Post by van on Mar 14, 2014 21:50:50 GMT -4
It had dawned a beautiful day in Japan, the sun having risen over the countryside, basking all in it’s brilliant radiance. Deep within the country, miles from any civilization, lay a small castle, in which lived the wife and two children of the great fox demon, Lord Midoriharu, the seven-tailed yokai general of the East, and their servants.
Within the castle, in the central garden, sat a tan woman of unearthly beauty, robed in the garb of her native country India. Her brown skin seemed to shine under the sunlight as she lounged about on a couch, her dark, almond-shaped eyes half-lidded in amusement as she watched two children, a girl in her early teens, and a young boy who could not even be of six years yet played together. She was the Asura, Chanda Devi, wed to Lord Midoriharu in an attempt to strengthen ties between the two lands, and though it was a political marriage, she wouldn’t change a thing, watching the beatific smiles on her children’s faces.
Stopping, the boy, a small slip of a thing with waist-length hair as dark and lustrous as his mother’s, looked at her curiously. “Is everything alright momma? Nothing is wrong, is it?” He asked, looking up at her with dark, wondrous eyes a shape somewhere between her husband’s and her own. He was a pure, unblemished soul, whence came his name.
Chanda chuckled, her laugh throaty and rich. “No, no, my dear Yukimori, nothing is wrong. I was watching you and thinking how lucky I am to have you and your sister.” She replied warmly, reaching out with one hand to stroke the small boy’s face.
“And poppa too, right?” Yukimori asked, his eyes becoming lidded as he leaned into his mother’s hand, enjoying her ministrations.
Chanda laughed again, grabbing her son and pulling him into her bosom, hugging him tightly as she kissed the top of his head. “Yes, poppa too.” She replied.
“When is father coming home anyway? I miss him.” The girl, Shakati, asked, coming over to her brother and mother, grabbing a handful of dates from a nearby plate. She favored her father more than her mother in looks, with pale skin and snow-white hair that didn’t even reach the base of her neck and always seemed in disarray, two pert, fox ears perched on top of her head, with a single white tail tipped with charcoal colors waving about behind her.
Chanda sighed at that, thinking of her husband, who was currently leading a large force to the continent from the Northen Isles, heading an army to fight against the horde that had appeared from the Great Northern Wastes, far beyond where anyone had ever explored before- The horde had seemingly just appeared one day, overruning most of China in barely any time at all, and were posing a great threat to the rest of the known world. “I am afraid I cannot answer that my darling, your father is fighting against an enemy we have never encountered before, and he will keep fighting until they no longer pose a threat. We even had to enter into an alliance with the dragons in order to have a sizeable enough force to pose a substantial threat to them. But worry not, for soon enough your father will come home, and tell stories of his adventures.” She reassured them with a smile, pulling her daughter into her embrace as well.
[C]Later That Night[/C]
Chanda sat in her private study, going over some reports, having long ago put her children to bed. It was a rather tedious thing, going over reports, but as the lady of the house the duty fell to her since her husband was away.
Without warning, a slight breeze buffeted the room, causing the lamps to blow out, and Chanda to look up sharply, the handle of the ink brush she was holding snapping in half as she unintentionally squeezed it. ”A bad omen...” She thought warily, her senses sharpening as she felt for any wrongness around her.
Suddenly, one of the servants, a human, appeared outside her door, bowing. “M’lady, we’ve trouble!” He exclaimed breathlessly.
“What? What is going on?” She asked sharply, looking towards the door, where she could make out the outline of the bowing servant.
The servant took in a few breaths, trying to calm himself. “M’lady, the gate guards sent me here as fast as I could come with a message- A large force has appeared from the cover of darkness, and they are heading this way with great haste! They will be here in a matter of moments!” He reported.
Chanda’s eyes went wide as a shiver of fear passed through her- There was only one reason why a force would come like that, and that meant that the children, her precious babies, were in danger. Standing, she opened the door, her fierce gaze locking with the scared eyes of the servant. “Tell all of the servants to gather their armor and weapons. I am going to see to my children, and then I am going to the main gate, where I expect everyone who can wield a weapon to be waiting for me, is that understood?” She asked, her tone murderous.
“Uh-m’lady?” The servant gulped, looking up questioningly.
“I won’t stand for this OUTRAGE!” Chanda snarled, unintentionally scaring the poor human worse than even the threat of pending invasion, slamming the bottom of her fist into the doorframe, splintering it. “They dare to come to MY home? I shall teach them the folly of challenging a demon goddess to battle!” She continued to rant, a red-tinted aura of gold starting to shimmer around her.
Walking brusquely past the servant, who bowed deeply before scurrying off, Chanda quickly made her way through the castle to the children’s quarters, entering Shakati’s room first. “Shakati! Get up child! You must hurry!” She said urgently, going to her daughter’s bed and gently shaking her awake.
Said girl blinked tiredly as she peered up at her mother. “Mother? What’s wrong?” She asked, still half-asleep.
“Get dressed darling, we don’t have time to dawdle! There are some bad men coming, and I need to hide you and your brother somewhere safe.” Came the urgent reply, causing the young girl’s eyes to snap open in fear as she looked to her mother, who was already making her way to little Yukimori’s room.
Upon entering, Chanda paused mid-step, her heart catching for a moment as she watched her son laying in his bed, sucking his thumb, but she quickly shook herself from her reverie- this was no time to be stopping, as every second counted. “Yukimori, you must get up! Wake up sweetie!” She called out, touching the small child’s shoulder.
Almost instantly, chocolate-brown eyes popped open. “Muh-mommy?”Yukimori asked, yawning widely before sleepily rubbing his eyes.
“Come on honey, you must get up right now, there is no time to waste.” Chanda prompted, already pulling out a simple set of clothes for her child to get into. “We’ve got-“
Chanda was unexpectedly cut off as a huge explosion rocked the compound, temporarily lighting the night sky with a ball of fire that leapt into the air.
“MOMMY!” Yukimori screamed in fright, grabbing at her leg, looking around fearfully. “What’s going on?!”
“Calm yourself my child.” Chanda said, patting the small boy’s head reassuringly.”Your sister will be here in a moment, and everything will be alright, you will see. Mommy has to just go take care of some pests.” She smiled down at Yukimori, noticing out of the corner of her eye as several shapes, shrouded in darkness, rose above the outer wall of the castle. “The two of you just stay here, and everything will be fine.” She said as Shakati walked into the room, fully dressed. With that, she pushed Yukimori away gently, and strode towards the door, her children watching her retreating back.
Within a moment, she was outside, strolling regally through the central courtyard towards the main gate, where all of the servants, human and demon alike, were waiting, watching the ominous, shadowy figures that loomed far above them. “Who are you, to dare intrude on the solitude of my home?!” She demanded, calling out loudly.
In response, one of the shadows lowered to the top of the front gate, dissipating to reveal a well-dressed older man hunched over a cane, the glasses he was wearing glinting ominously in the moonlight. “I think you know why we are here.” He said, his voice high and cruel as he grinned, revealing a mouth full of golden teeth.
Chanda’s fists clenched at her sides as she glared. “Is that so?” She asked coldly, a heavy, oppressive feeling beginning to swamp the area. “Then let me show you... THE FOLLY OF YOUR DECISION!” She roared, her voice gaining a terrifying timbre to it as her features began to contort.
[C]Inside Yukimori’s Room[/C]
Yukimori clung to Shakati’s side as the two of them stared out the window. “Sister, what is going on? I’m scared...” He whimpered.
Shakati smiled reassuringly down at her brother. “Just watch, Yuki-kun- Mother is about to unleash her power, and show those fools why our family rules these lands.” She said, looking back outside.
“Really?” Yukimori asked, worrying his bottom lip with an index finger.
Before anymore words could be spoken, a bright light flashed, and when the two could finally see again, they couldn’t help but gasp in wonder as their mother stood there in all her terrible glory, just over twenty feet tall, with six arms, two of which held gigantic scimitars, with a trident and a many-thonged whip held in two others, sporting three faces upon her head, each one snarling angrily, and her body aglow with an unearthly light. With an earth-shattering roar, she charged forward, flames billowing from her three mouths as she crashed through the gate, swinging her weapons as she waded into the figures beyond the wall, and calling down terrible bolts of lightning with her two free hands, slaying at least three of the figures in the first seconds of battle.
But then everything went horribly wrong.
The man who had spoken to their mother appeared above her, muttering some sort of incantation before casting his hands out, several ofuda streaking from them to slap against their mother, causing her to freeze in place. “Wha-what is this?” She gasped, finding herself paralyzed.
The man landed upon one of the shadowed figures, his manic grin glistening. “Oh my dear, we knew that we stood no chance against you in a straight battle. You would’ve scythed through us as so much wheat. Even now, we’ve no chance of actually killing you, but for two years I have studied vigorously, putting this plan together, and now I shall seal you away, so that you are no longer in our way.” He chuckled.
“YOU BASTARD!” Chanda roared, struggling mightily against her bonds. “YOU WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS! WHEN MY HUSBAND RETURNS, HE WILL RAZE YOU ALL TO ASH! YOU AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW!”
If anything, the man’s grin seemed to widen even further. “Your dear husband is dead. You shall be sealed away for all time, and your children will become our slaves, plaything for our whims. Your dynasty is broken!” He laughed.
Chanda’s eyes widened at that. “Wha-I’LL KILL YOU!” She roared, her power spiking as a titanic bolt of lightning lashed out from the sky, obliterating several figures around her.
The man laughed, holding up another ofuda. “Begone, you foreign bitch.” He spat, slinging the seal at her feet. In an instant, a large magical circle sprung up, filled with glowing arcane figures. The magic began to take effect, pulling several gigantic stone slabs from the ground, trapping the screaming Chanda within, before the entire effigy began to slip back into the ground, taking her with it, sinking until only a small obelisk remained above ground.
“MOMMY!” Yukimori screamed, tears streaming down his face, only to have Shakati clamp a hand over his mouth to silence him, though she was crying as well.
It was too late though, as the terrible beast who had sealed their mother away looked in their direction, grinning wickedly. “Get them.” He stated, snapping his fingers.
With a roar, what seemed to be an entire army swarmed into the castle, quickly overruning the guards as they ransacked. “Shit!” Shakati cursed, gabbing Yukimori by the hand and yanking him out of his room and towards the rear gate, only to stop in horror, seeing that it too had been taken over, and several evilly grinning men were facing them. “Yuh-Yuki-kun, stay behind big sister...” She stammered fearfully, moving between Yukimori and the men, backing back into the building they’d come out of.
“Mommy, mommy’s gone... Mommy’s gone... Mommy’s gone...” Yukimaru babbled over and over, wide eyed, his eyes locked on the point where their mother had been sealed, even with walls blocking his sight.
One of the men who was advancing on them laughed cruelly. “That’s right kiddies, yer whore momma is gone, and yer all ours now.” He sneered.
“You’ll never take us alive!” Shakati screeched, pulling a knife from the sleeve of her kimono, waving it threateningly before her to ward off the leering men.
“ ...back...” Yukimori mumbled, his eyes still wide and unfocused.
“Huh?” Shakati gasped, sparing a look back at her younger brother.
“Give... Her... Back...” At that, the men, who’d just crowded into the doorway, stopped their advance, looking at the small child curiously.
Outside, the man who’d sealed Chanda away was grinning. “Now all is in our grasp.” He chuckled. However, his grin turned into a frown as he felt a growing unease deep inside, a sense of foreboding as he felt a huge amount of yokai begin to bubble forth. “Wha-“ He started, leaning forward, only to receive a shock as an indistinct black miasma burst forth from within, tearing out a good portion of a wall, and carrying with it the men who’d gone inside, screaming in agony. “This is-“ He gasped, as from within the darkened building two figures emerged, One being Shakati, who was standing behind the other, still holding her knife defiantly, and the other...
Honestly, for a moment the man didn’t know what he was looking at. The dark miasma that was squeezing the life out of his men was hanging above the figure, though it would occasionally clear enough to reveal portions... “Oh my...” The man breathed, his grin returning as the miasma finally cleared away, dropping the corpses of the men it had killed, revealing a sleek, muscled form covered in dark fur, standing on it’s hind legs at almost six feet tall, with two tails waving angrily behind it, six arms poised to rip anything that got close enough to shreds, and three different vulpine faces snarling from one single head, giving a truly monstrous form. “It actually happened...” The man breathed, his eyes lighting up gleefully. “A perfect union of two different demonic species! Normally when demons from two different classes breed, they only produce another of either species, but this boy... ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT!” He threw his head back, laughing maniacally. “He’s absolutely perfect! I can-“
The man was cut off as a streak of lightning blew past his face, knocking his glasses off and leaving a cut on his cheek. “Wh-what?” He looked down at the boy, an incredulous look on his face, seeing three sets of hateful glares, with the first two fingers of one hand still pointed at him, small arcs of lightning dancing around them. “So, you want to play before I make you my own, hmmm?” He asked, starting to smile again as an inky blackness started to ooze from his wound. “Alright then, humor me.” He spread his arms out wide.
One of the shadowy figures that accompanied him lowered it’s massive head, and a deep rumbling was heard, causing the old man to look up and grin. “Of course I’m sure. The mother may have been too strong for us to beat, but I’ll be able to handle the whelp myself.” He replied, his voice carrying supreme confidence.
Without warning, Yukimori disappeared, coming back into view behind the old man, all six arms coming down to slash clean through him, his eyes wide with shock-
-Only for the image to fade away as the old man appeared behind Yukimori, grinning like a madman. “Not fast enough boy.” He stated, and with a terrible blow knocked the boy to the ground, slamming him flat on his stomach, then pinning him there by pressing his cane into the child’s back. “But you are fast, and powerful. I’m going to seal you away, and turn you into my greatest toy. Now, Sleep! With that, he pulled a talisman from inside his kimono, and slapped it to one of the child’s foreheads.
“YUKI-KUN!” Shakati screamed, preparing to rush the old man, when suddenly she was grabbed by her waist. “LET ME GO!” She screeched, fearing the worst, only to be surprised as several of the castle guards surrounded her, all of them bloodied and the worse for wear, but with a determined glint in their eyes as they readied their weapons for battle, lead by none other than the servant who had delivered the terrible news to Lady Chanda earlier.
“Get out of here while you can, m’lady.” The servant requested, unsheathing a katana that was strapped to his waist.
“NO! I CAN’T LEAVE WITHOUT YUKI-KUN!” Shakati screamed, struggling in vain against the guard that held her.
The servant looked over his shoulder, and Shakasti was shocked into silence to see that he was missing an eye, a ruinous cut having split open part of his face. Regardless, he smiled at her. “We will try our utmost to get the young lord back, but we must look after your safety as well, m’lady, so I apologize for this...” He nodded, and one of the men behind Shakati struck the back of her head, knocking her unconscious before hoisting her limp form over his shoulder. “Take good care of the small lady. We will try to retrieve the young lord, but honestly all we can probably do is buy you some time. Now use the servant’s tunnels and get out of here.” He ordered, and the man holding her, along with a handful of others, saluted, before one of them tossed down some smoke pellets. “Are you ready for this men?” He asked with a grim smile, turning back to the old man who was standing over the young lord’s prone form, and the towering, ominous figures behind him, along with the remainder of the troops under their command.
“Hai, taicho!” Came the chorus of voices behind him, along with the sound of steel being drawn.
The old man, reaching down, easily lifted Yukimori’s prone form from the ground, cradling him in his arms. “So, hopelessly outnumbered, but you would still stand against us? And you honestly think that the girl will escape?” He asked with a grin.
The servant lifted his sword, holding it in both hands as he pointed it at the old man. “As retainers to Lord Midoriharu, it is our sworn duty to defend his family and protect his honor.” He calmly replied. “And the guards with our lady include two of our best kitsune sorcerers- with the illusions they can cast, you’ll never find the trail.” He calmly stated.
The old man frowned at that information. “Then you can just die.” He coldly stated, a sneer marring his face.
The servant, along with all the others with him smiled briefly, then let out battle-cries as they charged forward, running headlong to their doom as the shadowy, snake-like figures came down upon them.
[C] At that same time, hundred of miles away. [/C]
In a small temple sitting on the outskirts of a small village, a snigle candle burned, illuminating the sole occupant, who was reading a scroll. Even kneeling, he was quite tall, dressed in the traditional robes of a monk, his head and face hidden away by a wide-brimmed straw hat.
Without warning, the door to the temple blew open, a gust of wind tearing through the small room, swirling around the monk before blowing the candle out. "An ill omen..." The monk murmured, removing his hat- waist-length silvery hair spilling down his back, capturing the moonlight, as a pair of sea-green eyes opened, glowing eerily.
[C] Middle of the Sahara [/C]
Under the sweltering sun, a lone figure trudged across the endless dunes, covered from head to toe in a long, ragged cloak- the end of which flapped furiously in the wind that the figure marched against. "Keera..." Murmured a masculine voice, the word being carried away on the wind.
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