Modern Earth

Post relocated to correct destination here.

The sound of crashing earth would rise from below as a blur of red and black shot towards the corrupt angel, a tangled mess of blonde hair present as the body shot past and hovered momentarily above. The figure surrounded by a mass of floating black metal, knives, a bat, metal poles and other assorted objects, the stranger oddly pieced them together and a crescent shaped blade, split in the middle by a bar (once the bat) flared to life. Hot metal glowing orange from above the pair as the ex-vampire continued to hover after his heavy jump for a few more brief moments.

"So, what's a man to think when two ladies dispute over honor and treason?" Strife says seriously, beginning to drop towards Zuu, spinning viciously with his blade out-stretched "Unfortunately, I've already picked a side!" he roars, eventually bringing the blade spiraling in a swipe from Zuu's shoulder to hip, almost ignoring the results of his attack to address Nakhti "Long time no see, Angel of Justice" He teases, continuing to make sure all his effort is expended on his assault with a grunt.

(I think "Modern Earth" may have misled you >.> this is seemingly primarily medieval-very early renaissance tech, so no guns or celebrities or posters. Or bats of the non-living sort.)

"Oh don't be so naïve." Zuu spits back at Nak, her arms crossed as she hovers quite uninterrupted by the opposing gust due to her disproportionately large wings. "Of course it's your responsibility. It is a responsibility all of you insipid angels share. Anything that doesn't match your narrow view of 'goodness' is put down like a lame dog. You mistake the want for knowledge and real enlightenment for 'lust for superiority'. Your 'love and empathy' extend only to those who would bow and kiss your feet."

She huffs and continues, her orange-hued gaze now intense enough to burn a hole through Northland steel, "And you are wrong. It is my job to judge the crimes of humanity, now! I have joined the side that values knowledge and true power, the side that accepts all of my flaws and acknowledges all of my strengths, the side where I can truly live without all the inane restrictions of your pitiful sisterhood. It's a shame, Nak, that you're so blinded by their propaganda that you can't see which side is really the right side. You would make an excellent Night Guardian. All that rage in you would do a lot of good."

And then she looks down just in time to see the second angel fly up, and she moves slightly to the side as he horribly telegraphs his attack, which then causes him to miss. Unfortunately, she recognises this one too. The arrogant buffoon that like to be called 'Sin'. While she wondered what precisely brought him here, she didn't care overmuch."You're to think nothing as usual, drunkard. Now if you could kindly leave..."

"Nothing about what you've done this night, or to the village the night before, shows to me a proper judge of humanity! I see a coward, a being who must hide behind the name of others in order to receive acknowledgment, because the deed done doesn't suffice. It's recognition you want! You're not fooling me!" Nak yelled back, still having to utiliz her wings to keep still within mid air, her frustration was using up quite a bit of her Divine Energy.

Through heavy breathing, she said, "I've no rage, so much as sorrow, for the monster you've become! A monster, I say!" She lifted her sword to swing, before interrupted by Strife. His own version of a sword still struck Nak as odd, as she had yet to be blessed with visits to the unknown within the Tymira. Her prayer requests had almost always been requested within Lionsridge. Nak had taken to training with Strife, now that Zuu had left the Fane. "You don't tell him what he's to do." Nak gained back control of her emotions, "You've no reign over us. Return to your hell, and rot in it."

Nak flew above, "Come Strife. We're not going to make any kind of progress today. Let the dead die." She spoke, looking directly into the firey red glow of the Fallen Angel that had once been her sister.

"Ah, angelic arrogance at its finest!" Yells Zuu in response. "I don' care about recognition! I have travelled the world searching for knowledge and all I've found is this: humanity is flawed. Whatever 'good' your pathetic coddling will do will always be overshadowed by their insatiable cruelty. So what, then, is the answer? We must respond in kind, of course! Take the human world by the horns and tear those horns off with force. They will not change on their own; this I have seen. To change even a single human requires unimaginable strife. Your order is incapable of seeing that truth. They are so stuck in ettiquete and doing what's 'right' that they won't use more efficient means of change. If any among us here today are monsters, I proclaim it to be you! For you would stand and watch while these creatures you 'love' suffer under the weight of their own depravity."

Despite her rather long-winded and lucid speech, as soon as Nak starts to turn away, the Red Death's eyes burn and her grin turns into a grimace. "DON'T YOU DARE TURN FROM ME WHILE WE'RE SPEAKING, YOU SELF-CENTERED, ARROGANT, BLIND PIECE OF TRASH!" she bellows. Her voice, despite its pitch, rings out loud over the winds.

Strife had begun to listlessly follow his ally, seeing none of his own stake in the event other than duty to his peer. However the fallen angel's speech pricked at his ears and his eyes slowly widened as they continued on, his mind racing with each word, always coming to the same conclusion.

'all I've found is this: humanity is flawed' Wrong 'Whatever 'good' your pathetic coddling will do will always be overshadowed by their insatiable cruelty' Wrong 'To change even a single human requires unimaginable strife' WRONG 'For you would stand and watch while these creatures you 'love' suffer under the weight of their own depravity.'

"YOU'RE WRONG!!" He roars, something in him finally snapping at the fallen angel. Mindlessly flinging his weapon with all his strength through the air at the angel "YOU, are the depraved one! I have stood amongst the dark for centuries, punishing the sinful for their actions! Forced to punish rather than absolve for sins of escapism, of guilt! If anything they are brought strife by our judgement, by our obsession with deciding right and wrong! I have lived on both sides of the coin, and there is no black and white in this world as you all so wish it." Strife yells, a hint of pain stabbing through his voice.

"If you look for cruelty then stare into a mirror! If you wish to punish for sins then look at the sins of the judge in turn, for every horn you tear you create a family full of anguish and horror, another dark pocket of the world to be cast into depravity and sins of escape. I have watched enough horror seep through....seen one too many angels perish, and far too many vampires cast into the abyss." He says more quietly, calming down and frowning heavily, taking one slow step towards the angels position at a time with clenched fists.

"For every step you fall, I will take one back to catch you. For every life you take, I will bring another into this world. For every sin you commit I will absolve it tenfold...and for every minute you love I will love you an eternity." He recites in a monotone voice, looking up at Zuu "That was a promise made to me by one of your kind, an angel, I still do not count among their number. I understand your strife and your reasoning...but you're wrong, and I will not allow your sin to deprave this world further, no matter what Nakh pleads."

Nak had started to fly towards the sky, to leave the realm of Earth and return to Essence line for the Fane. Responding to Zuu would already lead to Nak's intentions being questioned by her elder sisters.

Thankfully, Strife had shown up. His presence reminded her of her true purpose here. Though she had found herself explaining to Aiyanna that Zuu was no longer their sister, this meeting had been her own confirmation of it. With a regretful heavy heart, she wanted to get as far from Zuu as possible. There wasn't anything that could be done. Rage and resentment had over taken her heart and soul.

She heard everything that Zuu had shouted to her, but chose to ignore it. It was Strife who reacted. She turned to try and reach out for him, but he had taken flight straight for Zuu before she could grab hold.

Nak closed the distance, and approached behind Strife as he spoke to Zuu. She listened, instead of interrupting. She hadn't taken any time to truly ask Strife of his past. She focused more on giving him a stable future, something for him to build himself off of. She knew he had struggled through time, and with his own essence. Nak wanted to give him a home within the Fane, to avoid another situation that had Made Zuu what she was.

Listening to Strife, Nak grew sad. Her empathy for the angel was strong, "Come Strife." She spoke, placing a hand softly on his shoulder. She had sheathed her own sword, "The opportunity for forgiveness has passed, my friend. She does not seek it, so it cannot be given, which is the only reason why I even came. Stand true to your vow of justice, and prove your point by striving to outweigh the amount of hurt and evil she'll be spreading throughout our world." She paused, and looked directly to Zuu, "Let's take this to the battlefield."

Zuu knew the Divine Law just as well as Nak did. If any Guardian struck out at another without first having just cause, verified by the Guardian Elders, they would be sent to petrify by the leaders of each faction, until seen fit for return by the Queen Mother.

Zuu grins as she ducks under the wild swing fairly easily, revealing whitened fangs. "What've they told you that has made you so blind, Strife? What propaganda have they drilled into your head? The will must be destroyed, to make way for those like us. The superior beings, a merging of the two Guardians. Only then will this world come to peace. Can't you see that? As long as humans are given free reign they will only cause more suffering amongst themselves. I have opened my eyes, and the light no longer blinds me. I see the truth. I see what needs to be done. I will not stand by while this world is plunged into depravity by these creatures. And my brothers have seen this, and they will be the ones to fix this broken world, while you stand by and do nothing!"

She grasps his blade and pulls herself closer to him, looking into his eyes with a burning gaze. "You should come back, you know. What wonderful things you can do with the powers combined, used to their full potential." And then, without moving back, she turns her head to face Nak, who appeared to have some sort of internal struggle going on. She smirks. How weak angels could be, despite her rage. "Let us, then! I've never had a taste of angel blood. Well, except all those times I beat you sparring." She smirks. "I'm only 26 years old and I'm already more powerful than all of you. Think of what you could become if you join us! Think of the enlightenment you could attain! Think of all the knowledge, all the freedom! If you won't see reason, I might have to kill you both when things get deadly. That would be a shame."

She releases Strife and shrugs. "I'll do it if I have to, but I would rather not." She smirks widely, seemingly having regained her lucidity.

Strife stood between two angels, one of dark and one of light. The reflective irony was almost funny, he had to choose between the dark and the light again. This time his mind would not be racked with doubt and torment, he had never wanted to lose another ally, nor a friend, but he had no doubt. Grabbing his blade from the darkened angel and removing the large metal rod, tossing it to them before sheathing the weapon around his wrists, his arms taking the place of the pole on either side and splitting the weapon in two.

"I will not join you....not this day. I have seen your side of the world and it cost me more than a friend, I will not return....not today." He said solemnly, turning to his ally with a sad smile "I will meet you on the battlefield with a heart of light and blade of darkness, I will fight as you do and we shall see if we are equal. Why do we not wager a soul? If you defeat me and spare my life immortal I shall join you, if I defeat you I will not force you to change...I ask that you meet with me and me alone on occasion." He offered, turning back to Zuu with a smirk similar to their own.

"I will return with Nakh and continue with my work, on the battlefield I will defend my allies and I will keep my own promise to her...but everything is decided by whose heart weighs heavier and whose blade moves the swiftest." He states, although he spoke with quiet authority and confidence, he did not know Zuu would accept his offer or whether she would simply mock him. However he would keep to his end of the bargain regardless of her acceptance, his heart had always been of the light, but his body whispered to the dark.

In case of Strife he would build a brighter future from his own beliefs, with Nakh and his allies he would better what he could. Where he stood when the future arrived would simply decide his actions, his role in the shaping. Whether it be the creation of shadows for which the light could grow around, or the destruction of the dark which plagued those who deserved the light, he would serve as himself.

Strife turned around once more and began his exit, following Nakhti's surprisingly soft and reassuring touch. "Keep the piece as a memento of my promise, and our bargain should you choose to accept, if I do so join the dark I will brand the weapon to my flesh from which you may cause me to serve." He grunted finally, having said his piece and wagered his soul on a fight that had barely been his. To very few did the ex-vampire seem to make sense.

Danggit. Wrong spot. Link here.

"Ah, I see it," says Zuu, nodding knowingly as the Vampire-turned-angel finished his speech, "You've gone crazy. Why else would you leave our order? Why else would you challenge me to a fight you have little hope of winning with little to no benefit on your end? I think you want to rejoin us in your heart! I still feel your darkness, Strife, and you can't run from it forever!"

The dark angel turns the unwieldy club over in her hands and shrugs, chanting something in her black tongue. The thing's enveloped in a void of darkness and disappears to some unknown location. "But, I accept your offer. It'll be pretty interesting to see what a vampire-turned-angel-turned-vampire will be like. Enjoy your brief stay in the light, fiend, you'll be back in the shadows before you know it." She grins widely and waves slowly before turning around and bolting back toward the synagogue. She hadn't achieved her target, but she had gotten closer than she expected. The angels certainly weren't the brightest bunch, but they were stubborn as hell. What a terrible combination.

(My creative spark has dimmed a bit recently x.x Hopefully it'll come back soon.)

Helig cleared he throat. "I'm sure you all are wondering why I've called you here, so let me just get on with it." Helig was the kind of soul that was always so chipper, and fun to be around. She didn't leave the Fane hardly at all, if ever, as it was her job to keep it in condition enough and tend to the comfortable needs of all the Guardians. One thing she enjoyed most, was the Ambrosian Feast. She hosted three annual feasts, based around the position of their own star that never left their sky.

Helig pulled her wrap tighter around her shoulders, "The Ambrosian Feast is has fallen upon us. I offer you, your feast." Within the Fane, there is no true sense of time. Helig chooses to put together small celebrations in honor of the Guardians and all of their efforts. Her hope was to give the Guardians opportunity to fellowship with each other.

With a clap of her hands, lines of robed angels floated out holding covered trays. Tables appeared around the edges of the courtyard, each dressed with off white colored table cloths, and vases of different sized and colored flowers. The dishes were of no less in comparison, in that they seemed to sparkle themselves. Each server sat a tray before a chair, followed by wine.

"Please, take your seats." A table had appeared for each Guardian, as more angels poured from within the Fane carrying different trays of fruits, vegetables, cakes, and puddings. Helig made it a point to know her Guardians well, so to serve them their ambrosian food that suited their tastes best made her happy.

Upon each gathering, the Guardian Council was expected to address their elite. "Perhaps first we should officially welcome Strife to his first Ambrosian Feast." She looked to Lezayen. Though she knew there were trying matters that needed to be discussed, Helig liked to start her gatherings out on lighter notes.

Adrastos was still spinning from the unlocked memories that were dancing around his head. His senses were stronger then they had been in decades. His thirst for death was clenching at his throat. He followed Ulfang into the Great Hall barely paying attention to his words. He was drunk on power, and the rejoice in the alliance only fed into it.

Beneath half closed eyes, a smokey grey clouded the vampire's black eyes. Standing beside Ulfang as he made his dinner announcement regarding the alliance and plans for the future, he scanned the crowd. His own brethren stood around the outer edge of the room. They weren't exactly happy about dining with the humans, they thought the idea of dining on them to be more appealing. However, as per Adrastos' order, they obeyed, and let the humans to their tasks.

Just as to be expected, the humans felt the same about the presence of such strong and powerful Dark Guardians within their realm. Who and how could a person trust a soul that stands for the very definition of betrayal. However, Adrastos' faith in Ulfang was not wasted. The man was truly a motivational speaker, of sorts. Adrastos could sense the tension levels dropping. They trusted their leader, and the Guardians trusted Adrastos. As long as the two leaders could keep their alliance in tact, there was no reason why they couldn't succeed. There was, however, the threat of Nakhti. The Dark Angel who refused to embrace her darkness. This brought Zuu to mind. He was curious whether or not she had succeeded in confronting the Light Guardians. Even more curious, if she had failed, and why.

The cheering of the men and women before him brought him out of his trance. Reaching for a goblet that sat before him, he raised his glass to Ulfang, then to the audience.

(Wrong place >.>)

Adrian rubbed his eyes groggily in a darkened room in a small hole-in-the-wall of an alleyway. Did I make this hole? Adrian looked around, it seemed night time, or at least cloudy enough to be obstructing the sun. He had hoped to find a way back to. . .Well he wasn't sure where. Maybe looking for assistance in the "locating where I belong" department would be a good start.

As Adrian stepped out of his niche in the cobblestone wall he felt a deep surge of pain course through him quickly, knocking the wind out of his lungs and causing him to kneel. Adrian remained there kneeling until he got his breath back once more. Standing carefully he pulled up a white hood that he had been wearing. Peculiar. . . How did I get here? Who gave me this cloak and more importantly why can I only recall my name? This is maddening! My head aches, my skin is crawling and now I'm stuck in this bright white hood that hurts my eyes! Adrian muttered angrily to himself as he walked down the roads of the small town he was in, he wanted to find someone, anyone that could help him.

After conversing with a few natives he discovered he was close by a town by the name of Lionsridge. Adrian decided if he could find good information anywhere it would probably be Lionsridge. Now all he needed was to get there.


Before Adrian could board the carriage he had hired a wave of nausea washed over him, his knees buckled, his stomach churned and twisted before everything went black.

A loud wailing of an infant reverberates around the small corridor of the little house in the woods. The sound grows in volume adding to the chaos around it. A smiling face looks down upon a babe, a woman's face. Porcelain skin, huge brown eyes, a warm smile that comforts, a round face, and reddish hair. . . The woman is cradling her new baby, her son. As she sighs happily, alone in this woodland cabin she whispers to the child. "You will do great things for me. . . For everyone someday, you have heroism in your soul . . . You will bring the world back into peace. My savior. . My Adrian. . ." With that the woman loosened her grip on the babe from her reclined pose on the bed as she smiles and closes her eyes. Drifting off into eternal sleep. . .

Adrian opened his eyes with a jolt, he was covered in a cold sweat, his heart was racing, but the driver had lifted him into the carriage.At least maybe now he might reach Lionsridge by dawn. Those images he was shown while he was unconscious . . . Was that his life? That woman. . . So familiar and yet. . . No matter Adrian had more important things to occupy his thoughts with. Mainly where he came from. Haunting memories wouldn't stop him from finding the truth no matter how disturbingly real they were.

(Ahah! Finally, we have someone :D)

(I'll do the carriage driver to help you along, if you don't mind. Btw sorry for being gone so long. I got into some financial trouble I had to dig myself out of >.<)
A few more hours pass as the splintered oaken carriage creaks and bumps and jolts over the road, its axels sounding to be barely held together. Certainly, it wasn't in the best condition, but the driver didn't ask as exorbitant a price as others, and so it was ideal for those who had little money and weren't in any hurry to get somewhere extremely fast. The seat that Adrian lays upon is soft enough, however, padded with linen stuffed with hay, and although it's not well-lit, Adrian will be able to see in this darkness better than the average human. A very dim lantern hangs on one wall, and some scant sunlight filters through the crack of the heavy crimson curtains upon the other side that serve as a shield to the world without, closing off the portal to the quickly-rising dawn.

The carriage driver, a gaunt, dark-haired dark-eyed man in his middle ages with a perpetually scowling, wrinkled face opens the carriage's curtain as they arrive at their destination, looking down at Adrian with a not-entirely-pleased expression as he holds the oil lamp he's lit over the nearly dead kid's face. By the light filtering in through the opening he's made, it would appear to be dawn, the sun just now rising slowly over the horizon "Ah, well, yer awake, then. Ye were jus' 'bout dead as a doornail when I lifted ye inta tha' thar seat. Yer lucky I don' charge ye extra, wut fer makin' me do all tha' 'eavy liftin'. I'm an old man, y'know!" he rants in a gravelly, gruff voice, although he doesn't seem to be particularly angry, as he doesn't, in fact, charge Adrian extra for the inconvenience. He beckons to the kid as he steps back down from the carriage, his walk hobbled slightly by a faint limp. "Aye, well, 'ere we are," he says, holding out his hand expectantly, "Tha'll be one gold denar, sir."

Adrian was startled momentarily by the gruff driver, but he managed a slight smile as he searched his pocket, realizing he had no money he shrugged and laughed shakily at the now angry driver.
"Look, uh, I apologize but it seems I have been robbed. I imagine I had been out a long time before I hired your carriage. Would you like to, allow me to get back to you on that payment good sir?"

Adrian turned swiftly on his heel and walked briskly away from the carriage and it's pilot. As he walked he felt the cobbles beneath his feet, every step was heavy, hard to bear. It was as if his legs had decided to revolt against his will. He wished to get to a place where he could discover about himself, he couldn't seem to recall anything. Nothing. Just a name. His own name, and the fact that he was sore all over, his head and entire body felt as if he had been torn apart numerous times then put back together. Whenever he tried to remember his past his brain felt like it would split in two. He clutched at his head and leaned against a cool stone wall, above him was a single flickering lamp. The flickering lights were messing with his eyesight, on and off, stars and blackness crept into his vision.

Suddenly he saw images again.

Faces, there were twelve or so. . . They were glowing brightly, chanting quietly in some language unknown. . . A dagger was held above Adrian's sight. A single word.
'Forget.'
Then once his eyes opened there was a sweet scent of decay and blood coagulating. He glanced down to see thousands of stitches covering his body, a single scream pierced the air. . . It was his own voice calling out in pain, although it was if he wasn't even there. It was if he was watching it all from afar. Then . . . Blackness. . . . Blackness.. . Blackness.

Adrian's eyes flung open as he struggled to stand again.
Where am I? My head. . . It, it hurts. . .