Descention

[Atma-Noah]

Duran looks into the light and asks "So you are banishing me to the world I despise so just because I don't see what you like about those abombinations."
A holy voice replys "It is your doing I am just punishing you for your faults. You Duran are hereby banished from this realm and must walk on earth forever. You also are hereby addressed as the angel of despair. Now begone."

Duran awakes in a cold sweat. He sighs, getting up and grabbing his sword. He looks at it and and smiles. "Zion you are but a sword yet you are where I wish to be." He sighs once again and walks towards the cliff. "To bad it wasn't just a dream." Something he has said everyday for the past six hundred years. Duran clench's his teeth and groans as two wings shoot out of his back. One as beautiful as it was in the beginning, the other black and has been morphed into the shap of a bat wing. As Duran regains composer he jumps from the cliff.


Duran lands near a fishing town called Reifash. His wings shrink back into his back and he walks into the bar; But something is different there is some travelers in the bar talking. He sits down and listens to their conversation.

[Zell]

Ash walked into Relfish and looked around"Maybe I should go to the bar and found out what someone might know"He said out loud. He walked up to the first person he saw and asked" Do you know thw guy in this picture"? The traveller said"No I don't". He walked up to the next person he saw and said"Do you know the guy in this picture?" No I don't"He said. Ash saw a guy look at him when he was talking to the man. He walked up to the guy and said"Do you know the guy in this picture because you have his scent on you?"

[Atma-Noah]

Duran looks at the kid in then looks at the picture and again at the kid. "I am sorry I do not know him nor do I know how his scent got on me but I do live on a mountain top near here maybe he was or is there." Duran said. "I can take you there but I doubt you'll find anything." Duran says. I cannot believe I am helping a human. He thinks to himself and grabs his sword. A crystal inside the blade begins to glow an ill green as Duran's hand grabs the hilt. Duran asks " Whats your name if I may ask? I am Duran." and begins to walk out of the bar.

Drinks slosh over their rims, spilling down the side while tinkling ice swims around its ocean of whiskey.
"What can I do ya for boys?" she asks
"Gimme some ale. Gimme some rum. Gimme some a this, and that." They bark, their eyes not quite making it all the way up to her face. She sneers and pours drinks and sets them down, ale and rum and this and that sloshing over. Spilling over. Coins come and go, shining in the dim light swinging over the bar. They bark until they can't bark no more.

Something comes in. Not barking, not buying. Not doing anything but sitting there and listening. She sighs to herself, 'Ain't too many men been doing none of that anymore...listening. heh.' she thinks, ignoring barks for ale and rum and some a this and that to indulge these thoughts. She walks to his end of the bar. "What can I do ya for mister?"
"Nothing, thank you." he says like he can't hear her. He doesn't even look at her.
"Yer in a bar. You gotta buy something. That or you can leave." she says, mean, to wake him up. He orders a scotch and she gives it to him, though he doesn't touch it. He stands to leave after talking quick and quiet to a man with a picture. They stand to leave and start to walk.

"Hey!" she yells, and they stop and turn. He looks her in the eyes. "'Round here you got'ta pay for things," she slants her hips, cutting her eyes to the scotch, still whole, untouched, and waiting on the counter. "whether you drink em or not."

[Atma-Noah]

"I see. Sorry for forgetting. " Duran says reaching in his pocket. He pulls out an amulet. The crest is pure gold and the insignia is very unique. One half is an angel praying, the other is a demon holding a sword. He walks towards the bar and looks at her. " This should cover for it and some others I believe. He places his sword on the counter and walks over to his drink. As he walks she notices the sword and how the dim green glow faded as he left as she looks at it she notices the hilt. One side is an angel it's wings spread out she quickly turns in over to see that the other side is a demon with it's wings spread out. She sets it down gently as he comes back. He drinks the scotch. " Sorry for being so rude I did not mean to be disrespectful not drinking it." I cant believe I said that. I think that I may have become worn by these people Argh!

He walks back to the kid and hesitates. What is going on why am I somehow drawn to ask if that girl will accompany us. Duran turns and looks at her. "My name is Duran. I was wondering wait I do not know your name. Well miss I was wondering if you would accompany this child and I to the mountains in search for his father? The choice is yours but I am sure that it will be better than here and there is others that can take your place. Yet the choice is yours." He sighs and awaits her response.

[Zell]

"I don't care if she comes but, we will have to protect her and I am not a child and this is only my human form."My other form is a werewolf and I think we should rest and leave tomorrow to the mountin because I can't traverse mountins well"Ash said to them. Ash looked at the girl and a thought" Man she is really fine but, what chance do I have.Then he said"I also forgot to tell you my name it's Ash nad my fist are my weapons."

His voice comes out smooth as silk, polite as anything she'd heard in her life. Red rushes to her face, thinking about the things she just said, but that only makes her meaner. The amulet drops into her upturned palm and coils like a snake, the gold heavy and cool against her hand. Nice as anything she'd held in her life. He sets his sword down on the counter and picks up his drink, her eyes straying from him to his sword. It's green glow and design catching her attention and holding it. 'This was there before, wasn't it? This is the angel from before.' She reaches out her hand, hesitating then turning the sword over. 'and there. that goddamn demon of a man.' She pulls her hand away as he steps back towards her.

He talks words, and looks at her eyes the whole time. She has trouble keeping her eyes to his and ends up looking at the boy with the photograph most of the time. The boy speaks up after that, and they say their names are Duran and Ash. She swallows hard and the roar of the tavern comes back to her. Men are barking, their glasses empty. Laughter comes from the back, but it comes loud and obnoxious. The light over the bar is swinging, the shadows dancing back and forth with it. 'It's the angel, Kareta. It's the devil. What the hell are you waiting for?' She purses her red lips, sighing like the weight of the air around her is to heavy for her. "Alright mister, I don't know what you got going on, but wait. Please just wait right here. Just wait." With that she ducks away from the two, disappearing through the bustle and into the back room. The men angry, still angrier, barking for some a this and that.

Standing next to the two of them the one man was taller, the other a little younger then she'd thought. She smiled like she meant it, her face flushed and her heart pounding. "Let's go boys." She didn't carry much, if anything. She'd stuffed the amulet in her pocket, her coppery red hair tucked behind her ears, and a faded picture in her mind. "It's Kareta. Nice to meet you both."

[Atma-Noah]

The three of them walk out of the bar. Duran looks at the girl and thinkks to himself that she is hiding something but this isn't the first time he's felt that way, he snaps back and speaks, "The mountain is this way." he points to a series of cliffs in the distance.They begin to walk and the all walk at the same pace no one in lead but almost in sync. As it the day begins to break to night they reach the mountain. "We should camp here tonight you two are probably tired. I'll go get fire wood over there. I will back soon." Duran says walking into some tree holding his sword.

"Why do you tempt me so. I never asked for this. Just because my ideals are not the same as yours." Duran says looking up to the sky when he is far enough away from the others. " And you! You think you can toy with me bacuase I am bound to this place, Argh! But alas you shall get your judgement soon enough. So I am guessing you have got one of your minions to kill the boy's father." Duran yells in anger. "Of course why would I let him live. I have to much fun watching the people that come in contact with you suffer. You know your not called the angel of despair for no reason." A sly voice responds. As it fades Duran ask's. "What about the girl?" But no answer is given except a devilish laugh. Duran clench's the sword and begins cutting down limbs off trees.

As Duran returns with the wood he hears Ash's and Kareta's conversation, "So why do you think he's helping you?" Kareta asks. Duran waits to listen for the answer before coming to start the fire.

[Zell]

Ash looks at Kareta and says"He probably is helping me because I am a child even though I hate to admit it."Ash then says Let me ask you the same thing ."Why are you coming with us?"Well as long you don't get hurt I really don't care but, I'm just wondering."Ash turned and sniffed the scent in the air.Then he said"You can come from behind the bush Duran because I can smell your scent."I am a wolf you know."

They all walk, silent and somber. Each with questions and none with a voice to ask them. She takes bigger steps to match theirs, they take smaller steps to match hers. The air smells just a little fresher, a little freer then it had before, though the shadows all seemed too close. The shadows finally faded with the setting sun, the air thick with dusk.

"We should camp here tonight you two are probably tired. I'll go get fire wood over there. I will back soon." Duran says, not waiting for an answer. He seems like he has something on his mind.

"Why these mountains?" She asks the other man, Ash. He shows her the picture, his face open and his eyes a little bit sad. He talks like he isn't as young as he looks. He doesn't look that young, she thinks to herself, smiling at him. It feels so good to get out, to grab hold of her life and start what she should have years ago. They talk calmly while they wait for Duran to get back, She sitting on the ground and streching out her legs, He standing nearby.

"So why do you think he's helping you?" Kareta finally asks, the same question that had been lurking in her mind since he asked her to accompany them. Why was he helping any of them?

"He probably is helping me because I am a child even though I hate to admit it." Ash says, his eyes staring into the dark forest around them, "Let me ask you the same thing. Why are you coming with us?-" he interrupts himself, "Well as long you don't get hurt I really don't care but, I'm just wondering."

She laughs harshly, "Don't worry about me getting hurt-" she starts to say, the skin of her leg against the warm metal of her dagger in her boot, when Ash turns to the darkness behind them,

"You can come from behind the bush Duran because I can smell your scent. I am a wolf you know." He says playfully, and Duran emerges with a dark face, carrying an armful of fire wood, placing it by the circle of stones Kareta had collected for the fire ring. And perhaps it was the strong, serious way he walked or perhaps it was the polite way he spoke to her but Kareta lost her words again. She meant to ask him why he was helping them, and what was on his mind, and where he came from, but for once in her life Kareta couldn't think of anything to say. She pulled out the flint, striking it over the leaves and twigs and started the fire, her lips a thin line on her serious face. She fed it log after log as the others made camp until it was a cheerful, crackling blaze.


OOC: Zell, if you could make your posts longer please, that'd be fabulous

Meanwhile in a small cavernous ravine on the otherside of the mountain a stone wall cover with moss and multiple Arcaine glyphs makes an unlocking noise.... Slowly the wall creeps to the right, dust billows out as tiny pebbles start to fall.

A sillhoutte slowly crawls out and climbs to his feet. He pulls his long fair hair out of his eyes and places it gentle behind his pierced ears. He brushes off the dust which accumulated on his cloak over time. The frail body stands tall and stretches. He looks around with his narrow eyes while drawing in a deep breath a fresh air, it feels nice. After getting his barings he says with an evil grin "Kareta..... Rapheal...."

He repeats these two names while making his way through the mountains. His legs feel stiff but he seems to have a deterimination that will not allow him to slow down. He starts to recall a battle........

There stands a man he wears black armour with a blue crystal hanging from his neck. He has long blonde hair that comes out of his helm. He uses a huge sword that he wields with one hand. The sword has cold metal from the hilt running up the front and the blade curves to a point that comes back to the hilt.

"Rapheal...." He treads through the mountains some more, he stops to rest as dawn approaches.

[Atma-Noah]

As the night progress. Kareta and ash fall asleep. As the dream. Duran looks towards the moon. Wondering, Tomarrow we'll set off up the mountain. I do not doubt that the poor boy's father will be up there. Dead most likely.

So it has started. Soon enough these two will turn on me all because of that traitor. The one who I despise even more than the He who banished me. How could I be so foolish to believe that killing that bastard of a man six hundred years ago in vegence's sake would make Him look at me how He use too before he created this. I should have never listened to that demons lies. I swear by all that I have been cursed here for that I will not fall for his trickery again. Duran sighs, holding onto Zion tightly and looking at the Kareta and Ash.

He once again looks at the sky and smiles for the frist time in a long time. But not a smile of happiness but a smile of defience, " So You have decided to give me a task. Much like old times. I am to guide these two or have you decided that I am to learn a lesson from them." He looks as the sun breaks the horizon.

Duran puts out the fire and wakes Kareta and Ash, " Tis time for us to begin our ascention up the mountain." Duran places his sword in it's sheath. He walks up the path along the mountain not waiting for the two.

She sits in darkness. They all do. Moonlight falls in uneven patches on the forest floor and makes everything look like it's moving. Night sounds come out and the fire dies down. She can tell from Ash's breath that he's asleep. She closes her eyes and then her body stiffens, her mind remembers, and she opens them again. It's the first time she's thought about it. She looks to see if anyones watching her as she pulls at the tears in her eyes. 'shut up shut up shut up' she hisses to herself. but they come anyway. She lets the red coals of the fire swallow her thoughts, staring at them until her eyes dry and her breath comes naturally again.

"You bastard. You goddamn bastard. I bet you're still awake, I bet you're having the time of your life, barking after some tramp or swallowing more of those awful bloody secrets." Her fist clenches, her face murderous, her words slow and heated. "You goddamn bastard."

She sleeps then, her dreams of screaming and burning. They continue until Duran wakes them up. It looks like he hasn't slept. He doesn't wait for them to follow.

"And a fine mornin' to you too!" she snaps at his disappearing figure. She brushes her hair with her fingers, watching Ash yawn and rub his eyes.
"Morning." she smiles. Then her eyes stray to the place Duran disappeared into the dark of the forest. She stops smiling.