Dark Grove

The young girl slapped a hand over her mouth, still holding the bell in the other hand. If she wasn't already so dark, she would have visibly paled from the drainage of blood from her face. She took in a big breath, and let it go slowly.

"... others?" she whispered, hand shaking. She did her best to steady it as she looked past the young man, then switched her gaze to look into his eyes. "Y-you weren't there b'fore you know," she gulped. "You, um. I. I'm alive. Is that bad? I can see you. I'm a... a... an exorcist. And stuff. A spiritual. My name is Devika."

She came a little closer to the gate, closer to the young man.

"You're... a ghost?"

Nobody nods, “Yes the other residents here, they are asleep right now.” He explains as if that should be obvious. “And some don’t like being waken up.” He says as he looks where she is looking, spying nothing. “They are sleep right now so you can’t see them…though most can’t see them anyway cause they are ghosts.” He explains. “Well I was in my home before and then walked out of it…” When she says she is a Live One his eyes widen, “No that is wonderful! I mean I haven’t talked to a live one in a very long time.” He explains. “An…Exorcist? What is that?” he asks as he furrows his brows.

Nobody laughs as she asks if he was a ghost, “Nope I am like you, a Live one.” He offers her, “I haven’t died yet, but why are you here? And why do you have a bell Miss Devika?” he asks before he remembers he forgot to introduce himself. “Oh! I am Nobody Knoes.” He says with an old fashioned bow, his name sounding like ‘nobody knows.’

"Wait, you're alive? If you're alive, how come I wouldn't be able to see you in the graveyard?" asked Devika, one hand on her hip. She gave give a sassy frown, one eyebrow raised, lips pursed. "And, ah, an exorcist-" She raised her fist to her mouth, clearing her throat three times exactly, "- is one of those people who help ghosts, ah... pass on? To there-" She pointed up. "Or down there." She pointed down.

"Or, you know, wherever. If there even is an afterlife place thing. There's probably, like, fifty million of them." She put her hand up in the air and wiggled it to gesture to everyplace.

"So... nobody knows your name?"

"Because I am protected here." he answers simply, "So most of the time Live Ones can't see me if I am in here, or sense me. It is thanks to the Freedom of the Graveyard." he explains. He frowns at her explanation, "Are...you here to get rid of my friends and family here?" he asks. "Because I can tell you right now, that everyone here is happy here. They like their life here, or at least no one has complained to me about it. Do you ask the Ghosts if they want to move on? I think they would have a say in it." he adds as he runs a hand through his shaggy hair, his coat sleeve falling to his elbow.

"Yes Nobody Knoes is my name, Miss. Devika." he says thinking she understood him. "Were you sent here to get rid of the ghosts?" he inquires as he leans against a nearby tombstone, his hands rest on the top of it to make sure he would not slip and fall.

"Um... well, no. Ghosts should kinda... not be hanging around, y'know?" Devika bit her bottom lip regretfully. "Alright, so this is awkward. Listen, I guess I can move on and not... get to your family and friends... are they really all dead? But, um, yeah, I was just pointed here by a stranger in a traveling carnival. He's also an exorcist, but not as spiritually strong as me. I see dead people all the time, he just sees wisps and- what the hell am I talking about? Why do you need to be protected by dead people?"

"Why?" he asks with a frown, "Why shouldn't ghosts hang around?" he asks her. "Yep all of them are dead, well...besides Silas and Miss Lupescu, but they wouldn't like you getting rid of the ghosts here either. This is the ghosts home." he states firmly. "Ohhh! I think I know who you are talking about, My mother saw him and was surprised he saw her...she warned me to be careful and talked to Silas in private. She then came back relieved so it must not have been anything too serious." he explains.

"Oh because it is dangerous for me to go outside, Silas says there is some people out there that want to do me harm." he offers, "See I was found here as a babe and Missus Knoes took me in and the ghosts decided to protect me and raise me." he explains.

Hitting the ground in a brief roll the pale skinned woman started running through the woods. She couoldnt believe her ears when her own Kobolds reported to her of what, or rather who, they saw in the woods

Her most hated enemy.

Now here she was, crashing through the woods, the woods she called a temporary home away from home. her own fortress within the Higrada mountains in Norway had been long since overtaken by either nature or mankind's constant expansion.

But it didnt matter'

At that moment what mattered was she needed to clear her head, and a good run normally helped with that. Hoqwever it was after said run when she neared her place of home when she caught scent of something she hated most lividly

Silver Dragon scent.

Fuck!

Kethend twirled around and looked in all directions, spotting a tree branch above she pushed off the ground and disappeared into mist, reappearing within a second later upon the thick trunk looking in all directions.

Where was the hated scent coming from ?

All she saw was a lone man, with a dark forest green robe on, with the hood drawn up covering his head and face.

Just a man ?

A man, perhaps, to some, to others a friend. To this one... a bitter enemy.

"Head's up." a voice echoed in Mark's mind as he turned to face the woman who appeared. "It's my dear Kethend....wife of our mutual friend, Draco." Kalda's voice echoed. Mark grunted and slowly his armor came to his body as he began to circle the shadow dragon slowly.

"What brings you here, Shadow?" he askes calmly; a glow of bronze and silver seen from beneath the hood as his eyes took her in and watched her every move. He had something Kalda did not upon their last meeting: Distance and proper experience dealing with people much stronger than himself. After all; he took on the Shadowblack's children when he was in Arendelle. Did pretty well for himself there.

He rolled the claws open and closed into a fist, his left hand moved to his thigh, where a holstered Desert Eagle with blessed rounds of Duradaeden were loaded. His right hand went to his belt, where throwing knifes, likewise made of Duradaeden lie in wait for anything that could happen.

Pale red yellow ringed eyes stared and were clouded with hate. "So I have you to thank for the injuries given to my daughters ?" Kethend growled from her perch on the treetrunk. Her left hand sprang forth a white edged black blade; the white lines glowed with etheral light and black smoke wafted off the blades edge as she spoioke she pointed the blade at Mark.

Kethend smiled, it had been a million years, maybe even longer, since she had seen, or rather, killed, Kaldakava.

And now he was there before her.

She disappeared into mist and reappeared within arms reach, within his defenses, her sudden appearance was sure to send him backstepping quickly as she smirked. "I thought so" She said simply. "It was not I that healed them, their shadows are strong, but not strong enough to face you......" She said as she started to circle him. her movements were f luid, calm. Sure her hate for the silver ewithin Mark fueled her, she forced herself to remain calm as the Sword of Eden she carried glowed an etheral white as black smoke wafted off its edge

Finally she halted and looked directly at the man, Mark.

The one thing mark had thought he had, distence and experience, well, distence kinda disappeared when she disappeared and reappeared mere inches from his face before he backtracked as she smirked. OK, so, Experience then.

But then, Kethend never lost her body, nor did she die like Xeir Zith or Kalda had.

After all, she had killed them both

Her nose wrinkled and she hissed. "Her scent is on you...." She brought the sword up into a defensive pose, Pieces of Eden were made of stronger stuff, but old as hell too. And both of her swords of eden were corrupted pieces, corrupted by her magic, and that of her beloved. She smirked then at mere thought of her beloved. He was whole again, but still brooding, off doingo ther things, leaving her to her own devices.

Mark indeed hop back when she appeared, but not before swiping at her face with his claws. Whether or not he missed didn't matter to him so long as he was out of arms reach of the Shadowblack. When she mentioned the scent, he narrowed his eyes and let out a feral, draconian snarl. Within a flash his right hand, four throwing knifes darted for Kethend's figure. One at her feet, another at the thigh, another to her stomach, and the last for her throat. Within that same flash he drew his sword; one of the same swords that Kalda used in his fight with Kethend. He also drew his bronze Desert Eagle and pulled back the slide to cock the gun, his thumb knocking the safety off as he lowered it at Kethend and lowered into his own stance.

It was different now that he had his pistol, it was more crossed, with the blade hand up front, held in a reverse grip as his pistol was just over it, trained on Kethend's head. "Shall we dance?"

Kethend smirked as the daggers were thrown at her, easily kicking the one aimed foer her feet she blocked the next two with her sword before catching the last one with her hand mere cenitmers from her throat. Shadows steamed and boiled where the Duradaeden touched her skin, but she had since learned how to keep from getting burnt, or worse, from the strange metal.

The forth dagger she simply threw back at him, it slammed into the ground between them up to its hilt with a very hard SHUNK noise as it hit home.

She growled again her sword in a lose relaxed stance as she looked at her hand, no burns were seen as the shadows melted away. perfect. Her learning since being banished had indeed helped! She smiled then seeing there were no burns from the Duradaeden daggers.

This fight just got a lot harder.

If Duradaeden couldnt burn her....

It seemed that the knifes had no effect, but Mark made no reaction. Kalda screamed in disgust in his head, that her known weakness no longer worked. But mark's bullets were just any old normal Duradaeden bullets, but they were blessed by a Priest of the Light. Mark ensured that these magnum rounds would kill everything he shot at. He'd not be defeated. His own ego wouldn't take it.

His lips twitched into a smirk before his finger twitched,, pulling the trigger of his blessed DEagle. The .50 caliber round whizzed straight towards Kethend's chest; she'd not encountered bullets before, and likely wouldn't know what to do. Mark was counting on that, and charged forward now, kicking the discarded knife back at her again, this time only as a mere distraction as he aimed a swipe of his sword to her shoulder, using his momentum to turn his body and aim a pistol whip across her face with the butt of his gun before continuing the motion to aim a solid roundhouse kick to her thigh or gut, whichever one he could reach. The Duradaeden of his armor made every hit singe and burn of course, causing Kethend to use more of her precious magic energy to prevent the pain from reaching her body.

Mark was going to start a war of attrition against a dragon that made him look like a flea.

Kethend stared, what the hell was that thing ? Just before the first shot made contact with her skin Kethend vanished into mist; as soon as the shot hit the tree behind her {shattering the thing and causing it to fall over} she reappeared, just in time to take the pistolwhip to the face, her eyes flared deep yellow in anger, how dare he! Shadpws formed a mask of sorts as two more hits connected, she felt heat but no burns were visible.

She moved again, quickly disappearing and reappearing as a second shot was fired, then a third. Soon all the shots were fired and she reappeared the final time from above driving straight for Mark, her Sword of Eden weaving a complex pattern into the air before her as she headed for him.

Both a defensive spell, and a retroactive spell.

Of course when it got shot by the last bullet she flipped backwards and landed on her feet before dashing forwards, both swords now out and ready for use as she wove them into a deadly dance.

In her banishment, and in her time of healing before her banishment, Kethend had learned, had gotten better, had gotten deadlier, and now with her banishment to the Aaether by Light, this strange universe Kethend found herself in, she continued to learn, to kill, to get stronger.

And now she had the reincarnation of her most hated enemy from millenia ago. She could best him, drive him off, either one worked.

Mark grunted in disgust as most of his shots missed regardless of their speed. He'd need to modify the gun soon, make the shots move faster. Regardless after firing his last shot he holstered the pistol and flipped his sword forwards and assumed his signature stance. His left hand opened into a relaxed claw, the sharp ends at each end of his fingertips gleaming in the light. His armor began to glow dimly as his arm twisted to face palm up, and he gestured for Kethend to make the next move.

"Careful, she's faster than you by a mile." Kalda's voice warned as Mark's eyes blazed silver.

"Not to worry....I can see her. If I can judge the distance right; it'll be fine." Mark reassured his previous incarnation calmly, his lips not moving as he spoke into the void. He had another secret that Kalda did not: His hidden blade, and his actual claws. Not to mention the years of training and practice.

But there was one thing Kethend had that outclassed Mark, and that was sheer speed, and in this case gracefulness. That and her weapons were so old, so corrupted by her dark magic they were downright deadly even ot other shadowdragons! There was a reason her children avoided those blades.

Kalda however was soon proven right, even though Mark could see her whe nshe vanished and reappeared so quickly she was still faster than Mark, by a mile, no more like by a dozen miles or so. Her movements so fliud and smooth like silk yet deadly and surgical in their precision. the twin Swords of eden hummed and whenever she missed Mark a slice of energy could be seen sailing off to crash into {and destroy} a tree or two.

Finally their weapons caught, And for a brief moment Kethend stared inches from Marks face before backing off, both her blades on the ground as she brought up her hand to keep the hidden blade from slamming into her and her other hand stopping his sword from slamming down onto her

Though oddly Kethend was either toying with Mark, or just flat out faking it, as she laid flat on her back with his sword pressing down on her hands. When the hidden blade was aimed at her faceshe caught the tip of it perfectly in her teeth. Sheer strength alone kept the hidden blade from slamming home. She spit it out then as she kicked Mark and sent him flying over her head as she shot back to her feet and using her showmagic pulled her fallen weapons to her.

This was fun. She chuckled. "You are weaker then I remember...." Briefly the world around them shifted slightly; sowing the ruins of a fortress throne room. Dust where leaves should be, and broken stained glass windows between pillars as a sudden CRUNCH was heard through the memories as Kalda had kicked her in the knee way back then. But in the present Kethend had stepped on a branch and broke it But just as fast as it appeared it faded as she darted forwards swords ready.

Mark's forehead already dripped sweat, and after being kicked away from Kethend by the Shadowblack, and landing on the branch, snapping it, he grunted and stood, his hood falling to reveal his face; and his eyes. Mark smiled. "I should be. I'm not him....not fully." he said. He took a deep breath and a Draconian Seal of magic appeared beneath his feet as he crouched into a stance.

He was uneasy...having to resort to magic already meant that especially with how bad he was with it. She'd stopped his blades..both of them, so easily. He couldn't let it happen again.

"But, he's taught me a few things....a gift from Mother." he said calmly as his sword returned to its sheath on his back and he crossed his arms in an x-shape, the claws out towards Kethend.

"Gixic di Mitne" he managed to spit out; the words rough, but there. "Claws of Light." the spell formed and Mark's arms and legs blazed with holy Light Magic, his claws glowed, and his boots grew a set of claws as well, four toed, three up front and one in the back to grip the ground. Now, another appeared and more words; "Fewihl Uraci," and suddenly Mark's body glowed dimly, becoming as light as the armor he wore. "Gentle feet,"

Now he could match Kethend in speed. Now, he didn't need his sword.

Blazing forward at speeds most humans could only dream of, Mark's claws caught Kethend's wirsts in a vice grip as he aimed a headbutt straight for her nose, which would then be followed up by raking his claws up her arms to her shoulders, where he'd proceeded to dig them into her body while his right knee came up towards her gut, then his foot stomped down on the knee Kalda had previously broken, the claws tearing at the Shadowblack's dress as he stomped downwards. After that, he'd lift his left leg to kick out the other leg, and tear his claws from the woman's shoulders, aiming to then slam his hands together over the sides of her head.

Kethend let her swords fade away into wisps of shadows before she herself formed a dragon seal under her feet; a seal of strength, as well asa seal of defense. The shield could protect her skin and body, but not her clothing.

However she was not expecting the second seal Mark used, gentle feet. Dragonfuck!

She backtracked two paces and using her fists and arms in a fast martial battle of pure martial skill alone of about two minutes before her arms were pinned by his and her nose was bleeding, which thanks to the spell, was not broken. When his knee came to her gut she side stepped it, her knee just out of his reach however her dress was soon in tatters as his claws raked through the silk, thankfully the shadows took form of her damaged clothing and became it, sort of.

Almost as if it were fighting the wind the shadows formed a perfect copy of her currently torn up dress under the shadows. However the shadows were working to repair it, but damage like that took time to repair. For all she knew she'd have to change and get it repaired at one of her smithies

She snapped her head backwards as his hands aimed to clap against her ears but with her own hands free she forced his hands apart and spat a small shot of shadowfire at his chest, aiming to send him back a few paces. There was one more thing Kethend had that Mark didnt at this moment.

Her breath weapon.

But rather then completely engulf him in thick shadows that could rip apart armies with a single breath, she instead pushed him backwards with explosive force of her shadowfire. She then settled into a stance, a smirk on her face, sure her dress was torn. But she was still standing, her pale skin undamaged aside from her nose bleeding a bit.

But she was breathing a bit harder then too

Mark let out some feral growls as he fought, snarling as his attacks missed their targets. He flew back as planned when the breath weapon hit him square in the chest. He landed hard and rolled back onto his feet, hand on his armored chest as he let out a pained breath, now breathing harder. His spells still active, he lunged back and forth in a serpentine motion, bouncing off trees in order to jam his claws towards Kethend's chest, aiming to simply tear her heart out at this point. If he could not, he'd grab what he could of her dress or body, and use it to yank her towards his body, aiming an elbow towards her nose; to fully break it. Spinning with his momentum, he launched a donkey-kick straight towards her gut, the claws of his feet aiming to actually impale her.

After this he hopped back to ten meters away from her his spells wearing off with a pulse, making him twitch before dropping to his knee, panting while staring at his foe.

her own ssheild seal had worn off, but the strength seal kept going as he slammed into her, for a brief moment she saw not Mark but Kaldakava lunging at her. At the last second she grabbed his arms and using his own momentum went to dflip him onto his back directly over her without blinking Only she ended up blinking because his left knee nailed her in the nose, splattering it across her face in a sudden explosion of blood and flesh.

The kick also connected, sending her briefly a few paces forwards as she slamed against a tree before sturning around and stepping from it, her nose slowly rebuilding itself thanks to the shadows covering her now missing nose, a noseless woman, her skin wasnt damaged that bad. Just her nose

But with her shadows working to repair her dress they also protected her stomach from his claws; But she was still winded from the kick, seeing him kneeling down she was tempted, severely so to behead him right there, but no, instead she stalked forwards as his seals faded. her strength seal kept going until she willed it off. She was after all, an ancient great dragon. A Shadowdragon at that

But no, she instead stalked forwards and reached down a clawed hand as inkblack almost shadows of scales formed on her hand as she reached down to pull him to his feet. However she wasnt mad, no, she was actually curious, confused. "You cant be him, not one I had slain so long ago could be this weak." Their fight had lasted all but a few minutes if that. Whereas her battle with Kaldakava so long ago had lasted for hours!

But she held him on his feet for long moments, completely at a loss. To leave him for dead or take her home as her playtoy to torture ?

Decisions decisions

Mark growled as she picked him up and held him there, glaring at her. He smirked at her question, and laughed while his hands slowly moved, silently working to reload his Desert Eagle with a new clip of blessed rounds. "Why don't....you see for yourself?" He asked before his eyes flashed white, the same white that Kalda surrounded himself with during their battle so many years ago.

It would be blinding, and during said time, Mark would lift a foot to push Kethend back away from him while he lowered the gun at her head and shuffled forward, pressing the barrel under her chin against her throat, a wicked smile on his face. "Funny...he remembers you being a lot harder to knock around..." he said, his eye twitching as Kalda stared at Kethend through Mark's eyes. The gaze was the same as then, too.

His finger began to squeeze on the trigger.

As his finger began to squeeze the trigger three things happened at once.

The first was a sdden ear breaking shriek

The second was the gun eiother jamming because of Kethends shadows being so close to it, or it was number three

And the third was Kethends hands going for Marks throat.

Fast as lighting when the shot went off it missed as she moved and her hands went for his throat fast as lightning, possibly even faster as timed seemed to slow around them as she held him in a throat hold so tightly done it wasnt easy to get out of it.

But it was her movements that kept her alive. Her red eyes glowed with energy of pure hate aimed directly at the man in her deadly grip. With him distracted enough however she used her shadows to turn the gun sideways, Then with a sudden snap she grabbed it with her teeth. growling as she did so she wrestled with Mark all of a minute before managing to get the gun from him.

But not before she spat blood after cutting the inside of her cheek with the metal

Sure she had been blinded by the same attack kalda did in the past, but it wasnt going to work now. Not for long at least. With them no the ground her ontop of Mark she focused on strangling the life out of her enemy as her mouth dripped blood onto his coat and skin onto his beard, kill it before it bred. Sadly, this one had bred while he was dead.....

Mark gasped one last gasp of breath as the blur of motion happened, too fast for his trained eyes to catch it as he was brought to the ground and his gun was finally wrestled from his iron grasp. He began to struggle as he felt the pressure on his strong, thick neck, his windpipe constricted as he gasped for what little air he could.

"Hand yourself over to me, boy....trust me...." Kalda's voice was calm. "Playing possum will be the best course of action."

And so Mark slowly did, his grasping hands slowing as his claws slowly dragged down Kethend's own neck and chest, as well as her shoulder down her arm, the skin peeling away with his claws as he let his eyes roll back and one last relaxed breath escape and he let his body go limp, his heart slowing down extremely quickly as he lost consciousness. Soon, he'd be so far gone that his heart barely beat at all; and was undetectable. The glow faded from his eyes as well as they closed and his head flopped to the side.

Kethend, had won.

Kethend kept her grip until sdhe was sure he'd stop struggling, as he weakened she grunted as the claws raked her fair skin. leaving long trails. She held her grip a moment more to be sure the man was dead. When there was no breath coming from his nose she smirked and patted him down, best to leave him tempoarily weaponless. She went to pick up the sword, only to hiss as its magical propertyies made her shadows boil as she neared it, ok, she'd leave that. she went back to searching Mark's body, finding a key, using her shadows she made a exact copy of it and kept the copy.

She'd have to find out what this thing unlocked, and soon.

PTOOOIE!!

She spat up another huge gob of blood and snot then. well dragonshit.

She had to heal up, and fast. She stumbled away as her shadows faded, leaving her dress in perfect shape, her hand went to her mouth as she had left quite a bit of her blood on Mark. of course it'd only wash out and hold no magical proeprties whatsoever. She stumbled away.

It was time for her to head home.

But she was happy

She had bested her enemy

Again....

She hoped this wasnt going to become a habit she'd have to break

It would. Or he would, anyway. Regardless, Kalda kept Mark in a near-death state for a few hours, even going as far as manifesting and building a camp fire not too far away so it looked like Mark was merely camping. He couldn't do anything about the blood, however....Kethend's blood that is. Mark was fine.

Some time later.....

Whether it was due to the fact that Elsa was close by, or whether Kalda was tired of keeping Mark like this, he jumped back into Mark's body and jump started everything, causing Mark to sit up with a bit of a scream as he flailed around aimlessly cursing like a sailor as he clutched at his chest and breathed harder than he'd ever done before.

"Damn you, Kalda!" He growled as he sat up and looked around for his gun, finding it he looked it over, he'd only fired three shots and missed all three...damn witch. Sighing he put the safety on and holstered it before falling back and panting.

It was about four hours later when Elsa finally arrived at the campsite. "Mark ?" She called out, seeing him near the campfire, apparently asleep she shrieked his name and scarambled to his side, she felt for the briefest of moments that she'd lost him again, but somehow she knew better then to fear, after all she had just found him. She all but tackled him and hugged him before making sure he was alright.

That was when she saw the blood. "What in the world happened to you ?" She asked, she saw no cuts or injuries to mark yet he had a lot of blood on his coat. The coat itself looked like it'd gone through a battle, which it had. The worry in her eyes though was betrayed by the absolute joy in her tone that threatened to smoother Mark with kisses and possibly knock him out again.

Though if she were to knock him out again, it'd be of pure bliss