Vencrest pulled his knees sharply, sending Zekbel in a deep decent to the ground below. The scene was odd looking. Miles of green trees grew from the grass, yet surrounding them was acres of grass, billowing in the wind. The forest seemed to emerge from no where, as if it had sprouted over night, in the middle of the Salquedor Grasslands. It was the Taurai woods. The forest wasn't as dense as other forest's in Arda, but was filled with ferocious creatures as well. It was rumored that the forest was filled with chaotic energies, and inside the forest roamed creatures that were infected with this magic. The creature described affected, and most frequently described was the Wild Boar. The things were huge, swollen with muscle and bone, as strong as a horse, and they attacked what ever they saw. They charged what ever they saw, and if they managed to catch any one off guard, most likely, that person would be dead. Vencrest knew this from experience, they were truly chaotic creatures, attacking at first site.

The viewing of the forest was pleasing, but it arouse some difficulties as well. Inside the forest dwelt Lantien, a good friend of Vencrest, who would hopefully help him, and Lady Darkness, unlock a box revealing treasures within. But the canopy of the forest prevented Zekbel from landing as well. Not only that, but the trees were closely spaced together, which would most likely hinder the movement of his dragon as well. Lantien dwelt deep within the forest, and ensured that wild animals lived near his cave, to protect him from unwanted guests. It would not be easy getting inside the cave, and Vencrest didn't even know what defences his old friend had inside.

Vencrest's train of thought was quickly stopped, for his dragon descended quickly, and as he reached the ground, he lifted his front paws up, only standing on his back, and then, landed, causing a slight quake on the ground. Nearby birds were sent fluttering up, squawking there exotic songs to the sky. He was here, at the mouth of the forest, and would hopefully reach Lantien soon, without much confrentation. Trekella jumped off the back of the dragon as well, a smirk on her face. Her red fur moved in the wind, as her lupine form emitted a rough laugh. "Quite a landing, Zekbel," she grumbled in her deep, chaotic voice.

"Yes, it was," Vencrest said with a laugh as well. His new companion, which he received upon becoming a Chaotic Gladiator, was proving to keep his travels interesting. Zekbel snorted, acting like he had landed that way on purpose, and he hadn't had it planned the entire time. For quite some time now, Zekbel had been showing off his aerial skills, landing in unique ways, along with intriquite flight patterns. Both Vencrest and Trekella erupted in laughter, yet still felt quite strange. The forest gave an ominous feeling, making all three of them uneasy.

"Lets wait here," Vencerst murmured, the feeling of happiness dissipating from all of them. They all stood, glancing into the dark forest, waiting for Lady Darkness to come and then, they would all set in the forest, in search for Lantien.

(I'm so sorry, my post deleted itself, and now its not as nearly as good, and plus, I'm not good at beginnings as well! :xmassad: )

(Yo, it's alright! Chill!!!)


Who the hell are you to tell me?
What to do, what to do, why bother?
Leech in a mock of virtue
Such a waste, to ever think of you again

Bloody bandages swayed into the eerie breeze; murmurs rose and fell, revolving about the town of Lomedor. The early morning had revealed the true light of a horror far past their wildest dreams. The scene, 'baptized' in the fluid of life, colored the center of the town's proud square in gnarled twists of severed flesh. In this particular spot stood an altar composed completely of obsidian stone. But it wasn't the altar that had the citizens talking, but the corpse strapped onto it. Left in an even worse condition than he had originally been in, the Paladin's newly added wounds were bare to the bone. A few of his fingers were completely robbed of flesh, as if it had been eaten away. There was now a large gap in the crevice of his chest, gore covering his tunic. "His heart was torn out..." one of them realized with cold horror. "Yeah but, look at what's around it," a priestess quivered, "What does it say?"

Hey Judas, your Christess was our love
Hit and run, your will be done
Never sorry, never wrong
More more more more more

About the altar in a perfect circle was a pentagram with foreign symbols written in the paladin's blood within the ring of such a chaotic emblem. The altar had not been spared of such art- only the symbol etched here was much different. A skull was fixed in the dead center, a serpent's tail coiled around its mouth, a small portion of its scaled body ran through the eye sockets while its head leered behind the actual bone. On both sides of the snake were two dragon-like wings curled to the sides. This emblem wasn't like any that the people of Arda had ever seen before and that was why it puzzled them so. Obviously, an ominous force was making itself known. "Look behind the altar..." one gasped. The citizens swallowed and tilted their heads to get a better view. An elegant script met their anxious eyes, the crimson writing bleeding down the stone wall on which it had been written. It read, "Welcome to Hell".

Master passion greed
Master passion greed...

Unfortunately for the puzzled citizens of Lomedor, the artist of such a malevolent master piece was far past the outskirts of the capital city. Crushing sounds erupted from the chill silence, lightly crunching the leaves that lied solemnly upon the forest floor. A snicker fell from dark pelted lips that lifted ever so slightly, revealing a set of ivory fangs. This shadowed figure had entered these woodlands not long ago once the sun had set. She didn't relish moving around in broad daylight you see. It wasn't until she stepped into a small clearing that her true identity was revealed beneath the pale moon beams of the twilight. A demoness assassin known only as Lady Darkness stood beneath the silver light, the slits in her black eyes swaying from left to right as she checked her surroundings before she took another step deeper into the thickening wood. Since tonight was a special occation for the Dark Knight of Torment, she chose to ware something a bit... special- to fit such an event.

Hello, how are you?
Let me say one thing,
All for her is more for me
Why is it so hard to see?
I see no sense in doing this
Not enough for me
I f**k up everything but let me explain.

A raven hued fabric made of rich silken fabric clung tightly to her slender figure, shaping each and every toned curve and muscle on her body. The dress had slits on both sides up to her thighs to allow great agile movement, divided into a solid top and a solid bottom. The bottom of the long dress trailed among the earth like a ghost, stirring ever so slightly, in tune with her movements. A large silver plate was held in place in front of her waist by chains on all four sides (which connected behind her to form a skull pattern)- the center of the silver plate was a black widow facing upwards. Her boots, which had also been switched to a different pair, were made of one hundred percent black leather with ebony lace running down the center, belt straps holding the boots around her legs, ending a least a foot below her knees. Connecting the pieces was a net shaped like a spider web, with a diamond pattern beneath it. The net crossed over her milk white stomach, her chest, shoulders, and draped over her hands. Whenever she would raise or arch a hand, the net slipped to the side. Her neck band was also black, a skull with a ring coming from its mouth and silver buckles to both sides of her throat; a gift from her mother of which she'd never worn 'til now.

Some day you shall flee
Panting and weak
Master passion greed
Master passion greed...

Lady Darkness shifted her weight, and as she did so, the hilt of her dagger gleamed from within the lace work of her left boot. She sent her gaze heaven ward, closing her eyes to allow her sense of smell to lead her to her destination. Another person was waiting on here- she could smell his familiar scent a few miles away. Zekbel the plasma dragon was, of course, present as well. As she strode deeper into the woods, a bold smile crossed her face. She couldn't wait to see Vencrest once again; Lady Darkness kept the small chest well hidden on an X shaped belt on her back which held it in place, the reason they had agreed to meet here. The reason for such was plainly obvious: To open the accursed chest. Vencrest had told her of his friend who could be able to assist them in unlocking it to obtain the treasures inside of its metal brace. Whatever was in store for them, this demoness was more than excited. This forest gave off an ominous aura, one of which she was more than used to. However, she'd never really been out of Lomedor in the little time she'd been in Arda, save for the one time she'd been drawn to the Sanctuary of the Angels to hunt a pesky wolven friend she never quite found. Lady Darkness lowered herself a bit, making her figure parallel to the earth before she broke into a sprint.

All within me gone but pain and hope
Hoping that the pain would fade away

Having been trained both physically and emotionally since the young age of six (in human years, not demon years), Lady Darkness was well used to running, accustomed to bounding across large distances. As a knight of the kingdom where she was from this was a daily routine for her, scouting and snooping and sneaking about like a thief. Stealth was one of her specialties as an assassin. Her steps were as silent as a shadow while she dashed through the unfamiliar wood, noting the shape of every gnarled tree as she passed. This place would definitely be mapped out later. But for now, she only had one goal, and that was to find the drow, Vencrest. The demoness leapt upon a medium sized boulder, stopping once to check his scent trail. She was heading in the right direction. Lady Darkness focused only on the sound of his footsteps as she tuned into her surroundings. Where ever he was, Vencrest was perfectly still, as was Zekbel and another four legged creature beside them. Another familiar? she thought with an arched brow, This one should be fascinating. The trace of her final thought was left hanging as she teleported to their location, a few inches away from where they actually crouched.

Greed, your master passion
I feed the mouth that bites me
Mammon, opiate of the masses
The reek of your lies draws flies

Lady Darkness slipped through the trees like a phantom, easing next to Vencrest’s side in an instant. ”So, this is it, is it?” she asked rhetorically, ”If we’re all set and ready to go, then let’s get on the move. We’re wasting moon light sitting here murmuring in the dark of night.”

Vencrest glanced into the dark space of the nearby trees, the sound of ruffling leaves stirring his senses. Suddenly, a dark form erupted from the bushes, sprinting across towards were he stood, along with Zekbel and Trekella. It was Lady Darkness, the one who he was waiting for. She stood to her full height, barely even panting. 'She's strong, that’s for sure,' Vencrest thought, an appreciative smile on his face. 'She will prove to be a good ally.' ”So, this is it, is it?," the demoness said sarcastically. ”If we’re all set and ready to go, then let’s get on the move. We’re wasting moon light sitting here murmuring in the dark of night.” Vencrest glanced into the moon, a feeling of chaos swelling through his veins.

He turned back towards Lady Darkness. "My dear Lady," he murmured in the dark night, as if he spoke to loudly, his words would shatter the tranquility of the darkness. "You underestimate the power of these woods. The forest is peaceful by day, the sun's rays pierce the canopy, making the forest a cheerful place for rest and enjoyment. But this is not true at night. The rays of the moon can not reach through the canopy, making it dark as the blackest soul. Creatures dwell within, unknown to normal society. They are tainted with the darkest of magic’s, and are willing to kill, much like us."

He turned to the moon again, and then back to Lady Darkness. "You don't have much to fear though, we will work together. I assume you can see in the dark, correct? I can, as all Drow. First, I will introduce you to my new compatriot of Chaos." He pointed to the furry lupine next to him. "Her name is Trekella. She is quite useful, as a fighter. She can sprint on four legs, along with combat on two. And you know Zekbel as well. He will be coming with us. His lava shall be useful, and I'm sure Lantien will want to check up on him." He looked back at his dragon. He was graceful and elegant, as he should be. Dragons were the kings of the animal kingdom, powerful and mighty. Only the powerful could control one, and then, it was more of a bond, and less of a ruling.

He faced Lady Darkness again, glancing into her black eyes, his own grey eyes reflecting them. "I'm sure you'll want to know our relationship. It'll help if he needs 'convincing.' He is a friend, that’s all. I lived in a nearby cave, and I came upon him. We both were studying chaotic energies. We remained good friends, sharing research and results. It proved to be a strong friendship. I haven't visited in about twenty years, but the Drow memory never fades. He will remember me, and Zekbel. Now, lets go, as you have said, we are wasting the moonlight."

With that, Vencrest strode off in the darkness, heading towards the dark border of the forest's edge. It seemed less intimidating, now that the dark forces were together. Trekella followed behind him, along with Zekbel slithering behind. Vencrest stepped over the many tree roots that littered the forest floor. The sound of buzzing insects echoed across the dark forest, along with the squawk of a frightened bird. The group continued for several yards, until they had traveled for about a total of ten minutes.

'Were are the wild animals?' Vencrest pondered as he carefully navigated around the dark undergrowth. 'It must be Zekbel,' he thought with a smirk. He glanced back, seeing the massive dragon wiggling through the trees, desperately trying to travel through the forest. The trees were shaking as he bumped into them, sending all the animals fleeing. 'He must have an affect, unless they are all in the same place,' Vencrest added worriedly. 'The wild boar will even attack a dragon. They must be closer to the cave than this. Once we near it, we'll be sure to see them.'

Vencrest noticed it immediately, the signal that they were only a fourth of a mile away from the cave. It was a dead body, pinned to a tree, hanging lifelessly. Vencrest admired his work. The body was completely skinned, and pinned to the tree. The victim was still alive, and he would hang, his entire body burning from exposed muscles and organs. Not only that, but these bodies hung all around the vicinity, each a fourth of a mile from the cavern. Everyone would know that evil dwelt there. "Be ready," Vencrest told his allies ", the boars will be near by, I can see their foot prints, along with the teeth marks on the bodies."

He stepped across the ring of bodies, feeling though he had entered hostile territory. Sure enough he had. Glowing in the distance were several pairs of red eyes. Vencrest focused, and noticed that eight wild boars were several feet away, waiting for their pray. They all charged, headed towards the group, aimed to kill.

Vencrest jumped to the side, avoiding the charging boars, and pulling his sword to the ground. His blade made contact with the ankles of one boar, cutting deep into its legs. It was sent flying into the dirt and leaves, blood spreading all across the forest floor. Trekella had jumped upon the back of another one, and had ripped out its throat, and then jumped off, a sadistic grin across her face. Zekbel remained in back, swatting at an occasional boar that made it close enough to him. He couldn't do much, in fear of swatting an ally, and his breath weapon would destroy the entire forest.

"There almost dead," Vencrest shouted, as only five more remained. His words seemed ill spoken, for sure enough, twelve more emerged, charging at them.

We seduce the dark with pain and rapture
Like two ships that pass in the night
You and I, a w*o**e and a bashful sailor
Welcome to the sunrise of a dirty mind

Relishing the gift of twilight and impenetrable canopy's, the demoness exhaled deeply in total comfort with her surroundings. The forest reeked of high traces of chaos energy and the moon beams rarely graced the earth below the trees. Ah, it reminded her so much of home. There were a few thing’s missing though. Bodies and bones and…pretty much the entire field. Nothing could compare to the dark beauty of her home land. Being near Vencrest had also helped to further relax her nerves. To her, there was no reason to be frightened or intimidated here. Danger was all around them every day of their lives, and danger was a factor Lady Darkness was more than a little familiar with. Both she and her partner walked dangerous paths, paths that challenged them incessantly and tested their existence. Nothing, not even another, more powerful demon, could scare this Dark Knight; especially not a bunch of wild animals.

All you love is a lie
You one night butterfly
Hurt me, be the one
Whoever brings the night

"My dear Lady," Vencrest begun, "You underestimate the power of these woods. The forest is peaceful by day; the sun's rays pierce the canopy, making the forest a cheerful place for rest and enjoyment. But this is not true at night. The rays of the moon can not reach through the canopy, making it dark as the blackest soul. Creatures dwell within, unknown to normal society. They are tainted with the darkest of magic’s, and are willing to kill, much like us." She simply stared at him for a few heart beats, a mocking scowl on her features. Lady Darkness threw her head back to let loose a gut-wrenching howl of a laugh. ”I never knew you had a sense of humor, Vencrest.” she chuckled, ”But you should know me better by now. I underestimate nothing.” Oh, if he only knew the truth behind her words. Let him live in Silent Ruins for a day, she thought, then he’ll think Arda’s just a walk in the park! When he asked her if she could see in the dark, Lady Darkness gave him a knowing look. Of course she could. What kind of demon would she be if she couldn’t see in the dark?

The Dark, created to hide the innocent white, the lust of night
Eyes so bright, seductive lies
Crimson masquerade where I merely play my part
Poison dart of desire

When the drow glanced at her a third time, she could see the reflection of her eyes in his. As he spoke, the demoness gave a curt nod to show that she understood. Once finished with his sentence, the drow bounded across the forest in the direction of a cave. More than eager to get this over with, Lady Darkness let not a single second slip past, sprinting after him instantly. As the minutes ticked by, she ran through all of the information he had bestowed upon her about his relationship with this friend of his. Should he fail to go through with it, she had her own ways of persuasion with men. Listening to the sound of Zekbel thundering through the trees behind them, she noticed through such noise that the rest of the forest was silent. In a dark forest, silence could only mean one thing: An ambush. The more the minutes passed and the closer they became to their destination, the more Lady Darkness caught the scents of life down wind. Unspoiled flesh and blood wafted into her nostrils along with the scent of the wild bore. It wasn’t the animal’s scent that roused her, however, but it was the smell of blood. She realized suddenly with a pang of excitement that she hadn’t fed since she met Vencrest the drow at the Pub in Lomedor.

All you love is a lie
You one night butterfly
Hurt me, be the one
Whoever brings the night

Ten minutes beat fast, each second that ticked by making the demoness more ravenous. When the bodies came into view, it took nearly everything she had to keep herself “under control”. They were still alive and dangling and as much as she wanted to pause and admire the work, the blood streaking down the muscles of skinned tissue was far too tempting for her to stand. Her brilliant sense of smell wasn’t helping the situation, either. "Be ready," Vencrest told his allies ", the boars will be near by, I can see their foot prints, along with the teeth marks on the bodies." She didn’t need to be warned of their pitiful existence- she already knew of their presence. The mere thought of other creatures getting in her way made a loud demonic growl snake its way through her lips and lance the air. Her claws flexed and unflexed at her sides in sheer anticipation. They thought they were the kings of the forest, eh? Lady Darkness almost laughed. She would show them all the meaning behind the concept of what it was like to ‘fight like a demon’.

Chose a bride tonight
A fantasy for a zombie
Hurt me, I love to suffer
Your harem’s a dream for free

Vencrest had stepped across the ring of bodies and was instantly eyed by the furry beasts up ahead- blocking them from their true destination. The scent of their outrage made the slits in her eyes narrow into small lines in excitement. She and Vencrest had as much of a right to be here as they did, and to prove that, they all had to prove their worth. Lady Darkness cackled contortedly as she watched them charge towards her, their tusks reflecting her figure. She had nothing to prove. Swiftly, without her partner noticing, Lady Darkness freed herself from her clothing and her weapons, letting her true malevolent nature take its course. No matter how much she tried to curb her hunger, the hunger would always win. The demoness embraced its intensity, crouching to the ground with her arms ready. She hissed at them as a snake might, meeting them head on in battle. The leading boar drove towards her as surprising speeds, craving the feel of torn flesh beneath its mighty tusks. A ghastly giggle fell from the woman’s ebony pelted lips.

Enter
Suck from us and live forever
Rotten beauty
Will haunt you for a life time

The wild boar roared with surprise as she grabbed hold of its tusks, being mindful of their sharp points, and lifted it with a loud snarl over her head. It landed on its back in a fury of feet and grunts, the second boar deciding to try his luck while the first regained his footing. The demoness back flipped out of his way; the boar struck a tree with his tusks instead of her skin, much to his disappointment. Fully recovered, the first boar leapt for her, aiming for her throat. Her fangs darkened and grew in length as her claws extended and grew into talons in the seconds that past when he leapt. Lady Darkness sent her talons in for an upper cut, catching the animal completely off guard at the base of its unprotected stomach. She let him sink into the full length of her deadly talons, ripping upwards against his pelt and structure, licking at the droplets of crimson that splatter her milk white face. Lady Darkness's skin was soon covered by black marks, the bones of her back beginning to move underneath her skin. Her back exploded open, her bones extending outwards to form a wing with skin as the flaps. Her muscles bulked and her frame grew in size while the wings stretched behind her. Bones shredded through her arms to make spikes that pulsed with blood veins, dark mist escaping from her wounds. Instead of healing them, the dark mist stayed around her to give the demon a grim appearance while her transformation continued...

Come with me underwater and drown
To despise me no more
Unholy, unworthy
My night is a dream for free

Another demonic roar lanced the air like poison while her jaw line stretched to fit her fangs. The bones of her shoulder stabbed through the place of the shoulder blade, curving chaotically like a swiftly dying flower that had just been given poison instead of water. Another wild boar begun to charge towards this newer, promising foe while her transformation continued. The space above her ears began to point outwards while horns grew from her skull, curling once before ending in a razor sharp point. The boar’s tusks made impact with her left leg. It wiggled and nudged but not a single cry of pain was heard. The demoness’s head lowered as a growl rose from deep inside her chest, making the chaotic animal freeze. An arm lowered, taking its back in the full of her palm. Lady Darkness heaved it upwards to get a better look at her opponent, licking her chops as she did so. Once a demon had decided to feed, there was no argument, no fight. Her fangs sank into its throat, tearing a large chunk from its body as a snack while she cut the rest of him into ribbons. As another pig came her way, the demon’s talon tore through the dead bore’s chest, ripping out a thumping organ. She teased the other with its fallen comrade’s heart, devouring the tissue as if it was a delicacy. It shrieked with outrage and charged, raining down upon one of her legs with clawed feet. Grabbing it by its front legs, the demon spun with it as if in play, singing her haunting little tune as she did so. She released, laughing when its body was impaled in front of one of the still living bodies.

All you love is a lie
You one night butterfly
Hurt me, be the one
Whoever brings the night

”Come play little ones!” she snarled, swatting at another in her path. It squealed as it flew into the air, landing with a loud ‘THUD!’ behind her. Vencrest shouted out to them just when the demon caught sight of new boar’s running in to reform their broken ranks. ”That’s right, come to me. FEED me!” She snatched up another to eat it while a group of four ransacked her lower body. Lady Darkness, unable to feel pain, groaned with delight, letting the fresh carcass tilt over to allow blood to spill upon its comrade’s heads. They growled and stomped their feet angrily, huffing and puffing about her. She simply laughed at them. They were such horrible companions, unable to defend each other in a slaughter. ”Awww, what’s the matter? You don’t like it?” she hissed, dropping it to them. Their eyes were not focused on another on trey, but the enemy before them. Breaking into formation, they surrounded her on all sides and attacked. She was all too ready: the demoness swayed, dodging the one in front, swinging an arm across its side. The bones of her arm sliced through flesh as it past, making a clean, deep cut from neck to hide. Taking care of him ment she was open on one side; the boar from behind seized its opportunity and sent its tusks beside her neck, twisting it with an added force of feet. She laughed, snapping the bone back in place, the reconnection of the bones in her neck making a sickening sound as she did so. When would they ever learn that physical attacks had no effect on her, especially in THIS form? Taking it by the tusk, Lady Darkness reached into its mouth, a sadistic desire to turn it inside out. Her giggles echoed throughout the forest while she toyed with its inhabitants…

All you love is a lie
You one night butterfly
Hurt me, be the one
Whoever brings the night

O.o.C.: Lyrics from "Whoever Brings The Night" by Nightwish

(Excellent post :xmasw00t: )

Vencrest looked towards Lady Darkness, his blade drenched in pigs blood. His sadistic smirk was quickly wiped off his face. What once was Lady Darkness had changed. She was now a truly horrific demon. Bones protruded out of her, and her she was massive. She was being struck frequently by the charging boars, but she didn't care. She lashed out at the group, and when she caught a boar, feasted upon its body. ”Come play little ones!," she growled in a odd demonic voice. ”That’s right, come to me. FEED me!," she roared. Lady Darkness grabbed a boar, and tore at its body, blood smearing across her face. Vencrest looked in admiration, and horror. It was a wonderful site, yet even for him, it was incredibly gruesome, and he liked it. She tilted the boars dead body, his blood pouring to his companions below. ”Awww, what’s the matter? You don’t like it?," she hissed as the pigs scrambled about.

She swatted at them so more, and each time, made contact with a boar, cutting its skin, and killing it. She was efficient. In a matter of seconds, she had cleared out most of the boars. And not only that, but they had managed to strike her several times. Vencrest was spotless, excluding the blood of his foes. He had managed to be agile enough to dodge them, and even then, most of the boars headed towards Lady Darkness, only to be killed seconds late. While Lady Darkness feasted upon the boars, they struck at her, and she didn't even flinch, only continuing her meal. Her endurance was to be admired.

She grabbed the final boar, and reached deep inside it, a sadistic giggle echoing through the darkness of the forest. She started pulling at its insides, in attempts to turn its body inside out. The pig squealed in complete agony until it was dead. Vencrest faced his ally, in her grotesque form. "I applaud you, Lady Darkness," he said in a dark voice. "Your skill in that fight was incredible. Your race of demons are superior to the other races I have seen. In fact, the only race I have seen transform. I actually know another demon, his name is Saeborn, and I believe I have never asked him if he had a 'true form', much like yours. I will have to ask him about."

He turned towards the canopy, the moonlight barely passing through the thick branches of the trees. Something was odd. The branches were shaking . He turned forward, yelling at Lady Darkness ", Be wary. Something else approaches." Sure enough, something was approaching. It crawled out of the trees, its tail dragging far behind it. It supported itself on two front legs. The length from head to tail was about three times the size of the normal human, and in the center was a gaping maw, filled with razor sharp teeth. "It's a Sand Worm!," Vencrest shouted, running backwards.

He smirked as he ran back, wondering if Lady Darkness thought he was retreating. In fact, he wasn't, but rather, going to mount Zekbel. If Lady Darkness was allowed to show her true skills in a fight, so was he. Zekbel had mastered many different aerial moves since their last visit, and Vencrest was eager to test them in a combat situation. He neared the massive red dragon, making a nod as he came close. He jumped forward, grabbing on the bloodstained horns, and pulled himself up upon the back of the dragon, and seated himself comfortably on the saddle. He kicked the sides of the beast, signaling him to take up into the sky.

They flew in the air for several seconds, before Zekbel performed a sharp turn. The plummeted downwards, and reached the sand worm. Before Zekbel came into direct contact with it, he turned sharply upwards, and grabbed the worm with his massive powerful back claws. The worm wriggled in the clutches of the dragon, but there was no escaping while the move had started. Its death was soon, and the worm was beginning to realize this. After Zekbel had reached one hundred feet in the air, he released the worm, but a simple drop wasn't going to do it, he had to do more.

As the worm plummeted the ground, the dragon neared its body. He clawed viciously at its body, creating large gashes across its chest. Just before the worm hit the ground, Zekbel released a mighty wave of lava, melting the worm, and creating a large hole in the ground. Zekbel landed mighty, a smug look spread across the dragons face. "Excellent Zekbel," Vencrest exclaimed, rubbing his hand across the dragons horns. "You have done well." Vencrest turned to Lady Darkness again, a smug look across his face. "As you can see, I am extremely proud of my little dragon," he said with a smile. It was obvious how much Vencrest adored the massive beast. They were companions, and even though they both killed in cold blood, their bond was strong. "Come on," Vencrest said, his mood returning to the grim setting ", lets continue to the cave."

Vencrest continued to dart through the forest, his dragon, and lupine following close behind him, both on all fours. In a matter of minutes, they reached their destination. It was a door, plastered on a simple cave entrance. Vencrest brought his dark fist to the door, knocking lightly at it. In seconds, a peephole was slid open, revealing a pair of beady grey eyes. "Who is it,?" Lantien questioned in a cold voice. "Its Vencrest, and a friend," Vencrest replied, a smile breaking across his face. "Vencrest?," Lantien said in a cheery voice. "And who is this friend," he added, his voice changing drastically. "Its Lady Darkness, a demoness. She needs your help to open a box." "Why yes," Lantien said in a collected voice ", slid it through the hole, I'll check it for traps, to see if you're going to kill me, and let you in. Sorry for the security, I have to be careful. Three attempts on my life this week, and ten in this month! Honestly!" Vencrest looked towards Lady Darkness, as if signalling her to slid the box to his friend.

(Thanks! Same to you, Venny-kun! :drool: ) (DONE!)

Its flesh curled and its bone structure caved whilest the demoness pulled upon its insides. In a last vehement tug, the pig's body churned, revealing its bloody insides. Smiling maleovently, the demon clutched the faintly beating heart from the layers of tissue and brought it to her mouthful of glistening sabers. One bite finnished the fold of bloody tissue, followed by a shallow. The reek of fear slithered from behind and a hiss was all she gave in responce to it. "I applaud you, Lady Darkness," he said in a dark voice. The moment his voice laced through the still air, the demon lowered her gaze to look upon his form. A smoldering snarl broke through her lips; she was still very much starving. But even she knew that never in her lifetime would she curtal her own carnal desires- she would never be truly full. "Your skill in that fight was incredible. Your race of demons are superior to the other races I have seen. In fact, the only race I have seen transform. I actually know another demon, his name is Saeborn, and I believe I have never asked him if he had a 'true form', much like yours. I will have to ask him about that."

She watched him with a single eye as he cast his gaze towards the ever dark canopy, breaking off a few bones from her lastest victim's corpse to feast upon it while she waited. He shouted at her to be wary; Lady Darkness surpressed a laugh. "It's a Sand Worm!" The demon's gaze lifted swiftly enough to catch sight of her drowven ally running backwards, the silhouette of a bulking figure in the distance. Her only desire at the present time was to feast, and so she left the fighting to Vencrest. He had more than enough skill to take care of a small pest control problem. She knew instantly where he was going, and she smiled at the thought. Clever, clever boy. She thought smugly as Vencrest crawled onto the back of his plasma dragon. With vague facination, Lady Darkness kept her eyes on the fighting pair as they flew off into battle with the sand worm.

Zekbel seized up the great worm with his talons and took deeper into the sky. By the time they're figures had disappeared into the distance, Lady Darkness had finished her feast and was slowly reverting back to human form. For the breifest moment, the demoness wondered how well the dragon's rider was able to breathe at such tremendous heights.
The pulsing of blood vines within the bones of her arms grew faint as they retracted, straightening into the long bones that they were before reconnecting beneath the flesh that was her arm. The large gashes they left behind soon healed by a wisp of black mist, which had once clouded about her intimidating demon form. The dark mist flocked inwards to heal her wounds, closing the folds of skin on her back while the bones of her wings returned into position among her spine. The bones that had preluded from her shoulder now withdrew; it continued until she was left twitching on the forest floor with only her hair covering her death pale figure.

Folding her arms over her chest, Lady Darkness jumped to her feet and dashed to the place on which she'd disposed of her dress. She'd use the time that Vencrest wasn't in view to recloth herself. The smoldering flesh that was the worm collided into the ground the moment she pulled the box from its place on the ground. By then, Vencrest had already landed and was off of Zekbel's back. Lady Darkness turned instantly, tying the last part of her dress behind her. This is exactly why she hated entering her true demonic form with other's around- it was like the only chance they had to see her entire body, which was something she intended to keep hidden. Pfft. Women and their personal space.

"Excellent Zekbel," Vencrest exclaimed, rubbing his dark toned hand across the dragons' horns. "You have done well." He faced her then with a smug grin across his face; Lady Darkness grinned in retrospect. "As you can see, I am extremely proud of my little dragon," Vencrest smiled as he said this. The demoness cackled, sweeping from her position to rest beside their party. "Your skills have improved rather dramatically since we last met, Vencrest." she craned her head towards his plasma dragon in a sixty degree turn. "And my dear Zekbel! You just become more handsome everytime I see you. Brilliant flight and team skills out there- both of you." Lady Darkness raised her hand to pet him between the horns, scrapping her claws semi roughly against his rock hard scales. She finished petting Zekbel a few moments later when Vencrest spoke once more, urging them towards the cave. Her ink-like eyelashes swooped low over the iris of her dark eyes as she followed the drow towards the cave in which his friend dwelled, her pace steady and precies.

He and his familiar's led her into the cave, where a door aburned the rocky walls. Strange place to live, but for a drow, L.D. had learned, anything was possible. Not really listening into the two friend's conversation, Lady Darkness brought the strange treasure chest in full veiw, thumbing over the multiple locks and secrets codes she hoped Lantien would be able to crack. In an instant almost, she heard her que. When she glanced up upon her companion, it wasn't until then that she realized how much he towered over her. In this dull, non-exist light, her demonic vision could pierce the ever dark to peer into his pale gray eyes, her slits moving slightly as if searching them. She almost wanted to tell him how hellish his eyes looked, but she shook the compliment from her head and handed him the chest. What in the name of Adrasteia was that about? Lady Darkness contemplated, stealing her gaze away from his. She felt almost completely mezmerized, as if there was no greater magnificence other than him. The Dark Knight exhaled, closing her eyes, letting all emotion depart with the exist of her breath. Control.

Hunger had risen again the moment their eyes had met, making her slightly ravenous. She took another look around, looking for something, anything other than the drow and his familiar's to feed upon and failed miserably. Grounding her fangs in sheer annoyance, the demoness nudged Vencrest sharply, keeping her ravenous gaze upon the other drow. "My dear Lantien, have you any blood or flesh?" she asked, letting every ounce of her uncarbed hunger to edge her voice in a demonic hiss, "I'm starving."

Vencrest took the box from Lady Darkness's hands, and slid it through the crack on the door. Vencrest glanced at her. Was she staring at him? Her own black eyes reflected the pale glow of the moon, and his own dark grey eyes. It was as if they reflected his own feelings. He broke his gaze, returning to the task that was at hand. "Ah yes," the other drow murmured, fingering the box. "Rather complicated drow technology, extremely sophisticated. A challenge indeed." He slid the peep hole closed, and opened the wooden door. "My dear Lantien, have you any blood or flesh?," Lady Darkness questioned, before the door creaked open ", I'm starving." Lantien continued opening the door, his eyes locked on the box, while saying ", You demon types are all the same. Your hunger is infinite, feeding you would be like feeding a black hole. But all the same, I have a special remedy that should help you."

The door opened fully, revealing the other drow. He stood about six feet tall, with long white hair, and similar grey eyes to Vencrest. His hands were stained red with blood, along with his dirty clothing. He wore standard drow clothes, which were a dark grey top, and loose fitting grey bottoms. Around his neck was a family pendent, which was normal in well respected drow families, like himself. Vencrest fingered his own family pendent, feeling the cold crystal across his dark hands. Lantien's face was well structured, with high cheek bones, and a pointy nose. The only strange feature was his eyes. Although they were the normal color of grey, they had an odd twinkle, the glow of intellect. Inside of each of his pupils were dots of light blue, due to a failed experiment.

Lantien glanced upwards, looking at Vencrest for the first time in years as well. They both weren't surprised at each others appearance, for it had remained the same for decades, due to each of their immortality. The other drow's eyes glanced at Lady Darkness. He looked across her body, noting all her features, and weapon placements. Lantien was extremely methodical and observing. By mere glance, he could tell the most explicit facts about any person. He glanced back at the box, and turned around, waving his hand forward, signaling them to follow him. He waved his hand suddenly, releasing a cloud of black mist. The mist cleared, revealing a dark imp figure. "Techlian, lead the dragon and lupine out to the hunting area," Lantien said, his gaze still transfixed on the box. The imp scurried forward, leading the dragon and lupine around the side of the cave.

He led them down a dark tunnel, which was only lit with phosphorescent fungi. The tunnel lasted for about ten feet, before it brought them to the standard room. It was a living quarter, filled with ten beds, each neat and tidy. It had a large table, filled with clean plates, each with its own shiny utensil set. There was two large dressers as well. Lantien placed the box on the table, and sat down, continuing to stare at it, and said aloud to the two of them ", as you can see, this is a living space. I have plenty of beds, for visitors, and a dresser, if you have some clothing. Feel free to make yourself at home." Vencrest approached a bed, and sat on it, glancing at the other corridors that surrounded the room.

There was three total, each with its own sign. The first sign, in drow, read "Experimental Chambers." The second corriedor was labeled "Experimental Zone." The final one read "Hunting grounds." 'Nice place,' Vencrest thought to himself, wondering how each zone functioned. Lantien stood suddenly, and grabbed a bottle, and placed it on the large table, and said ", This bottle should control your appetite demon, or it should at least. I've tested it on basic species, I have no idea how it'll affect your subspecies."

”You demon types are all the same.” Lady Darkness stifled a scoff with her hand; ‘all the same’ wasn’t true. Not all demons enjoyed the thirst for blood and the hunger for flesh. Not all demons where evil…just most of them. “Your hunger is infinite; feeding you would be like feeding a black hole. But all the same, I have a special remedy that should help you." The demoness glanced upwards as he spoke, her eyes skimming over his features. Just like Vencrest, the other drow towered over her like an intimidating statue in tones of gray. The only off color about him was the blue specks in his eyes; since he was a ‘scientist’, she guessed it was the result of some kind of mad experiment. Lantien was oddly collective and observant- a bit too observant for her tastes. She noted the pendent he wore ‘round his neck, almost similar to Vencrest’s. Almost.

Black mist appeared once the drow waved his hand, causing an imp to appear. Lady Darkness smirked. Lantien had an excellent taste in familiars. Imp’s where among her personal favorites- once she could find a way to open portal’s to her home world, she would summon one to this world to aid her. Mistress wouldn’t mind. The imp lead Vencrest’s ‘pets’ around the tunnel and into some kind of zone, most likely to feed them. Those two deserved a good meal. As she watched them leave, the demoness churned abruptly on her heels to follow Lantien’s lead. The tunnel was much longer than Lady Darkness expected it to be- with each foot, she marked a mental note of the atmosphere and temperature, as well as the texture of the phosphorescent fungi lining the walls of earth.

The drow lead the two to another chamber, fixed with a nice number of beds and one dresser. Her dark eyes scanned the room, looking for something she could use to record her thoughts and how this place looked. For the first time since they had reunited in this forest, the demoness strayed from Vencrest’s side to do a bit of… ‘research’ on her own. She approached the dresser, pulling out one jor at a time, digging her gloved hand inside of it to rummage through Lantien’s belongings. It wasn’t in a disrespectful manor, though, just sheer instinct. At last, she felt the spine of a book next to a feathered quill and what she guessed to be a small vile of ink. Lady Darkness fished the three items out, swiftly opening the book to see if he was using it. Fortunately for her the pages where blank. However, she had no intention of taking something from his lair; the demoness tore out at least five pages from the back of it. Opening the vile of ink as she sat, placing the book beneath the paper so she’d have something firm to work with. Dipping the end of the feather into the ink, the Dark Knight of Torment took one look around and bent her head to the paper as she begun to draw. She sketched the chamber they were in first, adding shadows and ripples on the bed sheets, adding Vencrest atop one of them. The demoness glanced up once she reached his upper waistline, looking over his figure once more before she went back to the drawing.

Once she was done, she quickly scanned over it and added a last highlight to Vencrest’s 2D hair as well as the rest of the room from her perspective. She took a moment to make sure everything was picturesque, comparing and contrasting her ink drawing to real life. Lady Darkness was a highly skilled recording artist- everything matched, down to every last detail, only without color where even the ‘zones’ where included. She did the hall they’d come down next, adding a foot note that to reach the main chamber, they had to enter through this hall. The demoness lightly licked a fingertip, applying the moisture to the small lines around the fungi to represent their glow. Once she had completed that, she glanced upwards, switching the newly drawn paper beside her along with her previous one, observing Lantien. The ominous diamonds in her eyes shaped every curve of his figure, followed every crease and wave in his clothes and hair. Measuring his height one last time with her eyes, Lady Darkness returned to her drawing- making a rough sketch of Lantien, adding a note or two about him to the side, about his appearance and his personality. Sealing the vile of ink once more, Lady Darkness rose from the third bed on which she had seated herself. The demoness stretched a few times before she neared the table where Lantien had laid the bottle.

He thought a potion could stifle her infinite hunger and blood lust? Arching a solitary black brow, the demoness snatched it from the table and looked it over. “I've tested it on basic species, I have no idea how it'll affect your subspecies." She almost dropped the bottle as his words lanced the chill air. ’Subspecies’?! her thoughts snarled, I am not some kind of hybrid! Keeping her raging thoughts to herself (for the time being), Lady Darkness pried the cork from it, inhaling its contents before she placed the rim to her lips. Was she supposed to hold it, drink it, or… eat it? Tilting the bottle upwards to allow whatever it contained to enter her mouth; Lady Darkness tapped her boot in boredom. She wasn’t here for formalities, she was here for business. She withdrew the bottle from her lips, swallowing what tasted like stale air. It left a dry taste to her taste buds, and not a very pleasant taste. Shaking her head to ride herself of its burden, she placed it at her side. As she gazed from Vencrest to Lantien, she knew one thing was certain- they had never met a demon like her. Never.

Rolling her shoulders to relieve her body of tension, Lady Darkness craned her head in a 180 degree turn to watch Lantien. The angle of her neck seemed intensely uncomfortable, for any other species, this angle surely would’ve broken a tendon or two. ”But it is a challenge you’ll be able to take and pass, yes?” she asked, a menacing gleam in her somber eyes. Lantien had more than enough caliber to get the job done, the question was if he knew how.

Vencrest stood up, from his soft bed, towards where his ally, Lady Darkness sat, drinking the potion Lantien had set out for her, while he took the small box, fiddling it in his dark skinned hands. Vencrest's dark eyes observed his moves, noting all procedures his drow friend was doing. He moved his hands along all of the magical crystals, and intricate patterns. "But it is a challenge you’ll be able to take and pass, yes?” Lady Darkness said, surprising Vencrest and Lantien at the speed she had consumed the potion in. "Well," Lantien commented, speaking more to himself than his two guests. "This is an unique box that is for sure. Intricate drow technology, and if I do say so myself, masterful designed, and beautifully carved. This is nothing like I have seen before, but I do know somethings about this particular design." He pulled out a small eyeglass from his pocket, placing it in his right, speckled eye, gazing at the box with a critical eagles glare.

He set the box on a table, pulling open one of the drawers of the black desk, and pulled out a journal, also intricately decorated. Vencrest recognized it as the drow's very special journal, able to contain as many pages as the writer needed. It was the research book the drow had kept for many decades, and if Vencrest's memory was correct, it would still contain information of the tests the two of them did together thirty years ago. Lantien pulled out a quill, that of a Thunderbird, specially enchanted to summon lightning, as a extra precaution, and began to take detailed notes on the box, along with a precise picture, with exact measurements, and perfectly to scale. "My theory is correct," He announced, walking quickly to a bookshelf, and pulling a dark red tome, dusty with age.

Lantien slammed the book on the table, opening it to the first page. "This is no ordinary chest, my friends," He said in a low voice. "It is one crafted by the master smith, Drow KinKin. Back in the days, this warrior drow amazon, mastered the arts of black smithing, and only few in all of Arda have. Before she was slaughtered by her brother, she created three expert chests, unable to be opened, each containing something special to her." The drow took of his monocle, and placed it back in his pocket. "I'm quite surprised you got your hands on this chest, it's extremely valuable. But now, our technology is far more superior. But it will be a difficult task to open, requiring rare ingredients. I should have most of them..." His voice trailed off, as he flipped the pages of the tome, labeled in old drow 'Life of KinKin.'

"Aha!" He shouted, returning his monocle to his eye, reading the page labeled 'ingredients.' "There are many variables that need to be succeeded before the chest can be opened. Hmmmm. Let me see. First, I need wortroot. I do believe that is in the back closet, yest. I need dragon tongue, elemental essence of fire, water and air, yes I have all those. A dark rose petal, juiced, mixed with a pure rose petal, juice, mixed together in cold temperatures, yes I have all those." His hands followed down the list, as he read the ingredients. "And the last one," he added, his voice growing with confidence ", I do not have."

Vencrest walked behind him, glancing at the words on the page. "Pure blood," it read, in drow. "Hmmmm," Lantien added again, closing the books, turning to his journal and writing notes. "I shall prepare the concoction, while you two head to the wood elf tribe, on the edge of the forest. Do not bring Zekbel and Trekella, I'm afraid this mission will need to be more of stealth mission. Once you arrive at the village, kill the princess, and capture her blood in a vial, and return to me, so we can start the ritual." Vencrest grabbed a vial, that Lantien handed to him, placing it carefully in his pocket.

Vencrest looked towards Lady Darkness, giving her a curt nod, signaling that their departure should be soon. "Hurry, the night is dwindling," Vencrest said, looking up at the moon, his eyes only meeting the rough stone that blocked out the night sky. "Lets go," He added, heading out the direction they had entered from.

(Sorry for the huge delay, I had a ton of school work and stuff, but this topic has rekindled my huge amazing love for Arda! Huzah! :lol: . The only bad part, is all my new stuff isn't usable)

Lantien was still intrigued in the chest she had brought in, but he seemed to be doing his homework in his head as he observed the drowven box of questionable value. It was a rare, extremely valuable chest, with even more powerful items locked away inside of it. He placed the chest upon the surface of a nearby table and fished out a intricately decorated journal as well as a quill, made from a Thunderbird. The demoness observed him like an eagle, pondering what was going through his skull as well as the ever elusive question they were here to answer: How where they going to open it?

The drow begun to draw detailed descriptions of it, sketching it carefully with exact measurements as he worked to unravel the mystery of the chest. Lantien reminded her of the Countess of Wrath, the mad scientist who excelled in all of the scientific fields. Lillian would undoubtedly love to met this man and exchange notes with him. She was extremely popular in the Forgotten and Forbidden Realms for her inventions and research on creatures such as dragons and the newly discovered hippograph. Lillian was majority of the reason why the Empire of Shadow was so advanced and rich with ideas.

He slammed the book he’d pulled off a book shelf, turning it to the first page, saying that his theory was correct. There appeared to be more to the chest than she knew and it made her even more anxious to see what was inside. "This is no ordinary chest, my friends," He said in a low voice. "It is one crafted by the master smith, Drow KinKin. Back in the days, this warrior drow Amazon, mastered the arts of black smiting, and only few in all of Arda have. Before she was slaughtered by her brother, she created three expert chests, unable to be opened, each containing something special to her." The drow took of his monocle, and placed it back in his pocket.

"I'm quite surprised you got your hands on this chest, it's extremely valuable. But now, our technology is far more superior. But it will be a difficult task to open, requiring rare ingredients. I should have most of them..." His voice trailed off, as he flipped the pages of the tome, labeled in old drow 'Life of KinKin.’ Oh wonderful… she thought, rolling her eyes, ”I know that face. There’s ingredients involved, isn’t there?

"There are many variables that need to be succeeded before the chest can be opened.” He said and the demoness threw her arms into the air. I knew it. "And the last one," he added, his voice growing with confidence, "I do not have." ”And that is…?”
"Pure blood," were the words which reflected in Vencrest’s orbs as he looked over Lantien’s shoulder like a curious child. What? Lady Darkness only spoke various languages. She could only read three, and drowvish wasn’t one of them.

“I shall prepare the concoction, while you two head to the wood elf tribe, on the edge of the forest. Do not bring Zekbel and Trekella, I'm afraid this mission will need to be more of stealth mission. Once you arrive at the village, kill the princess, and capture her blood in a vial, and return to me, so we can start the ritual." That made more sense. Vencrest grabbed a vial that Lantien handed to him, placing it carefully in his pocket as Lady Darkness stretched to prepare herself for a great deal of running and sneaking. As she opened her eyes, she noticed Vencrest gave her a curt nod before they begun to walk back from which they came.

The demoness was instantly at his side, closing the distance between them as they departed. The night was dwindling. Lady Darkness snickered as she stepped into the moonlight; she had to furrow her eyes until they adjusted to the slight brightness of the outside in contrast to the almost pitch darkness of the drow’s cave. Crackling the bones in her neck to relieve her muscles of stress, Lady Darkness eased into the shadow of a nearby oak tree while she waited for Vencrest to join her. Once he was there, she would smirk at him devilishly, her orbs teaming with criminal lust as the sickening sound of her easier ‘bone cracking’ echoed through the branches of the canopy. ”Which way? Lead.”