Post by Lady Ditto Armunn on Jun 5, 2007 3:53:50 GMT -5
Part One:
Another moonlit sky shown down upon the Deamon's Chamber of Armunn Keep and found Ditto pacing nervously back and forth, wringing her hands.
Galnor stood nearby, calmly preparing for the ceremony soon approaching. The position of the moon and the stars were their guide this night. Mumbling and sighing, the Dark Lady was tense and excited. Many emotions ran through her, and, as much as she loved her husband and wanted him home, she couldn't help but feel gut wrenching guilt at what was about to occur. Tinkerbelle. Her fun friend at parties would be sacrificed to bring Tarothin back to this realm IF they succeeded. She tried getting her mind off this thought. She had to be clear of mind. HAD to be. She looked up at the sky for what seemed like the hundredth time. Not yet time. Then glanced over at Galnor, who was calm as could be, as was his way. He was use to her nervous excitement by now and so easily ignored it. She let her mind rest on him instead of Tink. She loved Galnor very much. He was a mentor at times. Advisor. Healer. But also her friend. He knew her better than most. He knew her chaotic nature but also realised she was neither of goodness nor evil. Ditto smiled warmly as she watched him prepare. She so admired and respected him.
Absentmindedly this time, she looked to the sky once more and saw that it was time to gather everyone to the chamber. Turning, she notified Galnor and left the chamber.
The Dark Order was assembled.
The summoning circles etched out in blood with the tall dragon's bane candles held in place with skulls around the outside most circle.
Ditto closed her eyes in quiet meditation but not before wondering if they used too much blood.
Before she could concentrate fully, the sharp loud sound of a slap echoed in the room and she opened her eyes momentarily, keeping in check a sudden flash of tiny fangs as she snapped sternly at her brother. "Hit her again and I'll turn ya into a chicken."
Her eyes caught sight of Tinkerbelle's tears, thankfully her Melnibonean meditation took the edge off the sympathy she felt. She spoke calmly to Tinkerbelle and requested her to be quiet, but this only seemed to make her cry louder and it pulled at Ditto's heartstrings. Breathing in, she summoned all of her inner strength and let her self drift into a semi trance like state. She was unaware that her eyes, including her pupils, dimly glowed a white tint.
It seemed as though she was observing herself instead of taking part. Her body moved around the circle, while her mind commanded her hand to etch the runes and all the while, hearing herself chanting. Dimly was she aware of Galnor's actions. His spreading of the smoke.....Lost within herself, she stepped up close to the circle and with a fingernail, slit her own wrist to hold it high above, allowing the blood to mix with that of the circle's. The last word of the chant was said firmly and she nodded to Galnor.
The Lord Bloodmoon stepped in, taking Tinkerbelle by the shoulder, he raised the Dagger of Vermoddun high to plunge it deep into the sacrifice's chest.
Ditto suddenly felt faint, not over her friend's death, but more so as a feeling of being pulled suddenly, but, holding herself steady she began to walk backwards....backwards around the summoning circle. She wasnt even aware that she was saying it and yet she began shouting loudly and strongly the true name of the deamon that was fused with Tarothin.
A rush of what could only be described as electrifiyingly evil power overwhelmed her senses suddenly, bringing her back into herself. Dazed, she looked up and there saw the eyes of the beast......
And it Roared out it's entrance into the world. The sound reverberating against the stone walls and echoing back thunderously.
Was she dreaming? She stood, in shock and then extreme happiness and love for him shot through her like a bolt and she was overcome. Forgetting herself and what was taking place...she lunged forward quickly toward Tarothin's enormous, massive arms. In her hastiness, her foot fell against one of the candles and knocked it over, where it rolled sideways, marring the circle of blood.
She went to hold onto him but he seemed not to even notice her touch, and when she looked upward into his face he bent his down to look into hers and smiled.....no....it was not his true smile...it was his mean, cold, snarly smile......directed at her. He was acting....oddly. He was talking, no shouting? He seemed so extremely angry. But....why?
"Tarothin?....."
He shouted out at them and then spoke to himself quite strangely. She began to understand that he thought he was dreaming. That he was not really here and that it was some sort of trick of the wraiths. For the first time, Ditto realised that this was a dangerous situation for her. In his right state of mind she knew that he'd never harm her, but she knew this was NOT his right state of mind. She took a step backwards out of the circle to protect herself, unaware that the circle of protection was broken by the candle. His deamon head turned toward her at her movement and he snarled a smile again, still speaking as though he was being tricked and that none of them were real. As angry as he was he also seemed pleased about something.
She was still so very confused. She tried to listen as he spoke and as others spoke to him quickly. Trying to convince him of his reality. The feeling in the room had gotten very tense. Fear and nervousness was everywhere. Everywhere except for Tarothin.....where there seemed to be only anger....barely controlled rage that she sensed was building within him. And he had targets to vent on. Too many targets.
Instinctively, she stepped forward in an attempt to calm the beast that was her husband. She began to reason with him as was her way and as she had in the past, and each time she had succeeded. But this time, expecting his eyes to lock with hers and soften......the response she recieved was his drool trickling down his chin and some of it slipping onto her arm as she reached up to him.
She pulled her arm back away, hearing the beast's shouting anger and her family's shouting back...to be heard...trying despretly to reason with him. It took only a second for her to realise he was beyond reason yet in that same second, too late to cry out a warning to her brothers and sisters......the beast attacked with swiftness in his blood lust.
His first victim was his wife. And she cried out when she felt his sharp, powerful claws ripping into her. Her frame, so small next to his, it took only the blink of a moment and she dropped like a brick to the floor.
.
