes camouflaged their presence as well as his feline scent. No one down below seemed to notice them. Lydia was tired. They had not stopped to eat or to rest, so harried were they to put distance between themselves and the nobles. She lay her head down and closed her eyes while she waited for Shenyo to decide what they needed to do next.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>29-09-2015, 04:17:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The soft fur of his tail ran along her bare stomach as she settled down. Back and forth it slid slowly, brushing some of the dirt off of her that the forest and ground had placed upon her. At the sound of a gentle sigh slipping from her lips, she could feel his hand press against her lower back.<br><br>"Come on. It looks safe for the moment. We'll be in and out, and on our way." Shenyo was used to travel without food or rest. Whether he was hunting or being hunted, a world before vampires wasn't much safer for one that looked as he did. The only difference was who wanted his head, and the strength of his enemies. Though before he never would have considered killing a king, the moral high grounds of killing the vampires seemed much more appealing on a personal level.<br><br>Tucking his ears down tight against his head Shenyo slipped back down the slope, tail pulling on her a few times before slipping around his own waist like a fuzzy belt. With a worn Lydia in tow they walked side by side down the road attempting to not look too suspicious. Lydia's clothes were now so dirty that she fit right in with the commoners, and as Shenyo's cloak was the only thing he had in his possession he too fit in so long as he kept it tight enough around his body to not expose himself.<br><br>The outskirts of the village were littered with decent sized homes made of log and stone, the logs most likely coming from the nearby forest if where they stood hadn't been a forest originally. As they made their way inward to the main streets the houses became nicer, but in the end it all looked poor. Though the vampires after them hadn't yet been here, this village was certainly under their control. The younger generations could still find joy, as those playing just outside the village, but for the most part even Lydia could see a constant fear in the eyes of those the passed, a weariness in their bones. People would be taken without warning or care. Those who fought would be taken as well, not that they ever had a chance with make-shift weapons made from farmer's tools.<br><br>"There, a tailor. He's bound to have something for us." Shenyo gestured to a sign across the street. As they approached they found the windows boarded up, some boards barely hanging on. Inside the room was a mess. Hangers and clothes littered the floor. As they explored they found a bloodstain on the counter, where quite a lot of blood had been spilled. "Was this even vampires?" Shenyo asked softly, running his hand over the dried blood. "We'll just take what we can then. No need to steal this way." It wasn't clear what Shenyo's original plan had been if the tailor had been alive and well, but something told Lydia the tailor would not have been happy with the result anyway.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>01-10-2015, 14:22:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The tailor’s shop was eerily quiet. Only the scuffling of some foraging rodent broke the silence with an occasional scuffle with a dried leaf. The hair on Lydia’s arms stood up. The tang of dried blood hung in the air like a rotting carcass as she clung to Shenyo’s tail. She was beyond weary and frustrated that they could not easily decimate their enemies for it seemed as if here, where ever here was, there were many.<br><br>She righted a toppled chair but something about Shenyo’s posture suggested that this was not a right thing to do. Perhaps, they should keep their footprint small in here as well as out in the open. Picking her way pasted smashed cases of thimbles and spools of thread, she soon saw there were no garments left finished. Disappointment clung to her as she tossed one brocade gown the color of new grass down in disgust because it had been rent from bodice to hem and was stained with brown blood around the neck. <br><br>Stepping into the smallish kitchen with its tiny fireplace and one battered wooden table, she sank down at the bench and put her face in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she pushed on the table to stand but noticed two things at once. In the corner was a servant’s dress hanging on a peg and the table moved easily to reveal an indention in the floor with a brass ring attached. Lydia was not too proud to wear a peasant's brown serge garment and different clothing was a high priority. Maybe Shenyo would want to inspect that little mystery of a trap door. <br><br>Taking the loose fit dress off the hook, she quickly began stripping off the soiled and travel filthy one she wore. The air was cool on her skin and she wished for some washing water, but knew that a humble house would not have water too readily available. Scouting around, she did find the small tea kettle did hold some water so she poured some out into her cupped hand and began by rubbing it into her face. The rough homespun fabric was scratchy against her white skin but when she was finished, she felt better.<br><br>"Do you think the trap door is truly an escape route or perhaps just a root cellar or a place to store wine?" she asked Shenyo as she was winding her thick black hair into a knot.<br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>05-10-2015, 02:12:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo had been gathering up those loose pieces of fabric along with the remnants of sewing supplies when she questioned him. Setting them down onto what used to be the workbench of the store, he walked over to the table to take a look. "We can certainly find out, maybe there's something left for us to-" He had been shifting the table off of its indentation, causing the trapdoor to shift and creak against its frame. His eyes narrowed, and he set the table back down slowly.<br><br>"We don't want to go in there." Shenyo spoke coldly, adjusting the table to make sure it was in place before kneeling and placing his head down along the crack. His large ear pressed firmly to the wood, listening for something. With his hand he knocked one time, loudly, before remaining still. In response Lydia would be able to hear faint shuffling, though Shenyo heard much more. Ragged breathing, shuffling, stumbling, and growling.<br><br>Slowly he rose back up, looking over to her with a concerned expression and a hushed voice. "Something died down there, and is now back among the living. I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but we shouldn't stick around much longer to find out. I want to create a makeshift cloak, and then we can be on our way. Do not move the table." Shenyo honestly wasn't sure if the table would stop whatever it was. There were stories of individuals dying in horrible ways coming back from the dead as a number of different things. From what he heard there was definitely more than one. What they were was unclear. They could be simple zombies, or they could be much, much worse. The level of anger, sadness, and hatred tended to determine the outcome, along with the cause of death. If someone had put them down there and trapped them, they could have starved to death, or perhaps been unable to breathe. Who was to know?<br><br>Shenyo slid into the seat with scraps of green cloth of varying hues and colors, determined to make something halfway acceptable before they moved forward again. As long as they were quiet, they wouldn't have any problems.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>10-10-2015, 20:21:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia listened to Shenyo, having learned that his intuition was nearly flawless as long as he wasn’t in the throes of battle. She climbed on top of the table to lend her slight weight to the weight of the table while he worked to craft a garment. She wove some magic through a spoken spell that caused a white mist to circle the garment. Every stitch he took glowed red as the thread when through the fabric to quickly return to a normal looking thread as it settled into place.<br><br>“I am doing my best to add protection into this garment. “She explained when she was finished with her spell. He didn’t look up from his work but she could tell he heard her and even acknowledged her intent. Lydia could not perform such a spell on herself because that would fall under the category of personal gain. Only her magic could be used to bless someone else, although on occasion her magic was used to defend herself. Only the thought of how went she rid the world of an evil that she was making it a safer place for others justified her actions. <br><br>Shenyo was remarkably nimble with the needle and thread. When Lydia&nbsp; moved to help him, his tail lashed across her arm as if telling her to be patient and allow him to work. When the light in the room became dim, she held a ball of fire in her hand to illuminate the darkness for him. She wished there was more she could do to aid him. Lydia was not lazy but she was at a loss in this world. She was growing more and more attuned to Shenyo, depending on him to make decisions and to keep them safe. A nagging fear in the back of her mind suggested she was a liability for him, that her mortal fragility would get him killed soon.<br><br>“You must promise me, “ she said earnestly,” that you will never chose my life over your own. Do not risk yourself to save me. You must live to complete this battle.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>22-10-2015, 05:02:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo paused for a moment, looking up into her eyes from his work. There were doubts in his mind about their survival, specifically hers, and hearing her words brought them back to the front of his mind. At certain points in his life death sounded like a welcome refuge. Instead he was always the one to survive in the end, even if just barely. Part of it was his own fault. They could have run from these monsters and horrors, yet they threw themselves into the fire for the sake of others. As far as trying to survive it was a rather stupid plan. To go up against something that was in the process of causing the extinction of the previously ruling species was not exactly clever.<br><br>&nbsp;"I will never promise you that. I will never put myself or my life above yours. I am risking you every moment you're around me. If things ever get too rough, you are the one who needs to run." He was having trouble keeping his voice low. "You must promise me that." One hand rested upon her own, gripping it gently.<br><br>There were slight stirrings from beneath the floorboards causing Shenyo's ears turning towards the sounds. Yet he paid them no mind, swiveling his ears back to her. Whatever was down there was not something he wanted to aggravate, but he wanted to make his point clear to her. He was determined to stay there until she agreed to his request even if he would never agree to hers.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>27-10-2015, 03:16:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				They were at an impasse. Lydia was desperate for Shenyo’s pledge of honor and he insistent upon her vow of obedience. His grip was like iron shackles and for a heartbeat in time, she felt his steely resolve. Only what felt like a small earthquake under the table was able to shake sense into her. She realized that he would outstubborn her any day and would allow the things that go bump under the table to awaken before he left without her agreement.<br><br>First her chin came up in rebellion but then his ears bore into hers, making her drop her gaze. The first thing she saw was his tail lashing the air and she was gripped with a longing for him to wrap it around her waist. His fingers were fastened tightly, yet gently around her wrist and she nodded her head,<br><br>“As you wish.” She answered in a soft whisper. A tear escaped her and stained a spreading wetness on the rough skirt she now wore. Her cheeks were flaming in her otherwise pale face and she brought her face up to his. Bravely, she managed a wry smile and she said,<br><br>“I think we should go. Are you&nbsp; ready yet?”<br><br>She wanted to put distance between this place and them. She wanted to run until there was no more fighting and no more death. Lydia just wanted a place where she and Shenyo could be safe and together but that cold spot in the pit of her stomach warned it that utopia would be a long time coming.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>29-10-2015, 01:08:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo smiled, kissing her gently on the lips. "Thank you. We're good enough, let's get going." Despite how fast he moved his fingers and with seeming dexterity, the cloak was far from perfect. What it did do well however, was cover him and protect him from the wind even if it was somewhat lopsided. In her eyes it seemed there was nothing he could do poorly even if in reality the list was near endless in his.<br><br>With that tail she longed for he slid it around her waist, snuggly fitting her hips as they started out of the workshop and into the main part of the store. As they neared the door his hand gripped her shoulder, stopping her just before she moved out the door.<br><br>Even her ears were able to hear a conversation coming their way. "Y-yes. This way they did. Right in the old tailor's place. Very strange people." A somewhat shakey voice explained, voice loud with fear.<br><br>"Christ they're here?" Shenyo whispered in frustration. If they tried to leave they'd be spotted for sure, and if they stood still he doubted they would appear to be clothes racks. Picking her up by the waist he pulled her back into the workshop, then into a closet with him. He left the door open just slightly so they could see what was going on, and coincidentally it gave a good view of the trap door.<br><br>Suddenly he grinned as voices came into the store, looking to Lydia. With a soft whisper into her ear he spoke, "Can you open that hatch from here?" He asked, wishing he had thought to open it up before then. Perhaps they wouldn't have to fight this battle themselves?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>29-10-2015, 03:28:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Being wrapped in Shenyo’s tail gave Lydia a sense of comfort and even the threatening voices from without didn’t penetrate her calm. The two of them crouched in the closet surrounded by moth eaten cloaks and tumbling bolts of fabric. His hot breath in her ear asked if she could move the trap door.<br><br>Lydia bit her lip. In order to summon the power necessary to move the table and open the trap door, she would be leaving her weak enough to be a burden to Shenyo as they made a hasty retreat. Yet, he had asked and she was bolstered by his faith in her abilities. Nodding her head, curly dark hair tumbling around her shoulders, she focused on the tableau in front of her.<br><br>Holding out her hands, palms out and flat, she concentrated on the table. Sweat popped out on her forehead and her arms quivered, but finally, she was able to move the one leg that was wedged against the door over just enough. She shook out her arms and blew out her breath. The feeling had left her right hand completely but she could hear the footsteps as they crossed the threshold and knew there was no time to waste<br>.<br>Refocusing, she sent all her power to the latch of the trap door, flipping it up and with one desperate flip of her wrist, she gave the door enough boost to shine light through it for a fraction of a second. Her head felt as if it would explode and she fell back against Shenyo.<br><br>“In here!” the voice called. “I bet they went through this trap door.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>04-11-2015, 05:07:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo caught her with surprise. Pulling her back against his chest he looked over her with concern, but quickly focused his attention back to the scene beyond the door. It was the human that called out to where they could have gone, pointing to the trapdoor with a shaking hand. The promise of reward was enough in his mind to risk giving information to one of the elders.<br><br>The vampire walked in after him, scanning the room carefully, eyes hanging on the trapdoor. "In there you say?" He spoke with a slightly unconcerned voice. It seemed he didn't expect the man to be telling the truth. "Alright then. Get out of there if you really are in there." He called out. It was almost as if it was a game he was playing with the frightened peasant; a game of make believe with a child.<br><br>There was a pause as he waited for a response, but none came. Slowly he turned his eyes to the man. "Are you lying to me? Were you trying to trick me?" He inquired, stepping closer to him. "Were you going to try and trap me down there? Was that your little game?" The playful tones had been replaced with angry, accusing ones. "Do you even realize what will happen to you when-" He was interrupted by something shifting underneath them, the wood creaking loudly.<br><br>The man started to speak, but the vampire held up a hand to stop him as he listened. The shifting happened again, the sound of something sliding along the dirt floor below. There was a soft moan as well, but it didn't sound entirely human. "Well then, you weren't lying after all." The vampire said pleasantly, leaning down and pulling open the trap door. A wave of stench and death filled the room. The vampire recoiled and started to let go, then suddenly fell forward down the steps as Shenyo slammed into him. Lydia had barely felt him let go of her before he was out of the closet and against the vampire, one hand catching the trap door and shoving it down with a crack against its frame.<br><br>Bracing it, Shenyo and Lydia could hear curses and shouts from below that were focused up at them, but soon turned to something else. Shouts of anger turned into screams of terror and pain as they heard a scuffle of some kind happen beneath them. Several times it shoved up at the door, but Shenyo was too strong and kept it firmly shut. Eventually the screaming stopped, replaced with the sounds of bones breaking and snapping as something feasted.<br><br>Slowly Shenyo stood up, and placed the table back onto the door. One look at the man made him cower back and quickly flee the shop. Another look to Lydia told her that they needed to leave.<br><br>"Set this place on fire. Otherwise we'll need to deal with what's under us ourselves." It was something monstrous, and if it was left unchecked it might be more dangerous than the vampires themselves.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>08-11-2015, 00:01:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He had darted out without warning and Lydia, already lightheaded from the drain of energy almost fell. She staggered against the wall, glaring at the shifty eyed human. From the look on his face, he had not expected a bold attack. Disgust at the acquiescence of the villagers everywhere they went filled her face with rage. Why did no one fight back? She thought with irritation. The gentle, understanding part of her brain lay curled up in a safe corner. She wanted to fight, wanted everyone to rally to put the world to rights. They lacked a leader. They lacked hope. And so, she thought, they were kept as sheep for slaughter.<br><br>The loud slamming of the door stirred her to press out of the closet. Her skin crawled as the screams were silenced by the crunching of bones. Shenyo’s voice resonated through he as he commanded her to burn the shop to the ground. While he made sure the door remained closed, she summoned even more magik and flung fire balls, first at the walls in the kitchen area, then at the floor around the table, leaving Shenyo a pathway for retreat. As the tongues of fire caught hold and greedily began to devour the dry, ancient wood, she could hear that the bone crunching had stopped. <br><br>Shenyo couldn’t hold the table over the trap door and slid the latch into place at the same time, so she darted in and did that. From her position of kneeling on the floor, she could smell a fetid breath oozing from the floorboards. She didn’t hesitate, but stood and directed a fireball right at the place where that thing had been snuffling at her. A shiver of heebie jeebies crawled down her back. An unearthly howling and yelping began to vibrate the floor under their feet.<br><br>“Come now,” she urged him. “ We must away so I can make sure to burn this place to the ground. It is too dangerous for us to stay inside a moment longer.”<br><br>His tail flicked out and brushed her cheek. Lydia hoped that meant he agreed. She turned and ran out the door, waiting for Shenyo to join her. The man, the informer stood without, his mouth agape and for once she didn’t think about consequences, or doing harm to none, she threw a fireball at him and he exploded into a shower of blood and ash. Her head was spinning by now, and she grounded herself to the Earth to draw in as much energy as possible so she had enough reserves to finish what she had started.<br><br>“Shenyo? Come on.” She yelled over the roaring of the flames in her hands.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>23-11-2015, 04:54:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As Lydia practically fell out of the shop to ground herself, Shenyo came right behind her and scooped her up into his arms. Instead of grounding herself to the earth to draw in power, she found herself grabbing onto Shenyo's essence instead in the confusion and dizziness that held her. Darting down the street as the flames grew higher, the old, dry wood acting as perfect kindling, Shenyo didn't notice anything happening. Lydia on the other hand was drawing on something from him that would have killed normal mortals, pulling in his life essence. Or at the very least, something similar to it.<br><br>The energy felt very similar to what they had shared that night beneath the trees. "Are you ok?" Shenyo's voice spoke to her as he slipped into an alleyway, looking down and over her body quickly for any obvious wounds. "You almost collapsed back there. Can you walk?" He would carry her if he had to, but it was much more suspicious. Doubtless the vampires would ask for answers after finding one of their own dead. The villagers would be forced to think of anything they could to protect themselves and their family. Anything beyond the normal, though these days normal was quite different from what it was years prior.<br><br>Edging to the other side of the alley he poked his head out, scanning the street, before pulling back. "Give it a couple minutes and we can go." They were in the shadows, so unless someone looked directly at them they wouldn't be noticed. A flurry of movement was happening as people ran past to either help, stare, or get answers. They would need to wait until the majority of people were at the store and not moving towards it.<br><br>Meanwhile Shenyo didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as Lydia pulled on his core, or perhaps the core of something else. It wasn't clear, especially in her state. It was definitely partly Shenyo, and partly something else. The only question was if she was going to keep drawing from it. Would it hurt him? Would it prevent him from being able to fight if they had to? Clearly Shenyo was not human and moved far beyond one. Was this power she had experienced twice now the source of that, or was it actually unrelated?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>25-11-2015, 04:42:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The first burst of Earth energy was like a refreshing cool drink in a desert but all too soon Shenyo scooped her up, tearing her from the Source. Her defenses were low and she had set her spirit to receive. To Shenyo’s detriment, her magik pulled from the only available power; that of the supernatural being in whose arms she rested.<br><br>Good thing that a vampire had not picked her up for Lydia would have drained one dry and left his body a dried up husk. Her own power would have been amplified and only great self control would have kept her from becoming a scourge in and of herself. How little Lydia knew of her own abilities. Too bad she and Shenyo couldn’t put together just how much damage she could be to the vampire community, that group of untouchable nobles, but they did not, at least not at that moment.<br><br>She felt herself glowing from her core and her head snapped back as if hit by a bolt of lightning, not from the sky but as it projected through his arms and from his body. She drank of him with an unquenchable thirst, feeling her power rising exponentially. Lydia was drunk with the power and unable to stop feasting. Shenyo’s arms under her never wavered and he seemed immune to the drain. Maybe she was recharging him too but her mind was too far gone to register such a thought.<br>Somehow in her need, she had found a way to unite her soul with his as they had united under the full moon on the floor of the forest.<br><br>&nbsp;Her eyes were turning black and no white showed around the iris. Lydia was shuddering with the ecstasy of their combined essence. They needed to complete the circuit before it drove her mad. Without thinking, she put her hands on either side of his head and kissed him deeply, forcing some of the power back into him. Suddenly they were something alive and more than they were apart. Her mind was clearing enough for her to think and she realized that they would need to run or fight.<br><br>“Shenyo?” she whispered with a voice that echoed back into the eternal realms with the low rumbling of thunder. <br><br>While she had been lost to spiritual gluttony, the throngs of people had thinned around them. All the world it seemed was at the burning shop. Showers of sparks made the crowd shriek and lurch back in terror.<br><br>“Shenyo?” she repeated. “Can we slip away or do we stand and fight?”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>30-11-2015, 16:16:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It wasn't something that happened often, but Shenyo was completely caught off guard by her kiss. Simply staring back at first, he soon returned the kiss with passion while ignoring the outside world. From his perspective all that had happened was that she fell on the ground and he had picked her up. Now suddenly she was full of energy and passion. Did she like getting picked up that much?<br><br>Shaking his head a little, he spoke. "Run. We'll involve the whole village if we stay now." They would be used for shields at worst, and get hit by collateral damage at best. There was also no telling how many nobles were in the area, nor how many would be coming as the sun was setting. A flame in the night, if the shop lasted that long, would be sure to draw plenty of attention.<br><br>"Are you feeling ok?" Shenyo asked while holding her closer, and taking one last peek around the corner before setting her back on her feet. One hand kept on her back gently in case she wavered. Watching her carefully he could tell she was different, the colors in her more vibrant than they were moments ago. Where did this second wind come from? Taking her hand he led her from the alleyway, in the opposite direction of the fire and directly towards the outskirts of the village.<br><br>No one gave them any mind as they walked. Why would you pay attention to such poorly dressed people when there was a large fire to watch? Especially as it began to spread to the other few buildings nearby, it would be talked about for weeks in a small place like this. Instead of being bothered they were able to simply slip out unnoticed. The only question was where to go next?<br><br>"What was that back there?" He asked her curiously. "I thought you were going to pass out, and then suddenly you wanted a little fun." He grinned a small grin, his tail slipping around her hips in a familiar way. "Were you just pretending, or did something happen when I wasn't looking?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>02-12-2015, 05:19:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia heard Shenyo’s questions over the roar of the fire but she just smiled and tossed her head. They ran, his tail about her waist and her hand clasped securely in his. The two poorly clad people could have been children running blithely through a field of flowers on a sunny day or more like, two escapees from Bedlam, the walled sanatorium for the insane. Lydia’s face glowed with euphoria and her eyes were flashing with mischief. She was riding the wave of endorphins from drinking of Shenyo’s essence.<br><br>When they finally stood at the top of the hill with the forest as a dark backdrop, she turned and pressed herself against him with a rapturous embrace. One foot left the ground and she placed a light kiss on his lips.<br><br>“What that was back there is that I found that I can join my energy to yours much in the same way as I can draw energy from the Earth. You and I managed to generate this same energy when we united our bodies under the full moon. I thought we could only achieve that through the sharing of souls, the orgasm or the little death as some would call it. Back there, I was able to draw on your strength and then when I kissed you, I fed you back what I had created.”<br><br>Her feet touched the ground then she rose on her tip toes, hands still locked around Shenyo’s neck. She looked deep in his eyes.<br><br>“don’t you see what this means? We never have to lose our strength, our energy, our power as long as we can multiple our essence from each other, then share it with a kiss. Together, we are invincible. We have the tools to neutralize the nobles. We need a strategy and need to find a way to cut off the head of the snake but we have the power to make this world safe again.”<br><br>Shenyo’s tail caressed her cheek and Lydia sighed with contentment.<br><br>“Let’s go deep into the forest and find some place we can rest for a while.” She suggested.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>09-12-2015, 04:08:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The forest they sought out was not a small outcropping between villages or towns as they had been traversing before. They journeyed for several days in a direction they felt the nobles would not think to follow so quickly, out into the unmarked wilderness where the trees grew thick and tall and countless animals abound. There were predators and prey everywhere, but to the two of them, they were simply all prey. They walked the paths made naturally by deer and other animals.<br><br>Shenyo's hunger for revenge was calmed somewhat as they explored together. All he had thought of before her was trying to find a way to stop them once and for all, even if it took him walking into their stronghold by himself. Lydia kept him from doing that simply by existing. The consequences of his change of mind may have been for the better, or perhaps it would have been the best time to strike? Regardless Shenyo was content simply being with her. Her presence warmed him and calmed him, he found, the more they were together.<br><br>"That looks like a good spot." He said as he pointed up into the canopy to a particularly large tree. It had to be at least twelve feet wide and had a number of branching limbs higher up off the ground. "Why don't we rest a while here?" With Lydia's agreement he helped her up onto his back before swiftly climbing up and around, searching for the best nook for them to curl up. Lydia would be able to see them come up out from the trees around them as they went up over fifty feet above the ground. Any fear of heights she might have was comforted by his tail tightly around her waist, her life line in case she lost her grip.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>14-12-2015, 04:22:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia and Shenyo traveled fast and far. The burst of energy that they had shared fueled them and made them fearless as if they owned the world. There was little need for verbal communication while they journeyed for it was as if they lived in each other’s minds. Never once did she feel anything but hope and great joy whenever Shenyo wrapped his supple tail around her waist.<br><br>The little witch lost track of days and nights but when they came to the monstrous tree, she knew that their trip was ended. This was home. She looked and around, blinking, wondering where the house was which would shelter them but all that remained was the tree. Lydia had been raised to honor the ancients whether it was human or organic. She realized that this oak was like an one of the esteemed grandmothers of the Earth so she did what came naturally to her.<br><br>Breaking away from Shenyo’s loving tail for a heartbeat, she approached the tree with reverence, stretching out her arms in a hug. The tree was much wider than 20 of Lydia but still she laid her ear upon the bark and to her, a primal heartbeat greeted her.<br>“Mother, we have come home.” She whispered softly. The tree seemed to rustle in welcome and anticipation.<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"That looks like a good spot." He said as he pointed up into the canopy to a particularly large tree. It had to be at least twelve feet wide and had a number of branching limbs higher up off the ground. "Why don't we rest a while here?" With Lydia's agreement he helped her up onto his back before swiftly climbing up and around, searching for the best nook for them to curl up. Lydia would be able to see them come up out from the trees around them as they went up over fifty feet above the ground. Any fear of heights she might have was comforted by his tail tightly around her waist, her life line in case she lost her grip.</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Lydia had no fear when she was with Shenyo and their quick ascent was no different. She looked at the countryside beyond the tree but all she saw were purple mountain tops in the distance and the leafy roof of the forest. They were safe. Safety seemed to breathe reassurance over them.<br><br>Turning back to the sturdy trunk, Lydia whispered yet again and caressed the rough bark with her finger. Once again the leaves rustled but this time began to weave together, creating walls on two sides. Oddly enough the trunk itself began to crack and crumble, which startled Lydia until she realized the tree was revealing a hollowed out space which would shelter then from the rain and where they could lie down at night.<br><br>“She has welcomed us with a place she had prepared for us.” Lydia turned to Shenyo with a wide smile on her face. “I wonder how she knew we were coming.”<br><br>The tree’s leaves rustled again and the wind picked up with the voice of the Earth. “ Home.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>17-12-2015, 22:47:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo smiled and shrugged. "I was just following you. You seemed to know where we were going." He spoke as he watched the tree carefully. It seemed warm and inviting, but he was always suspicious of such things. Even still, he couldn't feel anything negative about the place they were in. It was so far above everything else that it didn't seem to know what was wrong with the world below. Pulling Lydia close he curled up into the nook of a few branches, keeping his tail attached in case she slipped. Letting out a deep breath he shut his eyes, simply enjoying the warmth from the sun and her body combined.<br><br>The day would pass slowly with idle conversation. They both tried their best to keep their thoughts off of what was going on. Snuggling close, slow, soft kisses, and other affection they were otherwise too pressed to do, all came out here. All the while he kept trying to force his mind to stop, but it continuously drifted.<br><br>This escape would be their only time to rest, unless of course they decided to simply keep running. How far would they be chased, after all? Surely there were still others keeping their attention, here and there. Did they know who Lydia was? Did they know more about Shenyo than he expected them to? Their blood, together, was something special. Lydia gained great power from their union, feeling that she could do incredible things without tiring. Shenyo loved the way she looked and felt during these times.<br><br>However he wasn't so sure anything was happening to him. There was an energy flow, certainly, but it felt as if it was washing over him rather then entering into him. Perhaps she would need to do something more for it to have any affect? It may have been that his magical nature was simply to resist magic, not to be able to use or craft something with it himself.<br><br>As night fell they slipped into the hollow of the tree. This tree must have been used by someone else, a long time ago. There were bits of paper here and there in a language he didn't recognize, and the wood was smoothed down by human hands. Nature, the pure essence of it, had aided this person or persons.<br><br>"Perhaps it was a sort of lookout post? Or used for some ceremony?" Shenyo ventured, slipping down into what was clearly once a bed nook. There was no actual furniture, just various angles and spots to move and sit and lay. Fortunately Lydia was rather small, otherwise it would have been a bit cramped for two people.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>27-12-2015, 05:20:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia felt the languor of peace flowing through her. Time spent with Shenyo knit her soul to him. They lay cradled in the bosom of the tree during the night or when light rain misted through the dense leafy cover. Sometimes he grew so quiet that Lydia was concerned that he was unhappy. Certainly the past days had been fraught with danger but there was something exhilarating about the adventure which was missing from the bucolic lifestyle.<br><br>His voice was pleasant and dreamy when he inquired about whether this tree had been used by others in the past. Lydia smiled. She snuggled his dusty fur and played with the tip of the tail that held her wrist.<br><br>“Maybe it was once a palace for a faerie princess and her brave escort. Or maybe it was the resting place of the Goddess and her lover.<br>”<br>Lydia ran the tip of the tail over her lips and kissed it. <br><br>“I believe this was a place that knew great peace and contentment.” She whispered. Her words were given witness by the soft shushing of the wind through the leaves and the twittering of song birds as they flittered among the boughs<br>.<br>“Shenyo,” Lydia said and her voice held sadness. “What’s the matter? I sense you are restless. Even when we make love, I feel that your soul is a million miles away. Tell me what is on your mind.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>05-01-2016, 05:07:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo ran his fingers through her hair and placed a gentle kiss against her temple. It was a followed by a soft sigh.<br><br>"Peace never lasts very long for me. There is always something that comes up." With their current problems he had certain ideas of what might interrupt their happiness. Then again, his thoughts were starting to affect her too, so were they really happy?<br><br>"I'll try not to dwell on it." Gently his lips pressed against her own, lingering there as the kiss deepened, before he pulled back and nestled his head into the nook of her neck and shoulder. His tail slowly swirled up around her forearm, continuing up her arm as they talked. "Let's just enjoy the time we have. Whether it is only a day, or a week, or a month, or more." Another soft kiss, this time on her neck, with just a bit of teeth grazing her skin. The eventuality of things that could go wrong was certainly not a good reason to have a bad time.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>11-01-2016, 03:28:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia’s dreams turned as dark as her days were filled with love and light. She should have been content with a life of quiet solitude with the one who completed her bliss, but her night wanderings revealed secrets her spirit knew but her brain rejected.<br>&nbsp;<br>In the foggy time between wakefulness and sleep, she heard a voice beckoning her to come join the chosen few. Ignoring the dreams might strip them of their power so she never shared them with her lover.&nbsp; During the day, she brewed teas guaranteed to protect her spirit from being lost in the shades. She meditated and did her best to slam protective walls in place for both herself&nbsp; and Shenyo. Fasting was a last resort for tapping into strong energy but she finally broke down and entered into a time of fasting.<br><br>Worry began to eat at her and Lydia found herself scanning the landscape for evidence of search parties. Her fingers became roughened with gripping the bark of the tree limbs too tightly. She only relaxed when Shenyo’s tail was wrapped around her waist but he seemed more withdrawn than he had been. The tension was so great that she finally snapped. <br><br>Whispering, she said,<br>“Should we take the battle to them? I’m tired of waiting. Maybe I will go and give myself up. You can live in peace. I think I love you enough to trade my life for yours.”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>19-01-2016, 17:31:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo laughed at first. It must have been a jest, such a ridiculous and outlandish proposition. Yet their situation was still the same, and that realization made him grow quiet. They would be there, sooner or later, for both of them. They were out numbered by an entire army of butchers. Their prey was like that of a chicken to humans; they could run and hide, but not fight. The two of them were some of the very few who could stand up and push them back. Even still, given enough time even they would be overwhelmed, or caught by surprise.<br><br>"Giving yourself up would mean nothing. You'd simply die sooner, than later." Shenyo spoke after a time. "Maybe it's time we go together, put an end to this. See if we can take down some of their top people while we do it. It might give others hope if they learn of it." Shenyo pulled her closer as they laid in that now familiar nook. "We've avoided it long enough. We're not meant for this kind of peace." He paused. "I'm not meant for this." The voice inside agreed.<br><br>"Tomorrow morning we can head out, it's already pretty dark." A small gesture up to the sky. "What do you-" His voice froze. He bolted upright, almost tossing her off of him as he put both hands on opposite sides of the trees. "It rained! How!?" His voice was full of anger, and after another moment Lydia felt it too. The tree they were in shook, and began to scream out in agony in her mind. Shenyo tried to stand up and bring her with him, but their world started to tilt sideways as one of the tallest trees in the land began to fall. Blackness welcomed Lydia.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>23-01-2016, 16:20:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tears filled Lydia’s eyes at his quiet confession of how a quiet peaceful life was not for him. He had been forged in fire she had come to realize that over the course of the last few days in solitude, high in their leafy haven. Shenyo was a man of action who thrived on the challenge. The blood of a predator roared through his veins as loudly as his sense of honor. She knew he would never slake his thirst for fighting against lesser and weaker adversaries like a common thief or murderer. He would not be content to be a mercenary soldier fighting rich men’s wars. A sob caught in her throat as she realized that he had been born for such a time as this. Battling darkness was his true calling. Should he prevail against the nobles he would go questing for another such adventure until he eventually died on the end of a bloodied sword. An iron wall of resolve rose in her heart. He would not die alone.<br><br>Snuggling into his shoulder, she registered that the interior nook where they lay seemed much darker than usual. She couldn’t make out Shenyo’s unique features in the moonlight the way she could most nights. A sense of dread filled her stomach and spread to her heart. A piercing pain shot through her head and then the tree began to tremble. Shenyo bolted upright and began to protest about rain but this was no rain. They both realized something was terribly wrong. Lydia clutched her head as blinding pain coursed through her head. Shenyo’s strong arms and tail wrapped around her but before they were fully upright the tree began to fall. <br><br>Trees speak with a thousand voices and when they fall in the forest with no human ear to heart they scream in death throe agony. Lydia experienced every shrill note of that scream but was helpless to do anything but fly through the air with limbs bashing her shoulders.&nbsp; Shenyo was ripped away in the fall and she felt naked to the air as she tumbled to the ground. A fall that great surrounded by limbs so large spelled a death sentence for mortals she realized.&nbsp; Either the impact would kill her or the tree would crush her. Panic flooded her for she couldn’t hear or see Shenyo through the leaves or her own cascading hair. Before she could call out a tree limb bashed her in the head and the world went black.<br><br>When she woke she found a tree limb imprisoned her, but the Earth had cradled out a space for her so she was not crushed. Dazed, she fought to regain her breath and to figure out what had happened. Before she could all out for Shenyo, she heard voices.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>31-01-2016, 22:07:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The voices were muffled by the wood and brush around her. They were angry and frantic. The darkness had not taken her for long it seemed, else they would have already found her by scent alone. Lydia could feel the vibrations of large objects being lifted and tossed aside, causing the tree limb above her to shake dirt onto her. It wasn't clear if they wanted them dead or alive, but they were intent on finding something.<br><br>"...gone to the south. Was he alone?" The voices became clearer. This one had a deeper, commanding voice. Another replied. "Yes sir. No reports of the woman. She could be hiding or dead." The south was back towards the city. The second man continued. "The majority of our men are after him. They should have him well before first light." Another object shook the ground around her.<br><br>"She's near." A small man spoke out, a third man. "I don't smell her blood, she's alive." The deeper voice followed. "Good, make sure she stays that way for now. We'll leave with her immediately. The rest of our force will continue to hunt the demon. He may be the one called Shenyo, in which case he is almost as important as her. He, however, needs to killed on sight. We have no need to keep him alive." The second man replied with a curt. "Sir!"<br><br>Their voices continued to get closer and closer, circling around her as they began to pin point where she was. The branch above her creaked as something began to lift off of it, letting in a breath of fresh, cool air. Time was not in her favor.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>01-02-2016, 00:11:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia squinted against the staring faces that glared down at her. The tree had her pinned and she could do nothing but lay helpless against the Earth. A gritty substance cut into her palms and she wondered if it wasn’t salt because the Earth was giving her no vibrations whatsoever. A shout went up from the men and they began to tear the limbs from the tree. Lydia thought she could hear the tree groan in agony but she was mesmerized by the ease with which the men handled the heavy branches.<br><br>“Sir, we have the woman.” A voice called out in clipped precision.&nbsp; All she could tell was that these men were operating with a military discipline and all of them were extremely handsome. Her warning bells of intuition should have been jangling but for some reason were not. Perhaps the fall had injured her more than she realized, maybe these people had nullified magic.<br><br>Lydia was now fully exposed to their view and at the mercy of their hard grasping hands that pulled her upright. They took no heed to her black hair being tangled in the twigs. She swayed on her feet as sharp blinding pain coursed through her shoulders when they tied her hands behind her back.<br><br>“Make she sure stays bound like that,” the order came from a man with a deep gruff voice just out of her eyesight. “She’s a witch and can use those hands for more destruction that you can imagine.”<br><br>The taller of her two captors gripped her soft breast and gave it a hard squeeze. His companion ran his hand over her stomach to cup her sex.A third man slipped a necklace over her head.<br><br>“No time for that just now, lads,” the gruff voice ordered. “We may all take our leisure once we get back. Let’s go.”<br><br>Lydia was jerked forward. Her hair tumbled into her eyes and she was blinded to the pathway. Only her abductor’s biting fingers kept her from sprawling headlong on the path.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>06-02-2016, 07:50:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She could hear the shouting in the distance as she was forced along at a fast pace. Despite their confidence with her, it was clear they were trying to drive the two of them apart anyway. Screams filled the air from time to time, but none were that of Shenyo's. Not that she could tell, at any rate. Any time she tried to speak she was slapped. Eventually she was gagged as they essentially dragged her along.<br><br>It wasn't too long, perhaps twenty minutes of fast walking, until they reached their horses. Supernatural beings or not, horses were still fast and reliable work animals for them. She was forced up onto one and had one of the men holding onto her from behind. Degrading remarks were made here and there as they saddled up and prepared to leave.<br><br>There was a sudden rustle in the bushes beside them, and for a moment Lydia could almost see Shenyo jumping out to her rescue. Instead her heart dropped as it was another one of his men reporting on the current events happening. It didn't have to do with him, or her, actually. It seemed there was something happening elsewhere, near the capital. Fires had been lit all over the city, leaving the nobles spread out and occupied.<br><br>Was there still some kind of resistance? Lydia was able to remember that Shenyo wasn't working by himself, he had been on a mission when they met, one that did not go as planned.<br><br>"Damn it. We'll need to go through it regardless. We have to transport the cargo before putting them down. Those are our orders." The one in charge spit out his words angrily. They had been drawn away from their duties by these two, and were left without as much protection.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>07-02-2016, 02:05:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The men kicked up their mounts, urging them to a grueling pace. Most creatures would have long since gone lame or had their hearts burst from the punishment but these kept on as if fashioned on Vulcan’s own anvil. The beating of their iron hooves upon the rocks made Lydia wish to scream for the sound filled her ears with dread. She struggled against the bond that held her fast. She tried to summon magick but none did come to her fingertips. The necklace they had strung about her neck must negate her power, she thought as she bit down on the gag.<br><br>Where was Shenyo? She thought frantically. Had he escaped? She fervently willed it so. The fires in the city, she thought. Who was Shenyo’s confederate? He had never truly mentioned the scope of his work. They had never had time to discuss this, so busy had they been in fleeing and fighting. The time in the tree had been one of much needed rest, but she wondered had it been a gift from the Goddess as she had first supposed? Now, she pondered the ease with which these monsters had felled it. Had it been pulled them to lull them into complacency for this very moment in time? <br><br>Lydia would fall asleep, her head bouncing on her chest only to be rudely awakened with pinching, questing fingers and then her mind would whirl with more questions and anxiety as they neared the city. She knew they were still a ways distance but the sky was now a rosy glow along the horizon. That would be the fires in the city, she thought with grim satisfaction. Oh, Shenyo, she thought, I need you. If only he was safe and well away. She could bear her own fate.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>16-02-2016, 04:31:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo's body hit the ground, his fingers just barely losing grasp of Lydia's clothing as they crashed down. The last he saw as his body fell into the tops of the trees was her body being pinned under the falling tree. The images in his mind were fuzzy after that. The sight of leaves and branches flying by him as he flew toward the ground. The sight of people coming after him. The glinting of light off of his claws, a crimson liquid dripping from them. The voice. <br><br>The voice rang so loud he could hardly bear it. A voice of hopelessness, of violence, and encouragement on a violent path. It threatened to crush his soul. Lydia was dead. He had seen it mere seconds before she hit the ground. She was not strong like he was. The fall alone would have been enough. There was no hope. These thoughts kept being forced into his mind as a slide show of wilderness and vampires filtered through his vision. There was nothing on the outside that resembled Shenyo. Just an animal being hunted. Or was he hunting them?<br><br>-<br><br>"Sir. Another report has come in from the field." The man looked to Lydia, before looking back to the leader. The leader glanced at her as well, before separating out from the group to discuss the situation in private. Lydia could only make out a few words here and there as she strained to listen. Her efforts were pointless as the captain shouted in anger, his emotion conveying the report well enough.<br><br>They continued to push their mounts to the limit. She could feel fear in the air, despite their stone faces. What was Shenyo to them? What was she, to them? How much did they really know? <br><br>It would only be a few hours before they arrived in the new capital city, charging down the empty streets as the full moon rose high into the sky above them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>16-02-2016, 05:41:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				This time when she woke, it was from the pain in her head striking the cold stone floor. A drip of water in the background and the scuttling of tiny feet added a sense of desolation to the dimly lit cell where she found herself. A pile of fetid rags graced the corner and she shuddered to think of the vermin that inhabited them. Lydia was cold but not yet so desperate as to wrap herself in those.<br><br>She had gathered no sense of panic and certainly did smell smoke wafting through the tiny window high up on the wall. She wasn’t underground&nbsp; or at least not too far underground and Lydia was thankful for that. Shenyo would find her if he was still alive. He would come for her. Together they would burn this city to the ground.<br><br>Running her fingers lightly over her neck, she found the amulet that nullified her power still resting between her breasts. She gave it a tug and it collapsed in her hand. Setting it close to her, she flexed her fingers and a small flame appeared. Lydia gave a sigh of relief. <br><br>She was indeed in a small cell made of small handmade bricks. A large grey rat popped his head from the pile of rags, waggling his whiskers at her. Lydia put her finger over her lips and then whispered to the rat.<br><br>“You and your kin stay over there and we won’t have a problem.” <br><br>Lydia wasn’t above annihilating vermin but she would prefer not to harm another creature that was just trying to occupy the space given to them. She smiled and thought that was her preference with these nobles also, but they had already crossed a line with her. The rat would benefit from her mercy before the nobles would.<br><br>She heard footsteps scraping along the hallway so she closed her hand, damping the flame. Quickly, she tied the amulet back around her neck and lay down as if she had suffered head trauma from being shoved inside.<br><br>“I told you not to be so rough with her before Milas had seen her. He must be placated. You know he always gets first choice or the necks of underlords are forfeit.” A sniveling voice whined.<br><br>“She is a woman and I will not check myself. Women are nothing but sheep to be used, herded and butchered. I will not bow to a woman, not even for Milas. She should have moved along quicker. When she failed, I simply gave her a boot to help her along.” A rumbling voice barked in answer.<br><br>Lydia felt a stab of real fear. These were different voices from the cultured ones who absconded with her. Who were they&nbsp; and who was Milas?<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>26-02-2016, 04:28:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elsewhere, steam rose from the freshly strewn corpse, a dripping sword still held nearby. The burly man who held it simply laughed as his comrades joined him. "Those fools. They thought they could take advantage of us? We led them right into our trap!" The deep voiced vampire laughed again as he leaned down and picked up one of the bodies, licking blood off of one of the fresh wounds.<br><br>"Sir, we still need to deal with the fire." One of the others commented, getting a gruff response from his superior in rank and strength. "Let Alex and his men handle it. I'm having too much fun, can't you see? They think they can surprise me, their weapons do nothing!" He laughed and threw the body down, stomping the skull into a pile of mush as a demonstration. "These rats of our world have just burned their own nest. They have no where left to run!"<br><br>Starting to reach down again for another taste, his eyes caught movement beyond the smoke and steam. The fire had moved closer faster than he expected. But that wasn't what he saw. "Someone deal with that one." He waved his hand towards the figure, then continued to reach down. Before his fingers could touch the fabric of his fallen enemy's clothes he heard a scream from his own man. By the time he looked up his soldier had been decapitated, and the figure continued to walk towards them.<br><br>There was a cheer off to the side as more rebels flooded into the street behind the bloodied Shenyo. They knew of his exploits, they recognized his fur and his tail easily despite the dancing lights. "We can do this with Shenyo! Everyone behind him! Together we can-" His voice was stopped as Shenyo turned to the source of the noise and slashed his throat out. The vampires took an involuntary step back as Shenyo slaughtered those he was supposed to save. As the last human fell Shenyo turned again towards the vampires, and started walking again.<br><br>"We need to fall back." Was all their leader said.<br><br>---<br><br>The smoke from the fire continued to lift up into the air with little resistance. Lydia could see it drifting despite how small her window was, even as her captors spoke around her as if she were nothing more than an object. How far were they from those fires? Would they be able to reach all the way here?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>27-02-2016, 17:56:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“On your feet, bitch,” snarled the rough voiced man, grabbing her upper arm and nearly dislocating the arm socket. <br><br>“Notice the amulet,” remarked the more cautious of the two. “ She is a witch. As you know, Milas has a certain fondness for the blood of the blessed. You must not taint it with pain. He only wants to taste the richness of power with overtones of fear. He calls it a most potent bouquet.”<br><br>“I have told you for the last time,” the rough man’s voice was cut off by a hand that extended through his back and out his chest.&nbsp; His bulging eyes beheld his beating heart before slumping into death.<br><br>“Take her now to my chamber.” The cold patrician voice commanded. “I will deal with you soon.”<br><br>Lydia realized that Milas had come personally to collect her. He shook her until her black hair tumbled wildly around her face.<br><br>“Open your eyes, witch, so that you might behold your Master. Open your eyes so that you might understand the privilege of serving Milas Von Ragonald.”<br><br>Lydia did as she was compelled even though she had thought to resist. One look in his bottomless black eyes sucked her down to a mindless pit. She blinked and all thought went from her head. All sense of who she was or the purpose she had fled in terror. <br><br>“Master. You have finally come for me.” She whispered.<br><br>His fangs flashed and descended on her neck. Her eyes fluttered back and sensations as powerful as the act of love coursed through her veins. A moan of protest escaped her lips when he drew back.<br><br>“Exquisite,” he declared.&nbsp; “Bring her to my chambers, now, I say!"<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>08-03-2016, 05:41:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A distant roar drifted through the barred windows, sinking into Lydia's stupor. It didn't sound much like anything she would remember, but in her core she knew who the sound belonged to. Still, Milas gripped her soul without even touching her. Could she shake herself out of it before the unthinkable happened?<br><br>--<br><br>"There's something different about him." Vlad spoke with a stern gaze, staring out over the battlements of the castle Lydia was held captive, and Milas ruled from. Shenyo was just across the downed drawbridge, a practical army of vampires flooding across it and over him like a wave. "Look at his form." Vlad used his hand to mimic his movements, narrowing his eyes as another noble's head was removed from his shoulders. "It's sloppy. No grace at all."<br><br>"Is he too beneath you? Is that why you stay safe up here?" A feminine voice softly mocked from the shadows. A trace of long pink hair could be seen in one of the few shafts of moonlight.<br><br>Vlad did not react to her words, and instead continued to move his hand to match what Shenyo was doing. "He isn't even trying to avoid getting hit. There's almost as much of his blood on the ground as theirs. Almost." Shenyo's claws ripped through the belly of a screaming woman, before tearing her straight in two and immediately reacting to the next.<br><br>"He is an interesting one. I didn't think demons were real?" The voice laughed softly, echoing against the cold stone walls. She mused. "I've heard his stories and reports. I thought his ears were orange? Or was it red?"<br><br>Vlad paused, trying to focus through the flickering of flames and shadows. Shenyo's ears had definitely been a mix of orange and red. There was red blood on them, some nicks and cuts here and there that healed far faster than he remembered, but they were black. Completely black. And his eyes were beginning to glow a soft red. "We'll lure him in. Tell Milas. I know he won't like it, but we'll need his help for this." Those lesser vampires were barely better than humans. He still hadn't heard back from any commanders out in the city. Everything was falling apart, and everyone was too focused on Shenyo to notice how hard the rebels were hurting them.<br><br>She didn't give him a response as he pondered these facts. "Sakura?" He asked with more impatience, looking towards the shadow she had been skulking in. Even as he turned he realized that he too had been distracted. Sakura had slipped behind him.<br><br>"Sorry my darling. I think now is a good time to go do my own thing." Her lips pressed against his neck gently. When he tried to turn her hand tore through his back, catching his heart and crushing it in an instant. A silken black cloak with that long pink hair slipped into another shadow, and eventually away from the whole ordeal.<br><br>--<br><br>Shenyo let out another bloodthirsty roar as he reached the gates, claws slamming into the massive doors and shaking them so violently that the mooring was starting to come undone. The entire castle shook slightly from the impact of the frenzied beast. He could barely hear his own thoughts, as those of another were on the brink of taking over entirely. To his surprise, the gates began to open of their own accord. Despite his rage it would have taken time to break through them, and that logic brought his mind back slightly. Someone was helping him?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>09-03-2016, 03:08:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>Another bloodthirsty roar penetrated through the thick walls, disturbing Milas as he fed. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he glared at the raven haired beauty who lay nearly lifeless in his arms.&nbsp; The entire castle shook slightly from an impact like some damned frenzied beast. Who would dare accost his castle? Tossing the woman to the couch, Milas stormed out of the room and down the stone corridor.<br><br>Lydia lay in a daze but with the noble gone from the room, her head began to clear bit by bit. Her eyes came into focus and she blinked trying to take in her surroundings. Trying to sit up proved more than she was able and she put her hand to her forehead. A sticky substance dripped onto her bare shoulder. Puzzled, she touched a fingertip into it and then tested it on her tongue. It was blood. No wonder she felt so weak.<br><br>Forcing herself to a sitting position, the room spun crazily. A groan escaped her lips and she closed her eyes momentarily. <br><br>There was a clashing and massive booming from somewhere inside or just outside the stone fortified building. Then a roar filtered through to her brain. That was Shenyo! Remembering the amulet, she tugged it from around her neck and staggered to the door. Holding her palm out, a small flame appeared. Lydia lit the nearest tapestry on fire and then clinging to the doorposts and walls, made her way down the dark halls, using her small dwindling flame to set the world on fire.<br><br>No one opposed her journey through the noble’s fortress. All was ablaze behind her. All was dark in front of her but the steady explosive banging was loosening the stones within, sending down casacades of sifting dirt on her head.&nbsp; She resigned herself to giving her life to this cause that was greater than her own life. Just now there was only strength to put one foot in front of the other and use the tiny tiny flame to start one more fire.<br><br>Lydia hoped that Shenyo knew that her last minutes on Earth were given for the greater good and that she was dying for him.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>09-03-2016, 04:51:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Many minutes had passed since Lydia had rose from the room and began her final steps, walking in no particular direction but that of the next thing to burn. All castle staff was in an utter panic, many of which were simply enslaved humans used for a variety of things. The nobles fled from the fire and ignored Lydia entirely. Even those who looked directly into her eyes thought nothing of what she was doing, they could barely tell she was alive. The heat and noise of the fire filled her mind and drove her forward, pressing hard against her back and urging her to keep moving.<br><br>As she began to round yet another corner the castle shook again, different than that of what she was causing. Then again, and again. Louder, and louder, it approached her. In an instant the wall on her right exploded in dust and rubble, just barely missing her. In the split second that she could see, Shenyo and Milas appeared before her. Shenyo had Milas by the throat, slamming him repeatedly through those walls with one hand. Milas had looked stunned, but was able to catch her eye long enough to realize who she was, before his attention was forced back on the monster holding him.<br><br>And just like that, they were gone. The sound of the fire behind her took her attention and drowned out the battle that continued through the castle. It would be a miracle if it held up much longer. There was something wrong about Shenyo, however. His clothes were in tatters, but she hadn't been able to see his skin underneath. There was something black underneath it, perhaps fur? It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't fully spread throughout his body. But it was dark, and pulsed with a horrible energy.<br><br>The only thing she could do was continue to walk forward, mindlessly lighting everything she could get her hands on. There was no hope of catching up to them, not in her condition.<br><br>--<br><br>Minutes felt like days as she force marched herself forward, the world coming in and out of focus the longer she strained herself. Was she walking in circles now? Was she about to walk into her own fiery path, and be caught between her own destruction? It wasn't clear, she simply couldn't tell. Even if she had known the layout it may have been beyond her at this point. Yet as she turned one more corner, she came to a set of stairs leading down. No, it was more than that. She could see stairs leading down from the same floor ahead of her as well. It was a grand staircase, leading to an intermediary area before leading down to the main entrance. The massive doors were wide open, letting in cool air and billowing oxygen into the building inferno.<br><br>But she wasn't alone.<br><br>"You wretched beast. You haven't won." Milas spit out. The two of them were circling each other below her, just in front of the large staircase. Shenyo was merely growling in response, but they both looked worse for wear. Milas held a blade in his hand, but it was merely a slight advantage of range against Shenyo's two handfuls of claws. But they weren't pushing forward as she would have expected.<br><br>Lydia could again feel the raging, pulsing, filthy energy encompassing Shenyo. But she could still feel him. He wasn't gone quite yet. Was that why he hadn't won? The power he was showing was far beyond that of what Lydia had seen before, but it wasn't a power she was unfamiliar with. Instead it was a tainted version of the power that flooded through her when they coupled, and when she tapped him for power. It was wrong.<br><br>Shenyo's deep red eyes were locked onto his, and his body stiffened as he prepared to launch forward. At the last second his head turned towards Lydia. "Lydia?" He spoke, his voice deeper than normal. In a brief moment his eyes returned to normal, and the black fur began to recede as his eyes kept locked with hers.<br><br>And in that moment of distraction and weakness, Milas ran his sword straight through Shenyo's body and pinned him to the wall.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>10-03-2016, 05:29:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia was losing her grip on reality. Shenyo seemed to be lost in the black mass of energy that she knew was supposed to be him. She trembled with the effort to call forth magick from her depths. Bracing herself against the bannister, she leaned over as far as she dared to watch the scene below her unfold. Never in her wildest imagination had she ever entertained Shenyo failing at his quest but when Milas drove his blade through him, Lydia toppled over the edge. She hit the marble floor with a splat that was almost undetectable amid the cacophony of battle. Her spirit separated from her body and she could see herself sprawled on the cold floor. Drawn to something that was beyond her control, Lydia’s spirit energy sought out Shenyo’s. No longer bound by flesh, she was strong.<br><br>He was splayed open with the sword, pinned unnaturally like some insect specimen yet there was still a will within him. Lydia’s energy knew that is she could mingle with what life force he had left that the two of them could work miracles. <br><br>“Mother Earth,” she chanted, “aid us. Make the two of us one and rid this world of the unholy nobles who devour us.”<br>She could feel herself swelling, growing big, like the Great Earth Mother herself. Now if only Shenyo could, would reach out to her.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>12-03-2016, 02:25:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo coughed, and felt a warm fluid pour out of his mouth. His eyes opened, but were too blurry to see clearly. Forcing his head to rise he could see that Milas had turned away, and was walking towards something. Shenyo's eyes widened and blinked rapidly to clear them as he remembered seeing Lydia up on the stairs. The only trace left of her was a coating of blood on the railing. Milas still hadn't looked back, and was walking towards where she had fallen.<br><br>Frantic in mind, but sluggish in body, Shenyo tried to move. A horrible pain pulsed from his chest, and he discovered what had happened before he blacked out. The blade had pierced straight through his rib cage, his lung, back through his rib cage and into the wall behind him. Had he moved at the last moment, to avoid it hitting his heart? He couldn't remember. But he couldn't stay here thinking about such things as Milas continued to walk.<br><br>Reaching shakily to the blade at the base of his chest, he gripped it tightly and let it sink into his skin. With a grunt he snapped it in two and pushed against the wall, sliding off of the blade and onto the floor with a wet slap.<br><br>"Did I miss?" Milas asked calmly, not even bothering to turn around. He was standing next to where Lydia had fallen and examining her like one would a spilled cup of milk. Shenyo couldn't see her body, but he could see his boots standing in a pool of a deep, dark, crimson. There was too much of it.<br><br>Shenyo tried to reply, but coughed up more blood, and shards of bone. The left half of his rib cage was in tatters and one lung was ruined. But by breathing slowly enough he could at least use the other. He tried again. "You...won't..."<br><br>"Won't what?" Milas bristled, turning back to him with anger. "Do you even know what you've wasted? To let her blood just spill on the ground?"&nbsp; Milas continued to speak, but something distracted Shenyo from the words. Something was nagging him. His eyes moved around the room slowly, past his adversary. What was he forgetting? Was someone saying something to him? There was a light on the edge of his vision, but whenever he looked towards it it moved to the other side and he just couldn't quite catch what it was.<br><br>"Are you even listening?" Milas' shouted as he picked him up by the throat, gripping it tightly. Shenyo coughed and struggled further, hands weakly trying to pry the hand from him as it lifted him clear off the floor. Why was he so distracted, even when he was going to die? Was this just how it happened? Even the voice was silent, not bothering to torment him in his final moments. As Milas began to beat him, holding back enough to prolong the inevitable. But for Shenyo the world was tuned out and his body went numb as he focused on this one question. What was the voice telling him, by not telling him anything at all? Even in the worst and best times it had only truly gone down to a dull hum, enough to ignore. Now it was completely silent. Why?<br><br>It was silent so he could hear the whispers and pleas of someone telling him to focus. In that instant he could see her. His tail reached out to her as he used what energy was left in his body to embrace and grip Milas.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>13-03-2016, 23:23:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lydia or the spirit that was the life’s spark of Lydia rose in the air, shifting like giant plasma. On the floor lay the rest of her flesh and for a split second, she admired the glossy black hair as it spread out in the growing pool of crimson. Her body was not quite dead. Her heart was clinging to life by a gossamer thread. <br><br>The essence of her power and energy worked around the room whispering, “Shenyo, join me.” She had little strength for volume and tending the tiny flame deep in the fallen woman. Would their love and connection prove enough to make him reach out for her?&nbsp; Spirit had small concern over the condition of human fragility, yet, she winced as Milas punished Shenyo brutally with his fists and forearm.&nbsp; The man who was beast displayed great resolve in removing himself from the sword which had him pinned to the wall. His steely reserve echoed in the room when he ground out that Milas would not…. But Lydia knew when he reached his tail out to wrap around the evil noble that this moment was the chance she, they needed. <br><br>This was the night within a day that the prophecy spoke of. Drawing a surge of energy, she flooded Shenyo, mingling their spirits in the same manner they mingled their bodies when they made love on the forest floor so many months ago. His tail began to glow and she breathed all of her life into him, with the exception of that one teeny spark that clung to her prostrate body.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>15-06-2016, 16:13:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was no prideful drawing out of what was to come. There was no joy or pleasure, or even satisfaction of doing what had to be done. The energy that flooded Shenyo's body forced itself into every nook and aspect of his being. It threatened to make him lose control as he almost had mere minutes ago, awakening the demon inside of him. Yet this time it was different. He could feel her soul soothing and calming the beast within. In that single moment of clarity and strength, Shenyo ended the conflict.<br><br>Milas' body fell to either side of his own as he stumbled forward, body covered in his opponent's blood. Falling beside Lydia's body Shenyo scooped her up as gently and quickly as he could. The flames were louder than ever as the wooden beams above them began to weaken and crack. As he turned towards the entrance several of those beams crashed down, bringing half the roof with them, fortunately didn't land directly on top of them. There was too much fire and wreckage between them and the door, though the door was still open. The only other option was to find a way back through the maze of a building to a safety that might not exist.<br><br>Grabbing what was left of Milas clothing that he could, Shenyo quickly covered her body in the bloody attire and held her tight. Then he moved. It didn't matter how badly he was hurt. It didn't matter that he could feel the flame burning through his flesh. Nothing would stop him from getting her out of there.<br><br>The fresh, cool air stung his burnt body as he landed past the entrance and staggered a few steps further. They had made it. As Shenyo looked up however, he could see the fighting still going on. No one had noticed them yet, but he was in no condition to defend himself, let alone her. If she even could be defended.<br><br>Peering over the side of the drawbridge he noticed that it wasn't a stagnant moat, but instead a river. With the heat of the castle at his back and the sounds of combat at his front, he knew there was only one thing to do. He jumped. The river's current took them swiftly away from the heat and the violence, though the water stung at his wounds and his burns and threatened to drown them both. Somehow he managed to keep her above water until they found a way back up out of the water, a small dock near the edge of the city.<br><br>Pulling her body into a nearby alleyway he was finally able to take a look at her. "Come on Lydia..." He spoke softly, gently turning her over to look at the gash on her head. It still trickled blood. Cutting his hand with a claw he pressed down firmly onto her wound, forcing his blood to mix and mingle with her own. "Please." Was it too late? Did he take too long?<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Meridian</strong> on <strong>17-06-2016, 04:25:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>I watched as Shenyo took the body and leaped into the mighty river that flowed by the flaming castle. There was no anxiety or real need for urgency for I felt nothing. No alarm. No grief. Only detachment. Had I fulfilled my destiny? Does anyone? One thing I could not figure out was why I was not rising toward that bright white light on the horizon.<br><br>Nothing had prepared me for the eventuality that being dead would bring hesitation. I watched Shenyo labor over the body, begging it to Come on. Where I wondered? Where was the body supposed to go? Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Shenyo did not know it, but his spirit hovered over his form as well. His life force was weak. I had to blink to determine if I was seeing double, or if he indeed was close to the ethereal form.<br><br>I saw him cut his paw, foolish boy. He had lost much blood this night. Did he even have more to share? Once again, I felt no remorse or need to warn him away from his decision. Life was not so precious anymore. Would I be with Shenyo in the ether? I didn’t know. For the first time a doubt crossed my mind. I think I wanted to be with him.<br><br>Why did I want Shenyo over the afterlife? That could not be. The light beckoned me. The body still had a tiny life spark and Shenyo’s blood was fanning that into a flame.&nbsp; I felt the pull yet, I was unsure.</em><br><br>The blood flowed into Lydia's grievous head wound, mingling with what little blood she had left. Her heart skipped a beat.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Spring Awakening</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Shenyo</strong> on <strong>25-10-2016, 00:38:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shenyo's vision wavered, and went black. His body slumped against hers, his hand slowly falling away from her wound. Only through sheer force of will had he kept his body operating. As he relaxed everything simply gave out, and he slipped into the darkness despite his desire to see this through.<br><br>---<br><br>Shenyo's eyes slowly opened, his hand raising instinctively to block out the light blinding him from high above. It took a few minutes for him to sit up, not entirely sure where he was. What had happened last? Where was he?<br><br>Still struggling with the sun, his body shifted and his other hand brushed against something cold. Looking down made his breath catch. But slowly, eventually, he let it back out. His hand stopped trying to block the sun as he gazed down on her. She looked peaceful.<br><br>"Even after all of that..." He spoke softly, a hollow tone to his voice. "...You won't let me follow her?"<br><br><em>Don't be so weak.</em> The darkness replied. <em>She would have died in time. As with all the others. We are meant to go forward. We <strong>will</strong> go forward.</em><br><br>Shenyo winced as the words hit his heart. There was nothing to say in response. Raising himself up, he picked her up into his arms and walked to the water's edge. Very gently, he laid her on the top of the water.<br><br>"I'm sorry Lydia. But I don't regret our time together, even with the way it ended up. I hope where you are, that you finally find some peace. You won't be hunted anymore."<br><br>With those short, final words, he let her go. He turned away as she floated away with the current, allowing nature to take its course. He had saved her from a fate worse than death, but could not save her from death itself. It was impossible for him to do that for anyone, for the very act of being near him was a death sentence regardless of his feelings or intentions.<br><br>His eyes narrowed as he looked to the road leading back into the city. "We'll hunt down every last one. No matter where they try to hide." His tired legs pushed him forward. "For Lydia."<br><br>---<br>The End
			</dd>
		</dl>
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