Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: ferrousaemyr on 29-11-2010, 01:48:30</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 01:48:30</strong>
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				Arie had been taking a rather pleasant stroll through the countryside, heading back to Nexus after her latest exploit had come to a close. She had ended a Yozi-inspired bid at control over four kingdoms by invasion; after a battle with cultists, she uncovered the demonic influence, and defeated the monarch and the demon possessing it. Though her skill in battle had kept her alive, it was her perceptive nature and charms that allowed her to cut through the plot and get to the bottom of what plagued the nations.<br><br>So, not surrounded by battle, intrigue, or politics, Arie took in the peace surrounding her. As nightfall drew about her, she continued on, able to go for several more hours before she'd have to make camp in the darkness of the wild.<br><br>But that was, sadly, interrupted.<br><br>Rushing out of the darkness, a gaggle of undead stormed at her, their raspy voices, ragged cries, and insane laughter breaking the quiet of the night. With a twist of her wrists, she pulled her daiklaves forth from their sheaths, their blades humming softly with golden Essence. Narrowing her eyes, motes of the bright energy came off her form as she sped forth, Essence infusing her.<br><br>Dashing into the first armor-clad soldier, she feinted with her first blade and drove the second through a hole in its armpit, skewering through its chest and out its shoulder; wrenching the blade back, it spun as it tumbled into the ground.<br><br>Turning, she dived and rolled between two other attackers, rising up with an arcing cut, taking off the head of a second soldier as she pushed up from the ground. Ducking as a thrown spear filled with cruel barbs flew toward her, she twisted to the side, plunging the glowing sword into another soldier's mid-section and tearing it asunder.<br><br>Shifting on her feet, she heard the bounding of four-legged creatures before she saw them: two metal-and-bone monstrosities barely resembling dogs. As they leapt for her, she pulled her body backwards, going low to the ground and bringing her swords up into their guts, skewering and breaking their insides as they flew past. Wrenching her blades away and rising, she scanned the battlefield as more undead came toward her.<br><br>And that's when she saw it - him - the dark-cloaked figure striding toward her, a great, wicked Soulsteel Daiklave held its hand, and an ivory, black-painted mask over its face. A chill ran down Arie's spine - it was somehow familiar, even as it reeked of death and entropy. Her attention lingered for just a moment before she shifted to meet the attack of a large, bloated creature formed of the corpses of eight men, lumbering toward her with a sickly gait.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 03:53:03</strong>
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				The cool, crisp air of the night was perhaps the only thing that he had found refreshing. It, so unlike the world around him, was pure, and, in the heat of battle, would remain so, no matter how hot and sticky the dirtied bodies became. The distant stars overhead did little to illuminate the darkened world, only the moon, cradled low in the sky, offered any clearance in that darkness. Her soft beams dusted the scenery in a luminescent glow.<br><br>A scene any soul would deem beautiful; a beauty the twisted soul rejected. What was truly beautiful, was the shadow of his army, descending upon his prey, quickly engulfing that pretty light, the stench of death and decay that hung heavy in the air and the barbaric cackling of the mutilated creatures that marred the otherwise silent night. His army of underworld monsters, was as raw a truth one could ever find; this, he prided in.<br><br>As the dark underlings spewed forth attacks on their target, Garen made his way towards the unknown being. His lips slightly twitched in distaste at the unsheathed daiklaves. He didn't hesitate to watch as the opponent deftly expended the first few attackers, remnants of energy left in its trail. Though he some what appreciated the skill with which the opponent carried himself, he would not waste a moment on trivial thoughts.<br><br>He had but one motive on his agenda: kill. As his approach drew him closer, he recognized the form to be not that of a male's, but of a female's. Her attention had been momentarily devoted to him after her eyes had happened upon what would be her death. His own daiklave, whispering with the ever moving faces of the imprisoned souls, their screaming silent and muted within the blade, black as an abyss, fitting for a man like himself.<br><br>A mask, features frozen in an emotionless display, concealed his own emotionless visage, cloaking his identity- though not that it mattered, seeing the victim would soon be dead and she had, more than likely, never met him. Strange marvel to be brought death by a stranger, his lips twisted in to a grim smile, after all, he should know, not that it mattered now.<br><br>His eyes glimmered at the prospect of spilling blood, this being the only form of excitement he took to any more. The familiar weight of his weapon in hand felt natural, fingers firmly wrapped about the hilt of his blade. As his victim's stance adjusted to take on the oncoming attack of the morbid creature of his army, his grip slightly tightened, comfortably slipping into a perfect hold, not too tight, not too loose.<br><br>Beasts had begun to crowd, creating a wall between he and his opponent. Without hesitation, Garen effortlessly slashed his daiklave against that wall, blood splaying as body parts crumbled, the wall quickly deteriorating. Now all that stood between he and the woman were the strewn corpses of his army, slain by both their hands. Around the two formed a barricade, barring the woman from running too far. Now the only escape was death. Drawing his sword back, Garen was more than ready to serve the woman a fatal blow. However, as he brought his sword down, he caught his victims face, his brows furrowing in confusion at the sight. <em>Arie.</em> That split second of hesitation had opened up an opportunity for the woman to dodge his charge.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 04:12:51</strong>
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				Evading the blow of the monstrosity and ripping apart its swollen belly with her blades, Arie danced aside from his suddenly festering and exploding carcass, nearly tumbling into several more undead that brought thick, putrid claws down at her. Essence trailing off of her and her sword, the mark of the Dawn came to blazing life on her forehead, drowning the dark night in its luminescence. As her movements slew the pack next to her, the rosey aura around her grew, surging into a bonfire of light that lit the sky above, a radiant corona hanging over her head.<br><br>The light was at once brilliant and awe-inspiring; though the monsters around her felt no fear, the light was inevitable, overpowering - their attacks lost potency against the bright star of the Unconquered Sun.<br><br>Sweeping through her enemies, she caught sight of the dark, masked figure tearing apart the undead with his large weapon. Confused for a moment, wondering if he was indeed aiding her, she caught the way his mask focused toward her, the intent of his body proclaiming nothing but death. The creatures did not fight him as he tore through them, destroying his own allies or servants, it seemed.<br><br>Keeping the creatures between her and him, she danced her own whirlwind of golden death, deftly avoiding blows and raining them down upon abomination after abomination. Though she was sickened to her core when she first encountered creatures of death, Arie had learned to master the impulse and drive her will forward, letting her will seething in battle to bring down all obstacles.<br><br>And so, after all, there was only one.<br><br>Staring fiercely at the masked person, she noticed the grim barriers of bone and darkness rise up from the earth, tainting the land where they fell. Fear touching her heart for a moment, her mouth turned into a defiant snarl, her will unyielding before this determined foe. As he brought down his blade, seeing his hesitation, she swerved to the side, letting the steel shatter rock and drive through earth; in her dodge, she twisted and unfurled her swords around her, as a lotus spreading its petals. Her daiklaves came toward his shoulder and face, blazing with her luminescent Essence, fury in her eyes.<br><br><em>I will not fail the Sun and let this light be extinguished.</em><br><br>Cutting at him with inhuman speed, she sheared away, whether her blades found purchase or not, spinning back into stance and facing him.<br><br><em>Never again.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 05:47:22</strong>
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				His hesitation had cost him, her daiklaves swiftly descending upon his being. Blade pummeled into the ground, he was left with limited options, he could abandon his weapon and come out unscathed, or he could yank his weapon from out of the ground but surely meet the edge of Arie's dual blades. He opted to choose the latter, pulling his daiklave from the ground at the price of having the edge of her blades slice through his armour and kiss his skin, etching a searing line of crimson blood upon his body as he stumbled backward.<br><br>Carved within his mask was a sliver of where her blade had struck, blood dripping from his jaw from the unveiled wound.&nbsp; Across his shoulder, a gash stretched below his collarbone. He swallowed hard, the injuries not a blunder upon his intentions, but rather, his own mind. He lifted his sword, not launching an attack, but standing his ground in defense.<br><br>He did not have to think, he knew he could not bring himself to kill her, nor did he want to. His hesitation lay firmly within the question of revealing to her his identity. It had been so long since he had last laid eyes on her, agonizingly long. There was not a day that went by that he did not think of her, no matter how hard he tried to forget, he could not. His love had been true and sound, and still, as ever, was as strong as it had been then. Never had Garen stopped loving her, not for a moment.<br><br>He stepped back from Arie, unable to front another attack upon her being, his stomach weakening from realizing that he could very well have killed her and if he had done that- He could not stomach such a thought. <em>Arie.</em> Before she could charge at him again, with shaking hands, Garen unmasked his face. Eyes that once were a lively golden liquid had dulled into hardened gold. Nonetheless, they pierced through the night like nothing else could be capable of.<br><br>His strong jawline was slightly exaggerated by his clenched teeth, his dark brows furrowing. His hair, black as onyx splayed across his forehead and eyes and framed his face with the same disorderly and boyish placement it always had. Though his features were essentially the same they had been when he courted Arie, they had hardened, all softness having drained from both age and hardship. Standing before Arie was not the boy she had once known, but the man he had become. Or, perhaps, the monster.<br><br>His skin was pale against his dark hair and clothes, flawless with the exception of the crimson trail that bloomed across his cheek. He didn't speak at first, finding that he was at a loss for words, his lips pulled into a harsh line that formed more of a displeased frown than any thing else, having been sculpted in that shape over the years. His features no longer expressed joy or benevolence, instead they were painted with aggression, disdain and a deep rooted bitterness. He could not bring himself to stain her name with his voice, "You," he settled with, his tone unable to eradicate the snarl it had adjusted to.<br><br>He swallowed again, realizing how harsh his own voice sounded, looking away with shame at talking to her in such an aggressive manner. "You," he tried again, this time breathing the word so that he could not mar it with his cold nature. He grit his teeth again, still unable to bring his golden eyes to match hers. Shame plagued his being, but there was nothing he could do to change himself now, darkness had already stained his soul.<br><br>He cautiously approached Arie, before stopping a few feet before her. He had always been taller than she, but he had grown still, her chin barely leveling with his shoulder. He sank to his knees, offering the hilt of his daiklave to her as a gesture of his surrender. He intended for her to slay him with his blade, he knowing that if he did not carry out his order and kill Arie, that grave measures would be taken against him, as well as Arie. He never dreamt of finding his beloved in such a way, but he would not trouble her with sentimental words or pleas.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 06:20:26</strong>
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				Ready to strike forward, watching his defensive stance and looking for weakness, she tensed and put a step forward, ready to leap at him and carve his body from his armor, when she caught sight of something that splintered through her blazing aura.<br><br>"G... Garen...?"<br><br>Arie's amber eyes were wide and large, the name spilling out of her mouth as her mind reeled. <em>No, it... it can't be...</em><br><br>The muscles in her arms had at once gone limp as she saw him, and inertia overtook them, transforming strength and determination into weakness and doubt. Her tan brow, the skin Garen once knew having gone darker from her many journeys under the open sky, tensed, trying to puzzle out the truth. Shaking her head, her breath shaking, she stood back and held her hands together, making a sign of glimmering Essence in the air. The circle widened, glowing pale and rosey, and reflected a soft light onto Garen.<br><br>The firmness that she had retaken to make the Charm fell again, her soft lips faltered as her expression flicked between confusion, hope, disbelief, and fear.<br><br>"How..."<br><br>No matter how much her mind cried at her to protect herself, to fight the dark warrior before her, it knew that this was no illusion. Nothing masked the man's face, the face of the man who she had loved so dearly, and given her heart to... the heart that drifted back, broken and hidden, after his disappearance. The heart that, upon seeing that one face, burst again with energy, quickening and yearning for his touch.<br><br>The tips of her daiklaves dragged across the grassy soil, Arie's hands relaxing and letting them go, their luminescence quieting with release, and her smooth, bare legs, stronger than Garen had ever seen, trembled. Her chest shuddered, trying to contain emotion, failing that, find enough breath to sustain her.<br><br>More than anything, Arie wanted to run to Garen, run into the memory of her beloved, shed away the years and return to the happiness she had shared with him. Though she had long ago walked from that dream, from a life shared between two hearts and two souls, the memory never left her, hiding just underneath the surface. Despite everything she had been through, the strength and hardness she had learned in the face of so many enemies, that moment came back.<br><br>Yet... it wasn't right. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes as she stared at the hardened face before her and the black armor and pale features that adorned him now. Garen had become something else... Garen had become a deathknight, a servant of darkness, a marshal of undeath.<br><br><em>Her Garen.</em><br><br>As she faltered, he approached her, her eyes never leaving his, staring through the dark, golden strands of her hair. Grief and love consumed her, but when he presented her his blade, she finally found a sliver of will to grab onto, a refuge in the uncertainty and despair. Arie's teeth grit together in anger, and she grabbed the hilt, flinging the cursed blade away from him and her. She stepped forward, taking hold of his cheeks with her hands, looking down at him, eyes pained and raging for the briefest moments -<br><br>And then she fell into him, tears streaming down her cheeks, her arms pulling him tight into an embrace, uncaring of the sharpness of his armor or the deathly pallor that followed him. "Garen," she sobbed, feverishly pressing her cheek against his, clamoring to feel his hands and face once more.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 07:12:15</strong>
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				<em>She had recognized him.</em> <br><br>Garen felt relief in his heart that she had recognized him. He some what doubted that she would be able to place him, his being having drastically changed from what she once knew. Though Arie had always been both beautiful and strong, these qualities seemed to have grown. She had blossomed into some thing Heavenly. He found himself surprised that she could grow any more alluring than what he had remembered her as. But, then again, what he remembered was but a girl, not the woman who stood before him now.<br><br>Her reaction, however, caused him slight grief. What would make this easy, was if she cursed him and cut him down on the spot. However, she showed signs of struggling to accept the reality of the situation. He was unsure of how to take her, unsure of what she felt.<br><br>Those amber eyes of hers kept upon his own golden orbs, though he refused to return her gaze. He felt her hand close around the hilt of his sword, and he expected the blade to shortly fall upon him. His brows again furrowed, however, when she tossed his daiklave away. His eyes quickly seeking out hers for an explanation.<br><br>Her sudden step towards him, her hands cupping his cheeks and that look in her eye only proved to further unsettle Garen. And then, she closed the gap between them, taking him into her arms, holding onto him dearly. He felt the soft flesh of her cheek against his, warm against his clammy skin. His lips formed a sickened line as he yanked himself away, lightly pushing her back, "Don't touch me," he snapped at her, his eyes dancing with a dangerous fire.<br><br>His lips parted slightly at hearing himself, he slightly leaned forward, instantly regretting speaking to her in such a manner. He reached out, about to touch her, before taking his hand into the other, abandoning that attempt early on. "I'm sorry," he apologized, voice still aggressive, he quickly becoming annoyed at his own tone. "I would rather you not... tarnish yourself by touching some body as tainted as me. I do not mean to speak so harshly, but you should not..." he couldn't finish his words, shaking his head in shame.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 07:33:59</strong>
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				Touching him, she felt the impossible happen, her broken hopes and dreams finding a new way to live again, to revive and thrive with happiness. Throbbing with emotion, she sought comfort and relief... but the moment snapped, contact broken as he pushed her away, snapping at her.<br><br>Fear touched her heart little, now, having seen the life of her beloved still pulsing in his veins - yet the slender, gasping hope faltered, finding its hold treacherous. Though she yearned to return to younger days, they were no more, and they were very different, now; she had been chosen by the Sun... and he had excepted the Darkness.<br><br>It gave pause to tears of relief and pent emotion, grief filling into chest more intently, denying her what she sought, what had appeared before her so suddenly and was just as suddenly snatched away. Her mouth formed slowly into a firmer expression as she stared hard into his eyes, searching for the love they had shared, the Garen that she knew, the hope and smile that lingered so strongly in her mind. Narrowing her eyes, a frown rising, she brought her arm out and slapped him across the face, the motion wrenching for her and tugging at her heart.<br><br>"How dare you!" she cried, her voice rising in the darkness, the light on her brow glowing brighter. "All this time... I've wanted nothing more... than to hold you again."<br><br>Tears spilling forth again, her hands clenched into fists and struck the earth with an anguished noise from her throat, dirt scattering into the air around them. Looking down, away from him, she uselessly tried to force back the tears that choked her lungs and sight. Closing her eyes tight, her chest drew inward, pulling in the sound of her wretched sobs, cutting them short and quiet.<br><br>Slowly, the seconds agonizing for her, she reached out to touch his cheek, not looking up, afraid to find his rejection again. She needed to touch him, to hold him, not caring for how he was, throwing it away in an instant, wanting only... him.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 08:07:32</strong>
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				Garen was slightly stunned at the hard slap across his face. He kept his surprise to himself, though, his expression never faltering as she spoke. He kept his silence, wary of saying the wrong thing, wary of saying the right thing. Nobody could understand Arie's pain better than he; he had felt it with every waking moment, tugging at his heart and soul, weighing them heavily.<br><br>He was again surprised when her fingertips lightly grazed his cheek before she again cupped his cheek in her hand, though this time, her eyes did not search out his. Watching her cry and seeing her in this pain was nothing short of agonizing. "Arie," he whispered, his tone finally finding the long lost hint of tenderness. "You and I..." he trailed off, his eyes meeting hers as he gingerly held her face in his hands.<br><br>"What we had... it is different now," he quietly said, "You are a beacon of light, Arie, I, a shadow of darkness. This cannot work. It is best to kill me now than suffer the consequences that are sure to come." He leaned in slightly closer, "Believe me, I've dreamt of finding you every night, but some things... Some things are meant to stay as dreams. Besides," he said, still shaking his head, lightly scoffing at the words to come, "I am merely a shell of Garen."<br><br>Those harsh eyes of his softened into ones of despair. His heart ached, he never dreaming of having to say such things to Arie. He gently placed a hand overtop the one she lay on his cheek. "Please," he quietly pleaded, "Spare yourself the trouble." He took her hand into his, softly kissing her hand, the sensation foreign and lovely.<br><br>It was evident in the pained way he looked at her that he still loved her. He was thankful to see that his love was alive and well, though it bothered him to see her skill- it only could mean that she was a hardened warrior and had had her fair share of hardships. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>29-11-2010, 08:38:07</strong>
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				Feeling his cheek again, her breath caught for a moment, drinking in the sensation. Though his skin wasn't quite the same as it was, it was very familiar, and she had known it better than anything else in this world. Stroking it gently, she trembled, the power of her love almost buckling her to the ground, flooding her as it did.<br><br>Finding his hands on her cheeks, her lips opened wide, surprise and need reflecting in her eyes as he found them. They started to curve into a smile, hearing his voice lose the harsh edge it had held, that he seemed almost captive to. At his words, her head shook vigorously, her heart pounding with refusal at every doubt and reason not to clasp him to her and want his love. Her fingers dug into his cheek gently, holding it tighter before he removed it and kissed it, the touch of his lips pulling a soft gasp from her aching lungs.<br><br>"No," she whispered, her lips tugging upward more, hope glimmering into her eyes. "No," she said again, shaking her head, her other hand reaching up to grasp his other cheek, tugging at his skin, seeking to give it her warmth, to fill his darkness with her light.<br><br>"No," she said again, firm and strong, her mouth a full, tender smile. "You are my Garen," she said, the truth of her Essence clear as day in her mind and heart, showing her his soul, though it was darkened.<br><br>Crawling toward him, her hand grasped his gently, moving it to her chest, letting him feel the deep beating of her heart and the rise and fall of her tortured breast. "... and I am your Arie."<br><br>Gazing into his eyes, nothing could be truer to her, her determination and sincerity blazing intensely; whatever happened to Garen, whatever tortured his beautiful soul into an instrument of wickedness, she would overcome it. She would not falter in this. She could not.<br><br>She had found Garen again, somehow, still alive, still her love - and she would not give him up again.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>30-11-2010, 06:04:08</strong>
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				His ears caught her soft <em>no</em> before she repeated again, and again, a sweet smile on her lips. Swallowing hard at the words she spoke next, Garen's eyes again shot up, to look into hers. He gave a startled gasp at her words, his fingertips pressed into the warmth of her bosom, laying over the heart beating within her chest.<br><br>His eyes seemed fixated on his hand, though it was obvious he was looking much deeper than the flesh of his hand and her breast. Without expecting it, Arie had so easily pierced his heavy heart, sound and true with those words. Finally, he blinked, before pulling Arie into his arms suddenly, holding her firmly against his own body.<br><br>Clenching his jaw, Garen held back his troubled breaths of anguish at having been apart from her for so long. All he could do was hold her tighter against him, before finally being able to part his lips, inhaling sharply before speaking. "Never..." he whispered, "Never..." his arms tightening around her, "I'll never lose you again." Pulling back, his golden eyes seemed to have broken, the vivid liquid leaking into his orbs, his eyes full of passion.<br><br>Getting a little carried away with himself, Garen pressed his lips against hers, kissing her hungrily. It was not a soft, gentle kiss, but a rough, longing one an expression of raw passion. Whenever he slightly parted his lips from hers, the pause did not last long, his lips greedily pressing against hers again and again. He had missed her so much, had needed her so much and here she was. Despite his darkness and despite his warnings, she stayed and had claimed him as hers and hers alone, and she his, and his alone.<br><br>Finally breaking that kiss, he buried his face into her neck, feeling her warmth, smelling her scent. She was real, but Garen was afraid that she would disappear, and so anchored her within his arms, wary of losing her again. Alarms signaled in his mind, <em>don't do this</em>, but he ignored them and his darker side, all in favour of a fanciful thought of a happily ever after ending.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>30-11-2010, 06:44:27</strong>
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				Arie gasped with relief and joy as Garen pulled her to him, her despair falling away as she touched him, wrapping her arms around him again. Breathing hard against him, her chest heaving, laughter mixed with tears as she heard his words, her fingers tugging at him, trying to get under his armor, to feel the skin of his back and chest.<br><br>No moment in her life had broken upon her with such force, provoking such emotion and desperation. Looking at his face again, seeing the wall of darkness fall, pure happiness peered out at him, held back by nothing. He filled her eyes, and nothing could make her happier.<br><br>When his lips met hers, their force was unfamiliar, but Arie could not care at all. Closing her eyes, she pressed against him, her arms moving to wrap tightly around his neck. Each kiss from Garen made her heart flutter, and soft noises came from her lips, her desire for him unfettered. The warmth of his love shook her to her core, and she was completely vulnerable to him - she wanted him close, to have his heart against hers, to never push her away. She would rush into any darkness that he harbored and throw herself into it - she would give everything to see him happy, to see him smile, to see his love in his eyes.<br><br>Her grip tightening on Garen, she rubbed her cheek against his face and ear with the ferocity of need, her kisses on his skin more desperate than neat.<br><br>They were together, again; nothing else mattered.<br><br>Clinging to Garen with her hard-earned strength, she couldn't notice the spindly creature made of bone bolted with metal leering at the two of them and extending its arms outward, scythes replacing hands. Coiling its legs, it leaped from its vantage point, spinning into a whirlwind of bladed death at the lovers, aimed for Arie's exposed back - a reassurance sent by Garen's master.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>05-12-2010, 22:27:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His fingers entangled themselves in her blonde tresses. The rise and fall of her chest against his seemed surreal. He felt her fingers try to sneak their way under his armour, yearning to touch the flesh underneath. Though she had cracked his hardened wall, he could not reflect that happiness that lit her eyes. A strange forlorn gloom plagued his golden eyes, but nonetheless, the liquid gold that had crept back into those orbs maintained a sense of hope. <br><br>Thankfully his kiss had muted all worrisome thoughts. The soft sounds that honeyed his ears were strange and foreign to him. He slightly pulled away, to see what was the matter, but found nothing save her joy. Without much thought, a gleam attracted Garen's attention from behind Arie. The image of the approaching fiend was captured within his eyes, the golden orbs serving as a mirror. His eyes became alarmed, looking back into Arie's before suddenly knocking her back to the ground, his hands behind her head to protect her from the force of being pushed back so suddenly. His face paralleled hers, his body crouched over hers.<br><br>His eyes seemed plagued with concern until they widened, "Ah-" he faintly choked his stunned reaction. The two scythes' blades were embedded within his back, beneath his shoulder blades. Never having been caught by surprise, he blinked with shock, his eyes still mirroring Arie's. The pain that seared in his mid-back was not fatal, had it been Arie's back, the blades would have more than likely pierced her heart.<br><br>Though the attack had only spanned for a few fleeting seconds, the time seemed to slow for Garen. His body sheltered Arie's still, as his hand reached up along his back, grasping at a sinewy limb, its sharp spindles brazing against his hand. Forcefully, Garen yanked the creature from him, slamming it to the ground, gasping as the blades tore back out from his frame.<br><br>His own daiklave lay several feet away from him, Arie's blades were still within arm's reach, however. He quickly grabbed for the two golden blades, wrinkling his nose upon his coming into contact with them. He staggered to his feet, pulling Arie up and possessively pulling her behind him. Even if he was less in shape to fight than Arie, he was quite stubborn. No matter how formidable an opponent Arie could serve to be, he quickly took on the responsibility of protecting her, making it his duty to keep her safe, no matter how much a disadvantage he was at.<br><br>Garen did not lunge forth with an attack, instead he rounded the beast, armed to defend against another attack. He had but two motives- retrieve his daiklave and keep Arie safely behind him. The creature sprung forth again, Garen blocking the attack with one of Arie's golden blades, thrusting the other towards the creature. Of course, he didn't expect it to do much, the creature being a mass of bones and metal and the golden daiklave not as effective in his hands as his own Soulsteel daiklave would be.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>05-12-2010, 23:00:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Garen's expression changing rapidly, despite their loving embrace, surprised Arie as he threw her to the ground, but moved to catch her head from forcefully impacting the earth. Looking up at him, confusion written over her face, she cried out in refusal as she saw the foul creature appear in the air above them and sink its blades into Garen's back. Her eyes instantly exposed concern and outrage, her heart thundering with need. Arie had just found Garen again, had reunited with him and found that his love for her had not wavered.<br><br>She could not bear to lose that or him again; it would be too much for her to fight and prevail against.<br><br>Her hands reaching forward, her body was already shifting to move out from under Garen as his strength wrenched the monster from on top of him and threw it aside. Turning her head to see it smash against the ground and roll aside, with its grating, cluttering noises of unnatural movement, Garen had left her in an instant and picked up her weapons, circling to protect her.<br><br>Returning to her feet, she watched Garen's back, exposed to her and already bleeding from the two vicious scythe wounds that had been driven into him. Her eyes narrowed as her fist clenched, anger seething and boiling up swiftly, consuming her outer being. The darkness threatened to drag Garen back down, to prevent their reunion and bliss. Arie would not have it.<br><br>Though she knew Garen meant well in trying to protect her, she was not an ill-experienced combatant and young girl anymore. Her travels, the blessing of the Sun, her many battles had all forged her into a terrifying implement of destruction. By the Unconquered Sun's power, she was one of his soldier-generals, granted the mightiest of his light and the motivation to wield it into the bodies and souls of the Sun's enemies. Even without her weapons, she was a warrior, hardened and focused on bringing death and destruction to those who would not yield.<br><br>Stepping up to Garen, her hands gently found his shoulders as she leaned against him, whispering up to his ear. "Fight with me, love."<br><br>Suddenly turning around and gripping his armor, she sprung off the ground, using him as a fulcrum to throw herself up into the air. Twisting through the space, her movements faster than any mortal could hope to attain, she spun and tumbled above the vile undead, narrowly avoiding the gap in its blades as they raised to tear her apart. Her hands caught the creature's arms just under its scythe blades as she landed, facing the thing's back.<br><br>Holding its arms back and over its head, her strength keeping them in a vice-like grip, the creature's chest was utterly exposed to Garen. Her voice rose, a crescendo of violence, as she shouted. "Kill it, Garen!"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>07-12-2010, 06:31:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Garen felt Arie's hands upon his tense shoulders, her words in the form of a whisper finding his ear. He did not reject her words, but his eyes were filled with concern as he watched her spring into the air. She was lithe and graceful and Garen, he was somewhat in awe with her movements. But he did not stand and stare, his eyes falling back upon the creature. As soon as she gave the order, Garen obliged her, dashing forth with her golden daiklaves, raising them as he neared and finally bringing them down onto the dark creature. In one sound strike, he had beheaded their opponent, black blood spewing from its body. Though its chest had been most exposed, its head was one sure way of killing the creature.<br><br>Stepping back, Garen looked up to his love, "Are you hurt?" he asked, concern lacing the aggressive tone. Despite his own injuries, he still worried about Arie's health. He knew that Arie was capable, he did not doubt that one bit. But seeing her perform without hesitation seemed to remind him that she had not needed him since he had disappeared and she did not need him now. Wiping the blood from the golden blades, Garen gave a quiet sigh, knowing how frail their situation was. He picked up his own accursed daiklave because, no matter how dark the blade was, it felt right within his grip. He handed Arie her own two daiklaves, now mostly clean of blood.<br><br>The wounds etched into his back still seared with pain and he could feel the hot blood trickle down his back, making him a bit uncomfortable. Unfortunately, his head pounded as he assessed the damages he'd taken. First and foremost, the injuries that marred his flesh. Below his collarbone he had been pierced with one of Arie's golden daiklaves, the twin of that blade had carved a slender against his cheek, but that was not an injury worth noting, lastly, the deep gashes that lay below his shoulder blades, these being the most painful and most critical. The second and, perhaps, second most important injury was his damaged armour.<br><br>He reached around his own body, slightly grimacing at the piercing pain, his fingers trailing up against the flayed metal and flesh, he would need to tend to his wounds, already slightly lightheaded due to the loss of blood. He blinked, looking at Arie for a moment, "We must leave," he quietly said, his tone sounding some what like an order, though that was far from his intention. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 00:12:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Releasing the creature once its ill-gotten 'life' was sundered from its body, Arie looked to her lover, holding the two golden weapons, stark against his black armor. The sight touched her, giving fuel to the rising hope that he could be taken out of the shadows. No matter how deep the darkness surrounding him, it had not extinguished his love for her - it had not extinguished his beauty. She knew, in that moment, that she would fight with every last piece of her to see him alive and free from the pall of death. Arie would not succumb to the fatalism that had touched Garen's voice when he spoke of his worth, of his destiny. They bore the blessings of the Gods; fate was theirs to carve.<br><br>Smiling softly at Garen, she shook her head to his question, walking over to him. Taking the blades, she returned them to their homes on her belt, ready to come out again in a moment but unneeded for now. Though her eyes saw the tormented souls in the weapon Garen bore, he did not make that weapon, just as he did not make the choices of the Deathlords ruling over the Underworld. No matter how dire his tools were, it was his decision to put them where he saw fit.<br><br>Standing before him, looking up at the tall man who had grown from the boy who had drew her heart so inescapably, concern mixed with love as her gaze swept over the wounds her hands had caused. Grief touched her briefly, thinking of the pain she had given him, the pain that he had suffered as a deathknight. Swallowing, she looked back to him, taking his free hand in hers and gently touching his cheek again.<br><br>Shifting to the balls of her feet, she leaned up to him, her chest finding support against his as she found solace in his eyes. Happiness, indescribable happiness, had been given chance to take root in her again. Though she knew they had to leave, to flee the attention of Garen's dark master, she wanted to savor the moment longer. Closing her eyes, she brought her lips to his, her heart aching again at his touch. <em>I want this forever,</em> it told her, affection blossoming in her chest.<br><br>Finally releasing him, unwavering love in her upturned face, Arie nodded, taking his hand more firmly. As long as Garen was beside her, she could face any danger and go to any length, anywhere, to be safe and free with him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>25-12-2010, 20:16:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Unlike Arie, Garen did not feel as though they had been blessed. Though he could not be sure of what their future held, the attack had forced him to remember that nothing had been promised to the two. As of now, for all Garen knew, this could be but a cruel gift- some thing given only to be later snatched away. But looking at his love, after all that had happened, he knew she was safe and furthermore, she was his. The rest would be up to him, if he wanted this to happen, then he was only left with the option to make it happen, along with Arie.<br><br>He watched her eyes sweep over his wounds, her slender fingers lacing within his own, warm in comparison to his own skin. The fingertips of her other hand gently dusting his cheek with their touch. His gaze remained steady on her as she leaned up to touch her lips to his, his own hands anchored her against him, one firmly holding her hand, pulling her closer to him, the other against the small of her back, trailing its way up her spine until finally his fingertips entwined in her hair, cupping the back of her head as he returned her kiss. <br><br>Once she pulled back, Garen's eyebrows furrowed, a harsh expression manipulating the features of his face for the brief moment their lips had been apart before he chased back after her, connecting them again in a rough rupture of his longing passion. Perhaps later Garen would learn to be less aggressive, but for now, he did not know gentle and did not care to. He was like a starved dog, and he hungered for the taste of Arie's lips against his. He could not help himself.<br><br>However, he was not about to jeopardize the potential future he had been dreaming of for so long now. After stealing a few more kisses from Arie's lips, he straightened, eyes hardening again after that wondrous glimmer of pleasure had passed through them. "Where will we be safe, for now?" he breathed, his golden eyes surveying their surroundings, alert.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>27-12-2010, 07:28:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Another sound of desperate affection and need tumbled from Arie's lips as Garen sought them out several times more. Curling against him and his hard, sharp, chilling armor, she didn't mind the glint of pain from it; suffering meant little with Garen so close, so alive, so loving. Going so long without him, it was hard to want to move away for how deep the hole was for him to fill and sate.<br><br>Letting out a shallow, disappointed breath, Arie looked at their surroundings, her mind refocusing. "Being out at night, anywhere, is dangerous with the dead after us..." Staring toward Nexus in the great distance for a bit, she turned back to face Garen. "We'll be safest amidst civilization." She was about half a week away from Nexus when Garen and his soldiers had come upon her.<br><br>A yawn almost came to her lips, the fatigue of her day of travel creeping up, but Arie shook it off. She was Exalted - she was made of sterner stuff. She could run through the night, or so she told herself.<br><br>Taking Garen's hand, she gave him a last, sweet smile, before heading toward Nexus, absent any ideas from the Abyssal.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sable</strong> on <strong>04-01-2011, 19:14:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His eyes scoured over the horizon, quickly pulling toward the light that marked that horizon- the nearest city. His eyes narrowed, given a couple days they could make it. Perhaps even sooner if pushed hard enough. Garen looked down as Arie laced her fingers with his, her sweet smile reminding him that this was not an army of twisted creatures, but his love. Maybe he could afford to press those warped beings onward, but this he could not. Nothing was more important to Garen than their safety, and if he pushed both himself and Arie too hard, then it could possibly exhaust their strength and defenses, vital to them since the dark fiends of the Underworld would soon be after them.<br><br>The openness between Nexus and where they now stood made him some what uncomfortable. The vulnerability of their position put him on edge, his senses fully alert. As they moved onward, Garen never let his guard down. It showed through his body language that he was tense. He kept quiet, his eyes stayed harsh and his jaw line kept strong; his teeth being clenched out of anticipation. He could not help his anxiety, for he had not had to take on such an important task before. Every assassination, every treacherous mission or plundered village he had carried out was not as weighty as this. Of course, he had never had emotions attached to the task at hand. <br><br>He hadn't realized how long they had been moving for, the sun beginning to peek over the horizon. He glanced at that light, slightly scowling at its presence. It had been a good stretch of time since he had basked in the light of the sun. Before, when he and Arie had been so close, both so innocent, he had loved the sun light's warm embrace. He thrived in the sunlight, slightly saddening when it sunk back beneath the horizon. Now, he loathed the sun. Its beams entirely too strong for his eyes, the heat making him uncomfortable. "We've made a lot of distance," he finally spoke, before looking down to Arie, "Do you have enough energy to keep going, or do you need rest?" he asked her, "We shouldn't push ourselves, else we may endanger ourselves. So if you need rest, then rest."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Shadows of Life (Anael - Sable)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>ferrousaemyr</strong> on <strong>04-01-2011, 21:40:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hustling alongside Garen through the night, Arie held her own vigilance as well, but oft returned her gaze to the deathknight beside her, his ashen yet beautiful face marred by his disquiet and readiness. His youthful countenance still lingered in her mind, so much more carefree and hopeful. Arie wanted to know what had been done to her sweet Garen to fill him with darkness and despair. She wanted to know it all, to hammer out a bridge over the void between them and cross that distance until it was nothing.<br><br>As the hours rolled by, Arie squeezed her lover's hand more than once, the play of her heart too much to contain. Even in his silence, her affection and determination steadily grew with each grain of time that passed. Desolation had passed with the fiercest of storms, and and now she stood in its rain, smiling with such deep relief. Memories of what pleased Garen, and questions of what would please him now, filled her thoughts. Arie wanted to see his glorious smile again, lit with the brightness she remembered. She would redeem him.<br><br>Growing fatigued over the journey, Arie knew she could press on, but wouldn't be at full strength if she did so. What brought her to accede to Garen's words was the coming Dawn. Few of the vile creatures of darkness could bear the Sun's glory at all, and none of them liked it. Now would be the best time to rest. Looking up to Garen, she smiled at him and touched his cheek, looking at his lips before replying. "We're safest in the daylight; better to rest now and be fresh for the night, when they're strongest."<br><br>Scanning about them with cool eyes, she saw a cleft in a boulder near them, offering shelter and some cover from the road. Taking Garen's hands, she pulled him to it, her smile broadening as her eyes glittered with unbound affection. "Rest with me, Garen." Standing in the cleft, she pulled his hands behind her back and released them, moving her own to his cheeks and neck, feeling the coolness of his skin with a little sorrow mixed into her joy. She wanted to give her warmth to her beloved, to fill the darkness in him with her light. Her eyes searching his, asking for his acquiescence, they grew emotional again, their long separation still an open wound in her chest.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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