Red Sapphire

[focusedheart]

(Alright throw me a bone here. You're godmoding. What is the plan lol)

[gravitron]

(First off, I'm not sure god modding is completely fitting to this. That being said, I'm sorry that I'm being controlling here, I didn't mean it that way but looking back I guess I kind of am. Well, for Shalidor's plan to work, Sapphire would hit him with the Artifact, and his spell would sense that and activate, ultimately causing the climax I had in mind. On the other hand, this is a two-person role play, and I shouldn't take control of it, so feel free to do what Sapphire would do regardless of what it is, and Shalidor will simply continue trying until either his plan works or she kills him.)

[focusedheart]

(So how can he be killed? Like what is the plan? Do they just keep fighting each other for all eternity? I mean when you say climax you had in mind, what was it you had in mind? What's your idea?)

[gravitron]

(Well, not for all eternity. One of them would have to get the flip on the other. Against an Artifact, he's just as mortal as anyone. As for my plan, his spell would basically make a Hell on Earth, and he would tell her the story of how all came to be, and what he had done since then. It would then be the job of Sapphire, probably with the help of the other living Ancients, to kill Shalidor and restore order.)

[focusedheart]

(I think that's were I'm confused. You said that against an artifact, he is mortal. Sapphire is a living artifact but so far she has had no effect on him. You've made it rather impossible to kill him. I've got a character who has all the powers of the gods, plus the guardian power, plus the power of the artifact and she can't even knick him....)

[gravitron]

(Oh, he is very mortal. Being a living Artifact, Sapphire can indeed kill him. If she defeats him. He's mortal, yes, but still exceptionally powerful. All he lost is his immortality, but he's much more powerful than he ever pretended. The Ancients' power exceeds that of all that came after time, and he was always the most powerful Ancient, with it having taken all the others (including the gods) to have even defeated him for just a bit. Yet he also hasn't knicked her. Yes, he's mortal, but that takes nothing away from his power.)

[focusedheart]

(Okay...I think I follow. So we do this fight scene then and he makes hell on earth and a new adventure begins? Sapphire has to feel like a failure at this point lol)

[gravitron]

(Checkmate. Well, it's hardly her fault, she has some very difficult and fairly unreasonable stuff thrown onto her.)

[focusedheart]

(Yeah)

Sapphire arched a brow at him, her eyes flicker. Each movement she watched carefully, tracking it cautiously. "Now you want me to kill you? I thought you wanted to kill me. Are you having trouble making up your mind?"

[gravitron]

"Oh, no," he said, flashing her a smile. "I just know you won't kill me. No matter what you think. You don't have it in you- Admit it, I've grown on you! You can't kill someone you once trusted so much- Oh, never mind. I almost forgot about that mate of yours. Sorry. Well, then, I guess the only reason you can't kill me is because you don't have the skill. I'm too good. And it's fun to watch you get so close, and try so hard, only to have your chances...." He reached out before pulling his hand back away. "Slip away, so elusive. Come on. Try it." He was smiling from ear to ear the whole time, fully enjoying taunting her.

[focusedheart]

She gritted her teeth as he spoke. She was angry, not just at him but at herself. What he said was right...She had trusted him and killing hadnt been what she wanted to do. Not even to her own mate...then again Alistair had to kill her mate. She couldn't do it. She knew it had to be done...but she couldn't do it.

Moving the blades in her hands she glared at him. "I will kill you by the end of this." She lunged forward, her form shifting as she moved.

She pivoted sharply to send her tail crashing towards him as she then came back around sharply with her mouth aimed for him.

[gravitron]

“We’ll see,” he muttered to himself. He allowed the tail to hit him, knocking him to the ground, and the strength of the strike dazed him, so that he only just set up a shield before her next attack landed.
Time stopped -literally- around them and, still shielding himself, he rose with a grimace. “Nice hit. But unfortunately not such a good decision. Granted, you didn’t have much choice, but....”
He shook his head. “Well, before I allow time to continue and the inevitable that you have put into effect to spread, I may as well explain. How to begin....
“You see, I’ve been called many things. A monster. Untrustworthy. Evil- Can you believe it? Evil, me?” He laughed. “People. Also lazy- By you. Honest, by many, you above all. True enough, I don’t like outright lying. Your nemesis, by a couple members of the Council, that was amusing. But, well, to the point, I guess- My oldest name, and my title as an Ancient, is the Deceiver. I was the original primordial deceiver, and the Staff was made as my weapon.
“There weren’t many of us Ancients. Me, the gods, the Collector, Hope, a few others. But the thing is, I’m the only one viewed as a destroyer. The others are all seen as creators and bringers of light. Ironic, really, as I was the original creator- Yes, I made Earth, though then it was just Hell. And I gave it people, and a prince- My apprentice, Lucifer. How it all started, how I liked it. But the other Ancients, they felt differently about Hell. They brought their light and hope, forcing Hell back to the depths of what they claimed as Earth, and they built a universe around it.
“Well, I’m not the Deceiver for nothing. I went into the void of nonexistence after my defeat, and stayed there for several centuries before returning to Hell under the pretense of an amnesiac. Lucifer took on the pretense of being me, pretending he had done all that I had, and ‘trained’ me. What he didn’t know is all his power was being supplied to him by yours truly.
“Well, long story short, I came up to Earth, created the Mystic Artifacts, wreaked chaos, pretended to be killed by you and returned to Hell, and was eventually returned by Lockhart, all part of my plan.
“And so I raised Lucifer, the false devil, and I poured all my essence into him, granting him my full power. And he killed the gods. Now, though, I needed my essence back, so as planned, I easily enough got your assist in killing him, as you still thought he was the true threat, the true Ancient.
“And I got the Staff of Death back and I altered it to its second form, the Staff of Corruption, an embodiment of Hell. And I gave it to you.
“Using my bond with it, I returned it to hand and planted it here, casting its primary spell of corruption- If a guardian of the Earth and Light used an Artifact from before time to harm an Ancient, widespread corruption would return and Hell would resurface. So thank you. You may now witness how things were naturally, in the beginning. And you may accept it and be my queen, or you may die. But as soon as time continues, and I couldn’t hold it much longer if I tried, you shall witness the full power of Shalidor the Deceiver, the prophecised greatest Ancient.”

[focusedheart]

As time froze she looked around them in confusion before he began to speak. As he went on, things began to make sense, all of it. And as it did, the memories the gods had locked away from her were revealed, giving her images that backed his story.
A tool, she had been a tool this entire time. Used not just by him but by the gods as well. All so Shalidor could bring his hell back. She had failed...
Her anger disappeared from her eyes as she gazed at him. Die or be his queen? Did he really think she would do such a thing? No she couldn't just give up!
A growl rumbled from her chest. "This isn't over Shalidor. It never will be." Brave words but she only half felt them.

[gravitron]

Shalidor nodded solemnly. "I see. So after all these years, after everything you've seen and done, you're still the same thing you've always been- A puppet to the gods, even after their deaths. You were brought back as a human for a reason, Red, and I believe it was to give you another view. One from beyond the gods' strings. But, no. I suppose I didn't read you as well as I thought, Queen of Light." He shook his head. "Anything else before I return my home?"

[focusedheart]

She shifted from her dragon form to her human one. Her skin glowed softly ,her hair vibrant with color. The ancient markings covered her skin in swirls. "Being human gave me empathy for them and the things my own kind had done to them." She shakes her head a bit. "I don't go against you for the gods. I go against you for the people. All people. As you said, queen of light. Someone must show them out of the darkness. Return your home, but you already know I won't stop." She says, a small smile on her lips but it didn't reach her eyes. She knew it was going to be a hard fight ahead but she would not stop. He even gave her the words when she was trapped on the ship about to give up. How could she give up now then? She couldn't.

[gravitron]

"Of course you won't," he agreed. "It's not in your nature. You will attempt to do as it previously took all the Ancients to do -most of whom are dead, the rest nowhere near here- by sending back what I made, by banishing the dawn of creation. You will attempt to kill he who first created. You will fail on both counts. But alas, some are truly hopeless. Some never learn. I am sad it had to be this way, your majesty. But this was the one thing I couldn't plan, couldn't control. Goodbye, my old friend, love, and it seems above all, enemy. Know that your death won't bring me pleasure. Well, not much, anyway." A blinding light erupted from the Staff at the same moment that Shalidor disappeared, and the changes were immediately noticeable all around the world:
The sky went from a beautiful blue to a tint of blood red. The grass died and faded, replaced by ground in the dark color of obsidian black. The waters all became murky gray and blood red. Buildings, vehicles, and everything else made by man crumbled to nothing. The air became toxic, breathing nearly impossible. Black lightning flashed in some dark skies. Animals became darker and more dangerous, their claws and teeth sharper, faster, stronger, and all much more violent.
But the worst changes were the people. Servants of Hell were beginning to rise from their prison to the Earth, all different, all horrible and sinister, with dark, beady eyes, or clawed hands, or mouthfuls of fangs, or a hundred other combinations of scary features, and most were humanoid in form. Only some humans were surviving, others dying from the air, and some even changing into Hellbeings themselves.
Hell had spread to all corners of the earth.

[focusedheart]

Sapphire had watched the changes. The old tree she had cut down had become rotted from the changes. She could hear the cries of her fellow guardians as they fought to protect their areas. Only a few succeeded in surviving.

Using her powers, she altered her own body to better survive the toxic environment. Her skin had become darker, the ancient markings turning red. Her eyes though remained shining.

Shifting to her dragon form, she takes to the sky. She had to figure out how to fix this. She had failed but she wasn't dead yet. Shalidor's last words filling her mind. The male had wanted her as his queen. Did he think she could just stop who she was? No, she couldn't. She felt the misery of the people as they suffered.

[gravitron]

“That damned rebel,” muttered Shalidor to himself as he paced, his location kept hidden. “Can’t ever make things easy. But I guess there would be no fun in that.
“I could kill her quickly, now. Or....” He stopped. “The remaining Ancients will want to stop me. They will join Red, I know they will. I will let her lure them out.”

OOC: Sorry I took so long, I know it was like forever, but I was delayed by my personal life.

[focusedheart]

Sapphire had flown for several hours, managing to take out a few demons along the way that were terrorizing the few remaining humans. She didnt linger any where though. She needed to get to her other guardians. Their pain was terrible. She could feel it like her own. Only two were still alive.

They would meet in the old place. It was an ancient part of the world. Older than even herself. Her place of birth. She lands quietly.

But her other two guardians would never make it. She cringes and grimaced as she felt the full impact of her guardians being gone. No she couldn't give up. She changes to her human form and moves to the pools of water that used to be so vibrant but were now dark and murky.

There had to be a way to defeat him and return the world to the way it was.

OOC: it's okay. I completely understand.

[gravitron]

“The chosen one of the gods,” remarked the coarse voice of a man from behind her. “Just as the prophecy foretold, so many eons ago. And the darkness it spoke of.... Well, Shalidor’s work is self evident. The Champion appears to be highly powerful.... I’ve never seen anything quite like this in one other than another Ancient. The gods chose well. What do you think?”
The speaker was tall and athletic looking, handsome in a rough way, wearing dark jeans and a black t shirt with short sleeves. He had some stubble, long black hair, serious blue eyes and arcing eyebrows, a claymore hanging from his side, and an air of tension around him.
The man he was addressing, on the other hand, was thinner, wearing pale jeans and a T-shirt covered by his leather jacket. He was clean shaven, also with long dark hair, but green eyes and thin eyebrows, and he appeared much nicer and more understanding, and also much more sorrowful. He was unarmed, but there was also a feeling radiating off of him, one of inevitable demise.
“I’m terribly sorry about Clayton,” the second said as he approached, sounding very understanding. “He doesn’t have much sympathy. I, um.... I’m sorry about everything that’s happening. It really is horrible, and I’m not sure I can completely understand what you’re going through, not after so long.... I’ve been much busier than I’d have liked. And unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be stopping. But, well.... To the point, I guess, if there’s nothing more that can be done. We’re here to help. To defeat the Deceiver and restore order, if we can. Finish mourning and we can discuss what must be done.”

[focusedheart]

Sapphire had fallen to her knees and was staring at the ware when the two approached. She stands back up and turns to face them.

They weren't what she had expected but realized who they could be. Her eyes flicker slightly as they spoke. No they wouldn't understand the pain she was in. She had felt the death of each of her guardians as if it had been her own.

Her eyes fix on them both. "While you were too busy, the gods have died, my guardians have all died and a large majority of the population has along with the earth itself. Sorry that you were so busy you could not stop all of that." She retorted.

She was angry. He was busy? So much had been lost and he was busy. She shakes her head sharply and turns back to looking at the water. "How do you stop someone like Shalidor? He only gets stopped if that's what he wants." She closes her eyes and tried to get her emotions back in check. This wasnt the time for it. Mourn? Her heart was broken and there was no repairing that damage. No, she had no time to mourn.

[gravitron]

The second man hung his head, Clayton gave him an ‘all you’ look.
“No interference,” said the second, and he appeared sincerely apologetic. “I hate all that has happened, and wish that I could have prevented it, but.... The gods made us promise to stay uninvolved. Repeatedly. And lastly right before they went to see Shalidor and Lucifer.... They made us promise, we could only return when Hell did too. We hated it, we resisted, but.... We follow the gods. It is our way, and-”
“Get on with it,” sighed Clayton.
“My apologies,” stopped his friend. “Well, Shalidor is not unbeatable. We all have Artifacts, and we two as you may have guessed are Ancients. I still fear that without hope.... But we can take him on, together. And we may even win. I am destined to reap him. Because, you criticize me for being busy? Well, who do you think held reality itself together? Shalidor is destined to destroy it, should he live long enough. And the restoration of Hell would have been the last piece if I hadn’t done my job.
“You see, all that lives must die, it is the order of things. If that order is broken, all will crumble. And I.... My job is depressing. I have faced more sorrow than I would like to think about, so many final moments. But I must. All of us have a part to play in this reality, and among the Ancients it is our entire purpose. I am Death. And my job never ends. Today, especially.... That is what I mean when I say I’m busy. If I didn’t take the souls of the departed.... Shalidor’s victory would have been much greater. It is a horrible duty, but a cross I must-“
“We get it,” sighed Clayton. “Life’s a bitch, but Death is a rambler,” he explained. “Life- Ugh, almost glad she isn’t here.”
“Don’t be,” warned Death. “There must be two sides to the scale. Now that Shalidor has killed her, the future is uncertain, especially without Alec to restore her. But we still have a chance, if Hope survives, if we can get her back here-“
“We don’t need her,” argued Clayton. “And we don’t have time anyway. We need to put a sword through the Deceiver’s heart, and soon, right?”

[focusedheart]

She closed her eyes. Of course he was death. Her guardians...she pushes the thoughts away quickly. Then opens her eyes and gazes at them.

"Saying that we need to put a sword in him is one thing. Actually doing it is very different." She sighs. "I will never understand some of the things the gods did." She looks around then pauses. "The other guardians....they are at peace?" She asks suddenly.

[gravitron]

Death nodded solemnly. “They accepted their ends. And they didn’t want you to blame yourself. They wanted you to move forward and do what’s right.”

[focusedheart]

Not blame herself? How could she not? Every decision she had made had lead to this point. It was entirely her fault that any of this had happened. Her eyes flicker slightly.

"It is my fault and that is all there is to it." Her eyes darken a little. "I will do what is right and sent things back as they should be."

She looks to them both. "Tell me what you know and what plan there is to defeat him. "

[gravitron]

Death looked her over carefully. “You are wrong. You don’t understand wholly what Shalidor is, but trust me, you couldn’t have seen through him, even we Ancients rarely can. He is the Deceiver for a reason. And that he would do this, no one could have expected. He is shrewd, it is what he was made to-“
“Alright, so the plan,” Clayton interrupted. “That’s kind of you guys’ thing. I’m just here to fight.”
Death half smiled irritably. “Clayton here- He’s the Warrior. Absolute brute, if you couldn’t tell. His physical fighting skill is just about unthinkable. Of course, Shalidor’s magic triumphs him. Shalidor was always the most powerful Ancient, by far. And we can’t stop him alone-”
“Not this again!”

[focusedheart]

Sapphire runs her fingers through her hair. "Just tell me what we need to do. I'm very aware of how he is and who he is now." She looks to the pools of water. "Stop telling me about him and just tell me how to kill him." She turns and looks back at them. At this point, her grief was turning to anger. She wanted the man dead,she wanted Shalidor dead and gone from this world and from her mind.

[gravitron]

“Like I said,” Death repeated, glancing at Clayton, “we can’t defeat Shalidor alone. He’s killed nearly all of the Ancients, and he took all the Artifacts when he killed Alec, save a few that we already have, and yours. But there is still one Ancient left, and this battle can’t be won without her. Earth can not be reclaimed without her help, and it is through her absence that Shalidor thrives. Unfortunately, Hope has been working from the background for a while now, and we have no idea where she is, and she doesn’t answer our summons.”
“We’ll go on without her,” Clayton told him.
“She is perhaps the most important Ancient,” Death told Sapphire, ignoring Clayton. “She symbolizes all that is good and pure, and she represents the chance of success. And only she can truly bring order- We need her to win, and she has the power within her to restore the Ancients. I was hoping you could convince her to reveal herself. We haven’t had much luck.”

[focusedheart]

Sapphire fell quiet as she listened. Then she nods slightly. "We first need to make sure it will be safe for her to reveal herself." She thinks carefully. "You said she's been working in the background, what specifically does she do? As in is there a way to know she has been some where?" She asks curiously. There had to be a way to get the Ancient to at least talk to her.

[gravitron]

“Her job is simple,” Death explained. “She gives hope to humanity. In general, but especially to those she favors and stays near. So long as she is with us, we have a chance, but I fear we need her favor. The only tricky part is, if she does, well, all is lost.
“Well.... Wherever she is will be where the people are most hopeful and motivated. Today, that shouldn’t be hard to find. Look for a place with a surplus of survivors, particularly ones who haven’t given up. She will be the source- Once you get there, if you ask around, she’ll be easy to find.”