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(Old Story clips, things I've had since before this blog. Separated by this banner. Mostly for improvement's sake)

"Haha! Caught you..!"

The sound of a fall broke the chase, a final moment where escape became impossible and freedom had come and passed- and here stood a boy above them, fingers woven into strings, strings which twisted and curled in the air like living creatures, tendrils racing to claim their victim. The boy was tall, his hair blazing red and orange like a wildflower as the soft cavern wind tousled it. His eyes were almost yellow, a light green and somehow rather small, but bright, unnerving in their own way. He wore a cloak made of griffin hide, the collar that of the mane of the more rare variants, and the rest patterned in various patches sewn together from various kills. A hunter. A trapper. The snare.

It was this boy who stood over the fallen form now wrapped snugly in strings. This boy was the one to catch them. Not the others. 

And oh how the victim would wish they had been captured by someone else.  

Grinning with a touch of madness, the boy tugged slightly on the strings, bringing his victim up and holding them in the air above him, struggling for freedom still. 

"Oh, look at you, so hopeful. But nothing more than a puppet now. My puppet, to be precise. Now please, relax, I can make this even more painful than it will be."

With a sneering grin, the captor reached to a small round container at his hip, flicking it open and coaxing out a thin, silvery string, hardly thick enough to be visible. 

"Oh, and try not to die..!"

Without even a moments notice, the gleaming thread struck like a python, a spec of blood welling up where it had delved into the prisoner's skin, pushing inward and continuing, a constant flow of thread into the victim. 

It was only a matter of time before he ran out, all of it deposited within the body of the victim, who was released and collapsed to the earth, hardly moving at all now, their eyes wide and terrified, watching in horror and pain as they were lifted off the ground, set on their feet, facing their captor with that stricken look of terror.

"Now, don't tell anyone, I'll be watching. That wire will cut through you like butter, and cut through anyone around you... You're going to be my little puppet, and you'll listen well, won't you?"

 It's something you've never considered

Not even in the roughest of battles

Not even when limb 

Was torn from limb

And your blood painted the earth 

For what could have been miles

Only it seemed so impossible

Now that it is here

it taunts you

The idea

The prospect

/you could die/

The concept

The thought

it haunts you

Now present in you

It feels so fake, so distant

But it wasn't so

It was never so

An immortal

Can never die 

Not even the blade of a god

Nor the curse of a demon

Could end your life

And snuff out your light

But here it is now

With the small thunk

Of an arrow that now

Sprouts from your chest

Piercing just the right place

Delving in just enough

That the arrow itself

Cannot be removed

And cannot allow healing

Reviving

Regrowth

It is then that you fall

Back

Far down

down past where the light can reach

down where there is no gravity

And no walls nor matter

Down into absolute nothingness

Where you float for ages

In hopes that you return

But you don't. 

Instead you begin to see stars approach

stars that soon surround you 

as if you /are/ one of them

As if you resided 

in the depths of space itself

But then

Then you look at yourself

Your faint glowing outline

the tiny pinpricks of light 

here and there in your outline

And the enormous shining light 

right where the arrow pierced

Right where a heart should reside

You know now

The terrifying truth

That you are gone

The immortality couldn't fight 

Something as simple as an arrow

Something as simple as an attempt

On /your/ unending life

Something so deadly

As your lover's last kiss of death

And the betrayal

Of your most valued

Most trusted

Companion of light

You 

Are Gone now 

Lost now

Drifting in the void of stars and night

Curled around yourself

the light you emit from the fatal wound

This is when you wish to cry

To feel

Something other than 

the false heartbeat of a star in your chest

To live

To breathe

To walk again among your fellows

This is when your star erupts

Bursts

Expands

Pushing past boundaries and other stars alike

Only to subside

And leave you planets around you

Planets your outlines of fingers

Can touch

Can mold

Can feel

You are

Ascended

For the first time

And it has shocked you

And frightened you

Beyond all comparison

But what you hold in your hand

It is the planet 

The one you dwelled upon 

The one you called

°«*Home°»•

And so you begin again

And pull that planet close

Closing your eyes

Your mind

And beginning anew

Once again immortal

Once again living

Your eyes open to a stranger

One who stands above you

And offers a hand

Alongside a well wished expression 

Of concern

Taking you to your next journey

Your next adventure

Your memories

Now telling you

How to avoid ascension again

By taking a different path 

with this new companion

The one whose face

Bears perfect resemblance

To the one you watched 

when you breathed your last

"We shouldn’t be here."


There was only the smallest of unconcerned grumbles sent in response, the clinking of glass and metal echoing through the lonely diner where a couple - or, what was perceived to be a couple - sat idly. 


“Libra, listen to me. Please. This isn’t living. This is… This is torture. We’re nothing but parasites now…”

Darkened eyes flicked up, flashing umber fire before her expression relaxed, a sigh escaping tired lips and baggy eyes closing. 


“We do what we must. Surviving, for now, is far more important than maintaining our deity status. We are patrons, not gods. If we must live among those we protect, so be it. The mortals would have chaos if not for us… And this turn of events has already brought them plenty. No matter how frustrated you are, we can’t go back right now. I can’t allow the risk of throwing the world off its axis. You know this.”

His tongue was held, the stray scar running down his cheek contorting as his jaw tightened, forming the perfect groove for tears to flow from what would otherwise have been a very fearless, daunting, dark face. 


“I can fight—”


“You can’t. Not this. We can’t afford to lose you, Scorpio. Aries’s capture was a blow. Our very foundation shatters piece by piece beneath us if we do not act, especially in attempts at stopping it. But we cannot be rash. Level your head, Scorpio, and come find me again. Perhaps next time, we’ll be able to do something.”

Her hand reached out across the table, fingers gently touching/lifting the blindfold type eyepatch he wore, his sight taken. 


Stolen. 


Ripped away by claws of darkness. 
His large, chestnut hand stopped hers, pushing it softly to the table before he stood, leaving. 
Not willing to allow her to behold what had become of him… Not yet.

"They're powerful, alright. I tended to their growth myself, tweaking what errors came up as they advanced past infancy and into puberty... You will be pleased, I guarantee. These make the best soldiers, as their obedience to their designated master is... Uncontested."

A small smirk, decorating blood red lips and lighting up hazel eyes, eyes that gazed with pride at the room in front of both her and her... Guest. 

"Behold my finest. He's my pride and joy... The best of the best."

The glass that allowed his room looked into shivered, lightening as they watched. 

And there he sat. 

A lanky figure, toned and toned well, his skin blanch and lacking most ordinary color. His hair long, draping down over his face in strands, his umber eyes peering through gaps at the device he held in his hands, something he kept his focus on, even as a fire caught on his sleeve and slowly crept up and burned away a lot of his shirt, something that seemed to hardly faze him. 

"What's so impressive about 'im. I've got a million pyrokinetic warriors, what need do I have for this one?"

It was the sound of nails screeching upon the glass as her hand clenched that caught both of the males' attention. The pyrokinetic, suddenly aware of their presence, looked away hurriedly, while the man who stood beside the woman stood still as she approached him. 

"Do not insult my creations, Banner. If you hadn't already taken the time to notice, maybe notice now that he's not just a pyrokinetic. Oh no. This? This can never be replicated in the same way. Never again. He's an anomaly, a miracle. Want to know why, Banner? I'll tell you why."

By now her words were harsh, and thin eyebrows narrowed over her eyes. 

Then the hush. The quiet anger. A terrifying one. 

"He isn't just a pyrokinetic. He's also a terrakinetic. And do you know what that means?"

She turned, tapping on the glass and making a quick gesture when the pale boy looked over. 

Pupils narrowed to slits, he knelt, -seemingly becoming far more feral than human in such an instant- and thrust his hand into the floor.

The sudden rippling of heat and the cracks of light bathed the room in orange, illuminating his eyes and setting them ablaze, just like the floor... Cement now turned to nothing more than lava. 

"Now, do you see why I demand such a 'high price' for him?"

The trill of pipes hung in the air, only a small accent to the thumping of feet and the clapping of hands, alongside the joyful music blasting through the air.
The festival was going strong, the holiday being of greater importance than any other celebrated previously, and that very much showed: for even as it was a orient party, no party was as large scale as this one, at least, not when hosted by only a single legion.
Visitors had joined the crowds, various dragons receiving a temporary charm to shift and become one simple human. It had become, as it seemed, a gathering of unsuspecting victims, ones who did not know the terrors that would face them with time.
It was upon the railing of his airship that Brill watched, his claws curled around a small mug of steaming liquid, something The Siren herself had given him. Ah, yes, her reputation proved truer than true when he'd sought her out, and she had even bested his greatest warrior. Not only that... She had charmed him in the process.
But now, he merely waited, watching over his crew and their guests as the festivities roared to life as night descended, panpipes and fiddles blaring and bagpipes occasionally taking over... The earth was probably trembling under the syncopation of each footfall in the dances his clan mates had quickly taught eachother.
It was then he had looked up, towards the moon, watching what seemed to be a shifting, roiling cloud form and move across it.
Taking a sip, he set his drink aside while standing, now staring intently at the moon and it's twisting shadow...
It wasn't until this shadow took a sudden turn and dive, growing larger and larger quite rapidly, did Brill even consider the possibilities.
Specifically... One of an attack.
Just as quickly as the scene had exploded into festivity, it descended into chaos and bloodshed. Shadowed beings separated from the main cloud, never having been a part of it in the first place, and, with gleaming talons outstretched, attacked with utter silence and power that it became clear... Something was horridly wrong with this night.
Each thump upon the ground meant a new enemy, each roar meant a challenger for this enemy, and with widening eyes, he beheld the truest terror and nightmare to have ever visited him in his waking hours. Death himself was knocking upon the door of this crew, and he would not be leaving empty-handed.
Standing quick and spreading his wings, Brill searched for an enemy to engage- one that was threatening a member who couldn't defend themselves well.
But there was none.
Peering up again, he could see an enormous Harpy warrior hovering over the battlefield and directing the arrivals of other warriors.
...It was in charge.
Brill growled, eventually letting out the roar of the captain, the Alpha- a call of authority.
Deafening, one would not have expected it to have come from a dragon as small as he. The warrior sure didn't.
Disturbing the wind, Brill called upon the powers it held, lashing out and dragging that commander out of the air and slamming him into the earth, before snatching a long bamboo harpoon and flying to the circle that was clearly made by those afraid of this conflict's consequences.
The battles halted for mere moments as Brill landed before the Harpy commander, his size hardly the largest shock given to the invaders.
No, it was the shock that this tiny creature had just challenged their towering leader.
Standing, the striped captain spread his milky wings, his powers as a wind dragon providing a flickering halo, which blazed about his countenance.
Feathers bent, and disarrayed, the Harpy commander examined this challenger with disdain. While Brill was clearly powerful, it didn't believe that this whelp that stood before him was a threat, and let out a shrieking laugh before barking something to those warriors outside of the circle as the battle quickly resumed, and took it's focus away from this one.
It was vis a vis. A duel.
The Harpy brandished a long spear, one with a far longer reach than the harpoon, and deadly, tipped with lead.
In otherwords... Poison.
Growling, Brill took the first attack, moving forward with the speed only a wind element master could muster. Slashing, hacking, Brill knocked the spear away from grazing his scales, over and over, only managing to shear a few feathers on occasion himself.
The cracks of their weapons colliding echoed even over the screams and outbursts from the battle around the interlocked leaders, and even the screech of anger when Brill landed a hit, finally, and blood began to stain the feathers upon the shoulder of the commander.
But what came next was unexpected.
Lunging forward, the commander kicked Brill back and brought his spear down, causing the sound of a sharp crack and the splitting of something solid.

The stadium was alive, buzzing with the excitement that only preceded a match the crowd perceived to be incredible, with the looks of the AI standing in the center of the pit, it’s militaristic build, the obvious aging here and there, a faded and scratched out symbol stretched across it’s back. Its master stood to the side of the ring, behind bars that separated a walkway along the edges of the pit, bars that turned to fencing, and fencing, to a dome of thin mesh that kept the crowd from any sort of… Interferences. Such was the integrity of the fight. The improvement of both hunters and AI alike. It was her business, her pride and joy.
From the beginning, to now, the fights had only gotten more interesting, more intense, as tech grew smarter, stronger, more impressive. AI were brought in, captured and detained until they would fight for their artificial lives, and all the while, they assisted in the progression. 

Perhaps it was the military who’d paid special interest in her ring. A delegate seeking greater fighting power, with less death involved. Yes, she was certain it was someone after the hunter prowess, the generations of work on wolves and cybernetics, the ultimate killing machine emerging slowly but surely from the constant challenges it was put up against. So far there were only three that had survived in this generation of ‘gladiators’. The weaker ones out of the way, the strong with the good and necessary enhancements surviving and continuing their streak of winning, keeping the rogue AI from being free. There was glory to the fights, a certain glory far from obtainable in the wilds, given to the AI that survived. The ones that killed the hunter they were forced to fight. Those were studied. Incorporated. Their way of thinking and artificial intelligence studied to better improve the hunter capabilities. And then? Then… She had yet to decide what would happen to them, as for now, they were kept sealed away, deactivated for the most part…

The screen in front of her buzzed, whirring to life as the holographic ring presented itself and it’s next AI challenger. The one they’d given the ID, XM30-01, to. However… X, and M, together?
Her eyes, sheltered behind shades with their own display capabilities, swept over those letters, the numbers, the ones that so rarely appeared alone, much less together.
X-class, Military build. 30th AI containing either type, and the first of its combination.
A match not to be missed.

The sunlight beating down on the rafters, the intensity of pure silence as the gate creaked and screeched open, the snarl instilling the primal fear that all humans possessed, one that she could feel, one that clutched her heart and made her shudder with delight.
This was her child. The genetically altered beast with all that tech wired in, and so many improvements made upon what Nature had given as a base. For the first time in a long while, her knuckles were white as she clutched the railing, watching with a wicked grin as rare and as fleeting as time itself. Just as rare as the AI before her. She wanted this one. She wanted to study it. An X class. One of the highest quality classes of artificial intelligence out there. And military made… Wow. This was new. What military would scrap something this valuable? Or was it even scrapped to begin with?
“Nikolas, are you seeing this?”
She whispered, marveling even as the small AI came bounding right up onto her shoulder, his wings vibrating softly and his sensors lighting up brightly as his voice activated, the soft hum of the buzz resonating with it. “I see it, and I know it. What are your intentions, Alter?”

Her intentions…
“Let it win. Make it a challenge, but when it comes down to it, allow the AI to survive. I need to see this one in the lab, not in pieces.”
“I will see to it.”
Wings whirring, Nikolas left her shoulder, hovering slowly into the booth she had just left.
Then, it began.

The hunter faced its new opponent, even as the AI crouched, fearless in only the way the AI archetype could be, and from the beginning, it was clear who would win, even without the difficulty lowered and handicap imposed as of yet.
It was the hunter who went flying, soaring into the chain and steel bars that made up the edges of the arena, it’s sharp yelp heard well over the cheering and the excitement of her crowd.
Now this… This was an experience.

Silence.
They were gone.
The snakes, Harmony, Chaos, gone.
A relief in ordinary cases, but this was no ordinary case.
This case was  a b a n d o n m e n t . 

He whirled at the sound of words, hardly human in sound, seeming to transmit through the charge in the air rather than by sound.
And there, there and then he knew he could not fight. Or run. Or… Anything.
The sight his eyes beheld… There were no words.
The legs, those arms, the tough hide and the drapes of hair concealing a horrifying mouth.
A gaping maw filled with teeth. Fangs.
It would kill him and rip him to shreds and for a first time that would… That would really. Really….
That would hurt… A lot…

"D-Don’t… Don’t kill me! Please… Anything but death…”
Slavery? That was fine.
Torture? Great!
Just not… Death.
Not his first.
The first time was always the worst and most painful… And most scarring. He didn’t want to relive being shredded into a million pieces every time he died and reincarnated. Just… No.
The first was always the worst. 

His heart sped, frantic and frightened, banging against the walls of his chest, trying to escape the frail mortal body it was trapped in – no, the body /he/ was stuck with.
Not here, he couldn’t die here.
Not at the hands.. The claws of this beast. 

T H - D U M P

There had to be… Some other way, right?
Like…
He could fake his death! His venom, his fangs… Would his venom give him a likeness of death? Would the creature leave if he bit himself and ‘died’?

T H - D U M P

His hand, trembling and weak, rose to his mouth, and fangs bared, he hesitated.
Would his venom even work against himself?

T H - D U M P

Would it?

T H - D U M P

Could it?

t       -       u       p       t       -       u       p
   h      d      m       -       h       d      m

He froze.
Stiff, unable to bring down his fangs already dripping venom, an oozing flow of darkness, as his eyes remained transfixed upon the beast, the behemoth, that stood before him. 

drip…
                            dяiρ…
                                                      ᴅrιρ…