Post by Hitotsumami on May 20, 2014 10:23:26 GMT -5
Asmoday smiled when Apollo stood for her. She traced a finger on his face. "I am glad."
Azealya had been pretty dumbfounded by the whole matter, but there was no denying it. This was Asmoday. She had joined Astral Lance for this direct purpose, so she couldn't care less what happened to him now that she was here.
The Thorn Dragonslayer quickly stood up. "Asmoday," she said. "I am by your side as well." She would ask the questions she wanted answers for later.
Asmoday turned to Noil. "And I would not ask you to bow. I'd ask you to stand, as Azealya and as Apollo. The Oracion Seis is a Guild just as any other. We are brothers and sisters, working together. However, as most guilds have continuous missions, the Oracion Seis has just one."
Suddenly, the crystals behind Asmoday changed shape, forming a brilliant throne, which she sat upon. "Allow me a small moment of your time, and tell you a story. Thousands of years ago, there were two siblings, a brother and a sister. They had no parents, but they had each other, and they took care of each other. One they grew old enough, they began their own guilds, separate ones, a friendly rivalry, if you will."
Asmoday's smile faded.
"As time passed, the sister's guild grew strong and noble and righteous, protecting all those who came for help. But the brother's guild did the opposite. They went for power and fear. In time, this fear spread like a disease, and all cowered beneath the shadow of this first true dark guild. The sister knew she couldn't let this behavior continue. She visited her brother.
"Talking did no good, however. The brother was obsessed with the recognition and superiority. The sister decided she'd use her own magic, and while her brother slept, she attempted to pull out all traces of magic from her brother, in hopes that it would rid him of this evil spell. Unfortunately, she did more than just that."
Asmoday raised a hand and crystals formed in her palm, taking the rough shape of an oval mask.
"She pulled out his soul as well, and with nowhere for it to go, both the evil magic and the soul was locked into a mask. The sister had killed her brother. Needless to say, war broke out shortly after. Though the brother's guild no longer had a leader, they were still powerful and vengeful. They slaughtered the sister's guild members any chance they got. The sister was on her last line of defenses, but then she remembered the mask. It called out to her in a whisper, in her brother's voice. The next thing the sister knew, she slipped it on her face, and when she pulled it off hours later, the brother's guild was no more, but neither was hers."
Asmoday dropped the crystal mask and it merged back into the ground. "She hid the mask in a cave, in hopes that no one would ever find it again. She spent years by herself, trying to figure what to do with this broken life. It was that loneliness that spurred the creation of a new guild. However, she decided early on it would not be grand and famous like her old one or her brothers. Those were too dangerous, too wild, too unruly. She decided on just six members, including herself.
"Though the Guild started fair enough, and though the sister thought that she had finally found peace, it was no long before the nightmares returned and the whispers of the mask called out to her. Though she did not go and fetch the mask, she realized it had changed her. Long since it had been on her face, but the power was still within her, and it wanted to be free. The guild changed, almost overnight, and they changed their aim from regular missions to other guilds. One by one, they destroyed other Guilds, and even the Magical Council of that time struggled to prevent it.
"There was only one Guild in the world at that time who dared go against the sister and her five mages. The two guilds warred long and hard, but in the end, the Guild Master succeeded. He locked the sister within a crystal cave, a cave that prevented magic, a prison, though he died in the process."
Asmoday smiled again. "And it has been in this cave that I have waited for all these centuries, for that sister was I, and the brother, Asmodeus, and the Guild Master who locked me away, Infinitias Vir, ancestor of the Guild Masters of Fable and Renascence."
Asmoday took a moment of silence, perhaps to let the story soak in. She then continued. "I no longer wish to destroy all Guilds like I once did. No, the time I've spent in this cave, with nothing but my thoughts, I've changed. The true reason my brother changed, the cause of all the evil in this world, I've discovered what it was, and it is the same thing that still binds me to this cave. Magic. The end of magic is what I seek."
She folded her fingers together and smiled to the ones before her. "Of course, to those willing to work by my side, your magic I shall not take. When I first formed the Oracion Seis, all those centuries ago, and all of the reincarnations there after, I came to the realization that it is only those other five who can truly be trusted with the stuff of magic. The rest of the world..." She sighed. "It is only a danger to them. We must rid it of magic."
Asmoday stood up. "And the rewards for those who assist me will be plenty. But enough talk. It has been a hundred years since I have had this full form, and I must rest. Do as you will, for now, my Oracion Seis."
And with that, Asmoday faded into the walls of the Crystal Cave. Though she couldn't be seen any more, all could tell she was still there.
When Asmoday was gone, Azealya chuckled. It was a mix of nervousness and excitement. "I like this," she said. "I think I really like this." She looked at her palm. Small red thorns poked through her skin and then sunk back in. If there was any doubt in her before, it was gone now. She decided then and there that she'd be an Oracion Seis for life.
---
The entire tale had been told to Elly as well the voice echoing from a small crystal sprouting from the ground. When Asmoday had seen that Elly did not wish, or perhaps was not able to return, she decided to let her hear her story, the honest, truthful story, and then leave it up to Elly to what to do.
As for the body that had once held Asmoday's spirit, it still laid on the ground, alive and breathing, but unmoving.
Azealya had been pretty dumbfounded by the whole matter, but there was no denying it. This was Asmoday. She had joined Astral Lance for this direct purpose, so she couldn't care less what happened to him now that she was here.
The Thorn Dragonslayer quickly stood up. "Asmoday," she said. "I am by your side as well." She would ask the questions she wanted answers for later.
Asmoday turned to Noil. "And I would not ask you to bow. I'd ask you to stand, as Azealya and as Apollo. The Oracion Seis is a Guild just as any other. We are brothers and sisters, working together. However, as most guilds have continuous missions, the Oracion Seis has just one."
Suddenly, the crystals behind Asmoday changed shape, forming a brilliant throne, which she sat upon. "Allow me a small moment of your time, and tell you a story. Thousands of years ago, there were two siblings, a brother and a sister. They had no parents, but they had each other, and they took care of each other. One they grew old enough, they began their own guilds, separate ones, a friendly rivalry, if you will."
Asmoday's smile faded.
"As time passed, the sister's guild grew strong and noble and righteous, protecting all those who came for help. But the brother's guild did the opposite. They went for power and fear. In time, this fear spread like a disease, and all cowered beneath the shadow of this first true dark guild. The sister knew she couldn't let this behavior continue. She visited her brother.
"Talking did no good, however. The brother was obsessed with the recognition and superiority. The sister decided she'd use her own magic, and while her brother slept, she attempted to pull out all traces of magic from her brother, in hopes that it would rid him of this evil spell. Unfortunately, she did more than just that."
Asmoday raised a hand and crystals formed in her palm, taking the rough shape of an oval mask.
"She pulled out his soul as well, and with nowhere for it to go, both the evil magic and the soul was locked into a mask. The sister had killed her brother. Needless to say, war broke out shortly after. Though the brother's guild no longer had a leader, they were still powerful and vengeful. They slaughtered the sister's guild members any chance they got. The sister was on her last line of defenses, but then she remembered the mask. It called out to her in a whisper, in her brother's voice. The next thing the sister knew, she slipped it on her face, and when she pulled it off hours later, the brother's guild was no more, but neither was hers."
Asmoday dropped the crystal mask and it merged back into the ground. "She hid the mask in a cave, in hopes that no one would ever find it again. She spent years by herself, trying to figure what to do with this broken life. It was that loneliness that spurred the creation of a new guild. However, she decided early on it would not be grand and famous like her old one or her brothers. Those were too dangerous, too wild, too unruly. She decided on just six members, including herself.
"Though the Guild started fair enough, and though the sister thought that she had finally found peace, it was no long before the nightmares returned and the whispers of the mask called out to her. Though she did not go and fetch the mask, she realized it had changed her. Long since it had been on her face, but the power was still within her, and it wanted to be free. The guild changed, almost overnight, and they changed their aim from regular missions to other guilds. One by one, they destroyed other Guilds, and even the Magical Council of that time struggled to prevent it.
"There was only one Guild in the world at that time who dared go against the sister and her five mages. The two guilds warred long and hard, but in the end, the Guild Master succeeded. He locked the sister within a crystal cave, a cave that prevented magic, a prison, though he died in the process."
Asmoday smiled again. "And it has been in this cave that I have waited for all these centuries, for that sister was I, and the brother, Asmodeus, and the Guild Master who locked me away, Infinitias Vir, ancestor of the Guild Masters of Fable and Renascence."
Asmoday took a moment of silence, perhaps to let the story soak in. She then continued. "I no longer wish to destroy all Guilds like I once did. No, the time I've spent in this cave, with nothing but my thoughts, I've changed. The true reason my brother changed, the cause of all the evil in this world, I've discovered what it was, and it is the same thing that still binds me to this cave. Magic. The end of magic is what I seek."
She folded her fingers together and smiled to the ones before her. "Of course, to those willing to work by my side, your magic I shall not take. When I first formed the Oracion Seis, all those centuries ago, and all of the reincarnations there after, I came to the realization that it is only those other five who can truly be trusted with the stuff of magic. The rest of the world..." She sighed. "It is only a danger to them. We must rid it of magic."
Asmoday stood up. "And the rewards for those who assist me will be plenty. But enough talk. It has been a hundred years since I have had this full form, and I must rest. Do as you will, for now, my Oracion Seis."
And with that, Asmoday faded into the walls of the Crystal Cave. Though she couldn't be seen any more, all could tell she was still there.
When Asmoday was gone, Azealya chuckled. It was a mix of nervousness and excitement. "I like this," she said. "I think I really like this." She looked at her palm. Small red thorns poked through her skin and then sunk back in. If there was any doubt in her before, it was gone now. She decided then and there that she'd be an Oracion Seis for life.
---
The entire tale had been told to Elly as well the voice echoing from a small crystal sprouting from the ground. When Asmoday had seen that Elly did not wish, or perhaps was not able to return, she decided to let her hear her story, the honest, truthful story, and then leave it up to Elly to what to do.
As for the body that had once held Asmoday's spirit, it still laid on the ground, alive and breathing, but unmoving.