(All New HtD RP Thread!) RED! RED! RED!

The ship sailed through the skies and the brisk night air chilled his cheeks. He wasn't sure how long things had been this way or how they got this way. All he knew was that many he had traveled with were missing, possibly dead. And some he had even killed himself now stood at his side a hero like himself.

Many claimed they had heard people screaming of something called "The Burning Machine" before the world burned to red. None knew what it meant. All anyone knew was that one moment they were existing...and the next a red mist had surrounded them blocking out all senses.

The sun rose again on Nerin Toth now, but one couldn't really notice it. It wasn't all that different from night now. The sky was a constant deep red color. The mist and fog that was everywhere anyone traveled had a red hue to it.

It used to be his favorite color. Now he hated it.

The undead were everywhere. As if they had no King of the Undead to control them anymore.

No towns existed. None worth mentioning at least. Society still held together in some places, but those places were usually run by tyrants who only operated their economy on a barter system. And if you didn't have something to trade....you didn't get into town.

And so he found himself on the Sky Palace. The ship moved through the clouds and sky with ease.

She walked up to him.

"Hello lover. There's fresh fish down below deck," Sabal said, kissing her mate on the neck softly.

"It looks like rain," he replied.

"Go talk to him," she said.

"Fine. But if he doesn't answer me this time....if he doesn't tell me where Turk'en is this time....I'll kill him."

The man then walked below deck.

Images came and went. Some were illusions, some were memories. Most were terrifying moments fighting off undead, battling friends, and being imprisoned. Rarely was an image pleasant. The few images often showed lush forests, a panther, and a hard but rewarding life in the wild.

One image however... one image showed something bizarre and confusing. Images outside of a forest, where there were many minotaurs. However, like many dreams, they fade from memory quickly, and without reason. You know you've seen something amazing, but you will never remember what it was.

Red mist blotted out every other image, and red light pierced closed eyelids, stirring the sleeping figure awake. He sat up and gazed around, sleepily. He remember being broken, torn apart from fighting with undead. Now... he didn't feel pain. He wasn't sore, or bruised. However... he did feel bigger. There were two long horns coming out of his skull, and... something was jutting into his lower back...

Leif looked down and behind him at his new tail.

"That's new..."

Kyria awoke coughing and gasping for air. She sat and looked around her, finding herself within the midst of a forest. But this was an odd forest, everything had a red hue to it. She spun around taking in her surroundings and as she long white hair fell over her shoulder to cover her bare form.

She grabbed the strands of hair and looked at them and then held her hands out in front of her, looking at both the front and the back, before going and running her fingers down her cheeks and across her lips. Near by was a small pool of water, she went over and looked at herself, running her hands over her white hair and feeling her coal black skin as white eyes stared at the image reflecting in the pool.

"Who and what am I?" She whispered softly in drow then stood and looked around "And where in fuck am I?"...

Leif wrote:

Leif looked down and behind him at his new tail.

"That's new..."

As Leif turned back around, he felt white hot heat. The branding iron pushed into his throat forcing him to the floor. The man in black stood over the minotaur pressing the hot glowing branding iron into Leif's bovine throat.

"WHERE'S TURK'EN RAH'ELL!?" Erron screamed in rage at the minotaur.

Kyria wrote:

"Who and what am I?" She whispered softly in drow then stood and looked around "And where in fuck am I?"

"You're a darkling. Like me. I've been standing guard over you for some time now. My name is Mathias. We aren't safe here and must leave quickly. Come, the shambling corpses will be upon us soon. A ship is on it's way to help us. My sister will get us to safety."

Craig wrote:

"You're a darkling. Like me. I've been standing guard over you for some time now. My name is Mathias. We aren't safe here and must leave quickly. Come, the shambling corpses will be upon us soon. A ship is on it's way to help us. My sister will get us to safety.

"

Hearing the voice come from behind her she spun around and grabbed the darklind and dropped him to the ground, but not before taking the brown cloak that covered his leather armor. She placed her foot on his chest to hold him down and wrapped her naked form in the cloak.

Her eyes studied the darkling. "Who am I and where is this place?"

Mathias lay on the ground wincing from the surprise attack.

"OK, I'll give you that one. You caught me off guard," he said, wincing in pain, "it won't happen again. But the fact is you need me right now way more than I need you. So you either kindly remove your foot from my chest, or I answer none of your questions. Additionally, if you don't remove your foot from my chest you're going to be eaten."

On the ground, Leif could barely do anything. However, his new bovine legs were at a perfect spot, and Leif was betting those hooves were pretty strong.

He sent a hoof into the crazed man's gut, while holding onto on end of the brander. The man stumbled backwards enough for Leif to get up and relieve his throat from the iron, which was now in his bovine hands. He was too sore to speak, and he was dazed from his new form. He knew he couldn't fight against a crazed man, likely to have blades and weapons to fight with. All Leif had was a hot iron. He snorted in anger. Leif didn't know who this man was, or who the guy he wanted to find was, either. He took an aggressive step forwards, towards his aggressor.

Unfortunately, Leif's hoof didn't share the same traction as his used-to-be elven feet. He stepped on some loose bedding, and couldn't adjust his weight. He stumbled forward, right into the human. Both ended up lying on the floor, next to the bed and sheets. The human was on his back, with the bull on top.

Craigzilla wrote:

Mathias lay on the ground wincing from the surprise attack.

"OK, I'll give you that one. You caught me off guard," he said, wincing in pain, "it won't happen again. But the fact is you need me right now way more than I need you. So you either kindly remove your foot from my chest, or I answer none of your questions. Additionally, if you don't remove your foot from my chest you're going to be eaten."

Kyria quirked an eyebrow stepping back. She didn't step back because she worried about not getting her answers nor was it that she fell for the being eaten thing, although she had no clue as to what in the abyss he was talking about.

She didn't fear anything coming up behind for surely she would be able to hear something approaching long before it reached her.

She looked at the darkling and offered a hand to help him up...

Mathias took her hand and got to his feet.

"The undead aren't far. I can smell them. Can never mistake the smell of rotting flesh. It smells almost sweet in an odd sort of way. Now then we--"

Mathias turned and looked to the sky.

"Ah, there's my sister now. May I present to you....the Sky Palace."

********************

Erron lay under the heavy minotaur. Quickly a dagger was around the minotaur's throat from behind.

"Get off of him, cow, or slit your throat so clean you'd think I was a butcher in a local town market," said a female voice as she held the dagger from behind the minotaur.

The minotaur held both arms up, surrendering. The iron was rolling on the ground away from him. He sat on his knees hoping these people weren't cannibals... or minotaur eaters.

"I don't know how I got here, or what you two want," he said in a raspy voice. The burns still hurt. He hoped he'd have a chance to heal them in a moment. He looked at the man below him, nervously. The last thing he remembered was sitting in a forest with his panther companion...

Craigzilla wrote:

Mathias took her hand and got to his feet.

"The undead aren't far. I can smell them. Can never mistake the smell of rotting flesh. It smells almost sweet in an odd sort of way. Now then we--"

Mathias turned and looked to the sky.

"Ah, there's my sister now. May I present to you....the Sky Palace."

Kyria followed Mathias' gaze up to the sky. The Sky Palace as it was so aptly named was truely a magnificent sight, but that wasn't what preoccupied her mind. She looked over to the darkling. "Undead? I don't understand."

She now noticed the sweet smell that he spoke of. She was so taken with the sequence of events from the time she had awaken to the present that it wasn't until he spoke of the smell of rotting flesh that she noticed it.

Moments passed and Kyria and Mathias made their way onto the ship.

"...And so you see, the world is over run with the undead," Mathias explained the curse that was upon Nerin Toth to Kyria.

"They are everywhere and vastly outnumber the living. Cities are no longer safe. no where is. Thus we live on this ship in the sky. I was on the ground below hunting for food when I came upon you." he finished as the ship slowly rose into the air.

Erron pushed himself to his feet and picked up the hot iron.

"Get up," he said with disgust to Leif.

"I'd do as he says. It's for your own good. Believe me, if he was going to kill you, you'd already be dead," Sabal stated in friendly tones.

Sabal led the minotaur out onto the deck of the ship where they met Mathias and Kyria, while Erron parted ways before the two groups could meet, to tend to other matters.

"Hello sister," Mathias greeted his sister coldly in the darkling tongue.

"Who's this?" Sabal asked just as coldly to her brother.

"I'm afraid we haven't been introduced. But all that will come in time. We will learn her identity and the minotaur's as well when they introduce themselves to our leaders."

The few deckhands that operated the ship went about their business, as the two darkling led the confused and curious Kyria and the addled and apprehensive Leif back below deck to a different cabin's quarters than the one Leif had found himself in previously.

As they entered three figures could be seen in the room. A man, who held a candle, but held it low so that his features could not be seen, and two others who sat in chairs behind a large oak desk covered with maps.

Mathias shut the door behind them as the four entered the room.

"Welcome to the Sky Palace. First and foremost, allow us to apologize for any inconvenience that was bestowed upon you in trying to convince you to join our cause," one of the shadow figures from behind the desk spoke revealing themselves to be female from the sound of their voice.

"Secondly, do keep in mind you are welcome anywhere on this ship and may consider it home. All we ask in return for our generosity in harboring you from the horrors this world is plagued with is your complete cooperation in helping us to achieve our goal," the second person behind the desk stated, also revealing themselves from the sound of their voice to be female.

The man holding the candle lifted it slowly revealing themselves to Leif and Kyria.

"I am Erron. This is Jade and Trinity. We are the leaders of the Civil Agents and are hunting a darkling named, Turk'en Rah'ell."

Leif looked at the two women, seated; then the man that attacked Leif; then at the woman that held a knife to his throat. He wasn't sure what to make of them. He didn't know anyone here, and he was more interested how to get off and get back to the forests outside of Peregrin.

He looked at the new woman next to him, obviously another new comer. He leaned slightly over towards her and whisphered.

"What's a Civil Agent?"

Meanwhile in a town where an odd woman in red accompanied by a man with an eye patch just entered sat a pirate in a bar.

"Can't believe they stole me ship." Captain Hellcat complained into her glass of rum.

It wasn't real rum. just like man at the bar wasn't drinking real whiskey. it was all a home concocted brew that tasted more like coal than anything else. But calling it by different names at least was a nice thought to try to remind those who could remember some things from before the mist of when times were better.

"Don't worry Cap'n," Bonejack, Hellcat's always trusty first mate stated trying to comfort her.

He knew his Captain well, and every time the man was killed he always magically re-appeared back on the ship, not having any recollection of ever leaving it in the first place. Most of the crew believed him to be the very spirit of the ship. Some felt he was a ghost. Captain Hellcat knew the truth. Bonejack was just an old man who refused to give up. He wasn't someone who could magically come back from the dead. he wasn't immortal. And he certainly wasn't a ghost. he was just an old man who had an undying loyal to his Captain.

"I promise ye Cap'n, me an' Lopex over there at th' bar will find James an' th' rest o' th' crew soon 'nuff an' we be takin' back th' Sky Palace quicker-- BY TH' UNDEAD KING!?!?!? IT'S BROWDEN!!!" Bonejack said in shock.

****************************************************************

"So you see Minotaur, you now know who we are.....we need to know who you are," Erron stated interrupting Leif's whispering.

"That's... difficult to say. Before the sky was covered in this mist, I was an elf, sitting in a forest with a friend. Now, I'm in this minotaur form, and I have no clue as to why. I'm still uncertain as to what's going on. I don't want to be any trouble. I don't know anyone named Turk'en Rah'Hide or whatever.

"My name is Leif, I'm supposed to be an elf, and I'd very much like to return to Peregrin. And that's all I can say about myself."

Erron stared at the Minotaur showing no emotion. He then leaned over the desk and whispered to Trinity and Jade. The replied with unheard whispers and Erron nodded.

Trinity and Jade then nodded at Mathias and Sabal.

Erron stepped forward toward Leif....

...and drove the lit end of the candle into his eye!

As the minotaur doubled over in pain, Erron brought his knee up into the bovine face of Leif, sending him flying backwards.

Erron unsheathed a very wicked looking kopesh sword and grabbed the minotaur by the scruff of the neck.

Trinity made some odd gestures, and Leif began to glow!

Erron lifted the minotaur with ease and stormed out of the room with the beast as it flailed in his hands holding it's burn eye.

Mathias closed the door.

Outside of the room Erron continued walked and carrying the minotaur with one hand back up to the deck of the ship and through a door way back down below deck to a different room. He made sure he was as rough with Leif as possible.

Once in the room he tossed the very light minotaur onto a bed. As the minotaur floated down like a feather to the bed he stopped glowing. The gravity defying spell had worn off. Erron shut the door behind him and rushed to the bed.

"Listen to me," he whispered, "I know that hurt like hell, but it's for the best. And I also know you can heal it, so don't give me any of your sappy bitching you usually do. Stay here and stay quiet. This is my room. No one should come in. I have a key, so if anyone knocks it's not me. Just stay silent and whoever knocks should go on their way. It's very important that we keep the illusion up that I took you from them to kill you. If you don't do exactly as I say......then I'll have to kill you. I won't have a choice. You have to trust me," Erron whispered harshly the instructions.

It was all happening so fast. What the hell was going on?

Before Leif could get any answers Erron left the room locking the door as he closed it.

Kyria looked at Sabal and the two women and the man. For some reason she felt as though she should know them, the one named Trinity the most, but she didn't know why, she didn't know anything. Then the minotaur leaned over and whispered some gibberish that she didn't understand. She sneered at him pulling the cloak around her tighter.

She was in a place she didn't know and listening to words she couldn't understand, then it all happened. The man with the two women attacked the minotaur and drug him off and Mathias shut the door. Kyria quirked an eyebrow as she looked around the room for anything not bolted down that she would be able to use as a weapon.

If the minotaur had just been drug off, what were they planning on doing to her?...

"I must apologize for that awful scene just now," Trinity said as she stood from her seat behind the desk, "Apparently, our associate realized who the minotaur was. Someone who has intimate knowledge of this Turk'en Rah'ell that we are hunting down. It's probably in the minotaur's best interest to cooperate with Erron. Otherwise he could slit your throat."

Trinity walked from around the desk up to Kyria.

"Oh I don't mean you specifically dear. Erron would never slice your throat. To do so would be...well....it would be like beating a defenseless woman to death in the middle of a rainstorm and leaving her to be eaten alive by the undead," she said shooting a glance at Jade.

"Just awful," Jade replied as if her words had a secret double meaning.

"I must say though...you are the oddest darkling I've ever met," Trinity said eying Kyria curiously," you see most darkling women are not as strong or forceful as yourself. I notice you walked in, in front of Mathias. The darkling women know their role when with darkling men. They know they are inferior. They know the males may have any darkling woman any time they wish. They know to give of themselves completely in any way a male demands. They know They know that disobedience is an instant death sentence. They know to follow a darkling male everywhere and to never walk in front of him as it would leave one to assume they are leading him. they know to stay behind a male at all times so that if one were to attack from beihnd she would die first, thereby warning the male of the danger so that he may live. And they do not only follow these laws set forth many many many years ago by the darkling society.....they enjoy them."

Trinity now stood very close to Kyria and spoke very softly.

"You my friend.....are no darkling."

"Which begs the question..." Jade began standing up and walking around the desk and then leaning against it facing Kyria, "...what are you?"

Kyria stood frozen for a moment. Not because of what was said or asked....but because she knew these women were not speaking in the darkling tongue or common tongue or any tongue she had ever heard of before....and she could understand every single word they spoke!

"Let's start with something a little easier," Trinity suggested to Jade.

Jade nodded.

"Who are you?" Trinity asked.

Kyria stood her ground watching and listening as the women approached. She noticed that they spoke in a language she had no recollection of ever having heard before, not that it held much weight seeing that she had no recollection of anything, much less of ever having heard a particular language, but it grabbed her curiosity why she could understand it when those who spoke common were only speaking in gibberish to her.

She raised an eyebrow when Trinity put emphasis on Erron and him slitting throats. It was as if it should have held some meaning to her, which it didn't. She didn't know Erron and personally didn't care to.

The two women stood in front of Kyria...close, but she stood her ground, standing still. Occasionally glancing over to Mathias and Sabal, not as though expecting either to step in to take any action, but just to know where they were in case she had to open up a big ol' can of whoop ass.

Kyria stared Trinity in the eye. Her gaze ripping through her like a searing dagger.

Crainky wrote:

"Who are you?" Trinity asked.

"I am D'nyra and NO male walks before me, and that's all I know. I remember nothing prior to me awaking out in the forest where I met the male darkling there."

She took a step in to Trinity staring at her maliciously, "But since obviously you KNOW who I am, then please feel free to enlighten me." She hissed taking a big step back and casting a glance over at Mathias and Sabal. Now she was summing up her potential opponents...

(OCC: Even with no memory she's still a misunderstood psychobitch...hehehe)

"Relax. You're safe here," Jade said stepping forward, "we're just merely curious about you. Mathias telepathically informed us, via this small brooch, that you were mumbling in the woods not knowing anything. And you don't act like any normal darkling woman," she finished showing a small brooch to Kyria.

"You're a curiosity of amazing circumstances," Trinity said smiling.

"If she doesn't know anything about herself and neither of you know anything about her, maybe some tests can be done?" Sabal asked.

"No, no don't be afraid," Trinity said seeing the look that Sabal's comment had put on Kyria's face. "but we would like to help you with this if you're willing. The more you know of yourself, the more you can help us achieve our goals."

"I have an idea..." Jade offered, smiling mischieviously, "Perhaps we should send her with Erron down to where Mathias found her....perhaps there are clues to help discover more about her."

"An excellent idea," Trinity said, "meanwhile we're nearing the town of Medrath. Perhaps we should send Mathias down for supplies?"

"Yes, we're going to be needing them for the trip we'll all be going on soon," Jade stated.

"And what would the two of you have me do?" Sabal asked her superiors.

"If Erron hasn't killed the minotaur yet, stop him. We'll have the minotaur travel with you, Erron, and our curious friend here," Jade said acknowledging Kyria. "If the minotaur doesn't know anything about Turk'en Rah'ell, perhaps he can help us learn more about D'nyra's amnesia."

"Perhaps he was the cause of it?" Mathias offered.

"If he was and if he is in league with Turk'en Rah'ell.....then I truly feel bad for the minotaur. Making Erron angry would be a very grave mistake."

"What ever. I can't really say that I care to have your help, but honestly it doesn't appear as though as I am going to have much choice in accepting. But if before we go traipsing all over the land, some clothing would be much appreciated."

Kyria pulled the cloak open to expose her naked side, showing smooth dark flesh of her slender leg, curvaceous waist, but covered all else...

Sabal led Kyria to a different cabin room. In the room was a bed, a small table and chair with a lantern on it, and a trunk.

"You'll find suitable clothing in the trunk. This will be you quarters. If you need anything just find myself or my brother Mathias."

She then left Kyria alone in the room, closing the door behind her.

Meanwhile, somewhere else.....

"The mist is thickening," the man said.

"Aye," his companion agreed.

"Perhaps this is the end of the world?"

"It would be a blessing. Can't say I would complain," the companion replied.

"I would."

"Why's that?" the companion asked.

"Because our work is not yet done."

"You suggest that the time is nearing then?" the companion said.

"Not only is it time to show the world what the mist has caused....it's time to show the world what the mist is."

"Good. Leif won't escape us this time."

"No...he won't. This time.....the immolation won't be stopped."

Kyria watched as Sabal leave the room and shut the door behind her, leaving Kyria to herself. She removed her cloak, throwing it on the bed then opened the trunk and started digging through the contents looking for clothing. She would pick up a piece hold it up and look at and throw it, dissatisfied with it.

She finally found something that she liked and put it on. she grabbed the cloak off the bed and left her room. Once she found Mathias she handed back his cloak and thanked him for the use of it.

Leif was confused by the man's behavior. However, it was clear the man could give Leif some answers. Leif found a corner of the room to settle down in, healed himself and waited.

There wasn't much to do. He didn't want to make too much noise, and he was so clumsy in his new form, that he didn't think he could do much of anything without getting himself injured.

With his free time, Leif explored the new him. He wasn't sure if he minded his new form. Nature was filled with interesting creatures. He was just fortunate enough to experience it.

He was getting tired of being locked up though. He wanted to go back to his forest and see his panther friend.

He couldn't hear any voices, so he couldn't eavesdrop. He hoped that crazy human was a spy and could get him out. Otherwise, he didn't know how he'd get to ground.

Leif sighed.