Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

As she walked, River made a few observations in her head. She had never seen this kind of being before, and that whatever these are, they weren't used to visitors. Whether that was because the doorman stopped the curious, or because nobody tried to begin with, she wasn't sure. Eyes that looked like gemstones, or amber, all male, built like brick shit houses, unreadable. .. Golems, maybe?

She was more sure once she saw the fight in the pits. When she saw it was another arena, she considered taking part again, just to burn off more steam, but after seeing the way they fought... there was no way. She could probably dance around, could probably do enough damage with her abilities, but she wouldn't earn any respect fighting like that. And it would be hell trying to stand up to the hots like they were doing.

The fight ended, the victor lead through a door to elsewhere, the lose glancing around, spotting her and making his way up to the walkway, probably to speak with her, after that look. He hadn't seemed to have lost face with the others for his lost at least. That was good, and made sense. If they only allowed the undefeated, the place would get empty pretty quick.

She stepped away from the railing, making sure there was room for him when she arrived, dipping a bit in greeting. "Impressive fight down there." She said simply. "Where do the winners go?"

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

He chuckled, the sound rumbling like stones rolling down a Cliffside and his eyes, more a platinum silver then white now that she was close, sparkled with interest. Notably, there was no rage from Him, no anger, no pent up energy. It Poured off the onlookers in the crowd, and seethed in a thick, syrupy flow from the two new combatants who entered the ring, who started their own bout by kneeling away from each other, looking at the crowd, and then the floor.

"Glorious yes. We are chosen based on how we resonate. It is in our making. If you look at those two, you can see they have been too long without release. They will sort that out between them as brothers, and leave the same. The winners however are rewarded with the only thing we value among our own. These. he explained, turning while he did so to give at least part of his attention to the two new combatants who were removing their shirts and shoes in their corners now, while reaching into his pocket to fish out a chain threaded with small gemstone disks, painstakingly carved.

As she listened River would take note of things, first, that this man in front of her, who had turned, was not sweaty, not a drop of moisture left his 'skin' nor did he have nipples, or a navel, his flesh and the muscle under it forming a smooth slab of color.

"We noticed your own Bout, and the death of Carlos. I had to think as this woman does not burn, is she too made of more then flesh. But your magic does not fit. So you are not of Us. Can you tell me what you Are? he asked plainly, turning back to face her as his fingers played over the myriad disks on his chain, of which there were perhaps 26, maybe more.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"I see." She responded simply, watching the next match start, and this new conversation partner, looking at the odd discs he said they favored.

"I'm... Special." She answered slowly, shrugging. "But flesh, yeah. The way I was told, I'm basically the best of human, but since then I've been... touched, by a few other sources of power. So now i'm somewhere in between. What about you? I've never seen anything like you and your kind before. Why do you treasure those discs?"

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Special. I see, many points of power affect what you are, and what you hold. You are like the Pope then. The lord of this place. Others touch you, taint you if allowed. But you are better for it, stronger, wiser. These are good things. he said, smiling genuinely.

My own kind wishes always for such things, to be free to change, these discs. They are the fallen. Each of us has such a disc inside them. We carry them to remember our brothers from long ago. To be strong enough to carry many shows you are worthy to lead because you value your brothers enough to win many of them. Each is all that is left of a soul as we know it. As we were made to know it. A piece of the mind of our Creator. he answered, explaining in his own way what exactly they were.

But he seemed to be mulling over how much more to tell her before looking around. That is not the easiest question to answer, I could give you many names, many words and you would not grasp the truth of what we are. he said, rubbing his smooth head as he tilted it back and forth.

A full minute like this passed, and River had a sense that time to her was not what time was to these people. In that minute he didn't move apart from that little tick, his head leaning left, and right slowly as he thought it over.

The most Literal word would be Golem, a more Accurate word would be Simulacra. But I suppose that the name we were given by our Creator is the most appropriate. We are Gargoyles. Guardians of the Holy places wherever they are. People only see us as statues when we are standing vigil. Master Honorius prefers us like this, so that we do not panic our charges. It works for us as well. We have our own small territory. Mortals may enter if they can stomach it, many cannot. Or they may enter it if their rage and anger needs quelling. We can remove it from a mind, hold it, store it. Calm them. It is our way. he said, finally breaking his silence with what he believed to be an apt explanation.

I am Called Goliath, 5th created. My brother in the ring was Lucian. 8th. We hold many of our fallen, it is always a joy to battle each other, to be brought out of that fog that is rage and wrath and anger, through personal combat with another who knows us.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Something like that, yeah." She answered about her own nature, smiling a bit. So that's what the pope was. Explains why he doesn't seem to fit anything she knew of.

She listened to his plodding speech, patient enough for the most part, though the final pause grated on her a bit. "Interesting. Thank you for the explanation." She told Goliath. "I figured there may have been a ring in Wrath here, wanted to blow off some steam in a somewhat safer environment than Heresy was. After seeing you too go at it though, I don't think I'd do too well." She answered, chuckling.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Why are you so set on violence? Goliath asked her bluntly, tilting his head as if he truly didn't understand it.

Is one death a night not enough?

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River frowned at that, a little bit offended at first. "I like the physicality of combat. The death... I went too far. I want to say I didn't mean to, but that sounds like an excuse, and I hate those. I was looking for more to prove to myself that it didn't have to go that far every time." She explained, crossing her arms across her chest, frowning.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

I see. That is not a bad thing, to prove something to yourself as I suspect is your true goal. Yes, there is a way for others to do combat here. Come. He answered simply, not reacting to her tone or offense at all, but turning and heading for the back door.

There is a secondary arena here, by invite only. I will sponsor you here, that will be enough. he continued as he took measured steps towards the door behind the ring.

If River followed, he'd lead her through the door, which turned into a hallway with three doors on each side, made of heavy steel, and a gate at the back which led to a spiral staircase heading downwards.

It is the Taming pits. You will see, if this is what you want. he said, gesturing towards the gate, giving her a chance to turn back.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The woman frowned a bit. "Sounds... interesting. Not too sure it sounds right though. Is there a place to spectate from?" She asked, starting down the stairs. Something didn't seem right. She felt like Goliath was trustworthy enough, she just couldn't put a finger on the sense of unease she felt. Worst happens, she should be fine enough, she supposed.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

There is Not. Or Rather, there is no separate Area. Here is where those creatures which are too wild to be considered for citizenship among humans are taken. If they can overcome their urges they are given a chance. Tonight I believe it is a Vampire who is fresh to his new life. His powers are Impressive. But his thirst is too strong. No one has beaten him Yet. He claims that he will not yield in his ways until someone bests Him. If what you have said is true, And after witnessing in my own way, your earlier Duel. As your magic reverberates in strange ways, I personally hope that you may prove up to this task. he has to his credit, not killed any of his opponents yet. Goliath said, leading her down the spiral staircase.

When she reached the base, she'd see what he'd meant. It was an actual pit, caged upon the top, and surrounded by others like Goliath. Within was a younger man, clad in torn jeans, and a frilled red tunic, his hair and eyes an odd shade of blue.

You need not kill him. Only force him to admit defeat. If you can do this, you may claim him for your order, where his rehabilitation can begin. Are you up to this? he asked simply.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River frowned slightly at the description, looking down into the pit at the man. "Surprised he hasn't killed anyone, if he's that much a loose cannon. Eh, I'll give it a shot, at least. Seems a bit more my speed than punching a rock wall like one of you guys repeatedly." She said, rolling her shoulders a bit, the shadows forming her dress losing their frill, sliding up towards their armoured shape once more.

Once they let her in, she hopped down, landing neatly and facing the raggen man. "So, uncontrollably violent, but willing to follow whoever bests you, hmm? Don't you find that a bit odd?" She said in a faux casual tone, assuming a fighting stance.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

We are Hard to Kill. Goliath said simply before River took on the task and dropped down into the pit with him. As she spoke, he turned to face her, and shook his head. I have my Reasons. My Master is Dead. My Creator. Whatever word you would use. I am alone. he told her in answer, the tone in his voice saying that he lamented this fact greatly.

I am Adrift. I will not follow these stone creatures. But Surely I'm not fool enough to think I am undefeatable. There's Blood in your veins. You've already Lost. And I'm so Hungry..... he continued, his voice going from sad to containing a vicious edge to it tainted with appetite.

Raising his hands, he assumed a stance like River however, one hand behind him as he crouched, the other in front, both palms up, where blood pooled from small cuts in his fingers to form small, pulsing, crimson orbs. One Drop and I have full control. he warned, before River's Telekine said got the better of her caution. One Drop. he continued, and River could feel 2 souls in his body, not one. His blood seemed to be independent to a point. His Master hadn't died. His master was using him as a puppet. This was all a fucking ruse unless she could get the soul in his blood to let him go.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Oooh. There's two of you in there. That's new." She said, her tone gaining an edge to it, expecting an attack. "Is the Old Man hiding for a reason? Probably would have worked better if you weren't making a gigantic ass of yourself, just saying."

She knew she didn't want to make full contact with that blood, or she'd probably wind up sharing this older vampire herself. So she coated herself with the shadows fully, drawing up more around her. In her experience, people filling their hands with something usually meant to throw stuff, so she did the same, planning to trap the blood she was expecting him to fling at her. He sounded pretty drained already, there couldn't be too much of it...

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

As River called on the shadows, gathering more around her, as well as expecting an attack, she almost completely killed the remaining light in the ring, though no one moved to fix it as they stood in a shroud of almost perfect darkness. She would have the advantage here at least for the moment.

As expected, when he did move, he spun in a half circle, throwing a wide crescent of the crimson her way that moved with all the speed of a Bullet, her shadows catching it halfway and wrapping it, soon crushing the fluid into an orb that fell to the ground, though she could see it writhing for an escape while the vampire narrowed his eyes.

The next attack was unexpected and almost killed her however, as an old patch of blood on the wall behind her hardened and shot forward in a narrow, almost crystal like spike. And had she not had 2 sets of eyes in the back of her head herself, it might have gone clean through her neck. As it was, she got warning just soon enough to lean to the right, where it glanced off her hardened armor before the shadows on the wall writhed around it, and snapped it, soon swallowing itself.

Now that she knew even the old blood was a threat, she could see it all, spattered around the arena with a dull purple glow, some fresh, most of it not, and waiting, alive, like a trap. No wonder no one had managed to beat him. He'd been using this pit like a deathtrap.

But he'd avoided killing. Why was that. Was it because the Gargoyles were tough? Or because the younger mind was fighting the old. She couldn't tell yet. What she did know was that what he lacked in raw power, he was making up for with subtlety. And his set jaw turned into a grin when he noticed, that She had noticed.

Stop Fucking around and Brain him! Jess suddenly called from the top of the ring, holding a gargoyle by the ear as she stomped over, glaring down at him.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The first attack was simple enough, dispatched handily, though she could feel the fluid fighting to free itself from her own little trap. The spike from the wall was unexpected though. She wasn't sure which part of her jerked her top half sideways, but she wasn't about to complain, the second attack swallowed much like the first.

And the old stuff was everywhere. Grimacing, she started the process of trying to clear the area around herself at least. Any more attacks would have to stretch a bit further to get to her, gives her a bit more reaction time, at least. "If you feel like you wanna step in, too bad, Jess!" She hollered back, not looking away from her target. Watching his eyes, watching the pair of minds behind them. She could try to clamp down on one of them, but the wrong guess would just make him too violent, and the old one being in charge just seemed too easy...

"So what's your deal, hmm? I don't get why you're down here, acting like this. Fill me in, while you try to murder me, eh?"

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The vampire grimaced and seemed to smile with almost insane glee at the same time. The look on his face was openly disturbing, even to River. Nor did he say anything while she scrubbed the blood away from around her, the shadows twisting and writhing like serpents.

Rather then answer her question as she tried to get some kind of grip on the two minds warring for control, she seemed to have trouble making any kind of sense of the old one. It wasn't insane, that much she could tell. It was just.... Malicious. It was Malice incarnate. Whoever he had been, he had been old, and frighteningly powerful to master this level of control over something as charged as blood. Jess was a Harkness, one of the oldest vampire families on record, and she'd never mentioned anything like this, nor displayed it. So something was off about whoever was lurking in that crimson, but the young mind... that was another story. It was alone, and terrified. Parts of it locked off behind barriers, others amplified, manipulated. Like some twisted experiment that was walking around.

It wasn't being forced, but it was obviously being locked down in ways she couldn't get a handle on. She simply didn't have the experience. And trying to hold down the old mind was like trying to hold down 50 at once as it radiated from all the pools, spatters, and puddles that had dried on the concrete floor and walls.

And then one of them spoke. And it wasn't hard to guess which, because it certainly wasn't coming from the young man, nor did he seem able to hear it. Haaarrrrrrrknessssssss

River had a second to react. One Second to do something because the next attack wasn't going to be leveled at her. And the entire purpose of this all became clear. The young mind had never spoken, it had never been allowed. This was all a ploy to lure an older and more powerful body into range. And Jess, Drunk as a Skunk, had wandered to the edge of the pit... The pools in his hands were growing now, large, and malevolent. And she could already feel the dry pools starting to react as well, every ounce of available blood being leveled in one direction. Up.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Oh Hells no. River was perfectly willing to put herself in danger and draw out the fight, but she wasn't about to take any chances with other people's lives. The darkness under her control surged upwards, sealing off the top of the arena as fast as she was able, backing up to the side she had cleared as the orbs of trapped blood popped, the darkness needed to make sure the vampire was truly trapped. "Whatever's left in there, I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, I'm going to make sure the monster riding you never leaves, either." She said, speaking to the younger vampire trapped by the second soul inside of him. Then she backed right through her darkness, leaving the arena and reappearing above the pit, using he shadow there to cover her modestly before walking up and putting a hand on Jess' shoulder, urging her back some.

"It's after you. The blood itself is some sort of elder vampire, inhabiting the younger one." She explained, willing the shell of darkness around the pit to slowly compress, scrubbing the walls clean as it went, making sure that not a drop remained outside of the slowly shrinking cell, pouring more darkness it it from everywhere she could to strengthen it against the inevitable escape attempts.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The escape attempt was sudden, violent, and unexpectedly powerful. River, having sealed off the pit, and starting to press down like a dark trash compactor, was dealing with Jess, who looked confused, and very very drunk, only managing to giggle in response before nodding and walking backwards, while the gargoyles all looked down into the pit.

And it came in the form not of a direct attack, but as a laugh that was no longer inside the pit.... In the bottom of the pit there had been a drainage pipe, as their had to have been for it's basic functionality, and somehow, someway, the vampires had made their escape, and their counterattack as a spear of crimson lanced out of a similar drainage pipe on the other side, a gargoyle being instantly, and violently killed as he was impaled, the small disc that was himself dripping to the floor while the magma that made up it's blood flared with light, and then... spiraled outwards as the body of the young vampire reformed, glowing with heat and malice.

Now he was practically seething with energy as well as another 10 pints to work with, while the other Gargoyles seemed to shocked to do anything, Or, were leaving this to River as it was her fight. Devour one mind? Free the other? her telekine side said, while her demonic one purred brightly. Nooo... Not Devour... Destroy. The old soul is still a soul... Take it to Hell... That is our power.. That is our Pride. WE DECIDE WHO STAYS AND GOES! it all but screamed. But how. If Pride could be fed upon, was this old vampire, so set on immortality and assured of his power, could he be moved like River had been? The Undead are already Decided! Open the Way! Watch him fall!

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River cursed to herself as the vampires as caped before she could finish the seal on the pit, turning when the gargoyle was impaled, facing the reconstituted monster, seeing it glow with the power it had absorbed.

"Goliath, get everyone out of here. Seal the pipes, and the room if you can." She said darkly, not losing focus on her opponent, darkness moving to block the top accesses to the drainage system, so he'd have to attack visibly to take anyone else out before they were clear. Her mind ran over her options as she started to change, her demonic side showing itself as well, wings spreading wide and armour forming on her, darkness dripping over it all , armour ing her further. This was not the time to hold anything back.

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Goliath nodded and as he raised his hand, and closed his fist, the gargoyles moved as one out of the 3 different exits, huge stone slabs slamming down over the doors before a palpable field erected outside them glyphs burning hideously on the slabs that even River could tell outright now were demonic in nature, the power of hell had been far closer here then she realized, accounting for that part of her's insistent strength, as well as the speed and outright ferocity of her transformation.

River's wings exploded into existence along with curling horns and a tail to match, her body becoming armored in heavy bone plates and her eyes flashing dangerously and suddenly violet while blue flames roared to life around her.

The Vampire raised his hand as if to try and draw the blood straight from her flesh, and she could see it now, the bloodred mistlike tendrils, hooked, sharp, and legion in their number reaching out only to be rebuffed soundly by the ring of flames around her feet.

Below her in the pit, the floor heaved, before dropping away completely, revealing the yawning mouth of a Hellgate. Not the polished black obelisk within the Tower, but a seething line of intricate spellwork etched into the stone and the lives of hundreds that had gone into it's making raising, before falling down into a swirling abyss of heat, sand, pain, pleasure, and greed.

She could feel the power now so directly linked to it. Not the corporeal strength she was exhibiting, but the outright ability to tell one soul in the Vampire's body, from the other, as well as tear them apart, or cast them both down into the pit. As if sensing her desire in it's opening, or simply a damned soul so nearby, the desert below sank away, falling like snow or ash to reveal a lake of leaping fire below, long spires of crimson stone surging upwards from it's surface so far below arching lightning from their tips. Nothing that fell there survived. Not a Demon, not an Angel, not even a God. It was a place of absolute retribution. The place all Undead were doomed to travel.