RP:A Grim Fairy Tale

Part of the Do You Believe In Magic? Arc

Summary: Khitti entertains Odhranos with a dark story in an attempt to get his mind off of his capture.

Raiez's Cave (Dead End)

Odhranos sat crosslegged in the base of the jar, his chin cupped in one hand with a bored expression on his face, while his other hand was outstretched before him. A few inches above the outstreched hand, a small silver blur whizzed around in a vaguely circular orbit, which from time to time would lose it's course and fly across the jar, only to be whisked back a few moments later. The mage sighed, after his kidnapping, he had been relieved of all of his terramantic materials that he carried upon himself, presumeably by that infernal dragon. It was only after a day spent moping around the jar that he pried out the small metal hoops from his boot's lace-holes and compacted theml into a little ball of scrap metal; something to keep him from descending into a boredom-induced madness while locked in his glass prison. Across the jar from him, the half-naked form of his jar-mate Linn was wreathed in a dim shadow, as the faint candle-light from the cave beyond managed to worm it's way between the countless jars on the shelf and shine into the one that Odhranos was currently occupying. The mage sighed again, a despairing and utterly-bored sigh before getting to his feet and stretching. An angry glint flashed in his slate-grey eyes and he clenched his fist around the small ball of metal before throwing it forcefully at the wall with an infuriated growl. The ball of metal flew across the jar and collided with the glass, which stopped the projectile without even the slightest hint of a crack. An instant later, a barely visible ripple flowed through the glass, in towards the point of contact and the ball was fired back at the mage with twice the power it had before. The mage caught the force straight in his midriff and collapsed to the glass floor, gasping in pain and cursing violently. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID CURSING GLASS!" He roared, pounding his fist on the floor, showing a rarely-seen flash of anger from the usually reserved mage. After he recovered from the blow, he got to his feet and cast a worried glance across at Linn, hoping he hadn't disturbed him with his outburst. The mage gritted his teeth and dragged himself across to the nearest wall, which he propped himself up against before prodding gingerly at the tender spot on his ribs. That one's gonna bruise....

Could no one ever keep quiet while she was sleeping?! It's bad enough that the bitey murdery one was -constantly- training. Khitti was pretty sure that the other redhead never slept. What a weird damned woman. Anyway, Khitti...well...Khitti's awake now and she's not happy about. "Hey!" She whispers loudly enough for Odhranos to hear through the jar, but hopefully not loud enough to wake Dominic. "You keep zhat up and you'll vake zhe dead!" He did actually. Her. Get it? Haha. (Coughs awkwardly.) Moving on. "Vhat zhe hell are you doing? Are you aiming to actually hurt yourself?" She blinks a few times at the other mage as she pulls her hair back and braids it, letting the shorter lengths of red locks dangle in her face. "Zhat's going to get you nowhere, you know."

Odhranos turned his head to the side sharply when a voice managed to make it's way through the glass. Although muffled and distorted, he could make out the words and upon turning further, could see that the voice belonged to Dominic's girlfriend, Khitti. Immediately, the mage flushed and he cast his eyes down in embarrassment, while muttering; "..was worth a try...". He sat there, cheeks flaming, before that rash anger returned, near doubled by his embarrassment and he gritted his teeth, turning to Khitti. "Are you not sick of this? Being bottled like some sick arcane specimen? It might get me nowhere, but at least I'm trying." He spat vehemently, grey eyes glowing a bright malevolent silver for a moment, before ebbing and receding, leaving two ghostly saddened eyes staring out at the vampire. "Gah... I'm sorry, I didn't mean that..." The mage apologised, staring at the floor, his heart grasped by an icy hand... fear at what he was becoming. "This... imprisonment, it's changing me, I'm sorry." The mage whispered, turning away but not before a very evident tear ran down his face.

"Do you know how long I've been here? Don't you zhink I've tried something by now? It is futile, Odhranos. At least, for now." She sighs, eyeing at that tear of his, a frown lining her lips, "I'm sure you guys vill zhink of something. I'm just...not cut out for zhis. I'm just as useless now as I've ever been." She glances over her shoulder at the sleeping Dominic, "You guys are all pretty smart...I'm sure one of you vill find a vay." Meloncholy washes away the irritation that had been there not long ago. Being in a cage, or enclosed space, was not one of her favorite things. No matter how much she tried to hide it, it was going to consume her entirely if she didn't get out soon.

"I don't know. I'm sorry, I can't pass comment." The mage coughed unhappily, roughly palming away the tear and wiping it hastily on his knee. He rested his head against the glass, his back turned to Khitti, perhaps subconsciously from shame at his outburst. "There just has to be some way out. There always is and it's just infuriating me that I can't see it." He murmured unhappily, tossing the metal sphere into the air and catching it again. Silently he mulled over what Khitti said. There was an encouraging hope in it, but what stood out was a deep sorrow at her statement of uselessness. "Don't..... don't discout yourself though." He stated, turning slightly before thinking better of it, frowning uncertainly. Even he wasn't sure what he meant by that. Maybe a half-hearted stab at keeping up morale? Or maybe some sort of empathy. Who knows. The mage hung his head, a little embarrassed. "What's the point of all of this?" He asked, although whether this question was to Khitti or simply the world was up for debate.

Khitti merely went 'meh' and waved off his attempt to comfort her. She wasn't entirely doing a good job at helping him either. She was always moreso about self-deprivation than anything. "I don't zhink zhere is a point to zhis. Raiez has never let on to any big plans. As far as I can tell, I zhink she just likes collecting zhings. Maybe? I don't know. I know nothing." Yes, yes. You know nothing, Khitti Snow. "I zhink I'm quite done with trying to figure Raiez out. I tried zhat before and no one believed me. All of Xalious zhinks I belong in a zhe nut house."

Odhranos pondered with a monotone "hrmff", the whole situation seemed a wholly nonsensical. "I don't see the point. If she has no endgame, she's going to a whole lot of trouble for a pretty volatile collection. Not to mention high-maintenance. I mean, have you seen how much Linn eats?" The mage laughed softly then got to his feet with a low groan, stretching cramped joints from too long spent in confinement. "On the flipside, if she does have some big plan, why hasnt she put it into action yet? With half the number of mages here, she could have Cenril levelled in a day, yet she keeps on bringing in new mages..." Odhranos sighed, resting his forehead against the glass, facing out into the dim cave beyond. "Maybe... she's keeping us here to keep us out of the way? Perhaps there's something catastrophic going on outside that we can't prevent if we're in here...." As always, Odh is Mr Positivity. The mage shook his head and turned back to face Khitti. "I.... guess I'm sorry. On my own behalf and that of the Guild. We should have listened, perhaps we could have done something about it."

"It's not your fault. Zhey know vhat I am, some of zhem at least. Vord gets around vhen you're employed by Hildegarde. Some of zhe villagers have seen vhat I do because of zhe var. Of course, zhey're not going to listen to me. I don't blame zhem." A simple shrug was offered, her head tilted to look towards the terramancer again. Why would anyone ever trust a necromancer? Or at least someone with similar abilities? It usually was never a wise choice. Khitti knew this more than anyone. She had a very long history of dealing with the dark arts. If anything, it was the -only- magic she did understand. "I don't zhink Raiez is zhe type to bring down zhe apocalypse on one or two towns. Her last name, Vayne, is very fitting of zhe voman. Dragon. Vhatever. I'm not sympathizing vith her, but I've had enough time in here to attempt to zhink logically about it." She taps her chin a moment, thinking back to the last time that her and Odhranos crossed paths. "She may be no different zhan you and zhe rest of zhe mages hoarding all of zhose magical objects in zhat hidden room of yours. Regardless, she does need to be stopped." There's a sigh and another shrug as Khitti paces back and forth a bit.

"So you're saying she's an "all or nothing" kind of gal? Wouldn't surprise me to be honest, she has that aura, of someone who expects the world at her feet. Gods above I can't wait to tear it from beneath her." The mage grunted vehemently, then smiled despite himself. "Then again, she'd simply fly. Damned dragons." Thr mage shook his head, then cast a hesitant glance at Khitti. "Pardon my asking, but what is it that "they" know you are?" The mage fidgeted uncomfortably, unsure whether he should be asking or not. It seemed groundbreaking enough that it alienated Khitti from a large number of people, the mage was simply curious. Maybe misguidedly wondering if he could help in some way. 'Cos empathy, great stuff, that. All the mage really knew about the woman was.... well... the superficial stuff. Female, vampire, dating Dommy, troubled, not fond of drakes or dragons (ohhhhhh, right, now he gets it), but beyond that... not a whole lot. "I... I understand if you'd rather not share, I respect your privacy. Just figured.... we're stuck like this for a bit, might as well get to know one another while we're all here."

"Sounds about right." See? She wasn't -entirely irrational when it came to things like dragons. Just mostly. When she's asked that question though, she eyes the terramancer warily, obviously hesitant about speaking of such things. Looking away, she first sets her emerald line of sight on the sleeping Dominic, then on the other redhead she shared a jar with. "Necromancer." A pause. "Sort of." Her attention returns to Odhranos, "Vhat do you know of zhe Plane of Shadow?" She studied him carefully, gauging his reaction. It'd let her know whether or not to continue.

Odhranos raised an eyebrow curiously. Necromancy, that made a bit more sense, the moral ambiguities of that particular art did tend to attract a negative response from many. Odh hadn't studied the magic form, it was up there with cryomancy and illusionism on his to-study list, but as of yet he only knew the bare minimum. Certainly not enough to justify passing judgement. "I've heard mention of it once in an old manuscript, although the title eludes my memory and the reference was in passing anyway. What exactly is it?" The mage inquired, seating himself in a crosslegged position facing the vampire's jar.

Khitti nodded as she listened, then tilted her head, blinking as Odhranos sat like a child would for story time. Story time it is, then. "Zhat, I can't exactly tell you. I've not been able to find any information on it yet here in Hollow. Nothing vorth reading anyway." She hesitates a moment, glancing around a bit before looking to the terramancer again, "I can tell you a story, zhough, if you'd like. Something to keep you entertained?"

Odhranos tilted his head, intrigued. The Shadow Plane, and some relation to necromancy... if that didn't sound ominous, then Odh didn't know what would. Certainly something he'd like to look into anyway, the hidden recesses of the arcane always interested hi, even though some could be obscenely dangerous. "Do, please, it will be a welcome distraction from the current situation." The mage nodded, settling down into his seated position, an open and curious expression on his face.

The vampiress raised a brow at his obvious curiosity, but nodded once more. Her choice of words made it obvious how much she read those fairy tales of hers, her own personal story fashion into something similar. "Once upon a time, in a village in the mountains far, far away from here, zhere lived two little girls. Zhey vere a perfect mirror of one another, zhese two, zheir names Khatherine and Lydia." She pauses a moment, letting it sink in for dramatic effect. " For a long time, the girls and their family lived peacefully. Zhere vas no magic to speak of in zheir land, zhough zheir village's speciality vas making magic vith stories, actual magic having been banned after a very long war hundreds of years before zheir birth. Vell, zhese two girls, vhile twins did not always see eye to eye. Lydia vas certainly zhe more sensible one. She collected all manner of girly, frilly objects and kept zhem in her beloved music box. Khatherine, however, liked to take the music box and run off into zhe forest vith it. Little did Lydia know, Khatherine had begun to teach herself how to play zhe violin, Lydia's violin. Not only had she pilfered zhe coveted music box, but Lydia's precious instrument as vell. Zhis did not set vell vith Lydia, of course, and on zhe day zhat Khat vould present Lydia vith zhe present, zhe two had a terrible fight. Zheir mother vould break it up, of course, and both vould be sent to bed, but zhere vas not to be a reconciliation between zhe two. Lydia vould hear no excuses or apologies. An unsettling silence vould linger between zhe two for zhe rest of zhe night. Once night came, however, terrible zhings did occur. All children of fourteen or of similar age vere taken in zhe middle of zhe night. Zhis vas no simple kidnapping, for it had been done by a legion of undead. Vith zhe children out of zhe village, zhe rest vere slaughtered, zheir mother and father included." Khitti pauses again, hoping her storytelling skills are up to snuff, while also studying Odhranos for the moment.

Odhranos stayed silent, intrigued by the story. He nodded as the vampire described the twin girls. As the tale progressed, his eyes widened in concern as the tone of the story quickly darkened.

"Zhe girls, and zhe rest of zhe children, vere taken off to a place deep underground not far from zhe town. Zhere vere horrors unimaginable vithin zhat cavern. It vas clear zhat zhey had been zhere for some time, creating zheir labs and vith it monstrosities nearly ten feet tall." There was another pause, and a frown, the memories getting dredged up still a little painful for Khitti even after fifteen years. "Khatherine and Lydia vere zhen split up. Khatherine vas taken to a holding cell, one vith no bars or vindows, along vith two other children. Lydia..." The frown worsened. "She vas destined to become something else. Unbeknownst to her sister for some time, Lydia had been taken apart, literally. She had died in such an awful vay, her torso and head kept intact vhile zhe rest of her vas removed and parts of other children vere stitched up to her. She vas reassembled like some broken doll. She vas a freak, a frankenstein as zhey are called in zhat part of zhe vorld. Khatherine vould not find zhis out for some time. Meanwhile, she vas kept in zhat cage, until one day, a few of zhe necromancers vith zheir brutish death knights pulled her out of it. Zhey force-fed her some strange mixture. Herbs and bones soaked in a crude, thick liquid. At one point, she found out vhat it vas later on in life: a much darker sort of blood magic zhan I'm sure has been vitnessed here." The vampiress rubbed at her chin lightly, studying bit of shelf that sat between their two jars. "After zhat, zhey took her to vhat appeared to be an operating table, but vas nothing more zhan a large, metal slab. She vas tied down to it, naked and cold, but zhey cared not. Zhe only zhing zhat mattered vas zheir task sent on from zheir leader. Science and magic vere joined as one as zhey cut her open, zhe zkin flayed and ripped and torn and stabbed as zhey sought out just zhe right place to instill zheir magic."

Odhranos' eyes widened in shock and horror, disbelief that such suffering could be inflicted on such innocent children; the thought made his blood freeze in his veins. He came close to speaking out, but stayed his words and listened instead, eyes shining with empathy and pain.

Khitti quietly studied the changes in his expression, her own thoughts taking her for a few moments. Her line of sight sways from the terramancer's features, looking towards the side of the jar that allowed her to gaze into the cave. There's much hesitation, but finally she continues, not quite looking back at him yet. "Khatherine, much like us, vas trapped. Unlike Raiez, however, her captors vere not kind. Not even close. She vas not fed. After zheir experiments, she vas zhrown back into her metal and stone cage like a ragdoll, left to recooperate for zhe next day's poking and prodding. Each day, she vas brought to zhe brink of death. Each day, she felt it's pull. Zhat sweet call of zhe unknown. At zhat point, it mattered not if she vere to go to heaven or hell or be stuck forever in purgatory. She vanted to die. To be vith her family. But...zhat vas not to be. Her body, zhanks to zhat strange mixture she vas forced to injest, regenerated." She finally looks to Odhranos, motioning to herself and then the other redhead in the jar with her, "Like us. Like vampires. Zhat sort of regeneration." Shaking head, she continues, "Zhis type of treatment vent on for months. It had been so long since she'd seen zhe sun or moon zhat she knew not if it vas light or day. One day, however, zhey found it. Zhe necromancers found just zhe right spot." The vampiress absently rubs her left forearm, "Vhen zhis vas realized, zhe fusion of science and magic began anew. A being not of zhis realm vas ripped from her home, her essence stolen from her own body and shoved into Khatherine's own body. Deep in zhe marrow, zhe two became one, zhough zhey kept zheir separate minds. Zhe moment zhey vere brought together, zhe strange shadow being suddenly lashed out. Terrifying, vine-line shadows tore from Khatherine's body and erupted from zhe ground, attacking anything and everything. A terrible, poisonous mist began to overtake zhe makeshift operating room, quickly killing zhose zhat had tortured zhe fourteen year old. It didn't last long, however, because zhe leader of zhe necromancers strode into zhe room and placed a seal upon Khatherine. Zhe shadow tendrils suddenly disappeared. Zhe mist dissipated. Zhe leader, vith an air of a hero, seemingly saved zhe day. Zhe monster zhat he had villed into creation vas zhrown back into her cell and left to rot in unconsciousness, her magic dampened."

Odhranos was both parts intrigued and revulsed; the curiosity for more information on this unheard of magic was a nagging itch to the mage, but it was overpowered by the sheer angry indignance that such horrific pain would be visited on such an innocent child as well as empathy for the clearly pained woman before him. The mage was torn between giving Khitti a friendly consoling hug and upping sticks to go lob mountains at some twisted necromancers. In any case, he did neither, due to his jar-bound predicament (You could say he was in a jam...) but his face fell rather unhappily as he continued to listen.

"After a time, zhe cell was opened and something pushed into zhe darkness. Zhanks to zhe new power she vas given, she could see somewhat in zhe dark. It vasn't much and certainly nothing like the sight of a drow or a vampire, but it didn't take long for Khatherine to realize -vhat- vas in zhere, zhough she didn't know -who-. Zhe moans of zhe shambling undead zhat joined her filled zhe cell and Khatherine vas quick to back herself into a corner. A voice entered her mind ~You know what you must do, child.~ to which the teen cried out "I just vant to go home!", but of course, this wasn't allowed. The undead closed in on her, hands outstretched for the fresh meal that squirmed and sobbed for help. ~Use your powers. Listen to that voice in the back of your mind. She will help you.~ "She...?" Khatherine thought aloud and then suddenly...there were faint whispers in her mind. They were dark, screamed for her to do something. This wasn't just her body now. It took so much for the being to push past the seal that had been placed on the girl, past the mental block that was now in place thanks to the trauma. Sobbing loudly, the teen gripped her head. The strange, ethereal voice didn't stop, and the one edging her to kill the undead in the room with her only added to the madness. She finally listened to that new voice in the back of her mind, listened to the instructions uttered to her. It was faint, broken up, but she managed it. Shadow, spectral-like tendrils seeped from her fingertips, reaching out and taking hold of the undead's throat. They squeezed and slithered beneath it's rotting flesh, seeking out it's spinal cord. Khatherine snaps it neck finally, the connection of brain to body lost, leaving the undead thing to fall limp. As it does, lights suddenly flicker on in the room, and she's left to discover that the undead was Lydia. The head and torso was, anyway. Khatherine was made to do this, to kill her sister over and over again. For months she was tested, her skill with two different spells growing. The first was the tendrils. The second were small balls of ooze that would corrode anything but her on touch. She used these to her advantage, but every time Lydia died, so too did a part of Khatherine. She became more and more angry, more bloodthirsty. The girl would bide her time until finally, one of the necromancers screwed up and she made her escape. She'd return to the village to find that it was filled with the undead, shambling forms of her family and friends." With a pained sigh, she continues the rest of her story. "After some time, she rid zhe entire village of her family, took very few possessions from her house, and zhen lit zhe entire place aflame, moving her focus zhen to the necromancers zhat had held her captive. She'd wander alone for a time, heading to zhe capital of her country. It vas zhere zhat zhey declared her a vitch, and threatened to burn her at zhe stake, zhough zhankfully settled on exiling her. She -had- taken care of zhe undead and zhe necromancers. A suggestion was given to her, zhe council of rulers zhinking zhemselves kind: Go to place called Lithrydel. It vas very far away but zhere magic vas plentiful and someone might be able to help her vith her unfortunate plight. She crossed land and sea to come here, found love and heartbreak and even a family of sorts. She still didn't find zhe answers she was looking for zhough, and remains forever alone on zhat front. Zhe end. For now." Khitti'd stand from where she'd been, eyeing Odhranos carefully. The vampiress didn't give him time to speak however, giving him a slight wave before heading back to her side of the jar, clearly unnerved and saddened by her own story.