The Coin Is Still Turning (CLOSED)

[Validus Recubo]

Overwhelming... a more fitting word could not be asked for to describe the nature of this place. The sheer magnitude of the towering structure could clearly be felt upon entering the grand stone halls of this place, its vast labyrinths and corridors stretching far beyond ones comprehension. Truly this vast tower of jaggered rock and stone bound to every world in existence, was something quite unique, with its origin, still remaining but a mystery. Within this dark and shadowy place, one could see the very the currents of time and space… flowing unhinged, and unprovoked throughout the grand halls of this monument.… gateways to worlds beyond imagining. Here… walking amidst the apex of worlds and dimension itself, was Validus Recubo. His sharp talons lightly traversing across the stone floor of what appeared a central chamber of this enormous tower. With each passing step, the very rock fracturing at his touch as the decaying aspect of his nature grasped the very stone element, crackling underneath him… only to find itself remade the second his foot was moved to take the next step, truly time itself held no power over this place… as if whatever mystical force behind its creation would ensure its existence for all eternity. His movements… slow and steady as he entered what appeared a central chamber of this monument to the coming of the end, with his observing gaze taking in every detail of what unfolded before his very eyes.

Each current, each flickering portal hovering around this illuminated chamber, relaying images of the world to which it lead. Images of armies of strange creatures battling for supremacy over the other… the shattering of worlds as they died out before his very eyes, a supernova of stars as entire galaxies was snuffed out in a flash, with new flickering gateways emerging in their place. Planets….in the afterbirth of their making… all of it was displayed before his bestial gaze, all of it, was found here.… the very cradle of the universe.

Such vastness of power…. all gathered into one plane of existence… overwhelming indeed. Standing amidst the centre of the chamber, his gaze traversing the many elements of entire worlds shaping itself before his eyes, for hours on end he stood… unmoving… unshaken by the malevolence of this place. His eyes continuously observing the aspect of this tower… he was waiting for something, someone… and the one whom had proven themselves so deserving of the white devils patience was about to be revealed. Suddenly… the air grew cold, as one could now clearly feel the ghostly presence of some other entity… an entity he knew quite well, as verified by a singular word uttered by the white devil… a name, whose cold and otherworldly nature befitting the tone at which it was spoken.

‘Tajna….’

[Tajna Rasha]

‘‘Validus…’’ Came the equally chilling response of the phantom. It was mere moments after that the cloaked, skeletal frame of Tajna Rasha came into view as it emerged from the central portal of the vast room. Like a body emerging from an ocean, the magical gateway rippled and bent as the ghost stepped back into Genesis, and just as it did, a great cold filtered through the air – freezing the mystical stone to ice. In nothing but an instant, the two members of the Council of Legion stood atop an ancient glacier. The elements stormed between them; snow rising from beneath their feet to give birth to a crystalline blizzard. Even the mountains of the Expanse had never seen such wrath from nature, but for the two beings that stood opposite to each other on the peek they occupied it was as insignificant as the dawn and dusk of suns.

The blazing, azure eyes of Tajna Rasha gazed deep into the emerald gaze of Validus Recubo. Once considered the opposites of the same coin – body and soul – for the better part of the last years, neither of them had directly come face to face… Not since the dissolution of the Council of Legion. Nevertheless they had each acted for a singular purpose ever since the fateful apparition of the First Aspect, Veran. The coming of the second Arashi, however, had forced them to accelerate their plans. Systematically, both had acted in regards to the prophecy – Tajna had travelled through different times and realities in an effort to understand the implications of The End. Eventually, it was realized that all the roads led them to a single person.

Amoura Ethelia.

The winter’s wind bit unremorsefully into their skin, painting their robes frozen with snow. Without waiting any further, Tajna spoke once again.

‘‘The wheel has been set in motion.’’

[Validus Recubo]

Neither one of the two beings so much as flinched as reality itself seemed to warp and bend around them at will, bringing about a displacement which shifted the very plane of existence they found themselves in. While some would find this a fascinating phenomenon, to either of the two devils however… it was as insignificant as a flake of snow amidst the unrelenting zephyrs of the arctic winds, raging against the forms of the two beings with its howling blasts. The rage of the elements carried on to no avail, as if purposefully trying to root out the infestation of these two dark beings upon the world. A futile attempt, such petty distractions bore no meaning compared to the reason behind their presence here, and as evident by the words of the spectre and the burning conviction found within the flames of his eyes which held even the icy floes settling upon their forms at bay… the game was now set.

‘Indeed it has….It would seem things are progressing just as you predicted Tajna.’

Pausing his statement a moment, the white devil turned away from the gaze of the ghost, taking but few steps to the edge of the glacier to gaze upon the frozen wasteland… a wasteland which was now no longer frozen. Not a moment had passed before the ice now gave way to living flame, and scorched earth. The world shifted yet again before the inhuman eyes of the two, and what was once a frozen heart of a world…became a dying husk of a planet… rupturing from the inside out. Chasms in the earth erupting with the molten fury of the core’s magma… the scorching heat, melting away the last remnants of ice upon the two, as Validus made but a singular flick of his grand wings… casting away what little remained of the snow and floes of ice… now utterly evaporating as the onslaught of the flames of this cataclysmic plane intensified. Searing the very feet of those who would tread upon its super heated soil, the very temperature of the air itself igniting parts of the robe of his companion as well as the blackened tuffs of fur upon the form of the white devil. All of these events, still did not shake either of the two devils, as not a one appeared even remotely concerned at the manifestation of this hell. Validus thus turned around, taking a moment to gaze upon the clawed hand of his evolved state before finally returning his gaze to the eyes of the phantom once more, at last finishing his words.

‘Rather exactly as you predicted… take a look at me… I have finally acquired what I was missing before…. and with it, our goal is now that much closer to reality.’

[Tajna Rasha]

‘‘Indeed.’’

Tajna paid no heed to the change in elements even as the black robes were scorched from its body, revealing the broken and twisted angelic form underneath. The ghost’s eyes remained on the form of its Council brethren; taking in the fine details of the beast that now sculpted the Plague of Legion. Tajna had predicted the conflict with Amoura would have its repercussions on the White Testament, and seeing how Validus had reached the peek of his evolution over the course of their fight, with great waves of energy radiating off the Council Member, the phantom could not have been more right.

Walking to its ally’s side, the wraith took a moment to admire the vision before them – reminding it of the vestiges of Mundus’ realm at the peek of its power. Slowly, however, the environment shifted once again; this time plunging the two into the dark vastness of the night. Galaxies and nebulas surrounded them as if they stood on nothing but air letting them admire the farthest bastions of the cosmos. ‘‘We also predicted: The closer we would be to the End, the thinner our vision of the future would become.’’ Tajna’s eyes flared a deep blue as its tone grew sombre. ‘‘In that regard, our powers no longer grant us the same level of omniscience as before.’’

A pointed pause came between the two where Tajna turned to face its companion.

‘‘You understand the implications of the last steps of our plan?’’

[Validus Recubo]

While subtle in nature, the shifting of the realm they found themselves in however was nothing of the sort, as reality itself continuously shaped itself before the two devils. The displacement, transcending all notions of grandeur... from the frozen mountains to broken worlds of fiery chaos... now all gave way to darkness, as the vast nothingness of space utterly engulfed the two beings. Where once there was chaos... silence and order now reigned supreme.... as the entirety of the cosmos were laid bare before their very eyes. Stars and planets beyond counting passed them by, worlds withering away where others bloomed with life anew. Alas the deepening thoughts matching the intrigued gaze of the white devil was now broken at the sound of the ghostly tone of its companion as it once again stood side by side its council brethren, with the blazing of its fiery gaze coped with the otherworldly tone of its voice, confirming the lingering suspicion of the Plague of Legion.

For Tajna, a being of complete and utter omniscience, the unfolding events were a most peculiar phenomenon indeed, as evident by the tone found within the shadowy words of his spectral ally, and where others may have overlooked this minute anomaly, Validus did not…he knew all to well what lay at the bottom of the creatures soul.
To know the future... to see its path's and streams tracing out into the infinite, the ever present waves of time laid bare before his infernal gaze... to hold fate itself by the throat, and alter the very reality of the world on a whim. Such was but a fragment of the power held by the ravaged Ghost of Legion, and as such an inseparable part of its being.
Yet... perhaps for the first time during the course of his existence.... the all seeing eyes of Tajna Rasha... were blinded.
Still with his gaze as if locked within the endless void of space, Validus thus gave his response following the pause of his trusted ally, his tone calm and calculative as ever, with the impeding silence of the infinite universe only adding to his cold analytic demeanour.

‘Of course… the final piece of the board will soon fall into place… we have only to take from her that which matters most…’

As the words of the white devil thus echoed outwards into the celestial plane of space, his penetrating visage suddenly caught wind of a most intriguing occurrence in their path. A singular star in close proximity to the two… pulsing uncontrollably… waves of power surging throughout the stellar sphere, desperately trying to maintain stability…. all the while the radiating energies were rapidly spinning out of control. One could not help but notice the similarities of this, the irreversible law of all things in existence… all that exists must eventually come to an end, a star… a life… a world, theirs… were no exception…such a befitting image of their current situation. Alas this bright sphere of the void was at an end, its power was simply to great to contain, a supernova was at hand… and just on the praecipes of the impeding explosion of the star… the white devil finally sought an answer to his earlier suspicion, and thus spoke again. His words… calm and calculative as ever, a true testament to the unshaken guise of the winged beast.

‘Tell me Tajna… how does it feel to be blind…’

Alas before his spectral companion could offer answers…. the darkness of the seemingly impenetrable void was shattered completely as it now gave way to the blinding light of what may as well have been a thousand suns… as the two devils both stood their ground in the face of this immeasurable wave of raw uncontrolled power. Both unflinching….and both unmoving. To them… the petty distractions of the world were nothing short of perpetual… this… was no exception. Thus they watched… and waited.. even as the terrible onslaught of this radiating wave grew closer.. and closer.

[Tajna Rasha]

The hand of the phantom closed in on its veiled visage, as though the mystical being processed an immeasurable amount of different thoughts in a single instant. The wave of light and flames drew close, yet all it did was remain there in silence. In a quick gesture, the claw snapped back, pulling the cloth away from the ghost’s face. The terrible oscillations of energy diverted their course towards the gaping jawless maw, melting within the orifice before being devoured by its master. In nothing but a few heartbeats, the full force of a dying star had died out to nothing – consumed by the insatiable thirst of Tajna Rasha. And the two devils now stood amidst the vast darkness of the void. Neither stars nor distant clouds of old universes greeted their vision - only the deep blackness of empty oblivion. Folding the cloth back around its face and then looking at its hand, Tajna lost itself in quiet contemplation for long moments. At length it uttered but a solitary word.

''Limiting...''

As soon as the word echoed out into space, Tajna knew the inquisitive mind of Validus would not be satisfied with such a simple answer. Finally, the Ghost returned its attention to the void, explaining the debilitating thoughts as they ran through its mind. ''Once upon a time, we could live over a thousand lives at once… Turning back to Validus, the ghost’s eyes flared with the intensity of a thousand suns; the essence of an entire celestial body coursing through its body. We were power in the ecstasy of death - god in a world of demons. There was a brief pause, reminding the Plague of Legions just how true those words were, even for a being such as him. It was Tajna itself, after all, that had once upon a time dragged Validus from the deepest recesses of hell and recently brought him at the height of his own power. The light in the phantom’s eyes faded to a darker shade before it eventually returned its attention to the opaque pitch presented to them. We are now trapped, confined to a limited amount of places and times. We have become finite; mortal in comparison to what once was Tajna Rasha.''

The notion, even for Validus, could only remain but incomprehensible. Falling from such infinite heights to any standing of power was to the phantom what any would consider a total loss of self. Still, Tajna looked towards the black horizon, knowing well the future yet held surprises for some… and events it had longed for happening in a very, very long time.

[Validus Recubo]

It never ceased to amaze the white devil of the boundless hunger of its companion, as he watched, intrigued by the entirety of the celestial body devoured by the ghostly phantom on a whim… the flickering currents of raw unsoiled energy razing past his inhuman gaze. Until finally... darkness gripped the empty void.. and the only light found was the fiendish flare from the ever burning gaze of the spectre, now fuelled by the burning light of a dead star.
In this there was a fatal governing rule of the universe. All places, all things have souls.... and all souls can be devoured. In this.. no foe had greater hold over his enemy than Tajna Rasha.
The blazing eyes thus intently focused upon the clawed talon of its hand, the creature then granted the answer to its companions inquiry, alas… none would truly understand the exact lengths of such ’limitation,’ not even Validus himself.

To wield sight beyond sight… and then to have it stripped away, to have sat upon the throne of omniscience… only to fall from the pinnacle of ones power yet a second time.
The irony of this was indeed grim, if not intriguing as the response of the ghosts bestial companion would indicate, as once again the void was filled with the callous tone of the winged beast.

‘Ironic is it not… to have grown to resent that which you once were… remember Tajna… once you to were a being of flesh and sinew…your proud wings whole… with only a singular existence to call your own.’

There was a pause in his words then, as this cold dark void thus subsided… and the whole world shaped itself anew all around them yet again. As before… from the calm and empty stillness of the void, they now found themselves amidst a world of chaos caught in the embrace of dust, and death. A desert like plain of rock and stone… a war torn world of two strange races… with the two devils finding themselves standing at the very apex of this their epic battle. Appearing in the midst of their field, either sides beset by the warring peoples… their sheer numbers covering the horizons. Either side thirsting for the blood of the other…. they charged, cries of war in their incomprehensible tongue filling the air, their primitive weapons held high ready to strike. Yet.. to the two invaders of their world, this was nothing short of futile… trivial.. a threat mounting itself as insignificant as a grain of sand within the vastness of the desert.
Alas for all their bloodlust and bravery, none of these creatures ever so much as managed to reach their enemy… as the cries of war and death.. now gave way to rampant cries of agonizing pain and suffering, as these creatures slowly began to waste away at the sheer presence of the white devil. One by one… they fell… their bodies giving way to the sickly decay of what appeared to be an unknown source… wasting away into nothing. Panic an chaos erupted through their ranks, as this festering plague consumed them all little by little.. growing rapidly in its infestation with every passing moment. Until all that remained.. was an ominous storm of ash and dust lost to the desert winds… swirling round the two devils, as the already barren fields were left completely desolate. Life had been vanquished before the terrible nature of the white devil… and order had been restored.

Thus the Plague of Legion continued, his visage cold and unmoved in regards to what had just transpired, as if completely oblivious to the destruction of an entire army of creatures, he merely turned his gaze once more to the spectre.

‘Life is mortal… fleeting… fragile, it was only through death that you finally became that which you were meant to be… just… as I did.’

As his words echoed out across the plains, the eyes of Validus thus shifted once again, as the fiend now stretched out his clawed hand… allowing the churning ash in this cloud of death and decay to pass through his talons… the murmuring sound of particles which once made up thousands upon thousands of warriors striking against his talons, as it passed through the two completely, leaving them once again at the mercy of the silent emptiness of the void.