Solus quae placitum's Story

"It is good to know you are enjoying the sights." Serith only gave a half smirk at Lucien's remark. His hands rested behind his back holding onto each other. He continued to peer inside the glass orb, carefully watching every action and event transpiring. There was silence between the two. Serith was never particularly fond of Lucien. Well, Serith was never fond of anyone but himself. As useful of a necromancer Lucien had turned out to be, he always managed to crawl underneath Serith's skin with his rebellious attitude and arrogance. However, in this moment he was too pleased to focus on the foul taste Lucien always left in his mouth. Suddenly, the orb focused on a girl with a brilliant head of hair who was hiding in a crevice between buildings. The girl had a frightful look on her expression, with Morrighan's sword in her right hand. At this Serith grinned mischievously.

"There is the Child of War. Morrighan should learn to be more subtle as well," Lucien pointed out sarcastically. "I presume that you would allow these children to gather first while toying with them along the way."

Serith's gaze then directed itself onto Lucien's smug expression. His teeth were gritted, already seemingly annoyed with Lucien and did not bother to mask his distaste for him. It was so much like Lucien to always pry Serith for answers. That man could never keep his mouth shut and Serith viewed him to ignorant with every remark he made. However, he only glared at Lucien with no visible signs of anger or any reaction for that matter. Even though his face held no expression, there was an unexplainable intensity to him. His eyes were always narrowed, with a look of disgust permanently shaping his facial features. Rather than respond, Serith glanced back into the orb with his lips pressed together. He now actively searched for the Child of Light and Child of Destiny. The demon generals were enjoying themselves and killing for sport more than anything. Serith really did not care what they did or in what way they conducted themselves so as long as they got their jobs done. Within a few moments time, Serith's fierce, red eyes rested upon a hiding child with lightly colored hair. Something about her face had caught Serith's attention. A man was running towards the child to take her with him to flee. It was then that Eleora's pendent revealed itself and seemingly chained itself around the girl's neck. His focus was locked onto the girl and it was as though nothing else existed. Shortly after, a set of armor wrapped itself around a young man's body who could be no one other than Agnar's child. Finally, a chuckle escaped Serith's lips and he turned to meet Lucien's black eyes that were like painted black skies.

"Lucien," Serith said coldly. "Your arrogance never fails to surprise me."

Serith's response was to Lucien's presumption even though it seemed like he was not interesting in continuing that conversation a few moments ago. He then walked in the opposite direction of the orb towards Lucien's ornate chair. Hovering over the man, he appeared to be analyzing him. A scowl was apparent on his face which was not very unusual in the presence of Lucien. Tilting his head curiously he then growled, "Why is Solus not present? All three have been revealed. I have important matters to discuss with you buffoons."

Serith was never kind with words unless he was working his magic. Now that the two necromancers were bound to him, he freely insulted their existence almost every time he acknowledged them. Whether or not either of them ever grew accustomed to his condescending demeanor was not of his concern. Lucien constantly questioned his authority while Solus actually obeyed his command. He never revealed his true motives and still did not plan to do so. In due time if they were more intelligent and sneakier than he gave them credit for perhaps they would learn of Serith's goals. For now, he knew almost everything about them and they hardly knew anything about him. Just as it should be. There were reasons behind his decision to not kill the children right away. After all, if it were that easy why would he have taken the time to build this militia unless he could take care of such things himself? However, he decided he would let the two necromancers be surprised in their encounters with the Children. It would be the utmost amusing to watch them all meet at last.

Distaste flickered in Serith's beady red irises at Lucien's sarcastic remark. Another scowl had planted itself on his face for a long moment with a dangerous look in his eye. Though shortly after he smiled as though nothing had bothered him at all. The doors then fluttered open and in came Solus, a man of a gentle demeanor and what many would say a trustworthy appearance. In fact, it was his oddly soft and gentle vibes he emitted that made him such a useful ally. Serith continued to smile, as if he was pleased with his two underlings. A rather dangerous and touchy state of mind in which the militia knew all too well of. He did not react to Solus's apologies, he only continued to eerily stare as Solus took his place beside him.

"Have I missed anything important in my absence or are things going as predicted?" Solus had questioned. Serith then directed his gaze to the orb that floated before them. He observed the two, measuring their capabilities to determine which would be a better match for each child. He had intentionally planned to go after the Child of Light himself, but after analyzing Solus it was much more strategic to have him go after the child.

"The Child of Light," Serith broke the silence while taking the time to stare at each of them at eye level. "Her name is Hiyoko. She travels just outside of this small village by the ocean waters. You are to pursue her Solus. It should be simple enough for a man of your caliber. As for the Child of War, her name is Asrai. The thing is in a fragile state of mind as of now. I'm certain you can handle at least that, Lucien dre Millfeore."

Serith growled his orders at the two, while again mocking Lucien by speaking his full name. He was feeling irked and somewhat impatient. His eyes then rested on Solus, the disgust in his stare never wavering for either of them. Somehow, he was doubting their capabilities seeing as he viewed them both to be arrogant. Then his face fell extremely soft, almost insecure looking and like a nervous man. His red irises turned to a murky shade of black indicating he had reverted to his deceptive mortal form. "As for I, I will go after Agnar's child, Nero."

His wispy dark garments materialized into white and black threaded clothing and he looked like he could pass for an ordinary man. He would follow Nero and his companion, Ryu. No one could read information from the translucent orb like he could, it revealed names to him as well as their faces. With a rather bored yawn, he had one last bit of information to share with the two.

"You two are to learn of who they are and what they are capable of. Discourage their abilities in any possible way. Unravel their minds and expose their insecurities if need be. Get close then betray, do as you wish. We are to delay them in their learning until they discover us. I imagine they will be on a sort of quest, you see. Oh my fellow peers amongst the Heavens have directed them somewhere in three days time," Serith spoke very nonchalantly. Though he ended his sentence with a mischievous grin indicating he was not revealing all the information he had. The two necromancers would be surprised in their findings, and Serith certainly looked forward to their struggle.

Without further ado, he turned his back to them and made a slight gesture in the air where a floating line of darkness broke through the air. It expanded rapidly and moved in a clockwise motion. It was his signature portal. The only other two men known to use this were the necromancers before him. Thanks to his 'gift' to them that is. He imagined he'd only need to use this once for the day as it did consume quite a bit of energy to create and direct to specific locations. Though for Serith, although he felt his effort, it appeared as though he hardly used any energy. Before stepping inside, he waved his hand in the air as though to say goodbye.

"Oh, and by the way," he spoke in a dull tone. "Do not disappoint me."

He then snickered as he stepped inside the dark void. Everything around him turned into a black miasma as his body drifted through the rippling energy. After about a minute, his figure stepped out of the other side of the shadows into a wide open field that was about a mile away from Juhull City. Smoke floated high into the atmosphere directly from the crumbling city. Even from here he could still here the screams and cries of the city's people. Serith simply grinned as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Now it was a matter of finding that child Nero. He couldn't have made it too far from the city. Whistling, Serith turned towards the opposite direction of the city taking in his surroundings. It had been ages since he set foot outside of his fortress. His bones ached for excitement, which was now moments away from beginning. His expression fell worrisome and weary once more, as though he were lost out here in the wilds. Perhaps he would pretend he also escaped the city. There were just so many games to play.

Nothing seemed to be going as planned for anyone in this turn of events. Asrai had humbly agreed with the man to run off with the children while he dealt with the demons. She was hesitant, but came to understand she'd only hold the man back. As she reached the children she hacked at their chains with her sword which seemed to be able to cut through anything. Freeing them at last she shouted, "Come on! We have to get out of here!"

Her brave face was returning, it reminded her of the slums. Where she protected everyone. Now they were dead. The realization pitted itself in her stomach and made her chest ache with a pain worse than any wound she had ever felt. However, the more she pondered, the more bitter she began to feel. She was gently pushing each of them at the small of their backs to run off when she heard the man speak, "You. You're the one they call the Death Dealer, The Black Necromancer."

The words rang in her head like bells. The Black Necromancer. That was only a legend! A tale told to kids to scare them at night! This could not be possibly happening. The day was becoming overbearing. She made she sure the children ran ahead of her before she followed. They ran for some time, creating a fair distance between themselves and the fight. Asrai had found an area full of a rocky terrain where it would be safe to hide. The boulders would be their cover and there were plenty of holes and crevices to hide in. Asrai directed the children into the area though she lingered at it's edge awaiting the man who had saved these innocent lives. Each minute passed felt like an eternity. Asrai found herself pacing back and forth anxiously. Her sword was settled on a smaller rock a few feet away. It had stopped glowing and Asrai was dumbfounded.

Fortunately, Asrai did not have to wait too long. The young man appeared though his stride was sluggish and he appeared to be wounded. The instant she saw him she ran towards him and slung his arm around her neck to help him walk towards the children. Once they reached them he collapsed to the rocky ground and Asrai quickly observed his wounds, uncertain of how to handle such things. She was certainly no healer. "I... guess... we survived that..." the man said with a weak smile.

"Hey, come on! You have to hang in there!" Asrai practically shouted, her voice was panicked. Two younger children came running to their aid. There was a young boy who wore a handkerchief around his neck. He untied it and passed it to Asrai. The little girl beside him tugged at her arm and firmly spoke, "Apply pressure, it'll slow the bleeding. My grandma was a healer. It does not look too bad, I've definitely seen worse."

Asrai simply blinked at the young girl, impressed by her knowledge. She nodded with a small smile before muttering her thanks. Carefully, she applied the cloth onto the man's wound hoping to slow the blood. Unfortunately there were no bandages available so she was not certain of what more she could do. "Say, what's your name? I'm Asrai," she tiredly spoke. "I'm sorry you got caught in this mess... It seems to be my fault..."

She firmly held her palms over the man's wound while glancing at his face with a weak smile of her own. Guilt was washing over her. All of this happened because of her. The city's destruction, the chase, the children being captured and this man risking his life for them. Her entire being was shaken. Normally, Asrai was able to conquer the most difficult of situations. However, it was as though an entire lifetime of events happened all in a matter of hours. Though she finally felt she could breathe again. With a heavy sigh, she glanced over at her sword which was about a dozen feet away from them. It still did not glow. Asrai kept trying to figure out why or how the thing worked but could not think of an answer. Her smile slowly turned into a troubled frown and her eyes narrowed while she entered some sort of daze. "I don't think we can stay here long either," she almost whispered. An onslaught of questions circled throughout her mind for this man, but she refrained from asking seeing as it would be inappropriate due to their circumstances.

Meanwhile, back at the scene remained a devastated Eucliffe. She almost wished she had died rather than survive for what was about to come her way. Her body trembled for she didn't even dare look at her Lord Lucien who was glaring at her and the others. Everything had completely failed, and the Child of War escaped. Things were looking grim for her and the others who were still alive. She fell to her knees and dropped her polearm, her fresh wounds still stinging from the chains Lucien had bound to her before. She was uncertain whether or not to expect worse, death, or remorse. The others were just as tense as she was and all cowered in fear. Such a change of atmosphere compared to a short while ago.

Perched upon the treetops was a young looking man who had one golden eye and one black. His face was expressionless with lips pressed together. He wore a luxurious navy blue tunic laced with gold and a set of black-grayish trousers that were somewhat on the baggy side. His sinister expression and unique pair of eyes meant that he was no one other than the demon general Zeporon.

Zeporon was perched atop a thick branch, gazing directly down at the child who bore the mark of Eleora around her neck. His pupils were thin and snake-like. While he appeared human, his eyes said otherwise. He was one of Solus's devoted men and had been tracking the child and companion that walked beside her. While he had led the direct attack in the girl's village known as Mossley, he had taken notice of the young girl and the warrior who protected her as they escaped the village. He took it upon himself to follow which turned out to be a wise decision. They did not notice his presence, he was as silent as a small field mouse foraging for food. Just a short while ago he had sent out a demonic messenger crow with a letter to fetch Solus. It described their exact location and his findings.

The warrior who stood by the Child of Light was wounded. He was applying medicine to his wounds while pondering their next move. Though his gaze was glued to the small child and the pendent fastened around her neck. Uncertain whether to attack or wait, he decided to do nothing but watch until his Lord Solus appeared. Anything rash could ruin their entire operation. He was known for his intellect amongst the demon generals though he was not nearly as strong as the others. Though judging by the looks of the two, even he could overpower them both.

He simply remained perched on the thick branch of the tall tree, hiding amongst it's leaves and shade studying the two very carefully just in case there was going to be unsuspecting surprises. Zeporon disliked failure, especially if it was his own. Even his breath was silent. If you stood next to him, you'd begin to wonder if he even breathed at all. Patiently he waited, his eyes glistening any time the sun's rays broke through the leaves of the tree. He craved blood. Dinner. The child looked delicious. Perhaps he'd get to feast on the man beside her. The smell of his blood made was beginning to make his mouth water.

Asrai gave a soft smile as she gently grabbed Azriel's torn sleeve. She helped settle him against the rock behind him so that she could more easily wrap the cloth around his waistline. Fastening a tight knot, she then somewhat pouted, "I hope this is okay." She then rose to her feet, the skin over her muscular frame glistening in the sun. Even though she was covered in dust and ash, she still maintained an outwards appearance. Asrai was staring off into the distance, her mind elsewhere. There was a glimmer of ferocity in her bright irises and she clenched her fists. Her gaze than gently rested upon the children who sat nearby waiting anxiously.

"Hey, would you mind grabbing that sword for me?" she directed them towards Morrighan's sword. She did not have a sheath or any way to carry the sword over her back but she knew she had to help Azriel on his feet. The children, wide-eyed, nodded and quickly made their way to the sword. But then the oddest thing happened. The male child tried to lift it with no success. He struggled and pulled desperately and even the little girl tried to lend her strength. But their efforts were futile.

"Miss, the sword is too heavy..." the children muttered embarrassed.

Asrai had a perplexed look on her face. The sword was as light as a feather, surely it was not that heavy? She walked over and grabbed it with no effort whatsoever and it lifted off the solid rock it rested on. Confused, she passed it over to the male child but as he grabbed it he fell down trying to hold it's weight. Asrai instantly grabbed it from him so that the child would not harm himself. She'd have to make due somehow. Making her way back towards Azriel she tucked her sword underneath her arm before helping lift Azriel so that he could slump his arm over her shoulder.

"Come on kids! We're leaving this place!" she shouted before lowering her voice to a quieter volume. "I'm sorry but you're going to have to help me lead them to the next village. I've never been outside of the City of Shimore."

Little did they know was that a crazed, drenched in blood, Eucliffe lurked nearby tailing the group. Lucien had made his point to succeed in this task after seeing to her thorough punishment for failure. Her teeth were gritted, bearing her fangs for all to see. Her eyes had a wild glare as she somewhat limped with a slumped shoulder that trickled with her discolored blood. Kill... Kill... were the only thoughts she could form. Curse that Lucien! Why do I have to be stuck with him? She'd wait to strike and kill those children. She could not wait to see the desperate faces of that wretched girl and whoever that nuisance of a man was. Their scent was strong and she sought nothing more than revenge. Eucliffe decided to wait until they appeared once more, her eyes and ears focusing in everywhere around her.

The God of Darkness strolled through the forest around him, his power masked as he hid underneath his deceptive mortal form. His eyes were soft with sadness as he actively searched for the Child of Destiny. What drew his attention was the steady rise of smoke amongst the trees out in the distance. He approached with a smirk before wiping it from his face and allowed fake tears to fall from his eyes. Serith was an actor, a very good one at that. He trembled with fear and held his arms together looking as though he was in some sort of shock. Alas he approached the small clearing where the smoke originated from. There was a small fire and he instantly recognized Nero's face. Soft gasps for air escaped his lips as he cried. Serith fell to his knees, clenching the grass before him with his fingers as the tears splattered against the ground.

"Please," he whispered desperately. "Help me!"

He quickly glanced up to see through his tears at the reaction of Nero. However, he saw Ryu and received a whiff of the scent of blood. For an extremely brief moment, Serith somewhat tensed and felt his mouth water smelling the blood off of Ryu. It emitted an unsettling energy from his mortal form. But, he quickly got a hold of himself and resumed to his tearful act with the strange energy subsiding as quickly as it submerged. He would befriend the two and travel with them. "I managed to escape," Serith cried while his body continued to quiver. "I have no place to run..."

Ryu Ookami. Brother of the Child of Light. This would be an interesting adventure. Serith's shuddering body could have very well been his excitement but instead it only came off as anxiety. The events he had executed would work in his favor. That is, if these two were as naive as he thought they were. He had to test the playground.

---

Zeporon had noticed his Master's entrance. While he still remained perched in the trees, he saw his Master's signal to retreat. Solus would take things over from here. With one last disturbing glare, Zeporon silently leaped towards the next tree at impeccable speed amongst the shadows. A brief rustling could be heard from his swift movements that could easily be mistaken for a squirrel. Before returning to the troops, he appeared before Zeporon and knelt before him showing his respect.

"Milord," Zeporon beckoned before meeting his Master's gaze. "They are headed east towards the shores. The Child is accompanied by a warrior. Though... he does not quite seem to be a typical fighter from what I've observed."

Zeporon pointed in the direction in which he came. His different shaded eyes flashed with excitement. Though his demeanor remained calm and emotionless as usual. He then took notice of Solus's disguise and he felt humorous. His Master was always such a cunning man. Though he pondered for a moment before asking, "Would you like to me follow, sir?"