Lord of Azure Flame Chapter 22: The Hunt

[Ether]

"I have to agree with Ixion at this point, Headmaster. I have no qualms with you supervising, but if you will interfere, then I will have to ask you to leave the area for the time being." Damian stated bluntly, turning towards Ixion.

"Now then, how should we begin?"

[Phoenix]

The Next Step

Well Damian had taken a side. That left little for the Dark Druid to comment on other than the question Damian posed next. Where to begin.

Ixion: Very well. We should head inside first. Back to the laboratories. I need to show you something.

Miranda: "We should head inside" ... "I need to show you something." Uh huh. Okay. I'll just not imply anything there and simply look the other way.

As she went back to petting Fenrir she addressed Mana again donning a smile the whole time.

Miranda: Are you going to see Ixion's thing too or are you going to try to teach one of these new guys calculus?

[Snowy_One]

"I was planning to teach him how to grow and harvest herbs on his own actually. He's not stupid by any means. I just need time with him and I can teach him to be as smart as any other person. Though if that means he will be a genius, or the average person is bull-headed, I do not know yet."

With that, Mana turned her back on Miranda and followed Damian and Ixion as they went to begin their work.

OOC: My cold just relapsed. Bad. Sorry for short post. I can't think all that much ATM.

[Ether]

As Ixion began to lead the way towards the laboratory, Damian followed, wondering what it was Ixion wanted him to see. Ignoring Miranda's stream of constant innuendo, Damian pondered as to what exactly Ixion's technique would be.

[Phoenix]

Paramount-ish

Once the three of them arrived in the nearest laboratory, it seemed that the place was preprepared and already to go. There stood two chairs with each headrest leaned far back and toward the other. A lone mage was doing something or other and Ixion walked over to the two chairs and stood by the one that seemed to be intended for him. He kept his eyes on them both and began to explain.

Ixion: To understand this practice, this technique, this art ... you must first see it in action. While I can with great focus peer into the minds of others, I cannot reverse the process so you will need a bit of help.

Gesturing at the two chairs he continued.

Ixion: These two chairs are another experiment that failed to live up to its original purpose. However they are still powerful enough to accomplish what I need done. Before you say anything, Headmaster, I did not invent these. I only found out about them last night. Regardless they'll do. These two chairs are linked in a similar fashion to spirit dolls. They do not transfer speech however. They transfer thoughts and memories. The original purpose was to cause two individuals to switch bodies. Of course that caused a slew of unfortunate side effects. The researcher who made them tested the device on himself and a woman from what the research notes and some of the others are saying.

He shrugged before continuing.

Ixion: So the inventor is no longer here to be of much help. The incident occurred around a month ago. Fortunately I understand all the necessary principles behind this device. I made some adjustments this morning to better suit my purpose. The channel is now one way and is at least fourteen times more powerful but focused instead on consciousness rather than the entire mind. It was also tested and tuned to perfection so neither of you need worry. I need Damian to see directly into my mind and to do that he'll either have to spend the next ten to fifteen years training under me, or use this device ... and yes this is paramount. Gungnir is a large step here, but coupled with what I aim to demonstrate, Damian will subdue Gae-Borg ... IF, and only if applied properly. I guarantee that.

[Ether]

"So I need to see, and understand, your technique. And this device will allow me to witness what occurs in your very mind so that I may understand it?" Damian said, as he moved towards the other chair.

"If that is what must be done, so be it. I am ready when you are, Ixion." Damian said determinedly, and sat down in the second chair, the one Ixion had left for him.

[Phoenix]

Into The Abyss

Ixion: Very well.

Turning to Mana one last time, he spoke again.

Ixion: Oh and one warning. While this is inherently a safe procedure ... it isn't perfect. If you disturb us from the outside, I can't tell you what would happen, but I know that at the very least Damian would be injured in the process. That being the best case scenario mind you. So please ... just stay there. Don't touch or expose either of us to any spells and wait.

As Ixion sat down and leaned back in the chair he spoke to Damian yet again.

Ixion: Calm your mind, focus on nothing but your own body. Shut out all outside awareness.

Without another word Ixion did the same and began to shut out everything, energy he felt coming from everything, the sights, the feeling of the chair itself. He immediately fell into a deep trance and soon found himself in a very familiar place. Looking around, he appeared to be on a balcony overlooking an old abandoned city. Feeling a strong vortex opening up behind him, he turned having been fully expecting the phenomenon to occur. Damian appeared having been dragged out of his own consciousness through a single thick weave of energy. Ixion gestured at the surroundings out over balcony before speaking ... and for whatever reason, voices seemed to echo.

Ixion: Damian ... welcome ... to a mind ... with no boundaries, no restrictions. Now then ... are you ready to understand exactly what I mean by that?

Outside in the real world, the researcher looked the two over carefully taking notes and not missing even a single movement either of them made.

Researcher: They're both stable. Amazing. I was expecting immediate complications but Ixion seems to have been right about the early test.

Grinning at the Headmaster he continued.

Researcher: I love having Ixion around, we have so fewer accidents during his random visits. Though that explosion recently is worthy of concern. While we've had many more accidents without him around, that was certainly the worst by far.

[Snike]

Manners

"...This is why I am not exactly keen on dealing with deposed monarchy. They tend to blow things out of proportion. Most casulties against my army are the enemy soldiers," Jace said, just after Charlotte fainted. "Also, that was quite vulgar, coming from the heir to the throne. Sounds like he really was close. Anyways, can someone give me a physical description of him, and Shanice? It is all I need, for the time being."

[Snowy_One]

"He's not as stupid as I berate him for, that's for certain." mused Mana, watching from outside. Though she was concerned at the process of swapping memories would allow Ixion insight she could not control, she didn't really have a choice in the matter. They had sat down before she had even managed to enter the room after all. Rubbing her forehead in mild agitation at how willing Ixion had been to enact such an experiment while using something that, itself, had been a failed experiment. "If he wasn't so much like those members of TISME, I might have even liked him."

[Phoenix]

Ixion's Laboratory

Mage: The researchers at TISME? They don't seem to do much these days. Can't rely on them for progress in the magical community, no. Too much restriction, too much red tape. Of course what we do is dangerous, but we're not kidnapping people against their will. We have volunteers for that kind of danger work. Speaking of which, what on earth are you, missy? Did Ixion graft wings onto you or something? You can't be very aerodynamic with that many on you.

Isotov's Reluctance

Jace was inquiring yet again about Shanice and Iso knew more than enough about the shapeshifter given his experiences of the past. Charlotte had passed out but was tended to by Luc which knocked off one of the two reasons he had for staying silent; the other still being that he really didn't want to trust the job of killing Shanice to anyone but himself and his allies ... of which there were hardly any to begin with. He wasn't exactly keen on racing Jace to the finish either when it came to hunting demons. He wondered why it wasn't more important to go after Helenos and leave Shanice, Ruby, Petros, Eric, and whoever else was lurking in the shadows to them. They weren't so weak that they couldn't handle the demons anymore. Either way he was at least going to speak up on that matter.

Iso: I don't particularly care who kills Helenos, but I need to make sure Shanice dies for good this time. Leave him to us.

[-Cynthia-]

"Well, if you knew Shanice at all you would know that a physical description of him is not particularly helpful. He is a shapshifter after all. As for Eric: tall, dark blue hair, has a sword. Though that may not be his true form so that may not be that helpful of a description either." Morgan replied to Jace.

[Inactive Account]

"There goes another one," Tanair sighed. "No wonder humans' lives are so short, if they're incapable of learning to listen." She strode over to Charlotte, bending down to lay a hand on the girl's shoulder and allowing a spark of energy to flow into her. "Have you other healers?" she inquired, no longer even expecting responses.

[Script]

Luc Altair

The Captain's words had assuaged the girl's fears for now, so Luc turned to his task of relocating Charlotte. But before he could, the human form of the dragon had come upon her. Whatever the creature had done she thought positive, so Luc had no reason to doubt her. But still... should they always place expectations on the timely arrival of some greater force? No, that was bullshit.

Not wanting to respond in petty anger, Luc--and Fargo--took the two Jerdonians to the carriage. "Fargo, stand watch," Luc commanded and strode over to where that girl desired him to investigate. Luc looked over the injured man, the monk was certainly--monk? Wait.. Luc stared at the face of the holy man carried upon the horse. This was the monk from before, the one Luc had lost to in combat. What was he doing here--no, that didn't matter, he required help and if he was of the Church best it be left to Tessa. "This is beyond me," he informed her. "I'll see whom I can find."

A Paul

Oh yeah. Paul swung down and hanged from the edge of the building by his legs. Oddly enough, his cloak stayed straight. "Oh yeah, forgot to mention, Eric-not-Eric said he killed Ruby-booby too. Man, now that's comedy," Paul said to Jace.

[Purg]

He had always seen himself as lucky. Too young to fight against the terrible demons of the past, fit enough to fight against those that would hurt the innocent. But he was never skilled enough, never strong enough, to fight the scores of men and women he often came across. He had learned how to be independent, how to bandage his own wounds, even when that seemed impossible, even when he could barely stay conscious. But he had always kept trying, always kept his chin up, tried to find the bright side of things. In victory, he made friends, fell in love a few times, even thought he had found a home, somewhere to belong.

It was all wasted potential. Time that he could never recover, vitality spilled onto the soil with his blood.

He had nothing, now - no honor, no spark, nothing to show for his life but scars and memories he would rather forget. The drinks helped, but he could still recall every defeat, every loss he had felt. His life had amounted to the last gulp in his glass - short and unsatisfying.

He set the mug back down on the counter. By now the bartender had learned to simply refill it, and the money would come without words. The man, who had been here every night, and most days, too, for the past two weeks, seemed to prefer it that way, and so long as coins were slid across to him, well, the bartender didn't mind, either. Some people came to pour out their troubles - others came to have more poured into them.

The man went to work on emptying his only companion, the coarse, tasteless liquid the only comfort in a world that was populated by darkness and disappointment. He would move on to another place soon - another town, with another tavern. They were the only places he could stay, as sacred and necessary as the breath of the goddess. But for now, he would stay in his seat, turned away from all the others here, and drink.

It was all he ever did now. It was all he had left in his life.

It was all he wanted.

[Snike]

Intel

"So, you want me to leave Shanice alone...," Jace said, already running the possibilities through his head with the new information. "... Has it occurred to any of you that there might be three demons, not four?" Just as he said that, however, the man became distracted as Alex came to.

"...!" the halberdier gasped a bit, as she saw the Hero, but said nothing.

"Do as you wish, Alexandra," Jace said. "Just be aware of the consequences."

"..."

"Anyways, as I said, I believe there are three demons, not four," Jace said, turning back to Morgan.

Edited January 4, 2011 by Snike

[-Cynthia-]

"Do you have any evidence of this?" Morgan asked Jace. "It is possible that Shanice could imitate the other demons I suppose, but there is also no telling how many higher level demons the Lord of Azure Flame has at his disposal."

"Are you all right?" Tristan asked Alex as she came to. "Uh, let's just leave him alone and hope he doesn't change his mind." he said to her after Jace had noticed her.

Edited January 4, 2011 by -Cynthia-

[Phoenix]

Isotov

Maybe there were fewer demons than they thought, or maybe there were more. Either way, Iso had to at least put an end to Shanice. It was the only one from his past that had survived. The only one he had left to put down. As for the other demons ... he supposed he wouldn't be able to have much of a normal or even decent life if they were still after his weapon, so anything resembling a peaceful life would have to wait until they were all dead. He lowered his head mumbling a bit.

Iso: I kill however many of them I have to to put an end to this once and for all. Shanice is just a bigger priority for what he put my friends and family through.

[Ether]

"No boundaries and no restrictions... it sounds almost like a fantasy realm... of course I know better than to expect the likes of that from you... this is all too real, isn't it?" Damian said, trying to keep his nerves together after having been dragged out of his own mind.

"I assume then, that this technique of yours, for complete control, complete dominance, can only be demonstrated here? Or is the key to it locked away here, in the expanse of your own mind?"

[Snike]

Explanation

"I can hear you, Prince," Jace commented, as Tristan said that he and Alex should leave him alone. "And by all means. As for the demon issue, I was referring to the ones you've fought already. Now, considering these flames," - the Hero paused to gesture at the azure fire, which was slowly dying down, but still evident- "I would say that there is a bit of infighting between two demonic factions. With that in mind, Eric might have killed Shanice, as he said, for being with either the Lord's faction, or with Helenos. Another thing that might have happened is that Shanice killed Eric, and disguised as him with the help of Ruby, but I doubt that, as Ruby would not have any personal gain from that arrangement. Then again, your traitor might just have been a fiend since day one. That would explain some of the unwanted demonic attention your group seems to draw. But that makes no sense, as why would he not attack with his allies? Honestly, I think it's more likely option one, since your shapeshifter hasn't attacked yet as a follow-up."

Edited January 4, 2011 by Snike

[Phoenix]

The Key

Ixion: The key to absolute control lies within your mind. You are merely here inside of mine to understand how that must be done. You have to see it with your own eyes. It must appear as real to you as it does to me. Unmistakable for the real thing.

Walking to the edge of the balcony he looked out over it down toward the city below. Upon closer inspection it seemed that the castle was over a thousand feet above the rest of the land sitting atop an incredibly steep cliff. Below a battle had appeared in the streets. A raging war with thousands of soldiers scattered about. Turning back to Damian, Ixion asked a simple question.

Ixion: Now before I show you, I have but one question. WHAT ARE YOU?

As Ixion asked this question the battle below intensified, the sounds carrying up to them easily. Behind them further into the castle, figures were emerging from the shadows, but were still unfamiliar.

Demon Factions

Iso: (Well that's something, but still until I know Shanice is dead for certain I won't stop searching, even after this is over, and not just Shanice. They all need to die.)

[Mercakete]

The subject had turned to demons quite thoroughly and was thusly of no further interest to Beau. Getting up, he wandered to Luc where there was apparently someone who could use his attention. "Is something the matter?" he asked Luc the obvious question, already holding his heal staff.

[-Cynthia-]

"He has awfully good hearing." Tristan said to Alex, still half whispering. "We're lucky he seems to be more interested in other things right now."

Morgan shrugged. "All the demons are our enemies, and all of them need to die. If they kill each other, all the better. Hopefully you are right in that there are less demons rather than more, but this does not really change our plan of action I think. We see them, we kill them, that's all there is to it."

[Snowy_One]

"No. I'm not hurt. Not much anyways. The armor I wear is good at absorbing blows and protecting me. Most of the damage I took was more shock than actually hurtful. Sure, I have some mild concussive bruising, but it's nothing to worry a healer about. Just give it some time and I'll be fine." Altion gave a false smile too the child, lying through his teeth. Not only did it feel as if he had been kicked in the face, but the bruising he had suffered while fighting Helenos was worse than he let on. Still, it wasn't bad enough for him to feel as if he needed to see a healer; just not as little as to be written off as 'mild'.

---

"I was an attempt to create a nexus of magical power in a little child. Wind magic specifically. That's why I don't seem so arrow... Awwow... Thingy-dynamic." replied Mana, smiling as she acted young and juvenile for the mage. "I came out useless to him. I had the magic power, but I was still too much... me. Plus, I seem to be aging faster than normal."

She turned back to the figures. A worried look started to come across her face. While there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the meld itself, the uncanny feeling of something important being about to happen flooded her mind.

[Ether]

'What... am I?'

The question caught Damian off guard, but there was no doubt in his mind it was a serious question.

"I am a human being. A walker of this planet, and the wielder of the Crimson Lance, Gae-Borg. I am a Colonel in the Halton Empire, ad I am the son of Bethold Kleine... I am Damian Kleine. That is who I am, and it is what I am." Damian stated calmly.

'It lies within my mind? I suppose that makes sense, after all, I cannot control my mind from anywhere but my own mind.'

[Phoenix]

Weirdness

Mage: (Strange ... up til now she was acting normal.) Well I suppose ... though clipping off a couple of those wing pairs would certainly do wonders for your flying capabilities, no?

The Ancient Art of Godmode

Damian's reply got a relatively blank stare from Ixion.

Ixion: Are you certain? Are you certain that those are not all merely things wrapped around your mind to give you a better sense of individuality?

Ignoring the figures gathering a short ways away he continued.

Ixion: Go back more than twenty years. Are you still a Colonel in the Halton military? Are you still the wielder of the Gae-Borg? Go back even further. Before you were even born. Before you were even conceived. Were you still Damian Kleine? Were you still the son of Bethold? I would think not. So you see these are not what you are, merely what your conscious mind has been surrounded by and self-accumulated over the years. Let me pose another question. A mostly rhetorical one. What is this world and all that is in it?

The figures gathering quickly removed their robes revealing nothing but familiar faces. Mana, Irina, Ivanko ... the list went on.

Ixion: Your hair, your skin, your eyes, every part of your body is just another part of this world. All things and nothing more. Consider what you "knew" ... years ago. Consider what you believed to be impossible then, and what you believe to be impossible now. Things have changed, haven't they? Why is that? Because you're learning. Because you understand more than you once did. Because you believe more, whatever it is. When I was younger I could not create these chimeras as I do now. Before that I could not cast advanced spells. Before that, I could barely conger up something that would qualify as an offensive spell. And before that I could not cast at all. A mere human, but as I began to believe more, I began to be able to accomplish more as time went along. There is simply no word, no term I find more utterly pathetic than the one "impossible". It's the symptom of entrapment. As we go on we find that less and less is "impossible" and that we merely did not understand the "how". What you consider impossible even today ... is simply missing a "how". Once you understand what that is, you will begin to understand how this world truly functions.

--------------

Ixion: When you define yourself by the things that are pulled over your eyes, you become trapped in a suffocating cloud which you cannot escape. You are not a collection of things, Damian ... you are one of many conscious minds ... by which all things in that world are able to exist. Without us, without at least one conscious mind, there is nothing. It doesn't matter what people believe is real and what they believe is not real. Allowing ourselves to give in to such boundaries only impedes us.

A worried look appeared on Irina's face and she quickly began walking over passing Damian along the way.

Ixion: Let me show you ... exactly what I mean.

Suddenly a speeding arrow flew in from out over the balcony coming straight for Irina's head! Ixion quickly reached out and caught it less than an inch from her head. Of course she flinched and quickly stood back a bit.

Ixion: The power to save life ...

With a quick thrust that seemed faster than lightning he drove the arrow directly into Irina's chest piercing her heart! She had no time to move or defend herself. Grabbing onto him as she began to come down onto the ground, she began trying to speak.

Irina: I-Ixion ... I ... wh-wwwhy ...

As she collapsed on the ground dead, Ixion knelt down over her, slightly less cold looking than before.

Ixion: ... and the power to end it. This is one of the ways I began to understand a weakness of mine in my youth. It was eventually conquered through this. I've done this exercise daily for almost sixteen years. Every face that has a name appears before me. Is saved by my hand, and then is ended by my hand. The greatest two aspects of human nature. Saving those we love, and destroying those we hate. I do both indiscriminately to all. Irina, Stephanie, Ivanko, Ivan, Levski, you and your entire band of crimson weapon wielders. ... everyone I know. No one in this place but me wields that kind of power, and I mean no one. That is how it has been for years, and it will never cease to be that way ever again.

Levski: BASTAAAAARD!!!

Isotov: NOOO!!!

Ixion quickly stood up as both Levski and Isotov came charging past Damian aiming to kill Ixion on the spot. Isotov launched a fire spell that engulfed Ixion as Levski closed in. Suddenly the fires left Ixion's body revealing him to be completely unharmed They quickly flew back at Isotov and burned him to ashes in seconds As Levski's axe came down on Ixion's skull it shatter like glass. Levski was quickly killed by a Ixion's follow up attack that completely disintegrated him.

Ixion: This is the kind of place you must create within yourself in order to truly realize that a conscious mind is not truly bound ... it only comes to believe that it is. You might be thinking "This isn't real". It doesn't matter. Distinctions aren't necessary here. The only true difference you'll find between this world and the collective one ... your real world is that you and I are the only two conscious minds present within this one. The laws of physics are merely determined by me. Because I created it, I fashioned it, I own it. The Gae-Borg's greatest power over you is that you do not yet realize this about your own mind. If you can come to understand and believe just this one aspect of the conscious mind versus the world in which it exists, you will not be able to be conquered by that lance again.

Ixion gestured at Irina's bleeding corpse on the ground. As if to save Damian the trouble of shutting out any unpleasant and lingering thoughts about Irina's murder ... her body simply vanished.

Ixion: The Gae-Borg is just a thing. No different from the axe Levski fruitlessly shattered against me. No different from the weapons being brutally thrusted into people down in the city below us. Believe that. You need to believe that you are the founder of your own world, your own mind. Once you do that, that which people consider "impossible", will simply be a matter of "how"s for you. The collective world, your real world which belongs to us all will be a far less suffocating cloud to dwell in. You will be able to accomplish whatever it is that you set your will to because as a conscious mind, it is your innate ability to do so. Simply put, Damian ... in all things whether you believe you CAN or CANNOT ... either way, you are absolutely right.