Black Desert [Chapter II]

[Chloe/Kat]

The desert was hot as hell to travel during the day but it was still better than traveling through it at night, however Chloe was unable to travel during the day because the moment her skin came under direct sunlight she felt an unbelievably painful burning sensation against her skin and was forced to wait until the sun came down. Now she was wandering through the desert freezing her ass off in the cold and to make matters even worse, just when you thought they couldn't possibly get any worse, she had an army of mindless undead ghouls following her around like a bunch of lost puppies and she didn't know what the hell to do with them. What the fuck?

On the way to the desert Chloe had given into her blood lust even further. She drank and drank every man, woman and child she ran into enduring the memories that threatened to split her skull in two and for some reason, during the pure adrenaline rush Chloe had opened up a wound on her own body and made them drink her own blood. It made no sense to the vampiress now but at the time it felt good. It felt right. There was no thought behind it she had just acted. Little did Chloe know that she had tried to sire these people. Some of the women and children weren't in the crowd and she just assumed they had the common sense to stay dead.

Not being able to take it anymore Chloe turn around and started yelling at the beasts. "Why the fuck are you people following me!? Can't you see I have enough problems right now without a trail of walking corpses behind me?! Naturally they didn't response and just looked at Chloe with dumb expressions on their faces. Chloe sighed and shook her head, putting a hand on her forehead as she felt a new headache coming on. Just when she was about to tell these things to get lost Chloe picked up the scent of somebody approaching her off in the distance and got an idea. She grinned at the ghouls and then said. "Attack me." The ghouls obeyed and they all ganged up on her, forcing her down to the ground and tearing up what little clothes she had left while digging into her flesh. Chloe quickly wiped off the grin and replaced it with a look of horror as she screamed. "HELP ME! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!" The trap was set now it was time to see if they would take the bait.

[Shai]

Kyal had, despite what was probably though, escaped the blast Aper had unleashed.

Of course it had been no easy feet even for a God, but it was certainly by no means a close shave or anything. He'd simply shifted himself to another part of the world; now that (for all he knew) he was trapped here. He picked up upon screaming; female. He opened his wings and swept towards it, his white wings standing out against the black sky. The site before him was an odd one; walking corpses attacking a young girl - but Kyal was no fool. Certainly, there was much more to him that meets the eye.

"Do not presume you will fool anyone with average intelligence." He said simply but flicked his wrist, the blow knocking the ghouls to the ground but not harming the vampire. "Not only do you reek of blood but it is well known Vampires can sire others. From the looks of them you have shared your lineage too thin; beyond that, you are new to this ordeal. If you planned to have those things as guards you will be sorely disappointed."

His feet touched the ground and he looked down at her, wings curling to his sides. His tone was not one of mocking nor disgust, but simple acceptance. She would not be able to see a face under the hood no matter how hard she tried, but she could see a pair of pale blue eyes.

"My name is Kyal, God of Paradise." He spoke once more before glancing to the Ghouls who were just now getting to their feet. His eyes glinted in the moonlight before he stepped closer.

"I suppose I could offer you some assistance. For example." He waved his hand and the ghouls where enveloped in a black light; not the usual colours his powers appeared. When the light faded, the Ghouls would look different. No longer would they have hands but sharpened stump of bone; fangs in place of teeth and their leg muscles looked fit to burst.

"Now they are approximately your speed, and due to having little manual dexterity their arm bones serve as much more effective weapons for stabbing. They have enlarged fangs too. Not my best work but I do believe you need an effective hunting party. Though they are still idiots so if you wish them to do anything complex it must be ordered from them."

He took a breath, forming a blade into his hand - just in case, naturally.

[Chloe/Kat]

Of all the people to run into in a desert and it had to be the one she couldn't snack from. Just her luck too! Chloe got back up to her feet and proceeded to dust off the sand that had gotten on her meanwhile regenerating the wounds that the ghouls caused during that same attack she ordered to lure in some food. At least this man didn't up and attack her like the last people did, whatever he was. The vampiress tilted her head and tried looking for a face underneath that hood but all she saw was a pair of pale blue eyes. That was new. Chloe just kept running into stranger and stranger things the more she explored this unfamiliar world.

"To be honest I haven't decided what I want to do with them just yet. I don't even know why they're following me!" Chloe clearly didn't pay too much attention to his earlier words because quite frankly she had no idea what he was talking about. Siring? As far as Chloe was aware she hasn't sired anybody. The only thing that stood out within Kyal's words were the G word. God. Really? Chloe in the presence of a god? In a desert? Somebody pinch me because I must be dreaming! she thought. Chloe then realized that he was doing something to her ghouls. Making them stronger. Well that was mighty nice of him. What was the catch? The vampiress eyed that sword and raised an eyebrow. "All right why are you being so nice? Looking for followers? You show me some of that paradise you're in charge of and I might consider it."

[Shai]

Kyal almost rolled his eyes. Clearly she had no idea what she was doing, even below his expectations. Still, he himself often had little idea among mortals - or immortals it seemed.

"Hardly." He scoffed, the sword vanishing again. "When you fed from them, I assume you made them drink from you. You passed your power on. If you had stopped at one, he or she would be like you but subservient. This is the result of doing it too many times. Little more than zombies."

He chuckled again.

"I don't desire followers. As far as I know, I cannot get home, however there may be a way." He paused, raising an eyebrow at her "For that, I would ask you to help me."

In truth, she wasn't that useful. Anything she could do he could but so much better... yet she would have her uses, and he would reward her.

"I could grant you anything you wish in return."

[Chloe/Kat]

Did he just about roll his eyes at her? Chloe didn't know whether or not she should be flattered or concerned that a god wanted to roll their eyes at her. She would choose apathy as now Kyal was explaining things to her. The vampiress looked back over to her ghouls feeling quite foolish now that she understood why they existed. This "vampire act" was becoming too much for her to bear. Chloe would do anything, give anything to be human again. As if the god saw into her mind he requested her help and in return would give her anything she wanted. "Can you take me home? Can you give me back my humanity?" That was all she wanted from Kyal and she would even settle for just the latter. Anyplace in the universe had to be a hundred times better as a human than as a vampire. "I will do anything you ask if it means I can have my life back."

[Ayen]

“And the evil that was once vanquished shall rise anew. Wrapped in the guise of man shall they walk amongst the innocent and terror shall consume they that dwell upon the world. The skies shall rain fire, and the seas will become as blood. The righteous shall fall before the wicked, and all of creation shall tremble before the burning standards of hell.”
– Veran


“What is this?” asked Olivia as she looked up from her work desk to the magical sphere within the right palm of Luca Valentine.

“Memories,” began Luca,“of a world once lost. More specificity the world of The Night Angel. Where the prophecy was first cited. I want you to unlocked its secrets once and for all.”

“Gladly.”

Olivia reached up to grab the sphere but Luca pulled it away, a grim expression upon her face as she looked down at the vampire child.

“I must warn you, if you choose to accept this task you will see things that will haunt you.”

“I’m aware of the risks.”

Olivia, AKA The Genius, touched the memory sphere and thus began the unraveling of the prophecy.

---

And now she walked through the desert in the middle of the night. Had she required sleep blood shots would be clearly apparent in her eyes from staying up at all hours of the day and night hearing the prophecy over and over in her mind until she had the entire thing memorized and still she wasn’t anywhere closer to solving the mystery. There was something here in the desert that may helped her. If she could only find it.

The Genius’ eyes then fell upon the ghouls followed closely by Chloe and then Kyal. Kyal she recognized from the memory sphere and Luca’s retelling. He fought amongst the defenders of Aircano against The Arashi until the truth of Aper’s affiliation was revealed to the warriors on that fateful day. Perhaps he would prove useful. Olivia approached the two, making sure to show no signs of hostility as she came within voice range.

“Are you Kyal: God of Paradise?”

[Shai]

Kyal paused, thinking.

Could he take away her curse? Certainly, he didn't see why not. He was a God after all, yet that wasn't the issue. The issue was if he took it away, there was a very good chance her age would catch up to her.

Several more seconds passed by before he nodded finally.

"I can." He replied "There is the greatest chance your biological clock would catch up the second I did. In theory, your Vampirism is the only thing keeping you young, and if i took it away, depending on how long you have been a Vampire, that is how long your body would age."

Another voice touched his ears and he turned slowly. Clearly, this female knew of him - he didn't quite know how but he didn't plan on simply being all smiles and sunshine.

"I am." He replied simply "What of it?"

[Ayen]

Simple. Direct. Neither polite nor rude. Olivia liked it.

“I am Olivia Hart, a scholar from Utopia. I’m here doing research concerning a mysterious prophecy that has boggled the mind for several years now. I believe you have already heard part of it. Tell me if any of this sounds even vaguely familiar.”

Olivia would also be simple, direct and neither polite nor rude. There was no time to waste as the clock was ticking and every minute wasted could be invested in unlocking the secrets of “The Arashi Prophecy” as Olivia has chosen to call it.

“And the evil that was once vanquished shall rise anew. Wrapped in the guise of man shall they walk amongst the innocent and terror shall consume they that dwell upon the world. The skies shall rain fire, and the seas will become as blood. The righteous shall fall before the wicked, and all of creation shall tremble before the burning standards of hell.”

Even from the mouth of a child the words were extremely unsettling to the ears unfortunate enough to hear them. And she has heard them spoken from the mouth of the prophet himself. Though they were only memories Olivia would never forget his voice. It truly would haunt her for the rest of her days.

[Silver Eyes]

“The Three Siblings will be reunited as the mortal world trembles before their might.” A woman's voice echoed out in the desert but was only secluded to the three who were present. "And so it was foretold that the Three, once reunited, would be shattered again." Mist crawled along the sanded floor, around everyone's feet and clumped together in a cloud within their sight. “And the last of them would set his sights on the expanse. The warnings held that."

From within, a familiar figure stepped out and the gateway collapsed away. Silver eyes stared down The Genius and she finished the prophecy: "Their defeat would be illusory—that the final gambit had yet to be played..." The vampire planted her hands on her hips, uttered a sigh and shook her head.

"You could have just contacted me rather than going off by yourself. I want to figure this whole thing out just as much as you and whoever hired you."

Amoura didn't have her hood drawn over her head nor her mask--she had chosen to let her hair down for once. The Night Angel sniffed, wrinkled her nose, looked over her shoulder and spotted Chloe. Fate had a strange way of playing with people.

"Your hair grew back." That was the only comment she had for the nuisance but for Kyal, she offered a warmer welcome in the form of a nod and: "Good to see you well."

[Chloe/Kat]

Chloe felt something hot run through her veins, it burned but at the same time it felt good, really good. Could that be hope? Never before has Chloe ever thought hope could feel so good. She didn't have to walk the earth as a creature of the night. She didn't have to wander this unknown planet lusting over blood for the rest of her days. Chloe could be underneath the sheets of her warm bed as a human again. The vampiress wanted to be a human so bad she really would do anything for Kyal. Anything. Joy took over Chloe's body as she jumped up and down in excitement and her ghouls mistook it as an order so they too jumped up and down in joy behind their mistress."That won't be a problem at all I've only just risen from the grave but even if my age would catch up I'd rather grow old and die than spend the rest of my life as a blood sucking fiend!"

Chloe then looked over to see a little girl approached the two of them. What on god's name was a child that young doing out here in a desert? Then she sniffed her and realized that this girl wasn't human. Of course. With the exception of those men back in Isafaro, which she wouldn't at all mind spending some time with, she hasn't met many normal humans in this world. Olivia? Not a bad name. Olivia started reciting something that she for one never heard before but it sounded like your average "end of the world" mumble jumbo you'd hear from some insane priest. She would have waited for Kyal's reply until the voice of someone else made their way into her skull. "No...." That woman. That woman back in Isafaro was here in the desert. Why? Why was she here? There had to be billions of people on this planet why out of all of them did she run into her!? Chloe growled at the woman as her eyes turned red and the ghouls behind her started to reflect her feelings as they readied themselves. "You....!" Chloe then looked over to Kyal. "You're friends with her!?" She looked back to Amoura. "I'LL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND BITCH!" The ghouls all rushed after Amoura looking to hold her down as Chloe lunged close behind them, ready to bleed the hybrid dry right here out on the desert.

[Silver Eyes]

One would expect The Night Angel to react, to fight, to destroy the ghouls and possibly the equally short-tempered vampiress--she didn't. Chloe's "minions" pounced onto her, pinning her down and her canines sank into her cool flesh to begin draining her dry. Amoura didn't scream, nor made any indication of being in pain. Instead, she grasped one of her pigtails with her talons, yanked her head to the side and whispered in her ear:

"You, my dear, just made the worst mistake of your life..."

Chloe will look at her face but find something horribly amiss: the vampire was gone and in her place was a decaying, angry-looking creature with sharp teeth. A deafening scream tore from its throat and it sank its canines into her shoulder. The girl's blood gushed out in a torrent, spreading out onto the sand, onto her assailant.

A chorus of wails sounded out through the desert, everyone disappeared, including her attacker, and Chloe was left alone to face what could be the source of that ghastly noise.

"There are some forces in this world that are not bound by any limitation of power." The sound of a thick fabric rustling in a sharp breeze reached Chloe, and slowly, a being began to materialize. All of this creature's body was black, say for the intimidating white mask it wore. Ebony, hollow eyes stared at her as a rotting hand rested on Amoura's shoulder.

The hand was beginning to ooze coagulating blood and it ran down the front of her armor. Despite this, she didn't bother to look at it nor make any move to wipe it off. At this point, she would hear teeth gnashing, numerous forms dragging around her, and the eerie feeling that something unpleasant was watching...

Blood began to fill up around their feet, and it was slowly rising. Moans gradually turned into agonized, but distant, screams.

The pool was getting higher, and higher, and higher...

Then, the unimaginable happened. The white-masked entity walked towards Amoura, swiftly closing the distance between them. A scream erupted from her vocals, wet from the blood that was pouring from her mouth. Darkness consumed the vampiress, and then...she was gone...

All that remained was what had devoured her.

The "sea" had ceased rising, but instead of blood, countless bodies formed it. Their skin was ashen grey and their eyes were solid white. In unison, they sat up and stared at Chloe, their features fixated with anger. They crawled to her, they grabbed for her, they were cursing, spitting, biting, clawing!

And they dragged her under the sea of blood. They swam around her, still inflicting wounds onto the helpless vampire.

Then, in a flash, it stopped and she was brought back into the real world with the Night Angel staring her down with the nozzle of her gun.

"...that is only the beginning."

[Chloe/Kat]

Yes! Yes! At long last Chloe has finally done it. She has exact vengeance upon the armored bitch that attacked her back in Isafaro and oh god if her blood didn't feel good. It was definitely much stronger and therefore far more addicting. Chloe wanted to bathe herself in Amoura's blood, in this revenge. The vampiress wanted to tear her body apart and devour every waking part of her essence, her soul, but then she was pulled away from the brief mount of pleasure as the woman pulled back on her pigtails and spoke. Something was wrong. Chloe's eyes looked at the female just in time to see the horrible sight of a decaying being looking back at her. The vampiress let out a loud high pitched scream at the bite as she threw herself off the "thing" that had replaced Amoura on the ground. HEAL! Chloe screamed in thought trying to get her body to regenerate but the wound would not heal over. HEAL DAMN YOU! HEAL!

The wails. Oh god the wails. Chloe held onto her head. They were worse than the sounds she heard back in Isafaro when her enhanced hearing was going out of control. The woman began tearing out her own hair, gripping the pigtails in her hands as blood dripped from her scalp. Then she saw them. Those hollow eyes of ebony staring at her. Judging her. It was all too much to take. Chloe rose to her feet practically bald now as she screamed. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT IT?!" She then saw the blood that was not her own. It was the first time that the sight of blood disgusted her since becoming a creature of the night. The vampiress wanted nothing to do with it and wondered where everything has gone. "What did you do to me!?" she shouted at Amoura. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" She was made silent when the masked man fused with Amoura and then bodies came out of the ground for her, wanting to pull her down into the sea of blood to drown her.

"NO! STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY YOU BASTARDS!" Chloe would fight, she would survive and do everything in her power to avoid death. The vampiress in return cursed, spat, bit and clawed at her attackers. In her delusions she thought she was destroying them but in reality she had just torn apart all the ghouls she's created previously with her bare hands, and right after Kyal took the time to charge them up for her. But she was lost in the visions. In the nightmare. Even after seeing some of these bodies tear away it was futile. They only kept growing, kept coming. Chloe could fight them off no longer and let out another scream of terror as they dragged her down. The 22 year old felt herself pulled into the sea of blood, closing her eyes and praying for a quick and painless death at the hands of these monsters as she felt them tearing off her skin. Tears fell from her eyes. This was not the way she wanted to die. She wanted to die in bed as an old woman after leaving behind a wonderful legacy. Instead she was taken to another world after being raped, killed and everyone kept inflicting terror upon her. At least now it would finally stop. At least now she would be able to find some peace and quiet. That was until the flash of light came and everything returned as it once was only she was covered in the ashes of her ghouls, and her eyes spotted the gun being aimed at her.

"...that is only the beginning."

Chloe scooted away from her, tears still fresh on her face and the fear made obvious in her eyes. She crawled over to Kyal and cried at his feet. "Help me. Please. Please help me!" If a god couldn't save her, what could?

[Ayen]

More prophecy. Verses she’s already listened to during her research but has yet to reach reading into them further. For now she was focusing on the originally spoken prophecy by the first Arashi. Then she would move on to the second spoken by Aper. The Genius looked over to Amoura, remembering her from the memories of course and what Luca Valentine has spoken of her. For one reason or another Luca did not want Olivia to approach Amoura on this matter but it seems The Night Angel would be involved one way or another. As it was since the beginning.

“My apologies. I was under the impression you wouldn’t be available.”

Olivia looked back to Kyal but her eyes would be carried over to Chloe as she reacted negatively to the appearance of Amoura. This would end in tears. Olivia stepped back as Chloe made her attack. The Genius had expected The Night Angel to counter but instead she simply stood there and allowed the attack to hit. Genius cocked an eyebrow and wondered what she was planning until it all became painfully clear. The nightmares. Chloe has inherited them through The Night Angel’s blood.

The poor bitch.

Olivia owed her thanks to Amoura. This created the perfect opportunity to study how one reacts to the visions. Olivia watched closely as Chloe was quickly subdued by insanity, ripping out her own hair and screaming at things which wasn’t really there. Olivia could only imagine that she was yelling at the first Arashi. Veran. She then started attacking her own ghouls. Olivia looked at them seconds before they burst into clouds of ashes and fell on the body of their former mistress. No doubt Chloe had confused them with the undead creatures that often appear in the visions to pull the victim down beneath a pool of blood. The woman would snap back to reality just in time to see Amoura’s barrel pointed at her and Genius has successfully predicted the outcome.

It ended in tears.

Olivia approached the two, now standing next to Amoura as she looked down to Chloe.

“Be weary of what you drink.”

Olivia had turned away by the time Chloe began sulking to the god for help. At least the woman had enough common sense to beg to one of the strongest beings amongst them.

“As entertaining and insightful as that was, there is still a cavern I wish to explore. Amoura, Kyal, I request your assistance for the expedition.”

Olivia then pointed to Chloe.

“She may come along if she promises to behave. Now that she has been cursed with the nightmares she’ll want to see this.”

[Shai]

Kyal cocked his head as he heard the familiar voice. Ah, Amoura - from the Arashi siege. One of the ones on the side of good - misguided, but that didn't matter now.

"Likewise." He nodded respectfully, before everything hit the fan. Chloe began to sink into madness at the visions; Kyal could do nothing even if he wished to. He watched in total silence, flaring his wings. It hurt him to watch one suffer for little need but it wasn't his place to get involved.

And then she begged him. By reflex his eyes flashed in anger but it dissipated as quickly as it has surfaced.

"Please, do not do that. You wouldn't believe the millions who I watched sink to their knees and beg for my help. It is disgraceful to yourself." He said simply, before he reached down and offered her a hand.

"But I will give you what you desire, but you must promise not to react in anger to either of these two. One is a friend, yes. I do not know the other but I will not see anyone else harmed."

"And in answer to your question, Olivia, yes. I heard it partly when the Arashi came, but the rest reflects upon my own universe. I do not wish to speak of it, however, but know it dwells within my breast too."

With that - and after lifting Chloe onto her feet, he retracted his wings and turned silently, waiting as to what Olivia wanted exactly.

[Silver Eyes]

Chloe screamed, pulled at her hair, ripped apart her ghouls and began crying from the horrible visions that plagued her mind. The entire time, The Night Angel stood there unmoving, uncaring while her silver eyes bored at her.

"Help me. Please. Please help me!"

"You brought it on yourself," came the vampire's calloused response to her pleas towards Kyal, "there is no escape from that nightmare. Even now the curse is coursing through your veins, to your mind, your body--you are infected."

Soon as "infected" left her mouth, another portion of the nightmare began to play through. Kyal, The Genius and even Amoura began to rot away before her eyes. Their attire fell, their skin dried out, their eyes decayed away, organs splashed onto the floor, blood dripped from veins in a coagulated form, their flesh began to ooze out maggots, flies and other creatures that dwell with the dead flopped to the floor.

It was a disgusting sight.

When all that was left were dry husks frozen with jaws open, they regained their youth and the process started all over again for her. It was slower, sometimes faster--predicting how fast life would be destroyed was difficult.

"Only your will to survive can save you now."