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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FirstMovement|First Movement]]
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == The Raven's Nest ==
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| − | In the Dark Wood... on the Heart of the Raven’s nest...
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| − | Hatred. Rage. Death. The days pass by, filled so much by these things... the hatred she felt for those who wronged her, who defiled her, who dirtied her, who made her do their dirty work... and for herself. For the blood that was on her hands, that they placed on her hands... and how she took it to heart, staining them even more, with each victim, each life she sees ending on her blade... and not just the death she brings, but the death she is. A queen of death, a scholar of death. She feels oblivion inside her every day, its power wanting to leak out of her like anima, every night she spend at home, every time she make love, every time she hugs her child.
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| − | She wakes up to a bland day - diffuse light coming from the clouds in the sky, the distant rumble and smell of Nexus unmistakable... the damned wind making her remember that her secluded home was made so she could forget, the little hell where the Dark Angel chose to nest. Fitting, she would say in her most ironic days.
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| − | Dreams filled with things she'd rather not remember as conscience rushes lazily to her body.... It wasn't long before Lorna woke her up with breakfast, dutiful as always, tongue sharp as always, idly chatting with the windian about her views on everything from local politics to Selina's old dusty tomes down to Taffryn's care. With the child off studying and no contracts for the day, Selina had most of it free to do... anything.
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| − | But as soon as she got up and dressed, she felt it.
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| − | The crackling of light, the purple shades of it on the window... the wind, now cold, dead, with none of the sounds or scents of Nexus, just... a cold, dead wail. Selina could feel it, as her Raven cried and agitated around her, the opressive feeling, of something getting closer... closer... the footsteps coming closer, heavy, armored. Not good.
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| − | The door opens with the harshest of noises, creaking like it just... shouldn't. On it, a figure in unnatural black armor stands, walking non-chalantly into the nest of Nexus’ Dark Angel, his long, slim dark hair shining under the diffuse brightness like a cascade of night, his face lean and beautiful, pale as her own.
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| − | "Good Morning", the Deathknight says, knocking on the open door, looking at Selina with detached amusement, "I am Prince of Shadows... do I have the honor to address Aine Blackwater?"
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| − | “Oh, and excuse the display,” He'd say as a purple lighting cracks on the distance, behind him, "I simply spent too much time in Nexus, had to get rid of some... weight."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> Turquoise eyes fix on the intruding deathknight as he walks through the drawing room of her manse, she favors the sleek Abyssal with a cold glare, her wings folding closer to her back. "Yes. And next time, do not release that perversity in my home." Her voice is almost a growl - albeit a sultry one - as she lifts the front of her skirts to make her way over to him, rapier at her side. "And what would one of the Lover's better deathknights be doing in my home?"
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| − | Her gown is high-necked, long-sleeved, frothy laced at the end. Wrapping of sighs, her soulsteel leotard, lines her body under it, the reason for it being high-necked.
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| − | <b>Prince of Shadows:</b> “Oh, so you do know me. I'm flattered, Dark Angel, simply flattered!" He says, approaching her, ignoring the rapier, "And why else would I come here, pretty bird...?" The back of his fingers caress her cheek as he says so, "We have a contract for you." His melodious voice would be a whisper, "One I trust you will find... hard to refuse."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Hah." One bare pale hand comes up and bats the Prince's away with idle grace as she turns away and puts a few paces between them, her slim silken gown trailing behind her as her full hips work beneath it. "Work for a deathlord, my dear...Prince of Shadows?"
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| − | Turning about again, eyes calculating now, she'd purse her lips, crossing her arms under her breasts, then lifting her left hand to finger her chin as she tilts her head. "I can refuse a good deal."
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| − | <b>Prince of Shadows:</b> Simply smiling as Selina moves away from him, he looks at her with amusement, "Oh yes... why not? My mistress is very found of you, you know. She admires you a great deal, Dark Angel... and so, she would like you to do her a little... <i>favor</i>." As he says so, he leans against a wall, carefully watching Selina, the faces on his Soulsteel armor seeming as amused as him, instead of suffering... all of it fitting him comfortably and perfectly, as if a second skin, instead of a heavy armor. "Twenty Talents, Aine. Half of it in advance, should you decide to take the job."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "And now the obvious bribery." She states in a disdainful tone, aristocratic face showing some amusement in return as she lowers her left arm to be alongside the right. "Twenty jade talents is not a pittance, but I hope they would not lead the Wyld Hunt to my door, yes? No markings to be sorcerously tracked. Blank talents, perhaps? I will of course assume you do not mean jade scrip..."
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| − | Turquoise eyes closing half-way as she regards the other deathknight for a moment, lips pursed again, Selina resumes the conversation. "Tell me about this favor."
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| − | <b>Prince of Shadows:</b> "Do you take me and my mistress for amateurs, Aine? No, I mean blank talents, real ones. Half of them are waiting for your pleasure... " He'd say, seemingly not very affected by her disdainful tone, simply smiling amusedly at it, "The Wyld Hunt is well enough away from Nexus and our money - whatever you do to bring their hounds to your head will be your own fault, not ours."
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| − | His lips would curl into a triumphant grin as she asks, cocking his head to the side, "Oh, something simple to begin with. All you need to do is to travel to Whiteshield, and watch over its royal family. The Lover wants them safely away from harm, and wants all who would threaten them to be killed... for starters. You would also be on standby for further... instructions.
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| − | You have to accept it won't take more than 6 months of your time, but during this time, we expect you to comply to every order given to the best of your ability, as long as it relates to the royal family of Whiteshield. They are your distant cousins, aren't they?" He adds in the end with a smirk, well aware of the level of secrecy Selina places on her real identity....
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "I will not accept <i>all</i> 'orders', my dear Prince." Selina states flatly, then sighs, ignoring his reference to her blood relation with them. "When you hire the Dark Angel, you do not hire a common cutthroat or sellsword -- you purchase the services of a master at the craft. I only follow orders to the best of my discretion, and no further."
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| − | <B>Prince of Shadows:</b> "Then you should hope your judgement agrees with the Lover's, ms. Blackwater. She trusts it is so, as I do... but we will have to see, hmmm?" He says, walking towards her, "Oh yes, we know very well of your... qualifications. Why else do you think you will get this job? The best of Dusk, Day and Daybreak, all in one... and more." He'd say, his gaze swimming slightly over her gown, then back at her.
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "And more." The Windian agrees, black-feathered wings spreading in a silent yawn behind her as she runs a red-nailed hand through her pale-blonde hair, lifting some of it a bit from where it ends around her knees. "Now, I have a few questions." She'd begin, tone becoming less soft as she looks into the eyes of the other deathknight, drawing them off her body. "Obviously one of which is: what exactly am I protecting this lot of fools from?"
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| − | <b>Prince of Shadows:</b> "A Deathlord. And his far-reaching cult of death, no less. The Bishop seems to have been feeling like crushing them, but my mistress is very... displeased.... that he didn't ask for permission to strike on her terrtory first, and wants him to have a big surprise... preferarbly, one that won't begin an open war, of course. And that is where you come in, pretty black bird." He'd say, gazing into her turquoise eyes with a dare. "Not feeling up to the task?"
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "One Abyssal against...how many?" Selina sniffs in derision, seating herself on a couch and smoothing her skirts, then looking up at the other deathknight. "I am not a fool, Prince of Shadows." Jabbing at him with her right index finger, she frowns and continues. "Especially against the <b>Bishop's</b> little band of whores."
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| − | <b>Prince of Shadows:</b> "Why, you would be there in a mostly supportive role, Dark Angel. You wouldn't be alone, but you would certainly tip the balance towards these little god-bloods... unless, of course, the Bishop was feeling like throwing an overblown ammount of weight on such a little kingdom... but that is part of the uncertainties of life, isn't it?" He shrugs, "You will be defending a kingdom of artifact-laid god-blooded with an ancient culture and training mathods, Aine. Your help should be enough. But we cannot make the job safe for you. And unless you have absolute proof that you couldn't possibly fight back, we won't take running away lightly. But if you want more than your weight in Jade, then you have to take the risk."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "So your mistress will be sending no one else to aid in the defense of this little kingdom, then?" Selina's eyes glimmer faintly for a moment, piercing turquoise searching him as they do. "No one at all? Not a soul dead or alive?"
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| − | <b>Prince of Shadows:</b> "None." He shakes his head. "She would already have me or someone else there to... talk to them, you see... she is quite found of their royal family, she finds them... interesting, but when she considered going there, she heard of this plan... and see, she has greater plans, for that whole region, to be busy fighting with another Deathlord now. She simply has more work to do. But she wouldn't want them dead either way... that is where you come in, of course." And <i>of course</i> she also could summon more independent agents for it if it was so, but he makes no mention of <i>that</i>
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "I see." The assassin states indifferently, thinking on what those plans are...for her home region. "And I will be the only one hired for this project, then. That is good." She eyes him again, breathing easily as her eyes wander past and look at the grey sky through one of the windows. "I do not need unstable elements being introduced into the situation. The god-bloods will obey my orders, should I be required to give them." The last sentence is spoken as if its beyond argument.
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| − | <b>Prince of Shadows:</b> "I suppose. But if you do actually make contact with them... the Lover would be extremely pleased if you got them more... <i>comfortable</i> with the likes of us, and disposed towards... our goals." He says, looking at Selina as if wondering what she would be like during a battle...
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| − | "Come to the Sapphire Rose Hotel to meet me, then, and receive your first payment... I advise you to get people to carry it." The Deathknight says as he begins to walk away, "And to sign your contract. In blood and oath, of course." He grins, looking at her over his shoulder, his tone definite even before she said anything definite to him.
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Of course." Selina purrs, getting to her feet with the same inherent grace she displayed before, the half-smile on her face not touching her eyes to any degree. "We will see about your other concern, perhaps."
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| − | <b>Prince of Shadows:</b> "Pehaps." He says, walking at her doorstep, "See you, Aine. See you... soon."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "Good day to you, ser deathknight." Selina says in a silky smooth, utterly neutral tone, making her way over to him in order to make sure he does not stick around the periphery of the property after he is dismissed.
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| − | <b>Lorna Grier:</b> Selina can say as he walks away, the purple lighting still falling from dark clouds over her property, shining ominously on the woods of her home.... until he vanishes from sight.
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| − | "So, the creepy prettyboy's gone." A voice comes from behind Selina, "You dun tend to get these in such direct delivery, you doin' it, milady?" Lorna asks, her tone not approving it, but not trying to dissuade Selina of whatever is her decision, either.
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "No, I don't." Selina sighs, turning to face her 'head maid' at last. "And I don't want them to be delivered."
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| − | "I have a feeling this little bit of fun will be more trouble than it's worth, however." Sitting carefully on a chair once again, Selina purses her lips as she thinks on the contract.
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| − | <b>Lorna Grier:</b> "Tat's what it sound like, if you dun mind that I listened, milady. No money is worth your life, not even... so many."
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| − | <b>Selina De Windia:</b> "It's a perfect excuse for me to go back..." She says in a low voice, staring into space now. "Back there. I need to settle some things, deal with some things...yes."
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| − | ----
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FirstMovement|First Movement]]
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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