Through Blood and Tears (Open, feel free to join)

Ravenesque · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ravenesque** on Fri May 31, 2013 9:18 pm

The sunlight her sister had wrought upon the land had lasted far longer than she probably thought it would and in so doing forced Akara to realize what she had put on hold for so long that needed to come to pass. It had started to take such a toll on her body that she was not in control of her body. Her body was still changing and adapting due to her journey to ascension that she had never completed. This day, in the sunlight was the worst of it all. She had become so accustomed to the night that in the harsh light of day she was forced to see what she had been ignoring for months. This journey she found she needed to complete would take her far from the comforts of her castle and she would need to place one of her sister's in charge as regent should anything of value occur that would need immediate tending to during her leave of absence.

During her brief trek into finding the artifacts she was going to need for this ritual for her full transformation into whatever higher being that had been chosen for her ascension though she was unaware of what it may be she had collected three of ten artifacts that she needed for the ritual. With all that had transpired in the last few weeks alone she knew that this was the best time for her to undertake this journey, and she would go alone. None would know she was gone except for either Akeema or Akira, whichever she chose to be regent while she would be away.

"Empress? Your bath is ready.." Akara nodded and the girl disappeared. Letting her thoughts idly pull her away from reality she made her way down to the baths. She had requested a purifying bath be drawn for her. She instructed her maids to add only the list of ingredients that she had written for them. She had to purify herself after the last few weeks before she could begin this voyage. She opened the door to the baths and was greeted with steam carrying the sweet scent of lilac. She sighed and entered the room closing the door behind her.

She removed her clothing before taking the stairs to step down into the bath. A huge pool lay before her and she carefully stepped into it. She sank down, the water reaching to her collarbone as she sat down on a stone slab within the water. She stretched her arms out on the stone behind her resting them on the ledge there as she did her best to relax. A sound she should not have heard drew her attention. Looking down at the water that engulfed her form she noticed the water had started to bubble. "So much for a purifying bath." She had maybe a minute more to remain in the water as it began to boil around her.

Her element had always been fire and in this transition that power had become more intense, ever present and most uncontrolled. Though the water continued to boil around her she noticed that she was able to withstand the heat far longer than she had ever thought she would. Not wanting to push her luck she stood and exited the bath, grabbing the simple pink dress that had been left for her. She slipped it on and left the room heading back to her chambers. Her servants knew that something was wrong, something was on her mind and rather than bother her they made sure that she would not even catch sight of them unless she required one service or another from them.

Once in her rooms she shut and locked the door behind her, not wanting to be bothered. It was then that she decided Akeema would be the regent, but then the idea of asking Raven to step into that role might be of better use and mutually beneficial. She had a difficult decision to make, did she hand the reigns back over to someone who had once ruled so ruthlessly and wonderfully or did she let one of her sisters take those reigns and hold down the fort so to speak while she ventured forth into the outside world in search of things, the need for them beginning to press upon her being. Akeema would be regent, Raven had spent many years under the thrall of the throne and all of its pressures and she deserved time away from it for all that she had done to build up what Akara had to rebuild as a child. Akeema was the perfect choice.

'Sister...' Akara's voice called out with her mind attempting to connect with Akeema's. She waited in silence for what seemed an eternity for an answer. 'What is it Akara?' Akeema's voice floated into her mind and visibly Akara relaxed though no one was there to see it. 'I am in need of your help. I would like to speak with you in private if you can come to my chambers so that we might discuss something of great import.' Again there was only silence but the pause this time was shorter. 'Of course, i'll be there shortly.' Moving to the window she pushed it open and sat upon the sill to watch the world below.

There was a knock upon her door long before she thought there would be, hurrying across the room she unlocked it and grabbing her sister by the wrist she pulled Akeema inside. "Watch it Akara!" Akeema cried, wrenching her wrist out of her sister's grasp, rubbing it tenderly. When she took her hand away Akara's eyes widened, a burn in the form of a hand print was apparent on the wrist she had taken in her hand not moments before and had only lain it on her sister's flesh but for a moment. "This is what I wanted to speak with you about. The ascension I had been working so feverishly toward has not stopped though I let myself be distracted. My body is still changing and if I do not finish the task that had been set for me I fear I will not survive the changes."

Sighing Akeema shook her head. "What is it that you need me to do?" "Sister, I need you to be regent to the throne while I am away. Someone needs to look after things and I can think of no one better than you. Can you do this for me?" Akara explained everything pacing the room, when finished she turned to her sister waiting for something, anything. She had been so quiet while her sister poured out all of this information that she had had to check several times just to make sure she was still there and hadn't been imagining things completely.

"I will do this for you. Everything will be as you left it when you return, though I implore you, don't go alone. What if something were to happen to you? What if this consumes you while you are away?" Akara's head hung and very quietly she gave her the reason why. "This is something I have to do alone. This time I cannot save me from myself. The last thing I would want is someone else to meet their demise trying to save me from myself. That is why I have to go alone. If I do not return, the throne is yours. I will write a decree and have the royal scribes sign it as well stating that if I do not return you will be the next Empress of Ravenlock. My children, heirs, are either dead or scattered to the winds. Akira never wanted this kind of power but you have, and I think it would be your right to be next in line sister."

This was a revelation to Akeema. Akara had been paying attention to her more closely than she ever would have thought. This would be the perfect time for her to get a taste of what she had thought she wanted to see if it truly was exactly what she wanted after being in both her sister's shadows for so long. Akeema was the youngest of the three even if only by minutes. She smiled inwardly so that Akara would not be able to see the wheels turning in her head about this new information.

Akara was pleased to see that her sister would do this for her though she still had her own reservations about this, but the journey she was to undertake was a lonely one, that was required and she knew it even though she hadn't had much of a chance to talk to Lady Raven about what might come to pass. Either Akara would accomplish this task or she would fall, empty and alone in the wilds where she would search for these artifacts that held certain elements of the ritual from being completed without them.

Akara had already taken care of the necessary arrangements for her departure, including speaking with the scribes and creating a sufficient document that would make Akeema her heir apparent should something terrible befall her that prevents her return. She knew that she should be afraid of what might transpire but if she let that fear take hold she would never leave on this path and she would surely die then because of that fear. She was running at a constant temperature not that was unsafe for anyone, her body had begun to change so much so that it would be able to handle this ascension but she had become a danger to all around her with her power so uncontrolled.

"Everything is now in your hands dear sister." With that last statement Akara swept from the room. Still wearing that simple dress that had been lain out for her she hurried from the castle grounds, having stopped along the way for her horse. Mounting the stallion, pulling hard on it's reigns she kicked fiercely into motion and together they departed. She had necessary provisions packed for her. Only enough so that the horse was not heavily laden which would make their progress much easier. Together they ran, and continued for so long that even though her horse endured, she could feel it tiring. Pulling back on the reigns she slowed it to a walk.

There was much of the day left to travel and she wanted to be as far away as she possibly could before word had gotten out that the Empress had left leaving Akeema as regent to the throne. That information would not take too long before it would spread to Akira's ears wherever she may be and even Lady Raven, not to mention among the rest of the people. Her resolve was as firm as she could make it, but her strength was channeled into making sure that her presence atop the horse did not scald it. She needed the stallion strong and healthy if she was to make this journey.

They walked for the rest of the day, her thoughts weighing heavily upon her mind until she noticed the sun was beginning to set. A sunset! for one second she felt joy upon seeing it, she had made it far enough out of the province of Lunitaris that day and night were in perfect balance in this part of the empire. She marveled at the beauty that she had been ignorant of for so long. She could not remember the last sunset she had witnessed. As the sun began to sink further in the sky Akara began to search for a good place to camp for the night. From all she could see she could tell that they would be out in the open this night, sleeping amongst the trees and the stars.

Pulling the horse to a stop she dismounted and set up camp. Her skills came to her easily though she had not spent much time without the comforts her station afforded her. She set about getting a fire started which was much easier with the fact that her touch already so heated only took a bit of a push from her to ignite kindling. A childish smile graced her lips in such a way that if one were to look upon her they might see the innocence in which she had lost so long ago finding its way to the surface for a brief moment.

This night the fire was simply for warmth, she had food that had already been prepared and she ate sparingly. Her bedroll already having been lain out before she started the fire she got as comfortable as she could after eating and let herself drift off into a fitful nightmarish sleep. She thrashed and writhed from the darkest parts of her mind twisting and manipulating her into believing things that could not possibly be true in her unconscious state. She woke to the stallion nudging at her to wake her up, it had succeeded and she offered it a soft pat on the nose as a thank you.

How long had that gone on? She wondered, day break would rush in soon. They had encountered nothing in the night and she was glad of that. She snuffed out the fire with dirt and packed up the rest of the camp. She secured everything back onto the horse and covered up anything that might lead someone to her. She wasn't sure why she did this but it had become second nature to her, especially when she didn't want to be found. Satisfied that she had covered up her tracks well enough she mounted the stallion and they set off on a furious pace the same as the day before.

She let her power consume her mind, though keeping the rest of it in check within her body so as to not injure her horse. Incoherent whispers drew her in one direction where she might find the next artifact that she needed. Time was already running out due to her own foolishness and she wondered how long the horse would be able to keep up a pace like this day after day. They ran until mid morning where she slowed her horse to a walk again. The stallion did not want to walk and would begin trotting though she kept signaling for him to slow. He itched to continue running and it was evident in his excited demeanor. After a few hours of fighting with the horse this way she let him run again, delighting in his excitement.

The forest had opened up to a plain, she could see the edge of the forest in front of her, but a sound forced her to turn in the saddle. Hooves. Dozens of weapon wielding men behind her. "Shit!" Leaning in she whispered to her horse. "This is why I wanted you to rest earlier, we are in danger. Run and do not stop until I tell you or I fear we will both die." The horses speed increased though the thunderous sound of hooves were still echoing behind them when they crossed from the forest into the plain.

Akara was thankful that she had packed her swords, and her bow. It had been many years since she had to try anything like this but shifting in the saddle as carefully as she could though the ride was quite bumpy she managed to turn herself completely around if not awkwardly and as ungraceful as was possible for a human being. This gave her better access to her weapons, especially the bow. She untied it from the pack and flipped open the flap to reveal the arrows she had packed. There were not enough to take out every one that was closing in on her but there was enough to take out a significant number of them should she meet each arrow with an intended target.

Notching an arrow she drew it back aiming carefully. With the release she heard the arrow sing into the air finding its target. She had been aiming for the man's chest but got him in the stomach. Her skills were off from not having practiced but she was glad to see they weren't so far off. She released arrow after arrow into the throng that pervaded upon them but it didn't seem to be making much of a dent in the numbers of the pursuers...

This would come down to swords, and brute strength. Of that she had no doubt...

Ravenesque · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ravenesque** on Fri May 31, 2013 9:26 pm

She continued her assault on her pursuers with arrow after arrow meeting a target and bringing them down. She continued until each and every arrow had found a target leaving herself to nothing but her swords. Pulling them from her pack, she fastened them to her waist with a belt and more gracefully than she had the first time re-positioned herself so that she was facing the right way on the horse. She worried about the stallion and it's stamina, its strength had to be waning but the horse was alive with excitement and continued at it's thunderous pace their pursuers not far behind.

The land was open as far as the eye could see and finally she was able to catch a glimpse of just how many were still after her. A smirk curled her adrenaline flushed lips as she counted the number. There were not as many as she thought, she must have taken out more by bow and arrow than she had anticipated. 'Good.' She thought to herself. She hadn't been sparring as of late with any of her knights so her melee skills had to be rusty but she was always a quick study and this would be the quickest she had ever had to brush up on her skills. Even then her stallion showed no signs of slowing any time soon and first they had to catch her.

These men could not have been that smart if they had not brought any skilled in the use of a bow to attempt to slow her progress away from them. Bandits, they had to be. It was the only explanation that made any sense to her. Still it didn't matter, they had chosen to follow the wrong woman. Though she had dressed as simply as possible she was not someone to be trifled with without consequences. Remembering what this transformation was doing to her she began to laugh. Her laugh carried on the wind back to those that chose to continue in their pursuit. An eerie sound amongst the beat of hooves upon the ground.

She began to slow her horse, there was no reason to run the poor beast into the ground when she could dispatch these men more easily than she had thought. Thanks to her temperature having been raised and knowing that her touch burned flesh in but a second all she had to do was to get her hands upon any of them and they would shrink from her in agony. She didn't need to kill though she was not opposed to it, they would simply add to the blood that already existed on her hands. The stallion slowed to a stop and she dismounted.

Turning from the horse she began to walk toward those that descended upon her. The majority still traveled at a quickened pace while others who may been more intelligent had begun to slow as they came upon her. The smirk that had graced her features before had chiseled itself almost into permanence upon her features, her arrogance clearly showing. What these men saw was a woman dressed in peasant clothing, two swords strapped at her waist. Appearances could definitely be deceiving since the woman they looked at was an Empress in a far off land who was trained in a plethora of weaponry and magic as well.

None of them had realized what they had gotten themselves into when they had made the choice to come after her for whatever petty reason they had concocted. She stood unmoving while she watched them approached, all had slowed at this point and some had dismounted moving slowly toward her in silence. "You're following me. I don't like it." Her voice boomed through the area. A few of the men snickered at her words as if they made no difference to them. "Of course we are, a pretty little thing like you. We needed entertainment for the night's drinking and you will do nicely." One of them replied, she assumed he must have been the ring leader.

"I suppose then that you'll have to learn the hard way that a woman of my stature does not get used by men such as you." This statement was answered with a roar of laughter from the lot of them. Her smirk had not wavered as her gaze bored into the men. "We'll have you, and there is nothing you can do about it and no one to help you." A giggled passed from her lips. "Then you will all die." Hushed words that made a few of the men hesitate as the rest began closing the distance between them. She shook her head as they made their approach and drew her swords. Each flaring to life with flame, the very heat that her body emitted bringing the flames to life from her palms and down to cover the blades of both swords. The smarter men, though they were few saw this and thought twice backing away slowly to mount their horses and flee to live another day.

The ring leader seemed intrigued by what he saw and thus it only made his approach quicker, his own sword drawn as he slashed wildly at her. Sidestepping she deflected the blow with one of her own swords and descended upon him while his back was turned to her, snatching at the back of his neck with her hand, the sword she had been holding dropped to the ground, flames still lapping at the blade. She managed to get a firm hold on the poor excuse for a man and when her palm connected firmly with the flesh there his knees buckled and his agonized screams from the flesh on his neck burning at her contact carried over the plains.

"You foolish drunkard. I warned you." The rest of the men froze, circling the both of them. Unsure whether they should continue their attack on her or if they should with draw and find other less challenging prey. "What are you..." the man was able to manage words between groans, blood dripping from beneath the palm of her hand originating from the open would on his neck that was now covered by her hand. The smell of searing flesh filling her nostrils. "The correct question is who." Another child like giggle emitted from her as she continued. "My name is Akara Ravenlock, Empress and High Priestess of Ravenlock."

It would appear that her reputation had preceeded her even here. While she looked around the circle of men she noticed eyes growing wide at the realization of just who they had sought to make the whore for the evening. Wrenching her hand from the man's neck, blood flowed openly from the wound, pieces of his flesh having burned to her hand. She frowned at the thought of having to remove those tiny pieces of flesh that had been seared onto her own flesh. "I suggest you take this man and leave. He'll die soon enough but at least get him away from here before I slaughter the rest of you. I promise you i'll enjoy it more than you will."

With a wink she turned on heel leaving them to tend to their ring leader. She picked up her sword before returning to her horse, sheathing her swords and mounting the stallion again. She gave a light kick to his flanks and he began at a trot as they continued toward their first destination for the fourth artefact that she was searching so desperately for.

Leon Redfield · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Leon Redfield** on Fri May 31, 2013 10:00 pm

Zin lazily shuffled his card that he occasionally he would use for basic magic tricks and gambling if he had the time. His snow white hair was in its messy ponytail as usual, and the bangs just covered his red eyes as he wandered aimlessly down the road not really paying attention to anything except the shuffling cards, and his mind was in the clouds wishing something exciting would happen. Zen maybe a talented magic user, but no matter what spell or trick he did he always was board to hell, 'If there's any divine beings out there that actually like me then plea-' His thoughts where interrupted when he got pushed to the ground by something, or someone, and his card scattered across the ground, "Hay watch where your going asshole!" Zin snapped as he started to pick up his cards pretty pissed at who ever knocked him over and that his cards where everywhere.

Through Blood and Tears (Open, feel free to join)

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