Welcome to Gaia! ::

On the other side of the portal, Ryo looked astonished for one moment, as he saw the buildings of the once peaceful town engulfed in flames. "I...never thought this was true. Good thing I went with my reckless Roman instincts!"

At the sound of his exclamation, a dark cloaked figure approached Ryo. "You there....Ryo Kasami, as I was expecting."

"Who in Hell are you?"
"A soothsayer...you could say. You have come for answers, which I will provide."
"Really??"
Anna comes stumbling through the portal. She looks at the two negotiating amongst each other, then shifts to Ryo. "Don't trust anyone here! They play with their words to lure you into death! Don't you know how evil likes to toy with their victims?!?"
"A clever girl she is...." The cloaked man pulled a dagger out from within his cloak. "however, you may not be around long enough to see the answer you seek for yourself. Once I extract your soul, you won't be able to use it in the way you can!"

"Use it in the way I can...." Ryo shakes his head. "Just give me some info, buddy. I don't want to make more of a mess of this town than there already is...."

"I'll be sure to clean up your carcass when I'm finished fufilling Our Destiny!!"

(will finish tomorrow, sorry all! sad )

The elf stood his ground, ten feet away from the other. The air chilled with anticipation.

"Your move, son."

"You are NOT my FATHER!" The experienced magic wielder tossed a fireball at Nelphean, who casually dodged the missle. "You are Impossible!"

"Search your feelings, you know it to be true... I am your father, and you will cease this spellcasting. Join with me, and together we can..." Nelphean stopped his little speech as he dodged another fireball.


THe flaming forest marked the horizon just out of sight from the windows that Taria and Sylphina sat watching the wilderness, wondering what had become of their crazed brother, and silly father.

Fire. A crimson deluge of light swathed across everything, then all went dark. But in the silence, Saradin could sense he was not alone. One more was with him trapped and in pain. The stench of brimstone mingled with decay, living tissues burning to ash. Indistinct screams suddenly roared out around him, some clearly voices pleaing for mercy while other inhuman sounds of unnatural origin. In time he would realize that among the screams were his own, but now there was only pain stealing sight and most other senses. At some point, it all began to numb, if only to return his vision so that he could witness what evil transpired.

Sight returned slowly, black turning to grey, turning to blinding light which faded slowly back into dingy shadows filled with scarlet fire. Ahead a single silhouette stood out against it, arms strung above, suspended from chains leading infinitely up into a hazy red sky. He didnt want his eyes to recognize who this could be, but something was forcing his eyes to adjust and even preventing him from shutting his eyes. Soon he could make out the shape, human save for a pair of once beautiful wings shredded to the point that bone exposed through where feathers used to be. The arms bound in iron had little left to distinguish them as limbs, fingers and hands reduced to pulpy mesh of sliced meat, while the rest wer dug and cut, muscles exposed under scalded skin along with broken tendons hanging limply from where they should have been attached. His torso, brutalized with marring scars of whips and knives that had tasted his skin, heaving still as unnatually extended life beat through his chest. Below at his waist, there was little left where a body should be, broken spine exposed and bloody entrails dangling down into the exposed air unable to reach the floor. Thick auburn hair slung over his head as tears of blood dripped off from his veiled face.

Saradin knew who it was and he wanted to look away, but felt his head locked in place and his eyelids peeled from his very body. Slowly, the stained creature lifted its head and looked back into Saradin. His eyes were only forcibely hollowed sockets from which could be seen nothing than an all consuming void within, tainting the once holy spirit sealed within. His mouth moved slowly, gagging up wads of sticky ichor that splattered to the floor in ghastly splats like hed coughed up portions of his body. Raspy breathed and dribbling blood still, his mouth began to speak though his tongue had clearly been slashed from within, forming out one word. "Saradin"

Sharp intake of breath followed by frantic searching slowly led Saradin to one realization. That he was still very much safe and sound within his bedroom in the manor. In the corner he stared at his armor piled neatly, specifically at his large shield and the silver cross emblazoned on its strong surface. "What can I do for you... Amadeus?"

Piece at a time, Saradin strapped into his armor, some subconcious desire for safety within the metal shell guiding him to do so. The leather straps that kept it in place tightened themselves perfectly after being looped, Uhsinakar knew how to design a working system. The last of it, his gauntlets, slipped on as if a second skin designed perfectly for him. The kite shield was strapped into place on his arm, holding it upright, he gazed again at the cross emblazoned on it and wondered how much faith he truly had left as his free hand slipped his helm on and set it in place, armor completed. Soulforge by his side, clanking with each step, Saradin walked out into the halls without real purpose, but still with intent.

Enoch still in human form, because of the injuries that his reptile bod had suffered at the hands of the demon Atreyu, sat quietly on one of the mnay chairs which lay inside the library. His mind was not complete anymore, his heart was shaterred but he knew what he had to do, he jus didn't now know how to do it. He did not want to return to that horrible place, but t save his master, he had no choice, he had to once more return to hell, a journey that he did think he would return from. "I am sorry master Elias, but your death is coming with me, you have to die, and forever suffer, for something that you did not do." he said as tears flowed from his eyes, clouding his view, making the world around him seem nothing more than a twisted dream.

Saradin's mind was shut to all that did not immidiately concern heaven and hell, and with ghosts showing in his eyes he walked right past Eclipse in his new form as if he was not there. Instead, he was guided unerringly towards the doors. The same front gate that had been so blasphemously marred not long ago. With careful intensity, he searched over the phoenix's emblem as if it was still coated in a dead mans blood. Reaching into the satchel, he withdrew a small object, a small transparent gemstone carved into a spectacular flame. Dropping it to the ground, it let out a quiet ping and rose a few feet back up into the air, floating easily before Saradin again took it into his hand and put it into his pack.

Through the guise of a one living Jaxom, plus Eclipse ears, Eclipse was watching Saradin. Though his actions and look made little sense to him at the moment. Light flashed from the creature and he again stood on all fours, wings folded tightly to his body. He padded along Saradin's path, but kept his distance from the man who seemed to have too much focus about him. What was with that stupid door. He knew something had happened to it, he just didn't know what. Apparently things had happened when he was asleep and he had not been woken for them. He did remember the smell of blood on the door, but that was all. It had all been cleaned up before he got to actually know what happened. And then the talk of a demon overtaking Elias diverted his attention. But now with the break in tension from all around his mind had time to wander. What had happened?

"I hope that you can get it through your head, fox he is not coming back, he has to die by his own hands if Atreyu is ever going to be defeated. Now you are either with me or against me, but I need to to this now or Atreyu is going to to be able to deciphere that book and if he does happen then all hell is going to break loose." he said, with sadness in his eyes, of the things that had to be done and the madness that he saw inside her eyes.